Avignonesi wines are shaped by our soils, by our grapes and by our vineyards. In other words, our ‘terroir’ permeates everything we do. As such, our goal is to be the best custodians of the land that we can be and thereby craft the best possible wines from our vineyards.
Photo: Vinitaly Wine Club
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC 2013
Aroma: Dusty black fruit, fig, black olive, streets after a shower, black licorice, Earl Grey tea, roast beef and a fleeting memory of red roses.
Flavor: Both red and black cherry, bright on the front palate and dark on the finish, tannic, with an endless finish.
Conclusion: Was tasting without food and this wine, like all Italian wines, is meant to go with food. Pizza was already on its way and I knew that the meaty topping choices I ordered, pepperoni and sausage, would hit the spot. Later…the wine failed to disappoint.
89 Eve pts.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2012
Aroma: Dusty plums, rose petal, black pepper made me almost sneeze when I inhaled too deeply, wet bark, red earth and warm bricks. Most interesting.
Flavor: Deep and resonant, red, blue and black fruit, nice balance of tannin and spice, with red fruit holding on for a medium finish.
Conclusion: I could actually keep enjoying this one without food. The balance I got at the start made it a stand-alone sipper, in my opinion. Well done.
92 Eve pts.
From The Website
Rosso di Montepulciano DOC 2013
This pure Sangiovese has a medium ruby red colour and is characterized by typical varietal aromas, such as wild cherries and red currant, underlined by a light, balsamic touch. The flavour is round and distinct, with a long, delicately spicy finish.
The Rosso di Montepulciano is the youngest of our Sangiovese trio, which also includes the Vino Nobile and the Grandi Annate. It has been lightly aged in oak and is perfect for pairing with “antipasti”, light pasta dishes or poultry. In the summer, it is delicious when served slightly chilled from the ice bucket.
San Francisco International Wine Competition 2015, Silver.
Cherry and strawberry flavors mesh with woodsy tobacco notes and a dense structure in this version. Just a bit compact on the finish now, but opens with air. Fresh and long on the finish. Best from 2017 through 2023.–BS Wine Spectator, 90 points.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 2012
Intense aromas of fresh, red fruits and forest floor with a touch of sweet spices. The taste is medium-bodied, round and elegant with silky tannins and a long lasting finish.
“Pure Sangiovese from a vintage characterized by a cool and dry spring and a hot summer, resulting in a subtle, elegant Vino Nobile. This is the first vintage which has fruit from all of our 8 vineyard locations in Montepulciano.” Ashleigh Seymour, winemaker.
San Francisco International Wine Competition 2015, Double Gold
Decanter World Wine Awards 2015, Bronze Medal
Though delicate in profile, there’s no mistaking the cherry, strawberry, earth, leather and tobacco flavors of Sangiovese here. This is firm, with light yet mouth coating tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2021.–BS Wine Spectator, 90 points.
Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com
The International Whisky Competition just released its results for this year’s most respected blind tasting judging event. The top recognition, Whisky of the Year, was awarded to Aberlour A’Bunadh (60.5% ABV) which scored 97.4 points, the highest scoring whisky of the competition.
2013 Mystic Hills Vineyard Monterey County Rosé
AVV is one of an elite group of wineries recognized as a Bay Area Green Business. They became a member of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program in 2006 and achieved vineyard certification in 2014. AVV bottled their first wine produced from organic certified grapes in 2008, today the family organically farms over 30 acres and offers two wines from 100% California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) grapes. A second family vineyard will receive CCOF certification in June 2018. Other AVV sustainable initiatives include solar arrays that supply about half of the winery’s power; cover crop plantings to minimize pesticide use and control erosion; drip irrigation for precise water management; 25,000 square feet of underground, naturally cooled caves that reduce the winery’s carbon footprint; and installation of variable speed drives on all winery equipment to decrease energy waste.
For the third year in a row, Les Dauphins has been named Rhône Winery of the Year, at the 7th Annual New York International Wine Competition. Les Dauphins’ wines were among the 1,300 submitted to the competition from over 23 countries around the world.
Not one to turn down a bottle, err, I mean an opportunity to try a new bottle of wine, I readily agreed to the tasting. (If you want to try them they have a tasting room open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 3045 90th Street West, Rosamond, CA, 93560, 661-256-6203.)
