Refosco is a very old Italian family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the northern Italian and neighbouring areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino, Istria and Karst Plateau. It is considered autochthonous AKA indigenous in these regions.
Intense, almost impenetrable ruby red. Aromas of leather when first poured opening up into notes of red berry, spice and red currant. Rubard, leather, fruit and minerals on the palate with silky tannins. Allow this wine to breath a bit and enjoy.
I served spinach stuffed Manacotti, salad and garlic toast with this wine, not to bad. Would pair well with grilled and or smoked meats and veges.
Refosco Grapes
The grapes were harvested in late September. The bunches were selected one by one before destemming, and then vinified in the traditional manner in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature. The wine aged in French oak barriques for ten months.
This wine hales from the Maule Valley in Chile where it is blessed with hot dry days and cooled by mountain breezes at night. Perfect for grapes! I purchased this wine for $16 although I have seen it elsewhere for around $14.
100% Chardonnay this wine is vibrant gold in color, fresh medium bodied with notes of tropical fruits, pineapple, guava and is that coconut I smell? Yes I believe it is...and a touch of coconut! On the palate this wine quenches your thirst with flavors of pineapple, citrus and guava followed by a smooth vanilla note creamy finish.
In case you were wondering there is not a date in this wine. It is a blend of Syrah 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Petite Sirah 13%, Petite Verdot 13% Merlot 11% and Zinfandel 9% and what a blend it is. The blend changes every year.
Named after the mountainside vineyard, this wine was originally made as a special treat for the winemakers friends and family members who helped them during harvest. Then word got out how great this wine tasted and they were inundated with requests for it so they had to make it for the public.
On the pour this wine is dark red of course, just think of all the varietals that went onto making this wine. On the nose this wine has a rustic aroma. It reminded me of the smell of Autumn after a cool rain, notes of cedar and hints of pine, fresh and earthy. On the palate baked black cherry, plum and spice. Easy to drink, smooth with good tannin and a nice long finish with a hint of dark cocoa. Needless to say we finished the bottle and wished we had another.
This wine would pair well with BBQ, Pizza, Pork and any number of hearty dishes.
For more information on this wine and other wines by Spann Vineyards and the winemakers interesting story visit their website at http://spannvineyards.com/
I purchased this wine for $12, great buy for a nice little every day Malbec
In the glass this wine pours dark garnet with purple tones. A bit shy on the nose with notes of black cherry, plum and vanilla and the slightest hint of maple. Medium to full bodied, not your typical Malbec. On the Palate this wine was very approachable, not as tannic as expected, good fruit, plum, vanilla with a slightly sweet undertone, nice finish with a touch of sweet cigar.
I served this wine with maple glazed pork chops, cheddar/bacon smashed potatoes and grilled asparagus and it paired well right down to the slight maple flavor in the Malbec.
This wine is 85% Viognier and 15% Chardonnay from the Colchagua Valley in Chinle.
In the glass this wine is pale yellow with aromas of grapefruit, flowers and peach with a touch of citrus and minerals. Pretty good acidity on the palate with peach, citrus and a touch of apple on the end. Citrus and floral on the finish.
Wine making was first introduced to Chile by Spanish settlers in the 1500’s, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s that much of the world had their first sips of Chilean wine. Chile has experience remarkable growth. In 1984, Chile’s total wine exports amounted to 2%, less than 30 years later they’re currently exporting 70% of their wines, making Chile responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s wine.
Chile remains one of the few wine-producing regions that has not been devastated by phylloxera, the louse the destroyed much of the world’s vineyards in the 1800’s. Because of this, Chile has several vineyards that date back to upwards of 150 years. These old vines, mostly of Carignan and Mourvedre, produce concentrated, intriguing wines that are highly sought after.
This wine hales from the Colchagua Valley region in Chile. The region has been called "The next Napa" and for good reason.
On the pour this wine is ruby red. Dusty earth, black cherry, blackberry, leather and cedar aromas give this Cabernet outstanding complexity on the nose. The palate brings huge cherry flavors, along with coffee and black pepper. Soft tannins and crisp acidity round this wine out to be a good one. I definitely recommend this one.
All these factors create a terroir of near-perfect conditions for the vineyards, including an exceptionally long growing season of warm, dry weather. Grapes that mature slowly can develop their varietal character to the fullest, yielding wines bursting with fruit -- a characteristic that has earned the Colchagua Valley an honored place on the world's wine map. A further blessing is that Chile is entirely free of phylloxera. (A tiny aphidlike insect that attacks the roots of grapevines. Phylloxera sucks the nutrients from the roots and slowly starves the vine, creating a dramatic decrease in fruit.)
Tannat is allegedly Uruguay’s flagship grape, an old grape that is bright crimson red with a purple hue. Historically grown in the South of France, now most prominent in Uruguay, also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Peru and some regions in Italy. In California plantings have increased dramatically.
A serious effort is underway in Uruguay to produce fine wines. Consultants from California have been working in Uruguay for several years modernizing the vineyards and wine making techniques.
In the glass this wine is dark crimson, The aromas you get from Tannat are raspberry compote and elder flower, marry with hints of plum and rosemary. The palate is rich in its flavors of plum, chocolate and new tobacco, a bit tannic but with good acidity. If allowed to breath a bit this wine can shine. The finish is long with a bit of mineral taste.
If you are a red wine drinker this wine is definitely something new and interesting you might want to try.
