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Heron Bay
APPELLATION WINE SERIES
BLUE LABEL COLLECTION
Heron Bay has two new limited release wines this year: one red and one white. You can get more information from their
website or you can scroll down to read the information copied below.
Every January, we release our Appellation wine series. This series of wine kits introduces winemakers to appellation specific varietals and varietal blends that are currently found in some of the world's finest wine regions.
Heron Bay Appellation Wine Series is available in our Blue Label collection. It is our 8 litre 4 week wine kit which provides you with medium-bodied wines of perfect balance, superb flavour and character. A perfect blend of quality and taste. Each kit makes 23 litres - 30, 750 ml wine bottles and includes 30 wine specific labels for that commercial wine look.
These kits are available on a pre-order basis only. To avoid disappointment, reserve yours early.
2010 Appellation Series - Blue Label French Mourvèdre
The Mourvèdre grape variety, a Spanish grape by origin, where it is known as Monastrell, thrives in France’s warmer Mediterranean climate. It is often used s a blending grape (as in the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape) where it provides deep colour, structure and intense fruit to the final assemblage. The Languedoc s a vast region along the Mediterranean coast of France with vines planted to a sea of green. The small, sweet, thin-skinned, black Mourvèdre grapes develop rich complex flavours in the clay and limestone rich soils. This unique area often produces wines with the elegance of Bordeaux.
The wine is deep garnet in colour with an intense fruit-forward bouquet suggesting blackberry, plum and mulberry, complemented by a touch of oak, and spice, such as black pepper and clove. The Mourvèdre is a full-bodied red wine with good structure and moderate tannins. Rich fruit fl avours and spice similar to the bouquet fi ll the mouth and linger through on the drying finish.
FOOD PAIRING: Enjoy with gourmet sausages on crusty rolls, meat and vegetable stews, lamb shanks, leg of lamb, stuffed Portobello mushrooms, and grilled steaks.
Available: February 2010
Pre-Order Deadline: December 11, 2009
Country of Origin: France - Languedoc Region
Body: Full
Sweetness: 0
Alcohol per Volume: 13%
2010 Appellation Series - Blue Label Austrian Grüner Veltliner
A specialty of Austria, Grüner Veltliner is planted in over one third of Austria’s vineyards. This “cool” varietal has become the must have wine, so much so, that the “in-crowd” has nicknamed the wine “GruVe”. The recent success of Grüner Veltliner has prompted other wine regions around the world to plant this varietal. Austria experiences a Continental climate, with warm, dry, sunny summers and relatively harsh winters. Austria is mainly planted with white grape varieties, which are generally made into drier, fuller bodied styles than most German wines.
Pale yellow in colour, this dry, aromatic, refreshing white wine is medium-bodied with good fruit concentration. Expect peach, citrus and grapefruit aromas and flavours along with white pepper spice, a slight vegetal or herbal note, and a touch of perfume. This wine can be enjoyed while young and fresh.
FOOD PAIRING: Enjoy with grilled, roasted or baked fi sh, especially salmon, mahi mahi and halibut, or serve with simply prepared seafood dishes, roasted chicken and vegetarian stir fries.
Available: January 2010
Pre-Order Deadline: December 11, 2009
Country of Origin: Austria - Lower Region
Body: Light
Sweetness: 0
Alcohol per Volume: 12.5%
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RJ Spagnols is offering 2 types of Limited Release wines this year.
The first type is their Hightail line of six wines that are available right now. You can get more information from their
website or you can scroll down to read the information copied below.
The second type is five wines that they're releasing from January through April 2010. You can get more information on these wines from their website or you can continue scrolling down to read information on these wines copied below.
As Fresh As it Gets - Hightail has Arrived!
As fresh as the cool breezes sweeping over the vineyard, Hightail delivers the harvest of the vine with unprecedented vitality. A unique process ensures that vineyard fresh grapes are picked pressed and packaged within 48 hours. Available in limited quantities, only through RJ Spagnols.
Okanagan Chardonnay
Chardonnay from the beautiful Okanagan Valley in British Columbia with its dry, hot summer days and cooler nights is exceptional. A vivid gold wine in the glass, the nose hints of fruits; pineapple, mango, and apple with sweet floral honey. There is a lively acidity and delicate French oak to deliver a balanced, complex wine. This wine will pair well both with Holiday meals (roast turkey, mashed potatoes and baked squash) or lighter fare like Cobb Salad.
Oak - 3 | Body - 3/4 | Sweetness - 0
Niagara Gewürztraminer
This wine from the Niagara Peninsula has strong hints of lychee, spice and roses. It is aromatic and fruity with a crisp acidity, well balanced with a just off-dry finish from the Süss-Reserve pack. The crisp acidity pairs well with spicy Asian cuisine or try it with smoked salmon appetizers.
Oak - 0 | Body - 3 | Sweetness - 1
Washington Pinot Gris
This fragrant wine from Washington State has pears, apples and melon on the nose and is balanced by a crisp mouth watering acidity creating a smooth, easy to drink, dry wine that leaves an impression. On its own this wine works beautifully as an aperitif or with soft cheese but it pairs well with shellfish and light pastas.
Oak - 0 | Body - 3 | Sweetness - 0
California Cabernet Sauvignon
Ripe berries and black currants dominate with more subtle hints of green pepper, the oak softens this wine creating layers of tobacco and spicy vanilla. Full-bodied and gripping when young, given time this will mature into a smooth, complex, delightful wine. This meaty wine pairs well with roast beef, a pasta dish with a hearty red Bolognese sauce or dark bitter chocolate.
Oak - 3 | Body - 3/4 | Sweetness - 0
California Merlot
This deliciously smooth and velvety wine has sweet red berries and dried fruit on the nose with a slight toasted vanilla oak note. Medium bodied, due to slightly lower tannin and a fruity flavour, this wine is flavourful without being overwhelming. Pair this wine with milder cuts of beef like tenderloin, meatier fish . Salmon or Tuna, or roasted chicken.
Oak - 3 | Body - 3 | Sweetness - 0
California Syrah
A fruity, drinkable vintage of this dark red wine, it is spicy with a hit of black pepper and rich red fruit flavours. Round and full, with good tannins and a rich oak flavour, this is a well balanced, satisfying wine. Look for a grilled, rib eye steaks to pair with this wine, the rich juiciness is necessary to stand up to the powerful structure of this robust red.
Oak - 4 | Body - 4 | Sweetness - 0
RJ Spagnols Proudly Announces RQ 2010
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4 New Limited Release Wines from Cellar Craft
CELLAR CRAFT INTERNATIONAL
PRELIMINARY 2010 LIMITED RELEASE INFORMATION
Sept. 22, 2009
January Release
Darlington Point, Riverina
CABERNET . SHIRAZ
New South Wales, Australia
Both the Cabernet and the Shiraz in this blend come from the Darlington point Vineyard that supplied the fruit for our recently launched Australian Shiraz.
This blend features 64% Cabernet and 36% Shiraz and is fermented on equal parts of Cabernet and Shiraz virgin, crushed grapes from Darlington Point. 2-stage oaking on Hungarian shavings then Hungarian cubes brings vanilla and subtle toastiness to the finished wine.
Aromas of plum, spice, herbs and chocolate from the Cabernet dominate with berry and more spice coming from the Shiraz. The palate displays black currant and mint from the cab with suggestions of cherry, blackberry and earthy overtones contributed by the Shiraz.
The marriage of Cabernet and Shiraz is found mainly in new world wine regions and certainly Australia is the acknowledged champion of the style. Cellar Craft is pleased to be able to offer the kit wine enthusiast this Limited Release example made with high quality fruit from a leading area and prize winning vineyard. We hope that you will consider this rare offering as being a worthy addition for your cellar.
February Release
Canelones, Uruguay, South America
TANNAT
(With 2 L virgin, Tannat crushed grape pack)
Yes, Uruguay does have a wine industry. In fact, it goes back some 250 years! However, the world outside of Uruguay has only recently and very enthusiastically discovered the wines.
The signature wine of Uruguay is a big red wine called Tannat. Like Carmenere and Malbec, Tannat originated in France but today has limited plantings there. The Tannat grapes in this Limited Release offering were selected and custom processed for Cellar Craft by Bodega Bouza, an ultra-modern boutique winery located just outside of the capital city, Montevideo.
Perhaps the best way to whet your interest in this exciting new wine is to extract a quote from noted wine critic and authority Jancis Robinson.
"I tasted a range of wines from one of the producers that most impressed . Bodega Bouza. .... I have to admit I was very impressed too by their reds and especially, as one might expect, by their Tannats. Tannat is to Uruguay what Malbec is to Argentina: a red grape traditionally associated with south west France that seems if anything almost more at home under the South American sun.
Here in Uruguay the tannins are much softer and there is none of the mandatory 10 year wait that one has for a fine Madiran. (We tasted a Madiran or two alongside the Bouza Tannats and were much more beguiled by the Uruguayans.) In fact this Bouza Tannat Las Violetas is a babe in arms by French standards and yet is already drinkable and should drink beautifully from next year for the next four years or so I reckon.
I liked its dense, firm, confident on the nose and lovely full fruit impact on the front palate with some tar and liquorice and firm fruit first, and only then very slightly inky tannins. The alcohol level is 14.5% but it doesn't taste hot."
(Source: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/20070403.html)
Cellar Craft is dedicated to bringing new and exciting "Discovery" wines to its customers. Your feedback on earlier releases like Gruner Veltliner, Zweigelt and Mencia has been rewarding. Now we are exclusively offering what may be your first opportunity to experience wine from a country and from a grape that you had not previously experienced. We think that you will be more than pleased if you give it a try.
More information on the grapes and wine can be found at http://www.bodegabouza.com/uilayer/eng/.
March Release
TWO HEMISPHERES RIESLING
New South Wales, Australia - Yakima Valley, Washington
We love the ability to source fruit from diverse regions and blend them into a wine that often exceeds the qualities of the either component. This blend of Rieslings, co-fermented in equal proportions, from vineyards more than 12,000 km. apart is a great example. Individually, each wine has much charm and appeal but vinted together they achieve a new level of complexity. The multiple layers of sensory delight contributed by the 2 components indeed reach new heights.
From Washington Riesling, notes of apple, pear, peach, melon, floral and mandarin establish a solid foundation. The Australian fruit brings out lime, grapefruit, tropical notes and additional spicy floral qualities. A most interesting wine!
We are still evaluating levels of dry/sweet and flavour reserves that will be chosen to define the final product but we already are certain that this wine will offer a unique and enchanting wine experience for those who choose to add it to their cellars.
April Release
TRIO TINTO
A fusion of classic Spanish grape varieties . Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cari.ena
These three native Spanish red wine grapes are usually deemed to be the mainstay of quality wines in most of Spain. (Mencia is the currant hot star in Spain but is grown in only 2 areas so cannot be said to represent the typical Spanish red wine profile. We hope that you did not miss trying Cellar Craft's Mencia.)
Tempranillo is most associated with wines of Rioja. Garnacha has been responsible for making the Priorat region one of the most esteemed regions in recent years. Carinena, known as Carignan in most other countries, gets its best reviews in Priorat and Montsant. Nevertheless, it is common that at least 2 or all three varieties are blended together to achieve the most profound and complex wines that each region can exhibit.
This limited Release offering is made up of 50% Tempranillo (Spain & California); 27% Garnacha (Spain) and 23% Carinena (Carignan from California).
This blend is fermented on virgin crushed grapes from Spain. (Tempranillo, Garnacha or a blend of the 2 - to be determined by our panel's selection from prototypes still in progress).
2-stage oak treatment is expected to be chosen - French during fermentation; Hungarian cubes post-fermentation.
This blend has been designed to truly reflect the advances that have been made in both viniculture and viticulture of Spanish red wines in the past decade. We proudly present it as our best possible effort to let our customers discover why Spain is being touted as one of the regions to watch - no, discover - what may be one of today's most exciting and best value wine countries in the wine world.
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