Fully opaque, but filled with violets and deep ruby reds, this 2016 Merlot ferments for 20 months in medium toasted barrels made from new French oak heads and American oak staves.
The texture of this wine could be described as extremely rich, considering this white wine has not undergone malolactic fermentation. The winemaker has only one thing to say about this Verdelho: “It has a subtle smell to palate explosion!”
Subtle in the nose, this wine begins with hints of umami characteristics (think savory, freshly baked bread) that stems from its most traditional méthode Champenoise production. With a light swirl, careful not to disturb the bubbles -- a plush wave of strawberry fruit rolls through. But don’t wait too long for that initial sip, the vivacious explosion of even more strawberries, bubbles, and texture allows a person to understand the passion that goes into the making of a sparkling wine.
Once the cork is popped, ever so quietly of course, a myriad of dark rich fruit aromas burst from the glass. We normally recommend a few seconds of bouquet appreciation before the first sip, but for this wine, we just can’t wait. Texture and bubbles galore, with ever-lingering cherry, licorice, and red currant leave this wine a little hard to comprehend, but we know you can handle it.
The Reserve tier of our Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon is only released in years when the grapes have reached outstanding quality. We employ a very stringent selection process of vineyard blocks on which we have enhanced our growing practices. There is a further narrowing of selection during fermentation and then the final phase is individual barrel selection.
A new adventure with an old friend. La Belle emphasizes all things lovely about the Muscatel varietal that we have adored, and unfortunately forgotten about over the years. This Muscatel, known by the more common name of Muscat, offers insight into a whole new world of what can be achieved when this grape is produced in a new style. More simply put - this is not your grandma’s Muscat...we mean Muscatel. With that said, we invite you on this journey of rediscovery.
This Grenache pairs best with a juicy prime rib, a side of steamed artichoke with warm butter, some boneless spare ribs, or a pasta with a rich white sauce. This wine matures beautifully with age, so store some bottles for your cellar and a few for enjoying for now.
