Dandelion Vineyards & Cien Y Pico

Cien Y Pico 2007 Doble Pasta

Made from 100+ year old garnacha tintorera vines in the Manchuela region of Spain.

Cien Y Pico ("Hundred & Something") vineyards are on the wide, dry plateau of the southern Castilian meseta, between the Mediterranean and Madrid, one thousand metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains that offer just enough protection from the icy winters that turn directly into warm summers.

These plantings of garnacha tintorera thrive in the organically poor but limestone rich, red, sandy Miocene era sedimentary clay between the rocky limestone outcrops that cover the vineyards. Ancient and gnarled, the free standing bush vines, grown on their own roots with just 300mm of rain a year, yield tiny but intense crops.

"Doble Pasta" refers to its deep colour that occurs naturally with the variety garnacha tintorera. This wine exhibits intense fresh and uplifting powerful pure blueberry and strong red fruits, followed by complete and almost summer pudding array of juicy blackberries, delicious strawberries and cream. There is also some significant tannin as well as strong dark chocolate dominates on the pallet. 

Dandelion Vineyards 2009 Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling

Whole bunches from Dandelion's oldest riesling vineyard, 99 years in 2010, in the heart of Dandelion Vineyard's Wonderland the Eden Valley were hand selected and picked in the cool of early morning before sunrise and destemmed in small batches without crushing the fruit.

500 cases only of 2009 Wonderland of the Eden Valley Riesling were immediately bottled without fining or filtration to capture the essence of the vineyard and is ready to drink immediately, or cellar for decades.

This wine opens with crisp and crunchy fruit flavours lime sorbet, stone-fruit , including apricot as well as classic mandarin citrus on the mid palate, developing into rich lemon meringue tart-like flavour but still with a refreshing steely minerality, balanced with racy, slate-like acidity.

Drink either immediately as an aperitif, or with almost any dish from spring salads to seriously spicy curries. With bottle age, the Wonderland of Eden Valley will open with more toast/custard characteristics and softer fruit so then will be well paired with classic dishes such as soufflés and any cooked seafood.