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Master of none - Playing with words referring to themselves not being an expert in any one varietal or wine style hence the saying: “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Clever and humble, nonetheless, their wines are at the forefront not only of South Africa but in the world with the amazing wines they are producing. If you enjoy reds on the lighter end of the spectrum such as Pinot Noir or Gamay then Pieter's 'Master of None' will definitely be up your street! It comprises a blend of 5 different grape varieties from tiny vineyard plots across 6 distinct regions; 40% Grenache from Wellington, 30% Cinsault from sites in Darling and Stellenbosch, 8% Pinot Noir from Elgin and a further 8% Syrah from Swartland. Unusually, Pieter then tops up the blend with Voor Paardeberg Chenin Blanc, adding aromatic freshness to the finished wine. It drinks like a top-class Beaujolais – super bright and juicy, bursting with wild strawberry, cherry and with an earthy, smoky undercurrent. Enjoy at room temperature or slightly chilled – perfect for summer drinking! “In 2004, a lady came to my house to buy wine. She asked for anything but Shiraz. “I don’t drink Shiraz”, were her exact words. I poured her a glass of wine. She loved it and bought 3 cases. It was a straight Shiraz. It’s a fact – we do judge the book by its cover.” -
An exceptional Kadarka from the Vida winery's 100 year old vines. The history of the name for this wine is also peculiar. One day, Peter Sr. was presenting his winery to one of his Japanese partners. When they were about to approach the vineyards, the gentleman noticed this little vine and jumped off the car and started shouting “BONSAI!” pointing at them. The tiny appearance of these stocks resembles a Bonsai, which in Japanese culture represents wisdom, a wish for long life and is also a symbol of good luck. A small curiosity is that Kadarka is a grape that was widely available before the Soviet union and well praised. With the Iron Curtain nearly fell into extinction, it's delicious but takes a huge effort to grow and is best from old vines. Reminds you of any other grape with certain similarities? -
Mars Bonfire, Steppenwolf’s drummer’s brother, saw a poster which said,” Born To Ride” with a photo of a motorbike taking off from the ground surrounded by fire. Around that time, he had bought his first car and that’s how the idea came about to celebrate the freedom of being able to go where you want and when you want. NASA used “Born To Be Wild” to wake up their astronaut crews. And when a spaceship landed for the first time on Mars the small exploratory vehicle went down the ramp to the rhythm of “Get your motor running”. In 2004 Paris Hilton asked permission to use the song in her reality show The Simple Life. The band refused.” There are things Rock’n’Roll can’t accept.” The organic Bobal grapes are grown in poor clay soils situated in the west of the province of Valencia at 700 metres altitude. The vines grow in a ‘continental’ climate influenced by the Mediterranean. The wine spends 9 months in French and American oak barrels. Best enjoyed relaxing and/or with pasta, rice and red meat dishes. The Bobal grape variety has really high levels of resveratrol, an antioxidant and a heart healthy polyphenol, which helps metabolise fats. -
The Syrah is an international grape variety famous for its spicy notes that Bosco del Merlo interprets with great elegance. The grapes are harvest at optimally maturity during the last days of September. This Syrah ''Seduzione'' is large and round wine with great character. Enveloping and very pleasant for its harmony and wideness. Ideal for all meals, excellent with dishes of boiled and baked meats. Perfect with cold cuts and cheeses of medium maturing and insuperable alone, after dinner or in company. -
A classic from Castello Banfi in Montalcino.Elegant and balanced Brunello, characterized by a sweet, rich and complex aroma of fruit jam. A wine with great structure that is well balanced by a good softness and acidity on the final. Extremely persistent with excellent aging potential. Game, red meats or aged cheese. Or just on it's own with good company! -
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The history of the Porro family is closely related to Langhe and Doljani. In Monforte d'alba lies the Ribote farm, where the best dolcetto wines are born, structured, complex and long-lasting. In this land there is a monastery where you guessed it monks lived for hundred of years. This monastery is divided in two parts, one is where the father of Fabrizio Porro (Bruno Porro) lives and the other is where the famous artist Gianni Gallo used to live. Monks knew where to find the best lands, hidden from prying eyes and rich in water resources. The Ribote farm has a natural amphitheater that is protected from all directions from the wind and creates a special micro climate and has spring frost that is super important for the vines. Ribote vineyards cover 25 hectares, a single ownership of such a large area is not often found in the Langhe. This moment, as well as the absence of neighbors, simplifies the issue of biological viticulture. As Fabrizio explains ''“I would like to get a bio certificate, but my father adheres to a different philosophy, he always says that we are the first to suffer from chemical fertilizers in the vineyards, so they should be eliminated. In addition, we want to leave the land healthy for future generations, not to engage in marketing gimmicks.'' The Nebbiolo grape does not travel well and is high maintenance, which is why it has never thrived quite as well elsewhere as on the Piemontese slopes. Like its top contender, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo takes kindly to its terroir, thus displaying the subtleties of its environment. The white soils that host the Ribote vineyards are a mixture of limestone, clay and sand. Dolcetto, barbera, nebbiolo, arneis and viognier are cultivated. The area next to the winery is characterized by red soils, which are considered more suitable for barbera. The main variety of Doljani is the Dolcetto, which shows excellent results here. Different clones are planted, but a preference is given to the red-footed dolcetto, which has small berries and a long bunch with one shoulder. In August, the end of the bunch and the shoulder are cut off and discarded, because these berries have a very high acidity, which is considered excessive. 2016 was a rainy and difficult year, which has the advantage of being ready to drink earlier. Pair it with meats, game and cheeses. -
The late Bruno Sorg and his son François are responsible for some of the finest, richest and most concentrated wines in Alsace. The Sorg family have been producing wine in the Alsace since the 18th century, with this particular branch of it established in the late 1960s by Renée and the late Bruno Sorg. Alsace is becoming better known for and offering superb value in comparison to some Pinot from Burgundy. A complex Pinot, that has good fruit density, freshness along with a savoury dimension. Fantastic value! -
Château Mauvesin was originally built as a real fort with towers, machicolations and arrow slits. The estate was first acquired by Jean de Foix Grailly in 1457. At the end of the fifteenth century it became the property of the Rivière family and was to remain so for many years. After many centuries exchanging hands including some ''lucky'' heirs in the middle, finally this historical wine and its Château was acquired by Lilian Barton Sartorius and re-baptized it Château Mauvesin Barton. This 220-hectare estate, of which 55 hectares are under vine, has undergone extensive renovation. The unique essence of the Château has, however, remained totally unscathed. With the Barton family's centuries of wine expertise behind them, each of the four family members plays a specific role, perpetuating tradition and sharing their passion: Lilian takes on the management of the Château, Michel takes care of the wine distribution, Mélanie is the technical manager and Damien brings his expertise to the commercialization of the wine. This Chateau produces 2 of the most renewed names in Bordeaux- Langoa Barton and Leoville Barton. Open PDF -
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This complex and medium to full-bodied wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo grapes. It matured for 7 months in American oak barrels to its full taste. The Cabernet brings strength and abundance here, Tempranillo provides fruit and structure. The result is a wine with character and personality. Cherry juice-colored to brick-red in the glass. Overwhelming scent of cherries, plums and wild berries; the same fruits pickled in rum, all nobly underlaid with fine toasted notes from the wooden barrel. The oak wood is noticeable, but does not dominate the wine. In the mouth the wine is well structured, full and with little surprising tannins. Ideal to accompany grilled meats and different types of stews. -
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The Carminucci company, with its 90 years of history, is inserted in the wonderful wine landscape of the Marche, a region that gives powerful emotions thanks to its landscapes and a geographical conformation that allows it to have very particular climatic excursions. Kissed by the Adriatic and pampered by the hills, this region, rich in native vines and wine culture, offers a wine obtained from a blend rich in charm such as Rosso Piceno, which we tasted in its "superior" version. Montepulciano, combined with Sangiovese, ages in small and large barrels to bring to the table a product with marked minerality and softness, strength and structure, always sweetened by fresh notes that make it unique in its characteristics. The color is rich in anthocyanins, the light is unable to penetrate the richness of color of this red wine, but the first impact on the nose makes it less austere than you might imagine. Ample in its aromas of red fruit and slightly spicy in sweet notes, Carminucci's Rosso Piceno is a pleasant wine from the first sip for its authenticity and balance. If you leave it in your mouth for a moment, warm Mediterranean flavors emerge combined with a pleasant note of licorice, a balanced alcohol that has a strong but never invasive structure. Its harmony is given by the set of sensations and gustatory touches, a frank and very balanced wine, it combines the sapidity of the area with an acidity that leads it to be a long-lived wine with excellent resistance over time. Excellent with red meats or game. -
Great Ripasso wine here, any wine enthusiasts will see it as an honest to the point wine on it's Ripasso process. Otherwise known as a ‘Baby Amarone’. The term “Ripasso” means “repassed” referring to the production process whereby regular, fermented Valpolicella (which is a blend of three regional native red grape varieties – Corvina, Rondinella and occasionally Molinara) is added to a cask containing the skins and lees left over from recently fermented Amarone wines. The process of adding (or “repassing”) the lighter Valpolicella wine over the remainders of the “bigger” Amarone wine imparts additional color, texture and flavor to the Valpolicella wine. The “Appassimento” process is an ancient wine making technique used in Northern Italy to make Amarone – the Daddy of Italian wine and its by product Recioto della Valpolicella (a sweet red wine). Grapes are air dried on racks for a period of at least a couple of months and often as many as six, before being pressed. Also, it induces a second fermentation of the wine that increases the wine’s alcoholic content. The end result is a wine that retains the vibrancy of Valpolicella but is darker in colour, bigger and more flavourful and complex than the original Valpolicella. Ripasso wines are rich, full-bodied and share some of the same aroma and flavor profiles as Amarone wines, just less so. Since Ripasso wines are more approachable and less expensive than Amarones they can be enjoyed more regularly. The land is at an altitude of 450 meters above the see level and the soil is made by the alteration of calcareous-fossilized formations, in particular the red flake and biancone marble.After harvesting by hand, the Valpolicella, before aging, is macerated a second time on the mark of the Amarone just drawn and left to rest for about 15-20 days. Then a maturation in oak barrels of 500/1000 LT for 18 months takes place. Ageing in bottles follows that lasts until optimal maturity. It matches perfectly with mushroom risotto, red meat such as barbecue steak or white meat such as stewed rabbit, perfect with cheese of medium maturing. -
Is with wines like this one that you start uncovering the great potential of Douro wines. 'Castas Escondidas' translates as 'hidden varieties' and showcases old-vines, field-blend fruit and some of the lesser known grape varieties of the Douro Valley. What makes this drop a superior wine is not only the great quality of the terroir, region characteristics, the field blend vines used but most importantly the high intervention from skilled winemakers producing this wine. With all of these movements happening which by all means are fantastic such as natural wines, low intervention and so on, memories can be short and people will have some tendency to forget that winemakers spent hundreds of years studying the production of wine going by the scientific name of oenology and therefore they are oenologists with the main purpose being interventionists in every single process of the wine production!!! oh dear, I feel I am opening a can of worms here... As the magician himself describes “Casa Ferreirinha Castas Escondidas was designed to stage the varieties commonly used in batches of Port Wine, but rarely explored and which result in a perfect combination with other more well-known varieties” , says Luís Sottomayor, the winemaker responsible for Sogrape wines in the Douro. . “The small percentage of grapes harvested from old vines gives even more special characteristics to the final batch” Great with for special occasions, quality red meats and cheeses. Be responsible and drink this wine moderately as it is one of a kind -
This is a wine with great intensity of character. It has an immediate spice dominated nose with clove and baked vanilla pod alongside of spicy red fruit flavours. It warms up to give a slight balsamic note with boysenberry jam and blackberry puree. The palate is textural with medium, yet soft, tannins which helps to keep it all together. A surprising amount of class and concentration for this price point.Just don't forget to decant it or let it breath before hand, or not. Enjoy! -
In 1988, A Danish-American couple, Hans and Carrie Jorgensen set out in a sailboat to find a place to start a family and plant vines. They came to Alentejo and they found “Cortes de Cima.” It was just a barren land and a few abandoned buildings. But Carrie, of Portuguese ancestry, said the landscape reminded her of California, her homeland. Hans, who was born in Denmark, fell in love with the Mediterranean sun. Their first wine was "born" in 1998 and the many successful vintages which followed as well as their pioneering spirit have put Cortes de Cima on the map. The main grape used is Aragonez (Spanish call it Tempranillo). It has a overt nose of fresh cherries, red plum, dark fruits and a lick of black liquorice. It is vibrant and well-rounded on the palate with good acidity and body. There is so much to love about this wine. One of my favourites enjoy!! -
If you were ever sceptical about Organic wines, you have to give this one a try! This wine is Artisanal, Organic, Biodynamic, unfined and unfiltered. All with the aim to do as little intervention as possible and to let the Terroir speak for itself. Eric Texier Chat Fou natural red wine is a coupage of Grenache Tinta, Clairette and Marsanne, from the well known region of Côtes du Rhône.Eric Texier is a vigneron from Brézème, a municipality in the northern area of the Rhone Valley. Texier worked in nuclear engineering but switched to the world of wine in the early 1990s. He practices minimal viticulture and oenology, and attaches special importance to the management of the soils of his vineyards. The result is this superb wine a true example of natural wines and at the forefront of this movement. Eric is not a follower of fashion and speaks vehemently against those who label themselves as natural when it is used as a marketing tool rather than a true desire to understand the terroir. He believes that in most cases all natural wines taste the same! He vinifies all his wines in the same way, using as little intervention as possible to allow the terroir of his different parcels to do the talking. Hope it catches your eye! -
The Perrin family of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are one of the Rhône Valley’s greatest vineyard owners. With over 200 hectares of top level, prime vineyards at their fingertips, they have the terroir and skill required to produce some of the region’s finest wines. The estate traces its history back to a plot of Coudoulet vines bought by Pierre de Beaucastel in 1549. The estate was transferred into the Perrin family in 1909 through marriage, where it remains firmly to this day. Despite being one of the old guards of the region, they are also one of the most progressive estates. They were one of the first converts to organic and biodynamic faming in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which they adopted in 1950 and 1974 respectively. A legendary Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine, Hommage à Jacques Perrin by Château de Beaucastel is one of the world's greatest wines. It brilliantly embodies the motto of the Perrin family: "A Grand Vin embodies emotion and civilisation, a legend that transcends time." The first vintage of this prestigious wine was produced in 1989. Produced in very limited quantities, the Hommage à Jacques Perrin wine comes from a unique terroir composed of rolled pebbles upon clay-limestone and silt soils in an exceptional vineyard located in the northern part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, in the Rhône Valley. Vintage 2020 was relatively mild, the winter was punctuated by an episode of frost which had little impact on the vineyards, even the earliest plots. While the mildness of spring favoured vegetative development, a constant wind kept the soil cool. The hot, sunny summer was marked by both coolness and temperature variations between day and night, ideal conditions for ensuring a high-quality and even ripening of the grapes. Harvested at perfect maturity, the juicy and balanced grapes gave rise to a fine vintage. -
Chateau Viaud Lalande is a small-scale venture of the Durand – Teyssier family who have been making wine in the village of Puisseguin, appellation of Lalande de Pomerol, for three generations. 1.5 hectares of vineyards adjoining the Chateau were planted by Philippe Durand – Teyssier back in the 60’s. Typically for the region, those are mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc well suited to the local, clay dominated soils. Since 2007 Philippe has handed over the wine making and day-to-day running of the property to his son Thomas. Having previously worked in prominent 1er and Grand Cru Classé estates in Saint Emilion (Château Belair, Château Cadet Bon), Thomas is continuing family tradition, with clear focus on quality. Annual production: 9000 bottles. -
Located within the AOC Bordeaux, the Vignoble de Gravelierhas 32 Ha of vines with an average age of 20 years. It is located on hillsides thus benefiting from a beautiful sunshine. The harvest is harvested at perfect maturity and vinified using the traditional method in stainless steel vats and aged in cement vats. The grape variety of the vineyard is composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet-Sauvignon. To present a quality wine, the yields and phytosanitary treatments are moderate. The foliage is kept as high as possible to obtain better maturity. With deep colour, classic structure and unusually ripe flavours, this is classic claret to serve with roast beef, duck or T-bone steak. A gourmet Bordeaux! -
In 1888, the Touma Family established one of the first wineries and distilleries in Lebanon in the small town of Kab-elias of the Bekaa Valley (45 kilometers from Beirut) , to produce wine and Arak Touma, which is now perhaps Lebanon’s leading arak brand. Historically, the settlement goes back to the time of the Phoenicians, but the name was later changed to “Kaber Elias” (tomb of the prophet Elias), as it was believed that the prophet Elias was buried here. The Bible reports of the Prophet’s ascension to heaven in a fiery chariot at the point where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus later, but the tradition of the Elijah tomb has been preserved to this day, not only among Christians, but also among the majority of the Muslim residents. During the Lebanese civil war, many Christians left Kab Elias, as they did elsewhere in Lebanon. The Touma family also had to choose to stay or leave. It was decided to stay and continue to fight and work for a presence of the Christians on the ground. In 1997, an old school building from 1932 was bought and converted into the new winery. The attempt was made to preserve the character of the original architecture in the center of Kab Elias despite all the necessary refurbishment and renovation work and alterations. Bekaa Valley is a 40-mile-long and 7-mile-wide fertile valley which is protected from rain by the Mount Lebanon mountain range to the west, and from the desert heat by the mountains on the Syrian border to the west. It lies around 1,000 metres above sea level allowing for a significant diurnal swing between the hot summer days and cool nights. The treacherous road to Beirut over the top of Mount Lebanon is frequently closed in winter due to snow. The majority of Château Héritage's vines are on the lower south-east facing slopes of Mt Lebanon, just above the winery, which ensures they're well drained with great exposure to sunlight, while being slightly cooler than the valley floor vineyards. The estate’s top wine, from their best parcels of vineyard. FOOD PAIRING: Duck, red meats, and raclette.
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