La Torre farm takes its name from the antique 10th Century Medieval tower, which has been skilfully refurbished and even today is the distinguishing feature of the rural village, La Villa, located in the hills of San Gimignano, in the centre of the most suggestive and fascinating landscapes on earth: a land of vineyards and olive groves.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first DOC in Italy for white wine and had a much more widespread recognition in the past than it does today. The Vernaccia of the past was a light golden-colored wine, full-bodied, rich and round, with a special freshness and elegance. This description alone gives the impression of a wine that can age and, in fact, Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the only Italian white wine that has the right to be called Riserva if aged for 1 year. Greed, over-production and poor administration has begun to wear away at the image of this wine and the traditional style that brought it so much acclaim in the past.
The fame of this varietal (100% Vernaccia) is as much tied to the city from which it comes as to the wine itself. San Gimignano is a beautiful Tuscan town renown for its towers. In a great show of one-upmanship during the 10th Century the inhabitants constructed 72 towers each one more beautiful and higher than the other. Today only 14 of those towers remain and one is on the 350 hectare estate of Enrico Angiolini, 42 of which are under vine. Angiolini is a traditionalist and he believes that more than just the fame of this city should be tied to the wine. He fought hard to see that the wine bearing the San Gimignano name is from grapes grown and bottled within the confines of the community. He was successful not only from blocking large Chianti houses from bottling Vernaccia outside the zone, but he was also responsible for its receiving a DOCG, Italy’s second white wine to be so honored.
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Guillemot-Michel Vire Clesse is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Beautifully expressive, with yellow fruits, orange blossom, smoke & flint. Thick and saline on entry, then seriously deep in the mid-palate, with suggestions of exotic fruits perfectly countered by strong minerality. This wine strikes a perfect balance between sweet and salty elements, and it shows vibrant acidity. It boasts a thickness that few other northern Mâconnais can match.
Enjoy with fish (such as sole meuniere), seafood, roasted chicken, goat cheese.
Review:
"The 2018 Viré-Clessé Quintaine is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of honeyed citrus fruit, fresh pastry and orange blossom. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, it's elegantly textural and refined, with a fragrant core of fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Even though it will reward a bit of bottle age, it's slightly finer-boned than the more concentrated, muscular 2017, so I would opt to drink this immensely charming wine before its older sibling. – William Kelley"
- The Wine Advocate (Issue 249, June 30th 2020), 93 pts
Pago de Carraovejas Cuesta Liebres is made from 100% Tinto Fino. The plot is located on a terraced hillside located at 900 m above sea level with slopes that range between inclines of 30% and 40%. Red cherry color with purple hues. Ripe fruit aromas, vanilla notes. Suave and unctuous in the mouth. A strong and noble character.
The harvest is carried out by hand using small crates and after passing through a refrigerated container it is transferred into tanks via gravity. The alcoholic and malolatic fermentation is carried out in small French “Haute Futaie” Oak casks with unique and original local yeasts and fermenting bacteria from the vineyard itself, to bring out the very best of the terroir, respecting the uniqueness of each and every vintage. Clarified with egg whites and bottled by gravity with natural cork stoppers.
Review:
A benchmark Ribera del Duero when it comes to quality. Expect the fine integration of high-grade wood, showing notes of peppermint, spices, truffles, dark chocolate, grilled herbs and dark cherry and blackberry fruit. More restrained in oak use compared with the old vintages for sure. Full-bodied and resolved, with seamless, powdery tannins and a juicy, tightly wound finish. Even, polished and effortless for such remarkable balance. It has a high level of concentration, with plush, integrated oak. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 95 Points