Cleveland International Wine Festival
VIP International Wine Tasting with Adam Bossin
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This is the event/class for the wine lover that wants to experience world class wines. You’ll get to try 12 different wines from around the world with stops in some of the most famous wine regions. Sign up for our VIP International Wine Class. There are only 30 spots available so please don’t wait to reserve your spot. There are only 2 bottles of each wine for sale and if you’d like to reserve a bottle ahead of time, please contact us at info@tastecleveland.net with what you’d like to order.
Full lineup of the wines is below.
Our host is Adam Bossin, CEO of Taste CLE. He has been in the wine trade for decades and also used to own a wine shop on the east side called Highland Hops and Vines. Adam has done countless wine dinners throughout the Cleveland and Phoenix areas.
THE LINEUP
Leonetti Merlot 2018 – $104.99
Extremely dark and impressively structured. Bursting from the glass are aromatics of roses, other florals, ripe mixed plums, planed cedar, and a creamy cinnamon roll note that is enticingly seductive. The wine is broad and rich on the palate with incredible density of fruit and very fine-grained tannins. In a vintage like this one, the blend simply beckoned to be a 100% Merlot as it needs no support from other Bordeaux varieties. Our exceptional Loess Vineyard fruit makes up a full two-thirds of the blend with the balance contributed by Mill Creek Upland as well as our 40-year-old original block at the Leonetti winery.
D’Arenberg Dead Arm 2017 – $64.99
Brooding and alluring, plum, blackberry, liquorice and spice entwine with a raft of dark, earthy notes. This wine will have you second guessing as it skips between red fruits and lifted spice notes on the one hand to more brooding, dark, ashen, earthy aromas on the other. A sign of the vintage no doubt. The seasonal conditions are even more evident on the palate where flavour, tannin and acid are in perfect balance. There is an impressive amount of concentration in this wine but at the same time it feels somewhat more restrained compared to other more in your face, rustic Dead Arm vintages. Particularly when we look at the tannin profile which is a relatively fine example for this wine. The benefit of all of this of course is that it is immediately drinkable upon release. Don’t be fooled by its approachability however, The Dead Arm Shiraz 2017 also shows all the hall marks of a classic McLaren Vale Shiraz that will see it age gracefully for 15 plus years.
Muga ‘Torre Muga 2015 – $119.99
A magical wine, the 2015 Torre Muga checks in as 80% Tempranillo and the balance a mix of Mazuelo and Graciano (the latter from one of the oldest vineyards in the Rioja Alta region). Its deep purple color is followed by extraordinary notes of blackcurrants, smoked earth, cedarwood, graphite, and flowery incense. Deep, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, with ultra-fine tannins and no hard edges, it builds incrementally on the palate, has beautiful purity, and is just a heavenly wine.
Alto Moncayo ‘Moncayo’ 2018 – $49.99
Brilliant purple. Intensely perfumed, spice-tinged black and blue fruits, vanilla, candied flowers and cola on the nose, along with a smoky element that builds with air. Broad and fleshy on entry, offering juicy cherry cola, blueberry and mocha flavors sharpened by a jolt of spicy white pepper. Strongly echoes the blue fruit and spice notes on the very long, focused finish, which features lingering floral and mineral flourishes.
Titus Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – $89.99
The 2018 Titus Family Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon shows off the typical concentration and depth that is quintessential of the vines grown in the rocky soils at our Ehlers Lane Vineyard. The wine is dark with aromas of cassis, blueberry, roasted coffee, molasses and lifted floral notes. The body is dense and powerful on entry with purity displaying black raspberry, blueberry, and black currant flavors. The structure is focused with mouth coating tannins that draw the wine through the palate. The finish is rich and lingering, accented by essences of cigar box, dark chocolate and espresso.
Blackbird Arise 2017 – $49.99
Deep purple core with a bright ruby undertone. This wine packs all the goods starting with freshly picked flowers, sun-kissed blackberry, and dark cocoa. The mouthfeel is elegant and rich with a stern tannic structure adorned with black plum, freshly roasted espresso, and spice. Lots of finesse in this broad-shouldered blend.
Catena Alta Historic Rows Malbec 2018 – $57.99
Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. His grandson, Nicolás Catena, is known as the man who revolutionized Argentine wine and introduced high altitude Malbec to the world. The Historic Catena Zapata vineyards are planted with the Catena family’s proprietary selection of malbec plants: the Catena Cuttings. Catena Alta Malbec is sourced from Lot 18 of the Angélica vineyard, Lot 4 of the La Pirámide vineyard, Lot 1 of the Nicasia vineyard, Lot 6 of the Angélica Sur vineyard and Lot 9 of the Adrianna vineyard.
Domaine Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2018 – $49.99
Our Tradition has aromas of red fruits and black fruits; blackberry and blueberry, as well as hints of spice. It is a concentrated and structured wine, it is a wine to keep. We recommend tasting it in 6-8 years. The wines are aged in oak barrels, in half barrels, in concrete vats and barrels over a period of 12 months. Our red Châteauneuf-du-Pape is made in the traditional way. The vines are between 35 and 75 years old. The grapes harvested manually are 60% destemmed. The fermentation is followed by thermoregulation, it lasts from 25 to 35 days.
Blend: 55% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault
Maison Louis Latour Nuits-Saint-Georges 2015 – $79.99
Ruby-red in colour, this Nuits-Saint-Georges 2015 reveals subtle aromas of liquorice with undergrowth notes. The mouth reveals notes of mocha, blackcurrant, and undergrowth. The texture is round and fresh and leaves a lovely tannic finish.
Castello Banfi, Brunello di Montalcino 2016 – $79.99
A meticulous grape selection is followed by vinification with skin contact for 10-12 days. Released in the 5th year after harvest, the wine is aged for a minimum of 4 years, including 2 years in oak barrels of various sizes, mainly French oak barriques and partly in Slavonian oak casks. Color: Intense ruby red with garnet reflections. Bouquet: Ethereal, violet, vanilla with hints of licorice. Taste: Full, soft, velvety, with traces of spice.
Podere Sapaio, Bolgheri Superiore Sapaio 2017 – $94.99
The 2017 Sapaio is an organic blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc from Massimo Piccin. This is his top-end wine, and this latest vintage opens to a dark appearance with bright ruby and garnet that shines from deep within. The bouquet is piled high with blackberry, dried cherry, tar, leather and spice. The wine offers thick concentration, and that richness extends warmly to the palate in this hot and dry vintage. The tannins are a little too dry at this young stage, and I suggest holding onto this bottle for an extra year or two. Much of the fruit used here comes from Bibbona (just outside the Bolgheri appellation), and that’s why this release of 16,600 bottles is an IGT wine and not a Bolgheri Superiore.
Torii Mor White Rose Pinot Noir 2017 – $89.99
This is a limited release from one of our favorite Dundee Hills vineyards sites. A partnership between White Rose Estate and Torii Mor led to the creation of this beautiful Pinot noir. Pommard clone fruit (20% whole cluster) fermented in stainless steel and aged for sixteen months in 25% new French oak produced a wine of soft texture, structured acidity and integrated tannins. Bright red fruit flavors are complemented by classic earth and herbal notes, all culminating in a long, slightly spicy, finish. This wine is beautiful now, but will be spectacular with a little bit of aging.
