Author: Mr Whirly

Mr Whirly says:

“ From the furthest northern wine region in California high up amongst the Redwood’s, Greg Graziano has been making outstanding and affordable wines here for over thirty years. Soft and with a Bakewell tart middle palate, this wine defies its 15 % alcohol level since it is so well balanced and elegant. Mendocino is an up and coming wine region. Similar to the 2005 vintage with textured layers of Almond and sweet black cherry fruit, soft tannins and a generous mouth feel. Cool climate Zinfandel means that the wine is in no way “hot but cool and approachable.”

Greg says:

“ Our Zinfandel comes from eighteen different Zinfandel vineyards scattered throughout the bench lands and hillsides of Mendocino County. Many of these vineyards are still farmed by third and  fourth generation Italian-Americans. This vintage displays a rich dark purple garnet colour and deep aromas of black cherry, boysenberry, plum, spicy sandalwood with hints of toasty oak. Uplifting flavours of plum and earth combine to give this full-bodied Zinfandel a generous mouth-feel. Rich full tannins and balanced acidity lead into a long, lingering finish. “

Past vintages of this wine have been incredibly popular and I can assure you this 2006 vintage is the best yet.

Alcohol: 14.5%

New 2011 vintage arrives end Of 2013: 2006 vintage now sold out

Mr Whirly says:

“ Whirly wines first venture with this varietal, famous in the Loire regions of Saumur, Savannieres  and Vouvray. Vibrant rich pear and apples with touches of Vanilla on the nose and palate. Aged Sur lie for 5 months in neutral French Oak Burgundy Barrels. “

Price: sold out

Alcohol: 13.0%

A Barbera from Northern California! The glory of wine!

New vintage of this wine has just arrived, February 2014 and I shall be posting some tasting notes on it soon. Its Greg’s 2010 vintage of the wonderful grape

WInemakers notes:

“ Enotria, part of the Graziano family of wines, is what the ancients called Italy. We produce wines from Italian grape varieties that are native to the Piemonte region of Northwest Italy. We utilise the best methods, both modern and ancient, to create wines that are distinctly Californian yet evocative. This grape is the most widely planted and the workhorse grape of the Piemonte, Barbera is known for its lively acidity. Our version, which is grown in the foothills and bench lands of Mendocino County, has been aged in a combination of French Burgundy and American Oak barrels for over 24 months. This long ageing helps to bring a harmonious balance of sweet fruit flavours, rich earthy complexity and softer tannins and acidity. “

Mr Whirly says:

“Barbera from Northern California and in particular Mendocino arrived here in the 19th Century with immigrant Italians and took well to the coastal Volcanic soils of this Northern part of this wonderful state. This is Graziano’s 15th vintage of this grape. Once again not young, this wine shows well now and for time to come with soft textured tannins and black cherries on the palate, almost Cherry Clafoutis in its makeup, which we love!

It has a little hint of coconut and toasty oak too. I am really proud of this wine:  I hope you find the point of difference with some Italian wines you might know, really exciting. This is what wine is all about: tasting the same grapes made in different regions of the world and seeing how indeed they have their own identity. “

Alcohol: 15.0%

Primo Rosso: “ First red “

This is the second vintage of the wine for my wine business and the first was a fabulous success so I expect this to be too.

A blend of six grapes but don’t be put off if you are, like me, a fan of single varietals on their tod! This is a wonderful example of how grapes can be blended really attractively and shows off Greg Graziano’s winemaking skills very well indeed. It also fit’s really well into that very large void, of wines being available from the United States that have some quality and panache but are not too expensive. 65% Zinfandel, 15% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah, 5% Sangiovese, 3% Negroamaro, 2% Nebbiolo. Some lovely bottle age means this wine is soft with tannins of maturity and grace: medium to dark purple-garnet in colour with some flavours of plums and blackberries in a pie with the addition of a little Marzipan, Almonds and Moraschino Cherries. This wine does not fade away but remains strong and even when opened will taste well after 3 days of opening, so has the potential to be an interesting pourer in 2011 and in the years ahead.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Primo Bianco: “ First white”

New Vintage just arrived, February 2014: tasting notes for the 2011 vintage will follow shortly

Following the undoubted  success of the Primo Rosso in 2010 I decided it would be a good idea  to import it’s sister. So here  it is!

Primo Bianco means “ First white”. This is Greg Graziano’s complex blend of six different grapes! Six! Wow, I said to myself before I tried it for the first time, that must me a difficult job blending six grapes! He’s done a very good job which means he’s a very clever winemaker!

Mr Whirly says

“It’s a very complex wine, quite herbaceous with a touch of fennel and dill on the nose.  Great concentraion. I recently tasted this with Tom and Lisa Lewis at the lovely Monachyle Mhor with a vegetarian risotto with fennel and other strong flavours and it was quite a special match.”

Winemakers notes:

Winemaking: We hand-harvested the grapes at an average 23.5 degrees brix through the months of September and October, 2009. The grapes were crushed, pressed, cold settled and then racked into neutral French Burgundy oak barrels.  All of the lots were 100% barrel-fermented and “sur-lie” aged for 5 months with no malolactic fermentation.

Winemaker Comments: This is a blend of 6 different varietals: Tocai Friulano, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Arneis, Pinot Grigio and Cortese. The grapes are from hillside vineyards in the Redwood and Ukiah Valleys. The wine is rich and intensely fruity with appealing aromas and flavours of spicy melon, ruby red grapefruit, anise, and mineral. The wine is nicely balanced by crisp acidity and a long, lingering finish.

Alcohol: 14.0%