PRINTED & PRESSED WINE SELECTIONS by Bianca Jimenez Rivera Castell’in Villa, Sangiovese, Chianti Classico, Toscana 2015 This historic winery is known for producing some of the most traditionally-crafted, age-worthy wines in the appellation. These wines are meant to last! Stylistically, the wines are classic, elegant and traditional. The Chiantis, even the “current” releases, are held back in the bottle to give added complexity and refinement. The wines display classic aromas and flavors of dried fruits and flowers, minerals and a dusty/earthy core that is uniquely Tuscan. Crushed flowers, mint, licorice, dried herbs, cedar and tobacco give the 2015 lovely aromatic complexity. You’ll notice that the 2015 is a bit more open than typical “new” releases because it was a warmer year. Montepeloso, ‘A Quo’, Toscana Rosso, Livorno, Toscana 2017 - Montepulciano/Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese/Marselan/Alicante Tucked away in the hills of Suvereto near Bolgheri on the Tuscan Coast – one of the hottest areas in Tuscany – is the 15-acre Montepeloso estate. The winemaker, Fabio Chiarelotto, admits about his wine that it’s “easy to produce concentrated wines in such a hot climate…but it’s much harder to achieve elegance and finesse.” In order to take full advantage of the terroir’s potential, he overhauled the vineyards in 1997 – retraining, pruning, and even regrafting many vines. In the cellar, he does relatively short macerations, employs natural yeasts during fermentation, and bottles without filtration. First introduced with the 2008 vintage, A Quo is intended to be an affordable way to introduce consumers to the estate’s unique aesthetic. The 2017 A Quo is the only wine Montepeloso bottled in a brutal, challenging vintage in which dehydration took with it 40% of the potential crop. All of the best fruit went into the A Quo, which is positively stellar in 2017. Red cherry jam, mint, cedar and wildflowers are all wonderfully fused together in a sumptuous, racy Bolgheri red that punches well above its weight. Codice Citra, ‘Caroso’, Riserva, Montepulciano d’Abuzzo, Abruzzo 2015 The name of this winery hails from the region, ‘Citra’ is a latin adverb for two regions which Abruzzo was once divided into the kingdom of the Bourbons and the Pontifical State dating back to the 18th century. Citra Codice consists of fruit from nine participating cooperatives and was founded in 1973. You’ll be pleased with this with from Abruzzo, classic rich tannins, notes of mulberrys, sour cherries, leather and sweet spices. Señorío de P. Peciña, T Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain 2009 Tempranillo/Graciano /Garnacha Bodegas Hermanos de Peciña is firmly planted in the old school camp. Although the estate was started only in 1992, its founder, Pedro Peciña had worked for over 20 years prior to that as the head agronomist for La Rioja Alta, learning all facets of produc- tion and especially the planting and managing of all the estate’s vineyards. These vineyards consist of old vines - many 40 to 60 years old. The wine ages in used American oak for 4 years with 8 manual rackings (every 6 months). The wine further ages a minimum of 3 year in bottle before being released to the market. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is a fine wine of intense nose with ripe fruit, toffee and chocolate, reduction with a classic bouquet of leather and tobacco. Spicy finish with smooth, velvety tannins. Robert Craig, ‘Affinity’, Napa Valley 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Malbec/Petite Verdot Founder Robert (Bob) Craig began his long and storied career in wine at The Hess Collection on Mount Veeder in the 1980s. Prior to starting his eponymous winery, Bob’s passion for Napa Valley Mountain Cabernet had him spearheading the official recognition of both the Mount Veeder and Spring Mountain District AVAs.Elton and the Robert Craig Winery crew continue to honor Bob’s founding principles of producing small-lot, site-expressive wines from high elevation vineyards with shallow soils. The “Affinity” Label is harvested from the La Londe Vineyard in the Mt. George foothills just south of Stag’s Leap, this single-vineyard release captures the expression of this extraordinary vineyard site. The 2017 opens with aromas of black cherry, blueberry pie, dried floral tones, and a touch of baking spices. On the palate, richer fruits like plum emerge, which offers both grip and angularity on this long finish. Galardi, ‘Terra di Lavoro’, Roccamonafina, Campania 2016 Aglianico/Piedirosso The family-owned Galardi estate produces just one wine and it does so with perfection. Located on volcanic slopes in northwest- ern Campania, the vineyards are nestled among chestnut groves and benefit from Mediterranean Sea breezes. Terra di Lavoro actually means “land of work” in Italian, a name that has historical roots, but also accurately reflects the difficult volcanic soil composition which results in very low yields. In this challenging environment, Aglianico and its supporting grape Piedirosso produce wines of incredible depth, complexity and elegance. Yields and overall volume are very low, only a few thousand bottles are produced each year, although the winery will have almost 30 acres under production in the future. By focusing on the native SPQRSF.COM.