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 With the dog days of summer upon us, one might not be so inclined to reach for a red wine to drink as an aperitif. Most of us would probably opt for a chilled rosé or white wine. However, I decided to open a red wine to toast a few friends and the onset of evening. My selection was the perfect choice!  Donnafugata’s Sedàra 2015 is a delicious Sicilian red blend made with Nero d’Avola (the primary grape), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of other grapes from Sicily. The color is dark crimson with an inviting bouquet of dark berries, cherry, plum and spice. The palate offers layers of dark juicy fruit, pepper and soft tannins. This is a medium bodied wine with the aging potential of 4 to 5 years. Sedàra is an easy wine to drink. And in addition to drinking well as an aperitif, it will pair beautifully with meats, pastas, fish, cheese and fruit. Alcohol: 13.43% SRP: $16  Donnafugata produces enticing wines and I am a big fan of their whimsical labels. I'm especially captivated by their stories called “Dialogue with Art”. This is what Donnafugata say about Sedàra. “This wine carries in its heart the concreteness and sweetness of Angelica Sedara, the charming Claudia Cardinale, protagonist of the film “The Leopard” directed by Luchino Visconti. The label, which refers to the cellars at Contessa Entellina and the land in which the roots of this wine are deeply planted: in the foreground the green of the vineyard, on a white background, communicates the freshness and pleasantness of this wine and its most recent evolution.”  To read more about Donnafugata wines and the indigenous grapes of Sicily, check out my stories from this past May.
Happy Friday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com For the past few weeks I’ve been slowly making my way through an assortment of wines that Fondo Antico winery sent to me from Sicily. As I wrote in an earlier post, Fondo Antico winery was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family that is now in its sixth generation of winemaking. The estate is located in the village of Rilievo, between Trapani and Marsala, in western Sicily. They have 80 acres of vineyards planted with vines such as Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Perricone and Syrah in addition to olive and lemon trees. Fondo Antico loosely translated means “ancient background” and refers to the winery’s history and strong tradition of making wine. Their logo is a branch of Corallium rubrum, (red coral) a local species of the Mediterranean that was considered a symbol for averting evil influences or bad luck and was also a source of local livelihoods between the 14th and 15th century. The coral preserves marine biodiversity and Fondo Antico protects the Sicilian native species and its territory, using eco-friendly practices. Syrah is the only international red variety that Fondo Antico produces. And it is a winner!  The color of the Syrah 2015 wine is a rich dark purple. Holding the wine up to the light, one can see how purple it is. Also note the small amount of rim variation indicating that the wine is young.  The nose offers red fruit, cherry and hints of earth. The palate is layered with red fruit, lush berries, pepper and a touch of strawberry on the finish. This is a medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and will pair nicely with fish or meat. Alcohol: 14%  I chose to make a simple meal that paired beautifully with the wine. We grilled salmon with fresh basil, oregano and lemon and grilled corn on the cob. My homegrown tomatoes and avocado rounded out the dinner.   It was a beautiful evening to dine outside, but the yellow jackets were not willing to share the space on my deck. And since I’m not fond of these bees, we retreated to indoors with our food and wine! Have a great day!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com I’ve been busy packing up my “wine cellar” to move it to a new location. In the process, I stumbled upon a 1967 Château Léoville-Las Cases ‘Grand Vin de Leoville’ from Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France. This fine bottle of red Bordeaux blend is classified as one of fifteen Second Growths in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. I have no idea how I came by this!   Château Léoville-Las Cases is located in Saint Julien-Beychevelle next door to Château Latour. It is one of the oldest Médoc estates that once upon a time belonged to some of the most influential and wealthiest noble French families, prior to being purchased by the Las Cases family. As a result of the French Revolution, the estate was split up at some point between 1826 and 1840 creating Château Léoville-Las Cases. The estate is considered to be large according to Bordeaux standards enveloping 240 acres of vineyards. Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards on the left bank of Gironde. The vineyards are planted with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.  I have much more to tell you about the family history, terroir, and current management of Château Léoville-Las Cases, but my story stops here for now. When the appropriate time comes, I will uncork this bottle and share the rest of the story along with my tasting notes. The wine is long past peak, but I’ve had a few vintage Bordeaux lately that have pleasantly surprised me! What’s in your wine glass this Wednesday?
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  When one thinks of the tango, Argentina immediately comes to mind. And that can be said for Malbec as well. Mendoza is considered the “heart of wine growing” in this country. Over 70% of all Argentine wine is produced in Mendoza. Of that amount, 85% of it is Malbec. I recently received a few bottles of Trivento Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina that were amazing. So let’s start with a little background information before I share my tasting thoughts with you.   Bodega Trivento is located in Mendoza, Argentina against the backdrop of the Andes. In the mid-1990s Concha y Toro, Chile’s leading wine producer, purchased this collection of eight vineyards spreading across the Maipu, Tupungato, Uco Valley, Luján de Cuyo, San Martin and Rivadavia districts, making it one of the largest wine estates in Mendoza with 3,185 acres.  The name Trivento means “three winds”, referring to the Polar, Zonda and Sudestada winds that blow across the sun drenched and arid land of Mendoza. These winds are an integral part in the growth and unique character of the grapes. The frigid Polar winds of winter forces the sap deep into the vines. Next, the Zonda winds hurtle down from the Andes out of the West, awakening dormant sap to generate new spring growth. And finally, in the summer months, the Sudestada winds drawing from the East provides a cool breeze from the scorching sun, giving the grapes relief and aid in ripening. Trivento’s high-altitude and huge swings in day and night temperatures help influence and enhance the wines’ aromatic quality. In addition, rainfall averages only 8 inches a year. However, Mother Nature lends a hand by irrigating the vineyards with the spring snowmelt that cascades from the mountains nearby. All eight vineyards of Trivento are equipped with state of the art technology, drip irrigation systems and a dedicated team of winemakers and technicians. The Trivento Reserve Collection wines are made by Maximiliano Ortiz, a native of Mendoza, who apprenticed with internationally renowned Italian consulting enologist, Alberto Antonini, who still consults for Trivento. The grapes for the Reserve line are harvested by hand and aged for about six months in French oak barrels, followed by six months in bottle.  The Trivento 2015 Malbec Reserve is 100% Malbec. It is dark red bordering on violet. Mouthwatering aromas of fresh berries, plum, spice and sweet cocoa, segue onto the palate with more dark fruit, spice, pepper and vanilla added in. Soft tannins and a long finish make this a very approachable price to value ratio. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $11 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec grapes are grown in the higher altitudes of the Luján de Cuyo zone of Mendoza. The higher altitudes contribute to greater concentration of fruit, density and a higher ratio of natural acidity that promotes the wine’s ability to age. The Lujan de Cuyo vineyard was planted more than a century ago in 1912. The grapes are harvested by hand and go through further hand selection at the winery. The wine is vinified and aged at a separate winemaking facility under the watchful eye of winemaker Germán Di Césare. The wine is aged for about twelve months in French oak, followed by varying aging times in the bottle, but usually twelve months.  The 2014 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec is 100% Malbec. The color is purple with enticing aromas of dark berries, plum, spice and pepper. The palate offers an explosion of berries in the mouth with plum, a hint of tobacco, spice, pepper and silky tannins. This is a beautifully balanced wine that is full of surprises.
Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $21 These are affordable and very drinkable wines that will complement just about any type of food. I’m impressed! Have a great Wine Wednesday! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  As I sit here waiting for “Blizzard Stella” to arrive, I’m reminded of another blizzard that took New York by “storm” in 1996 and dumped over 22 inches of snow. The Blizzard of 96’ has the distinction of being included in the list of the 10 biggest snowstorms in NYC history! Will “Stella” make this list? It certainly could according to the latest snowfall predictions! And speaking of lists, the 1996 Chateau Pavie Macquin, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is included in the list of best vintages of this Chateau. And one can truly understand why. This is an amazing wine and I express gratitude to my friend who shared it with me.  Chateau Pavie Macquin is located in Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. Agricultural engineer Albert Macquin purchased the Chateau in 1887. Macquin is known for producing more than a million plants that were less susceptible to chlorosis and who is at the origin of using the grafted plant to help eradicate the phylloxera epidemic, saving his vineyard as well as the entire Bordeaux region! He also developed scientific vine plot monitoring. Albert’s three grandchildren and great grandchildren now own the chateau.  Albert Macquin Photo courtesy of Chateau Pavie Macquin This Bordeaux blend is Merlot dominant with 25% Cabernet Franc. We decanted the wine, but didn’t wait to start enjoying it. As a rule Bordeaux wines reach their peak 10 to 12 years following the vintage. After 21 years in the bottle, this wine drank beautifully! It still had a lot of character and intensity. Aromas of dark fruit, cherry and hints of spice were present. The palate offered rich black fruit, spice and silky tannins. The finish was long. Although the wine had lost some of its complexity, it was still an impressive pour. http://www.pavie-macquin.com  As I watch Blizzard Stella roar through here tomorrow, I’ll be reveling in the winter wonderland from my sofa with a snifter of cognac, a roaring fire and a good book!  Happy Monday!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com It was a “red” wine weekend. In addition to tasting some wonderful wines such as Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, I had a delicious Malbec on Sunday evening. It was one of those spur of the moment throw together meals. Fortunately, I had enough food on hand and a lot of imagination. Sautéed shrimp, veggies and tortellini made for a satisfying one dish meal.   The 2013 Catena Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina was the perfect complement to dinner. Concentrated aromas of raisins, dark cherries, earth and a hint of cocoa grabbed our attention. The palate offered blackberries, plum, spice and floral notes. Soft tannins and a silky mouth-feel added to the richness of the wine. The lengthy finish with spicy notes was perfect. Alcohol: 14% I will definitely have to explore more of this winery’s selections. http://www.catenawines.com  I have a few wine seminars and tastings to attend this week in NYC. I’m looking forward to learning about some interesting grapes and sharing it all with you! Have a great Monday!
Cheers! Penina |
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