Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/221505
Most Likely To Travel Teacher's Pet Castello di Bolgheri 2007 Bolgheri Superiore, Italy $65 Fairview 2010 Pinotage-Viognier, Coastal Region, South Africa ($20) We love a wine that has the ability to transport the senses overseas, while also offering up a bit of history. The Italian poet Giosuè Carducci wrote of, and made famous, the cypress-lined road that abuts the farmland and vineyards of the Bolgheri Castle: "In Bolgheri, tall and proud are they in San Guido in two rows." Now envision this corridor of towering cypress trees with blue skies above, juxtaposed with a glass of this Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot–Cabernet Franc blend and no matter where you are in the world you will be transported to the Italian countryside. We were "rammed" with delight by this wine from Charles Back, third-generation family owner, vigneron and cheesemonger with 600 milking goats that call his Fairview Farm home. The farm features an iconic traversable tower for the goats' roaming endeavors (Back's other label is Goats do Roam). Though a modern brand, history gives Fairview a place in 19th-century medical history, with records indicating that a local doctor prescribed teaspoons of Fairview fortified wine to help cure sickly children. As for the 2010 vintage, a good winter and mild summer made for prime growing conditions. Smooth, dense and lush with lovely plum and cassis fruit; refined and deep with spice and juicy style; meaty, balanced and showing considerable aging potential; long and balanced, seamless and deep. Primarily made of Pinotage, a trace addition of Viognier adds lovely perfumed aromatics. Smooth and lush with aromatics, spice and bright cherry and blueberry; rich, dense and showing firm acidity; long, deep and vivid. TOTAL BEVERAGE SOLUTION VINEYARD BRANDS Best Personality Most Dedicated Finca El Origen 2009 PHI, Tunuyán, Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina $60 Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa ($33) If you're like us, you need a wine with personality to accompany a meal—and hailing from vineyards in Argentina's Uco Valley, this wine offers a flair and presence that lights up a dinner party. Argentina's Uco Valley is now a hotbed of activity as experienced winemakers migrate to the area, looking to make their mark on the industry. Gonzalo Bertelesen, GM and chief winemaker for Finca El Origen, brings a global mentality to his production processes, having worked harvests in both hemispheres across multiple continents. Lush, dense and balanced with lovely juicy plum and berry fruit; generous, rich and velvety; notes of chocolate and spice; long and showing plenty of finesse. CAROLINA WINE BRANDS Hamilton Russell Vineyards is the most southerly wine estate in Africa and the closest to the sea. The vineyards for this stunning Chardonnay lie within the Hemel-enAarde Valley appellation and benefit from a cool, maritime climate. Founder Tim Hamilton Russell purchased the property in 1975 and planted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; his son Anthony, who took over in 1991, narrowed the winery's range to these two varietals, made only from estate fruit. Stony, clay-rich, shaledriven soils make for ideal conditions and the estate's two noble varieties produce generous wines that express the very best of South Africa. A real favorite; bright, nervy and crisp with beautiful citrus, peach and minerals; lovely structure and notes of toasty oak and vanilla; seamless and elegant. VINEYARD BRANDS december 2013 / the tasting panel / 143 TP1213_104-148.indd 143 11/23/13 8:38 PM