Red Georgian Badagoni Saperavi Reserve wine
Red Georgian Badagoni Saperavi Reserve 2010 wine
Letting Badagoni Saperavi Reserve breathe for 30 minutes is recommended. This renowned winery is located in Zemo Khodasheni village in the Kakheti region, established in 2006. They are known for their award-winning wines sourced from their extensive vineyards spanning over 400 hectares in the region’s best wine-growing areas.
Badagoni operates two wineries and has a partnership with the historic Alaverdi Monastery. Saperavi, a popular Georgian grape variety, is highly valued at Badagoni, especially by their winemaker Donato Lanati. The grapes for this wine are handpicked, vinified, and aged for 3 years in oak barrels.
Badagoni Saperavi Reserve boasts elegance with a rich and complex aroma profile. It offers intense scents of plum, ripe dark fruit, and dried grapes, with hints of spice, violet, and earthiness on the finish. The palate is full-bodied, velvety, juicy, and concentrated, featuring soft tannins and refreshing acidity leading to a lingering finish.
This wine has aged well and can be further cellared. It pairs perfectly with aged cheeses or enjoyed on its own.
White South African Badenhorst Kalmoesfontein White Blend 2022 wine
This wine from Badenhorst winery in the Swartland region is a unique blend of various grapes, including Chenin Blanc and Viognier. The grapes are handpicked and fermented with native yeasts before aging in oak barrels and concrete tanks. The result is a vibrant lemon-yellow wine with aromas of plum, apple, peach, and vanilla.
The palate is fresh and mineral-driven, with a velvety texture and flavors of lemon curd. This well-balanced wine pairs perfectly with dishes like pasta cacio e pepe. It’s recommended to uncork the bottle about thirty minutes before serving to fully appreciate its complexity.
White South African Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2024 wine
Badenhorst is a South African winery in the Swartland region run by cousins Hein and Adi Badenhorst. They use organic and biodynamic methods on their 28 hectares of vineyards to make natural wines. Their Chenin Blanc, also known as Steen, comes from vineyards planted in the 1960s.
The wine is made by harvesting and fermenting the grapes before aging briefly in concrete tanks to enhance its texture. The Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc was introduced in 2009 and has a bright appearance with hints of straw and green. It has a fresh aroma of stone fruit, pear, citrus, flowers, and a bit of honey.
The wine has a smooth, balanced taste with lively acidity, medium body, rich fruit flavors, and a mineral finish. It pairs well with dishes like salmon, pork with apples, and pear salad.
Red Spanish Baigorri De Garage Rioja 2019 wine
This wine from Bodega Baigorri in Rioja Alavesa should be allowed to breathe for an hour before enjoying. The vineyard is located at a high elevation of around 600 meters in the northern part of the Rioja wine region, benefiting from a unique climate influenced by the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The red wines are made from Tempranillo, Grenache, Mazuelo, and Graciano grapes grown in clayey-calcareous soils, while white wines are crafted from Macabeu or Malvasia grapes.
The grapes come from vines over 60 years old, planted in various micro-plots in the Samaniego region of Rioja Alavesa. Sustainable viticulture practices are followed, with manual labor in the vineyards.
The wine itself is a deep purple color with a ruby hue, offering aromas of blackberries, dried lavender, and rose petals. The taste is intense, warm, and robust yet balanced with finesse and elegance, with mature tannins and lively acidity complementing the juicy fruit flavors.
This wine pairs well with grilled or roasted red meat and game stews.