La Gondola Reserve Red Wines
Petit Verdot
Color: deep (purple) red
Clarity: clear
Bouquet (aroma): Blackberry, cassis, cherry and dry fruits (prune, raisin) are married together in a complex bouquet with a light note of chocolate and leather.
Taste and Flavor: Taste and flavor are very rich. A component of violet and spicy flavors (licorice and black pepper) enhance the aftertaste of fruit and chocolate, leaving a long lasting lingering. Smooth but robust.
Body: full
Pairing and Serving: Mushroom risotto, any red meat grilled or stewed, aged cheese. You won’t miss anything if you enjoy it by itself.
Winemaster comments: Petit Verdot has its origin in France. Rare to find in “purity,” it is commonly used as a blender for its great color, tannins and body properties. I have been working with this variety in Tuscany (Italy) and found it so fascinating and unique that my goal has always been to bottle it in its pure form. So far, we produce about 2,000 bottles/year. Once the fermentation is over, it is racked into French and American Oak barrels where it ages for about 18 months.
Pinot Noir
Color: intense red (for Pinot Noir)
Clarity: clear
Bouquet (aroma): the prevailing aroma is red fruit (cherry, strawberry, cassis). There is a light, pleasant note of oak, which enhances the complexity of this wine’s aroma.
Taste and Flavor: As you first sip it, you’ll find the prevalence of the spicy, mid-earth aromas, which are suddenly overpowered by the fruitful flavor of cherry and cassis. A good acidity sustains the persistence, while soft tannins leaves you with a smooth finish and an inimitable fruity lingering.
Body: medium-full
Pairing and Serving: lamb, veil scaloppini, marinated seafood, seafood in general (great with grilled salmon) and, of course, aged cheese
Winemaster comments: We harvest our Pinot Noir La Gondola Reserve a little later than Terra Bella/Optimum. We preferably do 24-48 hours of cold soak. Once the fermentation starts, we prefer to use the maceration technique of “rack and return” to extract the maximum color possible. Once racked into barrels (French, second or third year of use), it goes under a spontaneous malolactic fermentation. We age this wine for about 24 months (of which at least 8 months are barrel aging) prior to bottling so that it can reach your table at its maximum peak of expression (about three years after it has been harvested).
Sangiovese
Color: scarlet red
Clarity: clear
Bouquet (aroma): tree fruit (cherry, ripe plum and figs) The mix of French and American oak (old) barrels brings a unique compound of spicy and caramel-based aromas.
Taste and Flavor: I’d describe this wine as an example of “velvety” wine. The taste and aftertaste are driven by fruity flavors; the soft tannins and caramel flavor make this wine exceptional for smoothness and complexity.
Body: medium-full
Pairing and Serving: It can simply go with everything, from pasta to meat, from soups to fish/seafood, and by itself, of course!
Winemaster comments: This wine is brought to you in Chianti’s style. To extract more fruity flavors, we partially crush the berries and manage the maceration with the punch-down technique. Right after the drain, the wine is racked into the barrels where it completes the maceration and ages for about 18 months. I’m very proud of this achievement. We are one of the few wineries in California to bottle a pure (100%) Sangiovese; I’m sure you’ll recognize the uniqueness of our style.