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2005 Palmina Larner Vineyard Santita
Country: California Rating: -
Wine Type: White Dessert Rating: -
SKU: SKU16302
Weight: 3.50 lbs Available: 11
Your Price: $42.95 Quantity:

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Producer:
Palmina Wines 		Winemaker:
Steve Cilfton
Importer:
Production:
Grape Varietals:
Name Annunciation Percentage Description
Description:
"Santita" is a wine and a word in Italian that translates to "saint like", because this dessert wine is simply heavenly. A very limited release, Santita is only produced every two or three years. A "Vin Santo" dessert wine is said to be the "wine of saints", particularly in Tuscany and throughout Italy. Some say it was named because it was never pressed until Holy Week before Christmas. But, the generally held theory is that the name dates from the Ecumenical Council held in Florence in 1349, when a Greek bishop commented that the wine served tasted like the sweet wine made on the island of Xantos, hence Vin Santo. Vin Santo is traditionally given as a gift of hospitality in Tuscany.
Winery:
Palmina Winery began in 1995 and is owned by Steve and Chrystal Clifton. The winery is located in Lompoc, California, in the "Wine Ghetto". Palmina is named after Steve's great friend Paula who taught him the love of the Italian lifestyle. After Paula succumbed to breast cancer, Steve found that her given name was Palmina and the winery was then named in her honor. Palmina's Santita is grown at the Larner Vineyard in the Santa Yenz Valley from the Malvasia Bianco grape. The rolling hills, sandy alluvial soils of the vineyard, together with warm sunny days followed by cool, crisp evenings, mature the grapes to their perfect ripeness.
Vinification:
The Malvasia Bianco grapes were hand harvested and field sorted about a week before the ones for the standard bottling and then placed on traditional drying mats and imported drying racks to dehydrate. This "passito" style of winemaking retains the flavors and sugars and produces delicious raisins 120 days later. In January the raisins were rehydrated with a bit of dry Malvasia, pressed and partially fermented in the Vin Santo style. Approximately 50 gallons of this sweet wine were placed in a 60 gallon neutral French oak barrel, allowing the wine to age and slowly oxidize for almost two years. In the summer of 2007, the wine was lightly filtered and bottled.
Bouquet or Aromas:
Santita has a brilliant amber color with a glint of burnished gold. When you give your aperitif glass a generous swirl, you are greeted with intense aromas of honeysuckle and nuts, with a bouquet of orange blossom, clove spice, dried fruits of apricots and pears. This is a wine for your every senses.
Taste:
On the palate, you experience the wines delights in an"agrodulce" sensation of sweet and tart at the same time. Then orange peel, clove spice dried apricots and pears with a pleasing hint of rich vanilla and a wisp of toasted almonds and this wonderful bittersweet, satisfying finish. Santita is a beautiful after-dinner wine that is not too heavy, not too sweet and nicely balanced with a light acidity to perfectly complement dessert dishes and round out a great meal.
Pairings:
Santita should be served with a traditional biscotti, an Italian "twice baked" almond pastry (cookie). In Italy it is sometimes dunked into the wine for the full flavor effect of the almond and sweet wine flavors. Try grilled peaches, pumpkin-spice cannoli, pumpkin tiramisu, espresso chocolate chip cookies or amaretto-almond pumpkin pie.
Cheese Pairing:
Gorgonzola Dolce
 
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