Finca La Emperatriz is a winery with an extensive vineyard estate in Rioja Alta.
Viñedos Hermanos Hernáiz is the new project of brothers Eduardo and Víctor, who in 1996 acquired Bodega La Emperatriz, named as such because the first owner of these plots was Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III and Empress of France. With this new emphasis and with new projects at hand, the winery changed its name but its high-end wines retain the Finca La Emperatriz signature, the name of the ‘viñedo singular’ they come from, which is given to small, old plots with limited but high quality production and which, in summary, must comply with a series of strict standards to prove their quality. The grapes used to make El Jardín de la Emperatriz Tinto come from plots where the soils are mostly composed of white boulders over a sandy-loam structure and where the vines have an average age of 25 years old.
Since January 2020, the range of Classic Blends and Single Plot wines have disappeared, giving way to four new labels: a high-end red and white called “Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino”, a blend of traditional Rioja varieties from a “viñedo singular”, a pure expression of terroir, like the great chateaux of Bordeaux; and their respective younger brothers also from the same estate, called El Jardín de la Emperatriz.
For more info, visit Finca La Emperatriz / Hermanos Hernáiz website.
Originally Venetian wine traders in 1912, the Fabiano family moved to Verona in 1956 to produce wine on a larger scale, sourcing fruit from Estate and contract vineyards in Soave, Bardolino, and Valpolicella.
From vineyards located in the hills of Valpolicella Classica, with particular interest in the municipalities of Negrar and S. Pietro in Cariano, on loose red soils with good presence of limestone, this is a wine of ancient origins (hence the historic label) for its conception, where the Ripasso technique represents the tradition of Valpolicella and allows to obtain a wine with a singular complexity and personality.
Elegance. Structure. Balance. These are the elements of the extraordinary. You find them in the soaring work of architecture, the perfect line of poetry, the ballerina’s graceful leap, and in the exquisitely crafted Napa Valley wines of First Press Wine Cellars.
First Press Wine Cellars focuses on the two varietals which best exemplify California’s premier winegrowing region, a richly textured Cabernet Sauvignon and a brightly refreshing Chardonnay.
With a long lasting tradition which spans many generations, the Garcés Silva family has developed a deep bond with the land, imprinting a unique quality-seal to each of its different agricultural activities.
With its noble and traditional style, Amayna wines are synonymous with elegance, complexity and concentrated flavors.
Whether consumed today or after years in the cellar, Amayna wines reflect the maximum expression of their terroir and the identity of the Garcés Silva family in the Leyda Valley.
With a long lasting tradition which spans many generations, the Garcés Silva family has developed a deep bond with the land, imprinting a unique quality-seal to each of its different agricultural activities.
With its noble and traditional style, Amayna wines are synonymous with elegance, complexity and concentrated flavors.
Whether consumed today or after years in the cellar, Amayna wines reflect the maximum expression of their terroir and the identity of the Garcés Silva family in the Leyda Valley.
With a long lasting tradition which spans many generations, the Garcés Silva family has developed a deep bond with the land, imprinting a unique quality-seal to each of its different agricultural activities.
With its noble and traditional style, Amayna wines are synonymous with elegance, complexity and concentrated flavors.
Whether consumed today or after years in the cellar, Amayna wines reflect the maximum expression of their terroir and the identity of the Garcés Silva family in the Leyda Valley.
The name Cielo e Terra (literally Sky and Land, or Heaven and Earth) recreates a perfect marriage, where Heaven is represented by the family of the same name and the Land is identified with the expert hands of the winegrower partners working in the vineyards that yield these wines.
Following Venetian tradition to import opulent southern Italian wines to enrich the Northern style blends, this master winemaker’s expertise was applied to an amazing territory, Apulia, the so-called Italian “heel”.
L’Elisir D’Amore is an Italian 19th century opera buffa by Gaetano Donizetti. It tells the story of the charlatan pharmacist Dulcamara whose “love filter”, in truth a bottle of Bordeaux, helps Nemorino conquer the heart of the beautiful Adina despite Belcore’s interference. A complex tale of ploys and passion, with the sweet tones of love and the bitter taste of jealousy – it offers a representation of wine as a powerful love filter that is fitting with the charming wisely-balanced intensity of I Giusti & Zanza wines.
The Red Nemorino’s composition varies slightly from vintage to vintage. It is primarily composed of Syrah (about 60%), with additions of Merlot and Sangiovese, as well as small shares of Alicante, according to the vintage.
The agricultural conduction is organic and biodynamic in the vineyards.
Son and grandson of Jean Pabiot, Alain and Jérôme manage the Domaine des Fines Caillottes within the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. The terroirs, mainly clay limestone, are therefore very varied: white limestone pebbles known as “caillottes”, marl with small fossilized oysters (kimmeridgian) and flint. This diversity of terroirs gives the estate’s wines their aromatic complexity.
The Cuvée Séduction is vinified for one year on the lees, which through prolonged aging and frequent stirring will give the wine a lot of richness, silky and aromatic breadth while preserving the fruity aromas.
Certified TERRA VITIS (for the respect of the environment, Men and wines produced) and HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE (for the respect of biodiversity and the reduction of the inputs).
Son and grandson of Jean Pabiot, Alain and Jérôme manage the Domaine des Fines Caillottes within the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. The terroirs, mainly clay limestone, are therefore very varied: white limestone pebbles known as “caillottes”, marl with small fossilized oysters (kimmeridgian) and flint. This diversity of terroirs gives the estate’s wines their aromatic complexity.
“Kiméride” comes from Kimmeridgian, the period of the geological formation of this terroir. This vintage is a selection of plots from this terroir whose limestone stones are dotted with fossils (ammonites, small oysters, etc.). This cuvée is produced only with the best vintages, and exclude grapes from young vines.
Richness, concentration, elegance and intense aromas of ripe fruit characterize this Pouilly-Fumé which expresses the quintessence of Sauvignon.
Certified TERRA VITIS (for the respect of the environment, Men and wines produced) and HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE (for the respect of biodiversity and the reduction of the inputs).
“La Burgondie” was the historical region of France that gave rise to the term Burgundy. The legendary little knight character that appears on the bottles truly captures the essence of La Burgondie. Courageous, confident and loyal. A forward-thinking, like-minded group of individuals who are fiercely proud of their Burgundian roots, their beautiful region and their wines. The same wines, produced using environmentally friendly farming methods, which are evocative of the hard-working co-operative-winemaker families who give their all, and have done so for generations.
The village of Mercurey is situated in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise and is one of the largest winegrowing appellations of Burgundy. The vines grow at altitudes between 230 and 320 meters in limestone-marl soils on slopes facing the midday sun. Mercurey benefits from cooler climatic conditions than the Côte de Beaune, thus ripening is later but cellaring potential is very good.
D’Alamel wines embody the outstanding growing conditions found in Chile, where they are born between the South Pacific ocean and the foothills of the Andes Mountains.
These wines are named in honour of Cyril D’Alamel de Bournet, who co-founded Lapostolle Wine with his wife Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle.
D’Alamel wines are the result of careful soil management, pruning, leaf pulling, and green harvests to ensure the right conditions for healthy vines that deliver their finest fruit year after year.
This D’Alamel Cabernet Sauvignon is perfectly balanced, with youthful and bright characteristics, perfect for any occasion.
D’Alamel wines use ecological bottles that are 14% lighter and made with recycled glass, and the raw ingredients used for the labels, boxes, and corks come from certified sustainable forests.
After years of research and selection, Lapostolle is now launching a Single Vineyard wine from Apalta: Parcelle 8.
It is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with extremely low yields., which ensures a lot of concentration in the wine.
First commercially released wine from old-vine cabernet sauvignon, grown on its own rootstock with the vast majority from 1910.
It’s made in a fraction of the quantity of Clos Apalta, basically a secret reserve-bottling and originally made just for the owners to drink, James Suckling was the first to taste it first and immediately gave the Parcelle 8 a great score: 98/100 points.
Complex and intense with a rare mineral quality for the hot 2020 vintage.
In 2014, Clos Apalta gave birth to its second wine, Le Petit Clos de Clos Apalta, in order to offer a different interpretation of this unique terroir, using the same grapes, but in different proportion, and offering young vines a chance to prove their worth before thay can make it into the Grand Vin.
The 2020 vintage was a challenging one due to climatic disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the dry conditions resulted in excellent sanitary conditions for the fruit. The harvest began 10 days earlier than usual and was carried out with sector-by-sector, block-by-block harvesting due to uneven maturity. Quality control and selective harvesting led to reasonable yields of excellent quality. This season has delivered elevated levels of most compounds of the grape must: sugars, tannins, and an unexpectedly impressive acidity. The COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenge. Despite the hurdle, the team’s unfaltering commitment resulted in a successful harvest.
“Le Petit Clos is a different interpretation of the Clos Apalta Terroir, using the mastery of blending that is the heart of the winemaking philosophy from the Domaines Bournet ”. – Jacques Begarie, Chief Winemaker.
Made with Organic Grapes and Biodynamic vineyard management.
The brand Le Preare was created by Cantina Valpolicella Negrar to pay tribute to a history, where previous generations very often paid a very high price, allowing todays generation of vine growers to benefit from the hard work of their forefathers.
Located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classico, this area was also known for its prestigious stones, such as the red marble of Verona. It was widely used by the Venetians when building their villas. However, the use of other local stones, less prestigious then marble, was wide spread. The antique mines where the stone was taken, were called “preare” in local dialect. The local stones were used to separate the vineyards and also to build the terraces, allowing the vines to grow also on steep slopes.
This Amarone truly expresses the company philosophy, shown through the wine’s balance between elegance and structure. Made from grapes grown in the Valpolicella Classica zone, which undergo “appassimento” (gentle drying) before ageing in large oak barrels for a minimum of 24 months and further maturation of 6-8 months in bottle.
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