description: This is a Pét-Nat Prosecco.
Pét-Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel (French for Naturally Sparkling).
It is the same vinification method as "Methode Ancestrale" used in Bugey Cerdon.
The wine is bottled before the end of the first alcoholic fermentation. Unlike Champagne method (in which the base wine completes his first fermentation in tank and only the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle adding sugar and yeast also known as liqueur de tirage, which will requires the wine to be disgorged), Pét-Nat method doesn't imply the wine will be filtered or disgorged upon fermentation.
This gives Pét-Nat its light and fizzy mouthfeel, generally with a little sweetness and low alcohol. Most of the times, bottles are slightly cloudy from the presence of lees.
The wine is vibrant with complex lemon citrus, pear and verbena. It finishes dry with delicate yeasty notes.
Alcohol 11,0% vol.
Acidity 5,1 g/l.
Residual sugar 0 g/l
PH 3.3
Pressure 2.4 atm
Area of origin: Vittorio Veneto
Soil: calcareous
Varietal: 95% Glera (known as Prosecco)
Harvest: Manual, with selection of the grapes.
Vinification: Soft pressing with bladder membrane press, settling of must, fermentation at controlled temperature
Fermentation: Processed according to the traditional method of fermentation in yeast bottles. Is normal his natural “bottom” deposit in the bottle, which is why it is brilliant or velvety straw yellow if shaken; the bubble development is brilliant.
Extremely digestible wine, suitable for casual moments or tasting the typical sausages of the local tradition such as the sopressa. Great with pizza daisy.
Review:
"Showing orchard fruit aromas, this wine offers exuberant fruit with light lemon and herbal notes. It offers bright acidity and finishes complete dry. One of the best Pet-Nats we’ve had this year. Made of 95% Glera, this is a sparkling wine made the ancestrale method where the wine is bottled before the end of fermentation, resulting in dissolved carbon dioxide that lends a light sparkling quality to the wine."
- International Wine Review (Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018), 90 pts
Ricudda Chianti Classico Riserva 100% Sangiovese.
Deep ruby red color.
The wine shows an intense and persistent bouquet, with notes of berries and spices such as licorice and black pepper. Well-harmonized hints of oak.
In the mouth, it is well structured and balanced, complex, persistent with notes of red fruits and spices such as black pepper and licorice.
Pair with grilled red meats, steak, game of hair and feather, stewed and roasted, aged cheeses hard like pecorino.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
Cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 -26 degrees Celsius. Regular pump-overs were given to enhance colour and flavour extraction. Different batches of wine matured with French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels were all blended together to perfection.
Served at room temperature, this Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with red meat dishes, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lam, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
Riebeek Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
An exciting new world style wine with upfront blackcurrant flavors. The black fruit is well-balanced with subtle French oak for a complex nose and an elegant and lingering follow-through. An exceptional example of a lighter style Cabernet Sauvignon that can be enjoyed young. Excellent with red meat dishes or veal.
Cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 -26 degrees Celsius. Regular pump-overs were given to enhance colour and flavour extraction. Different batches of wine matured with French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels were all blended together to perfection.
Served at room temperature, this Cabernet Sauvignon pairs perfectly with red meat dishes, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lam, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs.
Riebeek Cellars Merlot is made from 100% Merlot.
Grapes were cold soaked overnight. Inoculated with selective yeast. Fermentation took place at 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Wine were pressed at
above 2 degree Balling. Malolactic fermentation finished in stainless steel tanks. Oak maturation include French oak chips, French oak staves and 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. All blended together to perfection.
The style is elegant with distinctive red berries and well-integrated wood flavors on the nose. The pallet is velvety and smooth with an aftertaste that lingers with the juicy flavors of abundant berries.
At room temperature or slightly chilled. Enjoy with pasta or light meat dishes.
Riebeek Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
The color is an attractive bright, ruby red with a purple rim, typical of a young Pinotage. The flavors of this unique South African cultivar are complex and exciting with ripe plum and fruitcake all beautifully integrated and then finished with subtle oak for a lingering aftertaste.
Lovely with rare beef, barbequed lamb and casseroles. This versatile lighter style of Pinotage is also a lovely combination with spicy chicken.
Riebeek Pinotage is made from 100 percent Pinotage.
The color is an attractive bright, ruby red with a purple rim, typical of a young Pinotage. The flavors of this unique South African cultivar are complex and exciting with ripe plum and fruitcake all beautifully integrated and then finished with subtle oak for a lingering aftertaste.
Lovely with rare beef, barbequed lamb and casseroles. This versatile lighter style of Pinotage is also a lovely combination with spicy chicken.
Riebeek Cellars Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz.
Cold soaked for one day and then inoculated with selected yeast. Fermentation temperature was between 24 - 26 degree Celsius. Malolactic fermentation was done with French oak chips and American oak staves. This
was then blended with wine matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 12 months.
Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for exceptional Shiraz wines. The Riebeek Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and
interesting spice. Well-balanced and smooth, the aftertaste lingers with the exciting flavors of Christmas pudding.
Serve at room temperature. The perfect companion to barbequed lamb, filet medallions and game. Lovely with Springbok stuffed with bacon, garlic and rosemary and a great match to a cheese and preserves platter.
Rinaldi Panta rei Monferrato Rosso is a blend of 50% Barbera and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
This wine is quite tasty, smooth, silky and powerful.
It is loaded with dried red fruit notes from the appassimento of the grapes and it also has a lot of spicy aromas and flavors from the oak ageing.
Grown on limestone soils.
The average age of the vines is 30 years old.
10% of the wine is appassimento. Appassimento is an Italian term for drying harvested grapes, traditionally on bamboo racks or straw mats, for a few weeks up to several months to concentrate the sugars and flavors. This process is used in making Amarone, Recioto and Sforzato.
This drying method is not traditional in Piemonte but is popular in other part of Italy like in the Veneto region.
Thanks to this new method the wine is rounder and softer, boasts beautiful notes of red dried fruits.
Pantarei is aged 14 months in French oak ((the wood is Allier, medium toast) barrels and 6 months in bottle before release.
Delicious with wild game, grilled meat and strong cheese.
Roland Champion Champagne Non Vintage Brut Rose Carat (magnum) is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir
The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.
Review:
"Eye of the partridge color. With a bouquet that evokes leesy hints of red cherry and berry with a touch of stone fruit, this is a finely sculpted wine, beautifully balanced with rich flavors of cherry, shortbread,and a hint of honeyed apricot. A rosé Champagne that’s complex and dry with good palate depth and length. A blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier; 7-85% of the juice is red wine (Pinot Noir) from 2013 vintage of Coteaux Champenois Rouge from the village of Verneuil. 3+ years on the lees." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 92 pts
"A delicate, subtle Champagne, delivering aromatic notes of mulling spices and yeast that accent the flavors of kirsch, bread dough, candied lemon zest and rose petal. This is finely tuned, with lively acidity and a minerally finish. 330 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator , 91 pts
"Bright orange. Aromas of blood orange, dried rose, allspice and minerals, with a subtle note of anise. Juicy and precise, with very good depth to its spicy red berry and citrus pith flavors. Finishes smooth and long, with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar , 91 pts
"Champion is a small grower in Chouilly, in the Cotes des Blancs, an area known for fantastic chardonnay. This rosé — of which he makes only about 330 cases — includes 10 percent red wines (pinot noir, pinot meunier) to give it a pale, salmonlike color and a beguiling palate of cranberries, strawberries and currants. Wow. And yum."
- Washington Post, ***
The Special Club concept started in 1971. A dozen wine growers from some old families of Champagne had an idea to familiarize people with the originality of the “Champagne de Vigneron” (Champagne of wine grower), thanks to prestigious vintages.
In the beginning, they created an association called the “Club des Viticulteurs Champenois” and chose a bottle with a special shape, created exclusively for them & used only by then. In 1988, they changed the bottle and the label. In 1999, the Club changed its name to “Club Trésor of Champagne.”
The Club Trésors comprises 28 artisan wine makers, selected from the finest areas of the Champagne region, each one recognized for the quality of their work. The Club Trésors is the only organization in Champagne to select its members according to a set of unrelenting quality standards:
Roland Champion's Special Club selection has rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
Romariz Vintage Port is made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca
Deep inky purple color. Intricate nose with aromas of blackberries and logan berries, subtle hints of amber and spring blossom and delicate spice. A tight, well-formed palate with an abundance of dark berry fruit, rich chocolate and liquorice, culminating in a long finish. Firm, closely woven tannins that give the wine great structure and body. An elegant finely constituted Vintage Port which will drink beautifully now or age quietly in the cellar.
A vintage port is made from blended grapes, all from the same vintage year. Vintage ports are historically only declared every 3 out of 10 years. Romariz vintage ports age for up to two years in oak, then go unfiltered into the bottle for further aging.
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Slowly the tide turned, Australians began drinking more wine and Dad with his uncanny ability to select and plant Clifton Park with the grape varieties of the future, saw fortunes change for Clifton Park and the Thorn family. I loved my Dad's wry sense of humor and his work ethic was an inspiration to us all.
"My father, Ron, was born in 1923 at the Angaston Hospital not far from where the Thorn-Clarke Winery is currently located. He was the fourth born of the nine children my grandparents raised at Clifton Park in the Eden Valley Ranges. Dad's great-grandparents took up farming land in the Barossa in the 1840's and purchased Clifton Park, where Dad grew up, in the 1870's. To this day, Clifton Park remains in the Thorn family and the 1870's vineyard still produces quality fruit.
As the family grew, Dad showed tenacity and judgment by pulling out orchards and extending the family vineyards. During the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, times were testing for a family business based on dry land horticulture and mixed farming. Dad's strong work ethic proved an invaluable asset during the tough years on the farm and he traveled widely as a shearer, drove bulldozers and worked at the local cement works to support his family.
Ron Thorn Shiraz is made from the best fruit that we grow and is produced only in exceptional years. This wine is given the benefit of 20 months barrel maturation and 12 months in bottle prior to release. This is our tribute to Dad's life and his contribution to the Thorn-Clarke story." - Cheryl Thorn Clarke
Review:
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Parcels of fruit for this wine were identified in the vineyard by the winemakers. Daily fruit inspection led to the fruit being harvested at optimum flavor ripeness. The fruit was harvested at night and quickly transported to the winery. The fruit was destemmed to 6T open fermenters for fermentation. A Shiraz specific yeast was selected to ferment the wine and fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C. The fermenter was manually pumped over twice daily in the first half of fermentation to give the winemakers control of color, flavor and tannin extraction. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The cap was completely broken up on each pump over. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days (dependent on parcel) before being pressed, inoculated with malolactic bacteria and filled to American oak (100% new barrels). The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.
Review:
Only made in top vintages, the 2019 Shiraz Ron Thorn is 100% Shiraz from the St. Kitts Vineyard in Barossa. Killer notes of blackberries, black cherries, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and subtle menthol all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, huge mid-palate depth, and a salty, decadent style on the finish. This monster of a Shiraz stays balanced and light on its feet and is beautifully done.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
The aging is as Mounir ages his Burgundies: extremely long, never racked, no fining, no filtration. It would be easy to say that we expected the experience running one of Burgundy’s leading producers, Lucien Le Moine, would show in Mounir’s wines. But the actual results need to be tasted to be believed and understood: a wine with beguiling fruit and savory richness, yet extraordinary finesse and detail.
Mounir Saouma likes to describe Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a mosaic, with all the wild traditions and differences together making for very different interpretations. Omnia, Latin for “all,” is his attempt to encompass the entire region’s terroir and winemaking history (and perhaps future) in one glass. The fruit comes from 9 vineyard parcels across all 5 of the Châteauneuf communes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Courthezon, Sorgues, Bedarrides and Orange (in early vintages, when the Saoumas did not have all the vineyards they have today, they would purchase fruit; today, Rotem & Mounir Saouma is 100% Estate). The wine is then vinified and aged in foudres, cement and 500 liter barrels – a little bit of everything.
2019 was another warm and dry vintage in the southern Rhône, marked by insistent drought and repeated heat waves during the season. With little disease pressure or frost, the crop was close to normal size, but bunch and berry-size was reduced during the growing season by the lack of water. The grapes were thus concentrated and rich in sugar and acidity, although potential alcohol levels were often quite high. Vineyards at higher elevations – Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas in particular — handled the heat better, and the wines from those AOPs are rich yet also remarkably fresh and energetic. Despite the initial concerns about the growing season, 2019 looks to be a watershed vintage in the Southern Rhône, producing rich wines with exceptional concentration and aging potential
Inviting aromas of sliced strawberries, red cherries and rose. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity and succulent fruit. Fine, structured tannins are vertically aligned with the fruit. More dark-fruited than the nose lets on and entirely delicious. I love the subtle spice here.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Very refined, with silky and fine-grained structure carrying alluring bergamot, rooibos tea, incense, dried cherry and lightly mulled raspberry notes along. A long sanguine thread weaves through the finish. Hard to resist now with so much charm, but this will benefit from cellaring. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
-Wine Spectator 94 Points
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.
This California Cabernet Sauvignon has rich flavors with a hint of black currant and cherry. The tannins are soft, leading to a smooth finish with a hint of oaked vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus/mint freshness.
100% California AVA Cabernet Sauvignon.
Average age of the vines: 15 years.
Picked at premium ripeness. Fermented in static tanks with pump-overs three times per day.
Aged five months French oak Barrels.
Alcohol: 13.5%
RS 0.5 g/l
TA 5.7 g/l
Serve this deep purple hued beauty with a variety of hearty dishes ranging from Osso Bucco to grilled red meats and cheeses.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Grapes are sourced from the Lessini hills in the Colli Berici, where the cold nights allow the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines, 20 years old on average, are planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.
Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.
Rubus Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir from Veneto Italy
Tasting notes: Nice garnet and red color. Expressive and charming on the nose with cherry and blackberry aromas. On the palate, the wine has a nice spicy note. The length to the finish is round and long.
Vineyards:
The grapes are grown primarily on the hills south of Vicenza, the Colli Berici, where the hillside sites ensure lower yields and better ripeness of the grapes.
The vineyards are located in the hills and are south-west facing. The hillside sites experience cooler nights, allowing the aromatic compounds in the grapes to develop. The vines are trained using the Guyot system, planted on calcareous soils of volcanic origin.
Average age of the vines is around 20 years old.
Vinification:
The grapes were harvested, destemmed, crushed and then cool soaked for 24 hours. Maceration on the skins took place before fermentation at temperatures of up to 22°C. Following malolactic fermentation, 30% of the wine was aged in oak for four to five months prior to bottling.
Winemaker: Alberto Marchisio
Acidity: 5.3 g/Liter
RS: 5.6 g/Liter
pH: 3.42
Nice with roasted or grilled beef, game and a very good companion for matured cheese.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir Russian River is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Rubus Project was created by Fran Kysela as a way to source & sell incredible wines at value prices. All wines in this international project are hand-selected by Fran Kysela. Rubus wines are fruit driven, true-to-type values that over deliver - a true representation of quality for the consumer at an excellent price.
Rubus Reserve Pinot Noir is sourced from Russian River Valley. It shows complexity with raspberry and cherry notes that dance on the tongue.
Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.
Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.
Hochrain, a name meaning "high place," is a southeast-facing terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 300 meters of elevation. The vineyard consists of an unusually high content of loess, a mineral-laden soil that produces wines that are especially broad and rich.
Review:
“A stunning wine for this grape that is also rather easy to understand. The Reine Claude plum and peppery nose is complex, but already charming. As exciting as the simultaneously creamy and succulent mid-palate is, what makes this medium- to full-bodied gruner veltliner really stand out is the extremely long, crushed rock finish.”
James Suckling 96 Points
Rudi Pichler Kollmutz Smaragd Gruner Veltliner is made from 100 percent Gruner Veltliner.
Rudi Pichler is among the elite growers of the Wachau producing wines of precision, power, and longevity. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling make up 95% of the production with the remaining 5% shared between Weißburgunder and Roter Veltliner. Rudi Pichler belongs to the prestigious Vinea Wachau and vinifies under the strict parameters of their codex.
Yields are kept low between 30 and 35 hectoliters per hectare with botrytis carefully removed by hand. Grapes are crushed by foot and receive between three and 36 hours of maceration on the skins. Vinification is entirely in stainless-steel tanks and malolactic fermentation is avoided.
Kollmütz is a terraced vineyard in Wösendorf sitting between 200 and 400 meters of elevation. The soils of Kollmütz developed from an ancient landslide resulting in chaotic layers of rock and boulders. The vineyard is particularly rich in magnesium and iron. Wines from Kollmütz are typically linear, dense, and intensely mineral in character.
Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula.
Review:
I have heard gruner veltliner dismissed for supposedly not being elegant, but this is an extremely elegant example! Very complex nose of snow peas, green beans, wild herbs and green pepper. On the medium-bodied palate, this remarkable gruner veltliner has a discreet succulence, but what makes it amazing is the way it glides so gracefully over the palate, then splash lands in a deep pool of wet stone minerality. Underplayed power and concentration!
-James Suckling 97 Points
The Factor is predominantly from the Gomersal and Marananga sub-regions of the Barossa, providing dense texture and richness to the palate with subtle notes of olive tapenade, saddle leather and minerals. Ripe aromas of plum and wild blackberries, olive, pepper and spice are all supported by a dark core of espresso roast, ripe blackberries and saltbush. Brooding and densely packed, this lavish wine has ample generosity to cellar for many years, where it will slowly unravel.
Review:
This is quintessential Barossa. The red dirt in the ground rises up in the glass and transports me right back there: middle summer, hot, spicy air blowing across the tops of old vines. It's evocative. This 2019 The Factor is Port-y, concentrated and savory as all hell, with charred barrels, lamb fat, black pepper, salted licorice, pomegranate molasses and aniseed. This is about as big as I can cope with and still enjoy it; it takes density and intensity to a whole new level—no surprise for the vintage, the region and the producer. A perfect storm of thunderous strength. Like staring into the abyss . . . a little bit scary, but transfixing nonetheless.
-Wine Advocate 96 Points
The Royal Chenin Blanc Old Vines Steen is 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
As the unofficial drink of the Riebeek Valley, Chenin Blanc is the perfect every day wine that offers uncomplicated quality for the novice and connoisseur alike. Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine.
Enjoy well-chilled as a lovely crisp glass on its own but ideal for al fresco dining and with light summer fare. Beautiful with salads, anti pasti and seafood.