THE ADVOCATE 539
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
cherry, plum and raspberry, and on its rich but soft and silky palate are
more ripe plum, cherry blackberry with notes of green tobacco, spice and
some earth and ash. It finishes long and a bit tart, a nice balance to the rich
flavours. The winery recommends having it with red meat dishes, stews,
aged cheeses and Iberian ham. I also suggest a pork tenderloin or chops. It
is available at private wine stores such as JAK’s (where I bought it) or online
from Vivino.
lUIGI BOSCA LA LINDA PRIVATE SELECTION OLD VINES MALBEC 2019
Mendoza, Argentina #598896 $19.99
From 30-year-old vines grown in the Andes at over 960 metres, this wine is
again intense, from its black colour through its nose of black plum, black
currant and berries, especially raspberry, mixed with toasty oak, earth and
baking spice and on to its almost port-like soft-textured palate, with rich
flavours of prunes, cherry brandy and dark chocolate, mixed with a bit of
ash. It finishes long and full, with good tannic structure and is quite complex
for its price point. Try it with grilled or roasted meats, mushroom
dishes such as mushroom-stuffed ravioli, hard cheeses or charcuterie.
RAVENSWOOD OLD VINE ZINFANDEL 2018
Lodi, California, USA #599381 $22.99
Old vine Lodi Zinfandel is iconic. This is a good example, although the winery,
bought recently by Constellation Brands (the world’s largest winery
conglomerate), has its future in limbo. I was not able to ascertain the age of
the vines, but the wine is a mix of Zinfandel (seventy-seven per cent) and
Petite Syrah (twenty-three per cent), both being varieties with a long history
in Lodi. It has a rich nose of brambleberry and cassis mixed with black
cherry, cigar box and cocoa powder. The full palate is a mix of black cherry,
black plum, dried fruit and vanilla with a finish displaying black tea and
dark chocolate with smoky notes. Good food choices are tomato-based pastas,
or a cassoulet or game dishes. I hear that in California a classic combination
is ribs with a spicy barbecue sauce.
ENDNOTES
1. Visit Maribor, “Old Vine House”, online: <www.visit
maribor.si/en/what-to-do/wine-and-culinary/oldvine
house/>.
2. Jancis Robinson, “Save the Stumps” (10 April 2021),
online: <www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/savestumps>.
3. Ibid.
4. The Old Vine Conference, online: <www.oldvines.
org/>.
/
/
/
/
/save-stumps
/save-stumps
/
/