December 20, 2019

VALDUBÓN Reserva Vino Tinto 2014

(Ribera del Duero, Spain) $31

Earthy, soft, and mouthfilling, with delicious notes of vanilla and cherries. Utterly easy to drink.

88 points KM

Available at Solano Cellars

What is Constantia?

A. The name given to the wine districts north of Vienna during the Austro-Hungarian Empire

B. An ancient Greek settlement along the coast of Turkey which was an important center for the production of amphoras

C. A sweet South African wine that was once a favorite among European nobility

D. A place in historic Constantinople renowned as one of the ancient world’s top winegrowing districts

Constantia is a sweet, muscat-based South African wine that was at one time the most sought-after dessert wine in all of Europe. The small district of Constantia, situated just south of present-day Cape Town in South Africa, was settled by Dutch colonists in the 1600s. The wine district was so established that by the 1700s, Constantia wine had become renowned among the nobility throughout Europe. It was reportedly never absent from the table of King Frederick the Great of Germany, and even Napoleon Bonaparte ordered Constantia by the case.

Bud

The small node on a grapevine shoot that carries within it the grape clusters for the year to come. In the early spring (just about now), these buds open, allowing the frail green shoots and tiny… Continue reading

VALDUBÓN Reserva Vino Tinto 2014

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