Grown in California, The Canary Islands, Italy and Australia, Malvasia is a white wine group with Greek origins. Although there is some controversy over where the grape originated from and who its ancestors were, it was mostly grown in Greece. The name Malvasia is Italian with the historical importance of the grape becoming evident in Venice wine shops. During the Venetian Republic, Malvasia was called Valvasie. Malvasia is planted all over the world, but performs best when it has good sun exposure and soil drainage. The majority of Malvasia varieties are related to Malvasia Bianca with the notable exception of Malvasia di Candia, this is a distinctly different sub-variety of grapes that are grown throughout Italy, the San Joaquin Valley in California, The Greek Islands of Paros and Syros, and Rioja and Navarra in the Canary Islands. Throughout central Italy, Malvasia is blended with Trevviano. This adds texture and flavor to the wine. In Tioja it is blended with Viura. Known under different synonyms which include Malvasier in Germany and Malvazia in the Eastern part of Europe, the French grape varieties are sometimes referred to as Malvoisie, but are in no way related to the grape of the same name. Other sub-varieties of the grape include Uva Greca, Rojal, Subirat, Blanquirroja, Blancarroga, Tobia, Cagazal, and Blanca-Rioja.
Accornero Brigantino Malvasia di Casorzo is made from 100% Malvasia.
Malvasia is a pleasant, sweet wine, low in alcohol content, that can be enjoyed at any time of day. Made exclusively from grapes grown in the hilltop vineyards of Casorzo and neighboring , it’s the pride and prestige of the area. It has always been the star wine of all local festivals. A comfort wine for all seasons and reasons, it has an aroma evocative of roses. The rich, aromatic wine is ruby-red, vibrant and slightly frothy. lt can be paired with desserts, fruit salads and sweets, but it can also be enjoyed as an aperitif or as a drink for any party occasion.
Color: Vibrant Ruby red
Bouquet: Sweet and aromatic, floral
Taste: Aromatic with rose fragrances
Great companion to desserts, such as biscotti / cantucci (Italian almond biscuits from Piemonte)
Boeira Douro White 40% Malvasia Fina, 30% Rabigato, 20% Gouveio and 10% Fernão Pires.
Good volume in mouth revealing its fruity character, now enhanced with a citrus component. Slight mineral touch that gives it personality. It is a complex and deep wine with a persistent finish.
Good accompaniment to fish dishes, salads, and can also be drunk as appetizers. Should be consumed at a temperature between 8º and 10ºC.
El Grifo Lias Malvasia Volcanica is made from 100% Malvasia Volcanica.
Color: Straw yellow, with light golden hues. Clear and bright.
Aroma: Medium-high intensity of a wine in evolution. Fresh, citrus (orange peel) and tropical (passion fruit and mango) fruits. Flowers (orange blossom, jasmine, violets), fennel, and complex aromas such as silex or flint (phosphorus). Yeast autolysis is reminiscent of the aromas of baked goods and yeast. Bottle ageing brings out hints of dried fruits, honey and caramel.
Taste: Full-bodied, with a lengthy and unctuous texture, very strong natural acidity, citrus freshness, mineral notes and saltiness. Persistent finish.
Residual Sugar 0.5 g/L
Total Acidity 6.02 g/L
pH 3.36
Total SO2 91 mg/L
El Grifo Lias Malvasia Volcanica is made from 100% Malvasia Volcanica.
Color: Straw yellow, with light golden hues. Clear and bright.
Aroma: Medium-high intensity of a wine in evolution. Fresh, citrus (orange peel) and tropical (passion fruit and mango) fruits. Flowers (orange blossom, jasmine, violets), fennel, and complex aromas such as silex or flint (phosphorus). Yeast autolysis is reminiscent of the aromas of baked goods and yeast. Bottle ageing brings out hints of dried fruits, honey and caramel.
Taste: Full-bodied, with a lengthy and unctuous texture, very strong natural acidity, citrus freshness, mineral notes and saltiness. Persistent finish.
Residual Sugar 0.5 g/L
Total Acidity 6.02 g/L
pH 3.36
Total SO2 91 mg/L
Ibizkus White Tierra Ibiza is made from 90% Malvasia and 10% of other grape varietals (Macabeo, Muscat and Chardonnay).
With the Malvasia grape as the protagonist, Ibizkus white is an intense wine with its own personality. A straw yellow color with golden hus, it is medium-bodied, smooth, creamy and aromatic with citrus fruit, stone fruit and smoked fragrances. Silky on the palate with balanced acidity..
Vineyards on the west of the island bring density and fullness to the wine while the Cala Mastella vineyards add freshness.
Malvasia is grown on calcareous clay terraces in the San Mateo region and limestone rock slopes on a vineyard close to the sea at 180-metre altitude.
Review:
"Fragrant wine with a pot-pourri of flavors: apricot, hop flowers, cucumber skin and jasmine. Slightly spritzy. Would really shine with food perhaps.
- Decanter World Wine Awards, Silver Medal - 90 pts
Rinaldi Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco Tasting notes: Frizzante style, with hints of black pepper, cherries and red fruit notes. A frothy, & slightly sweet aperitif…
Vines are planted on limestone soils. Only 63 hectares exist of this very small DOC of Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco. Grape varietal is Malvasia di Schierano.
Pairs well with dessert and Asian food.
Hickinbotham Brooks Road Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
After the hand-picked Shiraz clusters were delivered from high country (210-230 meters) by Viticulturer Michael Lane, the winemaker destemmed and sorted the whole berries into open fermenters. The cold soak was four days, the skins plunged three times daily, and the minimum time on skins was eighteen days. The wine was then basket pressed; its free run and pressings kept separate. To minimize filtration at bottling, three rack-and-returns were conducted over fifteen months as the wine seasoned in a mixture of Burgundy-coopered barrels.
This Shiraz shows the characters this vineyard has displayed since the start, but perhaps in a more elegant, harmonious and balanced form. Its consistency is comforting and reassuring, buttressed by blue and black fruit notes throughout. It is readily enjoyable but has all the structure, acid and tannin to offer decades of rewards from cellaring.
Review:
A rich, succulent mix of dark chocolate, spiced plum, wild blackberry and black licorice notes. Showcases both power and elegance, with chai, cigar box, violets and dried sage notes, velvety and generous, on the long, generous finish. Drink now through 2035. 1,900 cases made, 370 cases imported
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Florence Cholet Hautes Cotes de Beaune Rouge is 100% Pinot Noir.
The nose expresses small red and black fruits, blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry and violet. The mouth provides a rich, supple and elegant wine with a good structure.
Pairs well with Pork, Filet Mignon, Pike Perch, Tomme de Morvan Cheese