Calyptra Mosaiko Pinot Noir

JANUARY WINE CLUB:

Mellow style logomosaiko pinot noir wine bottleCalyptra Vineyards & Winery
Mosaiko Pinot Noir
Alto Cachapoal, Chile

MELLOW WINE STYLE

Ruby color with violet reflections. The nose with aromas of fresh cherries and plums, forest fruits, a touch of black currant, herbs and a mineral finish. The palate is fresh, with round, soft tannins and good acidity. Juicy and fruity with varietal expression. An elegant, fresh Pinot Noir with mineral character.

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Analysis: 13.5% alcohol / volume
Appellation: Cachapoal Valley, Chile
Vineyards: Estate grown and bottled
Winemaker: 
Emiliano Dominguez Battochia

WINEMAKING:
Made with estate grown grapes in a ravine in the Andean foothills of the Cachapoal valley. The grapes are hand-harvested into 12-kg boxes. Mosaiko Pinot Noir is aged in stainless steel tanks for six months. Then it is bottled and it will spend at least six more months before it is released to market.

ABOUT CALYPTRA VINEYARDS & WINERY:
In 1989, Dr. Jose Miguel Zarhi Troy, a plastic surgeon and wine enthusiast, initiated a vineyard project by planting the first Chardonnay vines on his property in the Alto Cachapoal Valley. Over time, his passion project expanded to include various vine varieties and a winery, producing some of Chile’s top-tier wines. In 2018, Dr. Zarhi extended the Calyptra Winery venture by partnering with Lic. Fernando Rodriguez Merino, an IT businessman from Argentina who is deeply involved in the wine, hospitality, and gastronomic industry since 2007. This collaboration led to the acquisition of a plot in Los Árboles de Villegas en Tunuyán, a prime wine-growing region in the Uco Valley at 1,250 meters above sea level. Learn more 
here.

Try this wine with the following recipe…

baked-salmon-blogBalsamic Black Pepper Cherry Glazed Salmon

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 1 cup deep red cherries, pitted and sliced into quarters
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 6 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat.
  2. Place the cherries, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, vinegar, and wine in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat, stirring to combine ingredients and dissolve sugar.
  3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
  4. Lay the salmon fillets out on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2″ from each other.
  5. Portion out about 2 tablespoons of the glaze into a separate cup (to avoid cross contamination or glaze touching raw fish and cooked fish) and brush the glaze on to the salmon fillets, coating each one thoroughly.
  6. Bake on the top rack of the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Take care to not overcook. Remove from the oven. Move fish to a serving platter and spoon the remaining glaze generously over the fish.

Information & Photos © Calyptra Vineyards & Winery – All Rights Reserved.
© Recipe courtesy of The Kitchen McCabe.


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Casas del Toqui Barrel Series Chardonnay

Pan-Seared-Salmon-and-Gnocchi-with-Sage-Butter-Sauce

© Photo by Inquiring Chef

Pan Seared Salmon and Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 oz gnocchi (look for gluten-free if needed)
  • 4 (4-6 oz) salmon filets
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil (I use grape seed or avocado)
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 cloves shallots, diced
  • 2 tsp lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Boil gnocchi according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, pat salmon filets dry with paper towels. Season it on both sides with some salt and pepper.
  3. Place salmon, skin-side down (or on either side if using skinless salmon), in a room temperature non-stick pan with a thin layer of cooking oil. (This is the key to crisp salmon – the salmon must be placed in a cool pan and then slowly brought up to heat.)
  4. Place the pan over medium heat and cook the salmon, without moving it, until the skin is crisp and easily releases from the pan. (After it has cooked for ~5 minutes, gently nudge it with a spatula, until it easily slides around in the pan.)
  5. Turn salmon with a spatula and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until the side touching the pan is golden brown and crisp and the salmon is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more. (It should flake easily with a fork.)
  6. Transfer salmon to a serving platter and return pan to medium-high heat.
  7. Add butter until melted. Add gnocchi, sage, and shallots. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallots are golden brown and sage is crisp.
  8. Pour gnocchi and butter sauce over salmon. Squeeze lemon juice over top.
  9. Serve salmon and gnocchi with extra lemon wedges on the side.

© Recipe courtesy of Jess Smith of Inquiring Chef

MARCH WINE CLUB:

Silky styleBarrel Series Chardonnay 2020Casas del Toqui
Chardonnay
Cachapoal Valley, Chile

SILKY WINE STYLE

This chardonnay has a complex nose, although it still maintains fresh and fruity aromas. There are dominant notes of pineapple and citrus, while the contribution of French Oak offers hints of caramel and vanilla. On the palate it has a great deal of volume, with a pleasant acidity and long finish.

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Analysis:
13.5% alcohol / volume

Viticulture: Vertical espalier
Vinification:
Fermentation at 80˚F-84˚F, post fermentation maceration and aged in oak barrels for 6 months.
Closure:
Screw cap
Pairing: Serve between 50˚F-53˚F with salmon or white meats

Vincent Johnson

Photo of Vincent Johnson

As a wine region, Chile is truly blessed. It has a Mediterranean climate that is similar to the climate in California and France. The climate and the geographical traits have helped Chile remain one of the only locations in the world that is resistant to phylloxera, the louse that destroyed many of the world’s best vineyards in the 1800’s. Chile is going through a wine revolution and the independents have broken away from Chile’s industrial wine culture to lovingly squeeze out small lots of wines, usually using organic, even spiritually tinged theories of winemaking. This new generation is much more conscious about the environment and committed to healthy, sustainable agriculture and also for the production of wines that have a stronger connection to local traditions.

Wine club logoJoin our WINE CLUB and enjoy these amazing wines and pairing recipes each month. Plus, you’ll receive 10% off all retail wine purchases!

Learn More >