Rosenthal Wine Merchants import some of the best wines in the world. At this week’s wine tasting we are featuring 3 of their wines, a Minervois, a Gavi and an Erbaluce. In addition to those three, we will be tasting the Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee.
This is a free event and very casual. Come anything between 4pm and 6pm and stay for as long as you like. Of course we will be providing a well appointed charcuterie board to help to cleanse your palate.
Make a night of it in Sunapee Harbor by using the tasting as a starting point to finish at Wildwood Smokehouse, the Blue Canoe or Hoptimystic.
Gavi Pleo
- White
- Cortese
Erbaluce di Caluso Etichetta Bianca [Torrazza]
- White
- Erbaluce
A fresh, dry, mineral-driven wine produced exclusively from the Erbaluce grape. As are all the grapes in the Ferrando lineup, the Erbaluce is hand-harvested. Harvest usually occurs in late September. This cuvée is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The vineyards are situated in and around the village of Caluso in the heart of the Canavese district known for its many lakes and the hillside vineyards which overlook them. Production is approximately 20,000 bottles per annum, at least half of which is dedicated to the American market.
Minervois Rouge Sentinelle de Massiac
- Red
- Syrah (67%), Carignan (33%)
The “Sentinelle” cuvée is the more precocious of the two reds produced at Massiac. The tannins are more supple and the fruit a touch sweeter, more forward and less rustic than its companion. Fermentation and élevage are in tank. The wine is bottled within a year of the harvest. The blend is three-quarters Syrah and one-quarter Carignan.
Mountain Cuvée
Sonoma County
A Bordeaux-inspired blend for everyday life that’s soft, lush and smooth but never sweet. Dangerously easy-drinking, this Merlot and Cabernet-based red wine offers balance, food-friendly structure and approachability. It’s crafted for everyday enjoyment in Sonoma Valley.
Mountain Cuvée honors the style and balance of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Sonoma County and pays homage to Bordeaux blends from France. We source vineyards from quality vineyards up against the Mayacamas Mountain range to create balance in the wine, fruit, tannin and acid, choosing plots that exhibit the style we seek. For Merlot, we want grapes that ripen well and have an expressive personality and consistency. Then we find Cabernet Sauvignon which provides a darkness to the wine – we source some of the fruit from Rhinefarm. Primarily, we use only two growers within 2 miles of our estate to create the Cuvée, or blend, controlling how the vineyard is farmed. This method allows us to get to know the vineyard and find the best way to approach it. During the winemaking process, we blend vineyard blocks together, evaluate and then create an oak program to place the finishing touches on the wine. We call this managing the wine from dirt to bottle.
Top-rated scores over the past vintages:
• 2020, 90 Points Wine Enthusiast
• 2019, 93 Points Jeb Dunnuck
La Raia’s workhorse Gavi is produced from southwesterly exposed Cortese planted at around 400 meters altitude on the estate’s gently undulating hillsides, and harvested at 60 to 70 hectoliters per hectare. After destemming and pressing, fermentation occurs via an indigenous yeast strain cultivated from the estate’s own vineyards, and aging takes place on the fine lees for three months in stainless steel, with lees-stirring every two or three weeks as needed. Clean, clinging, and vibrant, it evokes the orchard in its aromas and flavors of fresh herbs and green apples, with complicating notes of lemon zest and sea salt.