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Bardos Verdejo is a wine made from 100% Verdejo from vineyards that are 20-25 years old, located in Rueda, at more than 700 metres of altitude on stony soils. The harvest is carried out at night, at temperatures below 15ºC. The fermentation is done with local yeasts at a controlled temperature and the wine rests on its lees for at least 4 months, gaining complexity and texture. On the nose, the intense aromas of fruit such as white peach combine with cut grass, citrus, balsamic and mineral notes. In the mouth it has a good volume and persistence, well integrated acidity and a characteristic aniseed aftertaste, typical of the grape. Really a high quality example of this native Spanish variety. Excellent with light bites, starters, salads and white fish. All of the wines by De Bardos are crafted by hand in a fully artisan manner.
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Most of us know Roald Dahl's novels, I for one have read them countless times. Firstly to my eldest and now, once in while I try with the middle one, even though he is still a bit young for those books. He is only 4 my wife says! They are just fun to read. To my surprise, after deciding to bring Château Méaume Bordeaux Supérieur to our Pinto Wines portfolio I came across that it was Roald Dahl's favourite wine and per his own words ''simply delicious''. Well I could not put it better myself. It is a fantastic wine, with superb quality at this price point and what some would call a ''Big little wine.'' Unpretentious especially being French and carries a lot with it. It has a warm, expressive black fruits with a serious, rustic, spicy structure. A hint of exotic perfume on the nose, with a luscious, very ripe blackberry and damson palate.80% merlot, with cabernets franc and sauvignon adding a rich, chewy texture. Very more-ish, with freshness, and great balance.Château Méaume, owned by English couple Alan and Sue Johnson-Hill since 1980, is an historic property just 10 miles from the famous vineyards of St-Emilion and Pomerol. The 2016 Vintage is one of the best produced after the 2000's and critics were fast to praise the 2018. Cheers Roald!
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Anyone that has been to Greece or has interest in wines have come by the grape Assyrtiko . In the last few years, wines from Greece, in particularly this indigenous grape, have gotten the status as a world-class wine and prices have begun to rise especially from the Santorini region. This Vegan Assyrtiko from the Lyrarakis estate is one of them and it is still in the affordable range and fortunately, your everyday Assyrtiko needs can still be catered for. Being from east Crete rather than Santorini means prices are still competitive. Think down the lines of getting a wine from the Touraine region rather than the heart of the Loire Valley. Lyrarakis on Crete are a brilliant winery with a focus on indigenous Greek varieties. Their rendition of Assyrtiko is broader and more approachable than some of the tightly-wound examples on Santorini, but it's no less drinkable for that. It is in fact an ideal place to grow the white grape Assyrtiko. Both the Mediterranean breezes and the altitude of the Lyrarakis vineyards allows the grapes to have a much longer ripening period, preserving the grapes aromatics and acidity resulting in a wine with wonderful floral freshness, crisp citrus notes and a delicate mineral finish. Yamas!
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There's a lovely off the beaten track mountain wilderness (salvaje means wild) to this old-vine Garnacha (aka Grenache), one of six under the the creative Vintae's Proyecto Garnachas banner that showcase the grape variety from old vineyards in different areas of the Ebro Valley in northeast Spain. Like Gamay and Zinfandel, the old vines of Grenache are a timeless wonder. They are the Clint Eastwood of vitis vinifera: gnarled by age with a tough-as-nails exterior and no sign of retirement on the horizon. What they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality: grape clusters from old-vine Grenache (think 60-100 years old) can create wines of supple fruit, spicy character and rocket-fueled energy. This one is no exception, the Salvaje vineyards lie on rocky soils at 820m above sea level, on the north face of the Moncayo massif mountain chain, where Navarra and Aragón meet and the Atlantic influence brings mouthwatering freshness and clarity to the generous raspberry, wild herb and pepper flavours this wine induces. It doesn't need food, but it's very accommodating: spot on with roast peppers, aubergine, tomatoes and onions and with spicy sausages such as chorizo. It would be equally good with roast root vegetables, slow-roast lamb or pork, baked spiced duck legs or a ham joint and would make a good barbecue all-rounder.
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Fantastic New Zealand Sauvignon that will tick all the boxes. The extraordinary label of this wine and the bright recognizable taste have created a direct connection between the Marlborough Sun brand and consumers all over the world. With the growing popularity of Marlborough Valley wines, Saint Clair conceived the idea of creating an affordable, non-pompous wine aimed at attracting new consumers who are not fans of the drink. The progressive technologies of winemaking of the New World, the peculiarities of the terroir of the valley, the varieties that have proven themselves most successfully in the local microclimate and the human factor, have found their reflection in the wines of Marlborough Sun. The inspiration for the labels came from a newspaper article about an unusual phenomenon that has swept the region. It is recommended to serve chilled to a temperature of 8-10 degrees, as a supplement to vegetarian dishes, as well as salmon and tuna.
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This wine represents the legend of Kupe tangling with a giant octopus who kept stealing all his fish off the hook. During the ensuing fight the beast's tentacles gouged out the Marlborough Sounds and Kupe cut out its eyes which he placed on two rocks known today as Nga Whatu ' The Eyes'. It’s hard to separate New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc these days, but Matua were the first to put them together, over 40 years ago. You could say They've changed the way the world enjoys white wine. As the Head of the Family (the Maori translation of Matua) They have a tradition of telling stories as a way of passing on knowledge to the next generation. Their most famous winegrowing regions set the scene for some great legendary historical folklore. Wines match dishes from cooked salmon, lettuce, chicken and mushrooms.
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Blaufränkisch equals Austria. It is one of those typical, local, emerging grapes that have put Austria on the international wine market in recent years. Spicy nose with notes of ripe fruit such as currants and blackberries. The tannins are soft but present enough to structure the wine.All combines in a high-quality example of typical Blaufränkisch.
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Aromatically very complex, it presents strong sensations of red fruits, jam and vanilla. Equally complex in the tasting, it evolutes to smooth velvety notes of red and ripe fruits, chocolate and oak ageing. Persistent and well-balanced aftertaste with tannins that evidence the structure of the wine and its longevity. Enjoy the Palha-Canas Tinto with hearty dishes from pork and beef, lamb and game. In addition, the wine goes perfectly with soft and hard cheese. You would have to stand on the terrace of the estate to understand why it is called Boavista (“fine view”). Your gaze would naturally wander over the vineyards which slope down into the valley in front of the house and then meet two hills on the opposite side where the lines of vines form an exciting geometrical pattern. It is a fine view indeed, this sight of the vineyards of Boavista. The Quinta de Boavista is situated right in the middle of the hills of the Estremadura wine-growing region, about fifty kilometres north of Lisbon. The close proximity of the nearby ocean provides for humidity and wind. The soil composition is a sandy clay. It is full of fossilized ocean deposits and right in front of the estate big petrified bones of a saurian were found which now adorn the terrace. The land has been owned for generations by the family of José Luis Oliveira da Silva. He is a banker by profession. For some years now he has focussed on wine-growing. He modernised the wine cellar, bought new barrels and recruited an able oenologist. He was among the first in Portugal who produced varietal wines from autochthonous grapes. The results are very exciting. The white Fernao Pires is a wine with attractive fruit aromas and with a distinct mineral note, the red Castelao and the red Tinta Roriz are wines that have concentration and a complex personality. This new generation of Portuguese wines gives you offhand inspiration.
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Made in a Beaujolais style, with the carbonic maceration method. This juicy ''Joven'' fresh fruited style of Rioja has zero oak influence as it ages in concrete tanks for 6 months. Farmed without any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Arturo Blanco was once asked what the philosophy at Bodegas Artuke was and he simply replied 'we are farmers'. The approach here is 100% focused on interpreting the family's 32 plots which are split between the villages of Baños de Ebro and Ábalos in Rioja Alavesa. Biodynamic techniques are employed in the vineyards and Arturo and Kike are also busy recovering old, ignored plots of ancient vines. Vinification is aimed at expressing the characteristics of the vineyard and quality of fruit above all else. The restrained use of oak and inclination towards different types/sizes of barrel, plus an unwillingness to adhere to the subscribed regimes for classification means that Artuke are precluded from using Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva designations on their wines. This mouth-watering red wine takes a relatively deep chill which makes it a versatile pairing with all types of food: tuna, pretty much anything made with zucchini, fried chicken, gooey cheese sandwiches, pizza, etc…
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Telmo Rodriguez of Basque origin, studied wine at the Institute of Oenology in Bordeaux, before doing internships with Cos d’Estournel, Jean Louis Chave and Trevallon . He also worked in the vinification of wines from the family estate of Remelluri, in Rioja. Then, in 1990, with an investment of just a few thousand euros, he launched his own winery. He buys grapes to produce his first wines. His first plots of property did not arrive until 1997, in Rioja. Paradoxical for someone who was dying to explore new regions. One of the main principles of Telmo Rodriguez is that of respecting the Spanish tradition of cultivating the vine in goblet, because this method of managing the vine protects it from the great heat of Iberian vineyards. He is fiercely opposed to the fashion of trellising vineyards and only buys vines that respect his ideal. Telmo also works in biodynamics but, showing great common sense, he admits that he only does it for the respect of the land and that the mention of organic viticulture has no importance in his eyes. The important thing is that the result is a balanced and tasty wine. The name comes from the 40-year-old 'baso' or bush-trained vines that are planted on limestone-rich soils at over 700-meters elevation on a plateau along the Duero River. Soils are made of gravel from fluvial terraces, erosion slopes and glacis. Pairs great with comfort food, Tapas and Tortillas of all sorts
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Picollo Gavi Ernesto is perched among the rolling hills that surround the town of Gavi. The climate here is much more mediterranean than in the north, benefiting from the constant maritime breezes, unique to the southern Piedmont. Picollo Ernesto’s vineyards sit near 260 meters above sea level in Rovereto di Gavi, one of the most prestigious area of the appellation. Our 16 hectares of vineyards are planted exclusively with Cortese, a hearty, high acid white varietal, perfectly suited for this area in northern Italy. Cortese thrives in difficult soil, dry climate, and full sun exposure, which Rovereto amply provides. Picollo’s vineyards are predominantly south-facing and the soils have a higher concentration of clay than marl, which allows for year-round water conservation, even in the peak of summer. Lorenzo Picollo founded the winery in 1945. The winemaking and day-to-day management was transferred to his son, Ernesto, and is now in the hands of his grandson, Gianlorenzo. Innovating along the way, Gianlorenzo continues to carry the family’s legacy forward with great success. Their lands are predominantly in the Rovereto zone, the historic Le Rive vineyards are over sixty years old instead their newest purchase of two hectares lies within the zone of Tassarolo. The grapes for all of Picollo’s wines are hand harvested. The winery itself has recently been modernized but the processes remain traditional, with sparing intervention in the winemaking and no artificial pesticides or herbicides used in the vineyards. With the intent of showcasing the Cortese in its purest form. All Gavi’s are fermented and aged exclusively in stainless steel. It is perfect with haute cuisine, ideal for fish dishes and aperitif
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This wine is from the hills that are located in a Guyot at 100/150 meters above sea level, of morainic origin with calcareous, clayey, gravelly, sandy soil.From the municipality of Sommacampagna located southeast of Lake Garda.A well-balanced, fresh and easy-drinking style dry and rounded red wine. Delicately fruity and fragrant, with notes of cherries, strawberries, raspberries and red currants as well as hints of spices. Recommended with light snacks, cold cuts, light meals, tapas, pasta and fish in general (particularly freshwater fish).
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Out of stockThe 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.
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The name Matua, in New Zealand's native Maori language, means "head of the family," an appropriate title given this winery's instrumental role in developing Sauvignon Blanc into what is now New Zealand's most acknowledged wine varietal. You see there’s a couple of regions around the globe that planted Pinot Noir, that have really mastered it and New Zealands' Marlborough is indisputably one of those. It’s funny what a little perseverance does, and from their ragged tin shed in 1974, Bill and Ross Spence began to change the very foundation of wine in not just Marlborough, but New Zealand. They realized that Pinot Noir adapted exceptionally well to the well-drained alluvial soils of Marlborough and it’s unique climate. With the perfect amount of sunshine each day balanced out by cool evenings they struck Pinot Noir gold and have been developing a killer selection ever since. Matua have mastered the perfect balance of fruit-forward freshness with a touch of dry spice, a staple trait of the Marlborough Pinot Noir. You can expect generous aromas of freshly picked strawberries and red with a little ripe plum thrown into the mix. When taking a sip it’s the soft redcurrants, strawberries and cherries that jump out, brought together by a subtle spice, light tobacco and soothing dry earth. A touch of oak gives just enough complexity to enhance the flavors of this incredible wine. Highly Recommended
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Out of stockThis attractive wine has its origin in the coolest vineyards located near the Douro River. The soil is sandy-loam with a slight gravel content. This gives it a very characteristic freshness that, combined with its aging in the barrel for 5 months (50% French and 50% American), gives rise to a wine with great personality and marked fruity nuances. Intense, bright cherry color. Very intense aroma with marked fruity sensations of blackberry and blueberries perfectly integrated with a quality wood that surrounds everything. Good structure and good fruity expression on the palate, powerful and with ripe tannins. An Oak from Ribera del Duero that you cannot miss.