Beverage of the Week (BOW)
Stone Castle Reserve Chardonnay Rahovec Valley 2018
Product Story
The virtue of this wine is balance and restraint. The fruit is sourced from two vineyards — Sapniq and Izbisht — at an altitude of 480 meters with great sun exposure. The harvest is performed by hand followed by a cold maceration for six to eight hours and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged in French oak for a period of nine months. While they do not disclose the ratio of new to used casks we would guess that there is a larger portion of used casks as the oak flavors are very well-integrated and not at all dominant on the nose or the palate. Everything in this wine is ideally proportioned. We wish that more Chardonnay was made with this approach — a real charmer.
Brand Story
Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery, the leading winery in Kosovo, is forging a path for this Balkan wine region. In 2006, the Gecaj family acquired the state-owned winery formerly known as “NBI Rahoveci,” which the Yugoslavian government built in 1953. It remains a family owned winery to this day. All of Stone Castle’s wines are made from estate-grown grapes from the heart of the Rahovec Valley, known locally as the “Tuscany of Kosovo.” Stone Castle offers a range of wines primarily from international grapes including: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Merlot, as well as the ancient and indigenous grape called Vranc. We are instant fans of this lovely Kosovo winemaker.
Tasting Note
Brilliant, medium gold/green color. The nose is moderately intense offering scents of apricot stone and grapefruit with supporting notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, and kiwi. The palate confirms the nose delivering a ripe orchard fruits-driven core with flavors of pineapple, lemon curd, passion fruit, and slate. The finish is long and lingering. Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with a vibrant texture with very subtle oak accents.
How to Serve
Serve chilled but no too cold or you will suppress the the subtle nuances abundant in this wine. Pair it with roasted fowl, crab cakes, cream sauces, or smoked salmon.
Price: $ 24
BevX Review: http://bevx.com/wine-detail/?id=4117
