White Wine Chateau Purcari Icewine 2017. Serve well chilled. This beautiful sweet icewine is the handiwork of Moldovan winery Chateau Purcari which was founded in 1827 by imperial decree issued by Tsar Nicholas I. It’s the country’s oldest winery and enjoyed a golden age in the 19th century with excellent performance at many of Europe’s top wine competitions and fairs. Despite falling into obscurity when Moldova became part of the Soviet Union, Chateau Purcari is now regaining its former glory with a vast collection of medals won at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2019 and 2020. To create their icewine the winery harvests Muscat-Ottonel and Traminer grapes in below freezing conditions during the winter months. This means that the water in the grapes freezes into ice and can be removed when the grapes are pressed, producing an intense, concentrated must that’s high in sugar. The must is then vinified to create a rich wine with plenty of residual sugar. Sweet apricot, peach, and honey notes burst out of the glass while the first sip reveals a rich sweetness carefully balanced by ripe tropical fruit and a bright streak of freshness. The intensity of this dessert wine makes it a great option to serve alongside desserts like fruit tarts, cheesecakes or a generous cheese board.
2017
White Wine Chateau Purcari Icewine 2017
White Wine Kozlovic Santa Lucia Malvazija 2017. The Kozlovic family founded their winery in Istria in 1904 and it is today run by Gianfranco and Antonella Kozlovic who look after around 25 hectares of estate vineyards planted with local varieties. The couple continually strive to produce the very best wines possible while respecting the heritage and history of their land. They combine traditional winemaking techniques with modern equipment and knowhow to produce characterful wines which are very popular in Croatia and beyond. This mouthwatering white wine is crafted from Malvazija, the local name for the Malvasia grape variety. Grapes are exclusively sourced from the Santa Lucia single vineyard which was planted in 1962 on top quality limestone and clay soils. The family attentively harvest their grapes by hand with fermentation and maturation taking place in 32 hectolitre wooden barrels. The young wine spends 12 months ageing in these casks before transferring to neutral tanks prior to bottling. The final step is another 12 months spent ageing in the bottle before release. The result is a very complex white wine which has excellent potential for ageing thanks to the lengthy maturation process. On the nose there are intense floral notes along with ripe peaches, apricots and caramel. The first sip reveals a bright acidity, medium body, and smooth, well-rounded texture with rich tropical fruit flavours which linger on the tongue.
2017
White Wine Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Gris 2017. Oregon’s cool climate Willamette Valley is the perfect location for making vibrant and flavoursome Pinot Gris wines. The grapes for this bottling are carefully selected from two of the region’s top appellations, Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills, as well as a handful of other sites to create a complex, multi-layered expression of the Pinot Gris grape. The grapes are harvested and sorted before being fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the typical character of the grape variety. The result is a mouthwatering fresh style of Pinot Gris which opens with intense lemon zest, grapefruit, and white peach notes. The first sip reveals a racy acidity with ripe stone fruit and melon notes with a pure, clean finish. A fantastic partner for all types of salads, fresh seafood, sushi, and spicy Asian dishes as well as creamy cheeses. This delicious Oregon Pinot Gris is crafted by Joel Gott and his wife Sarah who started their own label in 1996 specialising in top quality American wines. The couple earned rave reviews from Robert Parker and Wine Spectator with their first wine, their Amador County Zinfandel. This success has driven them to seek out top quality vineyards in California, Washington and Oregon where they can source the very best fruit for their delicious all-American wines.
2017