Solaris Barristers Block Showblock Picardy Bird in Hand Irvine Mazza Carlos Serres 2021 Wine List

Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.

Pinot Noir is Bill and Dan Pannell’s great love, especially the Pinots of Burgundy. With every year Bill and Dan get a little closer to making the ‘perfect pinot’. When our buyer Matt left Picardy (he was vineyard serf and assistant winemaker until 2003), the wine was made from 5 clones, including the highly prized Burgundian selection ‘777’ which Bill Pannell spent close to a decade getting into Australia. You’ll now find a number of Aussie wineries with 777 planted, all thanks to the hard work of the Pannells. Today the Pinot is made from 11 individual clones, 6 of which have been sourced from Corton, Burgundy. Whilst the wine was excellent back in the early 2000’s, it is now superb, one the best Pinot Noirs made in Australia, year in, year out. The 2021 is perfectly balanced, structured, chalky, elegant and mineral. There are plenty of red fruits, spice, and cedar. The perfect balance of fine boned acidity, mouthfeel and texture makes this wine seem elegant and effortless, yet it is incredibly powerful and deep. Tannins on the finish are glassine in a very Burgundian fashion. Magnificent.

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