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 Fattoria Nittardi Nectar Dei Maremma Super Tuscan, Tuscany, Italy

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s website)

Varietal Composition: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot, 15% Merlot, 5% Select grapes

Location: Tuscany, Italy

Specialty Factor: Limited production & distribution yearly

Cellar Aging: Drink now or cellar until 2033

A Few More Details

Nectar Dei is the Super Premium Wine of Nittardi and was christened with the ancient name of Nittardi from 1183, and, following tradition, the first bottles of Nectar Dei are offered to Pope Francesco. The wine is a DOC Maremma Toscana, an upcoming appellation for wines from the Tuscan coast.

Tasting Notes

“Deep and complex on the nose with spiced plums and ripe blackberries as well as hints of sweet licorice, aged tangerine peel, chocolate and dark earth. Some tarry undertones, too. Full and opulent with very fine, silky

tannins that have a firm grip over the palate, framing the intense and succulent fruit. Lingering finish. From organically grown grapes. Better after 2025.” – James Suckling

Food Pairing Suggestions!

• Pair the 2020 Fattoria Nittardi Nectar Dei with bistecca alla Fiorentina, braised short ribs, or aged Pecorino to match its rich structure and dark, powerful fruit.

About:

Nectar Dei grows on a property of Nittardi in Maremma called Mongibello delle Mandorlaie between Scansano and Magliano in Toscana, only 8 km away from the sea at an altitude of 250m. The vineyards lie in the Morellino di Scansano DOCG area. The soil is mostly sand with granite and schist stones and clay underneath. Nectar Dei is crafted with a selection of the best grapes from the Mongibello vineyards. Aging: 24 months in French oak barrique barrels (30% new) and 4 months in a single concrete vat. The wine is then aged 12 months in bottle. All vineyards are Certified Organic.

Dorcha Blaufrankisch Rose PetNat Slovenia

(Carefully curated notes below are taken from the Producer’s website)

Varietal Composition: 100% Blaufränkisch

Location: Ritoznoj, Lower Styria (Štajerska), Slovenia

Specialty Factor: Only 500 cases produced

Cellar Aging: Drink now–best consumed within the first couple of years

A Few More Details

Climate: Continental, with dry and hot summers, and snowy winters . Terrain: Marl rich soils, with sand and clay. Exposed southern exposure, 370 metres above sea level. Farming: No irrigation. No herbicide. Environmentally friendly and sustainable viticulture, with respect for the land.  Vinification: Hand-picked grapes, destemmed and pressed. Natural settling for 48 hours before racking. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeast. Bottling just prior to the end of fermentation. Contains sediment.

Tasting Notes

An electric golden guava pink in color, the wine starts with wild yeast, fresh strawberries and cucumber on the nose. The palate is delightfully alive and balanced with persistent bubbles, packed with broad fruits of red raspberry, blood orange, baked rhubarb and a crunchy mineral finish. This wine is effortlessly drinkable and refreshing – pair with ceviche, shrimp cocktail, soft cheeses and pickles or with a pile of thinly sliced bear salami.

Food Pairing Suggestions!

• Its vibrant bubbles and red-berry notes make it a great match for ceviche, shrimp cocktail, or any bright, citrus-driven seafood dish.  The wine’s subtle funk, minerality, and refreshing acidity also pair beautifully with soft fresh cheeses, pickles, or a charcuterie board featuring cured meats.

About:

Located in Ritoznoj in Štajerska, Dorcha is the brainchild of Izidor (Dorcha) Vehovar. He is the 3rd generation of his family to continue the path of viticulture and winemaking, and is intent on a new direction, a friendlier path. A farmer without a conventional view of wine production, a winemaker who is following the local tradition of producing pure, vibrant wines. Gaining from some fresh perspective from his relatively-new neighbor in the village (Nick Gee, Heaps Good Wine Co.), he is now adding to his family’s tradition by making exciting wines and made naturally with a modern twist.

Izidor is a passionate but humble winemaker in the village of Ritoznoj. He keeps to himself and is often found wandering the wooded mountains of Pohorje, embracing nature and foraging for local mushrooms (a local specialty in NE Slovenia), or in his cellar processing and aging his own salumi and cured meats. In the vineyards, from 22 ha of vines, the family produces 6,000 cases of wine. The drive is to do as much as possible to make great wine, starting in the vineyard, as everything good comes from the vineyard. Farming is done with the greatest respect for the land, with entirely sustainable viticulture, and all under Slovenia’s strict integrative farming requirements, with no use of pesticides or herbicides in the vineyards.

‟It starts at the ground, in the vineyard. When you step into a vineyard, approach the vine, touch it, kneel down, and touch the ground, you can feel it. You have to have that in your blood and heart. As the vine grows, you grow up with it and with the earth under your nails. You smell grapes in the air that you breathe. The wine we produce is not classic, but has a unique character and taste…and most importantly, it has an energy.”

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