(A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour and tonality.*)
Our flagship blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot. This year comprised of 70% Cabernet and 30% Merlot. Matured in French Oak barrels for 15 months (30% new wood). The vintage was quite a dry one with only moderate rainfall through the winter months and followed by a very long, hot (trouble-free) growing season. This resulted in small berries concentrated with lots of flavour and sugar. The wine has an impressive deep red colour. There are aromas of cigar box, dark chocolate, black cherries with well integrated wood and ripe tannins. Already drinking well but we feel this wine will really benefit from further time in the bottle.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 13%, TA 6.5 g/l, VA 0.7g/l
CONCERTO
(The term Concerto usually refers to a musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.*)
A blend of Shiraz (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%).
MINUET
(A minuet is a social dance of French origin for two persons. The name is also given to a musical composition written in the same time and rhythm, but when not accompanying an actual dance the pace was quicker. The minuet and trio eventually became the standard third movement in the four-movement classical symphony.*)
What started out as our baby, “second-label” red wine, is now finding it’s own rightful place in the range. This vintage is a blend of Tempranillo (60%) and Merlot (40%). The wine was matured in French Oak barrels for 18 months. The vintage was quite a dry one with only moderate rainfall through the winter months and followed by a very long, hot (trouble-free) growing season. This resulted in small berries concentrated with lots of flavour and sugar. A wine with a spicy character showing aromas of plum and cinnamon. Drinking well now but we expect further improvement and maturation in the bottle over the next three years.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 12,5% , TA 6,2g/l, VA 0.6
* Source: Wikipedia
(An arietta is a short aria. In music an aria was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer.*)
Arietta was a new addition to the range in the 2007 vintage. A single variety wine made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. At the time of writing this 16 July 2008 – it is already sold out! It was a full-bodied, dry white wine with aromas of green-grass and grapefruit. We will be experimenting in the next vintage with different picking techniques – to try to bring out more of the intense, fruity characteristics of this variety. Watch this space.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 13,5%, TA 6.0 g/l, RS 4 g/l
* Source: Wikipedia
SONATINA
(A sonatina is literally a small sonata. As a musical term, sonatina has no single strict definition; it is rather a title applied by the composer to a piece that is in basic sonata form, but is shorter, lighter in character, or more elementary technically than a typical sonata.*)
Moscatel de Alexandra blended with a touch of Chardonnay (20%). The vintage was a difficult one for the Moscatel variety as the rainfall from mid-August (which did not want to stop) caused a lot of rot on the bunches. We searched long and hard to find a block of grapes that could give us acceptable quality and even when we found them, the grapes had to be carefully hand-sorted to check for any offending berries. The end-result is a smaller than usual quantity of our ever-popular dry, white wine. Aromas of melons and lemon zest, a crisp and fruity wine. The chardonnay brings a creaminess and long smooth finish on the palette.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 12,5%, TA 6.3 g/l, RS <2 g/l
SONATA
(Sonata, in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a piece sung.*)
Sonata (in Chardonnay form) was a new addition to the range in the 2006 vintage. Some customers may remember our Sonata 2004 which was a barrel fermented and matured Moscatel d’Alexandria.
As we have been able to find a reliable and quality source for Chardonnay grapes (as well as our own miniature vineyard of Chardonnay (at Finca Bailey) coming on stream in the 2006 vintage) we decided that the name Sonata would now be used for this wine. A variety very close to Peter’s heart and made in the classic Burgundian style.
The 2006 vintage, with the long-hot summer was trouble-free and brought us a harvest of excellent grapes. Fermented and matured in French Oak barrels (30% new) for 11 months. (Sadly at time of writing - 16 July 2008 – also sold out!)
It is a full-bodied, dry white wine. For those of you lucky enough still to have some, the 10 months bottle maturation is really starting to bring together all the flavours and aromas of this wine. Buttery, caramel palette, firmly structured with a long, smooth creamy finish! Should still be able to enjoy for another year or so.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 13,5%, TA 6.2 g/l, RS 3,2 g/l, VA 0,43g/l
OVERTURE
(Overture (meaning opening) in music is the instrumental introduction to a dramatic choral, or, occasionally, instrumental composition.*)
A wine that was never meant to be! We never expected to make Rosado wine when we came here to Spain. And now it’s our most popular wine! This year the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha (Giro) is 55%/45%. The difficult vintage (with the rain from mid-August onwards) did not cause too much of a problem for these varieties. This year was our biggest production yet of Rosado. The aromas of strawberry are very dominant. The salmon pink colour is very delicate. It’s a fresh crisp wine with a long-finish on the palette. Serve well chilled and it’s popular for lunch-times, aperitifs, dinners & breakfast!
ANALYSIS
Alc. 13%, TA 6.4 g/l, RS 5,5 g/l
