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Tasting Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet Reserve Certified Organic Wines

January 20, 2023 by evebushman

I’ve sampled wines from Argentina before, and organic wines from the area as well, so when I received bottles of new 2021 vintages of a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec all from organic fruit found in the Uco Valley I looked forward to trying them. The winery, Domaine Bousquet, sent some information and I found more details on the wines from their website that I’ve shared here. My tasting notes are also below.

From the Winery

Domaine Bousquet’s 100% estate-grown/bottled wines from the winery’s Reserve line is the foundation on which the Domaine Bousquet winery was built. Domaine Bousquet’s 667 acres of vineyard has been certified organic from the get-go, and now twenty-five years on…Domaine Bousquet’s Reserve wines hail from estate vineyards planted at elevations of 4,000 feet and up and offer older vines, great body and concentration, structured tannin in the reds, a deep flavor and increased aging capacity. All three enjoy nationwide distribution (including Southern in OH, and Burke Beverage in IL)

Tasting Notes

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Certified Organic Chardonnay 2021 / SRP $18

From tech sheet: 100% Chardonnay, 13% alcohol, made with “purchased organic fruit from the Uco Valley in the high Andean foothills”, unoaked, sandy loam soil. 90 points and Best Value award from Wine Spectator.

EB: Sparkly gold in the glass, enticing. Sweet Meyer lemon, pineapple chunks, Mandarin orange, cold wet stones, white pepper all on the nose while the flavors included bruised yellow Delicious apple, lemon-lime hard candy, with both fresh citrus and tropical fruits, a nice mouthfeel, mild acidity and great viscosity.

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Certified Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 / SRP $18

From tech sheet: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% alcohol, made with “purchased organic fruit from the Uco Valley in the high Andean foothills”, unoaked, gravel and sandy loam soil. Best Value award from Wine Spectator. (The bottle also had a gold sticker on it that read 91 points from James Suckling.)

EB: Crushed blueberry, ripe blackberry and somewhat sweet plum fruits on the nose, followed by wet rich earth, tree bark, grilled mushroom, black licorice and my spice rack – when my husband Eddie opens up everything to season a steak. The taste reminded me of those same dark fruits I found in the aromas, as well as a hint of grilled green bell peppers, a lot of spiciness, some sweetness and gripping tannins. Considering how young this Cab is I found it very approachable and drinkable now.

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Certified Organic Malbec 2021 / SRP $18

From tech sheet: 100% Malbec, 14% alcohol, made with “purchased organic fruit from the Uco Valley in the high Andean foothills”, unoaked, sandy soil. 90 points from Wine Spectator. (The bottle also had a gold sticker on it that read 91 points from James Suckling.)

EB: Very dark purple opaque color, with notes of earth, blue to black fruit, black pepper, tobacco, very dark chocolate and espresso on the nose. Tasting the wine I was met with juicy dark fruits, a good mouthfeel, lots of spice, tannins and a lingering finish that held a strong balance of both the fruit and spice.

More From the Winery

Domaine Bousquet: Transformation + Sustainability, High-altitude Terroir, Organic Fruit and a French-Argentine Profile

A 1990 vacation in Argentina was all it took. For third-generation winemaker Jean Bousquet (Boo-SKAY), it was love at first sight. The object of the Frenchman’s desire: the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Tupungato district of the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Here, where the condors fly and not a vine in sight, Bousquet discovered his dream terroir, an ideal location in which to nurture organically grown wines.

With altitudes ranging up to 5,249 feet, Gualtallary occupies the highest extremes of Mendoza’s viticultural limits. Fast-forward to the present and wine cognoscenti recognize it as the source of some of Mendoza’s finest wines. The same could not be said when Jean Bousquet first set eyes on this cool-climate locale. Back then, it was virgin territory: tracts of semi-desert, nothing planted, no water above ground, no electricity, and a single dirt track by way of access. Locals dismissed the area as too cold for growing grapes. Bousquet, on the other hand, reckoned he’d found the perfect blend between his French homeland (high acidity, cool climate) and the New World (sunny, with a potential for relatively fruit-forward wines). Another distinct plus: land prices at the time were approximately 1/25th of those for property in more established districts of Mendoza.

Undeterred by the challenges, Bousquet returned to France and, between visits to Argentina, set about divesting himself, bit by bit, of virtually everything he owned, including the family winery and vineyards in Pennautier, near Carcassonne in Southwest France.

“You know you’re making the biggest mistake of your life, don’t you?” said the real estate broker, as Bousquet inked a contract in 1997 to buy just shy of 1,000 acres in this beautiful, but desolate location. “What are you doing?” teased daughter Anne, an economist by profession, from her home in Massachusetts: “Buying a beach? All sand, no sea?” “Anne: they (the locals) just don’t get it,” was Bousquet’s response.

Bousquet was neither the first nor the only wine producer to have his interest piqued by the Gualtallary Valley. But what sets him apart is that he succeeded where several other better financed, well-known names notably did not. What Bousquet seized upon, but others failed to grasp, was the singular importance of water. Water is hard to come by in Gualtallary. Technically, the area is desert. But Bousquet had done his homework, so his first task in 1998 was to dig a well – all 495 feet of it. Two years in the making, its completion was followed by the planting of vines. Other investors in the region, meantime, watched their hopes fade, chiefly due to an inability to extract water or secure water rights.

As and when the need arose, Bousquet would sell off portions of his initial 988 acres, retaining just 173 acres by the time he released his first vintage in 2005. Bottle by bottle, money was raised to buy a vat or equipment. Today, Domaine Bousquet is housed in a striking modern winery, complete with a hospitality area and restaurant, and the property accounts for 667 acres planted under vine.

Bousquet’s daughter, economist Anne Bousquet, and her husband Labid al Ameri, a trader with Fidelity in Boston, found themselves increasingly drawn to the cause, and the opportunity it offered to put their shared philosophy on sustainability to the test. After a 2002 visit, the couple began to invest in Domain Bousquet. A devaluation of the Argentine currency rendered land prices cheap and Argentine exports competitive. In 2005, al Ameri joined his father-in-law full time, helping to build the winery. Anne continued her work as an economist before joining the company in 2008. In 2009, the couple moved to Tupungato full-time, assuming full ownership in 2011.

For Anne and Labid, sustainability encompasses more than organic fruit or a reduced carbon footprint. It includes economic sustainability for the surrounding community. When the couple set up home in Tupungato, the area was a rural backwater (still is), abandoned by a failing central government. That necessitated building an infrastructure from scratch. The Bousquets joined an alliance of local wineries in funding construction of a new road providing better access for employees, deliveries and a small, but growing number of tourists. The couple also immersed themselves in training a workforce new to winegrowing and office work. Every detail had to be thought through, from transport for employees who didn’t own a car to micro-loans for continuing education. Today, success stories abound. Domaine Bousquet’s head of purchasing, for example, started out as an 18-year-old high school graduate on the bottling line. The wine industry has transformed the Tupungato economy, but Domaine Bousquet was there first, and Anne and Labid count this among their proudest achievements.

With the U.S. today Domaine Bousquet’s primary market, Anne and Labid now live in Miami, with their daughter Eva., and alternate in spending one week every month at the winery in Tupungato.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: acidity, alcohol, argentina, aroma, body, cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, color, flavor, fruit, james suckling, Malbec, nose, organic, points, Reserve, spice, tannins, tasting notes, terroir, vineyard, wine spectator, Wine tasting, winery

Perlises Pick – I. Brand and Family

December 17, 2022 by Michael Perlis

The San Francisco Chronicle named Morgan Twain-Peterson and Tegan Passalacqua their co-winemakers of the year for 2015. Why does this matter, you may ask? Typically, we don’t pay too much attention to these kind of awards. But since Morgan and Tegan are two of our very favorite winemakers (Morgan for Bedrock Wine Company and Tegan for Turley Wine Cellars as well as Sandlands), this award made us sit up and take notice of who the Chronicle named going forward.

Fast forward to 2018. The Chronicle named their winemaker of the year to be – Ian Brand. “Who?”, you may ask (we did). But further research resulted in us resolving to visit Ian’s winery tasting room in the Carmel Valley as soon as practical. It took us a while, but we finally made it.

Ian sources grapes from all over Monterey and San Benito Counties. You may not be familiar with many of the grapes and the vineyard sites are often historic and underrepresented in a land where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are king and queen.

Ian actually produces wine under three labels: Le P’tit Paysan (The Little Peasant) would be considered entry level, inspired by French Village wines; La Marea (The Tide) focuses on Spanish varietals; and I. Brand, which are single vineyard, old vine bottlings. Total annual production is about 15,000 cases, with the premium I Brand label representing the lowest production.

We tasted some of the wines from the I. Brand label when we visited the tasting room in Carmel Valley Village. Note that most of these vineyards are registered with the Historic Vineyard Society (HVS), an organization near and dear to our hearts.

2021 Arneis –from the Vista Verde Vineyard in the Paicines AVA of San Benito County

Bright, Asian pear, lemon notes. Medium to full mouth feel, long fish.  Impression of very slight sweetness, distinct and structured.

2021 Pinot Gris – from the Eden Rift Vineyard in the Cienega Valley AVA of San Benito County.

Eden Rift was planted in the early 1850s by Theophile Vaché, a pioneer of the California wine industry. Light blush color, since it spent five days on its skins. Complex tannins, strawberry raspberry notes in the mouth and on the nose. Long finish.

2021 Pinot Noir – from the Enz Vineyard in the Lime Kiln Valley AVA of San Benito County. This vineyard is registered with the Historic Vineyard Society. Temperatures are warmer in this area compared to Monterey County so harvest is earlier. The soil is limestone versus the granite of Monterey County. Great fruit nose.  Stone fruit complexity, medium mouth feel, medium to long finish.

2019 Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache – from the Chalone Vineyard in the Chalone AVA of Monterey County. This is another vineyard registered with the HVS. A perfect blend of these three grapes (56%, 32% and 12% respectively), this elegant wine had a cherry nose, red, ripe fruit and rosemary notes.  A nice long finish.

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – from the Massa Vineyard in the Carmel Valley AVA of Monterey County

This is oldest vineyard in Carmel Valley. It was previously owned by the Durneys and is now owned by the Massas and is HVS registered. The wine was obviously still very young but was very structured and layered, with pomegranate and white pepper notes.

Ian is making outstanding wines from these great old vineyards. You should definitely take the drive to the end of Carmel Valley Village to see and taste for yourself.  It makes for a very leisurely ride.    

With the three labels, there is a variety to choose from.   The tasting room is comfy and cozy.  We enjoyed sitting outside looking at the scenery, the beautiful mountains and the surrounding areas. It only added to the overall experience.

I. Brand & Family

www.ibrandwinery.com

19 East Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley Village, CA 93924Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Filed Under: Michael Perlis Tagged With: ava, cabernet sauvignon, California, Carmel, case, Chardonnay, color, finish, fruit, grapes, Grenache, harvest, historic vineyard society, Monterey, Mourvedre, nose, old vine, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, san francisco, Syrah, tannins, tasting notes, tasting room, vineyard, Wine tasting, winemaker, winery

Wine Tasting with Eve in Crete, Greece

November 4, 2022 by evebushman

Our guide to two local wineries in Crete, Greece, was an enologist – wearing a WSET pin similar to my own – and also a linguist, who chose to spend his summer giving winery tours in Greece. Lucky us! Via a Food and Wine magazine collaboration, Holland America cruises offered us two wineries to try in one relaxing afternoon.

From our host we learned that Crete is 165 miles long from one end to the other. There are four main areas, and over one million people. While winters are mild (we were there early October and it was perfect) the summers are excruciatingly hot.

Greeks languish over wine tasting with plenty of food pairings, which would extend for hours if there also happened to be a celebration such as a wedding or birthday. Wine drinking is “a very social thing” and Greeks “eat and drink slowly and steadily for hours.”

The terrain, rocky and mountainous, lends itself to both Greek and non-Greek wine grapes. Traditionally there are 16 varieties most used: eight are local and the remaining eight are international; four in each category are white, the other four are red. But there are thousands of varieties made.

Note: I have had tastings and Greek wine education, but it had been years so this was a great way to renew my education and interest. Also of notes, the pricing of these Greek wines was more than reasonable and many guests bought bottles to have on the boat, to take home and for gifts. Now let me share some of my tasting notes and takeaways from the two wineries:

Karavitakis Winery

These wines were served with salty black olives, local hard sharp cheese and delicious croutons made with black olives and plentifully topped with sesame seeds.

2021 Kompsos (white)

Vidiano, Assyrtiko, Malvasia grapes

13% alcohol

9 Euros

The name Kompsos means elegant, and this wine was made from three local varieties. It tasted like a dry Sauvignon Blanc to my palate plus the fruit of a Viognier. It had low acid with plenty of lime and Meyer lemon; it was fresh with a light viscosity. A great start for me.

2021 Moschato Spinas (dry white)

9 Euros

With sweet stone fruit, Earl Gray tea and a lemony finish the winery host said the wine as a good aperitif and I had to agree.

2021 Kompsos Liatiko Rose

10 Euros

This Rose wine, my first time tasting a Greek Rose, was “elegant” just as the name Kompsos promised. The color was a peachy salmon, with aromas of watermelon and talcum powder – which I happen to love! The flavor reminded me of the freshest of strawberries and watermelon, with a slight acidity.

2020 Klima Kotsifali Mavrotragano (red)

10 Euros

The work Klima refers to climate, and the words Kotsifali Mavrotragano refer to the two grape varieties used, which should express itself with a “lighter color, body and tannins.” Other wineries mostly “add Syrah for color”, but the Mavrotragano does the trick as it’s a “black grape…crisp…and (we) only used 10%.” I got stewed cranberry, cherry, and other red fruits in this dry wine. It reminded me of a terroir-rich Pinot Noir or Grenache, and it was my favorite wine in the line-up.

2019 Eca Blend (red)

18 Euros

This was the favorite for most of the people in our tour. It is named after an olive tree located 1-½ miles away from the winery and credited for being over 3,000 years old. The wine is 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache Rose and 10% Carignan. Smelled very much like a Cabernet Sauvignon to me, and the guest nearest me said it “tastes like velvet.” Our winery host said the wine could age for 10 years. (All of the other wines were ready to drink now.) While the nose was dry, the flavors in the glass were that raspberry and cranberry fruit again.

2010 Viates Avo Purasko (sweet red wine, no photo)

Barbera clone

30 Euros

I got wonderful notes of caramel, plum, currant…and it reminded me very much of a ruby Port wine.

Manousakis Winery

Our winery host explained that the Manousakis family created the winery – with the help of experts – due to the growing tourism in Greece in the late 1980s.

These wines were paired with a toasted brown crouton-type cracker that was served with a rock-type white salt and olive oil they made at the winery.

2018 Nostos “The Journey” Assyrtiko (white)

Very lemony and tart, with notes of lime, green grass (aroma only!), and yellow apple. It was refreshing, and, like the white we started with at Karavitakis, refreshing.

2020 Nostos Muscat of Spina (white, dry Muscat)

Honeyed, peach, dried apricot, with a nice acidity and dryness. This was the group’s favorite of the two whites.

2016 Nostos “The Journey” Grenache (red)

This was my favorite wine at Manousakis. Stems, black and red cherry, dry, tannic, balanced, and it reminded me of a nice cherry liqueur, thought it was very well done.

2018 Nostos Blend (red)

14.5% alcohol

Balanced, brighter than the Alexander (below) but a similar profile. Thought the blend wasn’t mentioned, or on the label, my guess that it was also a GSM blend.

2018 Nostos Alexander (red)

40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre young vines.

14.5% alcohol

Black cherry, both sweet and dry, with chocolate notes, sweet pipe smoke and firm tannins. This was also a favorite of the group’s and mine.

##

Other things we learned in Greece, between this tour and one other with a Greek guide included:

The olive trees are plentiful and very old. I rarely saw a vineyard, but I saw plenty of olive trees!

Greeks are friendly people, lots of smiles and greetings, arguments are short-lived and be careful when they talk with their hands as they are far-reaching!

Websites and social media:

https://www.instagram.com/karavitakis_winery/

https://www.facebook.com/karavitakiswines

https://www.manousakiswinery.com/

https://www.instagram.com/manousakis_winery/

https://www.facebook.com/ManousakisWinery

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: acid, alcohol, barbera, blend, body, food and wine magazine, food pairing, fruit, grapes, Greece, Grenache, Mourvedre, muscat, red wine, Rose, sweet, Syrah, tannins, tasting notes, terroir, variety, vineyard, vineyards, white wine, wine pairing, Wine tasting, winery, WSET

From The Farm Winery: Old Vs. New World

October 15, 2022 by evebushman

Dear Eve –

We recently received a query from a Farm Club member about old vs. new world.  We thought you’d enjoy the Q&A…

  • Within our family, we are having a disagreement on what constitutes old world vs. new world wine.  If it’s just on location, anything produced in Paso would automatically be considered new world.  Are there certain characteristics old world vs. new world wines might be known – such as old world style wine as muted, subdued, earthy, while new world style wine as intense and fruit forward.  What would you say on this?
  • Sometimes, the easiest questions result in the hardest to answer!!

A couple shorthand items…

OW = old world

NW = new world

Overcropped = when a vine carries more fruit than it is able to fully ripen

OK, here we go…we would not regard “intense” as the axis by which to define wines high in intensity as NW.  Rather, intensity is an adjective that can be used to describe aspects like complexity, internal tension or vibrancy.  Some of these aspects are driven by acidity and others by minerality.  Both acidity and minerality are definitely an attribute of wines that we like to think of as OW.  So intensity is not a way to distinguish OW-NW.

“Fruit forward” could be an attribute of NW, but we have to qualify that: NW tend to be fruit forward not only because they have lots of fruit, but also because they are missing the acid-mineral-fruit balance.  So their fruit becomes the dominant aspect of the wine. 

We would also not define “subdued” as an OW characteristic.  For the reasons of the previous paragraph, as well as because subdued could be applied to simple, diluted wines, and also to wines that are very intense and complex and so balanced that there is no aggression to them due to that same balance.

We have heard people defend an overcropped (i.e., simple and diluted) wine by calling it OW, but that is just defensive on top of wrong.

Some aspects are common to NW wines, like unbalanced sweetness; from different sources like too much new oak or a mix high in American Oak; too much alcohol; or from winery concentration tricks like saignée (throwing away some pink juice at crush) or reverse osmosis.  These characteristics clearly put the wine in the NW camp.

Some common aspects of OW are higher acidity, higher minerality, sometimes at the expense of fruit, sometimes in balance with the fruit.   Another aspect that would place a wine in the “more close to OW” camp is complexity.  In our mind, NW wines tend to be simple.

Another OW definer is seamless integration between acidity, tannin and minerality.  Almost like a gradation that makes it tough to say where one ends and the other starts. These kinds of wine really attract our attention.

Wines that are too close to the NW extreme are also difficult to drink (again, our personal take).  They lack that mouth-cleansing attribute that invites you to another glass.  They satiate the wine appetite too early!

If we try to bring all this together, we could think of the NW-OW as a continuum:

  1. with fruit going from simple to complex
  2. with acidity going from low to high
  3. with minerality going from low to high
  4. with complexity going from low to high
  5. with alcohol levels going from high to low
  6. with perceived sweetness going from high to low
  7. and with intensity and tannin structure not correlated (these lines move at right angles to the NW_OW continuum)


We welcome your comments and thoughts.
– The Farm Winery Gang

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: acidity, alcohol, balance, California, earthy, fruit, juice, mineral, new world, old world, Paso Robles, sweet, tannins, vineyard, wine education, Wine tasting, winemaker, winery

Perlises Pick: Soda Rock Winery

June 25, 2022 by Michael Perlis

A trip to the Healdsburg area wouldn’t be complete without visiting Antoine Favero. Antoine is a winemaker for several of the Wilson Family Wineries. We’ve met with him a few times at Mazzocco Sonoma in Dry Creek Valley [with a focus on amazing Zinfandels] and at Jaxon Keys in Mendocino County [love those Rhone varietals] but we felt we should expand our reporting so we agreed to meet at Soda Rock Winery in Alexander Valley, which specializes in Bordeaux varietals.

Pulling up to Soda Rock Winery should be very impressive for any first-time visitor. It sure was for us. Visible from the road is the towering figure of Lord Snort, who is directly in front of the sadly burnt-out husk of the original winery and tasting room that was destroyed in the 2019 Kincade fire. The winery building was about 150 years old and was the original site of the Alexander Valley general store and post office. Ken and Diane Wilson purchased the property in the year 2000.

By now, you might be wondering who is Lord Snort, whose photo is included with this article. Lord Snort is a 20,000 steel sculpture created by local artist, Bryan Tedrick. This is the second of his sculptures at a Wilson family winery property, being preceded by the Coyote sculpture at Wilson Winery in the Dry Creek Valley.

Lord Snort actually made his debut at Burning Man – check out this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=edNJ_uGzlmA – and the rumor is he will be there again.

We arrived at Soda Rock a little before Antoine got there and were greeted warmly by tasting room hostess, Madison. She gave us the option of tasting in the refurbished barn or outside among the trees right next to the vineyard and we chose the latter. Although Antoine had planned an afternoon of red wines for us, Madison poured us a couple of whites to get us started.  She also brought over some cheeses and charcuterie to nibble on, which are available for purchase with your tasting.

Kenneth Carl Sparkling Brut – blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a kiss of Pinot Meunier.  Notes of green apple, ripe pear.  Made at the Jaxon Keys winery in Mendocino but available at all of the Wilson family wineries. 

2019 Chardonnay Reserve West Soda Rock – Alexander Valley, 100% Chardonnay. Notes of lemon, blood orange and sweet honey.

By now, Antoine had arrived. It was such a pleasure to see him again. Not only is he a great winemaker but the passion he exudes for his craft is infectious. It had clearly rubbed off on Madison who continued to pour the wines and share her thoughts on them.

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Twisted Rail – Alexander Valley near Cloverdale   Named for a 2011 abandoned railroad tunnel fire that was originally built in 1898, this wine is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot.  Medium color and tannin, big and bright with notes of cigar and black cherry and a dry, clean finish.

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Five Star General – Alexander Valley.   95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot.  The best of the barrels for each varietal go into this.  Chocolate, blue and black berry notes with supple and subtle tannins.

2018 Malbec Reserve Runway – Dry Creek Valley near the Mazzocco winery. 77% Malbec, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon. Tangy and deep, but brightened up by the Cabernet.  Cherry, cedar and leather notes. 

2019 Cabernet Franc Warm Springs Ranch – Dry Creek Valley near Lake Sonoma, the wine is   93% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. These vines are at 1700 ft elevation; they get stressed from the high elevation, but are cooled by the nearby afternoon marine breezes. Fruit forward and very well rounded.

2019 Meritage Alexander Valley – Sonoma County. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot. Notes of dark plum fruit along with chewiness from the Cab Franc, with a full mouthfeel and a long finish.

2019 Lord Snort – Sonoma County. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot   We might have expected a wine named after a steel sculpture of a wild boar to be frivolous, but we should have known better. This was a serious wine, with lots of depth from the Merlot

2019 Zinfandel Wentworth – Sonoma County. It wouldn’t have been a visit with Antoine without a great Zin; this one is 75% Zinfandel, 20% Primitivo and 5% Petite Sirah. It is named after Fred Wentworth, the original owner of the Alexander Valley general store that housed the Soda Rock Winery before the fire.  Tart, fruit-forward, dark fruit, chocolate and vanilla notes, tinge of nutmeg and ginger, herbaceous.

2019 Primitivo Lytton Station – Alexander Valley. 96% Primitivo, 4% Petite Sirah. Persian cucumber nose with vanilla and cinnamon notes, refreshing and cool.

We really enjoyed all of these wines and highly recommend visiting Soda Rock Winery. There is so much local history in the refurbished barn saved from the fire that we found interesting.  It made for a leisurely wine tasting afternoon.  We would be remiss if we did not remind our readers of the Children of Vineyard Workers Scholarship Fund created by Ken and Diane Wilson in 2002 in collaboration with the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Per the website, this fund has distributed more than $500,000 in scholarships. Antoine administers this program and was excited to tell us that one of their recipients had just gotten accepted into Yale. Wow, talk about life-changing!

Soda Rock Winery

www.sodarockwinery.com

8015 CA-128, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Please note there is also a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg:

409A Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Filed Under: Michael Perlis Tagged With: alexander Valley, aroma, Barrel, brut, Cabernet Franc, cabernet sauvignon, California, charcuterie, Chardonnay, cheese, chocolate, dry creek valley, finish, flavor, fruit, Healdsburg, Malbec, Merlot, mouthfeel, petit verdot, Petite Sirah, pinot meunier, Pinot Noir, primitivo, red wine, Rhone, Sonoma, sparkling, tannins, tasting room, vanilla, varietal, vineyard, white wine, Wine tasting, winemaker, winery, Zinfandel

Vintage Eve Circa 2012: Wined and Dined by Valentino

June 17, 2022 by evebushman

I can’t help myself, I know this story is all about a great Italian wine and food pairing, but first I just have to tell you that I TOURED ONE OF WINE SPECTATOR’S 74 GRAND AWARD WINNING WINE CELLARS – OVER 90,000 BOTTLES – WITH VALENTINO’S PROPRIETOR, PIERO SELVAGGIO.

Valentinos wine room - photo from website, but it was set for dinner just like this!

Valentinos wine room – photo from website, but it was set for dinner just like this!

Take a deep breath. It happened like this: I tagged Valentino’s in my Facebook status update because I was going there that night for dinner. Valentino’s, and Piero, tagged me back.   Then between courses at the dinner, and bolstered by some amazing wines, I went right up to Piero himself and asked, “Hi, I’m your Facebook friend Eve, any chance of seeing the cellar?”

Piero took me by the hand, led me through the busy kitchen (though the chefs took the time to say hello and smile broadly) and up a narrow staircase – so narrow I had to go up sideways with Piero motioning for me to grasp the handrail.

Once on the second floor, we were met with a small hall lined with framed Wine Spectator covers of Piero, James Beard awards, his latest Grand Award designation…I was already so overwhelmed.

Then, one large room, with built-in large wooden boxes bisected with boards, held the start of the treasure trove. After that came hall after hall – going further back into a greater beyond than we had time for – were more and more boxed sections of wines. Piero pointed out special selections dedicated to the best from Italy, California…before we had to turn back.

But Piero made sure I saw the Pièce de résistance: the private dining room set for dinner, lined from floor to ceiling, on all four walls, with cellared wines.

When I reluctantly returned downstairs, overhearing Piero telling his maitre d’ that I had “kidnapped” him, I was already planning how to get back and…into that private dining room.

It all began with…

THE INVITE

Dear friends, guests and press,

It is with great pleasure that we would like to invite you to a delightfully delicious evening of wine tasting and dinner at Valentino Restaurant…As guests of Briziarelli Estate, you will experience the best wines from Briziarelli paired with 6-course dinner prepared by Nico Chessa of Valentino…We look forward to seeing you at Valentino.

Sincerely,

Piero Selvaggio

PS: Umbria is an up and coming wine region where the Sagrantino di Montefalco grape varietal is one of the most sought after gem of central Italy. The wines of Briziarelli are an example of great wine making in this ever-growing wine region.

IL MENÙ AND MY WINE NOTES

Stuzzichini dello Chef con Salumeria

Carpaccio di Vitello Scottato con Olio Extra Vergine Umbro e Alloro

Seared Veal Carpaccio with Umbrian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Laurel

DUNA ROBBA 2010 – Lovely garnet-colored wine giving off aromas of mushroom, plum, black pepper and mint. The mouthfeel was full, chewy, filled with ripe fruit and rich tannins. 85-87 Eve points.

  

Penne Artigianali del Norcino

Artisanal Penne with a Variety of Sausages

UNO NOVE ZERO SEI 2007 – Nice purple color and then a blast of red and blue fruits that included cherry, plum and blackberry, along with black pepper, wet wood, slight mint and mushroom. On the palate I got dark, biting tannins, very palate drying and excellent with the dish. 87 Eve points.

  

Agnollotti “In Carbonara” al Tartufo Nero

Agnollotti Pasta “In Carbonara” with Fresh Black Truffles

ROSSO MATTONE 2008 – Deep, dark ruby color followed by a nose both floral and fruity, in a setting of richly soiled forest floor. The taste was a combination of dark chocolate, cigar, dry dark fruit and deep tannins. 89 Eve points.

  

La Porchetta Ripiena col Finocchietto e le Patate Arrosto

Roasted Stuffed Suckling Pig with Wild Fennel and Roasted Potatoes

VITRUVIO 2007, 100% Sagrantino D.O.C.G. – This proved to be my favorite of the evening, close to that coveted above 90-point range even after a few refills. A dark purple color stretching out into a black edge, with aromas of stewed dark fruits, cigar, bell pepper and milk chocolate. The taste was of deep drying tannins, dark and dry fruit, very smoky with a nice black pepper lingering on the finish.

  

I Formaggi dell’Umbria

Cheeses from the Region with its Traditional Condiments

Semifreddo di Nocciole e Cioccolato con le Banane Caramellizzate

Hazelnut-Chocolate Semifreddo with Caramelized Bananas



Hosted by

Società Agricola Briziarelli SRL

Piero Selvaggio, Proprietor

Nico Chessa, Executive Chef

In regards to my references to the color of the wine, please note that the dining room lighting was low.

YOUR VALENTINO EXPERIENCES

In putting up my Facebook status as “I’m going to Valentino’s Santa Monica tonight, do you have a Valentino experience to share?” I got:

Elaine Scott Harris: Valentino is one of THE BEST in the US . Please say hello to Chef Nico for us!

Rob Barnett: Took my wife there for her birthday a few years ago and we had a great dinner.

Tracy Cervellone: I don’t get to LA often enough, but this is one of my favorite places of all time. Truly world class.

Louise Castaldo: I had my 50th birthday In that room, it’s absolutely AMAZING !!!! you are going to have so much fun, it’s an experience I will never forget and the food and service is outstanding !! you will die when you walk around that cellar the wines they have are unbelievable, I forget what it is but they have a bottle locked up worth $30k (you can touch it) I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Denise Lowe: JD and I worked a few events with Ian Blackburn at Valentino – and then stayed for dinner. It’s an amazing place. Enjoy!

Michael Fraschilla: The best meals we ever had at Valentino’s was when we asked the chef to make what he/they want to prepare for us! Not sure if they still do that for diners but you should inquire!   FYI – You will have a field day with the wine list Eve… 2,000 labels – It is like a small book and is VERY heavy on representing Italian wines. You’ll think he has every wine from Italy ever made! As for our most interesting experience of “meeting” someone while at Valentino’s., that was dinning next to Liz Taylor and her fiancé at the time, Victor Luna.

VALENTINO WEBSITE

Valentino, established in 1972 by owner Piero Selvaggio, is widely considered the finest Italian restaurant in the nation and “a restaurant classic.” Our intimate dining rooms, legendary wine cellar of over 2,500 selections, and the consummate graciousness of owner Piero Selvaggio, set the standard for fine dining excellence.

Valentino Santa Monica , the flagship of Valentino Restaurant Group, has endured throughout the years many changes in taste, style and much more, however still remains true to its original vision of Piero Selvaggio: To provide its discerning clientele a dining experience with no equals, a cut above the rest.

We promise the ultimate experience in food, wine and service. For almost 40 years Valentino has showcased authentic artisanal cooking, using the best of Italy’s traditional and contemporary culinary styles and the finest ingredients, setting the standards of excellence for Italian cuisine in the USA.

Fine dining for Piero Selvaggio has been the meticulous work and passion of a lifetime, copied by many, exceeded by no other Italian restaurants yet.

Valentino is the proud recipient of the coveted *Grand Award from Wine Spectator every year since 1981, and was declared the best Italian restaurant anywhere in the world by the influential Italian magazine, Gambero Rosso, as well as being always well spoken of by every food & wine writer in the country, with many more accolades, which are too numerous to even begin to describe!

Five spectacular private rooms can accommodate from 10 to 85 people for entertaining in elegant style, ensuring an evening that is truly memorable, whether it is a business meeting, a special birthday, anniversary, wedding celebration or just a gathering for a perfect dinner among friends.

*One of only 6 restaurants in the nation that has consistently, year after year received the Wine Spectator Grand Award since 1981.

www.valentinosantamonica.com

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: aroma, bottle, California, cellar, chef, color, Facebook, flavor, food pairing, Ian Blackburn, Italy, james beard, los angeles, restaurant, santa monica, tannins, u.s., umbria, wine pairing, wine spectator

Reviewing the book, Malbec Mon Amour, by Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil

April 29, 2022 by evebushman

Recently offered a book written by a vintner I’ve met and admired for a long time, from a country I haven’t visited, and I jumped on it. Filling in the blanks, I’m sharing details from the publisher, my review of the book and their latest vintage below.

From the Publisher

I wanted to introduce you to a whimsical, yet informative book that has been in the works for over ten years, written by Laura Catena and Bodega Catena Zapata’s oenologist Alejandro Vigil.

Malbec mon amour tells the story of Malbec, a story of near extinction, rebirth and in a joyful end, the story of how a plant has elevated the lives of millions of people for over 2,000 years. Laura and Alejandro had the vision of a book that would reflect the fun and inspiration that Alejandro and Laura experienced in their daily rides throughout the vineyards of Mendoza.  Why “mon amour”? Well, Alejandro Vigil has Malbec tattooed on his arm, and Laura’s family’s journey from Italy to Argentina began 120 years ago with a plant of Malbec.

Alejandro and Laura see the world of wine, its ancient history, its terroir, its people, its soils and climate in very romantic and artistic terms. But at the same time, they are both scientists. This illustrated book combines the art and science of wine in a way that has never been done before. It tells the story of how the Malbec variety went from fame to near-extinction and back, and why Malbec is so much more than a wine variety. It is a wine that tells the history of humanity and the journey of immigrants and plants across continents.

The book is currently available on Amazon in North America, Central America, Latin America, and Europe.

Book Review

What a gorgeous book, from the front cover through to the pages, inviting me to really want to get into it and into it I did! As well as the sample of their 2019 Malbec! Get your own book to see the pages and what’s inside, these are my takeaways:

  • “According to oral tradition, the Malbec grape expanded from its native Cahors to Bordeaux in the 18th century, introduced by a Hungarian winemaker called Malbeck or Malbek. In Bordeaux, producers used it to lend more color to their claret.”
  • Malbec may have been known as “the black wine” due to harvesting at night or the color that stained people’s teeth and tongue.
  • At one time England’s Henry III personally protected Cahors Malbec so that Bordeaux officials could not limit any sales or its transportation. And King Francis I of France liked Malbec so much that it was known as the King’s Plant, Plante du Roi.
  • One of our authors, Laura Catena, visited Cahors as a “pilgrimage to the original home of Malbec” studying the history and meeting with experts.
  • Malbec was just behind Cabernet Sauvignon, as the second most important variety, during the 1855 classification in Bordeaux. The grape was first planted in Argentina in 1853, from vines from Bordeaux, and resulted in a low yield and high quality wine.
  • When Phylloxera “wiped Malbec off the map” in Bordeaux it was replaced with Merlot. However, at the same time, Malbec was still doing well in Argentina.
  • Manual wine presses were used until the 1950s, some wineries still use this method for “uva francesca” aka the French grape known as Malbec.
  • Mendoza, Argentina, is the fifth largest wine producer in the world with 345,000 acres under vine, from hundreds of wineries. Many export their wines worldwide.
  • By the end of the 1970s there had been a financial crisis that changed grape production, Malbec was removed for higher-yielding varietals and “most Argentine wines were characterized by somewhat oxidized aromas, a soft mouthfeel, low aromatic intensity and little varietal typicity.”
  • In 1984 winemaker Nicolas Catena Zapata had just returned from a tour of Napa, and felt that if Napa could compete with the French (Judgement of Paris) so could Argentina. He planted Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, updated his winemaking practices and hired Paul Hobbs, a well-known and respected consultant from California.
  • “Catena Zapata has the largest selection of Malbec plants in the world.” The Catena Institute, where Alejandro Vigil works as a soil specialist, evaluates the soil’s “behavior with every vintage.” There is a lot of information on how soil effects terroir – and aromas in the finished product.
  • Mendoza is a desert, with an average of eight inches of rain per year, and water is 260 to 660 underground. The area requires drip irrigation, and this is generally used prior to bud break.
  • The book includes the Winkler Scale of the micro-climates of Mendoza, the Winkler Index charting temperature, the history of the Catena Institute, detailed descriptions of the Malbec vineyards in Mendoza, Uco Valley and other regions, as well as dozens of illustrations, photographs and maps.

Tasting 2019 Catena Malbec

A regal dark purple color, and a nose full of fresh lush fruit – juicy blackberry, crushed plums, blueberry – followed by hints of tri-color peppercorns, bark, moss and very dark sweetened chocolate. The taste reminded me of a bowl of fresh cut fruit – the same as on the nose – as well as layers of dark spices and drying tannins for a lingering finish. I didn’t have my sample with any food, and I didn’t need to. Well done.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: argentina, book review, Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, chocolate, climate, color, France, Italy, Malbec, oenology, phylloxera, pressing, soil, spice, tannins, tasting notes, terroir, variety, vintage, Wine tasting, winemaker

ADOBE ROAD WINERY WINS LA INVITATIONAL WINE AND SPIRITS CHALLENGE

April 25, 2022 by evebushman

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aroma, award, best of show, cabernet sauvignon, California, chocolate, color, competition, crush, double gold, finish, French oak, fruit, grapes, judge, length, Napa, palate, petaluma gap, Pinot Noir, points, red wine, Sonoma, sonoma county, tannins, winemaker

Vinos Zanzonico 2020 Reserva Chardonnay and 2019 Reserva Syrah!

March 4, 2022 by evebushman

If you’ve been following my reviews for any length of time you know that I started sharing my wine notes well over ten years ago, about the same time I first met winemaker Gerard Zanzonico at Napa’s Del Dotto. We’ve shared many wonderful wines of Gerard’s over the years, and when he finally retired to Baja California, and began making wines there, I knew I would (virtually for now) follow him there.

To see any past reviews just do a Google search of Zanzonico + Bushman and there will be plenty. Proud of my longstanding relationship with one of the finest winemakers I’ve had the pleasure to know, I’m happy to share my the latest: reviews of Gerard’s new 2020 Reserva Chardonnay and 2019 Reserva Syrah from Baja.

Regards to my notes: whenever possible I don’t look at tasting notes that are provided by a winemaker or winery staff. Then, for fun, I look at them afterward to see if they are similar. I did that here, and any similarities in my notes are in bold.

2020 Reserva Chardonnay

13.7% alcohol

EB: Dark gold in color with a sparkly edge, quite welcoming. On the nose I detected fleshy yellow peach, honeydew and cantaloupe melon, delicate white flower and pebbles washed with the sea. Erupting flavors tingled my palate: dried apple, melon again, lemon zest, creamy salty cheese, butter…and the wine continued to tingle my tongue for a long lasting finish. And the wine made me crave a cheese plate. 92 Eve points.

From Winemaker Gerard Zanzonico

2020 Chardonnay -100% varietal, grown in the San Vicente Valley, 85 cases produced. 12 months in French Oak, 25% new. Brilliant color, pineapple aromas with hints of tropical fruits. Balanced finish.

2019 Reserva Syrah

13.9% alcohol

EB: Plum jam, stewed dark fruit, dark chocolate, grilled mushroom, black peppercorn, smoldering rich tobacco, espresso and freshly turned earth on the nose followed by flavors of dried blue to black fruit, a lively and spicy palate, chocolate-covered espresso beans, a full mouthfeel and gripping tannins giving way to a big crescendo of a finish. 95+ Eve Points.

From Winemaker Gerard Zanzonico

2019 Syrah – 100% varietal, grown in the La Grulla Valley,141 cases produced. Mature fruit, plum and chocolate aromas…a hint of mushroom. Smooth tannins with a balanced finish.

These wines are available at LMA Wines and Vintage wines of San Diego

https://www.lmawines.com/

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: alcohol, aroma, baja, Chardonnay, cheese, chocolate, del dotto vineyards, flavor, fruit, length, Napa, Reserve, salinity, spice, Syrah, tannins, tasting, tasting notes, varietal, wine review, winemaker, Zanzonico

Tasting Sustainable Wines From Herdade do Esporão

February 11, 2022 by evebushman

It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to taste and study wines from Portugal so I was very interested in sampling four that I‘d never had before – two whites and two reds from Herdade do Esporão – and learning all about them. Here is an excerpt from the invitation:

Esporão Group Chairman João Roquette, one of the most influential people in the Portuguese wine industry today, will brief us on Esporao Group, his vision for the future and his take on the Portuguese wine industry. Herdade do Esporão lead winemaker, Sandra Alves, will talk about the estate and taste through the wines.

What I Learned

Both Roquette and Alves shared the efforts that the winery has made in creating holistic, sustainable and organic vineyards via composting, natural pest control, no chemicals in the farming, beneficial insects, animal grazing and soil maintenance. They spent twelve years educating themselves and visiting other wineries as they worked on their own sustainable program, and are now 100% organic.

Alves has 20 years of experience with Esporão. And Roquette’s family has owned the winery for two generations. Their workers are all part of the team, sharing in the work and benefits.

Their products, including olive oil and a craft brewery, express their agricultural place. Eighty percent of their products were originally sold in Portugal, now that percentage has gone down to thirty-five with the balance being sold internationally.

They do purchase some grapes beyond their estate for entry-level wine.And they produce 16 billion bottles per year, though their country is not large like Spain or France, more the size of Holland.

The Wines (Abbreviated technical sheet information, and finding some of the same tasting notes, are all in italics)

Esporão Colheita White 2020 / SRP $18

Concept: Wine produced solely from grapes grown at Herdade do Esporão, applying organic farming methods. Expresses the typical features of this vintage, diversity of the soil where the vines are planted, as well as the character and identity of the selected varieties.

Grape Varieties: Antão Vaz, Viosinho, Alvarinho and others. 13.5% alcohol

EB Notes: Golden Delicious yellow apple, white flower, lemon zest and green tea on the nose with flavors that were fresh and zesty, lemon, grapefruit and minerals with a long finish.

Esporão Reserva White 2020 / SRP $20

Concept: A classic wine obtained exclusively from our organic grapes. The diversity of Herdade do Esporão, together with the different characteristics of the grape varieties, the soils, the maturity of the vines and the character of those who make this wine consistently over the years, results in a rich, intense but always harmonious wine.

Grape Varieties: Antão Vaz, Arinto, Roupeiro and others. 13.5% alcohol.

Awards from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. 

EB Notes: Aromas of bruised fruit, incense and a surprise of mint followed by a mouth that reminded me of an older wine though it was young, balanced fruit, flint, smoke, muted but interesting.

Esporão Colheita Red 2018 / SRP $18

Concept: Wine with sense of place, intense, direct, and vibrant. Expresses the typical features of the vintage year, diversity of the soil where the vines are planted, as well as the character and identity of the selected varieties.

Grape Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, Touriga Franca, Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet. 14% alcohol.

Awards from Wine Spectator.

EB Notes: Hello LEATHER on the nose, like a well-worn saddle! That blew off somewhat but still lingered with the addition of sweat, tree bark and dark fruit. On the palate I noted dry fruit, that same smoke, oak, Espresso and tannins.

Esporão Reserva Red 2018 / SRP $25

Concept: The first wine made by Esporão in 1985. Obtained from grapes grown at Herdade do Esporão, it shows the consistency and rich character typical of the best Alentejo wines.

Label illustrated by Anne Geene.

Grape Varieties: Aragonez, Trincadeira, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouschet. 14.5% alcohol.

High scores from Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast.

EB Notes: Earthy, dark fruit, velvety, fennel, green peppercorn, spice rack – very aromatic aromas. The taste had the same spicy qualities as well as a sweetness that counterbalanced all of the dark berry flavors, very long finish.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: alcohol, Alicante Bouchet, alvarino, aroma, cabernet sauvignon, craft beer, estate, finish, flavor, fruit, organic, palate, portugal, red wine, robert parker, soil, spice, sustainable, Syrah, tannins, tasting notes, touriga nacional, variety, vintage, white wine, wine education, wine enthusiast, wine spectator, Wine tasting, winemaker

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