Casir dos Santos Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Nuna Malbec Reserve is made from 100 perfect Malbec. 

The Malbec is round and fleshy, with enticing crushed plum and boysenberry fruit enlivened by a liquorice snap note.

The grapes are carefully chosen and fermented in small lots to preserve the vineyard identity. Alcoholic fermentation for 12 days with indigenous and selected yeasts, at temperatures of 26 and 30°C, combining, remontage, pigeage and delestage in order to obtain the best quality of tannins and structure.

Review:

"Paz Levinson: Concentrated and pristine black fruit. This is a fresh and lively Malbec. Patricio Tapia: A great example of the grape: refreshing, filled with cherry notes and has a generous finish, with radiant red fruit and spicy black pepper."
- Decanter (Great value Malbec from Argentina: A buying guide, September 2018), 90 pts

Le P'tit Paysan Le Ptit Pape is made from 62% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, 2% Cinsault

Oak: Mixture of one and twice used barrels for 11 months and puncheons

Playful interpretaion of a domestic, baby, Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Cherry blossoms, dusty road, red plums, herb de Provence. Rosewater and red cherry on the palate, nimble with medium body. Grippy finish with firm Grenache tannins and hints of olive and sagebrush.

Fermented in several lots ranging from 0-50% whole cluster. Fermeted to dryness on skins.
Aged in neutral barrels for 11 months. From limestone rich soils

Review:

"Ian Brand is dedicated to making great, regionally expressive wines at affordable price points, and this food-friendly blend of 62% Grenache, 19% Syrah, 14% Mourvèdre, 3% Counoise and 2% Cinsault is the centerpiece. Aromas of wild thyme, sagebrush and cranberry lead into a lighter yet lively palate full of chaparral spice, cracked pepper and zesty red fruit. Serve with anything."
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2018), 92 pts, Editors' Choice

"Pairs elegant fruit with a zesty sense of gaminess, accented by dried cherry, smoky dried herb and subtle leather hints that take on richness toward the refined tannins. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Cinsault. Drink now through 2024. 1,580 cases made. –TF"
- Wine Spectator (April 2018), 91 pts

Le P'tit Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot

11 months on lees in French oak barrels (3% new)

Le P'tit Paysan offers intense blackberry, dark cherry aromas, chocolate, herbaceous and toasty notes on the palate. Medium-bodied, well-balanced with moderate and integrated tannins that give structure and liveliness to the wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from two vineyards, a 44 year old vineyard planted in the calcareous alluvial deposits of the San Benito River and a 25 year old vineyard east of Gilroy, which grows in deep, extremely sandy soils against the foothills of the Diablo Range. The Petite Verdot from the Paicines AVA and grows in rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Pinos arroyo. All three vineyards experience the warm days and cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars. Fermented whole berry in several lots with endemic yeasts, pressed after approximately 20 days. Aged for 11 months (3% new) French barrels. A beautiful example of ‘old school’ California Cabernet made with minimal intervention from mature vineyards.

Pairs well with steak, duck, game, hearty stews, ribs, and dark, rich sauces.

Review:

"Warm aromas of baked red cherry and caramel grow more complex due to a gravelly minerality and hints of peppercorns on the nose of this bottling by Ian Brand. The palate leads with oregano and pepper, those spices overwhelming the fruit, and the rocky minerality continues, leading into a cocoa-laced finish. It is a lithe and lively style of Cab."
- Wine Enthusiast (June 2018), 91 pts - Editors' Choice

TASTING NOTES:

A black cherry color with intense violet hues. Aromas are dominated by ripe red fruits, minerals and blue flowers. Fine, concentrated and exquisite on the palate, it is fleshy, fragrant, and full bodied.

Grape varietal: 100% Mencia
Average age of the vines: 45-55 years
Vineyard's altitude: 450-480 meters above sea level
Pre-fermentation maceration: 3-5 days at 4-6 degres celcius
Alcoholic fermentation: 6-10 days
Maceration: 4-10 days
Malolactic fermentation: 5-9 days
Ageing: 2 months in stainless steel tank and then 2 months in the bottle.

Review:

"A silky texture carries harmonious, if somewhat muted, flavors of red plum, tobacco, sage and mineral in this focused red. Light, well-integrated tannins and lively acidity give this balance. Should bloom in a year or two. Drink now through 2024. 1,500 cases made. – T.M."
- Wine Spectator (April 30th, 2018), 91 points

Casir dos Santos Estate Reserve Malbec is 100 percent Malbec.

Aged 8 months in French oak barrels and then 6 months in the bottle.

Presents an intense red color with glints of bordeaux. Great aromatic intensity. It expresses red ripe fruits and vanilla due to the well-integrated wood. In the mouth it’s balanced with round and sweet tannins, rich and persistent.

Coming from a sustainable 50-year old plot, grapes are crushed, destemmed and go through pre-fermentative maceration at 11ºC for 24 hours. Alcoholic fermentation in tanks. 4 weeks of maceration with must. Aged in French oak barrels for 8 months, Malolactic fermentation in contact with fine lees.

Review:

"A tight and chewy wine with polished tannins and a savory finish. Lots going on here but in a reserved way. Drink or hold."
- James Suckling (June 2017), 91 pts