2018 BELLUS “Caldera” – BENEVENTATO IGT, CAMPANIA, ITALY
Falanghina
Winemaking details: Bellus is owned by Jordan Salcito, who collaborates with wineries across the globe to create well priced and terroir driven wines made from grapes grown with out the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. These Falanghina grapes come from an area where the soils have lots of volcanic influence because of the proximity to Mt. Vesuvius, and are at over 500 meters above sea level.
Color: Pale Yellow
Bouquet: Honeysuckle and orange blossom, green almond, apricot, and lemon zest.
Palate: Falagnhina is a great wine for these cooler fall days, with a nice warming roundness and waxy orchard fruit quality. This one has brighter acid than some, which keeps the beautiful texture and floral notes in check. It is medium bodied and has an underlying wet stone minerality and slight brininess. This would be a great aperitif with hard cheeses like pecorino and manchego. We also recommend enjoying this wine with steamed muscles, herbed roasted chicken, or asparagus and goat cheese pasta.
This is drinking great now, and could still be enjoyable in 1-2 years.
Further information can be found here: http://www.belluswines.com/
2019 BLUE OX WINE CO “THE WILD ONE” – ENZ VINEYARD, HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA
Cabernet Pfeffer
Winemaking details: The Enz Vineyard was originally planted in the 1800s, and today the vines are dryfarmed, head trained, own rooted, and managed with Organic farming practices. This vineyard has a small block of Cabernet Pfeffer, a rare grape of which there are less than 12 acres planted in California. The grapes for this wine were hand harvested and fermented with a third whole cluster and native yeasts. Extraction was delicate, with the first half done by pushing the cab down by hand and the second half with gentle punchdowns. Once dry, the wine was pressed to neutral oak where it rested for 7 months.
Color: Pale Ruby
Bouquet: Wild cherry, strawberry, dried roses, light suede, black pepper, and hoisin.
Palate: An elegant style of wine for the Cabernet Pfeffer grape, this has dusty and velvety tannins which are greeted by crunchy red fruits and vibrant acidity. High toned and on the lighter side, this ethereal wine has a lingering, spicy, and earthy finish. This would be a fantastic wine to enjoy with Thanksgiving dinner. It would also be lovely with other fall related foods such as seared duck breast, roasted chicken with preserved pomegranate, or mushroom risotto.
This wine is drinking great now but will still be enjoyable within the next 2 to 4 years.
Further information can be found here: https://www.blueoxwineco.com/