“Bastianich (the estate) is a young property, but the future seems very bright… [they] are well on the path of building top-notch track records of their own.”
— Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

The region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia lies in the far northeast corner of Italy. Its central city, Udine, is about 90 minutes northeast of Venice. The Bastianich winery consists of 28 hectares (70 acres). The vineyards are located in the Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC and are in two distinct zones. The original vineyard in Buttrio/Premariacco lies on the southernmost hills in the DOC. It is influenced by the warmth of the sea and is famous for producing wines of great power. The second property, in Cividale del Friuli, is influenced by the bora, or north wind. With cooler nights, the wines are much more aromatic. Both areas share similar soil, ponca, the crumbly sandstone gives the wines their signature mineral backbone.

“Within a few years, with the help of consulting enologist Marizio Castelli, they have been able to produce some very good to outstanding whites at the small property”
— Wine Spectator

Vespa Bianco

45% Chardonnay. 45% Sauvignon. 10% Picolit. 5-25 year old vines densely planted on calcareous marl. Each variety is vinified separately in 50% 4000-liter oak ‘botti’ and 50% stainless steel. The Picolit ferments in 500 liter Tonneaux. Malo- Lactic fermentation is limited to 50%. Following vinification, the wines rest in their respective vessels for almost a year on the lees before final blending. 2500 cases produced.

Vespa Rosso

Plus

A single-vineyard of sixty-year-old vines, on a perfectly exposed hilltop, yields an extreme example of the native Friulano. Old-vine Tocai harvested at optimum ripeness. Ten-percent of the harvested fruit undergoes an additional period of appassimento and, if conditions are right, an attack of the noble rot, botrytis, adding another layer of depth and complexity.

100% Friulano. Fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel, and 60% of the wine goes through malo-lactic fermentation. Bottle-aged for 1 year after 9 months sur lies aging with daily batonnage. 400 cases produced.

Vinecraft distributes the Bastianich wines in Florida exclusively.

 

Sustainable practices are essential to the long-term survival of any entity, be it a farm, an individual or a corporation.

However, sustainability is a nebulous term, with various definitions and contexts. Most consumers are familiar with the “organic” term, however there are many more layers and levels to sustainability than that.

In our printed portfolio, we have taken measures to highlight our producers sustainability practices when we are given that information. We place an eye-catching icon next to the producers that indicate whether they are certified organic, biodynamic or use other sustainable methods. (Lutte raisonée, L.I.V.E., S.I.P., etc.)

To go along with our recent re-design of our website, we will be highlighting each producer’s sustainability practice as well. Visitors to our site will be able to search by sustainability category and they will even be highlighted in our main navigation bar. If we have the information from our suppliers, we will add it to each producer’s profile, which is accessed by clicking on the tiles on our front page.

It’s not much, but it should help us clear up the fog around sustainability.

As a child, Founder and Vineyard Manager, David Nemarnik, played on the wine press once owned by his great-grandfather, Salvatore Dindia, a farmer and produce distributor in Portland at the turn of the 20th Century. Family trips to Italy and Croatia nurtured an appreciation for the timeless way of life his European relatives have embraced for generations, one that celebrates wine as a part of life and culture.

Following a long career in the produce business and inspired to grow and make hand-crafted, world class Pinot noir, David set out to find the right soil. After many years of scouting the Willamette Valley, he eventually found what would become Alloro while searching by bicycle. Les and Pearl Longway had been farming their soil since the 1940s and recalled how their farm equipment skipped over the hardened paths that crossed the land; paths used by native Americans as they traveled down the hillside to get water from Baker Creek. Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this 78 acre site is ideally situated in a very special, temperate mesoclimate.

Growing world class Pinot noir starts with a special place, but cannot reach its full potential without careful tending.  Under the supervision of Vineyard Manager David Nemarnik, care of the vineyard requires hand labor and careful attention to detail.  Crop levels are carefully planned and adjusted and canopies are meticulously maintained by hand, to assure balance and optimal ripening.  In addition, there are many eyes that keep a careful watch on what is happening at Alloro.  In addition to David’s careful eye, our Vineyard Forman, David Lopez, and Winemaker, Tom Fitzpatrick, keep constant watch.  Alloro’s philosophy is rooted in a respect for the land and in practices that protect and nurture our soils.  The preservation and improvement of the soil’s health and fertility are fundamental. Alloro is L.I.V.E. certified and sustainably-farmed.  Our vineyard practices are based on a holistic approach, involving the entire farm as an agro-ecosystem, focused on protecting natural biological cycles.

2010 Chardonnay

Mineral and tropical fruit notes greet the nose, with hints of cinnamon and Cream Soda. On the palate, the wine is slightly textured and full bodied with balanced acidity, smooth, round and complex with pineapple, mineral notes, and hints of cream soda on the finish.

130 cases produced.

2010 Pinot Noir

Pure cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and Italian spice, with notes of rose petal, mint, cinnamon, clove, and dried leaf.  This is a full-body wine, with structured acidity, and broad, silky tannin with pleasurable persistence.  This wine has a long finish with cherry, mixed spice, and floral tones.

1,250 Cases Produced.

“Sleek and refined, with a nice point to the black cherry and mineral flavors, lingering with haunting delicacy on the finish. Drink now through 2018. 1,250 cases made. –HS”
— Wine Spectator, 92 points

2010 Riservata Pinot Noir

Intense cherries and blackcherries, rose petal, cracked black pepper, and Italian spice, with notes of mint, smoke, and sarsaparilla root.  This is a very full-body wine, with structured acidity, and broad, silky tannin with great persistence.  This wine has a very long finish with a melange of black cherries, clove, cinnamon, cola, and smoke, with floral undertones.  Like the 2010 Pinot Noir, this wine was crafted to capture all the same elements that express our estate, but was blended to build additional body, weight, and texture, as well as add even more complexity through the use of more new oak.

300 Cases Produced.

“Polished, expressive and distinctive, offering meaty, savory overtones around a silky core of black cherry and mulberry fruit, coming together with intensity and harmony on the finish. Drink now through 2020. 300 cases made. –HS”
— Wine Spectator, 93 points

Vinecraft distributes the Alloro wines exclusively in Florida.

A “trivium” is Latin for “a place where three ways meet“, and Trivium as a wine is a partnership of three friends. There may be no other wine that better fits the Vinecraft Portfolio.

Trivium was conceived in a St. Helena neighborhood where three long-time friends lived and raised their children for two decades. Stuart Harrison has been a fixture in the Napa Valley wine business since the 1970′s, having been a director at Domaine Chandon, Opus One, and currently serving as Director of Sales and Marketing at Continuum. Doug Wight is a fifth-generation St. Helena grower who has supplied grapes to some of the finest Napa Valley producers for years. Winemaker Jack Stuart grew up in the orchards of Santa Clara Valley and has made wine in every vintage since 1975.

Trivium makes exactly one wine, from one specific parcel of one specific vineyard, in minuscule quantities. The wine is composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the “Les Ivrettes” block, French for “tipsy girls,” a reference to the days when the three partner’s daughters would play amongst the vines during gatherings with friends.

Trivium Partners in Vineyard

Les Ivrettes is a specific block of Wight’s family’s historic Lewelling Vineyard, originally planted on gravelly St. Helena benchland by Doug’s great-great grandfater in 1864. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 7 on 1103 Paulsen rootstock. The Lewelling Vineyard is one of the oldest continuously-farmed vineyards in the North Coast.

“We set out to make a cabernet in the spirit of the years when we first got into the wine business in the 1970ʹ′s… Our stylistic choice is based on our desire to make a wine that we ourselves want to drink… This IS your father’s cabernet.”
— Stuart Harrison, Trivium co-owner

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Les Ivrettes Vineyard’

Trivium 2009 Cabernet is a striking deep crimson. Warm aromas of spicy berries and roasted hazelnuts are layered over Les Ivrettes’ distinctive terroir, with hints of cinnamon, savory herbs, and the sweet perfume of tight-grained French oak. Dense andrich on the palate, the wine displays tones of huckleberries, dried cherries and dark cocoa. Flavors and structure are well integrated, with youthful grip promising a long life for complexity development. Trivium’s long, plummy finish is graceful yet insistent.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Hand-harvested and hand-sorted. Grapes were destemmed and placed in an open-top fermentor and punched down by hand 2-3 times per day for 20 days. Aged for 19 months in casks, 53% new and 74% French. Bottle aged for 12 months before release. 433 cases made.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon caresses the palate with layers of expressive dark red fruit, flowers, licorice and spices. This is a radiant, generous Cabernet that can be enjoyed today, but that also appears to have the stuffing to age nicely for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021.
— The Wine Advocate, 91 points

SPECIAL PRESALE OFFER

We have been offered just 50 six-packs of this singular wine, just released after extended bottle aging. Last year’s 2008 offering sold out within days of release, so do not miss this opportunity.

For more information on Trivium wines, please visit their website at www.triviumwine.com.

Presale offer expires March 1. Wine is expected mid-March and will ship upon arrival.

Maggie Harrison’s star continues to rise, with each vintage bringing more and more requests for our tiny allocation. And now, they are embarking on a brave new journey to explore the limits of what is possible from the Oregon terroir.

Starting with this 2011 vintage, Maggie is no longer producing a “basic” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Let us explain…

Starting in 2008, they began to notice that some barrels from the Cherry Grove vineyard tucked away in the northwestern corner of the Willamette Valley were giving them beguiling results — this cool site on the outer reaches of the valley produced tiny, thick-skinned berries that yielded inky, purple wines with blue fruit aromas, yet without the weight and thickness one would expect.

Maggie has begun to find this expression not only in Cherry Grove, but in a few special barrels from each site they work with. Rather than blending them into a larger Willamette-bottling, the barrels with these flavors and aromas have been culled and curated into a wine called Ceras that serves as counterpoint and complement to the Botanica bottling.

Ceras reflects Antica Terra’s newfound knowledge and vision of the Willamette Valley and what is possible. It is an exciting new development and we cannot wait to get our hands on it — what little we have been offered.

Vinecraft is excited to bring you the spring 2011 vintage offering from Antica Terra.

	2011 Erratica Rosé Erratica is named for the giant rocks that are carried on the backs of glaciers and left to rest, alone and isolated, hundreds of miles from their true home. The name refers to the fact that they are of a completely different nature than everything else that lies in the field. Erratica is our most unconventional and experimental wine. Like the solitary rocks it is named after, it is completely unlike anything else. Typically rosé is made in one of two ways. Either it is pressed directly like a white wine, or bled from a fermenter destined for red wine during the first 24 hours. In this conventional sense, this is not rosé; but neither is it red or white. The liquid is macerated on the skins for a little over a week. Somewhere between the 6th and 8th day, the aromatics of the fermentation reach a peak of expression and fill the room with astonishing perfume. At this point, just before it becomes red wine, we siphon the juice from the fermenters and fill the barrels, where the juice finishes its fermentation and ages on the lees for a year before bottling. 366 cases made
	2011 Ceras Pinot Noir Ceras is Botanica’s counterpoint. It’s color is more purple than red. It is more about minerals and herbs than fruit and flowers. It is a focused and elegant distillation of rock rather than an opulent cascade of fruit. It is an expression of the geology that lays beneath our land, the tart blue fruits of the coast range and the tender herbs that one finds amongst the trees and mushrooms of the Northwest forest. 510 cases produced
	2011 Botanica Pinot Noir Botanica is always sappy and sanguine with a taste of wild rose, sour cherries, and blood orange. It is tempting to define them solely by their compelling texture and lush personality, but there is a structural element that is equally striking. This balance between extraordinarily concentrated fruit and intense levels of extract is the essence of the wine. 540 cases made

Clos Saron is Gideon Beinstock. After 25 years of working in every aspect of the wine business, he struck out on his own, intent on doing it his way and hoping there would be enough folks out there who appreciated his art. He named the winery after his wife, Saron, located in the tiny, oddly-named burg of Oregon House, California. Butted up against the Tahoe National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, a rustic area better known for a different cash crop.

Clos Saron is a unique expression of the Sierra Nevada mountain terroir. Low-yielding ungrafted vitis vinifera vines, planted at 2300 feet elevation in a dramatically steep, rocky vineyard. The unfiltered, unfined essence of granite. The vineyard is basically a vine preserve – a bunch of densely planted vines in an area unaffected by the root louse phylloxera, completely free of industrial chemicals. Their approach combines organic and biodynamic principles – true sustainability, not factory organic.

Clos Saron never ‘corrects’ acid levels or inoculates with commercial yeasts. Gideon also recently decided to forgo sulfite additions in his wines, a radical choice. The use of sulfites in wines is a misunderstood, yet necessary to prevent spoilage. However Gideon feels that sulfites keep his wines from reaching their full potential. To go with the It is a controversial decision, but it is his vision.

The grapes are crushed just 20 minutes after picking. The must ferments in old-fashioned open-top oak fermenters. They age in oak barrels coopered by the Rousseau family in Burgundy, before hand-bottling and packaging.

Clos Saron produces just 600 cases a year, of about seven different wines — about as far away from the mainstream as possible. These are wines of purpose and expression.

“I like to think that they offer a respectable alternative for those whose palates get overwhelmed and tired of the superalcoholic, super-rich, and super-thick. The wines are for those who keep tasting and following what is happening in their glass past the first couple of sips and throughout dinner.”
— Gideon Beinstock

Just as we might marvel at the sirajo goby’s quest to climb the daunting waterfalls — the human equivalent to scaling the Empire State Building eight times — the wines of Clos Saron serve as reminder that below of the surface of the ocean of mundane wines is are some 600-case specks of beauty, that are worth investigating.

Vinecraft distributes Clos Saron wines exclusively in Florida.

2011 Out of the Blue

13.1% alcohol. 90% Cinsault, 5% Syrah, 5% Tempranillo. Cinsault vines planted in 1885. Juicy, flowery, very spicy and thoroughly elegant. 1600 bottles produced.

2007 Heart of Stone

13.2% alcohol. 91% Syrah co-fermented with Viognier. Dark and brooding with a floral lift. 1286 bottles produced.

2007 Cuvée Mystérieuse

13.9% alcohol. Co-fermentation of 50% Syrah, 40% Merlot, 10% Viognier. Medium-full, aromatic, complex, elegant. Virtually sulfite-free. 1027 bottles produced.

2007 Black Pearl

13.2% alcohol. 50% Syrah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 9% Viognier. A rich, harmonious wine, with complex, deep flavors and sensuous texture. 1164 bottles produced.

Anthill Farms is serendipity and synergy incarnate. Three young winemakers from disparate backgrounds met while working as cellar hands at the distinguished William-Selyem winery. Anthony Filiberti grew up in Sonoma County, and grew up in the wine culture there. He learned winemaking at Bergstrom in Oregon, Hafner in Alexander Valley, and then Williams-Selyem. David Low grew up in Kansas, and after a brief career as a computer programmer, he was drawn to vine while attending UC Berkeley. Webster Marquez hails from Virginia, and learned winemaking at Jefferson Vineyards there. They each bring their unique strengths and skills and riff together like jazz masters. 

Their first vintage was in 2004, and the wines almost instantly earned rock-star status, even though the trio is far too humble to go that route. Each of them still maintains their day jobs, making wine for other wineries, and put the emphasis on their growers. They focus their winemaking efforts to make wines that “express the growing site and the characteristics of the vintage.” Their wines are a jolt to the senses, featuring vibrant freshness and acidity. They use some whole clusters, and limit new oak. Their wines frequently clock in at under 13% alcohol, a welcome reprieve in an over-ripe Californian sea.

“I think the pendulum is swinging away from overblown wines. I feel like now, winemaking is like learning how to use a recently acquired superpower. We have the ability to do whatever we want and we can make huge wines or dainty ones. But now we all need to learn how to use and control that power…and just because we have this ability doesn’t mean we need to use it to the nth degree every time. I think the new generation is very attuned to that.”
— Webster “Web” Marquez, Anthill Farms

Anthill Farms produces about 1400 cases annually, and most of it is snapped up by their mailing list. Vinecraft represents Anthill Farms exclusively in Florida with a very small, very limited allocation.

2010 Pinot Noir, Demuth Vineyard, Anderson Valley

12.9% alcohol. From the winery: This vineyard, at 1400-1600 feet, is only a mile up the road from Abbey-Harris and shares similar, though less rocky, soils. Our two 1.5-acre blocks function like two vineyards: the terraced rows of the Wädenswil clone form one section, while the Pommard block sits on a shelf a bit lower down the slope. The afternoon winds, cool temperatures, and thirty-year-old vines create a wine of great depth and perfumed elegance. This vineyard, farmed by Anthony and Knez Winery, yielded three-quarter tons per acre.

“Vivid red.  An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes raspberry, cherry, star anise and rose, with slow-building mineraity.  Juicy, tightly focused red fruit flavors are complemented by sexy rose pastille and spicecake qualities that expand with air.  Closes with surprising power and clarity, leaving tangy minerals and redcurrant notes behind.”
— Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, 92 points

2010 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

13.6% alcohol. Winery Notes: With this Pinot, we were looking to create a food-friendly, nuanced wine that represents the unique character of the Anderson Valley. Somewhat remote from most of Northern California’s winegrowing districts, this valley is a surprisingly harmonious blend of the wild and the civilized: in one vista, one can see sheep ranches, redwood groves, apple orchards, and impenetrable oak scrub.

“Vivid red.  Highly perfumed, sexy bouquet of black raspberry, cherry-cola, fresh rose and smoky minerals, with a subtle orange zest nuance.  Silky and gently sweet, with spicy red and dark berry flavors and a refreshingly bitter anise quality.  Gains weight on the finish but maintains vivacity, leaving floral and spice qualities behind.”
— Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, 91 points

2010 Syrah, Sonoma Coast

13.4% alcohol. From the winery: We love Syrah, and we have a particular soft spot for Syrah from the Sonoma Coast. While many consider the area to be marginal for proper ripening of the varietal (and, indeed, we are often picking well into November), the cool days and downright cold nights of the far coast create wines of tight focus and tense balance. We feel that the distinct aromatics and classic characteristics of these Syrahs to be well-worth a bit of late picking.

“Opaque ruby.  Smoky cherry, cassis and blueberry on the nose, with hints of olive, violet and dark chocolate.  Big, mouthfilling and chewy, but with an unlikely elegance to its fleshy dark berry and floral pastille flavors.  Firm and chewy syrah, with supple tannins adding support and shape to the long, smoky, appealingly sweet finish.  This wine is a stunning value.”
— Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, 91 points

Near the Mediterranean coast, east of Marseille, the humble fishing village of Bandol has grown to become one of the most internationally-recognized wine regions of Southern France.

The appellation consists of eight communes, based on silica and limestone soils — these soils and the Mediterranean climate are ideally suited for the Mourvèdre grape, and the wines of Bandol are the only ones in France that feature it predominantly. In fact, by French law, the red and rosé wines of Bandol must have a minimum of 50% Mourvèdre, though most producers use significantly more. Bandol is dominated by Mourvedre, its production is 70% red, with a tiny bit of rosé and white sprinkled in. The wines are dark in color and rich with black fruit and earthy flavors, and can age for decades in a lot of cases.

The Duffort family discovered Domaine de l’Hermitage in 1974, a run-down property at the foot of the Chapel of the village of Le Beausset. The site dated back to the Roman era, and artifacts from that era have been discovered in the vineyards. The Dufforts restored the property, and produced their first wine in 1978. Over the years the domain has slowly grown to cover 34 hectares in several parcels covering a range of soils. The vineyards, planted on hillsides, are worked sustainably, by hand, with no pesticides or herbicides used. Harvesting is done by hand into 45lb crates, to ensure the grapes reach the cellar whole and and undamaged.

L’Hermitage’s wines are distinctive and delicious, and are among the best values in Bandol. They show true varietal character, the reds dark and rustic, the white crisp and complex, and the rosé is a benchmark example. The vineyards are in the process of being certified organic.

Vinecraft imports and distributes Domaine de L’Hermitage’s wines exclusively in Florida.

2011 L’Oratoire Blanc

Clairette, Ugni-Blanc and Rolle. Vines up to 30-year old, planted on clay and calcareous soil from the Trias period at 200-220 meters above sea level. Low yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. After hand-harvesting and careful selection, the grapes are gently pressed and cold-fermented. The wine does not undergo a malolactic fermentation, and is aged for 6 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks.

2011 L’Oratoire Rosé

Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault & Syrah. Vines are 35-40 years old, planted on clay/calcareous soil, at 200-280 meters above sea level. Grand Cru-level yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare. Directly pressed and cold-fermented. Aged in stainless steel tanks for 6 months on the lees. 12,000 cases made.

“This is a finely balanced wine, showing its crisp acidity and its fruitiness along with a richer character that lends weight. This is both immediately attractive and worth aging for a few months.”
— Wine Enthusiast, 91 points

“This wine’s pale pink-orange hue doesn’t prepare you for its powerful flavors: This is a spicy, meaty rosé, the flavors as dark as black raspberries, with mourvedre’s smoky, earthy rasp. It has the tenor for a duck confit salad.”
— Wine & Spirits Magazine, 90 points

“Very minerally-tasting, with lithe flavors of dried berry, melon and spiced cherry that linger on the fresh finish, with salt and pepper notes.”
— Wine Spectator, 89 points

2007 L’Oratoire Rouge

The flagship wine. About 80% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache. Vines 35-45 years old, planted on clay/calcareous soil at 300-320 meters above sea level. Minuscule yields of 25-30 hectoliters per hectare. After hand-harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and placed in temperature-controlled vats for alcoholic fermentation. The cap is punched down by hand daily and pumped over for optimal extraction. The wine is aged for at least 18 months in 50 hectoliter oak barrels before bottling, and undergo extended bottle aging before release. 3000 cases made.

“A big and powerful wine with a vibrant, rich texture. Dense black plum and ripe berry fruits push through the firm tannins. The wine is smooth and perfumed with a big spicy aftertaste.”
— Wine Enthusiast, 91 points

The Château Miraval

A cursory Google image search for Château Miraval will show that this is probably the most photographed wine estate in the world. Mostly from an aerial perspective. It’s easy for this estate’s wines and illustrious history (it was founded in the 1200’s) to be overshadowed by more recent events and its famous tenants, but to overlook the wines would be a mistake of the highest order. 

In 1252, it’s likely that St. Thomas Acquinas broke his journey here en route to the University of Paris from the University of Naples. In the 1400s the Prince of Naples joined the French Court and settled at Miraval. This was when the Domaine first appears in the Register of Noble Houses.

The Estate was in the hands of the Orsini family for centuries and then, at the turn of the twentieth century, Miraval was home to the celebrated inventor of reinforced concrete —Joseph Lambot, who built the main wine cellar.

In the 1970s Jacques Loussier, the well-known jazz pianist, created one of the world’s foremost recording studios — Studio Miraval — where many great musicians including Pink Floyd, Sting, Sade and the Cranberries have all recorded their music in idyllic surroundings. The estate pays homage to its musical history in the names of their wines — Pink Floyd recorded their epic album “The Wall” at Miraval, so the rosé fittingly bears their name.

Most recently, Miraval began making worldwide headlines as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt purchased the estate in 2008. In 2012 they grabbed the world’s attention again when they married at the estate, and served their own 2011 rosé to their guests. The famous couple are laissez-faire in the winery business itself, although Brad is reportedly a bit of a wine connoisseur.

Miraval makes two wines under the Côtes de Provence appellation, and the white comes from a parcel on the north side of a hill, which falls under the Coteaux Varois en Provence appellation. The estate is certified organic, and the 30 hectares of low-yielding (30-35 hectoliters per hectare) vineyards are worked entirely by hand. The soil is a mixture of clay and chalk with small stones and the gently sloping vineyards extend along the basin of a sheltered wooded valley, where water flows in abundance and where recently excavated old stone Roman drains carry the water away. After hand-harvesting into small bins to preserve quality and freshness, the grapes are hand-sorted, destemmed, gently-pressed and gravity-flowed into concrete tanks. Miraval produces about 65,000 bottles a year, a tiny drop in the ocean of wine that flows from Provence.

Vinecraft imported and distributed the wines of Château Miraval through the 2011 vintage only. Vinecraft no longer represents Château Miraval.

2011 Miraval Blanc ‘Clara Lua’

AOC Coteaux Varois en Provence. 100% Rolle. 5,000 bottles produced. Aged in barrique for four months.

2011 Miraval Rosé ‘Pink Floyd’

AOC Côtes de Provence. Old-vine Cinsault and Grenache. 20,000 bottles produced. Saignée after 3 hours on the skins. Stephen Tanzer’s notes on the 2009 vintage, which he scored 90 points, are too good not to include here:

“Pale pink. Intensely floral scents of blood orange, strawberry, rose, jasmine and smoky herbs. Bright, mineral-laced red fruit flavors are given spine by tangy acidity, with the floral note repeating. Fresh, spicy, focused rose with impressive length to its herbal and floral flavors. This wine is named after the eponymous group that recorded “The Wall” in a studio on the property. Former and current potheads who enjoyed the album on release now have a more socially acceptable and legal way to enhance their listening experience.”

2007 Miraval Rouge ‘Play Bach’

AOC Côtes de Provence. Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon. 20,000 bottles produced. 80% aged in new barrique.

The Panceri Family Vineyards sit at 1000 meters above sea level.

Brazil’s heritage of winemaking was established in the early 1800’s by Italian immigrants, but has been almost completely unknown in the world market. For a country that spans over 3 million square miles and stretches over 30 degrees of latitude, only some 68,000 hectares are under vine, and only 5,000 of those are planted to vitis vinifera. As the equator runs directly through the northern portion of the country, the climate there is far too hot and humid for European vines, so the rest of the plantings consist of rot- and mildew-resistant American table grape vines.

While there are plenty of mass-producing vines in the tropical north, the quality plantings are located in the south, around latitude 29° on high altitude, coastal states bordering Uruguay. Quality wine production began in the 1970′s, when international conglomerate Moët & Chandon and several other large producers recognized the potential of the land and established a South American presence. The regions of Santa Catarina and Rio Grando do Sul have shown excellent results, particularly with sparkling wines utilizing the same traditional production method as Champagne! With the 2016 Summer Olympics just a few years away, Brazil’s fledgling wine industry is about to get some vital exposure on the world-stage.

Vinicola Geisse / Cave Amadeu

Villagio Grando

Panceri

Vinecraft has partnered with pioneering importer Spirits do Brasil, and distribute these wines exclusively in Florida. For more information, please email us at info@vinecraft.com.