Red Wine Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Rocca Rubia Riserva 2018. Founded in 1960 by several winemaking families on the Sulcis peninsula, Santadi is located just a few kilometres from the beautiful southern Sardinian coast. For the first decade or so, the winery specialised in producing bulk wines which were sold all over the globe, but with the arrival of Antonello Pilloni in 1970 a new approach was pioneered of bottling and selling quality wines with a distinctive Sardinian personality. Carignano is one of Sardinia’s flagship varieties and this expression captures the potential of the grape when grown in ideal conditions on the Sulcis peninsula where the hot summer days are moderated cooling breezes from the coast. The fruit used in this bottling comes from ungrafted bush vines grown close to the sea in the lower part of the peninsula. The grapes are carefully picked by hand to maximise quality and fermented in stainless steel tanks. It then spends 10-12 months in small used French oak barrels to add polish and finesse. The result is an elegant yet complex Carignano with ample blueberry, cassis, and blackberry notes seasoned with hints of vanilla, leather and liquorice. Powerful yet velvety smooth on the palate, the full body and firm tannins make this a great contender for further cellaring or enjoying now with robust red meat dishes.
2018
Red Wine Santadi Carignano del Sulcis Rocca Rubia Riserva 2018
Red Wine Santa Ema Amplus Old Vine Carignan 2018. Santa Ema was founded by the Pavone family who have been growing grapes and making wine in Chile’s Maipo Valley for over a century. They first came to the region in 1917 and today have more than three generations of experience and knowledge of the local terroir and growing conditions. Their Amplus line of wines takes its name from the Latin word meaning honoured” or distinguished”, a characteristic which is immediately apparent in this delicious Carignan made from old vines grown in their estate vineyards. One of Santa Ema’s most popular wines, this bottling is made with carefully selected Carignan fruit sourced from their holdings in the Cachapoal Valley. Conditions here are ideal for making elegant, fruit-forward reds thanks to the sunny summer days which are tempered by cooling breezes from the nearby Andes Mountains. Once in the winery the fruit is fermented and the young wine aged in new French and American oak barrels for 18 months. On the nose there are powerful dark berry and plum notes while the first sip reveals a full body, firm tannins and layers of ripe fruit flavours which linger on the tongue. A great partner for beef, barbecued ribs or charcuterie.
2018
Red Wine Santa Ema Amplus One Carmenere 2018. This vibrant, fruit-forward red comes from one of Chile’s top regions for growing Carmenere, the sub-region of Peumo in the Cachapoal Valley. The vines benefit from hot sunny days during summer as well as cooling breezes which flow along the Cachapoal River from the nearby Andes Mountains. This helps to produce luscious, ripe grapes which still retain freshness and plenty of aromatic character. In the winery the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled tanks and then aged in French oak barrels for 12 months followed by a further 6 months of ageing in the bottle. A small amount of Syrah and Carignan is added to the Carmenere to add complexity and structure. The result is a serious and expressive wine which lives up to its name amplus”, a Latin word meaning honourable” or distinguished”. Santa Ema was founded by the Pavone family who first came to the Maipo Valley region in 1917 as grape growers. Today they count on three generations of experience of making wine here to produce a diverse selection of bottlings which capture the exceptional local terroir. Santa Ema has previously been named as one of Wine Spectator’s Top 20 World’s Finest Value Brands for their delicious and approachable Chilean wines.
2018