The name William Knuttel resounds in California fine wine circles. In the 1980s, Knuttel was key to establishing Saintsbury as a leader of fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and later helped build a great reputation for Chalk Hill and Dry Creek wineries too. In 2001, he founded his own estate and today is joined by his son and daughter.
This full-bodied, velvety red is pure Cabernet, sourced from Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg. Just east of San Francisco Bay, the site benefits from cooling sea breezes and rolling mists that encourage long, slow ripening of the grapes. 14 months ageing in French oak barrels has lent layers of gentle oak spice to the dense dark fruit of this Cabernet. A great red to serve with roasted red meats or hearty bakes.
As far back as 1982, the founder of this cellar, Pablo Morandé, was discovering the benefits of Chile's great coastal-cooled regions. That was a decade before anyone else. He set up his winery in 1996 and has won scores of awards since then, including being five times Chile's Winery of the Year. Pablo was also named a 'Winemaking Legend' by MW Tim Atkin in 2017, while James Suckling called his "a leading and innovative winery", "a bold, experimental winemaking adventure project".
His winemaker is Jorge Martinez, who has worked at cellars worldwide, including Napa's Kendall Jackson and Pauillac's Léoville Poyferré. Carignan from 40-year-old vines in the warm Maule valley, this is a velvety, dark, spiced red. An ideal match with lamb shanks.
The Angus is a glorious ripe Aussie blend of the Bordeaux trio Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It comes from the McPherson family, also behind The Full Fifteen, and provides a truly satisfying mouthful of dark fruit and spicy flavour.
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Pinot Noir is a finicky grape, choosy as to where it'll grow. So there are very few places in the world beyond its homeland of Burgundy where it reaches the peak of its silky, beautifully perfumed perfection. California’s coastal region is one of them and that's just where we found the delicious Purple Owl. The wine has the perfect combination of supple, ripe fruit, freshness and elegance.
Named after the shaggy purple flowers that carpet much of central and southern California, like masses of tiny purple brushes, it’s a special wine and one Pinot fans love for its silky texture, generous berry flavours and soft touch of oak. A fine match with chicken in red wine, spicy roasted vegetables, with feta and couscous or sipped all on its own.
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