Red Wine Bogle Essential Red 2018. This seductive red blend opens with red cherry, cranberry and currant jam aromas which follow through onto the palate. The first sip reveals a big personality with a full body, smooth tannins and silky mouthfeel. Subtly sweet on the finish, the Bogle Essential Red is an ideal partner for rich tomato-based pasta dishes like rigatoni bolognese or a classic hamburger and fries. Made with old vine Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah grapes, this easy-going red is aged in American oak barrels for 12 months in the Bogle family cellars to add extra complexity and hints of toast and spicy cedar. The Bogle family have been farming in Clarksburg in California for six generations with winemaking becoming an important part of the business some 50 years ago. The winery is currently in the hands of siblings, Warren, Jody, and Ryan, who are passionate about viticulture. The trio have a strong focus on sustainability with a view to eventually handing over the estate to the new generation. Now their growers meet the strict requirements of the California Rules for Sustainability and almost all of the grapes crushed at Bogle meet the demanding Certified Green standards.
2018
Red Wine Bogle Essential Red 2018
Red Wine Boneshaker Zinfandel 2018. Decant 2 hours. Deep ruby in colour, this concentrated Zinfandel certainly lives up to its name! The nose gives out ripe, jammy fruit with hints of cedar, spice and oaky vanilla. The palate explodes with intense fruit, chocolate, blackcurrant, plums and dried fruit. The wine is full bodied but has a velvety mouth feel, firm tannins and high alcohol – a great balance that is enhanced by the oak aging. It is a complex wine with multiple layers along with a long and lingering finish. Fabulous on its own but matches extremely well with BBQ meat, chilli, beef roast, game and strong cheese. The Hahn Family Winery has a culture of minimal interference as they believe that wine is made in the vineyard”. This means that all activities within the vineyards and the winery are done with as little interference as possible. The philosophy is to combine cutting edge technology with traditional wine making to allow the very best results. The grapes are harvested at peak ripeness before being sorted and de-stemmed prior to gentle pressing and cold soaking. The grapes are macerated for extended periods to extract the colours, flavours and aromas that make such great wines. French oak is used to add complexity and layers to the wine along with depth and elegance.
2018
Red Wine Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant 2018. Located in the small settlement of Bonny Doon in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this is one of California’s most significant wineries thanks to their pioneering work to popularise Rhone varietals in the United States. Maverick winemaker Randall Grahm fell in love with wine after studying philosophy and decided to pursue a degree in viticulture at UC Davis. In 1983 he founded Bonny Doon which has become a point of reference for minimal intervention wines made from Rhone varietals on top Californian terroir. Le Cigare Volant is Bonny Doon’s flagship wine and takes its name from an unusual decree forbidding UFOs from landing in the vineyards that was passed by the local village council in Chateauneuf du Pape in 1954. The wine is crafted from Grenache, cool climate Syrah and 100-year old Mourvedre vines in Contra Costa County. There is also some Cinsault from 120 year old vines in the blend. Heady notes of crushed dark berries, licorice and spice define the nose while the first sip reveals a full body, firm tannins and intense cassis, raspberry and dried fruit flavours. The finish is long and rich with hints of dark fruit, woodsmoke and dried herbs. A great wine to pair with hearty red meat dishes.
2018