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 Vineco KenRidge Showcase Collection
2010 Limited Editions
JANUARY ’10 ~ Australian Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverland
Region)
JANUARY ’10 ~ Washington State Riesling/Gewurztraminer (Columbia Valley)
FEBRUARY ’10 ~ Spanish Monastrell (Valencia)
MARCH ’10 ~ Italian Primitivo/Syrah (Sicily)
 Cellar
Craft Showcase 2010 Limited Editions
JANUARY ’10 ~ Darlington CABERNET – SHIRAZ New South Wales, Australia
FEBRUARY ’10 ~ Canelones, Uruguay, South America TANNAT
MARCH ’10 ~ TWO HEMISPHERES RIESLING -
New South Wales, Australia - Yakima Valley, Washington
APRIL ’10 ~ TRIO TINTO -
A fusion of classic Spanish grape varieties –
Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cariňena
KenRidge
Showcase Collection 2010
KenRidge™ Showcase Collection is a once-a-year selection of unforgettable
wines. These ultra-premium wine kits are truly unique as only a
limited number are created each year using the highest quality varietal
grape juices and grape juice concentrates from each prominent grape-growing
country and region. No sugar is added resulting in exceptional wines that
deliver the finest bouquet and flavour characteristics that are true to each
specific varietal or blend.
DECEMBER ’-09/JANUARY ’10 ~ Australian Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverland
Region)
The Region:The Riverland Region of Australia presents gentle rolling hillsides,
expansive plains and vineyards as far as the eye can see. This inland region
in South Australia experiences warm to hot days and plenty of sunshine,
where the grapes soak up the sun and ripen fully every year. This is one of
the most productive areas in
Australia and many of the big name wineries source their grapes from this
location.
The Wine:
This wine is a traditional blend of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, two
of the five Bordeaux red varietals. Petit Verdot (peh-tee vair-doe) shows
great potential in the longer growing season of Australia,
where this thick skinned grape easily ripens to full maturity, exhibits a
rich deep colour, very concentrated
flavours (black fruits), plenty of spice notes, a full body and great
structure (tannin). The Cabernet Sauvignon also has thick skins and is rich
in colour, and offers up firm tannins and good structure. The rich black
currant fruit bouquet and flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with the
spice of Petit Verdot, are the perfect complement.
The Food:
The rich full flavours will complement grilled steaks; wild game; rack of
lamb; marinated leg of lamb; rich
winter stews; beef bourguignon; seared tuna with a peppercorn-crust; grilled
Portobello mushrooms; beef
brisket; aged Swiss Gruyere cheese.
Body: Full; Sugar Code: 0; Alcohol:
13.5%
JANUARY ’10 ~ Washington State Riesling/Gewurztraminer (Columbia Valley)
The Region:The Columbia Valley is a picturesque and unspoiled landscape in the Pacific
Northwest of the United States. Located in Eastern Washington, it
encompasses 11 million acres of land, with approximately 32,500 acres under
vine. The towering Cascade Mountains shield Eastern Washington from the
influence of Western Washington’s marine air therefore keeping this growing
region relatively dry, but making irrigation essential. The climate consists
of hot, dry summer days, which build sugar levels and fruit concentration in
the grapes, and relatively cool nights, which help to retain the vibrant,
yet balancing acidity of the grapes. This region claims 2 hours of sunlight
per day more than California during the growing season which allows for
perfect ripening of the grapes.
The Wine:This wine is a refreshing blend of Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The classic
fruity Riesling brings aromas and flavours of citrus, peach, apricot and
floral notes to the wine, while the slightly more exotic Gewurztraminer
offers up lychee nut, rose petal and tropical fruit aromas and flavours.
Together, the refreshing acidity of the Riesling and the slight richness of
the Gewurztraminer bring balance and harmony to the wine. A slightly off-dry
wine for casual sipping or lighter meals, best enjoyed while young and
fresh.
The Food:Terrific as a sipping wine or serve with lightly spiced shrimp skewers; crab
cakes; grilled salmon with an Asian glaze; spring rolls with dipping sauces;
roasted chicken; grilled pork chops with maple glaze; spicy turkey sausages;
Hawaiian pizza; ham and scallop potatoes; chicken skewers with peanut
dipping sauces; lightly spiced curry dishes; grilled ham and Swiss on rye;
Canadian Swiss cheese.
Body: Light to Medium; Sugar Code: 1; Alcohol:
11.5%FEBRUARY ’10 ~ Spanish Monastrell (Valencia)
The Region:With its arid climate, Spain is home to the world's
largest area under vine, yet third largest in production,
due to the low yielding vines. The region of Valencia,
known for orange, mandarin and lemon trees, is also a
large grape growing area. It is located on Spain's east
coast in the region known as Levante. The long summers,
with warm to hot, dry, sun soaked days, and cool nights
offer ideal growing conditions for vineyards. Monastrell
(mo-nass-trel) is one of the most important red grape
varieties in southeast Spain.
The Wine:Monastrell (Mourvedre in France), is a deep coloured,
medium to full-bodied red wine with silky tannins and
good structure. It is often blended with other grape
varieties where it provides weight, alcohol, structure
and colour to the final assemblage. On its own Monastrell
shines with an abudnance of rich blueberry, blackberry
and blue plum fruit. Notes of violet and spice will also
come forward, along with soft notes of oak.
The Food:Serve with medium-rare roast beef; lamb chops or leg of
lamb; paella with sausage; grilled steaks; pheasant;
rabbit and bean stew; meat pies; San Pietro cheese from
Italy with fresh Breads.
Body: Medium to Full; Sugar Code: 0; Alcohol:
13%
MARCH ’10 ~ Italian Primitivo/Syrah (Sicily)
The Region:
Located just off the toe of Italy, this large island with
hilly and mountainous terrain has a long history in
agricultural products, including grain, oranges, lemons,
olives, olive oil, almonds, and of course grapes. Sicily
enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild to warm, wet
winters and warm to hot, dry sunny summers. With the
adoption of modern technology, the increased knowledge
surrounding vineyard practices, and the wealth of
indigenous grape varieties, the wines of this island are
beginning to explode onto the wine scene.
The Wine:This wine is a complementary blend of Primitivo and
Syrah. The Primitivo (a.k.a. Zinfandel in California, or
Crljenak Kastelanski in its country of origin, Coratia)
is a fruit-driven, full-bodied wine providing flavours of
Damson plum, blackberry and cherry. The Syrah provides
structure and great mouth-feel with flavours of red and
black berries along with spice and cocoa notes. The final
blend will provide plenty of juicy, rich fruit flavours
complemented by the perfect touch of spice and oak. The
moderate tannins showing in its youth will soften quickly
as the fruit flavours begin to dominate with only 3 to 4
months of cellaring.
The Food:The rich fruit flavours will complement grilled sausage
on a crusty bun; barbecue sauces and marinades on steaks,
ribs and roasts; rabbit stews; braised meats; gourmet
meat lover's pizza; lasagna Bolognese; eggplant marinara
with polenta; Beemster 3 year aged Gouda.Body: Full; Sugar
Code: 0; Alcohol: 13%
Cellar Craft Showcase 2010 Limited Editions
JANUARY ’10 ~ Darlington CABERNET – SHIRAZ New South Wales, Australia
Both the Cabernet and the Shiraz in this blend come from
the Darlington point Vineyard that supplied the fruit for
our recently launched Australian Shiraz. This blend features 64% Cabernet
and 36% Shiraz and is fermented on equal parts of Cabernet and Shiraz
virgin, crushed grapes from Darlington Point. Oaking on
Hungarian shavings and Hungarian cubes brings vanilla
and subtle toastiness to the finished wine.
Aromas of plum, spice, herbs and chocolate from the
Cabernet dominate with berry and more spice coming from
the Shiraz. The palate displays black currant and mint
from the cab with suggestions of cherry, blackberry and
earthy overtones contributed by the Shiraz.
The marriage of Cabernet and Shiraz is found mainly in
new world wine regions and certainly Australia is the
acknowledged champion of the style. Cellar Craft is
pleased to be able to offer the kit wine enthusiast this
Limited Release example made with high quality fruit from
a leading area and prize winning vineyard. We hope that
you will consider this rare offering as being a worthy
addition for your cellar.
FEBRUARY ’10 ~ Canelones, Uruguay, South America TANNAT
Yes, Uruguay does have a wine industry. In fact, it goes
back some 250 years! However, the world outside of
Uruguay has only recently and very enthusiastically
discovered the wines.
The signature wine of Uruguay is a big red wine called
Tannat. Like Carmenere and Malbec, Tannat originated in
France but today has limited plantings there. The Tannat
grapes in this Limited Release offering were selected and
custom processed for Cellar Craft by Bodega Bouza, an
ultra-modern boutique winery located just outside of the
capital city, Montevideo.
Perhaps the best way to whet your interest in this
exciting new wine is to extract a quote from noted wine
critic and authority Jancis Robinson. "I tasted a range of wines from one of the producers that
most impressed – Bodega Bouza. …….. I have to admit I was
very impressed too by their reds and especially, as one
might expect, by their Tannats. Tannat is to Uruguay what
Malbec is to Argentina: a red grape traditionally
associated with south west France that seems if anything
almost more at home under the South American sun.
Here in Uruguay the tannins are much softer and there is
none of the mandatory 10 year wait that one has for a
fine Madiran. (We tasted a Madiran or two alongside the
Bouza Tannats and were much more beguiled by the
Uruguayans.) In fact this Bouza Tannat Las Violetas is a
babe in arms by French standards and yet is already
drinkable and should drink beautifully from next year for
the next four years or so I reckon.
I liked its dense, firm, confident on the nose and lovely
full fruit impact on the front palate with some tar and
liquorice and firm fruit first, and only then very
slightly inky tannins. The alcohol level is 14.5% but it
doesn’t taste hot."
(Source: www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/20070403.html)
Cellar Craft is dedicated to bringing new and exciting
“Discovery” wines to its customers. Your feedback on
earlier releases like Gruner Veltliner, Zweigelt and
Mencia has been rewarding. Now we are exclusively offering what may be your
first opportunity to experience wine from a country and from a grape that
you had not previously experienced. We think that you will be more than
pleased if you give it a try.
MARCH ’10 ~ TWO HEMISPHERES RIESLING
New South Wales, Australia - Yakima Valley, Washington
We love the ability to source fruit from diverse regions
and blend them into a wine that often exceeds the
qualities of either component. This blend of
Rieslings, co-fermented in equal proportions, from
vineyards more than 12,000 km. apart is a great example.
Individually, each wine has much charm and appeal but vinted together they achieve a new level of complexity.
The multiple layers of sensory delight contributed by the
2 components indeed reach new heights.
From Washington Riesling, notes of apple, pear, peach,
melon, floral and mandarin establish a solid foundation.
The Australian fruit brings out lime, grapefruit,
tropical notes and additional spicy floral qualities. A
most interesting wine!
We are still evaluating levels of dry/sweet and flavour
reserves that will be chosen to define the final product
but we already are certain that this wine will offer a
unique and enchanting wine experience for those who
choose to add it to their cellars.
APRIL ’10 ~ TRIO TINTO
A fusion of classic Spanish grape varieties –
Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cariňena
These three native Spanish red wine grapes are usually
deemed to be the mainstay of quality wines in most of
Spain. (Mencia is the currant hot star in Spain but is
grown in only 2 areas so cannot be said to represent the
typical Spanish red wine profile. We hope that you did
not miss trying Cellar Craft’s Mencia.)
Tempranillo is most associated with wines of Rioja.
Garnacha has been responsible for making the Priorat
region one of the most esteemed regions in recent years.
Carinena, known as Carignan in most other countries, gets
its best reviews in Priorat and Montsant. Nevertheless,
it is common that at least 2 or all three varieties are
blended together to achieve the most profound and complex
wines that each region can exhibit.
This limited Release offering is made up of 50%
Tempranillo (Spain & California); 27% Garnacha (Spain)
and 23% Carinena (Carignan from California).
This blend is fermented on virgin crushed grapes from
Spain. (Tempranillo, Garnacha or a blend of the 2 - to be
determined by our panel’s selection from prototypes still
in progress).
2-stage oak treatment is expected to be chosen – French
during fermentation; Hungarian cubes post-fermentation.
This blend has been designed to truly reflect the
advances that have been made in both viniculture and
viticulture of Spanish red wines in the past decade. We
proudly present it as our best possible effort to let our
customers discover why Spain is being touted as one of
the regions to watch – no, discover – what may be one of
today’s most exciting and best value wine countries in
the wine world.
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