🙌 Excited to share an upcoming Instagram Live

 discussion with Rebekah Wineburg, the Winemaker at Quintessa in the Rutherford AVA of Napa Valley, California·

📌April 28th at 4 pm PST on Instagram Live. You can set a reminder from the countdown clock in my stories·

🗣 We will be discussing the Terroir of the Quintessa estate and how that informs the blend of the single wine they make from the land. We will be tasting the 2016 and 2017 vintage to see how vintage variation changes the wine in the glass·

 🙌 Excited to share an upcoming Instagram Live

I’ll mention the word pepper and you will stop reading or respond with “I don’t like peppery Shiraz”

The last few years there has been a lot of ‘peppery’ wines and most of them have been overpowering. Similar to how Chardonnay went way too oaky, some Shiraz went way too peppery.

Well this Shiraz from Mitchelton will change your feelings of pepper. This adds that spice with just the right amount. Just like adding some fresh grinded pepper on a perfectly cooked steak. Not too much, just a couple of turns of the grinder.

Mitchelton adds that favour of pepper without killing the wine. This is how a peppery wine should be, just a couple of twists with the grinder, not a handful of black pepper thrown in your mouth…simple…

 Mitchelton Nagambie Shiraz 2019 Rating: B Price: $25

Another one from Meerlust. This time something totally different from what I’d call a traditional Chardonnay.

Actually, I’m in doubt if the wine is a little bit off... in some weird (maybe not bad) way. No matter what, it was an exciting experience.

In the beginning, I couldn’t really place the spices of the nose. I clearly got some pineapple, kumquat, yellow apple and acacia, but there was a very special minerality and petrol-like scent. Also a bit of parmesan...

After a while in the glass it smoothed out a bit, and more classic notes showed up: Marzipan, lemon, toasted bread, buttercup and cloves.

But still with a little, weird camphor in the background.

The palate is round, medium+ bodied and has a lovely sharp acidity.

A mix of muskmelon, pomelo and lemon fromage is the main fundament of the wine, followed closely by browned butter, oak, hazelnuts, heather and clay pot. It’s also a bit petrol-like on the tongue.

I have to try it again, to see if it was off or not.

 Meerlust Estate Chardonnay, 2007 - Stellenbosch, South

 An ocean of tomatoes 🍅 Un mare di pomodori 🍅 #sanmarzano

Beating the 100 degree heat with an Etna Rosato.

Red fruits glossed with lip smacking acidity, citrus shines on the dry fruity finish. Wonderfully gluggable and refreshing.