August 2024Wines of the Month

For the wine snob: Aglianico is a native Italian varietal that is widely diffused in Campania and in Basilicata. It is of extremely ancient origin and some experts argue that it was cultivated in the early period of Roman history and was introduced to Italy by the Greeks at the time of the foundation of Cumae (the modern Cuma) or soon afterward. Terredora considers itself a guardian of this dynamic native varietal, producing significant quantities of the varietal at both the IGT and DOCG level.

For the rest of us: Ruby red with violet reflections. Black cherry, wild blackberry, and plum fruit with a spicy toasted overtone. Soft and elegant, long in the mouth with notes of mature red fruits. Suitable for long aging. Ideal with soups, charcuterie, white and red meat, roasted meat, and mature cheeses.

For the wine snob: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Vermentino. The Chardonnay has been cultivated for decades and with great success in Baja California, while Vermentino was recently introduced in to the Guadalupe Valley. It brings vivacity to the wine. Both varieties are aged in stainless steel tanks. A fresh and elegant white.

For the rest of us: Vigorous, fresh and elegant with aromas of green apple, grapefruit peel and tropicalfruits. An elegant nose that also gives white floral tones. Crisp, fresh, balanced; elegant in the palate. Fresh and firm acidity. Citric notes with a medium to long finish.

For the wine snob: Small batches of grapes are gently crushed and then transferred to open fermenters. Foot treading is undertaken two-thirds of the way through fermentation. The wine is then basket pressed and transferred to oak barriques and large casks to complete primary and secondary fermentation, then aged on lees to keep the wine fresh. There is no racking until final blending, and no fining or filtration prior to bottling.

For the rest of us: A classic in fine form. Dark and vibrant-ruby red in color, with a perfumed bouquet of red and black berries. Fine tannins structure the velvety wine, which is further tuned with flavors of red cherries, black plums, strawberries and herbs de Provence. Finishes long and savory.

For the wine snob: Vernaccia di San Gimignano represents the “Tuscany in White”, a century-old wine and the first DOC of Italy. Great care is taken to harvest the Vernaccia only when it has achieved complete physiological ripeness. The harvest is done entirely by hand and careful selection takes place in the vineyards before the grapes are transported to the winery on dry ice in order to preserve freshness until pressing.

For the rest of us: Complex nose featuring floral, citrus, tropical and mineral notes. A wine with a great structure, sapid, mineral, fresh and persistent. Excellent with fish and white meat. Also suitable as an aperitif and with antipasti.

For the wine snob: The grapes are selected from Candlestick Ridge, the northernmost vineyard in the Howell Mountain AVA, which is slightly warmer than the summit ridge where the Winery Estate vineyard lies. Candlestick is influenced by warm air from Pope Valley to the east and – at its slightly lower elevation – it is protected from the constant wind that hits the ridge line. The big subsurface boulders were removed during the replanting, leaving thin tufa soil on top of a rocky volcanic bedrock.

For the rest of us: A higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon has found its way into this wine that is dark, deep, nuanced and supple. Sourced from young vines on our Candlestick Ridge Vineyard, the 2020 vintage displays immediate Howell Mountain power in the glass with lavender, thorny fruits and mineral at the fore. Without doubt, its a slightly more serious wine than previous bottlings, with a long life ahead in the cellar, though it will taste great if opened immediately after receiving it on your doorstep.

For the wine snob: The soils are known as “Marne di Sant’Agata.” On this site it is a mixture of 55% blueish clay, 30% sand and 15% limestone. Grapes here benefit from a continental climate with marked temperature differences throughout the season, the lowest rainfall in Piedmont, and cooling sea breezes. The vineyards are situated mid-slope in a sheltered position, which is protected from the cold northerly winds, making this an ideal micro-climate. The vineyards were planted with Barbera, Nebbiolo, Crotina, Timorasso and Favorita.

For the rest of us: Straw yellow color with green reflections. Intense and harmonious bouquet with delicate notes of yellow melon and quince. A fine balance of vegetable notes and dandelion flowers. The taste is rich with a pleasant sour note. Extraordinary complexity and elegance characterized by marked minerality, yellow nectarines and citrus essence. Pair with taliarini with white truffles, white meat, foie gras, fish dishes, shellfish.

For the wine snob: The grapes are hand harvested in 10-kilo baskets to avoid damage. At harvest, the grapes are first manually selected, then sorted before de-stemming to eliminate any small withered berries, and finally undergo an additional manual sorting of each berry to eliminate any possibility of remaining stems. The wine then undergoes pre-cold maceration and 5-week maceration in temperature controlled tanks. Micro aeration and part of the malo-lactic fermentation is done in new oak barrels. The wine is then aged 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, 40 to 50% new.

For the rest of us: Superb Cabernet Franc character of leather, plums and racy notes with mineral hints. The palate is fresh, superbly ripe, juicy, sappy and very elegant as it unfolds with sleek tannins. Pair with crispy duck breast, dry-aged beef or on its own.

For the wine snob: 100% White Grenache from a single vineyard in Montsant, divided into three terraces facing the sea. The vines are 45 years old. No chemicals are used in the vineyard. Grapes are hand harvested in September with very strict berry selection, then destemmed and fermented in 2000L Stockinger oak foudres with some ripe stems and pressed and returned to foudre to age 9 months.

For the rest of us: Aromas of young apricot and apple. White flowers and wild herbs on the palate. Strong minerality and a faithful reflection of the vineyard from which it comes. Lovely mouthfeel, subtle with a Mediterranean essence.