Red Wine Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016. Decant 2 hours before serving. Lauded as one of the United States’ top wineries by renowned wine critic Antonio Galloni, Ramey Wine Cellars was founded by David Ramey and his wife Carla in 1996. After decades of working for high profile estates like Dominus and Matanzas Creek, David decided to pursue his dreams and start his very own winery in rural Healdsburg. Today David makes stunning artisanal wines that combine time-honoured Old World traditions with New World creativity and innovation. The philosophy of the estate is to craft graceful wines that have their own unique personality and character, so David isn’t afraid to take risks like waiting until the very last minute to harvest his grapes to ensure maximum ripeness. This classic Napa Valley Cabernet exudes heady dark plum, cherry, leather and smoky tobacco on the nose which deepens into kirsch, dark berry jam and licorice flavours on the palate. David carefully selects only the best Cabernet grapes for this Napa Valley beauty and then ages the wine in oak barrels for 18 months to add extra complexity and finesse. The result is a serious wine with a long future ahead of it thanks to the firm structure and smooth tannins which will help this glorious Cabernet to age gracefully in the cellar until at least 2028.
2016
Red Wine Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016
Red Wine Riglos Gran Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Riglos winery was established by two friends from Buenos Aires, Darío Werthein and Fabián Suffern, who chose to name their venture after the place where their ancestors first arrived in Argentina many generations ago. Today they have a reputation for making top quality red wines from their Finca Las Divas vineyards which sit at 1350 metres of altitude in Mendoza’s Gualtallary sub-region. The high altitude provides ideal conditions for premium winemaking since the vines enjoy sunny summer days balanced by cooler nights which preserves freshness and aromatics in the grapes. The grapes for this Cabernet are sourced from a stony plot on the Las Tunas de Gualtallary river where there is excellent drainage. Once in the winery the grapes are fermented and then the young wine matures in French oak barrels and casks for 18 months. Sure to please lovers of big, bold reds, this powerful Cabernet opens with aromas of cassis, dark plum and blackberry along with spice and toast from the oak ageing. On the palate there is a generous full body, firm tannins and persistent finish with hints of licorice, dark chocolate and roasted coffee beans.
2016
Red Wine Rizzardi 3 Cru Amarone Valpolicella 2016. Decant 2 hours before serving. The Guerrieri Rizzardi estate was founded in 1914 following a marriage between two local families, the Counts Guerrieri and the Counts Rizzardi, who were respected wine producers in the Veneto region. Over the years the family has sought to produce top quality wines which stay true to the region’s noble winemaking traditions. The estate is currently run by Giuseppe and Agostino Rizzardi who have sought to modernise their winemaking practices while honouring their ancient family connection to this land. This sumptuous Amarone takes its name from the three Cru vineyards, Calcarole, Pojega & Rovereti, where the grapes are sourced for this wine. Calcarole is a steep 5 hectare vineyard located on a hill, while Pojega and Rovereti are planted on gentle slopes on clay soils. Following the harvest the grapes are carefully raisined in a well-ventilated room for three and a half months. They are then fermented slowly over the course of a month and matured in small oak barrels for 12 months and in large 25 hl barrels for a further 24 months. This produces a magnificent Amarone that exudes rich dark berry and sweet spice aromas along with hints of toasty oak. The first sip reveals a generous full body, firm structure and luscious blackcurrant jam, dark chocolate, leather and licorice flavours which linger on the tongue.
2016