It never ceases to amaze and impress me the amount of quality-focused wines that are being produced in South America. I have written many stories about wines from Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. And as I have mentioned before, the wines are unique, filled with distinctive characteristics and many are “pocketbook” friendly! Although today’s story takes place in Argentina, it actually begins in France. Jean Bousquet and his family expand four generations of winemaking and are originally from the city of Carcassonne, in Southwest France. Their family winery and vineyards were located close by in the commune of Pennautier. In 1990, Jean Bousquet and his family made a trip to Mendoza, Argentina, specifically to the Gualtallary Valley to learn about the region. The Gualtallary Valley is situated high up in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley with altitudes that reach up to 5,249 ft. Bousquet was impressed with the region’s unique characteristics and qualities even though the land was barren of vines. Back then the area was considered too cold for growing grapes and the very idea of planting vines was shrugged off by the locals. However, Bousquet had a vision to turn the cool climate land into a winery and vineyards to make organically grown wines. The photos below show the land prior to 1990 and the winery today. Having divested almost everything he owned, including the family winery and vineyards in France, Bousquet purchased 998 acres in 1997 in the Gualtallary Valley in Tupungato. Sitting at an altitude of 4,000 feet, it is considered one of the highest altitude vineyards in Mendoza and the world! And so the Bousquet family began their new life in Argentina at Domaine Bousquet. “The objective of the Bousquet family was to unite our tradition of European wine making with the ideal agricultural conditions in Mendoza.” Bousquet realized from the get go that with the low amount of rainfall in this region, he would need a water source. So, in 1998 they began digging a 495 ft. well, which took two years to complete. Between the drip irrigation system and desert like conditions, they control the amount of water needed to produce grapes with lower pH, resulting in beautifully balanced wines. His first vintage was released in 2005. Bousquet’s daughter Anne and her husband Labid al Ameri, who were living in Boston, became involved with the company after visiting Argentina in 2002. After numerous trips back and forth and Labid joining his father-in-law full time in 2005, they finally moved to Tupungato in 2009. Anne and Labid became full owners in 2011, bringing with them their shared philosophy on organic and economic sustainability. With Anne’s background as an economist, she assists in financial planning, day-to-day operation management and business development. Labid has a degree in Finance and in 2005 he created the commercial structure for Domaine Bousquet, which now has a brand presence in over 50 countries. With the benefits of cool climate, sandy soil, controlled water irrigation and healthy organic grapes, it certainly sets the stage for quality wines. I recently had the opportunity to try two wines from Domaine Bousquet, Gaia Red Blend and Gaia White Blend. In Greek mythology, Gaia is the Mother Earth goddess, the ancestral mother of all life. And considering that Gaia wine is all organic, it is a fitting name. The grapes are harvested manually, barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Gaia White Blend 2016 is made with 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Gris and 15% Sauvignon Blanc. The color is a crisp yellow with aromatic notes of soft citrus, floral and pear. It is fresh and lively on the palate with subtle notes of pear, citrus and green apples. The finish is dry with hints of tropical fruit lingering on the palate. This is a perfect wine to serve with oysters, seafood, cheese and fruit. Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $18 Gaia Red Blend 2015 is made with 50% Malbec, 45% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The color is dark purple with heady aromas of anise, violet and dark berries. The palate offers silky tannins with dark fruit, dark cherry, hints of spice and white pepper on a long finish. This is a wine that will complement just about any dish from appetizers to dessert! Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $20 I look forward to trying the other range of wines that Domaine Basquet has to offer, such as their Premium, Reserve and Grand Reserve lines and single bottling Ameri Icon and Dulce.
France + Argentina = delicious wines! Simple math! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Whenever I see a wine store, I like to go in and peruse the shelves. It is a fun way for me to discover and learn about lesser-known wines. On this particular day, I was looking to see what the store had to offer for under $15. When I reached the Italian section, I saw a bottle of Ninety+ Cellars Chianti Riserva selling for $11.99. I must admit that I was not familiar with the label, but I was intrigued by the accolades that the wine store owner was giving it. So, I decided to purchase a bottle and see for myself. First of all, Ninety+ Cellars is a wine brand based in Boston, MA. Founded by Kevin Mehra in 2009 and with Wine Director Brett Vankoski at the helm, their concept is to buy a percentage of a winery’s production for a reduced price, bottle it in Ninety+ Cellars bottles and sell the wine for less. The website states, “We are a modern day wine négociant–working with highly rated wineries and vineyards to curate a portfolio of fine wines from all over the globe”. Every wine bottle is given a lot number and has the 90+ stamp of approval. Their wine portfolio includes Napa Valley, New Zealand, Italy, and France. Wines range in price from $10 to $40. 90+ Cellars Classic Series Chianti Riserva 2013 Lot 144 Sangiovese grapes are sourced from the Chianti region of Tuscany. The wine spends three years of maturation before release and therefore is given the Chianti DOCG Riserva label. The color is ruby with aromas of cherry, spice and floral notes. The palate offers red fruit, spice, with hints of white pepper and oregano on the finish. Mild tannins, beautifully balanced and impressive for the price. Alcohol: 13% SRP: $11.99 It’s hard for me to pass up a wine store, bookstore or knitting shop!
Have a great weekend! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com On the eve of the summer solstice in June, I wrote about Ferraton Père & Fils flavorful Samorëns Rosé 2016 and Samorëns Blanc 2016. And now that we are just fifteen days away from the winter solstice, I decided it was time to open a few reds from Ferraton Père & Fils. Ferraton Père & Fils estate is located in Tain l’Hermitage in Southern France and was founded in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton. His son Michel, inheriting the same passion as his father, introduced the first Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph wines to the world. Michel Chapoutier, a highly regarded winemaker and close friend of the Ferratons’ introduced organic viticulture to the vineyards in 1998 and he eventually formed a partnership with the Ferratons. By the year 2000, all of the vineyards were converted to biodynamic farming and are now certified organic. What began in 1946 as a .3 hectare estate (some of these vines still produce fruit), Ferraton now has an annual production of about 350,000 bottles and is headed by oenologist Damien Brisset. La Matinière Crozes-Hermitage 2015 is 100% Syrah. Crozes-Hermitage is the largest appellation in the Northern Rhône and is known for its exceptional Syrahs. The grapes for the La Matinière are sourced and blended from a mix of estate and neighboring vineyards in the Mercurol and Beaumont-Monteux districts of central and southern Crozes-Hermitage. The wine is the color of dark plum bordering on purple. It is very aromatic, filling the nose with cherry, dark berries, spice and earth. The palate offers a beautiful dance of dark cherry, red berries, pomegranate, pepper and cocoa. Smooth tannins with a long finish of cherry, plum and pepper add a nice kick to the finale. This is a versatile wine when it comes to pairing with food! Alcohol: 13% SRP: $23 Côtes-du-Rhône is in the Southern Rhône. The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate conducive to grape growing which also reflects in the characteristics of the wine. Samorëns Côtes-du-Rhône Red 2015 is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. The grapes are sourced from estate and smaller growers mostly located in the Northern Rhône. The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of lush red fruit, cherry, raspberry, floral and spice. The palate offers tart cherry, raspberry, fennel and pepper. It has a lovely mouthfeel with spice and pepper on a long finish. At $14 a bottle, this is a steal! Will pair well with pasta, meats and hearty fish. I popped a chocolate kiss in my mouth and took a sip of the wine. Wow! Alcohol: 14% SRP: $14 All of these wines, including Samorëns Rosé and Samorëns Blanc, will drink beautifully at any time of the year. Don’t limit your selection of wine based on what season it is. Be adventurous and have some fun with mixing it up a little. I have white and rosé wine chilling in the refrigerator all year long!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope that it was wonderful. My table was graced with family, friends, too much food and some lovely wines. These were the most popular wines of the evening. The 2013 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is from the Arroyo Grande Valley, Central Coast, CA. Laetitia Vineyard & Winery is located in Southern San Luis Obispo County and is comprised of over 600 acres of vines. The first grape plantings were established in 1982 by French viticulturists from Epernay, France. In 1998, Selim Zilkha, owner of a wind power development company, bought the Laetitia property. With the expertise of Head Winemaker Eric Hickey and Vice President of Vineyard Operations, Lino Bozzano, they produce high quality wines with an emphasis on sustainability. Although the estate is widely known for their Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, the Pinot Noir is an attention getter. The Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is impressive. The color is cherry red with delicious aromas of raspberry, cherry, floral and spice. The palate is layered with soft fruit, cherry, pomegranate, spice, cocoa and hints of oak. It paired well with the turkey and a variety of side dishes. In fact, I enjoyed sipping it with a decadent ganache filled chocolate cake. This wine was truly good to the last drop! Alcohol: 13.9% SRP: $25 Hands down, Donnafugata’s 2016 SurSur won the hearts of the white wine drinkers. SurSur is made with 100% Grillo grapes, an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. These grapes were harvested from Donnafugata’s Contessa Entellina Estate Vineyard located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. I have tasted and reviewed the 2014 and 2015 SurSur vintages. By clicking “Donnafugata” on the menu found on the right side of this page, you will find many stories, history and wine reviews for Donnafugata. The 2016 SurSur is pale yellow with playful aromas of citrus, pineapple, floral and tropical fruit. The palate offers a nice balance between citrus and light stone fruit and moderate acidity with a nice dose of minerality. This is a bright and refreshing wine with just the right amount of dryness on the finish that made it compatible to our Thanksgiving feast! Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $20 Both wines are available in the USA and abroad. Until next time… Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com When I got the invitation to attend a seminar and walk around tasting of Texas wines, the first things that came to mind were cowboys, boots, the Alamo and rodeos. Wine was definitely not on my radar. However, after participating in an educational seminar and tasting some delicious wines, I’ve got a whole new outlook on Texas! Texas is the second largest U.S. state. To give you an idea of just how large it is, take a look at this map of Texas superimposed over an area of Europe. Texas is huge! However, only a small portion of the state is devoted to making wine. In fact, only about 1% of Texas land is suitable for growing grapes, but that area is larger than the total planted area of France! Texas wine production dates back to the 1650s when Franciscan priests planted vines for making sacramental wines. After prohibition ended, Texas didn’t see a resurgence in the wine industry until the 1970s. It is only in the last decade that Texas wine growers are truly seeing the “fruits of their labor” with improvements in quality and also winning numerous national and international medals and awards. The numbers of visitors on the main Texas wine trail rank second as the most popular wine route in the U.S. The two major growing regions in Texas are Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country. Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the second largest AVA in Texas and is located in the northwest region of the state where 75% of the state’s grapes are grown. There are approximately 5000 to 6000 acres currently under vine. Over forty varieties of grape are planted at 2,500 to 4000 ft. above sea level in soils of sandy loess over caliche (limestone). The climate is continental with low humidity. Texas Hill Country AVA is located mid-state and is the largest AVA in the state with over sixty producing wineries and is considered the center for Texas wine industry. Of the nine million acres in this area, approximately 800 acres are planted vineyards. The climate is humid and more subtropical during the growing season so fewer vineyards exist here. The soil is mostly limestone but there is lots of rocky soil as well. The Texas Wine Trail is here and tourism is growing in leaps and bounds. Grape varieties abound such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Riesling, Picpoul, Viognier and Souzão. I tasted single-varietal and blended wines from fourteen wineries that were represented at the event. Speaking in generalities, the red wines from the High Plains have concentrated flavors with soft to medium tannins. The whites are quite aromatic with delicate flavors and low acidity. Reds from the Hill Country tend to be a bit more tannic, but I find they also have more depth. The whites are aromatic with nice minerality. The wines of Texas are impressive. All the owners and winemakers that I met transferred their enthusiasm to me when describing their wine. As I was told at the seminar, “making wine started as a ‘lifestyle’ for many, but now it is their ‘life’s passion”. And it truly shows! I look forward to visiting Texas Wine Country soon. Here are links to the 14 wineries. I encourage you to explore, read their stories and hopefully order a bottle or two or three of wine. At a later date, I’ll go into more depth on some of the wineries and review their wines as well. www.barzwines.com www.bendingbranchwinery.com www.edenhill.com www.fcv.com www.hilmywine.com www.lewiswines.com www.llanowine.com www.losdrawcellars.com www.messinahof.com www.pedernalescellars.com www.spicewoodvineyards.com www.weddingoakwinery.com www.westcavecellars.com www.williamchriswines.com So, the next time someone mentions Texas to me, I can assure you that ‘wine’ will be the first thing that comes to my mind!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Susana Balbo is the founder and owner of Susana Balbo Wines in Argentina. Susana is not only the most well-known Argentinian female winemaker globally, but she is also the first female enologist in Argentina! With over thirty years experience in the wine industry, Susana has built an impressive career and produces some outstanding wines. From an early age, Susana strayed from wanting a traditional “female” education by electing to study nuclear physics in Bariloche. However, her parents would not let her leave Mendoza to pursue this path. So, Susana made a decision to follow the family’s wine business and in 1981, she graduated from Don Bosco University with a degree in oenology, becoming the first female enologist in Argentina and challenging the male-dominated wine industry in Mendoza. Susana’s career began at Michel Torino winery in the Salta province where she made her first wine, which was the first vintage of Torrontés from Salta in 1983. She then continued on to work at many other well-regarded wineries and also worked as a consultant winemaker for national and worldwide wineries before “birthing” Susana Balbo Wines in 1999. Her first vintage was released in 2002. Susana Balbo Wines is located in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza in western Argentina close to the Andes Mountains. Due to the close proximity of the Andes, the vineyards are subject to a hot, dry climate during the day and cool alpine winds in the evenings, thus allowing the grapes to develop and ripen slowly while reaching full tannic ripeness and maintaining their acidity. In addition to Susana’s two children, José, winemaker and Ana, Marketing Manager who joined the team in 2011 and 2012, esteemed winemaker and viticulturist, Edy del Popolo is also on board. With state of the art technology and a nonstop commitment to seeking innovative ways to enhance her winemaking, Susana continues to produce fresh, light and elegant wines. In addition to being renowned throughout the world for her wine-making talents and single vineyard wines, Susana is also a global ambassador for Argentina. In 2014 she was elected to serve a third term as President of Wines of Argentina. Susana produces four brands of wine that include CRIOS, Susana Balbo, Nosotros and Benmarco. I recently received five bottles of CRIOS wines that include three reds, a white Torrontés and a Rosé of Malbec. CRIOS is “the cutting edge” brand by Susana Balbo and wines are priced at $15. Although this brand was created for the Millennials and Gen X generations, these wines will appeal to a broad range of age groups. CRIOS is harvested from specific areas of Mendoza and Salta. I’m going to start with my thoughts on the Torrontés and Rosé of Malbec. My next post will focus on the reds. The 2016 CRIOS Torrontés Argentina is 100% Torrontés. The grapes are hand-harvested from the Cafayate (Salta) and Uco Valley (Mendoza) regions. The color is pale yellow with green highlights. The nose offers floral notes, pear, citrus and hints of vanilla. The palate has a beautiful texture with pear, green apple and lemon zest on the finish. This wine is perfectly balanced, crisp and fresh. It is the #1 selling Torrontés in the US! Alcohol: 13% The 2017 CRIOS Rosé of Malbec is 100% Malbec. The grapes are hand-harvested from the Uco Valley region. The color is deep pink bordering on cherry. The nose offers lush berries, especially strawberry and a hint of caramel cream that segues onto the palate with a hint of spice. Sour cherry and candied apple bring home the finish. A nicely balanced, dry Rosé …wonderful! Alcohol: 12% I’m looking forward to opening the CRIOS reds and I’ll share my thoughts with you in my next post.
Until then… 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 The July 4th festivities have come and gone. The weather was beautiful and perfect for swimming, grilling and watching magical sunsets while sipping wine. One of the wines that we opened was a Fondo Antico 2016 Bello Mio Zibibbo from Sicily. Made with 100% Zibibbo grapes, this delicate wine is the color of pale gold. Characteristic of the grape, the nose offers lush stone fruit and floral with apricot and hints of almond that segues onto the palate. The taste of apricots and almonds linger on a long finish. The wine has low residual sugar, is nicely balanced and has just the right intensity to complement light food and desserts. We drank it as an aperitif. Alcohol: 12% If you would like more information regarding Fondo Antico or Zibibbo grapes, please check out some of my stories that were recently posted.
Have a beautiful day! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com My weekend started with a visit to a friend’s home for wine, appetizers and of course some fun “catch up” talk and laughter. Being the perfect hostess that she always is, there was an assortment of wine chilling in the refrigerator as well as an abundance of reds to choose from. The choice was mine, so I opted for the William Fevre 'Champs Royaux' Chablis 2015. Chablis region is an historic wine-producing town located in the northernmost wine district of Burgundy, France. The Chablis wine region runs along the Serein valley and across 19 communes. Chablis is called the “Golden Gate of Burgundy”. These are not typical Burgundy white wines. Due to Chablis cooler climates, the wines are lighter, less fruity and have more acidity than the warmer Chardonnay producing wine regions. Most of the terroir is limestone and clay soils, rich with fossils and oysters. William Fèvre is descended from a family that dates back to living in Chablis for over 250 years. Following in his father’s footsteps and with 7 hectares of vineyards, Fèvre began making wine in 1959. Today, the estate is owned by the Henriot family of Champagne and boasts 78 hectares of vineyards. It is one of the largest in Chablis of which 15.9 are classified as Premiers Crus and 15.2 as Grand Crus. “Practicing sustainable growing in its vineyards for nearly 12 years now, Domaine William Fèvre has just obtained “High Environmental Value” (HVE) status, the highest level of environmental certification (February 2015).” https://www.williamfevre.fr/en The 'Champs Royaux' Chablis 2015 was chilled to perfection. The color is pale lemon with subtle floral, citrus and white peach aromas. This is a light-bodied wine with crisp acidity and mineral notes, offering fresh fruit and citrus on the palate. The wine paired beautifully with the array of appetizers! Happy Saturday!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Yesterday’s post ended with a little history of Chateau Figeac and today’s post will begin with some history of Chateau Haut-Brion. As promised, I have a story to tell. Over the years I have tasted Chateau Haut-Brion 59’ 69’ 81’ 94’ and most recently a 61’. I have reviewed most of these vintages on previous posts along with some history. At the risk of being redundant, I felt that after drinking the 61’, we should all be reminded of whence it came. So here is part of a post from September 2015 with additional information added to it. Chateau Haut-Brion, a Premier Cru Classé First Growth) is produced in Pessac located just outside the city of Bordeaux. Of the five first growths, it is the only wine with the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It also has one of the longest histories of any Bordeaux wine chateau and has been growing grapes to produce Bordeaux wine for almost 600 years! Haut-Brion is the earliest identified first growth that was included in the official 1855 Classification. The name is derived from the Celtic term “Briga”, meaning a rise or mount in the land. When Jean de Pontac married Jeanne de Bellon in 1525, she brought the first portion of the Bordeaux wine property called Haut-Brion as a dowry. Pontac bought the title to the domain of Haut-Brion in 1553 and continued to expand and improve the property. Pontac died at the age of 101, having married twice more, siring 15 children and ensuring a legacy for generations to come. In 1801,Haut-Brion was sold to Talleyrand, Prince of Benevento making him the first “non-family” to own Chateau Haut-Brion. In 1935, Clarence Dillon, an American financier bought the Château. Today, Dillon’s granddaughter, Joan Dillon is head of the Chateau. The first official review of Chateau Haut-Brion wine and any wine ever came from Samuel Pepys on April 10th, 1663. He wrote, “There I drank a sort of French wine called Ho-Bryan that hath a good and most particular taste I never met with.” An interesting wine review! Chateau Haut-Brion was one of the first Bordeaux châteaux to begin using stainless steel vats for vinification in 1961. Double skinned, stainless steel vats were introduced at the Chateau in 1991. The wine is aged in up to 100% new French oak for about 24 months. The blending takes place just after fermentation is finished and prior to the oak barrel aging process begins. The best vintages for the red wine of Château Haut-Brion are: 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1985, 1982, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1950, 1949, 1948, 1947, 1945, 1934, 1929, 1928, 1926 and 1921. It is interesting to note that when Clarence Dillon bought the chateau, he hired Georges Delmas as the château's régisseur (director). And ever since then, a Delmas has remained as régisseur. In fact, the 61’ was the debut vintage for Jean-Bernard Delmas, son of Georges. So, without further ado, here is my review of the 1961 Chateau Haut-Brion. The cork was soft but came out easily. The wine was then poured into a decanter with surprisingly very little sediment. The color was deep garnet with fruity aromas that were indiscernible. A quick sip after decanting assured us that the wine was very drinkable. After thirty to forty minutes, the wine began to open. It was full bodied, had substance and was as smooth as silk. Over time, the palate offered a complex array of dark, sweet fruit with a smoky edge. The fruit continued to the very last sip. This was without a doubt a heavenly experience. I must confess that the Haut-Brion and 1975 Chateau Figeac were not stored in optimum conditions for the past thirty-one years and that is the only thing that these two Bordeaux have in common. Unfortunately, the Chateau Figeac when opened was the color of rust and undrinkable. However, the Haut-Brion has stood the test of time and less than favorable storage conditions. One should expect no less from a Premier Cru Classé First Growth! Cheers!
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