The Valpane Estate in Monferrato has been producing award winning wines since 1898 Pietro Arditi is the third generation stewarding this property and he continues the way his ancestors did farming small plots of mostly Barbera without and pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers; preferring to let the grapes stress to produce the most intense flavorful wines possible.
Bordeaux in general always benefits from a bit of aging: it can soften the structure and reveal those secondary fruity notes that can help balance out those classic leather & tobacco flavors. While both wines have some aging already under their belt, the Chateau Bourbon is ready now.
We all need help once in a while and there’s a lot going on this week….why not allow us to pitch in lend a hand???
Because there’s nothing quite like the prospect of sitting down with family during the holidays that makes us NEED wine, we thought we’d let you know that….
Fabrizio Bianchi is one of Chianti Classico’s greatest innovators and artists. A successful textile manufacturer from Milan, Bianchi purchased Monsanto in 1961 and ever since has been a pioneer in Chianti. He acquired Monsanto with “a consciousness that he was walking on a treasure, not of gold, but mere land.”
Tempranillo in it’s youth can be aggressive with the tannins & pretty acidic which means it usually needs some time in the bottle to mellow out. This little nugget already has 8 years under its belt so the works been done, and on top of that, this particular wine falls in the category of truly affordable. An astounding value!!!
“The partners have redesigned the inside of the store, which is located in an historical building in downtown South Egremont along Karner Brook, opening most of it up into one big room with lots of natural light. There’s a mixture of unusual antiques — a footbath filled with ice, and an old church altar that serves as the register desk — and modern couches and coffee tables for hanging out.”
“The shop is decidedly chic with none of the usual package store retail racks, cash registers and bottle deposit machines in site. Just about every display was purchased at an antique store and refurbished to hold wine — the bulk of the store’s merchandise — and spirits.