Red Wine Pulenta Gran Malbec 2018. Decant 1 hour before serving. The story of Pulenta dates back to 1902 when Angelo Polenta and his wife Palmina Spinssanti emigrated from Ancona in Italy to Argentina. Changing his name to Pulenta, Angelo bought his first plot of land in 1914 and built what would become a thriving family-owned business until 1997 when it was sold. In 2002, the 100 anniversary of the arrival of the family in Argentina, Angelo’s grandsons decided to found a new family winery to honour his memory and Pulenta Estate was born. Today the winery is run by the third and fourth generations of the Pulenta family with 135 hectares of prime vineyards in the Alto Agrelo sub-region of Mendoza. The vines sit high altitude and are irrigated by melted snow from the Andes Mountains, producing perfect conditions for crafting intense and powerful red wines. Their Gran Malbec is made from an exceptional vineyard in Gualltaray which sits at 1300 metres above sea level and another in the Uco Valley at 1200 metres of altitude. After the harvest the grapes are carefully sorted and selected by hand in the winery and then vinified in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels. The young wine is then matured for 18 months in new French oak barrels before bottling. This creates a deep, brooding style of Malbec with rich dark berry notes and ample tannins that will respond very well to another decade or so of cellaring.
2018
Red Wine Pulenta Gran Malbec 2018
Red Wine Renato Ratti Barolo Rocche dell’Annunziata 2018. It is recommended to decant it for half an hour. Renato Ratti was a leading figure in the Piedmontese wine scene. After studying oenology at the Faculty of Alba, and working in Brazil with Cinzano San Paolo, with the task of dealing with the production of Vermouth and sparkling wines, Renato began his wine adventure as a producer in 1965, buying a small Barolo vineyard in the historic Marcenasco cru, in La Morra. After Renato’s death in 1988, his son Pietro was at the helm of the company, which today covers an area of about 35 hectares of vineyards. This Barolo is a pure Nebbiolo wine, coming from vineyards located in the prestigious Cru Rocche dell’Annunziata, in the municipality of La Morra. An artisanal, well-finished product in every detail, from the strictly manual harvest to the long aging, for 12 months in French barrels and 12 months in Slavonian oak barrels. It is opulent, yet so delicate and sophisticated. It has an expressive nose of macerated strawberries, cherry jam, and violets, then cocoa, mint and oak, with hints of licorice, and balsamic notes. It tastes rigorous, elegant, and characterful. It is solid in its tannic texture and severe in its structure that completely takes over the palate. Good now, excellent in 10 years, unforgettable in 25. This is a great wine that requires important dishes, such as spit-roasted red meats, game and aged cheeses. Ideal with a steak with porcini mushrooms.
2018
Red Wine Reyneke Syrah 2018. Reyneke is a family-run organic winery in South Africa which takes its commitment to the environment very seriously, even down to the ducks who fertilise their vineyards. The winery was founded in 1998 when Johan Reyneke took over the running of the family farm and decided to start making his own wines. The property is well-placed for premium winemaking thanks to its location facing the historic town of Stellenbosch with great views of stunning False Bay and the nearby mountains. To ensure the grapes arrive at the winery in perfect condition they are carefully harvested by hand and then 30% of the fruit is crushed by foot in whole bunches in concrete tanks. The remaining 70% is destemmed before being fermented. The wine is then transferred to large French oak casks for 16 months of ageing before bottling. This careful and attentive approach to winemaking allows the beauty of the fruit and the terroir to shine through, with luscious notes of cassis, blackberry and ripe cherry dominating on the nose. The first sip reveals a generous full body, firm tannins and a long finish which ends with intense dark fruit, tobacco leaf and spice. The bold flavour profile makes this a great wine to pair with hearty dishes like meat stews, tomato-based pasta dishes, or a ribeye steak.
2018