Apparently, a French man in the early 1800s became interested in Chilean flora, fauna and geology. Claude Gay became the effective patron saint of local, Chilean plants. Thanks to Claude, anytime you travel to Chile, it is made abundantly clear in all government proclamations that you cannot bring in any plants, fruits or vegetables. A friend inadvertently crossed customs with an apple in his pocket (I believe he was traveling from Taiwan, though he lives in London) about 15 years ago and was firmly reprimanded, despite eating the same apple in the presence of immigration officers.
Read MoreJoachim Splichal collaborated with his sons, Nicolas and Stéphane, and the winemaking team of rosé specialist Bruno Tringali to craft the fourth vintage of this estate-grown and decidedly Provençal pink. It is a highly inviting and complex blend of Grenache 48%, Cinsault 35%, Rolle (a.k.a. Vermentino) 6%, Syrah 5%, Carignan 4% and Grenache Blanc 2%.
Read MoreGarnacha in Cariñena? Yes, confusingly Cariñena is now more about Grenache than Carignan. But such changes could be expected in a region that – literally – drips with history. In 1415, King Ferdinand I of Aragon declared his love for wines from Cariñena, saying he preferred them “above all others”. (Presumably he was talking about wines made from Cariñena.) In 1773, Voltaire wrote in acknowledgment of a gift of wines from Cariñena, "If this wine is yours, it must be acknowledged that the Promised Land is near."
Read MoreGenerous in youthful fruit and near lavish in minerality. Blackberries, cassis and sage mesh with asphalt and animale.
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