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Wine Details
Price:
$37.00 per bottle
Description:
This wine truly expresses what we think of as Iridescence of Flavors. A perfume of fresh berries, lavender, and spice rises off of the deep dark purple nectar. What do you taste? Is it those little wild strawberries you find by the side of the road? Isn’t there also a bit of interesting, slightly musky, leathery richness? That big jammy fruit core comes from the bit of hand-selected treasures from 108 year-old Zinfandel vines in Calistoga at the top of Napa Valley. Classic Sangiovese acid finishes this wine with Tuscan elegance and a bit of lavender that comes the Mt. Veeder appellation of Napa Valley.
Anam Cara means Soul Mate in Gaelic. The finish of this wine expresses so much of what we are and why we do what we do. It stays on the palate and you can ponder the flavors as they shift and change from on to another, leading you deeper and deeper…
85% Sangiovese, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley
10% Old Vine Zinfandel, Calistoga, Napa Valley
5% Cabernet Sauvignon, Calistoga, Napa Valley
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Varietal Definition
Sangiovese:
Sanguis Jovis, the Latin origin for the varietal name, literally means “blood of Jove.” Sangiovese is one of the oldest known varietals and it is likely that ancient Etruscan winemakers cultivated it, although the first literary reference to Sangiovese was in 1722. Sangiovese is probably indigenous to Tuscany, whose most famous wine is Chianti. Chianti is a blend that currently contains a minimum of 90% Sangiovese.Sangiovese thrives in hot dry climates. Because these climatic criteria generally enhance quantity, rather than quality, it takes careful cultivation and winemaking techniques to produce really excellent wine from this grape.
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Cabernet Sauvignon:
Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in France’s Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California. Though it was thought to be an ancient variety, recent genetic studies at U.C. Davis have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is actually the hybrid offspring of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon berries are small with black, thick and very tough skin. This toughness makes the grapes fairly resistant to disease and spoilage and able to withstand some autumn rains with little or no damage. It is a mid to late season ripener. These growth characteristics, along with its flavor appeal have made Cabernet Sauvignon one of the most popular red wine varieties worldwide.
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Zinfandel:
Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California wine vineyards. DNA fingerprinting revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski, and also the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in the 'heel' of Italy. It is typically made into a robust red wine. Its taste depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas such as the Napa Valley, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas such as Sonoma County. Many Zinfandels come from head pruned ‘Old Vines’. ‘Old Vine’ is generally understood to mean a vine that is more than 50 years old and that produces less than three tons per acre. ‘Head Pruning’ is an old European style of pruning that trains the vine into the shape of a goblet. It requires no wires or other complex trellis systems. Head pruning spreads the fruit uniformly along the vine and allows light penetration.In the USA a semi-sweet Rosé (blush-style) wine called ‘White Zinfandel’ has achieved widespread popularity. In fact, this popularity has so outstripped all other forms that many fans think there is actually a grape called “White Zinfandel” (there isn’t)!
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