Country: | Italy |
Region: | Lazio |
Winery: | Cantina Villafranca |
Grape Types: | Melon de Bourgogne Trebbiano Malvasia |
Vintage: | 2015 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.
The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).
Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.
Review:
"The inky-colored 2015 Bandol Rouge la Brulade is 95% Mourvèdre, aged two years in demi-muids. Rich, plummy and intense, it showcases the power and majesty of Mourvèdre but somehow tames the tannins to manageable proportions. It's full-bodied and dense, boasting hints of lavender, thyme and sage to go along with the dark fruit flavors. It should drink well soon and remain strong through at least 2030. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Interim end of September, September 2018), 93 pts
The flagship 2015 Bandol Brulade is a powerful, serious Bandol that knocks it out of the park with its monster nose of dark fruits, cured meats, sandalwood, olive tapenade, and leathery characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and pure, with plenty of sexy fruit, it’s a terrific, serious Bandol that needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for 15-20."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 94 pts
Blending Detail:
Grenache speaks loudly in the Bésoleil with notes of pomegranate, red raspberry, and strawberry leaf. The Counoise and Cinsualt bring bing cherry fruit and blueberry notes to the table, complicated by pepper and garrique. Mourvedre donates a wild meatiness to the blend, and a purple hue. Syrah rounds things out, adding texture, and flesh to the palate.
Review:
The first vintage where they’ve pushed the bottling back to give the cuvee 16-18 months in barrel, the 2015 Besoleil is a dead ringer for a high-quality Chateauneuf du Pape and offers perfumed notes of herbes de Provence, kirsch, licorice and sweet spice. It’s medium to full-bodied, textured and fruit-forward, with a hedonistic yet elegant profile that’s going to evolve gracefully.
Robert Parker 91-93 Points
Betz Family Clos de Betz is 67 % Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot
Review:
"Possessing even more Merlot than the 2014, the 2015 Clos de Betz is 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot brought up in a mix of barrels. Its chocolatey plum, tobacco leaf, licorice and damp earth aromatics give way to a medium to full-bodied, polished, pretty style on the palate that shines for its elegance and freshness. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 92-94 pts
Winery SALE!
Betz Family Pere de Famille is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot
Review:
The 2015 Père de Famille is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, and 4% Merlot that's mostly from Red Mountain aged 20 months in 70% new French oak. This inky colored effort is packed and stacked, with deep blackberry and currant fruits intermixed with lots of graphite, crushed rock, and minerals as well as smoky, violets aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has gorgeous purity and elegance. It needs 2-4 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades. -Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Cambon la Pelouse Haut Medoc is produced from a careful selection of the grapes. Made from 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Limited yield: 45 hl/ha.
Aged in oak barrels for 12 months (50% new oak). Intense ruby/purple color. Delicate aromas of red fruit, liquorice, vanilla and caramel. Ripe fruit flavors, well balanced, great harmonious structure, silky tannins and a good length.
Pairs well with game and red meats, cured cheeses.
Review:
"From an estate right on the border of Margaux, the 2015 Cambon la Pelouse checks in as 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all brought up in 35% new barrels. It has beautiful complexity in its spicy oak, cedarwood, and black raspberry and currant aromas and flavors. These all carry to a medium-bodied red that has a seamless, ultra-fine texture, good concentration, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful, incredibly high-quality wine that’s already drinking brilliantly, yet I suspect it will shine for another decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019), 91 pts
Cambon la Pelouse Haut Medoc is produced from a careful selection of the grapes. Made from 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Limited yield: 45 hl/ha.
Aged in oak barrels for 12 months (50% new oak). Intense ruby/purple color. Delicate aromas of red fruit, liquorice, vanilla and caramel. Ripe fruit flavors, well balanced, great harmonious structure, silky tannins and a good length.
Pairs well with game and red meats, cured cheeses.
Review:
"From an estate right on the border of Margaux, the 2015 Cambon la Pelouse checks in as 50% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all brought up in 35% new barrels. It has beautiful complexity in its spicy oak, cedarwood, and black raspberry and currant aromas and flavors. These all carry to a medium-bodied red that has a seamless, ultra-fine texture, good concentration, and a great finish. It’s a beautiful, incredibly high-quality wine that’s already drinking brilliantly, yet I suspect it will shine for another decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 2019), 91 pts
Villafranca Frascati is made from 45% Malvasia di Candia, 15% Trebbiano Toscano, 25% Malvasia del Lazio, 15% Grechetto (Greco).
The clear juice is fermented for about 20 days at a temperature of 18 ° C. A proper maturation the wine is bottled under sterile conditions after microfiltration in our modern installations at the winery.
Intense yellow color with greenish reflections. Characteristic persistent fresh and fruity aromas.
Excellent as an aperitif and paired with fish, seafood or white meat.
Serve at a temperature of 8° -10° C.
The Cantina Villafranca Estate
The Gasperini family has been producing wine in the prestigious area of D.O.C. Frascati, Marino and Colli Albani since 1909 following the most modern technologies and respect to tradition.
Segries Secret Grange Lirac Rouge is made from 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.
This is a new wine for Chateau de Segries. 2013 is the first vintage.
The wine is dark and inky.
The aromas are intense and complex. It has fruit flavors of course, Strawberry and Blackberry, but it also have some interesting spice components, garrigue, pepper and licorice.
The finish is long and very pleasant as the tannins are round and well integrated.
La Grange is the name of the parcel where the grapes are grown. The soil is Clay and Limestone.
The average age of the vines is 80 years old.
Classic vinification in temperature controlled tanks. The skin contact maceration lasted 30 days and was completed in cement tanks.
The wine went through MaloLactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.La Grange is the name of the parcel where the grapes are grown. The soil is Clay and Limestone.
The average age of the vines is 80 years old.
Classic vinification in temperature controlled tanks. The skin contact maceration lasted 30 days and was completed in cement tanks.
The wine went through MaloLactic fermentation and was bottled without filtration.
Review:
"The estate’s top wine is the 2016 Lirac Secret de la Grange, a 90-10 blend of Grenache and Syrah that never sees oak. This full-bodied blend is fabulously concentrated and lush, with ripe fruit flavors of raspberries and stone fruits, an intriguing hint of almond paste and a rich, long finish tinged with licorice. It should drink well for up to a decade. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #233, October 2017), 93 pts
Rubus Vin-Gris Rose is made from 80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 10% Cinsault
Pale pink rose color, a classic gris de gris wine with salmon hues. Delicate strawberry nose, seamless and fine pointed.
For this special project, the producer had to focus on the pruning technique, ploughing, lowering the yields, sorting the grapes, selecting the tanks, with a permanent focus on the respect of the environment.
All the grapes were harvested by hand. In the cellar, vats hygiene, temperature control, ultramodern pressing contribute to a better expression of the terroir.
Enjoy as an aperitif or with grilled fish, shellfish and appetizers.