Red Wine Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2015. Decant 1 hour before serving. Gianni Masciarelli helped revive Abruzzo’s fortunes as a winemaking region thanks to his pioneering work with the province’s indigenous local grape varieties. A summer spent in Champagne convinced him that he could make top quality wines in his native land, and he founded his own winery in 1981 with just five acres around his grandfather’s old house in San Martino sulla Marrucina. Over the years the estate has blossomed into a 900-acre property with parcels in all four provinces of Abruzzo that have helped him win a total of 29 Tre Bicchieri awards for his world-class red and white wines. Although Gianni sadly passed away in 2008, today the estate is today run by his wife, Marina, and his oldest daughter, Miriam. Villa Gemma is the winery’s flagship line that offers a traditional interpretation of the region’s most famous grape varieties. This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo was first made in 1984 from fruit grown close to the winery. It’s fermented in stainless steel tanks and then aged in barriques for up to 24 months followed by 2-3 years in the bottle. This creates a remarkably complex and ageworthy red that’s bursting with intense dark berries, licorice and hints of baked earth and dried herbs. Pair with herby roast lamb or even a hearty wild boar ragu served with fresh pappardelle pasta.
2015
Red Wine Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva 2015
Red Wine ColleMassari Montecucco Rosso Riserva 2015. Castello ColleMassari was founded in 1998 by Maria Iris Bertarelli and Claudio Tipa and has quickly gained a reputation for producing delicious classic Italian wines which offer great value. In both 2000 and 2014 the estate was awarded Cellar of the Year by the prestigious Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso and today has over 120 hectares of vines set around a stunning historic castle. The estate is set in the Montecucco appellation in southern Tuscany and enjoys a special microclimate with consistent sea breezes and an average elevation of 300 metres above sea level. Hilly gravel, limestone and clay soils are the norm here and the estate is primarily planted with Sangiovese and Vermentino along with smaller quantities of other indigenous varieties. The Rosso Riserva is one of ColleMassari’s top wines and is predominantly crafted from Sangiovese as well as a dash of Ciliegiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Half of the young wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months while the remainder matures in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and varietal character. The result is an intense red wine with plenty of classic red cherry and baked earth notes from the Sangiovese and subtle hints of toasty oak from the maturation process.
2015
Red Wine Matetic EQ Syrah 2015. Arriving in Chile in 1892 from their Croatian homeland, the Matetic family initially established a sheep farm in Punta Arenas. In 1999 they decided to begin a new chapter in their family’s history by opening a winery in the El Rosario Valley in San Antonio. This cool climate Syrah is made with grapes from their estate vineyards in the valley which are planted on granitic soils and are largely dry-farmed without the use of irrigation. These growing conditions help to produce intensely-flavoured fruit with perfect balance thanks to the cooling breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean. In the winery the family ferment using wild yeasts found naturally in the air and on the skins of the grapes. The young wine is then transferred to French oak barrels for up to 22 months before bottling. Luscious dark cherry, cassis and baked plum along with hints of black pepper and licorice define the nose while on the palate there is a well-rounded texture, robust full body and very long finish. The power and intensity of this wine make it a great choice to keep in the cellar for a few more years or to drink now alongside rich red meat dishes like lamb, steak, or even barbecued ribs.
2015