Grace Town is a special project by Fran Kysela and Kysela Pere et Fils, highlighting impressive terroirs and fruit-driven wines. The project currently features a Chardonnay from Australia’s famed Margaret River, and three red selections – Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and a Red Blend – from the diverse Lodi region.
Grace Town Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi is amde from 98% Old VIne Zinfandel + 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ruby red in color, with red fruit, raspberry, and spice on the nose. This wine is medium in body, with notes of ripe cherry, cedar box, cinnamon, anise, black pepper, and hint of smoke on the palate. It has a long, silky finish.
Boroli Cerequio is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The Boroli family is a family of entrepreneurs, with roots in Piedmont dating back to 1831. The family started their winemaking business in1997, when Silvano and Elena Boroli felt an ardent desire to step away from the pressures of their publishing business and reconnect to nature. Silvano and Elena grew the company until their son, Achille, stepped in to run the wine-growing and production business in 2012.
With the 2012 grape harvest Achille decided to radically change the methods used in vineyards and wineries, aiming for the highest quality in Barolo and its crus. He cut production levels, updated the winemaking technology, and focused on low intervention methods to raise the quality of the Boroli wines be on par with the finest Barolo wines.
About the Vineyard
The Cerequio cru lies just across the valley from the Boroli winery in the commune of La Morra and is considered one of the most prestigious sites in the Barolo DOCG zone. It is known to produce Nebbiolo wine of enormous elegance and finesse.
Wine Production
Cerequio is distinguished by a careful selection of grapes, precise destemming, and a long maceration with submerged cap.
Tasting Notes
A clear bright ruby color with very light garnet red reflections; intense and persistent aroma of red fruit with notes of plum and cherry. A pleasant aroma of wood is noticeable after the fruity aroma, anticipating the full taste of a great wine suitable for long lasting life. A succulent, rich, full-bodied and pleasant taste emerges after the woody one, with the presence of slightly ripe red fruit.
Food Pairing
Thanks to its viscosity and body, Barolo is the ideal wine to pair with elaborate dishes and dishes like truffle dishes, meat dishes, pasta with porcini mushrooms, game, and aged cheeses. Cerequio is also perfect with dry pastries or chocolate.
Review:
Elegant bright ruby red. Fragrant and inviting nose of strawberries with whipped cream, icing sugar, elderflower and roses. Flattering palate with clear fruit and appealing acidity, unfolds into a complex style, punchy on the palate with a clear, slightly salty finish.
-Falstaff 95 Points
Pago de Carraovejas Ribera Del Duero is made from 90% Tempranillo, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot
The most honest interpretation of the Carraovejas Valley.
Body, structure and balance with a vibrant background. Delicacy, harmony and passion for detail are perceived in a wine that reflects the unique character of the valley in an outstanding way.
The 2022 vintage was characterized by cool winter months and extremely low rainfall, reaching limits that had not been observed for years. Due to the good rainfall of the previous year, the vines had good accumulated water reserves, which allowed the vineyard to have a good phenological cycle and normal development. Budding and flowering were perfectly developed in each of the varieties worked, and a homogeneous and balanced development of the plants was achieved. The summer was excessively hot, with several episodes of heat waves, which were mitigated by drip irrigation. Veraison, which was slower than in previous years, and ripening began in early August and the berries developed very uniformly. Harvest began on September 12 and ended on September 28.
Pago de Carraovejas 2022 is the most honest reflection of the valley to which it owes its name. An environment in which the vines climb the slopes to form a unique landscape. On the surface, its tertiary soil of limestone marl, clay and sandstone outcrops force the vines to self-regulate and give their best. Plots that converge in an orography marked by its unique mesoclimate. The vineyards are distributed from the middle zones to the moors that exceed 900 meters in altitude; from the gentle undulation that descends towards the stream, to the plots that exceed 30% slope. South- and north facing slopes, each with its own personality, create the profile of the Carraovejas Valley.
The grapes for Pago de Carraovejas 2022 were harvested by hand after an initial selection of bunches in the vineyard. Subsequently, in the winery, a double selection was made: first by cluster then by berry. Gravity must production allows maximum respect for the raw material. During the fermentation process, indigenous yeasts and lactic bacteria from our own estate were used. The wine was aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months. The entire process was marked by precision and care in every detail. For greater protection, the wine contains sulfites. Finally it was clarified with natural egg white and bottle in spring of 2024.
Review:
Freshly cut vanilla, dark cherries and ripe plums on the nose, with a touch of blue flowers. Medium to full body with firm, fine-grained tannins and a juicy, medium-long finish. Drink now or hold.
-James Suckling 92 Points