This wine was introduced in 1928 by Marquis Niccolò Antinori, as the first Chianti ever produced suited for being aged and improving over time. In 2001, Piero Antinori launched a new step in the evolution of Villa Antinori, making it a Tuscan IGT produced with the best selection of grapes originating exclusively from estates located in Tuscany. This Italian gem is a great red blend consisting of 55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Syrah.
From the Wine Maker – “The wine has an intense ruby-red color. It offers full and complex aromas which recall ripe fruit, plum jam, mint, chocolate, and tobacco. In the mouth, the wine presents itself with good body; it is round, with soft, velvety tannins. The finish is long and lingering, leaving hints of ripe fruit on the palate.”
This wine is an excellent companion for fish and meat carpaccios, shellfish, spicy seafood, seafood pasta and soup dishes.
Rating:
This wine was given a 88 point rating by Wine Spectator.
Availability:
2007 vintage in a 750 ml – Standard Bottle is currently in stock at Byram and Hackettstown for $19.99 a bottle, on sale for $16.99 a bottle 12/16/2011 to 04/18/2012. SKU#08440
The Red Hills appellation of Lake County is prime Zinfandel country, and there’s no better site for it than Snow’s Lake Vineyard, whose 2,000-foot-plus elevation make it a unique growing site in Lake County. We have three distinctive clones of Zinfandel planted at Snow’s Lake, including heritage selections from Mendocino and Amador counties and a Primitivo clone. The vines are rooted in magnificent, red volcanic soils and enjoy a perfect southwestern exposure. Warm sunny days and nights cooled by breezes from nearby Clear Lake provide ideal conditions for California’s heritage grape variety.
The Dierberg Vineyard is situated atop a sandy loam mesa above the South Bank of the Santa Maria River. The ranch features a series gently rolling hills and soils that are uncharacteristic of the growing area. The higher loam content and slightly heavier texture of our soil tends to produce Pinot Noirs that are more powerful in structure and more savory in flavor-profile than is typical for the Santa Maria Valley.
Our 2007 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of wine from several different vineyards, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. We blended the vineyard lots in early 2008 and transferred the wine to 50% new and 50% once-used American oak barrels for aging. Blending prior to barreling allows us to achieve a balance of the wine’s natural elements, such as fruit and tannin, before they are influenced by oak. The wine was then aged in barrel for approximately 25 months and another 15 months in bottle to harmonize its components before release.
Handpicked at the peak of flavor development, this 2007 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon was barrel aged in new American oak and 1-2 year old French oak for 16 months. All of the grapes from this Red Hill mountains vineyard have been organically grown and sustainably farmed for the past 10 years.
Paired with Smoked Duck Ham, pineapple & puree of white beans.
Employing dual County appellation sourcing for Ghost Pines Merlot 2007, our winemaker was able to blend a wine which accentuates the best of what Napa and Sonoma Merlot has to offer. Napa County Merlot provides lush, jammy, ripe fruit into the blend in a free-spirited manner. The Sonoma County Merlot adds fresh red and black fruits along with a strong structural foundation in a disciplined manner. The result is a wine that exhibits the best of both appellations.
Ghost Pines 2007 Chardonnay possesses expressive fruit-forward characters, the result of sourcing only Premium fruit from three of California’s most recognized Chardonnay appellations: Sonoma, Napa and Monterey Counties. Modern winemaking techniques allow this wine to express characters of baked apple, pear and lemon cream accented by an elegant and sweet vanilla finish.
