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vcasey

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<h1>January</h1>
<h2>California Lake County Trio Blanca</h2>


(Originally offered in January 2005)

The Region:
In California’s Lake County, the vineyards nestle in steep hills in the
west, while Clear Lake, directly east, moderates the blistering heat of
summer, ensuring slow, even ripening and perfect grapes.

The Wine:
A unique blend of three grapes, Selection Limited Edition Trio Blanca
is an outstanding white wine that showcases bright fruit flavours,
excellent structure, and a long finish. Pinot Blanc contributes the
delicate floral character and full body while Chenin Blanc gives a
wonderful melony-honeyed aroma with hints of apple. The third grape
variety, Sauvignon Blanc contributes zesty acidity and aromas of
gooseberry and herbs. After six months ageing, the Sauvignon Blancwill
dominate with zest and crispness. After a year, the Chenin Blanc‘s
honey and melon will come out, and at 18 months to two years the Pinot
Blanc will show a perfumed floweriness andlingering structure.

The Food: Enjoy by itself or serve Trio Blanca with seafood, chicken or vegetarian dishes.

Sweetness Code: 0


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<h1>January</h1>
<h2>South African Shiraz</h2>


(Originally offered in January 2006)

The Region:
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s oldest growing region, the centre for
study of viticulture and oenology in Africa, and the heart of the wine
industry. Famous for its stunning natural beauty, it has soaring
mountains, forests, vineyards, olive groves and veldts. South Africa’s
finest red wines thrive in the Cape’s moderate climate, and the Shiraz
from this region is dense with jammy richness, intense fruit, and
complex spiciness.

The Wine: This wine has a
dense, chewy blackberry, earthiness and robust character. This
medium/full bodied wine almost begs for early drinking, with spice and
rich fruit, but the bold tannins and rich jamminess (typical of Shiraz)
will allow it to improve with age for a further 2 years.

The Food: The pepper, plums and red fruit aromas and abundant tannins blend wonderfully with barbecue, grilled red meatand stews.

Sweetness Code: 0



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<h1>February</h1>
<h2>Australian Petit Verdot</h2>


(Originally offered in April 2004)

The Region:
South East Australia is a literal hotbed of grape growing. The abundant
sunshine hours and heat allow growers to ripen varieties that have all
but been abandoned by growing regions less blessed. Petit Verdot is one
such variety. It makes unsurpassed red wines in Bordeaux, where it goes
into their classic Cabernet-Merlot blends, yet the climate there is too
cool to ripen it reliably.

The Wine: Best
described as a ‘Super Cabernet’, it makes dark, rich wines, with
wonderfully concentrated flavours of spice, blackberry and
blackcurrant. With smooth, gripping tannins and an elegant structure
leading to a magnificent boldly oaked finish, this is a wine for long
term ageing and special occasions.

The Food: Excellent when paired with steak, prime rib, lamb, intense cheeses, and game.

Sweetness Code: 0


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<h1>March</h1>
<h2>Pacific Quartet</h2>


(Originally offered in March 2007)

The Region:
The Pacific Coast of North America has micro-climates that match those
of the blazing sunshine of the Mediterranean to the crisp mountain air
of the upper Rhine. With so much range and variety, there is a perfect
terroir for almost any grape you can name.

The Wine:
This wine showcases bright fruit, excellent structure and a long
finish. Vidal from British Columbia gives spiciness and stone fruit.
Chenin Blanc from California gives a wonderful melony-honeyed aroma
with hints of apple. Gewürztraminer from Washington contributes lychee,
rose petals and floral notes, and Muscat from Australia’s Murray-
Darling Valley gives wonderful grapey notes with dried fruit and hints
of orange peel.

The Food: This wine has a range
of fruit character and enough acidity to stand up to a wide range of
foods, particularly spicy and savoury dishes, including Thai cuisine,
grilled fish, herbed roast chicken or barbecued salmon. Although
delicious right on bottling day, drinking it early would prevent it
from showing it’s best–after six months the Muscat and Vidal will
dominate with spicy/grapey notes, after a year the Chenin Blanc’s honey
and melon will come out, and at 18 months to two years the
Gewurztraminer will show a perfumed floweriness and lush structure.

Sweetness Code: 1 (off dry)<div ="winePhoto">


<h1>April</h1><h2>Italian Brunello</h2>


(Originally offered in April 2007)

The Region:
Italy’s long, narrow peninsula reaches deep into the
Mediterranean,basking in the relentless sunshine and welcoming warmth.
Gentle sloping hillsides, rich mineral soils, the moderating breezes
off of the Mediterranean waters and unique grape varieties work to make
wonderful wines.

The Wine: Brunello is a
large-berried variety of the Sangiovese grape, most famous in Brunello
di Montalcino. The flavour profile of Sangiovese is fruity, with strong
natural acidity, a firm and elegant assertiveness and a robust finish
that can extend surprisingly long. The aroma is generally subtle, with
cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and violet notes. Medium-bodied but
boldly tannic and intense, this gripping wine will begin to open up
after six months, but the richer flavours will take at least 18 months
to show, with cherry and spice dominating the long, fruity finish.

The Food:
Brunello shines in the company of assertively flavoured foods. Hard
cheeses such as Asiago and Parmigiano Reggiano are splendid
accompaniments and the wines backbone of acids and tannins make it work
well with rich and spicy foods like Italian sausages or lasagna.

Sweetness Code: 0
 
For those the missed the Pacific Quartet the first time around, here is your chance! This is an absolutely outstanding wine and one of the very few whites my husband likes.
Looks like another PQ for me + the Petit Verdot. Really need to save up!
VC
 
Other than hearing about the Pacific Quartet (thanks for the info vcasey), I have not heard much about these wines, other than my LHBS says they are all great...but of course they are trying to sell kits. Has anyone made any of these kits from the first time they came out? If so, what did you think about them?

Thanks in advance for the tips.
 
I have heard nothing but great things about all these kits. Don't forget they are being released as some of the most popular of the WE LE kits and many folks that I have heard from are planning to pick up several of each. Right now I can say I am grabbing another Pacific Quartet and the Petit Verdot, but you can't go wrong with any of the LE kits from any of the companies.
VC
 
I made the Trio Blanca, Petit Verdot and Brunello. I really enjoyed the Trio Blanca and Petit Verdot. The Brunello hasn't been bottled yet but so farI'm not really all that thrilled with it.Maybe it just needsmore aging though. It was late in the year when I started it.


I plan to try the Pacific Quartet this time around with more of the Trio Blanca and Petit Verdot.
 
The Petit Verdot they released in 2004 can only be described as "truly delicious". What an incredible wine that was.
 

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