2/7/2019 - Dr Zonda Likes this wine:

Always nice to open a bottle and your preconceptions are shattered in to volcanic rock.

Feudo di Mezzo Etna Rosso, Alta Mora 2014
Sicily, Italy
100% Nerello Mescalese
13,5% vol.
www.altamora.it

Surprised by initial peat smoke & tar scent that in the glass transformed into a nice layer of mature fruit

On the palate anis, dark berries, light bodied with nice acidity and a long finish

Only 5.685 bottles produced

The Nerello Mascalese grapes are grown at Castiglione di Sicilia, contrada Feudo di Mezzo. Vines are free-standing, in 2 hectares of vineyards set at an altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Average age of the vines is 80 years. Grapes are manually harvested second half of October. Vinification starts with light pressing and destemming, maceration at 28°C for 18-21 days. Malolactic fermentation in wood, successive fining in barrels of 25 hl and tonneaux.

11/10/2018 - Dr Zonda Likes this wine:

Syrah Reserve 2016, Trizanne Signature Wines
Elim, South Africa
100% Syrah
13.5% vol.
www.trizanne.co.za

Coffee, dark fruit, caramel

Medium+ body, with a freshness to the fruit. Wine is drinkable now with small round tannins, medium- acidity, long pleasant aftertaste. Slight heat from the alcohol but not disturbing. I don’t know if it is the coffee aromas or what it is that makes me like this wine but I REALLY like it! And it worked perfectly with the roasted lamb.

Grapes for TSW Reserve Syrah is harvested from three vineyards in Elim, each from a different clone, on soils varying from shale, gravel and ferricrete also known as Koffieklip. Elim receives appr. 450mm of rainfall per annum and has predominant South Easterly winds in the summer and North Westerly winds during the winter months. TSW philosophy is minimal intervention during the winemaking process. After de-stemming, wine fermented in open-top containers and benefited from daily punch-downs. Wine is aged for 11 months in old 225L French oak before bottling.

TSW is founded and run by Trizanne Barnard who after graduating from Stellenbosch University, with a degree in viticulture and oenology, worked in multiple vintages in Australia, France and Portugal. After returning to South Africa and working at Kelin Constantina and Anwilka she in 2008 started TSW with a focus on Elim and Swartland.

11/9/2018 - Dr Zonda Likes this wine:

Saint-Joseph, Domaine Jean-Claude Marsanne 2016
Mauves in Rhone, France
100% Syrah
13.5% vol.
www.domainemarsanne.com

Meaty tones, dark fruit, green herbs, minerals and liquorice

Dense body, with salty mineral taste, fine soft tannins, medium acid, long aftertaste, well disguised alcohol and all in all a balanced wine. Keep this in your cellar for a couple of years and I would expect it to develop very nicely

Domaine Marsanne has produced grapes for Jean-Louis Chave for may years but for the last ca 15 years Domaine Marsanne has started to produce wine under its own label. Domaine Marsanne has 6 hectars of vines with and average age of 80 years. Farming is ecological with long maceration and with fermentation in open vats, ageing in mostly old oak barrels of various size.

11/3/2018 - Dr Zonda Likes this wine:

Philtrum {Love Potion}, Aberrant Cellars 2014
Willamette Valley Oregon, USA
100% Pinot Noir
13.3% vol.
www.aberrantcellars.com

First thing that hits my mind is flat champagne, waxy overripe pears, hint of caramel, yeast but with a mineral freshness. Colour is just beautiful!

This is a dry white (!) Pinot Noir that has a velvetly smooth feel with medium+ body, medium- acidity and a nice long slightly bitter aftertaste. Alcohol of 13.3% vol. is well hidden. Being my first Pinot Noir Blanc (non-sparkling) I must say I was positively surprised, but then again I had an open mind.

It’s hard to find information about Philtrum on Aberrant Cellars webpage however on a cached version I found the following: Grapes are handpicked in the morning chill to retain the skins firm texture which allows minimal skin maceration prior to to the whole cluster being gravity-fed into the press. Gently pressing which continues until the juice turns from light bronze into a subtle shade of pink. Juice goes directly to barrel & tank. Due to the gentle pressing the production is about half of what one would have gotten from traditional white wine process. Fermentation is made in about 50/50 barrel/tank for 52-days with 40% completion of malolactic fermentation. Wine is aged for 5 months in stainless steel & French Oak Puncheons of which 25% is new. Grapes come from Julon vineyard Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA. Grapes are dry-farmed on sedimentary souls in a sustainable practice. Clones-Wadenswill, 115, Pommard.

10/28/2018 - Dr Zonda Likes this wine:

Grumello Rocca De Piro, ARPEPE 2015
Valtellina, Italy
100% Nebbiolo
13% vol.
www.arpepe.com

On the nose - minerals, violet, watery red berries and roses. But here is where I got confused, instead of powerful tannins ARPEPEs Grumello has light body, with low+ tannins and high acidity and is ready to drink. It tastes and feels very fresh with a long aftertaste and subtle alcohol. It probably reflects the growing conditions of the grapes being an alp Nebbiolo, however since it was my first alp Nebbiolo I can’t tell if that’s the case.

The Nebbiolo vines are more than 50yo and are grown on south facing slopes at 350-500m above sea level close to the Grumello Castle. Grapes are harvested in October and yields 45 hl/ha. Maceration for 110 days in chestnut, oak and acacia 50hl vats and aged for 18 months in 50hl barrels, concrete and bottles. ARPEPE has 13 hectares of vineyard all standing in grass, in the heart of the Valtellina Superiore DOCG area, around Sassella, Grumello and Inferno. All processes are entirely by hand. ARPEPE try’s to have as little intervention as possible however they are pragmatic when it comes to fighting pests and diseases. Philosophy is to make wine which reflects the area and the winemaking process to give the wines an ARPEPE signature.

10/6/2018 - Dr Zonda wrote:

After getting some air “La Bruja De Rozas” is perfumed with Juniper, red berries and a touch of VA. Wine is well balanced, considering 14.5% vol., heat and alcohol is subtle, refreshing acidity, medium tannins, light/medium body with a mineral salty aftertaste.
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Comando G is the result of the efforts by Fernando Garcia and Daniel Landi. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically with vines 50-80 years old. Grapes for “La Bruja de Rozas” are grown on sandy granite at 850m above sea level. Grapes are manually harvested and fermented on natural yeast in open vats. Maceration of 40-60 days. Wine is aged for 9 months in 30-60hl oak vats.

9/29/2018 - Dr Zonda wrote:

Sour meat juice, vinegar, VA, fruit masked completely. Smelled a bit better after 2 days, thought the wine was defect so opened another bottle that smelled exactly the same. Very disappointed considering the good grades/reviews it has gotten.

9/22/2018 - Dr Zonda wrote:

Clear wine with beautiful colour. On the nose: cherry, a bit oxidised, wet gravel and mushroom. Nice and round feeling in the mouth with small tannins of medium strength, medium acidity with medium aftertaste of dried fruit.

1/28/2018 - Dr Zonda wrote:

Ripe dark berries, marsipan, chocolate (?), light round smooth tannins, nice acidity, short aftertaste, peppers, attic.