| Country: | United States |
| Region: | Virginia |
| Winery: | Sunset Hills |
| Vintage: | 2020 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
The 2021 Shafer Hillside Select is crafted exclusively from grapes grown on Shafer's rugged hillside vineyards, where steep, rocky soils push the vines to produce low yields of intensely concentrated fruit. The unique terroir, combined with Napa Valley's hallmark climate of warm, sunny days and cool nights, contributed to a vintage with exceptional structure, lush tannins, and deep, vibrant color. The 2021 growing season exemplified these conditions, allowing the grapes to mature beautifully by early September, resulting in a wine with refined, pure aromas and flavors that reflect the richness and elegance of the vineyard.
Review:
-The Wine Independent 100 Points
-Jeb Dunnuck 97-99 Points
-Joe Czerwinski (Robert Parker) 99 Points
-Decanter World Wine Awards 99 Points
Familia Zuccardi 'Finca Piedra Infinita' Gravascal is made from 100 Malbec.
WINE DATA:
Grape Composition: 100% Malbec
Appellation: Finca Piedra Infinita, IG Paraje Altamira,Valle de Uco, Mendoze
Vinification: Manually selected grapes, filling of tanks by gravity. Fermentation with native yeasts in concrete vessels without epoxy. Aging in concrete vessels. The 2020 was a very particular vintage, characterized by limited yields and a high speed of maturity, which made it one of the fastest and most challenging on record.
In the search for the purest expression of the identity of Finca Piedra Infinita vineyard, we reached this small plot of 0.73 hectares. Located on its north-east side, it shows the typical facet of Paraje Altamira soil, with large gravels and granite stones covered with calcareous material at a depth of 50 cm.
Altitude: 3,609 feet above sea level
Soil Type: Short alluvial soil covered with calcareous materials
Alcohol: 14% Total Acidity: 5.6g/l
TASTING NOTES:
Color: Bright ruby color
Aroma: Dark berries, black olive tapenade, and iron
Flavor: Rich on the palate, with firm tanins
Flaunt Pinot Noir Peake Ranch Vineyard Santa Rita Hills is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
Review:
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
-Wine Spectator 90 Points
-James Suckling 90 Points
Despite its relative youth, Zweigelt is actually an Austrian classic. This variety was created in 1922, when Dr. Fritz Zweigelt crossed two grapes - St Laurent and Blaufränkisch. Originally, it was intended for the new variety to be called Rotburger, referring to the place where it was born, Klosterneuburg. But this name never took hold, and instead, Zweigelt was named after the man who was the key in its development.
Today, Zweigelt is the most widely planted red variety in Austria, growing in nearly 9% of this country's vineyards. It is a robust grape, highly resistant to dryness, frost and various diseases.
The wine boasts a pale rosé color, it has plenty of fruity aromas, with red cherry and wild strawberry flavors. It is medium-bodied, but it still have a nice long and pleasant finish with a light cinnamon type of spice to it.
Only the best grapes are harvested with a lot of experience and know-how and further processed. The grapes are fermented directly gently pressed and cooled. The fermentation takes place exclusively in stainless steel tanks.
Perfectly at home on any picnic, delicious with fried chicken, and tames the heat when paired with spicy dishes. There is also a slight watermelon note that makes it perfect for spring and summer. A great pairing with barbecued shrimp.
Review:
-The Tasting Panel 91 Points
This pale rosé colored spumante boasts a rich mousse and persistent bubbles. The intense and fruity bouquet of raspberry, wild strawberry, pink grapefruit is intertwined with almond, rose petals and balsamic notes. The palate is fresh, well balanced and harmonious with full flavors of strawberry fruit and a long finish.
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 95.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, 1.9% Merlot, 0.4% Petit Verdot
The Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 has notes of red cherry, raspberry, blackberry, iris, vanilla and clove. Ruby in color, this elegant wine has great acidity and lift on the mid-palate. Black currant and warm baking spices linger with a deep and fruity finish. It will provide drinking pleasure through 2047 given proper cellaring.
Review:
-Decanter 94 Points
-James Suckling 94 Points
Crafted from 100% Chambourcin. Heavily fruity, with cherry and raspberry and redcurrant aromatics. Light-bodied, with a refreshing and potent acidity. Just a touch off-dry.
Sunset Hills Vineyard, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, produces award winning, 100% Virginia wines from our Amish restored, historic winery. From the planting of the first vines in 1999, Mike and Diane Canney, owners of Sunset Hills Vineyard, had a vision of making fine wine of the highest quality in a manner which was gentle on the land. That vision is reflected in the sustainable farming practices employed today.
The original Sunset Hills was a very large and beautiful farm that later became Reston Virginia. Diane and I used to work very long hours in office buildings in Reston, looking out over the scenic landscape, dreaming that one day we would have a beautiful farm like that. Years later, after searching to find the perfect place for our vineyards and winery, Diane and I bought our first farm. Each evening, we would watch the sun set over the Blue Ridge mountains, talking about what grapes to plant, where to plant them and how we would do whatever it took to maximize quality. In 1999, the first vineyard was planted and we needed a name. We knew it could only have the name of the farm we had admired years before. Today, many of our customers and friends enjoy our wines on the 150 yr old farm, and enjoy watching the sun set over mountains. Sunset Hills Vineyard has been the perfect name!
After graduating from UVA in 2011, it was Corry’s love of travel that first led her to the wine industry. She soon found herself working the harvest in far off places like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and France, with a few closer to home in Oregon and Virginia. She called both King Family and Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville home for a while, working harvests and spending time in the lab learning the ins and outs on winemaking, but it was her stretch in Oregon that showed her this wasn’t just a job, but a way of life. Although she’s been tempted by opportunities in Sonoma, CA, her desire to start her career as a winemaker in her home state of Virginia has kept her planted close to home. It excites her that Virginia is still in the early experimental phase of winemaking, and she really believes in the quality of wine that can be crafted here. She’s already experimenting in the cellar, and we can’t wait to see the fruits of her labor as they unfold in the future. If she’s not drinking a Virginia Chardonnay, you’ll most likely find her with a glass of Pinot Noir in her hand. When she’s not in the cellar, she’s likely out hiking, playing her cello or gone for a run.
Vineyard names:
Sunset Hills (18 acres), 50 West (7 acres), Shenandoah Springs (23 acres), Sherman Ridge (13 acres), Catesby (17 acres).
Age of the vines: 1 - 20 years
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Ossian Capitel Verdejo is made from 100% Verdejo.
Capitel is a particular expression of Ossian's very old Verdejo vines — some approaching 200 years — grown on the sandy, pre-phylloxera soils of Nieva, a cool, high corner of Segovia south of Valladolid. It is made only in select years from a strict selection of exceptional old-vine fruit, fermented and aged in 600-litre French oak barrels on fine lees.
Color: old gold with greenish reflections. Aromas: surprisingly nuanced and profound. Flavors: fresh, full and finely detailed.
Review:
-James Suckling 95 Points