Amuse Bouche Prêt à Boire Rosé 2022
We are pleased to offer you, loyal devotees of wine à la française, our 2022 Prêt à Boire Napa Valley from our Napa Valley vineyards. The expression prêt à boire (ready to drink) celebrates a wine that you can savor now, in the moment — instant gratification with no need for cellar aging. And to further expedite your enjoyment of this wine, we will include a complimentary pink dog corkscrew with your six-pack
Made in the southern French style, the 2022 Prêt à Boire is composed of 66.5% Grenache and 33.5% Syrah. Pale salmon pink in color, this rosé wine is crisp, dry, and energetic, offering beautiful aromas of potpourri, watermelon rind and raspberry tart.
THE ARTIST
Some of you may not be aware that the world lost George Rodrigue on December 14, 2013. He was 69 years old. George, and his wife Wendy, have been dear friends of ours since 2005 when we initially commissioned George to paint a "blue dog" for our 2006 Amuse Bouche release. A native of Louisiana, George launched his painting career in the 1960s. He was not only a magnificent artist; George was a true community leader, philanthropist and advocate of arts education, inspiring a new generation of artists through the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts. Our hearts are heavy with George's absence. We are fortunate to be able to surround ourselves with so many vivid, vibrant reminders of his beautiful, whimsical outlook on life.
Ornellaia 2020
Bolgheri DOC Superiore Rosso
Ornellaia is a blend of nature and musing. Complex ancient soils converse through human wisdom with a delicate microclimate that is echoed and reflected in the Mediterranean Sea. Prolonged ageing accompanies the estate’s fine wine in achieving its utmost expression, revealing finesse and generosity over time.
Winemaker's notes
“With its usual deep ruby red colour, Ornellaia 2020 stands out on the nose with ripe red fruits and delicate vanilla and gentle tobacco notes. Upon tasting, the wine reveals itself to be rounded and velvety, making an enjoyable and engaging first impression that entices for a second sip. The tannins are dense yet elegant and the finish proves to be savoury and enduring.” - Olga Fusari
Beronia 198 Barricas 2019
Deep garnet red with a high robe. Clean and bright. Attractive nose with aromas of red fruits on a background of chocolate and dried fruits. Tobacco and balsamic notes also appear balsamic notes that add great complexity and freshness. Round, tasty wine with a balanced acidity. Spicy notes and sweet tannins appear on the palate, making the wine very appetising on the palate.
Ideal for drinking with roasts, stews, grilled meat, cured meat and mature cheese.
Store in a cool place (maximum 14ºC), away from direct light and strong odors.
Recommended consumption from release to the market until 2031.
Domaine Albert Mann Pinot Noir Grand P 2020
Its deep robe is intense ruby in color, supported by purple reflections on the fringes like a precious fabric. The jamb is generous, suggesting a good glycerol content. The vivid disc is crisp and bright. The wine has a direct, precise aromatic expression. The juice is very young, with aromas of fruits such as raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry in jelly. It also exalts scents of black tapenade accompanied by an empyreumatic touch, signature of the great Pfersigberg terroir. This Pinot Noir terroir-climate-grape variety is proving to be a great success. The first palate is complex, balanced and harmonious with a dense and racy structure; the persistent and pleasant tannins are of high quality, for the moment still a little tight. The aristocratic breeding is of good quality.
Grapes come from Eguisheim, on the Grand Cru Pfersigberg. Vines are about 35 years old.
"Beautiful nose of red plum with hints of pomegranate and fresh fig, but the expansive, concentrated and refined palate is even greater than the bouquet. The substantial fine tannins are wrapped in wonderful ripeness, and the further you follow the wine at the finish the more remarkable it becomes. From vines in the Grand Cru Pfersigberg. 50% whole cluster, then maturation in 60% new oak, the rest second use. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold." - 97 points, James Suckling
Alain Geoffroy Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy 2021
Pale light gold in colour with slight greenish glints. Bright, luminous and limpid.
The nose is full of sunshine, gaiety, beauty and maturity. A rich, splendid bouquet of a multitude of flowers. A basket of fruit on a fresh summer’s morning. The taste is full and round - a perfect balance of rich, powerful flavours and finesse, mellowness and freshness. Everything that was so appealing on the nose reaffirms itself on the taste. The finish leaves us blissfully happy with mouth filling voluptuousness.
Recommended Serving Temperature: 12-14°c
Food Pairing: Pork, Rich fish (salmon, tuna), Shellfish, Mild and Soft cheese
Domaine Albert Mann Riesling Cuvee Albert 2019
Grapes for the Albert cuvée are grown on varied soils of gravel, clay, limestone and granite. Its intense aromatic bouquet expresses notes of citrus fruits. On the palate, the same delicious notes of yellow fruits are present. There is a certain salinity and, on the whole, a great persistence. Enjoy this wine with seafood.
Yangarra Estate Hickinbotham Clarendon Grenache 2019
Our first release of this wine and the only wine we make that is not sourced from the Yangarra Estate. We felt with Grenache being our specialty that this small plot (0.9 ha) of Grenache planted in 1962 is incredibly well-suited to our portfolio of single block wines. Hand-picked on the 9th of March and mechanically berry sorted, 100% destemmed, crushed and then tipped into 1800 L ‘cocciopesto’ stone egg-shaped amphoras. The fermentation occurred in the amphoras, with a gentle maceration of only wetting the cap, and remained on skins for 90 days. No pressings are used in this wine. Matured exclusively in the amphora for a further 8 months.
Hand-picked fruit is destemmed and fermented in 1800L egg-shaped amphorae, remaining on skins for 90 days. It then remains in the amphorae for a further 8 months. The resulting Grenache adds another exceptional expression to Yangarra’s stable. It holds great fruit purity and intensity, concentration, and a refreshing line of acidity.
First Drop Cold Sweat Eden Valley Syrah – Craneford (Single Vineyard) 2015
Eden Valley is the perfect backdrop for us to further push our vinous boundaries. At a higher elevation than the Barossa Valley below, we embrace the funk to make even more diverse expressions of Syrah that speak of their unique sites. It’s all about the one. Give the drummer some!
Colour: Garnet red with purple hues
Nose: A complex nose of dark cherry, tomato leaf, celery and pepper spice
Palate: A textured palate of fine graphite tannins support complex dark cherry savoury spice flavours.
Yangarra Noir 2021
Grenache is the emerging hero variety of McLaren Vale. Traditional blends of Grenache from the region focused on the varieties Grenache (G), Shiraz (S) and Mourvedre (M), and thus the term GSM. For many years in the old-world Grenache had many more blending partners. In France, namely the Sourthern Rhone, it can be blended with Cinsaut, Counouise, Picpoul Noir, Muscardin. In Priorat Spain, with Carignan. We started planting some of these obscure Southern Rhone and Priorat varieties in 2008 which has culminated in our first Noir blend being produced.
Many of these varieties, including Grenache, have a blanc (white), gris (grey) and noir (black) expression of the variety, which lead to calling this the Noir. Kept on lees in 100% older French oak for 6 months after fermentation.
VARIETY: 45% Grenache, 19% Mourvédre, 19% Carignan, 12% Shiraz, 4% Cinsaut, 1% Counoise
"A bright assemblage of fresh red-fruit aromas and flavors with crisp, easygoing texture and a neat, succulent finish. 62% grenache, 15% shiraz, 12% mourvedre, 6% carignan, 3% cinsault and 2% counoise. Drink now. Screw cap." - 91 points, James Suckling
First Drop 2% Barossa Shiraz 2020
VINTAGE 2020: Below average rainfall over winter followed by a very dry spring; with high winds and cold nights in November disrupting flowering; and hot, dry conditions in December and early January reducing bunch and berry size; resulted in yields at least 50% below the 10-year average. Thankfully a cooler February and March led to slower ripening despite the low yields. Whilst variability within vineyards, caused by the earlier extremes in the season, meant for tricky picking decisions and reds that show great depth and structure. 2020 was yet another challenging vintage, to rival 2019, but again it’s delivered one of which to be proud.
VINIFICATION: The fruit is crushed/destemed and fermented at temperatures ranging from 20-25°C for 8 days on skins. The ferment is managed by a variety of techniques, including ‘aerative pump overs’ and ‘drain and returns’ which assist in extracting colour, flavour and tannin from the grapes. At the end of fermentation, it is drained/pressed, and transfered to 3 and 4 year old French oak hogsheads to undergo MLF. Post MLF, sulphur dioxide is added, and the wines mature sur lie for 20 months. This wine was bottled in April 2022.
Colour: Dark plum
Aroma: Lifted black fruit aromas with a hint of earth and spice.
Palate: Rich, phat, dark berry fruits, with hints of dark chocolate and Indian ink, supported by a dense core of tannins.
Foor Pairing: Brownies
Yangarra Estate High Sands Grenache 2019
Sourced exclusively from our special Block 31 (1.7 Ha). At 210m elevation, this is the highest section of the 1946 planted bush vine Grenache, which also has the deepest sandy soil. Our small yields were hand-picked 6th of March and mechanically sorted. 50% whole berries were destemmed and placed in open fermenters, with a long, gentle maceration for a minimum of 21 days. Wild yeast ferment. No pressings are used in this wine. Matured on lees in older large French oak and ceramic eggs for 11 months. Bottled March 2020.
On the palate, it reveals a perfumed, powerful and pristine with vibrant red berry fruit. Cherries, rose petal, clove, white spice, pomegranate seeds. Complex minerality with elegant, sculpted tannins.
Pairs well with kangaroo tartare, all spice, parsley, lemon, chilli, free range egg and potato crisps or Roast duck with cherries
Yangarra Estate IronHeart Shiraz 2019
Sourced exclusively from Block 15 (1.8 Ha), which lies amongst a north facing gravelly ironstone outcrop where the North Maslin Sand geology comes to the surface. Hand-picked (29th March), 25% whole bunches and the remainder has been destemmed, mechanical berry sorted and crushed. Open fermenters and on skins for 16 days. A gentle maceration principle of wetting the cap and only draining and returning when reductive. Wild yeast ferment. No pressings are used in this wine. Kept on lees in 35% new French oak puncheons, 65% older French oak Puncheons for 9 months. We selected individual barrels which were blended and further matured for 7 months in a 2-year-old French 25hL foudre. Bottled September 2020.
On the palate, it reveals intense and graceful with savoury oak tannins framing complex layers of bright fruit – blackcurrant pastilles, plum, blueberry, leather.
Pairs well with steak with Heirloom tomatoes, slow roasted onion and red wine jus or Barbequed spareribs