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More wines available from Cave Spring Cellars
750ml
Bottle:
$19.93
A fresh, peach and apple-inflected white, accented by lemon and mineral. The rich fruit is matched to a steely...
750ml
Bottle:
$25.94
$26.48
Produced from the estate's oldest vines, this is a worthy reserve. This wine shows impressive depth and intensity,...
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Winery
Cave Spring Cellars
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: Chardonnay
In the past couple of decades, the sales of wines made with Chardonnay grapes has risen and fallen more than once. For many people, this green skinned grape was marred by a poor reputation for bland and uninteresting wines, a great shame considering the fact that Chardonnay grapes have proven time and time again to be interesting, versatile and full of surprises. Most commonly, fine Chardonnay wines are buttery, smooth and creamy as a result of malolactic fermentation, yet with hints of tropical fruits and orchard fruits such as apples and pears. What is most remarkable about Chardonnay grapes, however, is the fact that unlike many other 'white' grapes, they are exceptionally good at holding the characteristics of their terroir in the bottle. As such, despite their fluctuating reputation, this is one grape varietal which produces constantly surprising, impressive and varied wines.
Country: Canada
For over two hundred years, Canada has been home to several well established wineries producing unique and characterful wines from the grape varietals which flourish in the colder climate which typifies the country's wine producing regions. Most of Canada's wines are produced in British Columbia and in Ontario, where the climatic conditions are more suitable for viticulture, although you can also find successful wineries in many other regions of the country, most notably in southern Quebec and around the shores of Lake Erie. Canada is most well known for its production of ice wine, which is usually a sweet wine made from grapes which have frozen on the vine. However, the past decade has seen Canadian vintners expand their repertoire and begin experimenting with many other wine styles, and incorporating less commonly used grape varietals.