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Wine Details
Price:
$49.99 per bottle
Description:
“Ottimo” is a barrel select wine we make every year from the top barrels of each vintage. Each year we grade and select 5 to 10 barrels from our Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc barrels to make one wine. The grading is partial to mouth feel, extraction and complexity. Each year it can be Cabernet Sauvignon focused, Merlot focused, Cabernet Franc focused or a blend in between. What ever the blend is, it is stylistically rich, complex and full in the mouth. The 2000 “Ottimo” is no exception. It carries the same if not better quality than the 1999 vintage. The 2000 “Ottimo” is very Cabernet Sauvignon forward, with 90%, but tamed with 10% Merlot. The wine shows a rich mouth feel with lush perfume notes that envelope a dense core of black cherry and plum, with hints of tobacco and chocolate. The wine from the front, mid, to the back pallet is complete. The finish has marked d tannins that don’t overpower the wine, but integrate with the fruit. The wine is balanced with tannin and acidity for long term aging.
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Varietal Definition
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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Merlot:
Merlot is known as a Noble Bordeaux varietal. Although it came to France in the first century, it was not named until the 1880s. Merlot was originally used only for blending, as it is soft and compliant, very useful in softening other Bordeaux wines like Cabernets. Recently in California and Chile it became popular as a 100% varietal wine. Merlot tends to be easier to grow in a variety of soil conditions and is harvested earlier in the year than Cabernet. Although most Merlots are made to be drunk earlier, there are many with complexities of a Cabernet. Flavors of plum, black cherry, violet, chocolate and orange pair well with rich, red pasta dishes, hearty chicken dishes, and any beef combination that you fancy. The perfect match of course is chocolate. Not only does the chocolate compliment the wine and vice-versa, but the essence of both flavors linger eternally.
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Cabernet Franc:
Cabernet Franc is an accessible, spicy, herbal, dark blue grape variety that is often compared to Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc tends to be softer and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon, although the two can be difficult to distinguish. Sometimes the French refer to Cabernets, which could mean either of the two grapes. Its typical aromas include an herbaceous and pronounced peppery nose, even in ripe fruit, and something eerily like tobacco. The Cabernet Franc ripens at an earlier stage, which gives it reason to exist in the Bordeaux area. In the Loire, where we find it a lot, it gives a clear red fresh and fruity wine.
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