Red Wine Idiom Zinfandel 2016. No need to decant it, but best to open it half an hour before service. The Idiom Collection is an exclusive range of award-winning wines that features a wonderful variety of single grape wines and cuvées crafted with talent on the menu. The Idiom Wines portfolio comes from the Da Capo vineyards, located in the southernmost part of the Stellenbosch wine region, close to Sir Lowry’s Pass and overlooking the picturesque coast of False Bay. The Idiom wine range is particularly known for its iconic cuvées such as the Cape Blend, a Bordeaux-style blend and a Rhône-style blend. After a few days of cold maceration, the grapes for this Zinfandel wine are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. Once fermentation is complete, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation and the subsequent 12-14 months of aging in American oak barrels for 40% and French oak for 60%. The Idiom Zinfandel is a wonderful representative of this very special grape variety. This elegant, medium-bodied wine is silky, spicy and powerful. The nose sniffs delicious aromas of warm vanilla and sweet fynbos. The palate is caressed by seductive notes of rosemary, oregano, raspberry and red cherries. The attractive and long finish trumps with a pleasant freshness and invites you to the next glass. This is a wine that requires some meaty substance to be enjoyed at its best: try it with pork ribs or a leg of lamb.
2016
Red Wine Idiom Zinfandel 2016
Red Wine Zlatan Otok Grand Plavac 2016. Drinking well now but will keep improving for the next 11 years in the cellar. With a deep ruby colour, the wine aromas are a heady and complex mix of leather, vanilla and a hint of smokiness which is a feature of wines from this area. Ripe fruit such as plums, raisins and blackcurrant are also present. The palate confirms a lot of what the nose offers – plum, red berries, blackcurrant mixed with vanilla and perhaps even ripe figs. The tannins are strong but balance well with the high acidity. The wine oozes richness and complexity demonstrating that this is a wine that is of the highest quality. The finish is persistent and worthy of this wine. With very low yields and careful selection of the Plavic Mali grapes, the wine produced is of the highest quality. Ageing in new oak adds complexity to the wine as well as vanilla tones, and the maturation is completed in bottle. Great food matches include roasted red meats, beef stews, sausage, cheese, and game. Originally known as Vitis, the name of the winery was changed to Zlatan Otok in 1993. The vineyards are located on the island of Hvar and benefit from prolonged sunshine on the south facing slopes of the island along with the cooling effects of the sea.
2016
Red Wine Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Decant 1 hour before serving. Set in amongst enigmatic rolling hills in the western portion of the Chianti Classico region, the family-owned Isole e Olena winery has been run by the De Marchis since the 1950s. The family’s property is composed of two sister estates, Isole and Olena, with a combined 45 hectares of vines. Both estates have a long and noble heritage dating back hundreds of years.
2016