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More wines available from Mark Ryan
750ml
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Rated 92 - The aromas are generous and appealing, with notes of huckleberry, plum, black pepper and earth, showing...
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Aromatically dense, the 2012 ‘Chief’ showcases outstanding complexity, with aromas of redcurrant, cigar box and...
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Rated 88 - The aromas offer notes of plum, orange rind, coffee, dark cherry and plentiful dried herb. Plump,...
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The Vincent White offers aromas of bright apple, kiwi, and stone fruit. The palate brings acidity and bright citrus...
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Rated 95 - Deep, refined and singing: how can anyone resist this? Lovely lifted cherry-raspberry fruits, a creamy...
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Winery
Mark Ryan
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Mourvedre
In many parts of the world, from Washington State to France, Australia to Spain, wineries have been working with the Mourvèdre varietal grape to achieve fantastic and fascinating results. The grape varietal is actually a relatively ancient one, believed to have been brought to Spain from Asia Minor over two thousand years ago. The Mourvèdre grape is generally considered to be a difficult one to cultivate, as it requires both heat, light and moisture, meaning wineries wishing to grow Mourvèdre need to be well irrigated, but in hot regions where the vines will be safe from rot. The grapes hold lots of unusual and interesting flavors, ranging from meaty and gamey, to brambly and full of dark fruit notes. As such, the wines they produce can be matched with lots of different foods, making them popular around the world.
Region: Washington State
Washington state is a fascinating region when it comes to American wine production, with the majority of their produce coming out of the desert-like eastern half of the state. This expansive region has a unique climate produced by the rain shadow of the Cascade mountain range, and here we find over ninety-nine percent of the state's vineyards which hold a wide range of classic grape varietals including Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and others. Today, there are over forty thousand acres in Washington under vine, and the industry of the state is going from strength to strength due to the increasing popularity of the wines which are produced here. Over six hundred wineries in the state take advantage of the well irrigated vineyards which flourish there, and these numbers are expected to grow quickly over the next decade.
Country: United States
Whilst there are several strains of native grape varietals in the United States, it was the introduction of the European species which prompted the country to begin producing wines on a large scale. Over the past few centuries, experimentation and cross-breeding has produced great successes in regards to the quality and suitability of the fruit grown in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and New York, and the past few decades have seen New World wines from the United States reach much higher standards. Arguably the finest United States wines have always come out of California, where the climate and terrroir is most suitable for fine wine production. The masterful blending of classic grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, amongst others including Syrah and Chardonnay, have had world beating results in recent years, prompting many to suggest that there has never been a better time for buying and drinking United States wines.