Red Wine Di Meo Taurasi Riserva Vigna Olmo 2013. It is recommended to decant it for at least an hour. Located in the sub-region of Irpinia in Campania, the Di Meo winery produces excellent local wines from native vines. Today the company is managed by the two brothers Roberto, oenologist, and sales manager, and Generoso, promoter of a project to enhance and disseminate the cultural heritage of Irpinia and Campania in the world. The Aglianico grapes come from the Olmo vineyard in Montemarano, located at about 870 m a.s.l. The thirty-year-old vines are planted on predominantly clayey soil rich in skeleton. After fermentation, the wine spends 24 months in large casks, barriques, and tonneaux, plus another 12 months of aging in the bottle, resulting in an imposing, complex, and deep Taurasi. In the glass, the color is ruby red, with important orange reflections. The aromas are engaging and complex with notes of overripe berries and jam, and a tertiary variety made of licorice, wet earth, camphor, black pepper, and tobacco. In the mouth, the wine has great concentration with a velvety tannic texture and an excellent and very pleasant length. Seductive, enveloping, and generous, this is a big red wine with plenty of character that can accompany elegant red meat dishes, such as beef medallions with balsamic vinegar, or strips of beef with truffles.
2013
Red Wine Di Meo Taurasi Riserva Vigna Olmo 2013
Red Wine Matusko Dingac Reserva 2013. Decant 2 hours before serving. In Dalmatia the indigenous Plavac Mali grape is called the blood of the soil” after its striking ruby red colour and essential role in local life. Some of the best examples come from Dingač which was the first Croatian wine region to be given Protected Designation of Origin status by the EU. Run by a quirky local biker, Matusko winery occupies an enviable position on breathtaking steep cliffs facing the azure sea. Although not yet well known outside of Croatia, the winery has built a solid reputation for producing sensational dusky reds which express the essence of the local terroir. Their Dingač Reserva exudes unusual floral notes and dense layers of ripe dark fruits, dried Mediterranean herbs and baking spices from the oak ageing. Thought to be related to the Zinfandel and Primitivo grapes which have achieved huge popularity in California and Italy, this interpretation of Plavac Mali is full bodied and rich yet balanced by a distinctive bitterness often found in its American and European cousins. Try serving it with a generous platter of charcuterie or even herb-roasted lamb to complement the delicate floral notes of this seductive red wine.
2013
Red Wine Idiom Rhone Blend 2013. No need to decant it, but best to open it half an hour before service. The Idiom range is a selection of wines produced by the award-winning Bottega Family winery, located in the heart of the Helderberg chain. This southern part of the stunning Stellenbosch wine region in South Africa offers the perfect backdrop and climatic conditions for producing wines of exceptional quality. Most of the grapes for the Idiom Wines grow in the Stellenbosch and the Hemel-en-Aarde wine regions. This great red wine is a typical blend of the Rhone Valley, based on Shiraz, Mourvédre, and Viognier; a strong and full-bodied wine that perfectly represents the good that can be produced in the Stellenbosch area. The Shiraz and Mourvedre wines mature together for 12 months in 40% American and 60% French oak barrels. The part of Viognier is then added to the blend, after being fermented separately in oak barrels. This dark ruby red wine expresses a deep and compact olfactory profile to the nose, from which gradually emerge notes of black pepper, violet and black cherry, tobacco, and dark chocolate. In the mouth, it is powerful, long, elegant, and well balanced by a fine and soft tannic texture. It shows a pleasant aftertaste of ripe raspberry and black currant, hints of lavender, and black pepper. It is an extremely food-friendly wine, with good aging potential. Serve it with grilled meats, lamb or rich vegetarian tarts.
2013