Tamarack Chardonnay is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Bright aromas of ruby red grapefruit, mango and stone fruit are found in the bouquet while on the palate, the bright acidity of this wine showcases flavors of guava, crisp Granny Smith apples and Asian pears. Combing the best of both cooperage techniques, the combination of aging in stainless steel highlights the fruit while the aging in neutral French oak provides an added complexity to the wine.
Aged 60% in neutral premier French oak and 3% in new premier French Oak 37% stainless steel.Dropped by gravity straight to the press, the juice is pumped directly to barrel or tank and chilled, inoculated with Chardonnay 3079 yeast, primary fermentation started and finished, secondary fermentation started but completed to preferred taste, typically around 50% completion. All fermentation is done in a 58 degree Fahrenheit barrel room.
Walla Walla Valley Appellation: Alderbanks Vineyard
Columbia Valley Appellation: Bacchus and Gamache Brothers Vineyards
Yakima Valley Appellation: Olsen Brothers and French Creek Vineyards
Tamarack Ciel de Cheval Vineyard Reserve holds dark and chocolate nauces, spiced with pretty notes of allspice and clove, this wine is round and rich, bursting with ripe berries, combined with an earthy complexity and a velvety finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon makes up half of this blend, with the balance Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot
The wine spent 22 months on 75% new French oak with the remaining 25% second vintage French oak. Select barrels from the best forests of Taransaud, Boutes, Quintessance, and Vicard cooperages.
Tanzanite Brut Rose Method Cap Classique is made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.
It begins with a sumptuous and luminous pink appearance. Followed by a delicacy of red fruit aromas. The nose is generous and elegant. Fresh attack followed by a harmonious sensation on the palate. Perfectly balanced in the best Tanzanite Style which combines elegance and flair.
Yearly the grapes are sourced from Robertson. Hand picking of the grapes we do in small 18kg lots and then whole bunch pressing on every 5 Ton of grapes. Yields are around 450-480 liters per ton of grapes. Juice was inoculated with Prise de Mousse yeast for primary fermentation at cool temperatures for 8-10 days. This is followed by Malolactic fermentation on all base wines. The MLF ads depth and complexity to the base wines. With maturation the wine will get soft, creamy and elegant. Secondary fermentation took place in the bottle and wines were left on the lees and tasted every few months to monitor the ageing on the lees. Minimum time spent on the lees 24 months.
It’s the only area in the Western Cape where you will find Chalk in our soil.
The wine is made from selected vineyards. Limited to 6 000 bottles annually.
Age of the vines is around 10-15 years old.
Pairs well with roasted white meat, game, tapas, ham and smoked salmon.
Review:
"Pale pink. Ripe red berries accented by Cointreau show on the nose of this very dry and crisply textured sparkling rosé. It’s mineral and subtly fruit flavored palate is superbly fresh and alluring despite an astringent touch on the finish. It’s a great sparkler for food. A 60/40 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from 10-15 year old vines in the Robertson area."
- International Wine Review (Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018), 91 pts
Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Quite intense ruby red color with garnet highlights. Intense and complex aromas at the nose, rich in ripe fruits, spices and toasted notes. Smooth and bodied at the palate, with great persistence, elegant and wide concentration. Tannins are dense and velvety.
Reviews:
Blackberry, black-truffle and black-cherry aromas follow through to a medium body with juicy fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Polished, pretty tannins here. Nicely crafted. Drink after 2026.
-James Suckling 94 Points
In the bottle with the burgundy-colored label, the Tenute Silvio Nardi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a layered and generous wine with black fruit, cherry, spice and a hint of Provençal mixed herbs on black olive. There are further hints of underbrush, crushed slate, petrichor from schistic soils, and toasted almond that adds some sweetness from French oak. The tannins are velvety and soft, but this wine is regularly balanced throughout. It's well made in an ample production of 150,000 bottles.
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 Points
A spicy version, whose black pepper and Szechuan peppercorn notes highlight the core cherry and strawberry flavors. Underbrush and iron accents also enter the mix, while this stays balanced and long as the tannins leave their grip on the finish.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
The Gigondas appellation is naturally delimited by the Dentelles de Montmirail to the east and the upper plateaux of the Ouvèze River to the west. The rugged topography of the Dentelles, amazing limestone pyramids, protects the vines from excessive summer heat and the full force of the mistral. Our vines grow on steep terraces up to 400 metres in altitude.
This Cru Gigondas displays a fine balance between freshness and an impression of sweetness due to old Grenache vines planted at high altitude. The wine is big on the palate, with a dense texture of rich, ripe tannin. Its polished personality reflects a top-rate terroir.
Review:
"Very full, rich and luxurious in style with ripe red berries and some rich, meaty fruit coming through on the palate; grainy and gritty tannins, with plenty to chew on. Feels youthful and tight but harmonious. The lovely acid line brings precision and pep. Tapered finish. Very appealing!"
- Decanter WWA 2022, 96 points and Gold Medal
The Prisoner Wine Company The Prisoner Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The Prisoner Chardonnay has aromas of vanilla, apple pie and pineapple. On the palate, baked apple, crème brûlée and toasted oak.
Dark crimson in color, with deep garnet hues. A concentrated array of aromas of mulberry, blackberry and dark plum indicate the richness to come, while savory and complex notes of charcuterie, cedar, sage and five spice tease the senses. Plush and velvety on the palate, the wine has intense fruit concentration with plum, red currant, blackberry and anise flavors, yet an enchantingly elegant and refined structure. Layers of silky tannins reveal the impressive depth of the wine before giving way to an incredibly long finish.
Review:
A rather refined Hill of Grace with roasted meat, smoked meat, and juicy plums. Some mushroom and forest-flower character, too. It’s medium- to full-bodied, juicy and savory. Light white pepper at the end. Underlying finesse and elegance to this. The flavor does not go away. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 99 Points
Golden color. Very aromatic. White flowers, fresh fruit, lime, citrus aromas as well as a bergamot. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors. There is a touch of acidity, revealing a deliciously integrated minerality.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sept. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until May (3 month extra compared to the Petit Chablis); racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in July.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood, smoked salmon for example.