Trizanne Signature Wines Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2016

The Kasteelberg range of wines, celebrates the discovery of Riebeek and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinal over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountians, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines. The Kasteelberg range truly is the pinnacle of our Winemakers'art.

Harvested from an exceptional vineyard in the heart of the Swartland, the Kasteelberg Pinotage is characterised as a well-structured wine, offering layers of flavours and aromas. Seductive rich plum flavors with notes of captivating dark chocolate follows through in a smooth and lingering palate of intense flavors integrated with the freshness of ripened cherries.

Grapes used for this wine are coming from vines that are 10 years old in average. It is also sustainable farming used for this plot.

The grapes were cold-soaked for 3 days at 10°C to extract as much color as possible before fermentation. After cold-soaking, the temperature is increased to around 18°C and yeast is added to start fermentation. Regular pump-overs are done to enhance skin contact which improves the flavor and color profiles. Fermentation temperature between 22 - 26°C. Fermented dry on skins, pressed. After malolactic fermentation, wine is transferred to barrels. French oak barrels, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels for 12 months.The grapes were cold-soaked for 3 days at 10°C to extract as much color as possible before fermentation. After cold-soaking, the temperature is increased to around 18°C and yeast is added to start fermentation. Regular pump-overs are done to enhance skin contact which improves the flavor and color profiles. Fermentation temperature between 22 - 26°C. Fermented dry on skins, pressed. After malolactic fermentation, wine is transferred to barrels. French oak barrels, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels for 12 months.

Review:

"This emphasizes the cinsault parentage of Pinotage in its bright, savory red fruit. It feels cool and clean, finishing with zesty fruit-skin bitterness, the kind of friendly tannins that will play well with a range of charcuterie."
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (February 2016), 91 pts

Eikeboom Pinotage Western Cape 2014 is made from 100 percent Pinotage

Pinotage is the result of the cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault varieties. Pinotage was created by in South Africa in 1925 by Stellenbock University professor A.I. Perold, during experiments to develop new varieties.

The wine is aged in 50% new barrels and 50% 1 year old barrels.
The grapes for this wine comes from a 4 hectare-parcel (10 acres)
The Eikeboom Pinotage tastes like a cross of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. It has some finesse and some power all together. It is juicy, fruity, new world Rhône style fruit bomb.

As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, the Riebeek Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike.

Packed with upfront tropical fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries. The pallets follows through with fruit flavors, balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.

Grapes came from both bosstok and trellised vines with some of the vineyards as old as 46 years. Fermentation was done at lower than usual temperatures to capture the fresh fruit flavors.

Very accessible and suited to almost every occasion, the Riebeek Chenin Blanc never disappoints.

Pago de Carraovejas Crianza Ribera Del Duero is made from Tempranillo (93%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Merlot (2%).

Ideal weather conditions: rainy sprin and dry summer. Havest Sept. 29 - Oct. 22. Low yield and excellent concentration.
Aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels, new and semi-new. Clarified with natural egg white.
Intense cherry color with purple tones. The nose is filled with ripe fruit aromas of black berries and spices. It is rich and fruity in the mouth with well integrated oak, notes of coffee and cacao and supple tannins. Full bodied, smooth and long finish.

Review:

"One of the most reliable Crianzas and an incredible local successes in Spain, the 2014 Crianza is a subtle, harmonic and elegant blend of Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) with some 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, fermented in stainless steel and oak vats and matured in French and American oak barrels for one year before it was bottled. With 15% alcohol it's not a shy wine, but it's nicely balanced, the oak is present but integrated with the fruit, and the palate is full-bodied and round, with lush tannins and a very tasty finish. 600,000 bottles produced. - Luis Gutierrez"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue #227, December 2016), 93 pts

Chono was founded by Alvaro Espinoza in 2004 and was later sold to Colchagua-based producer Sútil, in 2011. The wines focus on specific terroirs for each variety. Winemaker Oscar Salas has been making Pinot Noir for more than a decade, and prioritises gentle extraction and a bit of barrel ageing, ‘to let the terroir shine but with a multi-faceted profile’. A lifted, pure and focused mid-weight style with fine tannins.

Peter Richards MW: Elegant, with light baked herbs and leafy notes, plus dried and fresh red fruit. Fine abundant tannin and classy maturity. Very focused, pure and savoury. Accomplished and elegant in age, but perhaps needs some food. Love this! - 95 Points Decanter

ES LO QUE HAY – It´s what there is / It is what it is / That´s how it goes. A common Spanish expression but one I like to reserve for the few old high altitude Garnacha vineyards that survive in Aragon . What you taste in the bottle is a true expression of what there is in the vineyard. It´s as simple as that. 

High altitude ancient vineyards at 1000 to 1100 metres above sea level with ´pizarra´ slate and quartzite soils. Completely dry grown and unirrigated this is an inhospitable continental climate with extreme changes of temperature were mountain herbs, almonds, cherry trees and Garnacha form a breathtaking patchwork. Low annual rainfall of 200-300mm and the remarkable soils produce fine and elegant Garnacha which is punctuated by intense black fruit flavors with complex mineral, smoke and ‘garrigue’ notes.

Color: Impenetrable purple
Bouquet: Pronounced aromas of crushed violets and zarzaparrilla (also called Rough Bindweed or Common Smilax). Intense yet refined with lifted, perfumed fruit and wild mountain herbs.
Taste: Full bodied, with rounded tannins, crisp acidity and a long mineral finish.

Review

"The 2013 Es Lo Que Hay wears the subtitle Garnacha Viñas Viejas from old plots on slate soils in the zone of Alarba-Acered in Calatayud, with some Syrah thrown into the fermentation tanks. It fermented in open concrete tanks and aged in underground concrete vats with lees. The nose mixes black fruit with notes of licorice and Mediterranean herbs. This is juicy, with good density, fine tannins and very good freshness provided by the slate soils and the conditions of the year. It has a very tasty finish. This has a lot more freshness than a couple of vintages ago. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 92 pts