Red Wine Bessa Valley Enira Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. Count Stephan von Neipperg, owner of several important Bordeaux estates like Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere and La Mondotte, fell in love with the charming Bessa Valley in Bulgaria and has become one of the region’s pioneers for Bordeaux-style wines. The estate is blessed with exceptional clay limestone soils and the cooling influence of the nearby Rhodope Mountains and Maritsa River which help moderate the warm summer temperatures. In total the property has 140 acres under vine which is planted with Merlot, Syrah and some other key Bordeaux varietals. This punchy Cabernet is a great introduction to their typical house style with plenty of exuberance matched by elegance and balance. After vinification the young wine is aged in French oak barrels for one year to add extra complexity and polish. Succulent cherries, plums and crushed wild berries dominate on the nose while the palate reveals a solid core of black fruit complemented by firm tannins and a solid medium body. The juicy fruit notes and easy-going nature make this a great wine to simpy enjoy on its own or alongside a generous platter of charcuterie and cheeses or typical tomato-based Italian dishes.
2020
Red Wine Bessa Valley Enira Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Red Wine Block Nine Caiden’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2020. No need to decant but best to open it half an hour before service. Grayson Cellars has been run by the O’Connell family for 15 years.
2020
Red Wine Bodega Chacra Barda Pinot Noir 2020. Bodega Chacra was established by Piero Incisa della Rochetta, the grandson of the founder of Tenuta San Guido which produces the legendary Sassicaia Super Tuscan. This pioneering project is located in the wilds of northern Patagonia in the Rio Negro Valley midway between the Atlantic and the Andes. The terroir here is perfectly suited to producing fine Pinot Noir thanks to the alluvial soils left by an ancient glacier and the cool climate. Pinot Noir has been grown here since at least the early 20th century, but fell out of favour in the 1950s and 1960s. Piero tasted a Pinot from on a prized plot planted in 1932 in New York and immediately realised the potential of the region. In 2003 he was able to purchase this exact plot which became the first estate vineyard of Bodega Chacra, along with further vineyards planted in 1955 and 1967. Chacra’s Barda Pinot begins life in a younger vineyard planted in 1990 with cuttings taken from the 1932 and 1955 plots. The aim is to create a dynamic, elegant and refreshing wine with plenty of beautiful aromatics and red fruit from the grape variety. One in the winery the grapes are fermented at a low temperature in cement tanks using only indigenous yeasts. The result is an incredibly pure and focused Pinot that’s bursting with bright red plum, raspberry and pomegranate, silky smooth tannins, and gentle notes of sandalwood and woodsmoke on the delicate finish.
2020