Italy is the world’s second largest wine producing country falling behind France. Italian wine is governed by DOC and DOCG laws. Much like France’s AOC laws, they control what grape types can be planted in each region. Some of Italy’s more famous wines are the Barolo in the Piedmont region, often referred to as the king of wine, and its queen, Barbaresco. Perhaps the most famous of all the regions is Tuscany, not only for its beauty, but the amazing Chianti and Brunello’s that are produced in this region. Both are made from the Sangiovese grape. In the Veneto region you will find Italian wines created from the Corvina grape, made in the ancient Amarone style.
Rinaldi Panta rei Monferrato Rosso is a blend of 50% Barbera and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine is quite tasty, smooth, silky and powerful.
It is loaded with dried red fruit notes from the appassimento of the grapes and it also has a lot of spicy aromas and flavors from the oak ageing.
Grown on limestone soils.
The average age of the vines is 30 years old.
10% of the wine is appassimento. Appassimento is an Italian term for drying harvested grapes, traditionally on bamboo racks or straw mats, for a few weeks up to several months to concentrate the sugars and flavors. This process is used in making Amarone, Recioto and Sforzato.
This drying method is not traditional in Piemonte but is popular in other part of Italy like in the Veneto region.
Thanks to this new method the wine is rounder and softer, boasts beautiful notes of red dried fruits.
Pantarei is aged 14 months in French oak ((the wood is Allier, medium toast) barrels and 6 months in bottle before release.
Delicious with wild game, grilled meat and strong cheese.
Rinaldi Panta rei Monferrato Rosso is a blend of 50% Barbera and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine is quite tasty, smooth, silky and powerful.
It is loaded with dried red fruit notes from the appassimento of the grapes and it also has a lot of spicy aromas and flavors from the oak ageing.
Grown on limestone soils.
The average age of the vines is 30 years old.
10% of the wine is appassimento. Appassimento is an Italian term for drying harvested grapes, traditionally on bamboo racks or straw mats, for a few weeks up to several months to concentrate the sugars and flavors. This process is used in making Amarone, Recioto and Sforzato.
This drying method is not traditional in Piemonte but is popular in other part of Italy like in the Veneto region.
Thanks to this new method the wine is rounder and softer, boasts beautiful notes of red dried fruits.
Pantarei is aged 14 months in French oak ((the wood is Allier, medium toast) barrels and 6 months in bottle before release.
Delicious with wild game, grilled meat and strong cheese.
Rinaldi Red Dream is made from 100% Malvasia
this wine is obtained with a cold maceration (13° C) for 48 hours. We work in this way just to extract the color and the wine scent from the peels.
Then we soft press the grapes and we separate the solid part from the liquid part and we have the juice.
Then we keep the wine at 0 degree Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature and we have a natural cleaning of the must.
When we decide to bottle it the temperature increased at about 17 degrees Celcius, and when we reach 5.5% Alcohol by Volume and the desired atmospheric pressure is obtained, about 2 atmospheres, we block the fermentation with the cold and we filter it again and
finally, we put it in bottle.
The wine is ruby red but not too deep, fruity and pleasant. It's a dessert wine, it is possible to appreciate it at his best if you serve it chilled.
This frothy and fruity red wine delivers flavors of honeysuckle and black pepper. Light, fun and exciting; it’s great for parties and light fare. 100 % Malvasia Nera.
"The non-vintage Rinaldi Red Dream, which comes from 100% Malvasia Nera, has about 7% alcohol, so it is slightly more potent than its two siblings. Gorgeously fresh and frothy, with loads of cherry, honeysuckle, spice box and spring flowers, this is an exciting party wine that is brilliantly packaged, and I doubt a person can be found who would dislike it. However, these wines are meant to be drunk in their exuberant youth, so this one as well as the following two efforts should be consumed over the next 6-12 months."
- Wine Advocate (Issue 201, June 2012), 90 pts
"This Wine is a bit heavier than a bracchetto, but it shares the sweetness, effervescence and low alcohol that make it a delicious dessert wine. The added weight suggests pairing it with desserts that include ice cream."
- Washington Post (February 8th 2012), **
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Grapes are sourced from the Lessini hills in the Colli Berici, where the cold nights allow the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines, 20 years old on average, are planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.
Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.
Rubus Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir from Veneto Italy
Tasting notes: Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.
Vineyards:
The grapes are grown primarily on the hills south of Vicenza, the Colli Berici, where the hillside sites ensure lower yields and better ripeness of the grapes.
The vineyards are located in the hills and are south-west facing. The hillside sites experience cooler nights, allowing the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines are trained using the Guyot system, planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.
Average age of the vines is around 20 years old.
Vinification:
The grapes were harvested, destemmed, crushed and then cool soaked for 24 hours. Maceration on the skins took place before fermentation at temperatures of up to 22°C. Following malolactic fermentation, 30% of the wine was aged in oak for four to five months prior to bottling.
Winemaker: Alberto Marchisio
Acidity: 5.3 g/Liter
RS: 5.6 g/Liter
pH: 3.42
Nice with roasted or grilled beef, game and a very good companion for matured cheese.
Rubus Prosecco Organic is made from 100% Glera.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Clean, light, fresh & airy. 100% Glera, Certified Organic + vegan friendly.
Ruffino Alauda Toscana IGT is made from 40% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 25% Colorino.
An elegant, full-bodied wine, Alauda is a harmonious sum of its parts. Rich with varietal flavors of plum and cherry from the Merlot and layered with ripe berry flavors from the Cabernet Franc, and unique balsamic and dark chocolate notes from the Colorino. The extended oak aging process integrates the blend while providing tertiary flavors of sweet spice and soft, elegant tannins for a lingering finish. This wine will age gracefully for decades.
Guillemot-Michel Vire-Clesse Charleston is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This cuvée is produced from hundred-year old vines that the great-grandfather planted after he returned from World War I. The family wanted to honor his memory and vinify these vines the same way he did, in old demi-muids.
Charleston is a deep and complex wine that gently express itself in the glass, offering juicy white fruit flavors and a lengthy finish.
Charleston is vinified and aged for one year in demi-muids of over 10 years old. During the following harvest, the wine is racked and placed in vats for another 6 months of aging before bottling.
Fish in white sauce, poultry in creamy sauce, hard cheeses.
Review:
The 2020 Viré-Clessé Charleston is the most structured, concentrated wine in the range, mingling notions of crisp orchard and stone fruit with scents of clear honey, white flowers, beeswax and mint in an inviting bouquet. Medium to full-bodied ample and satiny, it's layered and multidimensional, with impressive depth at the core, racy acids and chalky grip. Derived from the Guillemot family's oldest parcel of vines (dating back to 1918), it's built to age.
-Wine Advocate 94 Points
Bertani Valpantena Amarone is made from 80% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella.
The best grapes are selected so that only the healthiest and ripest bunches are sent to the drying rooms in the historic winery at Grezzana, where they are laid out in single-layer crates. In mid- January, the grapes are destemmed and crushed, then fermentation starts, at first at a temperature of 39°F- 41°F, which then reaches 72°F in the final stages.
WINEMAKING
The vines are vertical-trellised and Guyot-trained, with a planting density of 2024 plants per acre. Hand harvest is carried out in the middle of September.
This amarone is produced in the Valpantena hills, north of Verona. The soils are calcareous-marl in the east and calcareous-clay in the west, rich in iron.
TERROIR & VINTAGE NOTES
Bertani’s impact on Veneto wine making, particularly in Amarone production, is so considerable that ‘Bertani’ and ‘Amarone’ are nearly synonymous. Their 150+ year history is dotted with groundbreaking initiatives and royal accreditation. While respectful of their past, Bertani strives towards innovation, using progressive techniques and equipment allied with extensive experience and a deeply felt respect for tradition to provide wines of uncompromising quality.
On the nose, marked and intense aromas of very ripe cherries, sour cherries, spicy and nutty notes typical of the Valpantena. Good follow-through of red fruits on the palate, with supple tannins to give depth. This full bodied wine pairs well with rich dishes, mature cheeses and strong-flavored meats.