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"The young and tender 2020 Edad Moderna Malbec feels a bit raw and wild, showing the character of the place. It is a bit riper, reflecting a warmer and drier year, showing notes of licorice and black cherries. It fermented in raw concrete, where it matured for eight months. It's a bit chewy with faint rusticity, and it developed balsamic nuances with time in the glass" -
Bodegas Zarate is located in the Val do Salnes, named after the ‘sal’ (salt) the Romans used to harvest there. This small but brilliantly run cellar was established in 1920 by Ernesto Zarate, who was pivotal in promoting Albariño in the area. Current winemaker Eulogio Pomares (Ernesto's grandson), studied in Bordeaux and Germany investigating parallels between Albariño and Riesling, his knowledge of the Albariño grape is second to none. Since he took over the management of his family vineyards in 2000, he has focused on improving them. He started to work organically, abandoning mineral fertilisers. Instead, he uses shells from the surrounding coastline which provide the calcium and magnesium the vines need and don’t get from the acidic soils. He also uses local seaweed as compost. In the cellar, he is low intervention and his wines are characterised by their Atlantic freshness and age-worthiness. Pair it with pasta, shellfish, veggie dishes, snacks & appetizers, fish -
Rioja Gabaxo Olivier Riviere Biodynamic Wine, Wild yeast, French oak Maturation, full bodied but beautifully fresh and balanced. No new oak in Gabacho, but loads of classy Rioja character and sheer drinkability! Gabacho does see some wood, a small amount of old french barrels are used for ageing up to a year. This adds no flavour but helps to soften the wine slightly. This really is lovely stuff, rich but very fresh and balanced red wine with a touch of the dark and brooding about it and a touch of the animal too. It benefits from decanting and also from good bottle ageing. Try it, it will change your mind about Rioja
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The wine owes its name to the port city of Porto, but comes from the Douro Valley. Here you will find one of the most spectacular wine landscapes in the world with terraced vineyards on steep slopes. It is scorching hot in summer, freezing cold in winter. The Douro Valley was already demarcated in 1756, making it the oldest regulated area of origin in the world. Port itself is a fortified wine. By interrupting the fermentation by adding wine alcohol, the wine retains its residual sugars and also gets its relatively high alcohol percentage. Port does not stand for a single wine, but for a whole series of wines. Wines with very different styles and tastes due to differences in the blending and aging of the base wines. In 1636 Nicolau Kopkë settled in Portugal as 'consul general' (a kind of representative) of the Hanseatic League, a partnership between merchants and cities, during the Middle Ages. Two years later, the first bottles of wine were shipped to Northern Europe. And when Nicolau bought a farm in the Douro in 1781, he changed from buyer to producer. Port wine soon became the focus of the company. Kpke now is one of the oldest Port Wine House. Recognized by the variety and distinction of its Ports, Kopke represents in XXI century a symbol of quality and prestige. LBV stands for Late Bottle Vintage and is the result of single year's harvest of superior quality, aged in oak Vats. Balancing the intensity of flavours, the Late Bottled Vintage Port is the ideal choice to serve with main courses of meat, like filet mignon encrusted four peppers and veal cutlet with Bérnaise sauce. Its versatility knows no borders, being perfect to combine with an exuberant cheesecake of chocolate mint, a pear and chocolate mille-feuille or simply to enjoy with cheeses of medium intensity. -
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Ricardo Alves and Frederico Machado visited Bemposta for the first time together in 2017. They were on the Portuguese back roads in the Parque Natural das Arribas do Douro, with its wealth of ancient, indigenous and largely forgotten grapevines chaotically perched on the extreme slopes on the Douro river gorge, when they came upon the perfect location for their life project, the place to which they would commit their youth. They set out to rediscover and revitalize an ancient wine culture whose local home winegrowers have just barely kept the faint bloodline of their vinous history from extinction. Trás-os-Montes is a large, but not too well known, wine region of north eastern Portugal (Translation: behind the Mountains), is where the Arribas Wine Company are based and both are very passionate have been making some very interesting wines. Saroto Tinto is made from a small, old parcel of vines comprised of old-fashioned red and white Douro varieties. The resultant wine is full of wild forest fruit, lots of berries with a kick of natural sourness. Plenty of fresh acidity adds juiciness and balances the rustic, grippy tannins, making for quite a light red. Earthy minerality adds extra complexity and the finish is long and moreish. Its bottled unfined and unfiltered so may have natural sediment in the bottle. -
Bodega Badiola, was founded in 2018, part of the Peninsula Vinicultore Group when they bought an old company in the in Rioja Alavesa, the Basque region in the east and south east of Rioja. Their vineyards are situated on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria, mostly tiny parcels the average size being only 0.3 hectares with an average vine age of 50 years but some of the vines are obviously significantly older. With respect for the environment, minimal spraying of copper and sulphur only are used, so all but Organic. The Las Parcelas comes from 300 carefully selected parcels of old bush Tempranillo vines planted in limestone soils, resulting in elegant wines that are fresh and age worthy due to the balancing acidity. The winemaking philosophy is to keep that purity and freshness by careful use of oak, giving a real point of difference to the traditional oaky Riojas. On the nose and palate, the fruit is very much to the fore with cherry and blackberry fruit with hints of spice and with fresh acidity and almost chalky tannins from that limestone soils. Though it is still young give it some air and it really blossoms, drinking significantly better at dinner rather than lunch when first opened, so will keep well too. -
Herdade da Malhadinha Nova is the representation of an ambitious and innovative project of the Soares family, who have transformed a piece of Alentejo land, into one of the most beautiful and charismatic estates in the Alentejo. Located in Albernoa and currently possessing 80 hectares of vineyards, it is here that wines full of personality are created, whose labels are based on the children's drawings of their offspring. In addition to the focus on vines and wine, the estate is also farmed for olive groves and olive oil production, as well as rural and wine tourism activities. -
Mazzei is the name of one of the most famous and richest families in the history of Tuscan winemaking, the truth is that their desire to discover and experience other things led them to look for other areas where they could continue their winemaking adventure. So, in 2003, they became aware of the great potential hidden within the Val di Noto region in southeastern Sicily (Italy). A total of 21 hectares of vineyards where Tuscan passion meets Sicilian tradition. Zisola is made only from traditional "Alberello" (bushy) vines grown near Noto, an unique area to make wine. The proximity of the sea and the soil rich in limestone allow to best balance the natural Nero d'Avola exuberance, with a great freshness and elegance. Spicy fish soups, savoury pasta and rice dishes, grilled red meats and vegetables. -
The huge passion of Dirk Niepoort for Baga variety and the fantastic terroir of the Bairrada region led him to look for small parcels of Baga in very old vines, scattered throughout the Cantanhede region, over the past three years. These wines were light in color and alcoholic content, elegant and fine, soon after bottling, but with a huge ageing potential. With the acquisition of the Quinta de Baixo in 2012, it became possible to recreate the Lagar de Baixo brand, moving towards a classically-styled wine which highlights the nobility of Baga grown in Bairrada. The red Lagar de Baixo is the result of a combination of very old vines and younger vines: complex, serious, but with some youth and grip. The 2020 Lagar de Baixo is our most classic wine from Quinta de Baixo and the wine that best reflects the Bairrada terroir. It is fermented in lagares and aged in used barrels. Food Suggestion: Venison dishes (partridge, wild boar), pork and bean stew, baked cod. Vegetarian suggestions: dishes with legumes (red kidney beans, lentils). -
UBE Miraflores is a beautiful introduction to the terroirs of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. This winegrowing region is renowned for its chalky albariza soils and coastal setting, which impart brightness and salinity onto wines produced here. Made in a ‘sherry-like’ style, this wine ages under flor but is not fortified, with a focus on fruit character. The resulting wine is fresh and easy to drink. -
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. -
This is Warre's new take on Tawny Port's with a new generation of Port enthusiasts that are young and prefer to drink Port all year round rather than just in Christmas. With Portugal being a hot country, this elegant Tawny colour invites been served chilled in a hot summer day. Warre's Otima 10 Year-Old-Tawny balances the generosity of fresh, youthful fruit with the sophistication and elegance that a decade in seasoned wood brings to the wines. The Port displays amplitude, combining fruit-driven volume with the seductive mellowness and delicacy of wood aging. Does not need decanting. The wine is ready to drink when bottled, but will maintain its quality in bottle. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature. Superb with cheese, nuts or dried fruit after a meal or on its own. -
Biodynamic Rosé made from pink skinned Xarel.lo – a variety indigenous to the Penedès region that has been brought back from the brink of extinction. Mediterranean fruits and herbs. Delicate and complex. Recommended spicy dishes such as those found in Japanese, Nikkei, Caribbean and South American cuisine. Rice dishes and seafood. Excellent for aperitifs. -
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The exciting Muhr-Van der Niepoort project began in 2002 as a collaboration between Austrian PR guru Dorli Muhr and celebrated Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort. Although the name is taken from the village of Prellenkirschen, all of the grapes for the white are sourced from the Spitzerberg, or a continuation of it. A blend of 90% Gruner Veltliner (35 year old vines) and 10% Riesling (planted in 1950), the grapes see some skin contact in the fermentation, imbuing the final wine with tension and extract, a mouth-watering savoury salinity and clearly-delineated spicy flavours of white pepper, fennel and cumin. Deep and a touch wild on the palate but with enormous personality and interest, its deep savoury style will appeal to lovers of edgy yet serious food-friendly whites. -
Marqués de Riscal is one of the oldest Rioja wineries. Founded in Elciego (Álava) in 1858 by Guillermo Hurtado de Amézaga. Since the beginning they have always had a clear vocation for creating the quintessential Spanish wines from Rioja. Marqués de Riscal Reserva is a red wine made with Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo from vineyards that are over 40 years old, located on clayey-calcareous soils. After the harvest, the grapes ferment at a controlled temperature with a maceration of 12 days. Once the harvest has finished, the wine goes through a minimum ageing of 2 years in American oak barrels. It is left to stand in the bottle for a minimum of one year before it is launched on to the market. A wine that falls within the canons of Riojan classicism, fresh, fine, elegant and with great ageing potential. -
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Keep On Punching is Swartland Chenin, but not in the conventional sense. No buttery oak, this is all 100% stainless steel tank to keep that citrus twang just as clean as a whistle. Stylistically this wine fits more closely with the Chenins of the Loire valley - the fruit is apple and pear with some nice zippy white peach. The grapes come from old bush vines that yield small clusters of grapes with great concentration and acidity year on year. Craig's wines have a keen following, and for good reason.After travelling extensively in Portugal and Austria learning his craft, Craig Hawkins returned to South Africa and became the winemaker at top Swartland estate Lammershoek. Craig now makes his own wines from various small, organic vineyard sites in Swartland and makes his wine naturally, with as little intervention as possible.If you like a bit of skin contact (& don't we all), try this! -
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Craig and Carla Hawkins launched Testalonga in the north of Swartland, South Africa in 2008. They are part of a revolutionary ground swell taking place in South African wine, where traditions are being challenged and brave new territory is being explored. The painfully small amount of wine that this duo produces gets snapped up in short order the world over. Known for their striking intensity and nervy energy, Craig and Carla's wines are on the cutting edge of the natural wine movement in their country.This is the lightest, daintiest version of Carignan one could imagine. It's got more in common with, say a Jura rouge or something Cab-Franc-like out of the Loire Valley than a classic Rhone red.It's fresh, racy, filled with character and seasoned with a little wildness. Great with on summer afternoon, first courses, seasoned vegetables. Enjoy -
Saint Auguste is a selection of the best cuvées of Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot. The robe is rich dark purple with bright ruby highlights. It offers alluring aromas of ripe black cherries, nutmeg and clove. It is full and concentrated and is a wine that can be enjoyed upon release and over the following ten to fifteen years.
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