Platinum Wine Club - November 2012
Learn the finer points to many of our Wine of the Month Club. Our club wines are expertly researched and selected for quality, value and uniqueness and every one has an interesting history. Here are some of the wines we are offering this month:
Pietrasanta – Italy
2007 Riserva San Colombano DOC
The Pietrasanta Estate is located in the old town center of San Colombano al Lambro. This is the hilly wine country where the only quality wine DOC of Milan’s province is produced. The winery is located in a beautiful mansion-house dating back to the last half of the seventeenth century. The owner of the winery, Mr Carlo Giovanni Pietrasanta, devotes himself to the business constantly following all phases of wine production – vinification in particular - and cellar practice. This together with the joint effort of the wine-maker Professor Leonardo Valenti - is necessary to achieve top quality wine production, which has always been the hallmark of Pietrasanta wine industry. If you are not familiar with this small DOC, here is a mature and consistent wine with plenty of fruit and spice which shows what this area just outside of Milan is capable of producing. This 2007 Riserva is made from 45% Croatina, 40% Barbera, and 15% Merlot. In the glass the wine is an intense, warm rounded ruby, slightly tawny at the edge of the glass, with a dense consistency. Sweet, mature fruit gives way to fresh, complex aromas with muscular, intensely spicy notes, followed by tobacco, chocolate and herb and a touch of fading flowers. Its aromatic persistency demonstrates this wine’s big, distinct personality. The first impressions are of intensity and consistency, followed by well-ripened fruit and a well-defined balance of spices, aromatic wood and earthy notes. Elegant, under-stated tannins support lively flavors, complemented by mild acidity. Complex finish, slightly wild, but pleasant and appealing. This wine’s complex and generous character goes well with the roast or stuffed meat dishes found all over Italy. Particularly good with Milanese osso buco. This wine can be enjoyed now, or, for a slightly softer character, can be aged for another 1-2 years if cellared correctly.
Fincas Patagonicas - Argentina
2009 Zolo Reserve Malbec
Fincas Patagonicas, parent winery to Zolo, is one of the most technologically advanced wineries in Argentina and marries Argentina's best vineyards with winemaking expertise. Fincas Patagonicas vineyards are located in the Valle de Uco and Agrelo regions, province of Mendoza. Mt. Plata (6100 meters) and Tupungato volcano (6800 meters), overlook the state-of-the-art Fincas Patagónicas Winery providing a magnificent scenery. Located at various altitudes, each of these terroirs provide a different expression of fruit and varietal concentration. The signature wine of Fincas Patagónicas is Malbec. One of the five Bordeaux blending grapes, Malbec has flourished in Argentina since the middle 1800s, producing intense wines. The winemaker is Fabian Valenzuela, the vineyard manager is Carlos Correas, and the President and owner is Patricia Ortiz. Fincas Patagonicas is estate-grown & sustainably-farmed. The name Zolo came about because Patricia Ortiz spends much of the week working in Mendoza, leaving her husband alone – solo/Zolo – in Buenos Aires. This 2009 Reserve is made from 100% Malbec from the San Pablo estate single vineyard in Tupungato from vines approximately 15 years old. After fermentation the wine was aged for 14 months in French and American first and second use oak barrels. The result is a Malbec with an intense violet color, and aromas of red mature fruits and flowers combined with touches of vanilla and chocolate; smooth and sweet mouthfeel with velvety tannins. Only 2500 cases were produced.
Belle Pente Vineyards - Carlton, Oregon
2007 Riesling Willamette Valley
Belle Pente (bell-pont') means "beautiful slope" - a perfect description for their hillside vineyard site in the Yamhill-Carlton District of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Their inspiration comes from the exquisite wines of Burgundy and Alsace, and follows the guiding principle that great wine is made in the vineyard and merely nurtured in the winery. Their standard practices include organic & biodynamic viticulture, carefully managing vineyard quality and yields, and meticulously hand sorting the grapes that arrive at the winery to remove all under-ripe or damaged fruit. Belle Pente is owned and operated by Jill & Brian O'Donnell. The 70 acre property is located on a historic farm 2 miles east of the town of Carlton in the new Yamhill-Carlton District viticultural area. Their 2007 Riesling is sourced from 100% Willamette Valley fruit. Dry but not steely, fruity but not frivolous, this has depth and distinct character, offering layers of nectarine, pear and white peach that keep singing on the open-textured finish. The Belle Pente Riesling is a very versatile wine, complementing a wide variety of holiday fare. A varietal grown traditionally in Germany and the Alsace region of France, it is a natural with sausage, sauerkraut, and onion tarts. More surprising, perhaps, is its affinity with Asian food, especially dishes featuring seafood. Try it with crab-cakes with or Thai shrimp curry.
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