Red Wine Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2018. Decant 1 hour before serving. The Seghesio family first began making wine in California in 1895 when Edoardo Seghesio began planting Zinfandel vines on his land in the Alexander Valley. More recently the third generation of Seghesios, Pete and his cousin Ted, put the estate on the map for top quality Californian Zinfandel produced from some 120 hectares of prime vineyards. Today the estate includes sites in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley. This Old Vine Zinfandel is sourced from vineyards in Dry Creek and Alexander Valley which have an average age of 70 years.
2018
Red Wine Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2018
Red Wine Sena 2018. Decant 2 hours before serving. Considered one of the finest wines to come out of Chile, Sena was originally founded by the legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi and Eduardo Chadwick, whose ancestor Don Maximiano Errázuriz founded Chile’s premier Errazuriz winery in 1870. This magnificent blend is crafted from the typical Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec as well as Chile’s signature Carmenere grape. To ensure the fruit arrives at the winery in top condition, the grapes are harvested by hand early in the morning and carefully sorted. The majority is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with 6% fermented in used French oak barrels for extra complexity and depth. The young wine is then left to age in 100% new French oak barrels for 22 months before bottling. The result is a magnificent Bordeaux-style blend that combines Old World class and elegance with New World energy and dynamism. The nose is bursting with intense dark berries, cherries and plums along with more delicate hints of toast, woodsmoke and spice. On the palate there are dense, chewy tannins, a well-built structure and a very long finish. A great wine to cellar for a few more years or drink now alongside the heartiest red meat dishes like stews or rich game.
2018
Red Wine Shafer One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Shafer Vineyards was founded by John Shafer who left behind a career in publishing to move to Napa in 1972 and pursue a love of winemaking. John produced his first wine from the 1978 vintage and in 1983 he was joined by his son, Doug, in the new family business. This iconic Shafer bottling celebrates the special 30 year working relationship between father and son which is summarised as a generation and a half” or one point five”. The grapes for this special wine are sourced from two exceptional vineyards set on hills in the Stags Leap District. The grapes are typically harvested late at optimum maturity and carefully sorted to ensure only the best fruit goes into this bottling. The young wine is matured in new French oak barrels for 20 months to harmonise the components of the blend and add extra complexity. The nose opens with enchanting hints of crushed berries, lavender, baking spice and a stony minerality. On the palate there is a luscious, creamy texture with firm tannins and a well-built structure which will respond well to extended cellaring. The finish is long and elegant with hints of black tea, cassis and dark chocolate.
2018