Category: WINE REVIEW

WINE REVIEW

Etna Bianco 2020, Mount Etna, Italy.

Post author By thegrapewizard
Post date June 24, 2023
No Comments on Etna Bianco 2020, Mount Etna, Italy.

PLANETA – MOUNT ETNA SICILY, ITALY

PRODUCER: PLANETA

GRAPE: Carricante 70%, Catarratto 20%, and Minella 10%

YEAR: 2020

ETNA BIANCO, PLANETA 2020

(W)inemaker/ (O)wner :

W: Patricia Troth

Italy

REGION Sicily : Mount Etna

DRINKING WINDOW : 2024/25

WINE REVIEW

One of the best Etna Bianco’s on the planet. Dangerously delicious : with grapes you’ve probably never hear of..

Planeta Etna Bianco D.O.C. is a high-quality Italian white wine made from grapes you’ve probably never heard of but are utterly delicious. Mount Etna is home to some of the worlds best volcanic grapes and shows a great depth of character and minimality to all the wines grown in the “shadow of anger”. Looking at the Bianco you would be mistaken if you didn’t see a yellow straw colour to its appearance.

No stinky aroma coming from the opening of the bottle but put it up to the nose for a ‘sniffy sniff ” test and you get delicate white flowers, citrus and a touch of stone fruit – most notably peach. Super fresh and great acidity this is a zesty punch of summeryness on the palate.

Established nearly 30 years ago Planeta’s ethos is patience and attention to detail. Never rushed and never swayed by pressure.

It sits , as a result, between old traditions and modern winemaking. Very much involved with environmental sustainability ( landscape conservation, renewable energy, recycled materials and sustainable agriculture)

Not only is it a joy to drink these wines from Planeta but every wine and every grape you know has been loving cared for. If they said that every grape was wrapped up in its own blanket id believe them !!!

Expect to pay £50 + in a restaurant but a lot less if you click on the link below !

Food and wine pairing

SEAFOOD

GRILLED VEG

WHITE FISH

This wine is an excellent representation of the unique terroir of the Etna region and is sure to impress any wine enthusiast.

Think elegance with this wine think subtle think restraint but its vibrant and fresh.

Find your Grape – this is a great place to start.

SUSTAINABILTY

WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

UPTO 10 Points

PRESERVE ECOSYSTEMS

UPTO 10 points

RESPONSABILITIES TOWARDS THE PLANET

UPTO 10 Points

BUT SHOULD INCLUDE THESE POINTS

Water Efficiency, Soil Health & Fertilization, Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, WastWastewater Management, Transportation, Packaging and Material Sourcing

All producers have been asked throughly with regard to their practices and their responses have resulted in their marks out of 30. Sustainability is an important aspect of the life of the vineyard and the scoring system should reflect this.

WINE & MUSIC PAIRING

APPROX COST	£	Website Link
SUPPLIER UK	£22.65	https://www.gpbrands.co.uk
SUPPLIER USA	£18.67	https://www.saratogawine.com
SUPPLIER AUSTRALIA	£12.46	https://www.enotecapirovano.com/en/

THE GRAPE WIZARD SCORING

LABEL (BORING – SEXY )

PRICE (EXPENSIVE – BARGAIN)

TASTE ( LEAVE IT – LOVE IT )

CHARACTER (IMPOSTER – ON POINT )

OVERALL QUALITY (DUST GATHERER – GRAB IT NOW

BUY AGAIN ? YES/NO

TOTAL water and energy SUSTAINABILTY POINTS

TOTAL ecosystem SUSTAINABILTY POINTS

TOTAL planet responsibility SUSTAINABILTY POINTS.

TOTAL SCORE / 50

Need an alternative region ….

NZ Pinot Gris

Urlar

.https://www.handpickedwinebox.com/product/organic-pinot-gris-urlar-pinot-gris-wairarapa-new-zealand/?utm_source=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=HPWB%20-%20Google%20Shopping-%20v2&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=7469

About £20.99

France Rock and Rolle

Vermentino 2020

https://hedonism.co.uk/product/consolation-rock-rolle-vermentino-2020

PRICE app. £28.10

Tags carricante, cataratto, dangerouslydelicious, etnabianco, fabulouswine, minella, MOUNT ETNA, patricia troth, planeta, volcanic wines

WINE REVIEW

Mac Forbes , Pinot Noir, 2018, AUS

Post author By thegrapewizard
Post date June 20, 2023
No Comments on Mac Forbes , Pinot Noir, 2018, AUS

PRODUCER: Mac Forbes

GRAPE: 100% Pinot Noir

YEAR: 2018

BUT SHOULD INCLUDE THESE POINTS

Water Efficiency, Soil Health & Fertilization, Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, WastWastewater Management, Transportation, Packaging and Material Sourcing

THE GRAPE WIZARD SCORING REVIEW

(W)inemaker (O)wner :		Cost
Mac Forbes AUSTRALIA – YARRA VALLEY		Approx £30
THE GRAPE WIZARD SCORING	SCORE OUT OF 3	SUPPLIERS
LABEL (BORING – SEXY)	3	APPROX COST £ Website Link SUPPLIER USA $35 http://www.luckysomm.com SUPPLIER AUSTRALIA
PRICE ( EXP – GOOD VALUE )	3
TASTE (LEAVE IT OR LOVE IT )	3	APPROX COST £ Website Link SUPPLIER UK £31.52 https://www.clarkfoysterwines.co.uk
CHARACTER (IMPOSTER-ON POINT)	3
OVERALL QUALITY (DUST GATHERER OR BUY IT NOW)	6	APPROX COST £ Website Link SUPPLIER AUSTRALIA http://www.macforbes.com
BUY IT AGAIN (YES/NO)	2

STAINABILITY	UPTO 10 POINTS SCORE	FOOD PAIRING
WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION	10	WHITE MEAT
PRESERVE ECOSYSTEMS	10	BEEF
RESPONSABILITIES TOWARDS THE PLANET	10	VENISON

TOTAL SCORE 0-50	50
DRINKING WINDOW		2023-24

WINE REVIEW

Any one that knows of Mac Forbes will know that he is a man of straight talking , no nonsense conversation. look after the vines, look after the fruit and the rest will reward you. Always one for top class fruit quality and always playing a fine line between characteristics in the wine Mac always produces fabulous wines for all to enjoy. Situated in the Yarra Valley the 2018 Pinot noir was a joy to taste and experience.

Even though I tried the same vintage a couple of years ago. this 2018 vintage still had that fresh crunchy red berry fruit. Visually a bright red cherry colour comes flooding out of the bottle. Light in colour , light in body it almost certainly has to be a Pinot Noir ! Being an uber cool kind of guy this wine didn’t disappoint. Red berries , red fruit come at you on the nose with an almost sweeter (I use that term sparingly) or fruit driven 2nd characteristic. Something like Rhubarb. Not as tart as you might expect but more restrained. A master at work I guess. A cleaner fruit appears on the palate – something reminiscent of a vibrant melon. Not the sweeter honeydew. more like the big red ones we all eat on holiday. Then comes the acidity. Not too much, but just enough. Elegant tannins and a lovely longer finish make this an enjoyable red to have on a summers day. Due to the crunchy notes and the light red fruit you could be as bold as to put it in the fridge to chill. Normally Primitivo and some Beaujolais would suit the cold – but here a fine wine (approx £30) is more than capable of braving the cold.

Think elegance with this wine think subtle think restraint but its vibrant and fresh.

Find your Grape – this is a great place to start.

WINE & MUSIC PAIRING

Need an alternative region ….

NZ Pinot Noir

Classic and elegant

http://www.vivino.com

About £39.99

USA – California

Fruity

https://rb.gy/bydjv

PRICE app. £64

WINE REVIEW

Chateau Ksara Rosé 2018, Lebanon

Post author By thegrapewizard
Post date March 21, 2023
No Comments on Chateau Ksara Rosé 2018, Lebanon

Ch. Ksara vineyard – Kanafar

PRODUCER: Ch. Ksara

Sunset Rosé

GRAPE: Syrah 60%, Cabernet Franc 40%,

YEAR: 2018

(W)inemaker/ (O)wner :

W: James Palgé

Lebanon

REGION : Bekka Valley

DRINKING WINDOW : 2024

WINE REVIEW

Over recent years you would find it difficult to get anywhere near Lebanon and Israel in the wine shops. Chateau Musar changed that and put Lebanon firmly on the map. Located in the Becca Valley, Chateau Ksara offers a host of styles. Producing over 3 million bottles – this is not a small setup. Set up over 160 years ago it produced Lebanon’s first dry red wine. A lot has happened in those years but if you can imagine delicate fresh fruit characters then you won’t be far wrong.

All of Chateau Ksara’s vineyards are in the prestigious Bekka Valley at an average altitude of 3000 feet above sea level. For every 100m(300 feet) equals 1 degree drop in temp. If grapes were grown on the valley floor at 10 degrees hotter than 1km above sea level youd be dodging exploding grapes every 20 paces. High up off the valley floor allows the grapes to flourish

This is a juicy and fruity Lebanese rosé with touches of spice (syrah) on the finish.

This ‘Sunset Rosé enjoys hints of strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and logan berries. Think elegance. No big ‘in your face’ fruit monsters here. Works perfect in the summer but even better in the winter looking out onto the garden with the door closed and the heating on. Why not. Rosé is just not for Christmas.

Refreshing and vibrant this doesn’t disappoint and you can find it for about £14

Pairs beautifully with: Grilled vegetables, grilled sardines with fresh lemon, grilled pork. Even go for some milder Moroccan Dishes – Paupiette of Pidgeon

GOOD TILL 2024

Price around £14 $17-$20

Music Pairing RY X – Berlin

SUSTAINABILTY

WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

UPTO 10 Points

PRESERVE ECOSYSTEMS

UPTO 10 points

RESPONSABILITIES TOWARDS THE PLANET

UPTO 10 Points

BUT SHOULD INCLUDE THESE POINTS

Water Efficiency, Soil Health & Fertilization, Pest Management, Energy Efficiency, WastWastewater Management, Transportation, Packaging and Material Sourcing

WINE & MUSIC PAIRING

APPROX COST	£	Website Link
SUPPLIER UK	£15.71	http://www.winedirect.co.uk/wines/chateau-ksara-sunset-rose-2018
SUPPLIER USA	$11.99	https://potomacwines.com/wine/ros/ksara-sunset-rose
SUPPLIER FRANCE	€14.19	https://www.liban-us.fr/ksara/387-ksara-rose-sunset.html
SUPPLIER GERMANY	€9.50	https://libanonweine.de/product/chateau-ksara-sunset-frisch-lebhaft/?utm_source=wine-searcher&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pse&utm_content=%7Bclid%7D