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More wines available from Seghesio Family Vineyards
750ml
Bottle:
$19.94
$20.80
Bright and focused with notes of lemon curd and crushed stone on the nose that carry through to the palate. The wine...
750ml
Bottle:
$19.94
Vibrant citrus and delicate floral notes lead to a wine that is lively, persistent, and textured on the palate with...
750ml
Bottle:
$38.39
Coming from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, the 2019 Zinfandel Cortina is a rocking Zinfandel that plays in the more...
750ml
Bottle:
$31.31
$34.79
Notes of ripe blackberry, baking spices and underbrush fill the bouquet. A rich entry of plum and cherry compote give...
750ml
Bottle:
$18.99
Plush in texture, this Zin is generous with blackberry and cherry flavors that draw in accents of briar patch, black...
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Winery
Seghesio Family Vineyards
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Barbera
The red Barbera grapes have been grown for centuries in Italy, with many ancient vineyards still in use for the cultivation of this particular varietal. In recent decades, many other countries have also begun to experiment with this fine varietal, to great effect. It isn't difficult to understand why their popularity has endured at home and abroad with vintners, as Barbera grapes are a vigorous strain that grows well in hot climates, where their high acidity can balance with their light tannins, and work wonderfully with the intense and aromatic nature of the fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, dried fruits and other hedgerow flavors are most commonly associated with Barbera, and whether drank young or aged for complexity in oak barrels, these grapes consistently produce excellent wines ideal for drinking alone or paired with many different foods.
Region: California
California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.
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.
Appellation: Sonoma Valley
Since the 1850s, Sonoma Valley has been recognized as one of the United States' most important and productive wine regions. Any visitor to the region will quickly understand just why Sonoma Valley has had so much success over the past hundred and fifty years, as the region benefits enormously from the wonderfully hot and dry climate it receives, alongside mineral rich soils, geological features such as thermal springs. Furthermore, the region has a rich wine heritage which gives the region a sense of pride and a determination to consistently put quality above quantity, and to make the most of the wide array of red and white wine grape varietals which flourish there. The Valley of the Moon, as it is affectionately named, is now widely understood to be home to many of North America's finest wines, and this is set to continue for many years to come.