CLASSIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2021 Pier Avenue Red Blend, Los Olivos District, Santa Ynez
Bordeaux Style Blend
Produced by Westerly Wines exclusively for Uncorked.
This Bordeaux style blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon and has aromas and flavors of cassis, blackberry and baking spice. Velvety tannins.
Food pairings: Fire up the grill!!
Red 2 – 2021 Locci Zuddas 'Mezzaluna' Isola dei Nuraghi Carignano IGT, Sardinia, Italy
100% Carignan
The vineyards are located in Sulcis, the area most suitable for this grape variety, cultivated on sandy, bush-trained soils. The average age of the vines is 70 years, where the very low yield guarantees high quality grapes. Fermented in steel tanks and aged for 8 months in French oak.
Intense and elegant on the nose with a pleasant hint of red fruits, spices and Mediterranean herbs. Round and smooth with good structure and excellent balance. The fruity and spicy notes are noticeable.
Food pairings: Pastas, roast pig & lamb, rich meat soups and Pecorino cheese, also try grilled Tuna.
White 1 – 2022 Locci Zuddas 'Ester' Vermentino, Sardinia, Italy
100% Vermentino
Ester is the product of the selection of the best Vermentino grapes of the vineyards, which are located in the hills of the Medio Campidano. Cold soaked on the skins for 3 days. Fermented as white in steel at low temperatures for 15 days and aging for 8 months in steel with elevage on the noble lees.
Full and lively, with a marked minerality. Hints of tropical and white-fleshed fruit with notes of Mediterranean scrub.
Food pairings: Elegant as an aperitif, excellent with seafood and shellfish
White 2 – 2022 Vicari Capofila Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi, Marche, Italy
Organically Grown
100% Verdicchio
The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore is probably the wine that best represents the Vicari winery. Lying along the hills of the small municipality of Staffolo, in the heart of what is known as "the Verdicchio hill", the vineyards are cultivated with organic methods.
The fresh winds coming from the Adriatic accentuate the temperature range between day and night, giving the Verdicchio vine a marked and pleasant acidity. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged on its lees enhance the intense and complex aromas of elderberry, citrus and white pulp fruits.
Food pairings: Fish and shellfish, mozzarella and other fresh cheeses and white meats
COLLECTORS CLUB
Red 1 – 2019 Santa Sofia Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore, Veneto, Italy
70% Corvina/Corvinone, 30% Rondinella
Founded in 1811, the Santa Sofia wine company has its headquarters and cellars at Pedemonte, to the north of Verona (Italy), in the aristocratic villa designed by Andrea Palladio in the 16th century and known as Villa Sarego. Since 1996 Villa Santa Sofia has been included among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.
Alluring and aristocratic, this wine offers a powerful nose redolent of sour cherries, prunes, a potpourri of dry flowers, underbrush, cloves, fine oak and licorice root. The palate is concentrated, with a silky, velvety texture, an extremely dynamic acidity and a pleasant strength; in brief, a big wine with a long, clean finish.
Food pairings: If the dish is rich, gamey, earthy, or tomato sauce-based, Ripasso is an incredibly food-friendly wine to pair up with it.
Red 2 – 2020 Tenuta Le Colonne Bolgheri Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
Organic
50% Merlot, 30% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Winemaker Notes: The palate is well-rounded and supple; the sweetness of the fruit is perceived mid-palate, vibrant with fresh acidity; a silky, dense tannic texture; a generous, lengthy finish. There are often savory notes that evoke sensations of the nearby sea.
"The organic Tenuta le Colonne 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is a classic expression with elegant lines and a medium-bodied presentation. Easy-drinking and fresh; it also awards a lot of local character and charm. You taste black fruit, spice and a hint of hot-climate grape skins." – Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (92 Points)
Food pairings: Cheese and charcuterie plates
White – 2022 La Spia Alpi Retiche Bianco, Valtellina, Lombardy, Italy
100% Nebbiolo (Chiavennasca) vinified white
White Nebbiolo? Yes, it’s been a really interesting idea of La Spia winemaker Emil. A great wine, good structure and intense flavors at nose and then in the mouth with a very long finish.
The red grape harvest took place only by hand, pressed in whole bunch, after slight drying in boxes, without prior pressing. Once alcoholic fermentation is started, most of the mass is placed in acacia and oak barriques. Aging with batonnage on yeasts for about 6 months helps to give softness and roundness.
Food pairings: Fish dishes and medium aged cheeses.
PINOT CLUB
Pinot 2 – 2021 Saint Michael-Eppan Pinot Noir, Alto Adige, Italy
100% Pinot Noir
For well over 2000 years, the area of South Tyrol has been fruitful for the cultivation of quality grapes in a unique Alpine environment. Within the heart is the village of Eppan where the St. Michael Eppan winery is located and has been producing some of the region's finest wines since its humble beginnings in 1908.
Winemaker Notes: With aromas reminiscent of wild blackberries and raspberries, this wine with its garnet-red color provides an elegant and fruit forward wine. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in wood.
Food pairings: Perfect with the casual skirt steak, flank steak or burger on the grill.
Pinot 2 – 2023 Fiore Pinot Nero, Trevenezie, Friuli, Italy
100% Pinot Noir
This special brand Pinot Noir, called Pinot Nero in Italy, is aged in stainless steel tanks. This yields a light, bright, and easy-drinking version of this varietal – a welcome and unexpected change from the classic, California-style, jammy Pinot Noir.
Food pairings: Caprese salad, olives, truffle, bacon
ORGANIC CLUB
Red 1 – 2021 Roberto Henriquez Pais Franco, Bio Bio Valley, Chile
Organic Vegan
100% Pais
These ancient, own-rooted País vines are 800 meters from the Bío Bío river in a dry river bed that used to hold the river. The soil is especially unique with an alluvial top-layer over black, sandy (basaltic) soils. This is “País Franco”—as in piè franco—meaning the vine is ungrafted like most of Henriquez’s vines, but the name also draws attention to how this cuvée is one of the most honest, pure and frank versions of the variety available.
A purely fruited dry red redolent with red berries and herbs. Medium-bodied.
Food pairings: Grilled or rotisserie chicken
Red 2 – 2023 Quinta das Arcas 'Explosivo' Vinho Tinto, Portugal
Organic / Vegan
100% Vinhão
Explosivo was created to showcase a style of red wine that has been in high demand recently in the US market: chillable, uncomplicated red wine. It features one of the region's native grapes, Vinhão, made in a style that complements its liter-sized bottle: juicy and fresh (despite its dark, inky color). Its light fizz appeals to Lambrusco drinkers, offering a much drier and more savory profile. The name and label refer to its "explosive" mouthfeel.
Tasting notes: Fresh dark fruits (dark wild berries, plums), with an herbal and leafy touch. It has deep and dark flavors, followed by bright acidity and a slight fizz.
Food pairings: Charcuterie, cheese, appetizers
White – 2022 Roberto Henriquez Rivera del Notro Blanco, Itata Valley, Chile
Organic / Biodynamic / Vegan
Semillon, Chasselas, Muscat of Alexandria
A blend of Muscat of Alexandria, Corinto (the Chilean name for Chasselas), and Semillon, this wine comes from vines averaging ninety years in age. Open-top spontaneous fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks, with free run juice fermented separately from pressed juice. Whole berry fermentation is done with no stems. The Muscat produces its classic aromatic fireworks, but this is a much more refined and delicate wine on the palate, with a fine steely structure lain over beautiful, peppery musk character. The finish includes notes of flowers and spices.
Food pairings: Shellfish, poultry, salads, and creamy pasta dishes
BUBBLES CLUB
NP SOMM CLUB
Red 1 – 2021 Stephano Amerighi Syrah, Cortona, Tuscany, Italy
Biodynamically Grown / Natural
100% Syrah
Winemaker notes: 100% Syrah, a portion of which is partially de-stemmed, while some are left whole and still others are lightly foot pressed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously in small concrete vats and without the use of pumps, sulfur or temperature control. The wine is then allowed to clarify naturally and is moved to various vessels for aging (mostly concrete and Clayver ceramic orbs, but a small portion does go into large oak casks.
"A tight and focused syrah with blackberries, blueberries, bark, spices, tar and grilled meat on both the nose and palate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with juicy fruit and a slightly chewy finish. Needs time to soften. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification." – James Suckling (94 Points)
Food Pairings: Grilled lamb, try shawarma or gyros
Red 2 – 2014 Borgo del Tiglio Rosso, Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Nicola Manferrari is a highly regarded winemaker throughout Italy for his ability to bring out the textural complexities of a wine. Surprisingly though, he stumbled into his profession later in life. Originally trained as a pharmacist, he developed a deep interest in the vineyard. Over the next 30 years, with deep curiosity, plenty of patience, and great skill, Nicola developed Borgo Del Tiglio into a benchmark for Friuli winemaking.
Aged for 24-36 months in oak barrels of 250 liters. Red and blue fruits drive the palate with developed tannins and a tight mid-palate.
Food Pairings: Mature and hard cheese, red meats.
White – 2022 Ceraudo Petelia Bianco, Calabria, Italy
Organic
50% Mantonico, 50% Greco Bianco
The wines from Roberto Ceraudo's estate in Calabria are recognizable for how effectively what's in the glass expresses its identity and how it got there. The ‘Petelia – the ancient Greek name for the village of Strongoli – exudes freshness from the hottest spot in Italy. Produced with two typical grapes of the area, Greco Bianco and Mantonivo; it is vinified and aged only in steel to keep the peculiarities of these two vines intact.
The nose is rich and complex, with notes that veer towards a slight oxidation with dried fruit, honey and hazelnut. This complexity is found on the palate with a large and round sip that stretches on the finish with a beautiful sapidity.
Food pairings: Shellfish, fresh vegetables, pesto sauces