Wine Notes. The Society's California Old-Vine Zinfandel. These wine notes were created on 27-Mar-2019.

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1 page 1 memberservices@ The Society's California Old-Vine Zinfandel Zinfandel is California's quintessential red grape and is best at producing ripe, full-flavoured dry wines. The Society's Zinfandel is produced for us by Delicato Family Vineyards who are one of the region's leading family winegrowers. A ripe but serious dry red with the juicy fruit and hint of pepper typical of the zinfandel grape, with enough structure to last a few years in bottle. It would stand up well to red meats and a wide variety of robust dishes. Product Code US4301 Dominant Grape Zinfandel Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates Within two years of purchase Origin California Alcohol Level 13.5% Style Full-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Delicato Founded in 1924, Delicato Family Vineyards have a proud heritage in the Californian wine business. Three generations of the family have overseen vineyard operations and winemaking at their various estates in California, maintaining the high standards for which Delicato are known. Delicato have been named U.S Wine Producer of the Year an unprecedented three times at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. Their philosophy throughout their many vineyards is one of sustainability and respect for the land. Delicato produce a portfolio of quality yet affordable wines, each from a selection of their very desirable vineyard areas in Lodi, Monterey and Napa. The Society s California Old-Vine Zinfandel is sourced by Delicato, primarily from the excellent, cool-coastal vineyards of Monterey.

2 page 2 memberservices@ Hilltop Premium Red 2009 Hungary is known chiefly for its whites, but the marvellous 2009 vintage was great for red wines too. This is a highly successful Claret-like mix of local kékfrankos with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot and is full, fresh and spicy. This wine was voted a 2012 Wine Champion at our annual blind tasting competition to find the best of The Society's range for drinking now. Product Code HU611 Dominant Grape Cabernet Franc Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2011 to 2014 Origin Hungary Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, diam Vintage 2009 Price No longer for sale Producer : Hilltop Estates - See next page.

3 page 3 memberservices@ Producer : Hilltop Estates The brilliantly run Hilltop Estates winery is about an hour s drive north-west of Budapest, near the Slovakian border. It was founded in 1993, beginning with 110 hectares of vines, mostly made up of the indigenous varieties that are continuing to rise in popularity as their potential is discovered, such as cserszegi fuszeres, hárslevelu and kiralyleányka. Some of these varieties are so hard to pronounce they have been sold under different names, such as Woodcutter s White and The Unpronounceable Wine. The company now also plants the likes of cabernet franc, gewürztraminer and pinot grigio with great success. As the name suggests the estate is situated on a hill affording a majestic view of the Danube below. There are now around 500 hectares of vines, planted with predominantly white varieties, and a beautifully renovated winery. Most of the vineyards are in the Neszmély wine region towards the north-west of Hungary, which enjoy long hours of sunshine and excellent soils, and the nearby Kocs region, where mostly international white varieties are grown. There are also some predominantly red grape vineyards in the more southerly Szekszárd region. The estate s driving force is Eva Keresetury, an ex-commodity broker, who had previous experience of sourcing wine from other producers before setting up her own enterprise in Eva has more recently been joined at Hilltop Estates by her son Gabor. Making the most of indigenous grape varieties, the team cleverly uses the best principles of modern winemaking to capture fragrance, fruit and freshness in their impressive range of whites. There is an on-site hotel and restaurant here which offer stunning views of the Danube below as well as colourful wine-related events throughout the year. It would certainly make a good base for members exploring this lesser-known corner of Hungary.

4 page 4 memberservices@ Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 Benchmark dry red zinfandel from Joel Peterson. Product Code US5291 Dominant Grape Zinfandel Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin California Alcohol Level 14.5% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Ravenswood Winery Ravenswood is located in a leafy valley about a mile outside the town of Sonoma in California. It was founded in 1976 by winemaker Joel Peterson along with his fellow wine aficionado and business partner Reed Foster. In the early days Ravenswood was very much a small-scale operation but owing to the worldwide success and demand for its zinfandels, it has grown significantly in both size and stature. The company has recently become partowned by drinks giant Constellation Brands, although the culture here remains more boutique than corporate, and Joel has left to make his own wines once more. Ravenswood control 14 hectares of their own vineyards and source the rest of their fruit from trusted contract growers in Sonoma with whom they have built long-standing relationships. Joel Peterson s governing philosophies and love of European-style wines were always, and still are, clearly evident however. Peterson learnt his winemaking craft with Joseph Swan, also a traditional-style producer, and on the Ravenswood website he declares, From Joe, I learned to pick grapes by taste and to farm for less fruit, not more. That using wild yeasts may be tricky, but makes for more interesting wines. To ferment long and warm, and age in French oak. In shunning American oak, Peterson believed Ravenswood wines were truer to their European roots, in that the original vines were planted by Europeans and the first commercial winemakers in Sonoma were Italian. The Society has been following Ravenswood wines for some years. The wines are always deliciously drinkable young but will continue to evolve in bottle for a few years. The top wines from vineyard-specific sites are usually fine prospects for the cellar.

5 page 5 memberservices@ Château Ka Rouge, 2009 A fragrant, velvety cabernet-syrah-merlot with ripe, clean fruit from this excellent rising star in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Product Code LE581 Dominant Grape Cabernet Shiraz Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2011 to 2014 Origin Lebanon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2009 Price No longer for sale Massaya Classic Red 2009 Vibrantly fruity, fleshy and powerful red from this rising star. 60% cinsault, 20% of both cabernet and syrah. Product Code LE531 Dominant Grape Cinsault Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2014 Origin Lebanon Alcohol Level 14.5% Style not applicable Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2009 Price No longer for sale Producer : Massaya - See next page.

6 page 6 memberservices@ Producer : Massaya Massaya s story may go back over 40 years, but it is only in the last two decades that they have really cemented their name as one of the Lebanon s most respected wineries. In the early seventies, the Ghosn family acquired a table-wine growing estate in Bekaa Valley, historically the most famous and fertile wine-producing area in Lebanon and home to the temple of Bacchus, Roman God of wine. Initially they only used the grapes to distill Arak a traditional Levantine spirit with a distinctive anise flavour but their sons Sami and Ramzi grew up in the vineyards learning to love nature and developing a passion for wine. Sadly, when civil war broke out in 1975 the Ghosn family was forced to leave the estate. Seventeen years later, Sami revisited a war-ravaged Massaya. The beauty of the land persuaded him to abandon his life as an architect in Los Angeles and convince his brother to leave his successful restaurant company in France: it was time for them to breathe new life into their beloved family domain. To this day Ramzi controls Massaya s marketing while Sami oversees the winemaking. They still make the family Arak, but their big success is their Rhône-like red wines. They have made the most of the French grape varieties they grow by seeking the wisdom of some top French producers both Daniel Brunier from Châteauneuf-du-Pape s Vieux Télégraphe and St. Emilion s Dominique Hebrard own a share of Massaya and have helped it achieve success. They in turn are assisted by the wonderful Bekaa Valley landscape: mountains protect the vineyards both from the sea and the desert, and help give cool nights to compensate for hot summer days. Melting snow from the mountain peaks also helps hydrate the vines in the dry weather: this natural irrigation makes the vines dig deep for moisture which in turn imparts true terroir flavours to the wine. The constant sea breeze reduces moisture around the vines, preventing disease and fungal growth. The three grapes used in the Massaya Classic a Society favourite for several vintages are cinsault, cabernet sauvignon and syrah. All three undergo a double selection process to ensure only the best fruit is used: once when they are hand-harvested in September and October, and once before pressing in the winery. Vinification of this wine is on the traditional side - most notably, they still practise manual pigeage, wherein the grape skins are literally rather than mechanically trodden through the wine vital for tannin extraction. The wine is kept in concrete vats for eight months before bottling to develop suppleness while preserving the fruit flavour. To its credit, Massaya has spent the last 20 years striving to show a different side to the Lebanon seen in newspaper headlines. Having worked hard to reverse the harm done to their land, their philosophy remains to try to be heirs of the ancient inhabitants of this valley of Bacchus.

7 page 7 memberservices@ Brazin Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2010 A rich, exotic and powerful zinfandel with the chunky quality of Lodi county. Made by Delicato who are behind The Society's Old-Vine Zinfandel. Product Code US5251 Dominant Grape Zinfandel Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin California Alcohol Level 15.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Delicato Founded in 1924, Delicato Family Vineyards have a proud heritage in the Californian wine business. Three generations of the family have overseen vineyard operations and winemaking at their various estates in California, maintaining the high standards for which Delicato are known. Delicato have been named U.S Wine Producer of the Year an unprecedented three times at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. Their philosophy throughout their many vineyards is one of sustainability and respect for the land. Delicato produce a portfolio of quality yet affordable wines, each from a selection of their very desirable vineyard areas in Lodi, Monterey and Napa. The Society s California Old-Vine Zinfandel is sourced by Delicato, primarily from the excellent, cool-coastal vineyards of Monterey.

8 page 8 memberservices@ Peachy Canyon Zinfandel 2010 Vibrantly fruity zinfandel, packed full of blueberry flavours with smooth, sensuous palate and lovely balance. Product Code US5201 Dominant Grape Zinfandel Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin California Alcohol Level 14.5% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Sablet, Villages, Château de Trignon, 2009 Lovely balance here with flavours of wild herbs, dark fruit and spice. As the name suggests, Sablet is on sand and the light soils make for wines that are round, supple and very approachable young. Product Code RH26991 Dominant Grape Grenache/Garnacha Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2019 Origin Other Southern Rhone Wines Alcohol Level 14.0% Style Full-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2009 Price No longer for sale Hochar 2007 A single-vineyard wine in its own right, made from cinsault, carignan, cabernet and grenache. This is a great introduction to the Musar style. Full-bodied and velvety. Product Code LE561 Dominant Grape not applicable Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2016 Origin Lebanon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2007 Price No longer for sale Producer : Chateau Musar - See next page.

9 page 9 memberservices@ Producer : Chateau Musar Chateau Musar was established in 1930 by Gaston Hochar at the tender age of 20. His inspiration was both the 6,000-year winemaking history of Lebanon s Bekaa Valley and also his time in Bordeaux a connection which was strengthened during the Second World War when he befriended Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton while he was stationed in Lebanon. In 1959 he graciously stepped aside for his two eager sons Serge and Ronald. Serge, who sadly passed away in 2014, was the better known of the pair, having travelled extensively to promote the wines and regularly attending annual Wine Society tastings to meet our members. Ronald, however, has been instrumental in running the business side of things, and his huge contribution includes keeping the winery open against all odds throughout the civil war. This is especially shocking given that in 1989 the winery and the Hochar family home were directly hit by shelling, but the Hochar brothers did more than stand their ground: for a short time they even used the cellars as a bomb shelter to give local people refuge. Today it is overseen by the third generation: like their father and uncle, Serge s eldest son Gaston now manages the day-to-day operation of the winery whereas his younger son Marc helps to control the commercial aspects. Ronald s son Ralph also works in Musar s UK office, and his daughter Elsa has immortalised the winery and her family s rich history in a documentary. The Musar property is located in the southern end of Bekaa Valley, around 30km north of Beirut. Here the altitude and shelter from surrounding mountains provide excellent growing conditions; the Bekaa valley is almost completely disease and frost free with long mild summers and just enough rain in the winter. The wide range of gravelly soils over limestone is also ideal for viticulture. The red grapes cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan are grown on mature, low-yielding vines for extra concentration, whereas the white grapes are indigenous varieties are better suited to higher altitude - some are grown as high as 1500m above sea level. Picking is done by hand in the cool mornings to preserve freshness, and all of Musar s wines are produced with minimum intervention. Wines are made with the minimum of sulphur and are not fined or filtered. Chateau Musar has been described by many as one of the great wines of the world, and it is certainly eccentric and intriguing in style. The third generation continues to build on Serge Hochar s artistic craftsmanship. He has been quoted as saying I once produced a wine that was technically perfect but it lacked the charms of imperfection, and the ultimate aim is still to make Musar in the most natural and authentic way, but with a touch of fascinating volatility. Each year, the final blend has varying percentages of each grape variety, and they in turn are sourced from several vineyard sites, resulting in intriguing blends that evolve from year to year.

10 page 10 Producer : Chateau Musar - Continued. Chateau Musar is a wine that needs time in bottle and is usually kept in vats for several years by the Hochars before being released for sale. The white Chateau Musar is made in an oxidative style that can often divide opinion. For earlier-drinking, the second wines, labelled Hochar Père et Fils, are made in the same distinctive style and are a perfect introduction to the mighty Musar brand.

11 page 11 Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Nôtre Dame des Celettes, Domaine Sainte-Anne, 2007 Deliciously fruity, full-bodied southern Rhône in a brilliant vintage for the grenache grape. Product Code RH21831 Dominant Grape Grenache/Garnacha Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2019 Origin Other Southern Rhone Wines Alcohol Level 14.5% Style Full-bodied Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2007 Price No longer for sale

Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2BT thewinesociety.com Wine Notes

Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2BT thewinesociety.com Wine Notes page 1 memberservices@ Kékfrankos Reserve 2009 (Villanyi) Splendidly full, rich and invigorating example of the late-ripening kékfrankos which benefited from the long hot summer in Hungary in 2009. Known