Red Wine Felsina Castello di Farnetella Poggio Granoni 2016. Nestled in the thickly forested hills of Colli Senesi, Castello di Farnetella is blessed with high elevation vineyards planted on sand, clay and limestone soils. Conditions here are perfect for producing exceptional red wines like this Super Tuscan which is composed of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes. To produce the best quality grapes possible, the Poggiali family hand harvest their fruit and practice organic and sustainable agriculture. They have also begun to incorporate some biodynamic principles and only use their own estate-grown grapes in their Chianti and Poggio Granoni wines. The Poggio Granoni is the estate’s flagship wine and is well-structured with plenty of silky smooth tannins and intense notes of dark plum, cherry, blackberry and hints of dried Mediterranean herbs and leather. In the winery the young wine is aged in oak barrels for 12 months and then aged for a further 10 months in the bottle before it is deemed ready for release. This is a powerful wine that is ideal to drink now alongside game, red meats, or hearty pasta dishes, but it will also perform well if kept in the cellar over the next five to six years.
2016
Red Wine Felsina Castello di Farnetella Poggio Granoni 2016
Red Wine Freemark Abbey Bosche Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Decant for up to an hour before serving. Freemark Abbey is one of St. Helena and Napa Valley’s original 13 wineries, founded over 130 years ago by Josephine Tychson. It used to be known as Tychson Cellars, and then Lombarda Cellars before it finally became known as Freemark Abbey in 1939, a name that stuck. Under the leadership of Kristy Melton, the current team produce a delicious range of wine, among the very best that Napa Valley has to offer. The estate owns parcels of vineyards all across Napa Valley. For over 50 years, they have maintained a strong connection with the Bosché vineyards in Rutherford, the origin of this rich Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a perfect environment for the French grape – the soil is gravelly and free-draining, creating bold and concentrated fruits that have years of cellaring potential. A stunningly deep red with hints of violet, this single vineyard wine erupts with scents of black cherry, blackcurrant and hints of dried basil. Big and bold in profile, it will certainly benefit from breathing for an hour before drinking. It is perfectly round and full-bodied on the palate, exhibiting flavours of dark cherry, tobacco, and toasted oak. A wholesome element of sage reveals itself in the lasting finish. Pair it with steak, your favourite burger, rich mushrooms, or an indulgent aged cheese.
2016
Red Wine Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino 2016. The stunning hilltop Tuscan village of Castelgiocondo sits overlooking the historic estate of the Frescobaldi family in Montalcino who have been closely involved with the development of Brunello di Montalcino over the last two decades. The property, which was originally built in 1100 to defend Siena from attack from the sea, was actually one of the first four to start making Brunello wines in 1800. Castelgiocondo is especially prized for its excellent terroir and special location in Montalcino with varied soils including clay, sands, and the rocky schist known as galestro which is found in most of Tuscany’s finest vineyards. The care and attention to detail begin in the vineyard with manual harvesting and careful selection of the fruit on arrival at the winery. After vinification the young wine is kept in large casks and then in the bottle for a total of five years following the harvest. This lengthy maturation process helps integrate the natural beauty of the Sangiovese fruit and the Montalcino terroir with subtle influences from the oak. The nose is bursting with delicate notes of violets, bright red cherries, freshly-cracked black pepper and hints of cedar and clove. On the palate there’s a bold structure, firm tannins, and a solid core of ripe fruit which lingers on the palate. Ideal for cellaring for a few more years or enjoying now alongside hearty red meat or game dishes.
2016