Red Wine Castiglion del Bosco Gauggiole Rosso di Montalcino 2018. No need to decant before serving In 2003 Castiglion del Bosco underwent a radical plan to revitalise all the estate’s historic sites. It was the brainchild of newcomer and experienced winegrower, Massimo Ferragamo. It proved to be the renaissance of the estate but involved considerable work, including modernising the winemaking facilities and updating the winemaking process, as well as creating new cellars, which are half-concealed in the hillside. The success is written in the wines and the vineyards now stretch to a total of 2000 hectares. Just 62 hectares are given over exclusively to Capanna vineyard sangiovese grapes, which are used in the production of Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino Gauggiole Cru. Rosso di Montalcino Gauggiole Cru is made from 100% sangiovese grapes, which are cherry picked from the entire crop located in the north-east of the estate. The selection process is all by hand, where the grapes are placed into 15 kg boxes before being hand-picked on the sorting table. Fermentation takes place for six months in stainless steel tanks before transfer to concrete tanks for a further 18 months. This second stage is to preserve the aromas that have developed in the wine. After bottling the wine is aged for a further four months prior to sale. The Rosso di Montalcino Gauggiole Cru has a definite freshness along with clear and fragrant aromas that are citrus and slightly violet. In the mouth it has a lively acidity, strong body, and rounded tannins. Delicious alongside spaghetti dishes, Calamari Zimino, Cream of Lardo and Oyster with Squid Ink.
2018
Red Wine Castiglion del Bosco Gauggiole Rosso di Montalcino 2018
Red Wine Catena Zapata Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour before service. The Catena Zapata family settled in Argentina in 1902, straight from Italy to escape the famine. The father, Nicola Catena, left the vineyards in the 1960s to his son Dominico and his grandson Nicolas who allowed the Bodega to make a name for itself in Argentine viticulture. Nicolas Catena was the first to introduce European viticultural techniques to Argentina and the forerunner of the cultivation of Malbec and other vines at high altitudes. Today it is impossible to talk about Argentine wine without mentioning Catena Zapata, the emblematic estate of the country’s rise among the great wine producers in the world. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown in small plots at different altitudes in Mendoza. They are selected and harvested by hand, and the final wine is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Thus Catena Alta produces a wine with a unique character that presents balance, concentration, and a strong varietal identity. Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon has purple color with garnet shades. The bouquet releases extraordinary aromas of black fruits intertwined with notes of fresh herbs and sweet spices. In the mouth, the wine shows notes of leather and tobacco. It has a creamy texture, pronounced tannins, and fresh acidity. Try it with game or wild boar.
2018
Red Wine Catena Zapata Catena Alta Malbec 2018. The Catena family are celebrities on Argentina’s winemaking scene thanks to the hard work of Nicolas Catena who made the first single varietal premium Malbec wine to be exported in 1994. Today the family winery is in the capable hands of Laura Catena, the fourth generation of Catenas to make wine in Argentina. Together with her father, Nicolas, Laura has spent years studying Mendoza and mapping its microclimates and sub-regions. Catena Alta is the family’s line of limited production single varietal wines which draw on the family’s comprehensive knowledge of Mendoza’s top winemaking sub-regions. Grapes are sourced from the very best rows of the estate vineyards including the world-famous Angelica and Adrianna vineyards which sit in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Each plot is harvested separately when the grapes reach optimum maturity and vinified separately in fermentation tanks and oak barrels. The young wine is then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels before bottling. On the nose there are intense ripe plum, cassis and blackberry notes while the first sip reveals a full body, smooth tannins and rich dark fruit flavours which linger long on the tongue.
2018