Red Wine Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum 2013. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Located in the hills of Chianti Classico, and precisely in the municipality of Castelnuovo Berardenga, the Arceno estate has 92 hectares of vineyards located on rocky hills at an altitude between 300 and 560. The property, first owned by the Del Taja family and then by the Piccolominis, was bought by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke in 1994. The company has always cultivated the most famous native vine of Tuscany, Sangiovese, but also experimenting with the cultivation of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Arcanum is the flagship wine of the Arceno estate. Obtained mainly from Cabernet Franc grapes grown on the sandy and clayey soils of the Apparita and Belvedere vineyards, with the addition of Merlot, Cab Sav and Petit Verdot. The wine, aged for 12 months in French oak, is ready to be enjoyed now but also shows enormous aging potential. On the nose, classic floral aromas of violet and rose stand out, with notes of blueberries and raspberries and spicy hints. On the palate, the flavors of strawberries, exotic spices, and white chocolate dominate, accompanied by soft tannins and a tantalizing acidity. The finish is long and fresh. It is a seductive and extremely refined wine that will pair beautifully with a Fiorentina steak or a Bolognese lasagna.
2013
Red Wine Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum 2013
Red Wine Vina von Siebenthal Montelig 2013. Decant 1 hour before serving. With a stunning setting close to the magnificent Andes Mountains, Vina von Siebenthal in Chile’s Aconcagua Valley was founded by Swiss lawyer Mauro von Siebenthal. Mauro visited the area in the 1990s and immediately realised that this place could help him achieve his dream of making his own wines. He moved permanently to Chile in 2009 and threw himself into planting vineyards on his new estate and renovating the elegant colonial era country house which is the winery’s headquarters. Mauro’s flagship wine is the Montelig, a single vineyard bottling crafted from hillside vines planted in 1998. The wine is named after the Spanish word for mountain, monte”, in reference to the Andes Mountains and llg” which is the pre-Incan native word for light. It’s a powerful, robust blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Carmenere which thrive in the long hot summers and cooler nights thanks to cooling breezes from the nearby Andes. Seductive notes of blueberry, cassis, black plum and dark cherry define the nose, while on the palate there are hints of dried herbs, baked earth and toasted spices from the 25 months of ageing in oak barrels. The finish is strong with hints of vanilla, cinnamon and cloves and a gentle streak of acidity which invites yet another sip. Enjoy now with hearty red meat dishes or keep in the cellar for another decade or so.
2013
Red Wine Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Shiraz 2013. Decant 1 hour before serving. Australia’s most historic family-owned winery, Yalumba was founded by British brewer Samuel Smith who bought a 30-acre lot of land which he named after the indigenous word for all the land around”. Smith and his son planted their first vines here by moonlight in the heart of the Barossa Valley in 1849, and today the estate is run by the fifth generation of the family, Robert Hill-Smith. Yalumba is best known in Australia and beyond for their punchy Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blends. Their Signature cuvee has been regarded as one of the finest examples to come out of Barossa ever since it was first produced in 1962. Fruit is sourced from four prized vineyards in Barossa which include vines planted back in 1925. These mature vines produce wonderfully intense and concentrated fruit which is skillfully enhanced by ageing the young wine in a mix of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 21 months. Perfect for lovers of big Aussie reds, this punchy blend is bursting with succulent cassis, blackberry and dark cherry notes along with undertones of spice, leather, and dried herbs. On the palate there’s a generous full body, robust tannins and a firm structure that will help it age beautifully in the cellar. A great red to serve alongside a prime ribeye steak or barbecued ribs.
2013