La Spinona Sori Gepin Barolo 2010

Color: Brilliant deep ruby red with garnet reflections.
Bouquet: Rich fruity bouquet with hints of violets , spice and mature berries.
Taste: Densely structured with full, complex flavors of ripened red fruits, wood and earth tones. A Huge wine of elegant proportions that become velvety and graceful with aging.

In stainless steel at 29-30 °C under temperature controlled conditions. There is a 15-20 day maceration period on the skins with a pumping over of the juice for 10 minutes every 2 hours and a 2 minute rotation with vertical paddles also every 2 hours. Fermentation is 7 to 10 days .After malolactic

fermentation, the wine is racked.
The wine stays for 2 years in Slavonian oak casks of 2500 liters and 1year in the bottle.

Pairs with roasted red meats, game, aged cheeses

Review:

Alluring aromas of fragrant blue flower, woodland berry, forest floor and pipe tobacco slowly take shape in this compelling wine. Gorgeous and full-bodied, the palate delivers ripe morello cherry while licorice, cinnamon and crushed herb add depth. Polished tannins provide the elegant framework. Drink through 2026.  -Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

Spinona Bricco Faset Barbaresco is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.

This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from Pietro Berutti's 8 hectares of coveted vineyards on the top of the historic hill, Faset. It is 270 meters above sea level with a south, south-east exposure. The vines are an average of 35 years old. Only organic farming practices are used. The natural fertilizer comes from the 100 head of cattle that they have and no herbicides or pesticides are used.

Barbaresco shows a deep ruby red color with garnet reflections. An intense bouquet with hints of ripe cherries, wild berries and spice. White pepper, licorice and mint blend with enticing floral notes. Mouth-filling and well-structured with a full, velvety body and an austere and long finish.

HARVEST: late October. The grapes are harvested by hand in perforated baskets to allow air to pass through the bunches. The pressing is soft. Cold maceration for 24 hours at 12°C (for certain years).

WINEMAKING: Soft pressing with an initial cold maceration on the skins for 24 hours at 12C. Specially selected yeasts are used. Fermentation takes place for 12 to 14 days in stainless steel at 28-29 °C under temperature controlled conditions. There is a pumping over on the skins. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and goes through a delicate pressing to obtain only the best wine.

AGING : 12-15 months in large 25 hectolitre wooden barrels of Allier and Slavonian oak.

REFINING: in the bottle for 12-15 months in a temperature-controlled environment.

Excellent with game, red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.

Review:

This classically crafted wine opens with earthy aromas of rose, violet, leather and a whiff of game while the juicy palate offers black cherry, cinnamon and star anise. Chewy tannins provide support. It's already approachable but will continue to drink well over the next several years. Drink through 2022. - Wine Enthusiast 91 Points

COMMENTS
Deep red in colour. The nose is lifted and expressive with lovely Christmas cake and mint characters along with black olives and tobacco leaf adding complexity. The palate is medium to full bodied with blueberry and hints of cassis as the primary fruit flavours. The palate has great poise with the vibrant fruit, spicy French oak and fine tannin structure all wonderfully balanced, and the wine finishes with great length of fruit.

VINIFICATION NOTES
The fruit was harvested at night. Fermentation was carried out in a variety of small capacity fermenters. After pressing the parcels were filled to French oak for maturation. The wine was racked after six months and the parcels were blended to form the final wine.

MATURATION
The wine was matured in a temperature controlled barrel hall for 16 months in French hogsheads (barrels).

VINTAGE NOTES
Average winter rainfall in 2009 resulted in good soil moisture in the 2010 growing season. This combined with moderate weather conditions through most of the growing season allowed for good fruit set and canopy development. 

HARVESTED
March 2010

"Full crimson-purple; while quite soft overall, both in fruit and tannin terms, the wine is full-bodied and fleshy, with dark chocolate and licorice joining the blackcurrant fruit and cedary oak. 14% alc."
- James Halliday's TOP 100 over $20 (November 2012), 97 pts

"This Eden Valley wine displays classic Cabernet structure. It’s full-bodied and powerful, but never jammy or soft, like some Barossa Cabs. Vanilla accents pristine cassis fruit, which shows enormous depth. Drink 2018–2025, and very possibly beyond. -Joe Czerwinski"
- Wine Enthusiast (April 2014), 94 pts + CELLAR SELECTION

GOLD AT 2012 HOBART WINE SHOW

GOLD AT 2012 NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL WINE SHOW
GOLD AT 2012 QUEENSLAND WINE SHOW
SILVER AT 2012 ADELAIDE WINE SHOW
SILVER AT 2012 CHINA WINE AND SPIRIT AWARDS
BRONZE AT 2012 BAROSSA WINE SHOW
BRONZE AT 2012 INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRIT COMPETITION
BRONZE AT 2012 MELBOURNE WINE SHOW
BRONZE AT 2012 SPEIGELAU INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION (NZ)
BRONZE AT 2013 INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE

SALE!

Gagliasso Barolo Riserva Oak Box is made from 100% Nebbiolo

12 months in French oak barrels (50% new oak and 50% 2 years)

Complex and intense aromas of red fruits intermixed with licorice, prune, leather, smoke and notes of toasty oak and vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate with loads of ripe dried and candied fruits, pepper and mocha.

Torriglione 50% Rocche dell’Annunziata 50%
Average density of vines: 5500 vines per hectare
Method of cultivation: classical Guyot method with medium-short pruning;
3 vineyards - two with western exposure and one with a south-facing slope.
Green harvest in two different times with reduction of grapes with a production per hectare around 5500 kg . The grapes are harvested very ripe with a meticulous selection; the fermentation took place in stainless steel vats with temperature control. The fermentation is around 33-34°C with 15-17 days of maceration ; malolattic fermentation took place spontaneously in stainless steel vats. After malolattic fermentation the wine stays for 12 months in French oak barrels (50% new oak and 50% 2 years); after this period the barrels are blended (50% Torriglione and 50%Rocche dell’Annunziata) in old barrels for 48 months. The wine is bottled and refined for 10-12 months.

There's a gritty, sandy quality to the tannins that would cut through roast pork stuffed with prunes.

Cambon la Pelouse Haut Medoc is produced from a careful selection of the grapes. Made from 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Limited yield: 45 hl/ha.
Aged in oak barrels for 12 months (50% new oak). Intense ruby/purple color. Delicate aromas of red fruit, liquorice, vanilla and caramel. Ripe fruit flavors, well balanced, great harmonious structure, silky tannins and a good length.

Pairs well with game and red meats, cured cheeses.

Review:

This shows something of Margaux's—the neighboring appellation—delicacy, allied with firm, dry tannins. It has the dense structure and ripeness characteristic of the vintage, with a rich black-fruit flavor and acidity. It's a wine for long-term aging."
- Wine Enthusiast (February 2013), 91 pts

Famille Sambardier Pouilly Fuisse La Levee is made from 100% Chardonnay

The wine is very aromatic, with brioche, butter and citrus flavors. 
The length to the finish is long and balanced with great acidity and richness.

Hand harvested. Grapes were sourced from a vineyard in the village of Solutré. 
10% of the wine was aged in French Oak barrels.

Excellent with poultry and fresh water fish. Delicious also with goat cheeses.