Red Wine Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2019. Girard was born out of a family’s dream to make exceptional and authentic Napa Valley wines and has quickly earned a reputation for well-made wines which offer excellent value. The winery has built up close relationships with its partner growers over the past few decades which give them access to top quality fruit from Napa’s top appellations each vintage. This approach allows Girard to consistently high quality wines every year while supporting local families and their livelihoods. Girard’s Old Vine Zinfandel is crafted with fruit from two prestigious vineyards; the Morgon vineyard at the southeastern end of the Napa Valley and the Godward vineyard in Calistoga. The Morgon fruit typically brings freshness and pure fruit character while the Calistoga vines are far older and offer intense and complex layers of flavour with plenty of dried fruit and cherry liqueur notes. On the nose there are concentrated notes of figs, dried fruit, and crushed blackcurrants while the palate is dominated by cassis, dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans and leather. There’s a remarkably smooth entry followed by firm tannins, a full body and a well-defined structure. This is a dark and handsome wine which is delicious to drink now and will also continue to evolve and develop if cellared over the next five to seven years.
2019
Red Wine Girard Old Vine Zinfandel 2019
Red Wine Tua Rita Giusto di Notri 2019. The Giusto di Notri opens with intoxicating aromas of blackberries, plums, and dried flowers, while the palate offers finely-grained tannins and an impressive structure which will help the wine to age well over the next decade or so. It makes an impressive partner for rich dishes like beef bourguignon or a bowl of fresh pasta served with a hearty ragu sauce. This wine takes its name from the patron saint of Suvereto, Giusto”, where the Tua Rita estate is located. Inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux, the Giusto di Notri is a masterful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc which are planted on pebbly soils on the estate. Following the harvest in September the grape skins and juice are macerated for up to 30 days to add intensity to the wine. The new wine is then aged in French oak barrels for 20 months before bottling and release. The Tua Rita estate was founded by Rita Tua and her husband who purchased the estate in 1984. In 2000 the estate shot to international acclaim when legendary wine critic Robert Parker awarded their single varietal Merlot wine, Redigaffi, a perfect 100-point score. Today Tua Rita has a reputation for producing some of southern Tuscany’s most impressive Super Tuscan wines.
2019
Red Wine Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz 2019. Glaetzer was founded in 1995 by Colin Glaetzer who made wine at Barossa Valley Estate before deciding to make and bottle his own wines. Colin’s son, Ben, followed in the footsteps of his father and was named Qantas Young Winemaker of the Year in 2004 aged just 26. Ben is now winemaker at Glaetzer where he specialises in crafting small quantities of top quality Barossa wines from the northern Ebenezer sub-region. Glaetzer is currently experimenting with some 35 different grape varieties to see which best suit the local terroir, but Shiraz reigns supreme in the Barossa as in this iconic bottling which is named after the king of all the gods in Egyptian mythology. Grapes are sourced from 50-130 year old vines in Ebenezer with the fruit vinified in open top fermenters. The young wine is then matured in new French oak barrels for 16 months. The wine is bottled without filtering to capture the pure natural character of the grapes and terroir. The result is a handsome, powerful Shiraz with an inky purple hue and intense aromas of cassis, blackberries and plum seasoned with black pepper. The first sip reveals a robust full body, firm tannins and rigid structure that will respond well to additional cellaring. Hold for another decade or so, or enjoy now alongside hearty beef stews, barbecued ribs or rich venison dishes.
2019