2011 Limited Edition Wines
The February Limited
Edition kits are in the store, if you've pre-ordered a kit (or two) come in
any time and start your wine!
March Limited
Edition kits will be here soon and it's not too late to pre-order an April
Limited Edition -
Spanish Matador Trio Red
- just let Dave know soon.
March
German Traminer Spätlese
The Region: Germany’s most famous growing region, the Mosel
Valley, with its mineral-laden soils, produces some of the world’s
finest off-dry wines. The sheer mountains and rugged steep slopes make
the most of the northern sunshine, but they also mean that vineyard work
must be done by hand, and yields are very low. This results in carefully
crafted, very intensely flavoured wines.
The Wine: Traminer is the parent of the more familiar
Gewürztraminer and Spätlese is a German wine term meaning ‘late
harvest’, indicating a wine made from fully mature grapes that are
picked at least 7 days after normal harvest, so they are riper and have
higher sugar levels. This is a gently golden-coloured wine, unmistakable
in its heady, aromatic intensity, with a pungent fragrance of lychee,
tropical fruit and rose petals. Its flavours are ample, lusciously
fruity and spicy.
The Food: Vanilla Bean Glazed Peach Cobbler
Ageing: The intense fruit character will be apparent immediately
in this rich wine making it a tempting sipper right away, but the deeper
floral characters of rose petal and lychee will become much more
apparent after six months to a year.
Sweetness Code: 1 (off-dry)
April
Spanish Matador Trio Red
The Region: From the green damp north to the arid south, Spain is
the country with the most land under vine in the world. Mancha is
Europe’s largest denominated wine region and its hot, dry growing
conditions yield intensely flavoured red grapes.
The Wine: Tempranillo are deep blue-black berries, high in colour
and extract, with delicate aromas. Cabernet Sauvignon’s small berries
yield high tannins and intense structure, while Monastrell adds grip,
earthiness and ripe red fruit. Lush, tannic and complex, with intense
black fruit flavours of black cherry, raspberry, black currant and notes
of plums and tobacco, the wine takes gracefully to oak, adding layers of
vanilla, cedar and rich coffee nuances.
The Food: Mediterranean White Bean Salad, Marinated with Garlic,
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano & Fine Herbs.
Ageing: With soft acidity and lush tannins, this wine may be
enjoyed after only three to six months, but the black fruits, cherry and
plum notes will take six months to show well, and the vanilla/coffee
nuances will show best after one year.
Sweetness Code: 0 (dry)
January -
Washington Meritage
and
South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon
(both are dry)
Washington Meritage
The Region: The Red Mountain AVA is Washington’s smallest, at
approximately 3,600 acres. Grape growing conditions are almost textbook
perfect: slope, exposure, weather conditions, good air drainage, large
day/night temperature swings, gravelly soil with high calcium carbonate
content and high pH and the nearby Yakima River to moderate temperature
extremes—there could hardly be more positive flavour influences to
grapes grown here.
The Wine: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and
Petite Verdot, this wine features great extract, deep colour and intense
aromatics of dark berry fruit, cassis, peppery spice, cedar and smoke. A
seductive nose, magnificent texture and flavour (including dark berries,
liquorice, vanilla and warm brown spices) glide across the palate. The
texture and mouth feel of the wine offers up silky tannins and a velvety
smooth structure.
The Food: Marinated & Grilled Flank Steak with Blue Café De Paris
Butter.
Ageing: The complexity and structure of this wine will require
three to six months to unwind, and it will continue improving for
several years. Due to the ripe tannins it will also benefit from
decanting before serving.
Sweetness Code: 0 (dry)
South African Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon
The Region: Known as ‘Valley of Wine and Roses’, South Africa’s
Robertson Valley has a very hot climate with minimal rainfall—less than
a foot per year. Luckily the red clay loam and clay Karoo soils have
excellent water holding capacity, and the gentle slopes and varied
microclimates allow for precision planting to maximise grape quality.
The Wine: Sauvignon Blanc has wild, herbaceous flavours and tart,
grapefruit-like character, which shows strongly in the young wine, while
Sémillon has flavours of honeydew melon and sweet honey that take a bit
longer to come out. Together the two grapes make a lush, balanced wine
with great up-front fruit and a satisfying, rich finish.
The Food: Pan Roasted Digby Bay Scallop, Jewel Yam Purée, White
Truffle Oil & Salsa Verdé.
Ageing: The citrus notes of the Sauvignon Blanc make this wine
tempting to drink right away and after three months the Sémillon will
rise up to give a mellower white wine. It will improve for at least a
year, giving deeper flavours of melon and honey as it goes.
Sweetness Code: 0 (dry
FEBRUARY
California Petite Sirah / Zinfandel
(Limited Edition 2005)
The Region: Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, Amador County is sometimes called ‘California’s Piedmont’.
With vineyards running from 250 to 2900 feet in elevation, and summer
temperatures ranging from 80 to over 100 degrees F, the excellent
growing conditions have encouraged diversified plantings.
The Wine: Grippingly tannic, bold and deeply coloured Petite
Sirah complements the jamminess of Zinfandel, taming the abundant
blueberries and blackberries with a hint of dark cherry and vanilla.
Full-bodied with a lingering palate and peppery spice, this is a wine of
unprecedented power and length.a
The Food: Apple Cider Brined Thick-Cut BBQ Pork Chops.
Ageing: This is a wine that shows best with ageing. After one
year the blackberries will come out, and two years will tame the
tannin’s grip, showing the black pepper and rich dark fruits.
Sweetness Code: 0 (dry)
