SAN ANGELO PINOT GRIGIO CASTELLO BANFI WINE ESTATE MONTALCINO, TUSCANY, ITALY

 By:  Ed "The Wine Guy"

Montalcino: the home of the Super Tuscans, Brunello di Montalcino, and San Angelo Pinot Grigio. We usually think of Italian Pinot Grigio as coming from the northeast of Italy (the wider Venice area). However, San Angelo, in my opinion, rivals - if not surpasses - the Pinot Grigios of northeast Italy, including Santa Margherita, which for a long time has been the standard of that varietal. Perhaps Santa Margherita has been the standard because it was the first Pinot Grigio to have such an impact, just as Cloudy Bay was the first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to create such a stir. Both wines have achieved the status of cult wines, with the resultant higher prices. Don't get me wrong, both Santa Margherita and Cloudy Bay are very good wines, but others have come along that, in my opinion, have equaled, if not surpassed, them. For example, Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc and San Angelo Pinot Grigio. Many vineyards worldwide - too many, really - have jumped on the Pinot Grigio bandwagon; it is their new cash-cow; the proliferation offers nothing or very little that is unique/distinctive, similar to so many Merlots, which are interchangeable: if you have tasted one, you have tasted a hundred. San Angelo has a fuller body than most Pinot Grigios; no oak; it is crisp; fresh; refreshing; with flavors and aromas of peach and a hint of anise; with a good finish (how long it stays with you). Vernaccia, from the region of San Gimignano, and San Angelo are my two favorite Italian white wines. Taste and see!

 

DONA PAULA ESTATE MALBEC and RED BLEND BLACK EDITION

By: Ed "The Wine Guy"

DONA PAULA ESTATE MALBECMENDOZA, ARGENTINA

Originally, the Malbec grape was used in blends in Bordeaux, France. Argentina has taken the grape and produced wines that are exclusively Malbec, bringing out its true varietal characteristics - as Chile has done with Carmenere, Australia with Syrah (Shiraz), and, it can be said, New Zealand with Sauvignon Blanc. This Malbec is typical of the Mendoza region of Argentina, possessing, arguably, the best climate and soil to produce the best Malbec. It exhibits aromas and flavors of black fruits, violets, spices, with mineral notes. The Dona Paula Estate Vineyards are managed using sustainable agricultural practices.

DONNA PAULA ESTATE RED BLEND BLACK EDITION

Red Blends are easy to drink, which is one of the reasons why they have become so popular. A Red Blend typically consists of 40-50% of one type of grape and a smaller mix of 2 or more other grapes. It has a long tradition, as exemplified by the blends of Bordeaux, France - which were referred to in the Downton Abbey production as Claret. This wine is a blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon (structure, tannin concentration), and Petit Verdot (tones of violet and leather), each grape adding specific characteristics. It exhibits aromas and flavors of dark berries, dark chocolate, and spice, with a velvety mouthfeel and a smooth finish.