For many wine lovers or consumers, wine tasting is the preserve of professionals or real connoisseurs. People still have this image of it being a complex, technical, precise and highly-formalised process. In fact, wine tasting isn’t and shouldn’t be just that. No, it should be straightforward, convivial, interesting and fun. Tasting a wine should provoke curiosity, excitement, pleasure and dreams…
When you taste a Château du Retout wine, you use all five of your senses: the sense of touch when you pick up the bottle to gauge its temperature, the sense of hearing which allows you to enjoy the sound of he popping of the cork and the wine being poured into the glass, and then, of course, you use your senses of sight, smell and taste when you drink the wine:
The Médoc grape varieties and soils give us wines with superb, dense, dark hues, ranging from deep garnet to ruby-crimson, taking on brick red shades with orange tints with age.
Very intense and expressive aromas with powerful notes of black fruit such as blackcurrants and blackberries. In older wines, the nose develops a spicy bouquet of liquorice, leather and marshmallow mingled with the vanilla scents created by well-integrated oak.
Harmonious, elegant and velvety, with smooth, round tannins, that can be appreciated from the wine's entry to the palate through to the finish. These are delightfully full-bodied wines with great aromatic persistence.
Review:
"Shows the ripeness of the vintage, with dark currant and blackberry framed by singed cedar and vanilla. Ends with a tug of warm earth, a light twang of iron and a steady grip. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2034."
- Wine Spectator (TOP 100 wines of 2024), 92 pts and #45 on Top100
Reverdy Jean Sancerre Rouge is mader from 100% Pinot Noir
The wine is spicy and juicy with cherry aromas, and proves the point that power is not necessary for a fine wine.
Jean Reverdy Sancerre Blanc is 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Single vineyard. Vinification: cold fermentation in stainless steel tank, no oak, no malolactic fermentation.
Sweet, fruity and clean. White flowers (acacia, jasmine) and citrus fruits aromas. Perfectly balanced.
A delicious wine, perfect with fish dishes, especially salmon, and a local goat cheese Crottin de Chavignol.
Reverdy Jean Sancerre Rouge Les Villots is made from 100% Pinot Noir
The wine is spicy and juicy with cherry aromas, and proves the point that power is not necessary for a fine wine.
Ricudda IGT Toscana Canaiolo is made from 100% Canaiolo.
Intense ruby red with purple tints. Aromas of flowers and berries accompanied by sweet spices. Fresh and easy to drink, with intense fruity notes.
Wine is vinified in French oak barrels for 2 months. Then it is aged in concrete tanks for another 2 months.
After bottling, the wine is kept in bottle for an extra 3 months before it is release to the consumer.
The wine is produced with grapes from organic viticulture and is clarified without the use of products of animal origin.
To be combined with first and second courses based on meat, cold cuts, vegetables and fresh cheeses.
First courses with game, grilled meats, fresh and aged cheeses such as pecorino.
Intense ruby red color with purple tints.
On the nose, the wine shows some intense notes of red fruits, especially cherry and slight hints of oak.
In the mouth, it has a good structure, great softness and it is pleasant to drink. Predominant notes of red fruits, with slight spiciness.
Pair with first courses with game, grilled meats, fresh and aged cheeses such as pecorino.
Ricudda Chianti Classico Riserva 100% Sangiovese.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine shows an intense and persistent bouquet, with notes of berries and spices such as licorice and black pepper. Well-harmonized hints of oak.
In the mouth, it is well structured and balanced, complex, persistent with notes of red fruits and spices such as black pepper and licorice.
Pair with grilled red meats, steak, game of hair and feather, stewed and roasted, aged cheeses hard like pecorino.
Ricudda IGT Toscana Canaiolo is made from 100% Sangiovese.
Intense ruby red with purple tints. Aromas of flowers and berries accompanied by sweet spices. Fresh and easy to drink, with intense fruity notes.
To be combined with first and second courses based on meat, cold cuts, vegetables and fresh cheeses.
First courses with game, grilled meats, fresh and aged cheeses such as pecorino.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon,15 % Shiraz.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
Cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 -26 degrees Celsius. Regular pump-overs were given to enhance colour and flavour extraction. Different batches of wine matured with French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels were all blended together to perfection.
Served at room temperature, this Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with red meat dishes, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lam, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
Cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 -26 degrees Celsius. Regular pump-overs were given to enhance colour and flavour extraction. Different batches of wine matured with French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels were all blended together to perfection.
Served at room temperature, this Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with red meat dishes, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lam, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
Riebeek Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This unoaked Riebeek Chardonnay displays a brilliant green-gold color. The style is dry but fruity. The nose offers exceptional tropical aromas that follow through in the palate with a well-rounded finish of lingering citrus fruits. It is lovely with most entrees from crisp salads to creamy soups and chicken, whether served grilled or in a creamy sauce.
Free run juice was used. After settling and acid adjustment, juice was inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature remained between 13-14 degrees Celsius. Wine was left on lees for a few months prior to bottling to enhance the flavour.
It is lovely with most entrees, from crisp salads to creamy soups and chicken, whether served grilled or in a creamy sauce.
Riebeek Cellars Merlot is made from 100% Merlot.
Grapes were cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selective yeast. Fermentation took place at 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Wine were pressed at
above 2 degree Balling. Malolactic fermentation finished in stainless steel tanks. Oak maturation include French oak chips, French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. All blended together to perfection.
The style is elegant with distinctive red berries and well-integrated wood flavors on the nose. The pallet is velvety and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers with the juicy flavors of abundant berries.
At room temperature or slightly chilled. Enjoy with pasta or light meat dishes.
Riebeek Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
The color is an attractive bright, ruby red with a purple rim, typical of a young Pinotage. The flavors of this unique South African cultivar are complex and exciting with ripe plum and fruitcake all beautifully integrated and then finished with subtle oak for a lingering aftertaste.
Lovely with rare beef, barbequed lamb and casseroles. This versatile lighter style of Pinotage is also a lovely combination with spicy chicken.
Riebeek Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
The color is an attractive bright, ruby red with a purple rim, typical of a young Pinotage. The flavors of this unique South African cultivar are complex and exciting with ripe plum and fruitcake all beautifully integrated and then finished with subtle oak for a lingering aftertaste.
Lovely with rare beef, barbequed lamb and casseroles. This versatile lighter style of Pinotage is also a lovely combination with spicy chicken.
Riebeek Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
The color is an attractive bright, ruby red with a purple rim, typical of a young Pinotage. The flavors of this unique South African cultivar are complex and exciting with ripe plum and fruitcake all beautifully integrated and then finished with subtle oak for a lingering aftertaste.
Lovely with rare beef, barbequed lamb and casseroles. This versatile lighter style of Pinotage is also a lovely combination with spicy chicken.
Riley's Rows 3x3 Red Blend is made from 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 29% Merlot
Riley’s Rows "Three by Three" Proprietary Red Blend North Coast is a great wine from some of the winery's favorite North Coast vineyard sites. The Merlot is from their Brandt ranch in Lake County…which, is one of the best vineyards in Lake County. The Cabernet and Syrah are both from great Sonoma County sites.
Riley’s Rows 3 x 3 displays a nose of ripe plum and Bing cherries with a hint of cocoa. The palate opens with ripe red berries. The mid-palate offers a delicious melange of blackberry, Rainer Cherry, and nutmeg. The wine has a long finish, very balanced acidity, and soft tannins. The wine is approachable now but will age nicely for many years to come!
In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2017 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is looking good next to the 2016 tasted beside it. It is fresh and vibrant, with layers of complexing dark earth characters, with cigar box, black olive brine, cassis, bramble, milk chocolate and cracked black pepper. This is very good, and it has what I am coming to recognize as a "Yalumba red character": dried herbs, particularly oregano. The juicy splay of fruit through the finish is a highlight.
-Wine Advocate 95 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.