From the world renowned ridge vineyards comes this most famous of all Californian Zins. It has a restrained nose of raspberry, black cherry and toasty oak. On the palate it displays more bramble fruit and spice with good grip and structure, the fruit, alcohol and structure and all well intergrated and there is a lovely texture and harmony to the wine. It has great length and will provide immediate pleasure or keep for 8-10 years if you can resist it's charms.
One of the most famous Zinfandels in the world this wine never fails to impress. A 'field blend' of 75% Zin, 20% Petite Syrah and 5% Carignan, it has a complex, and exotic nose of blueberry, baked herbs and blackberry. On the palate it is rich and savoury with minerals, black pepper, licquorice and layers of dark berry fruit. Try it with spicy red meat dishes.
A full-bodied, well-structured, delightful Champagne from a classic vintage. The fruit and acidity are perfectly balanced, with secondary characteristics of toast, brioche and yeast setting up a refined finish. Drinking beautifully now, or, if you have the patience, leave to mature over the next five years or so.
Villa Maria takes both free-run and lightly pressed juice and uses a mixture of natural and controlled fermentation, creating a mixture of primary and secondary fruit characters from different length fermentations. The wine then spends 10 months in barrel on its lees. Dry and freshly acidic, but with soft and lifted tropical notes on nose and palate, combined seamlessly with delicate oak spiciness. Very clean and refreshing, with plenty of crisp flavour on the finish. Excellent on its own. Will also pair well with seafood and all white meats.
"The 1996 is an exceptional wine. Dark ruby-colored, with a complex nose of dried herbs, Asian spices, and black cherry jam intermixed with cassis, it possesses outstanding purity, and considerable tannin in the finish. This classic, medium-to full-bodied, traditionally made wine improves dramatically with airing, suggesting it will have a very long life." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, 92 points
Banfi is a fabulous producer and this excellent wine displays complex, heady flavours of dried fruits, tobacco and spice on both nose and palate. A rich, full-bodied wine that should be enjoyed with hearty meat dishes or cheeses.
Produced by award-winning winemaker Chris Ringland, who runs his own small estate producing boutique wines, but is also a sought-after consultant winemaker for a number of wineries, both in Australia and Europe, and acknowledged to be something of a Shiraz specialist. With superb concentration, this Shiraz is profoundly rich and deep, with a backbone of inky blackcurrant and damson fruit, and loftier notes of woody spice. Will show best alongside a barbecue, sitting perfectly with the smoky flavours of chargrilled red meat or sausages.
Winemaker Brent Marris is descended from the noble De Marisco family, whose members variously fell in and out of favour with the English monarchy in the 12th and 13th centuries. As Marlborough's favourite grape, Sauvignon Blanc here represents a time of the King's favour. A lively and intense, yet focused nose, with fresh citrus and a youthful, sweet tree sap note. Stony and firm on the palate, with an incisive, Sancerre-like structure, albeit with a ripe, rounded edge. At its best with fresh oysters, delicate white fish dishes, or soft and creamy goat's cheeses.
Duckhorn Vineyards was established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, originally focusing on Bordeaux varieties. They have since embraced other grapes such as Zinfandel here, and grown to incorporate seven estates, representing the Napa Valley's various microclimates. A generous and straightforward wine, with a defined nose of blueberry, cherry and loganberry fruit, accented by soft vanilla oak. The palate is more robust, with the lush fruit framed by firm tannins.
Sourced mainly from the Limarí Valley, the northernmost vineyard district in Chile. Although closer to the equator, the valley is efficiently cooled by sea breezes, due to its east-west orientation. This Chardonnay is barrel fermented and undergoes regular lees stirring. Bright golden in colour, with a feint green tint. The nose offers good ripeness, with citrus aromas turning to a softer, more apple and stone fruit character. Weighty and creamy on the palate. Balances well with oily fish such as baked sea bass, barbecued pork belly or roasted poultry.