Branson Coach House Greenock Block Shiraz with BBQ Ribs

Branson Coach House Greenock Block Shiraz with BBQ Ribs 

Sunday night BBQ at home, watching the incredible Lioness series, Linda prepared barbecue ribs with baked potato, sweet potato. Sweet corn and green beans. 

For a wine accompaniment we pulled from the cellar this aged vintage Aussie Shiraz, the last bottle of a case we acquired on release nearly two decades ago.

 

Branson Coach House Barossa Single Vineyard Greenock Block Shiraz 2004

I recall I discovered and tasted this wine with Wine Manager Bill and the Aussie wine buyer at the wine desk at Binny's, the Chicagoland beverage super store,  in Glen Ellyn back upon release. I liked it so much I bought their entire allocation which was only a couple six packs.

This property was taken over by Two Hands after the passing of proprietor Malcolm Asden, the result being these wines are now made alongside Two Hands by their winemaker Matt Wenk. The acquisition was made possible by capital from outside foreign investors.

Along with the winery and brand came eighteen acres of Greenock vineyards planted in mature high quality Shiraz which will continue to be produced under the BCH label. Subsequently, Two Hands wine production is also done at the BCH Greenock facility. 

Seven hundred and fifty cases were produced. Interestingly, this was aged in American Oak. 

They continue to produce BCH premium single vineyard designated labels Coach House Block Rare Single Vineyard and Greenock Block Single Vineyard Shiraz's sourced from the vineyards that surround the winery.

Tonight, this bottle is the last of that lot of bottles acquired nearly two decades ago. 

This release was rated 91 points by Wine Spectator and International Wine Cellar and 90 points by Wine Advocate.

Similar to tasting notes six years ago, now, at twenty-one years of age, this has aged gracefully, showing only slight signs of diminution of the fruits. Back then I wrote, “Upon opening it was slightly obtuse with a bit of an edge, but over the course of an hour it opened, softened and became more approachable.” Tonight it was approachable from the start and provided pleasant drinking throughout. 

Dark inky purple color, full bodied, thick, chewy layers of aromatic flavors of tangy black fruits, raspberry, black cherry and black currants, accented by tones of clove spice, graphite & hints of creme de cassis on a smooth polished moderate tannin finish.

Back then I gave it RM 90 points, two points less than the last tastings back nearly four years ago on Aug 6, 2016 and then Oct 11, 2017. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=246545

https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/246545

Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Argentina Cabernet Franc

Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard Argentina Cabernet Franc 2019

For our family birthday celebration dinner gathering, posted herein - Aged vintage wines for family birthday dinner, son Ryan brought from his home cellar (below) this single vineyard designated Cabernet Franc for tasting with the grilled beefsteaks. This extraordinary label release received two 100 points reviews by James Suckling and by Robert Parker. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate compared it to a great vintage of Chateau Lafleur, his “favorite Bordeaux”.

The wines of El Enemigo are from winemaker, Alejandro Vigil, and a historian, Adrianna Catena. They pay tribute to the European immigrants who first settled in Argentina to make wines as good as or finer than those of their old homelands. By 1936, Malbec and Petit Verdot were Argentina’s most widely planted varietals, and their blend was considered the ultimate in refinement and aging potential.

El Enemigo translates as ‘the enemy’, taking into account “the fact that at the end of any journey, most remember only one battle — the one fought within (the original enemy)”.

El Enemigo is produced at BESA, located in the Vista Flores district in Tunuyán, Mendoza. The facility is named for the unique aspect of Mendoza’s high-altitude winemaking region nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.

Winemaker and co-owner Alejandro Vigil is a soil expert, winemaker, and agronomist. He is also the Chief Winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata, the former head of the soil division at Argentina’s Wine Institute, and the former head of the soil division of INTA.

Partner Adrianna Catena is the daughter of Nicolás Catena. She has a Master’s Degree in Early Modern Iberian Atlantic history from the University of Oxford. Her dream is to continue the family legacy of winemaking while pursuing her passion for history and writing from a cottage surrounded by vineyards in the Argentine Andes.

This label release is from the Gualtallary sub-appellation in the Mendoza Appellation in the Cuvo wine region of Argentina. Mendoza is Argentina’s largest and best-known winemaking province. responsible for over 70% of the country’s enological output. 

Mendoza is set in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains where the climate is dry and continental. Mendoza, divided into several distinctive sub-regions, including Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, is the source of some of the country’s finest wines. 

Mendoza is best known for Malbec, the most prolific and popular varietal, originally a Bordelaise variety that was brought to Argentina by the French in the mid-1800s. Also planted are the traditional Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and this Cabernet Franc, as well as Syrah and Pinot Noir, for the reds. Mendoza's main white varieties include Chardonnay, Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

Bodega Aleanna 'Gran Enemigo' Gualtallary Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc Tupungato, Argentina 2019

This is a single vineyard designated bottling from the Gualtallary, Tupungato site. It sites in the Andes foothills at 4,822 ft (1470 m) elevation, a high density vineyard with10.000 plants per hectare in the rocky, limestone calcium rich calcareous, rocky soil, planted around 1997. It includes 5% Malbec in the blend  sourced from the same area within the north of Uco Valley. It was aged in French oak barrels new and 3rd use, and in 100-year-old foudre for 15 months.

Winemaker Notes - Gran Enemigo Gualtallary is bold, complex, and rich, with intense aromas of ripe blackberry, wood, olive, thyme, spice, and vanilla. Full-bodied and balanced with structured tannins, good acidity, and a long finish. Certified Sustainable by Bodegas de Argentina. Gran Enemigo Gualtallary is excellent with grilled meats and various cheeses.

 

This was rated 100 points by north James Suckling and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, who also gave 100 points to the 2013 release. At 100 points, this is one of the finest vintages for this single-vineyard blend of Cabernet Franc with some 15% Malbec.

It was rated 97 points by Vinous, 95 by Descorchados and Tin Atkins, and 94 by Wine Spectator.

Cellartrackers gave this an average of 94.6 points, high marks indeed for CT, who typically moderate the pundits awards. See https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4506689.

Like other highly rated wines, this is more about the lack of any retractions or faults than it is about predominant high notes. 

Displays a deep purple color, medium to full bodied, round, elegantly balanced, smooth and polished, bright vibrant tangy acidity on the juicy huckleberry and blackberry fruits with notes of spice, ash,  hints of mountain herbs, mint and cassis, with dry chalky texture on fine-grained tannins laced flavorful complex finish. 

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/w?4506689

https://enemigowines.com/