Clarissa Vin Rouge 2010
Clarissa Vin Rouge 2010 is in a superior class with a few of the finest French Bordeaux wines.
Originally designed to drink without food this wine nevertheless is excellent paired with straightforward, new world cuisine; foods such as prime rib roast, hamburger, pot roast, dense white fish like halibut and white meats, like chicken or pork, all served with their own juices.
That being said, Clarissa will work perfectly with a charcuterie plate of cold meats like sausage or salami, cheeses, pâté, kalamatta olives and various condiments such as Garam Masala Stoneground Mustard, Balsamic, Garlic & Herb Jam, Smokey Onion Mustard and Sweet Beet & Horseradish Mustard, all available from our Gourmet Foods selection.
The complex aromatics show delicate earthy hints of leather, smoke, truffle, cassis and spice as a result of the unique combination of the five Bordeaux-style vineyards on our home estate which together go to make up *Clarissa*.
There is aromatic purity and depth here, expressive of our estate fruit which in this case is Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with just a touch of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
On the palate the wine has rich substance and while rather soft and caressing, it shows wonderful character, freshness and acidity. It has a very bright finish, and great length.
Usually ready to drink at a younger age it will still age well but life is too short not to drink *Clarissa* as often as possible.
The 2010 grape harvest was challenging with a wet spring followed by a late bud break and then a long, cool growing season that ended with a heat spike bringing the grapes to a quick maturity. As expected this gave us slightly lower sugars with higher acids and deep colors and flavors.
The season caused us a lot more time in the vineyard trimming fruit or pulling leaves to assure full fruit maturity and lower than normal yields. We ended up with remarkable quality of fruit throughout our range of vineyards which led to a more restrained, elegant style of wine.
French Oak for 22 months, approximately 40% new, 30% one use and the balance neutral.
The grapes are harvested in the pre-dawn hours as we feel the cold night air helps maintain the desired levels of freshness in the fruit and also slows down oxidation. Production for *Clarissa* has always been historically small averaging only about 400 cases each year. The 2010 vintage was consigned to Library Status in 2016 with less than 40 cases remaining.
| Color |
Red |
| Vintage |
2010 |
| Style |
Red Bordeaux |
| Appellation |
Dry Creek Valley |
| Varietal |
Bordeaux Blend |
| Date Bottled |
18th Feb 2013 |
| Drinkable |
2014 - 2020 |
| Alcohol |
14.50% |
| Bottle Size |
750ml |
