Country: France Region: Alsace
Varietal: Gewürztraminer Vintage: 2023
Category: White Wine Style: Dry
Producer: Cave de Hunawihr
Hunawihr was founded in 1954. Today, Hunawihr is equipped with a renovated winery, 110 members and 200 hectares of vineyards. Eighty percent of the vineyards are situated in Hunawihr and its surroundings, Riquewihr and Zellenberg. The Grand Cru holdings amount to 13 hectares and include Rosacker, Froehn, Sporen, Schoenenbourg and Osterberg. The wines are fresh, clean, dry and aromatic, with good balancing acidity. Of Rosacker's 26 hectares in total, Hunawihr owns 11 hectares, of which 60% of this is Riesling planted on clay and limestone soils. The Grand Cru Riesling Rosacker is Hunawihr's flagship wine. It is versatile, with the ability to age and develop, as well as being a delight to drink now.
Winemaker: Nicolas Garde
Vineyards:
Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace wine region has a semi-continental climate which stays sunny and dry throughout the growing season, and this lengthens the ripening period for the grapes. The slopes surrounding Hunawihr, a picturesque village of half-timbered houses and a 14th century church, are some of the most celebrated in Alsace for grape-growing. Cave de Hunawihr’s fruit is sourced from 25 year-old vines grown in vineyards running along the south and south-east facing hillside slopes around the village, at an altitude of 250-320 metres. The vineyards cover an area of 36 hectares, located on a geological fault line across Ribeauvillé which gives soils composed of clayey limestone marl and chalky gravels.
Vinification:
This Gewürztraminer was made from a blend of micro-parcels from the Hunawihr vineyards, picked at optimum ripeness. The temperature controlled fermentation took place between 16-18°C for three weeks, followed by four months in stainless steel tanks to settle before careful filtration. No malolactic fermentation was allowed to take place.
Tasting Notes:
PL Award 1:Silver - SWA 2017 PL Award 2:Silver - IWC 2016
PL Award 3:Silver - DWWA 2013
Country: Italy Region: Lombardia Vintage: NV
Varietal: Sparkling (Champagne style) Category: Sparkling White
Colour: White
Producer: Bellavista
"This estate makes Italy's finest sparkling wines from its 200 hectares of vineyard situated in the western part of the Franciacorta zone in a natural amphitheatre. The glacial soil is full of stones and provides the ideal environment for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes used in the production of their Franciacorta.
The property was founded when Vittorio Moretti bought the hill called 'Bellavista', because of its stunning view, in the early 1970s. His grandfather had farmed in Franciacorta, where Moretti was born and, after making his money in construction he returned to buy this superb site. His first vintage in 1979 was made with the idea of having his own wine to drink with friends. In 1981, however, he met a young winemaker called Mattia Vezzola and from this meeting was born the partnership that has transformed Bellavista into Italy's leading producer of quality sparkling wine.Today Francesca, Vittorio's daughter, is leading the company following Vittorio's steps. They have an approach to production that is astonishing in the way it cuts no corners. Having gone to all this effort, Moretti wanted to ensure the bottle looked good, so he had his own design produced by the Murano glass factory in Venice. It is a work of art.The wines stand out for their finesse and elegance, making a second glass irresistible! Founder Vittorio Moretti often refers to the wines' digestibility, hence making them ideal food wines, or perfect simply as an aperitif or digestif. The Alma is now called Alma Grand Cuvée as the wines spends at least 40 months on the lees before desgorgement. The Satèn is a sumptuous 100% Chardonnay while the 'Vittorio Moretti', only produced in exceptional vintages, is something else.In addition to the sparkling range, Be