Featured Premier Club Wines:

2019 CRAVEN WINES | CABERNET SAUVIGNON | STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA

The King! A variety Mick and Jeanine never thought they would entertain making until a lovely little site on the Karibib Vineyard was made apparent. The vineyard sits at 1,000 feet in elevation in the western part of Stellenbosch. The southeasterly wind coming off of False Bay becomes a bit of an air conditioner helping to retain lovely acidity and prolong the growing season. 2019 was the end of the harsh drought that plagued much of the Cape and yet it was this year that really produced wines of great finesse and still with concentrated fruit notes. The vineyard responded well to the late fall cool temperatures and bit of rain due to microclimatic farming methods. During ripening it just has intense and correct flavors at a relatively low sugar levels, so Mick made a spur of the minute decision to pick a little bit and make his first Cabernet.

Going against what is considered ‘standard operating procedure’, he fermented the grapes 100% whole bunch. He and Jeanine love the tannin structure and aromatics this can give to a wine and thought why not try it on Cab? The grapes were pressed a little earlier than complete dryness to make sure the tannins didn’t get too aggressive and the ferment finished in tank. The wine was then matured in neutral 225L barrels for 10 months before bottling. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered, with nothing added during the winemaking process apart from a dash of sulfur.

Winemaker's Notes:

What’s exciting is how far is it from being green,” says Mick Craven. This is so true as conventional thought says that Cabernet Sauvignon must be ultra-ripe (north of 14% alcohol) in order to lose that ‘greenness’, especially with whole clusters! It couldn’t be more apparent than Mick & Jeanine’s fine example here. There is plenty of charm and a wine that you can cuddle up to but there is still power, firm tannins combined with bright acidity and an intensity of flavors.

Red and black fruits combine with graphite and fresh herb notes, leading to a mid-weight palate that is bright and lithe echoing the freshness on the nose. At 12+% alcohol maybe this wine has rewritten the Stellenbosch Cabernet textbook – or just hearkened back to days of 30 or so years ago.

2019 GENTILINI "WILD PATHS" | ROBOLA | KEPHALONIA, GREECE

Gentilini, with winery and estate vineyards on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, has been at the forefront of quality wine-making in Greece since 1984. In 2002 ownership passed to the 2nd generation, bringing fresh ideas and renewed energy. The philosophy of Gentilini, however, remains the same: to create top quality, exciting and distinctive wines while promoting the unique flavors and aromas of the local Kefalonian varieties.

Robola of Kefalonia 100% Robola is an increasingly rare, ungrafted, low-yielding variety that thrives on the poor limestone and gravelly soils of the Kefalonian highlands. It is considered one of the finest Greek white varieties, and has characteristic citrus and mineral aromas.

A fresh, citrusy, dry white wine, which expresses all the characteristic fruit, minerality and terroir of this variety. Aromas of white peach and citron with hints of vanilla. Complex and balanced with a long finish.

  • MICK & JEANINE CRAVEN
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • GENTILINI'S DOG GIZMO
  • GENTILINI CO-OWNER PETROS MARKANTONATOS

Premier Club $64/month

Two bottles each month for $64.95. Delight in a monthly delivery of artisan wines showcasing boutique producers from California and beyond, hand-selected by the experts at Mission Wines.