ROSSO DELLA VALLE
ESTATE GROWN
DRY
BLEND: 95% Chambourcin - 5% Cabernet S. (var.5%)
VINEYARD SIZE: 1.8 Acres
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 350-400 cases
TASTING NOTES: Medium-bodied with a smooth, long finish and deep red color. Our vintner's blend embodies sweet aromas of raisins, raspberries, and plums. Enjoy with cheese, pork, beef, roasted chicken, lamb, grilled food and pasta. Serve at room temperature.
THE GRAPE: The Chambourcin grape is a hybrid variety created by Joannes Seyve around 1950 by crossing Seyve-Villard 12-417 and Chancellor. It requires a long growing season and when fully ripened can produce bold and full-bodied wines with intense red-purple color. Because of its resistance to disease and its ability to create superior wines, Chambourcin is used to produce dry, deep-colored wine with fully-aromatic flavors without unpleasant hybrid nuances.
VINTNER'S NOTE: We consider our "terroir" ideal for growing Chambourcin. Our heavy clay-loam soils keep the vigor of the plant at bay reducing production to 2-3 tons per acre and supplying the plant with all nutrients needed for development. Chambourcin needs a long growing season and we try to keep the fruit on the vine well into October until the first deep frost. After fermentation, we extend maceration for several weeks before pressing. A least 12 months in French and American oak casks follows before bottling.
BARBERA
ESTATE GROWN
DRY
BLEND: 80% Barbera 20% Baco Noir
VINEYARD SIZE: 2.4 acres
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 250-300 cases
TASTING NOTES: Medium-bodied with an intense ruby color, this Northern Italian variety displays a strong varietal character with aromas of cherries and raspberries. Our oak-aged Barbera is a well-structured red wine with balanced tannins for a long, smooth finish. Ideal for tomato-based dishes, grilled meat and lamb. Serve at room temperature.
THE GRAPE: Barbera is an autochthonous black grape variety of Piedmont in Northern Italy from which numerous DOC and DOCG wines are produced. Barbera origin can be traced back to the 700's, although the first official document was found in Chieri, near Tourin dating back to 1517. The berry is rather large and has a deep blue color tending towards black. Barbera is one of the most important red grape varieties in Italy. Known as one of the 3 "B's" of prestigious wines of Piedmont: Barolo, Barbaresco and Barbera. Barbera produces wines with higher acidity and strong tannins.
VINTNER'S NOTE: The Neri family has a strong attachment to Barbera as it originates from the area where my maternal family is from. We try to follow a traditional method of vinification for our Barbera which includes a minimum of 12 months aging in large oak casks to tame the aggressive acidity and tannic structure of this opulent wine.
SANGIOVESE
ESTATE CELLARED
DRY
BLEND: 90% SANGIOVESE 10% Montepulciano
VINEYARD LOCATION: Tuscany and Puglia, Italy
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 300-350 cases
TASTING NOTES: Our Sangiovese is fruity and naturally acidic with nuances of ripe cherry, blackberry and minerals. Ruby red color, medium body and balanced tannins make this robust Tuscan wine an ideal companion to meat, lamb and tomato based dishes. Serve at room temperature.
THE GRAPE: Sangiovese is the most planted varietal in Italy (>11%) and in Tuscany but can also be found in many other regions in Italy. Its origin is thought to be from the Etruscan era (before the Roman Empire). Sangiovese is the main composition of many wines, some of which are well known, such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Sangiovese di Romagna and many others. Wines made from Sangiovese tend to exhibit the grape's naturally high acidity as well as moderate to high tannin content and lighter color. Blending can have a pronounced effect on changing the flavor profile and character of the wine.
VINTNER'S NOTE: Our Sangiovese goes through primary fermentation in Italy and is then shipped in winter months to our New Jersey winery. At HVV, the wine goes through secondary (AKA malolactic) fermentation and is then aged and refined in French oak casks for a minimum of 8 months.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ESTATE FERMENTED
DRY
BLEND: 100%Cabernet Sauvignon
VINEYARD LOCATION: California
YEARLY PRODUCTION: 250-300 cases
TASTING NOTES: Full-bodied with intense aromas of black cherries, our Cabernet Sauvignon has been aged in French oak barrels for 14 months to achieve a structure worthy of several years of cellar life. Excellent with red meat dishes, pork, rack of lamb and roast duck. Serve at room temperature.
THE GRAPE: Cabernet Sauvignon is another one of the pillar grapes of wine making, one of the most grown and popular red varieties and main component of Bordeaux wine. It's a very intense and structured wine...one of those grapes that you can recognize from a distance for its distinctly small grape berry. Hence the proportion of skin and seed to overall volume of berry is very high, loading it with color and tannins.
VINTNER'S NOTE: Although we don't grow Cabernet, which requires a very long growing season, we procure grapes from trusted vineyards in California and transport them at controlled low temperatures for processing at the vineyard.
After fermentation and extensive cold maceration, the vine spends a minimum of 14 months in French and American oak barrels.