Red Wine Cline Sonoma Coast Syrah 2017. The fruit for this powerful Syrah comes from the Cline family’s Diamond Pile vineyards in the Sonoma Coast sub-region. These plots are located in the brand-new Petaluma Gap AVA which is ideal for creating opulent, well-balanced reds thanks to the cooling afternoon breezes and morning fogs which help to moderate the sunny Californian summers. This Syrah thrives in this long growing season which ensures the grapes reach optimum maturity while also preserving aromatic complexity and intense flavours. On the nose there is black pepper, cassis and ripe plum notes while the first sip reveals a full body and rich smooth texture with firm tannins. Lingering blackberry and dark plum flavours are complemented by hints of olive, leather and coffee beans and a long, measured finish. The wine spends 8 months ageing in oak which adds subtle sweet spice notes on the nose and palate. The Cline family have been pioneers in Carneros for several decades and are today one of California’s most sustainable wineries. Holders of the state’s stringent California Sustainable Vineyard and Winery certification, the estate uses natural solutions wherever possible. These include solar panels which meet the winery’s full electricity needs and 2000 sheep and goats which act as an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical herbicides.
2017
Red Wine Cline Sonoma Coast Syrah 2017
Red Wine Duckhorn Three Palms Merlot 2017. Decant for one hour before serving. One of Duckhorn’s iconic wines, the Three Palms showcases the potential of the Merlot grape to produce age-worthy, refined wines with incredible depth of flavour. Redcurrant, cherry, bitter dark chocolate and pomegranate notes intermingle harmoniously on the nose, setting the stage for a rich full body, refined tannins and intense deep berry, earth and black tea flavours. The savoury character of this wine makes the Three Palms an excellent match for roasted herby lamb chops. All of the grapes for this ambitious Merlot are sourced from the Three Palms vineyard in Napa which takes its name from the majestic trees standing within its bounds. Duckhorn has been producing Three Palms since their very first vintage in 1978, making this one of California’s first single vineyard Merlots. Since then Duckhorn has carved out a stellar reputation for producing some of America’s best Merlot as well as other elegant Bordeaux-style wines. The Three Palms vineyard benefits from a warm microclimate along with poor soils which force the vines to go deep into the earth to find sufficient nutrients. This struggle helps to produce superb wines with complex layers of flavours and considerable longevity. Following vinification the Three Palms Merlot is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months to giving attractive hints of sweet spices and additional structure to the wine. Duckhorn manages to produce here a particularly focused, pure expression of the varietal character.
2017
Red Wine Gaja Dagromis Barolo 2017. Decant 2 hours. An intense red in colour, the nose shows floral notes but with ripe red and black fruit, herbs, spice and even a hint of liquorice. Flavours of ripe fruit, spice and vanilla with hints of tobacco and leather. The silky tannins are well integrated and balanced with high alcohol and great acidity. This leads to a long, lingering finish with a hint of spice at the end. A fantastic match for rich beef stews, steak, venison, rich cheese and game. The winemaking process starts with hand harvested grapes that enables them to arrive at the winery in the best possible condition. Fermented in temperature controlled steel vats for 3 weeks, the wine is then aged initially in oak barriques for 12 months followed by a further 12 months in large oak vats. The name of this wine comes from the family from which the vineyards were acquired. The family name was Gromis and the name DaGromis translates to “at home with the Gromis family The Nebbiolo grapes from which DaGromis is made come from two very old vineyards in Serralunga and La Morra. The vineyards are south east and south west facing and are almost 1000 ft and 1500ft above sea level. The result of this is high levels of sunshine that ripens the grapes but with the cooling effects of the altitude, and combined with the clay and marl soil, the wine that is produced is classic Barolo.
2017