Red Wine Dunham Cellars Trutina 2019. This respected Washington State winery was founded by the Dunham family in 1995 in a restored World War II aircraft hanger. Today it has a strong reputation for top quality reds crafted by head winemaker Rob Campisi who cut his teeth under renowned Washington winemaker Dan Wampfler. Trutina is the estate’s charming Bordeaux-style blend which showcases the brilliance of the vineyards Dunham works with. Fruit is sourced from the Columbia Valley, with an equal focus on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a dash of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Once in the winery the fruit is vinified in stainless steel tanks and then aged in oak barrels. The nose opens with luscious notes of dark cherry, plum and tobacco leaf along with lingering hints of anise, cinnamon and clove. The first sip reveals a punchy full body, firm tannins, and intense notes of crushed wild berries, cherries and ground coffee beans. The long finish and well-built structure make this a great wine to cellar for a few more years.
2019
Red Wine Dunham Cellars Trutina 2019
Red Wine Casa Ferreirinha Vinha Grande Tinto 2019. Opening with a deep ruby red hue and enticing aromas of dried violets, ripe strawberries and raspberries, this is a fine example of the delicious dry red wines being made in the Douro region today. On the palate there are punchy flavours of cherries and wild berries which mingle with hints of licorice, black pepper and dried herbs. There is a generous full body balanced by freshness and a long lingering finish which make this an ideal partner for roasted beef or lamb. The grapes used for the Vinha Grande are sourced from the Quinta do Sairrão where the high altitude helps to develop aromatic character and to preserve freshness in the finished wine. After the harvest the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks with an extended skin contact to extract a real depth of flavour and colour from the grapes. The wine is then aged in used French oak barrels for up to 18 months. After the maturation process is complete the winemaker decides on the final blend, combining different quantities of the indigenous Portuguese varieties to produce a bold yet balanced red wine. Since the estate do not use cold stabilization to avoid changing the character of the wine there may be natural sediment in the bottle.
2019
Red Wine El Enemigo El Mirador Single Vineyard Bonarda 2019. Bonarda is regarded as Argentina’s second national grape variety after the country’s now world-famous Malbec wines, but it is still little-known outside of Latin America. This stunning single vineyard example is the work of Alejandro Vigil, Catena Zapata’s chief winemaker, and historian Adrianna Catena who is the daughter of Nicolas Catena who helped put Argentina on the map for Malbec. Alejandro and Adrianna joined forces to found their own wine label, El Enemigo, which aims to showcase a new side to Argentina’s winemaking potential inspired both by tradition and by breaking any unnecessary rules of how things should be done. This particular cuvee is produced from a small 5 hectare plot of very old Bonarda vines which were rescued by Alejandro. The vines are planted on a sandy plot which sits at 650 metres above sea level in Rivadavia in the Mendoza wine region. The grapes are carefully selected at optimum ripeness to maintain quality and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The young wine is then aged in used French oak barrels for 15 months, adding delicate notes of toasty oak and spice to the vibrant dark berry, plum and cherry fruit flavours.
2019