It is a monovarietal of Pinot Noir grapes planted at an altitude of 1000 metres in the Pallars Jussà, in the Pyrenees of Lleida. These vineyards are some of the highest planted vineyards in Spain.

The grapes are harvested manually with small boxes of 10 kg of grapes from their own vineyard. 100% of the wine has undergone malolactic fermentation in barrels.

Tasting notes:
It has a ripe pomegranate color.
In nose it gives floral notes (flower of vine, jasmine…) and red fruit like strawberry and raspberry.
In the mouth it has a silky entrance with good acidity and a long finish.
The aftertaste is varietal with notes of undergrowth.

This wine has not been filtered or stabilized and therefore precipitate may appear. It is recommended to decant it before serving.

Since its first vintage, 2008, the Acusp has been collecting magnificent scores from the most renowned wine critics, such as the great world wine guru Robert Parker, or as the Spanish wine specialist José Peñín.

La entrada Acusp: Another great wine from Raül Bobet se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

Say hello to El Coto Rosé!

Introducing El Coto Rosé: The perfect summer wine

Rioja talk is dominated by red wine, although Rioja Blanco is pretty trendy too. Far less talked about is rosé wine from Rioja. This is a shame, but it’s an easy fix. Summer’s here and that’s as good a reason as any to discover pink Rioja.

El Coto Rosé 2016 is a great example and is just about perfect as a no-nonsense summer wine. A rather classic blend of Tempranillo and Grenache (or “Garnacha”, to give it the local twist), El Coto’s Rioja rosé is a glassful of sunshine, and it’ll cost you less than €5 a bottle.

Keep a case or two of El Coto rosé on hand this summer and you’ll always have a suitable bottle to welcome guests or enjoy a leisurely lunch. Don’t let its price point fool you, though: This is a pretty serious wine, too.

El Coto Rosé 2016: Some technical stuff

We’ve got summer on our minds, so let’s not get too bogged down in the detail. Here are a few technical tidbits that might just come in handy if you find yourself at a loss for words at a family barbeque.

• The grapes for the El Coto rosé are sourced from two distinct vineyard areas. The Tempranillo is grown in the Rioja Alavesa region, while the Garnacha grapes come from the El Coto vineyard in Ausejo.
• The El Coto technical team use a combination of two distinct rosé winemaking techniques.
• Everything in the winery is down at low temperatures in order to preserve the inherent fresh fruit aromas and flavours of the wine.

That’s the awkward small-talk with your brother-in-law out of the way. Let’s get on to the fun stuff: Tasting the wine!

Tasting El Coto Rosé 2016

Still not convinced that you need El Coto rosé in your life? Not enough for you that it comes from one of Rioja’s most famous producers, it’s a stone cold bargain, and it’s seriously well-made? OK, let’s open a bottle and see what it tastes like.

• Sight:

  Well, it’s pink. No surprise there. It’s quite a pale pink, telling of the dual winemaking methods used.

• Smell:

  Mmmm. It smells like summer. Think strawberries – fresh market strawberries. A little bit of sweetness too, a bit like caramel.

• Taste:

  Fruity, clean and refreshing. You’ve got strawberry and some other red summer fruits zipping around, with the faintest hint of sweetness. Above all else, it’s thirst-quenching and easy to drink. Well-chilled, this is exactly what you want for an outdoor picnic or lazy day at the beach.

Alcohol content: 13%

Serve between 2ºC and 5ºC

Optimal consumption period: 2016-2017

Best served in Riesling Glass

Pairing: Eggs, Omelets, Pasta, Rice Dishes, Roasts, Semi-mature Cheese, Soft Cheese, Soups and Creams, Whitefish.

La entrada Why El Coto Rosé is the perfect summer wine se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

So there’s not a lot of Pingus wine to go around, and what’s out there is far from cheap. What makes Pingus wine so special, you ask? Let’s take a closer look and try to find out.

Why you should try a Pingus wine

The simple answer is that Pingus is one of the world’s best wines. In its native Ribera del Duero region, there is only one other wine that really comes close: Vega Sicilia. The fact that Vega Sicilia has been around since 1864 and is perhaps the most iconic Spanish wine of all time should indicate that Pingus wine is something very special indeed.

But what makes Pingus wine so special (read: expensive)?

Even by fine wine standards, Pingus enjoys a stellar reputation – and commands especially high prices. That’s really saying something. There’s got to be some logical reason why Pingus wine is on such a pedestal, right? Right! In fact, there are many reasons for it. Here’s five:

1. Peter Sisseck:

   Founder and maker of all Pingus wine, Danish oenologist Peter Sisseck is a living legend in fine wine. Having cut his teeth in Bordeaux and later at Hacienda Monasterio, Sisseck founded Pingus in 1995 and the rest is history.

2. The vineyard:

   Well, make that “vineyards“. Pingus wine comes from a couple of tiny vineyard plots in the Ribera del Duero region, exclusively planted with old vines. Some vines are more than 70 years old and have never been treated with any fertilisers or other nasty stuff. The Pingus vineyard land is pure, unadulterated beauty.

3. Biodynamics:

   Sisseck has been making biodynamic wine at Pingus since 2000. Biodynamics is an arm of organic farming that takes things to extremes. In essence, the biodynamic winegrower treats his or her vineyard like a living, self-contained organism. There are all sorts of weird and sometimes controversial practices, but it usually ends up with the winegrower becoming seriously attuned to the land itself and knowing every plot inside and out. It’s also time-consuming and labour-intensive, which usually makes for a more expensive bottle.

4. Scale:

   The production of Pingus wine is small, to put it mildly. Of the tiny vineyard land – around 4 hectares in total – there are exceptionally low yields. The average yield of just 12 hectolitres of wine per hectare of land is microscopic. An average high-end Bordeaux château might see yields closer to 50 hectolitres per hectare, by comparison, and from a considerably larger vineyard area. Some such producers command even higher prices than Pingus.

5. Critical acclaim:

   Pingus wine routinely receives scores in the high 90s from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and other leading wine magazines. Three Pingus wines have received perfect 100-point scores from that magazine, an enviable record for any producer anywhere.

How to enjoy Pingus wine

Wine is for enjoying, and usually, you shouldn’t worry too much about enjoying wine “properly”. Serve and drink wine the way that makes you happy, and that’s it. Usually. When it comes to something like Pingus, one of the world’s great wines, you should probably take things a little more seriously – if for no other reason than the price tag. If you’re going to spend hundreds or thousands of euro on a bottle, you’ll want to get the most out of it. Here are three tips for enjoying a top Pingus wine, Pingus 2007.

Storing, serving and tasting Pingus 2007

Pingus 2007 is a serious wine. With 98 points from the Wine Advocate and 97 from Guía Peñín, this is €1,100 a bottle and yet there’s still not enough to go around. If you get your hands on a bottle of Pingus wine from 2007, or are planning a big purchase, keep these three tips in mind.

1. Storing:

   If you’ve got a wine cellar or wine fridge, store it there – on its side, to keep the cork in contact with the wine to ensure it doesn’t dry out. If you don’t have facilities like that, go for somewhere cool and dark, with as little fluctuation in temperature is possible. Let it rest without being disturbed. This will cellar for at least another ten years or more.

2. Serving:

   When it comes time to serve this Pingus wine, you are going to want to show it at its best. To do this, stand it up the day before you’re going to drink it. This will allow all the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle, making it easier for you to decant. Decant the wine an hour ahead of time, and you should be good to go.

3. Tasting:

   Wine tasting is a personal experience. Our only instruction here is to savour each drop. Use your eyes, your nose and your mouth in order to get the most of it. You’re drinking one of the world’s best wines, after all!

Buy Pingus 2007 here.

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada What makes Pingus wine so great? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

Cune Rioja Reserva 2011: The basics

Let’s get a few basic things straight. Cune Rioja Reserva 2011, officially Cune Imperial Rioja Reserva, is the latest Reserva release from Rioja wine produce CVNE. The name CVNE is an acronym for Companía Vitivinícola del Norte de Espana, which is a bit of a mouthful if you don’t speak Spanish fluently. CVNE is more commonly known as Cune, pronounced “kooh-nay”.

The CVNE bodega was established in Haro by two brothers, and to this day remains a family affair. It is owned and managed by the descendants of its founders, Raimundo and Eusebio Real de Asúa. CVNE enjoys a strong reputation as one of the leading Rioja wine brands and produces Rioja wines at all ageing levels. Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 is a part of the esteemed CVNE portfolio and has pride of place as something of a flagship wine.

Cune Rioja Reserva 2011: The winemaking

Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 is a blend of three classic Rioja grape varieties; Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo (also known as Carignan or Cariñena). The grapes were harvested by hand from CVNE’s vineyards in the Rioja Alta region. The 2011 vintage in Rioja was great, and that shows in the wine. Before its release, the wine was matured for two years, in new oak casks produced from a combination of American and French oak. Following its oak ageing, the wine was aged in bottles for a further two years before its release.

Tasting Cune Rioja Reserva 2011

As is always the case with Rioja wines, Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 was released ready to drink. Open a bottle now and you’ll find a red Rioja wine in the prime of its life. You can lay this down for another five years, easily, but when it tastes this good, why wait?

• Sight:

  Visually, Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 has a dark red colour, reminiscent of dark cherries.

• Smell:

  Aromatically, there’s a lot of red and black fruit right away. This gives way to coffee and balsamic notes, with some spice and vanilla on the end as a result of the oak.

• Taste:

  In the mouth, this is smooth and velvety. There’s some fruit, a lot of spice, and a lingering finish. It’s a beautiful Rioja Reserva, no doubt about it.

Alcohol content: 13%

Serve between 14ºC and 18ºC

Optimal consumption period: 2011-2022

We recommend to decant the wine 1 hour before serving

Best served in Tempranillo Glass

Pairing food with Cune Rioja Reserva 2011

Pairing wine and food can be a lot of fun if you don’t take it – or yourself – too seriously.  Try some modern takes on classic food pairings for Rioja Reserva, like:

• Beef:

  Think a dry-aged steak, or even a juicy hamburger and fries!

• Roasts:

  Nothing quite like a Sunday roast – unless, of course, it’s with a quality Rioja Reserva. Roast lamb shank is ideal here.

• Stews:

  It seems that every country and region has its own sort of stew. Try something a little out there like an Irish stew (Guinness, beef and potatoes, basically) or try your own take on Boeuf Bourguignon, cooked and served with Cune Rioja Reserva 2011.

Buy Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 here.

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada The Cune Rioja Reserva 2011 cheat sheet: Tasting and food pairing se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

What is Échezeaux wine?

Échezeaux is a premium red wine made from the Pinot Noir grape in Burgundy, France. Its name comes from the the specific vineyard in which the grapes are grown, as is common in Burgundy wine.. At this price, we’re not talking just any vineyard, of course. Échezeaux is one of Burgundy’s prestigious Grand Cru vineyards, the highest classification for land in the region.

Grand Cru Burgundy is some of the finest wine in the entire world, and has long interested the sort of wealthy collectors that spend thousands on stocking their wine cellars.

Where is the Échezeaux vineyard?

Understanding Burgundy wine can be complicated at the best of times, so let’s keep it simple: The Échezeaux vineyard is located in the commune of Flagey-Échezeaux, itself located in the Côte de Nuits region. The Côte de Nuits is part of a larger region known as the Côte d’Or, but let’s not worry about that for now. In very basic geographic terms, the Côte de Nuits lies between Dijon and Beaune. It’s the heart of Burgundy’s red wine country.

What makes Échezeaux so special?

Burgundy is legendary (or notorious, depending on your viewpoint!) for its hyper-specific breakdown of vineyard land. The whole region is broken down into tiny, individual parcels, known as “climats”, in a concerted effort to identify the best growing sites. As a Grand Cru vineyard, Échezeaux has been officially recognised as worthy of the very top level. Considering the quality (and price) of Burgundy wines at lesser levels, this is impressive!

The vineyard itself has individual plots, known as lieux-dits, and ownership is divided between more than 80 proprietors. This is quite remarkable when you consider that the vineyard itself is only 37.6 hectares – in Bordeaux, that would be considered a relatively small vineyard for one single château owner. As a result, there really isn’t that much land – or fruit – to go around. The quantities made by any individual owner are tiny, and thus demand far outstrips supply.

To understand why Échezeaux is so special (and a relative bargain), let’s look at its finest wine – that from the mythical Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échezeaux

Entire books have been written about the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Pound for pound, it’s probably the world’s most famous wine producer, and regularly produces the world’s most expensive wine: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti. That one’ll easily cost you around €15,000.

By comparison, the couple of thousand you’ll pay for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échezeaux doesn’t look so bad all of a sudden. You’ve got the same owner, same winemaker and the wines are aged in the same cellars.

If you’re still not sure: We understand. €2,500 is still a lot of money. We don’t blame you if you need a little more convincing. Let’s open up a bottle of Échezeaux wine and see what all the fuss is about.

Tasting Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Échezeaux 2001

The 2001 vintage in Burgundy was challenging, and even top producers had issues. Aubert de Villaine, co-owner and winemaker at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, managed to produce a range of stunning wines through the sort of attention to detail and meticulous grape sorting the domaine is known for.

• Sight:

  This Échezeaux has a pale ruby colour, indicative of both its age and the Pinot Noir grape variety from which it is produced.

• Smell:

  On the nose, there is delicious blackberry fruit and spice, with some earthy undertones. This wine is only now coming into its drinking window, and over the next few years the earthy aromas will begin to dominate.

• Taste:

  In the mouth, this is medium-bodied and silky. Dark fruit flavours dominate the palate, and the finish is incredibly long and satisfying.

Is it a bargain? Can a wine of this price truly be good value? It’s hard to say, but this is clearly an extraordinary wine. If it’s within your budget, treat yourself!

Buy Domaine de de la Romanée-Conti Échezeaux 2001.

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada Échezeaux: Can a €2,500 wine really be good value? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

It was wine that made the Marqués de Riscal name, however, and the company has not lost sight of that. Whether it’s Rioja or Rueda, there’s a Marqués de Riscal wine to suit every palate and budget. There was a lot to consider when picking our favourite Marqués de Riscal wine. There’s a lot of choice. There’s the classic, forever reliable Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva, the fun and fruity Rioja Rosé or the ultra luxury, limited edition Marqués de Riscal Frank Gehry Selection 2001.

Everyone’s got their favourites, and we’re no different. After tasting our way through the whole Riscal range, we settled on Barón De Chirel 2006. We’ve picked our top Marqués de Riscal wine, and we’re now asking the question…

Is Barón de Chirel the best Marqués de Riscal wine ever?

For the uninitiated, Barón de Chirel is the first “signature wine” in the Riscal collection, originally launched in 1986. The wine came about as an experiment involving the use of exceptionally old vines. These vines, aged between 80 and 110 years, give very low yields. This leads to very rich, concentrated and high-quality wine.

Buy Barón de Chirel 2006 here

Alcohol content: 13,5%

Serve between 14ºC and 18ºC

Optimal consumption period: 2006-2017

We recommend to decant the wine 1 hour before serving

Best served in Tempranillo Glass

Pairing: Beef, Game Animals, Grilled Red Meats, Roasts, Stews.

Why is Barón de Chirel the best Marqués de Riscal wine?

Of course, wine is subjective. Wine lovers may share a passion for wine, but individual tastes and preferences differ widely. Calling one wine “better” than another is not always useful, because things are more complicated than that. If there were a formula for the best red wine in the world, we’d all be making them. There are so many variables at work, from the food you eat with it, to the people you share it with. There are a few individual factors that can come together to indicate quality, though, and Barón de Chirel 2006 has got them in spades!

• Reviews:

  For a start, this has some seriously strong critics’ scores behind it. With 96 points from Guía Proensa and 92 each from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Guía Peñín, there is clearly some consensus among experts that this is the real deal.

• Price:

  Granted, this is not the cheapest Marqués de Riscal wine you’ll find. However, it’s a huge step up in quality from the entry-level wines, and can contend with some other wines in the portfolio that are considerably more expensive. This isn’t an everyday wine, but it offers top-shelf quality at a relatively more affordable price than you’d expect!

• Quality:

  In a nutshell, this is just a great wine. It’s got a deep, dark colour and huge aromatics of spice and fruit. Taste it, and you’ll appreciate that this is something special. It’s complex with fruit and well-integrated tannin, and a lingering finish that’s not going anywhere fast.

What’s your favourite Marqués de Riscal wine?

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada Is this the best Marqués de Riscal wine ever? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

What is Arancello?

As the name might hint, Arancello is of Italian origin. Like Limoncello, it’s a liqueur made with fresh fruit. Where Limoncello uses lemons, Arancello uses oranges. And not just any oranges, either! To make truly authentic Arancello, you’ll want to get a hold of nothing less than Sicilian blood oranges. A good Arancello will combine fresh fruit acidity with some pleasant spices and a balanced alcohol level.

Where can you buy Arancello?

Search online and you’ll find some commercially-produced Arancello for sale. As with anything, the quality level will vary from producer to producer. One of the best Arancellos on the market is not Italian at all: Arancello Federica is produced by the technical team at the Pago de Tharsys winery in Spain!

There are two very good reasons not to buy Arancello at all, though – and why you should make your own Arancello at home!

• Commercial Arancello products simply can’t offer the ripeness and freshness of a homemade batch, and;
• It’s a whole lot of fun to make Arancello yourself! Don’t believe us? Take note of our recipe below and try it out!

Homemade Arancello recipe

One charming trait of Italian cooking is how many subtle variations there are in the same recipe, between one region (or person) and another. The way one neighbour makes a pasta carbonara may be entirely different from how they make it next door. This is just one delightful aspect of the food and wine culture of Italy, and it’s the case with Arancello, too.

There are plenty of Arancello recipes online and in cookbooks. There’s no shortage of different ingredients and methods, and the nice thing is that you really can’t go wrong. We’ve come up with our favourite, but don’t be afraid to disagree with us – or to tweak things a little. Don’t like vodka? Try something else! Our recipe isn’t spicy enough for you? Go heavier on the cinnamon!

Arancello ingredients

There are plenty of variations out there, so don’t be afraid to improvise a little. Our recipe is for a spiced Arancello, so if that’s not your thing then just leave out the ingredients marked with an asterisk*.

• 1 litre of vodka – Grey Goose is always a good bet, but it’s up to you. If vodka’s not your thing, try grain alcohol or Italian grappa.
• 5 large oranges – Sicilian blood oranges if possible, and the fresher the better!
• Cardamom pods and vanilla pods, at least a couple of each*
  
• Cinnamon*
• 500 grammes of caster sugar
• 2 litres of water

Arancello method

With your ingredients set, making Arancello is a relatively simple proposition. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be enjoying homemade hooch in no time!

1. Peel the oranges, taking care to remove the white pith from the skins. Mix the skins, vanilla and cardamom in a large, sealable container. Add the vodka (or other alcohol), seal, and leave for about two weeks, shaking every day.
2. After two weeks, filter the liquid from the orange peels. Boil the water and add the caster sugar to make a paste. Mix this with your orange-flavoured alcohol and re-seal for another ten days, shaking regularly.
3. After about ten days, your Arancello is ready. You can serve it right away, or bottle it for up to six months!

How to serve Arancello

There are a number of ways to serve up your new Arancello, though few are more satisfying than served chilled in a large jug on a hot summer’s evening. If you’ve gone heavy on the spices, your Arancello is a perfect digestif to serve after Christmas dinner!

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada How to make Arancello at home se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

There’s a lot of tradition in wine, and Rioja wine is no exception. Pairing Rioja with food often follows age-old rules or guidelines, handed down through generations. This isn’t a bad thing. Far from it, in fact. Classic food and wine pairings are classic for a reason, and far be it from us to badmouth them. However, classic pairings are not the only way to go – and that’s where our bottle of Coto de Imaz Rioja comes in…

Tasting Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva 2011

This wine comes from El Coto de Rioja, a prominent bodega with vineyards in the Rioja Alta subzone. For us, Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva 2011 is a rather typical example of the Rioja Reserva style, so it was the natural choice for our little food and wine pairing experiment.

This Coto de Imaz Rioja is 100% Tempranillo, aged for 17 months in American oak and a further three years in bottle.

Pretty intense, clean cherry colour and garnet edge.

On the nose, it presents a variety of aromatic nuances, ripe fruit and fine cocoa.

On the palate shows good structure, with a powerful attack, it is velvety, with ripe tannins and balanced acidity.

Food pairing with Rioja wine generally

It’s not an especially scientific term, but Rioja is traditionally a great “meat wine”. Pair red Rioja with roast beef, lamb, steak or barbeque meat, and you can’t go wrong. These are tried and tested pairings, and they won’t let you down. Coto de Imaz Rioja Reserva certainly fits the bill here, so if traditional is your thing, then look no further.

If you want something a little different with your Rioja, though, you’re in the right place…

3 surprising food pairings for Coto de Imaz  Rioja

Food and wine pairings don’t have to follow tradition in order to be good. With a few rules of thumb, an open mind and some experimentation, you’ll be surprised how great some non-traditional pairings can be.

We’ve popped the cork on our bottle of Coto de Imaz 2011, and we’ve laid on three dishes that might surprise you!

1. Coto de Imaz Rioja with fish and chips

British-style fish and chips is a salty, greasy delight. This takeaway staple is unfussy and a lot of fun. It’s not traditionally the sort of thing you’d pair with any wine, let alone a red Rioja. Fish and red wine can be tricky, and besides, it’s a pretty informal dish.

We’ve got an extra-salty bag of battered fish and chips, and we’ve poured a glass of Coto de Imaz. Believe it or not: It works! The saltiness of the dish increases the wine’s body and mouthfeel, while playing down the acidity and tannin. The greasy, smoked fish is a little more substantial than your average whitefish. It’s not perfect with the red wine, but it’s not overpowered.

• The verdict:

  Not the greatest match in the world, but not bad! Try it for a posh takeaway!

2. Coto de Imaz Rioja with spaghetti Bolognese

Pairing Italian food and Spanish wine may be controversial to some Italian or Spanish readers, but we seriously recommend it!

Our Coto de Imaz Rioja has well-integrated acidity, and the tomato-based Bolognese is high in acid too. The result is that we taste less of the wine’s acidity, and more of its body and fruitiness.

• The verdict:

  Very pleasant indeed, highly recommended!

3. Coto de Imaz Rioja with pretzels

You won’t find this option in any fancy restaurants, but it’s perfect for some late night snacking! Pretzels are a wonderfully salty snack, and when pit against our Rioja Reserva, they bring out the wine’s smooth body and fruitiness while downplaying the tannin and acidity.

• The verdict:

  It won’t be winning any kudos from gastronomic chefs, but this is a seriously solid pairing!

Pairing wine and food…and people

Even the most technically “correct” food and wine pairing will not appeal to all tastes. Human tastes and perceptions vary widely, so always keep that in mind. You and I may like the same thing, but we may not. A great way to learn about your own tastes and preferences is to carry out experiments like this one. Pick out a bottle and match it with some very different foods. See what works and what doesn’t. Never stop learning!

Learn all about food and wine pairing with our free ebook, Pairing Food and Wine: Learn to Match Food and Wine like a Sommelier.

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada 3 surprising food pairings for Coto de Imaz Rioja se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

What Makes Parra Alta Malbec So Good?

Growing conditions in Argentina are excellent. The areas under vine are essentially desert, which keeps the plants stressed enough to produce fruit, and the dry conditions make rot, mildew and diseases rare. Growers can take water from streams that come from the Andes. What’s more, the vineyards are at a fairly high altitude, which means the vines get lots of sunlight while the temperatures remain cool. As a result, the grapes can build tonnes of flavour.

What’s more, Argentina has benefited from Spanish winegrowers. Lots of wine makers have settled in Argentina over the years, bringing their knowledge and European grapes varieties with them.

Yet the brand ‘Parra Alta’ is merely named after the method of growing vines up away from hot Argentinian soil. Indeed, Malbec tends to be grown in this manner in the country, due to the scorching climate. Given that, there are better examples of full bodied, fruity reds being made.

Alternatives You Really Need to Know About:

The first two alternatives will go down a treat with football fans. Leo Messi, professional footballer at FC Barcelona and captain of the Artgentine side, has helped to produce the two following Malbecs. You may prefer them just because of the footballing connection (unless you follow AC Milan). Yet they also taste rather lovely too, and some of the profits go to the Leo Messi Foundation. You can read more about Leo Messi’s wines here.

• Leo Malbec

  On the first whiff, you’ll get the characteristic plum and black cherry flavours. And on the palette, you’ll get smooth red fruit flavours in abundance, with a great deal of balance – not too tannic, not too acidic, not too sweet. In fact, it’s the balance which sets this wine apart from something like Parra Alta Malbec.

• Leo Premium Malbec

  Think of everything you like about Malbec, and then imagine it more intense. This wine has been created with manually selected grapes which would be the best fruit from the crop to make the best wine. In addition to the powerful red fruit flavours, there are also spicy notes. This would be a great wine to have with a steak studded with peppercorns.

Old Vines Garnacha Makes an Excellent Alternative to Malbec

• Baltasar Gracián Old Vines Garnacha

Old vines produce grapes which much more concentrated flavours, and the vines used to make this wine are 60 – 80 years old. That means the old vines were planted in the same year as the Hindenburg Disaster. The result is an intense red fruit flavour, which also has some toasty notes due to 10 months of aging. However this is still a young wine, like the Malbecs above. It has a lovely nose with fruits of the forest, and a very long finish.

A Little More Different, But Still Powerfully Fruity

• Casa Castillo Monastrell

Guia Peñín gave this wine a whopping 91 points, and the variety, Monastrell, makes wines with strong dark fruit flavours. Indeed as ‘Crianza’, it is a young, fruity wine. It will certainly be the uncomplicated, easy drinking red that you’re looking for.

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada If You Like Parra Alta Malbec, You’ll Love These se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.

Château Pétrus: What’s the deal?

Considered by many to be the best red wine in the world, Château Pétrus is the most famous and prestigious wine estate in Pomerol. Despite its infamy, the estate is shrouded in mystery and has something of a low profile. Unlike the grand estates of the Médoc, there is no great castle to mark the spot of its legendary vineyard. Instead, a modest country house serves as the closest thing to a Château Pétrus proper. The real story, of course, has nothing to do with old castles, but rather of the vineyard.

The Château Pétrus vineyard

Lying in the east of the Pomerol appellation, Château Pétrus has 11.4 hectares under vine, planted exclusively to Merlot. The vineyard is surrounded by those of some of the world’s greatest wineries, including Château Lafleur, Château Certan de May and Château La Conseillante, to name just a few. The vineyard at Château Pétrus is known for its concentration of blue clay, an iron-rich soil type that is atypical for the region and leads to wines of exceptional concentration and quality.

What makes Château Pétrus so special (and expensive)?

A bottle of Château Pétrus doesn’t come cheap: Expect to pay thousands, or tens of thousands, of euros! Nonetheless – or perhaps as a result – Château Pétrus’ wine is always in incredibly high demand. There are many reasons as to why this might be the case.

• Château Pétrus belongs to Ets JP Moueix, one of the world’s most respected wine merchants. Other vineyards in the Moueix portfolio include Pomerol estates Châteaux Trotanoy, La Fleur-Pétrus and Latour à Pomerol, as well as Napa Valley icon Dominus. That Château Pétrus is the jewel in this crown tells you all you need to know about its quality!
• The winegrowing and winemaking at Château Pétrus puts quality before all else. Vines are old, with an average age of 45 years. Here, you get low yields of highly concentrated fruit. Furthermore, fruit selection is thorough and incredibly strict, only the very best grapes make it.
• There’s not that much Château Pétrus to go around. With an annual production of no more than 30,000 bottles, demand far outstrips supply. Naturally, this leads to some of the highest prices in all of wine.

Tasting Château Pétrus wine

Perhaps the great tragedy of Château Pétrus (and fine wine generally) is that so few people will ever get to taste the wine. These wines are some of the most critically acclaimed in the world, though their scarcity and price mean that few of us will ever have the opportunity to actually drink a glass, let alone a bottle! We’ve got two vintages of Château Pétrus wine in stock. If you can afford it, by all means skip ahead, buy them and see for yourself. Otherwise, join us for a virtual tasting of Château Pétrus!

Château Pétrus 2003

Château Pétrus 2003 is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc – note that the vineyard was planted to exclusively Merlot in 2010. This is visually a deep, dark and rich wine, with wide-ranging aromas from cherry and chocolate to smoke and vanilla. On the palate, the wine is both powerful and incredibly smooth. With 95+ points from Robert Parker, this is truly one of the world’s best wines.

Try it

Château Pétrus 2002

Château Pétrus 2002 has the same blend as the 2003, and is again outstanding. Its rich, dark colour gives way to an enchanting nose ranging from sweet fruits to coffee, olive and tobacco. Full-bodied and smooth on the palate, this is another fantastic Château Pétrus wine.

Buy it

Have you ever tasted Château Pétrus? What did you think? Share your tasting notes with your fellow wine lovers below!

[cta_generico id=2595]

La entrada Is Château Pétrus the world’s best wine? se publicó primero en Blog INVINIC.