Burlesque Wines is headed up by Samantha Bailey, group winemaker for the Boutinot USA Group. Samantha discovered a love for wine after spending time in France as part of her BA University curriculum which included a work placement in Burgundy. From then on, wine became a big part of her life. After graduating she gained a position in the marketing department of the prestigious, UK-based The Wine Society, before joining Boutinot in 1990 and moving to France learn the trade. At first, she focused entirely on French wine, but she was soon looking at South Africa, then Australia, Chile, Argentina, California, New Zealand…and more as the company grows. Though she enjoys exploring new regions and wines, she admits to having a soft spot for South Africa, “especially Chenin and Sauvignon”.
Her current current range of wines are sourced from the warm region of Lodi in Central California, to which Bailey brings her esteemed palate and decades of experience, to hone these elements into the brightest wines of The Sunshine State. The warm climate here produces wines of power and intensity, but through her skills as a grower and blender, the freshness of the season shines through.
Her well-rounded education with a range of varieties and regions is allied to a curious mind, meaning each vintage is a new opportunity for experimentation and excitement, finding new vineyards and dreaming up new blends. This creativity really shines through in the wines, which are constantly evolving into some of the regions best known and best value.
The grapes are selected from old vine Zinfandel vineyards in the Lodi region of central California – really the heartland for Zinfandel production in modern California. This vintage has aromas of vanilla, cracked black pepper and dark damson fruit. On the palate this wine is round and fleshy, beautifully balanced and packed full with robust red fruit flavours and a lick of oak.
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