Signano Estate
San Gimignano rises on a hill 384 mt high and dominates the Elsa valley with the skyline of its 13 towers. The Manhattan like sky scrapers were built between the 12 and the 13th century. Not unlike today, the towers were a symbol of the economic powers of the noble families of that region.The Vernaccia vine has been growing in the charming hillsides which surround this middle-age town since 1200 ad. This is the vine for the production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano, which for centuries has tempted popes, honored magnificent feasts of the renaissance princes, and has won a growing fame over time.
Because of Vernaccia di San Gimignano’s ancient tradition and unquestionable quality, the wine was the first to be awarded DOC recognition in 1966. Since 1993 the Vernaccia di San Gimignano has entered into the category of DOCG recognition. The Signano Estate began its activity in 1961, when the Biagini Family purchased a small plot of land of 4.5 Ha. in Signano. Prior to the planting of his first vineyard in Vernaccia, Ascanio earned a reputation as bailiff to a land-owner from Florence where he maintained a broad reputation for his knowledge of the vineyards and wines of the region. The first cellar was built in 1966 and the lands adjacent to it were purchased in the following years for vineyards.
The leased vineyards and olive groves create the present Estate that covers approximately 30 Ha. Most of the Estate is cultivated with Vernaccia, but 3 Ha. are dedicated to the production of Vin Santo (dessert wine) and 6 additional Ha. are used for the production of extra virgin olive oil. Today, the cellar has a capacity of 205,000 litres with an additional ninetyfive 100 litre oak casks for the maturation of Vin Santo.
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Bertani Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore Catullo is made from 70% Corvina Veronese, 20% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella. Valpolicella Classica, Tenuta Novare Estate in Arbizzano di Negrar.
Wine of medium structure with elegant spicy notes of vanilla and chocolate accompanied by typical notes of cherry, sour cherry and white pepper. The palate offers the easy drinkability typical of Valpolicella and, at the same time, silky tannic structure and intense, prolonged aromatic persistence. The finish is fresh, soft and savory. A wine in the classic style, elegant, balanced, harmonious.
Review:
If I was forced to choose a number of wines that can steer the anachronistic Ripasso category into a brighter future, this would be among a very few. A mid-weighted, streamlined expression with just enough fruit on the bones. Think strawberries, lilacs, Asian plums, cloves and a hint of licorice. A noble, almost alpine bitterness lifts the finish. Brilliant. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Torbreck Runrig Shiraz - Viognier is made from 98% Shiraz, 2% Viognier.
RunRig often draws comparison with the beautifully fragrant and tautly structured wines from the steep slopes of the Northern Rhône Valley’s Appellation of Côte Rôtie. Shiraz from old dry grown Barossa vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
The Highland clans used a ‘RunRig’ system to distribute land amongst their clansmen in a series of widely dispersed holdings. The emphasis was not on any one farm but rather the communal element of the whole. Shiraz from old dry grown vineyards is blended with Viognier, complementing the strengths and complexities of these individual parcels of fruit, whilst giving the resulting wine a further dimension.
Review:
Tasting the RunRig beside the Descendant is always a wise move, in order to gain some contextual understanding of how they are similar and, perhaps more importantly, how they differ. This 2020 RunRig was sourced from six different vineyards across Barossa (in Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Moppa, Ebenezer, Light Pass and Greenock) and includes a 2% “dosage” (as winemaker Ian Hongell described it) of Viognier. Matured for 30 months in a combination of new French oak (50%) and second and third fill barrels, the wine rests on its lees for that time. The lower percentage of Viognier here is a seductive and effective thing, adding just enough slick and polish to make this the sybaritic wine that it is, but little enough to allow the grunt, grit and muscle of the Shiraz from all those glorious locations to shine through. Despite the very long time in oak, the wine is balanced and excellent, big in almost every possible way but with an undeniable sense of class and length of flavor. Executed with detail and precision, this wine is clearly defined in its expression of house style
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points