• Casa Ermelinda Freitas

    The warmth of the Portuguese sun is tempered at Casa Ermelinda thanks to the breezes blowing in from the Atlantic that lies close by. Located at Palmela on the peninsula of Setubal, close to the Sado estuary south of Lisbon, there are currently 440 hectares of many different kinds of vines across the domain, with grapes supplied locally from a further 500ha or so. Head of the company Leonor Freitas has worked tirelessly to make many improvements out in the vineyards and in the winery where modern equipment goes hand in hand with traditional values under the skilled guidance of winemaker Jaime Quendera. Casa Ermelinda Freitas has been run by a long line of dynamic women, celebrating its 100 year anniversary in 2020.
  • The 1552 Siege of Eger became an emblem of Hungarian heroism when the castle was successfully defended against the united forces of the two greatest Ottoman troops. When accounted for the defeat of their 20-fold army, the Ottoman leaders claimed the Hungarians - including women - fought with such an unparalleled courage they must have had drank the bull’s blood. This gave the name to the region’s emblematic red blend, Egri Bikavér (bull’s blood of Eger). Every bottle is embossed with “1552 Eger". This wine is the truest representation of the legendary Egri Bikavér. Cool climate, volcanic soil with the combination of the best sites in Eger give rise to the fresh, spicy, ripe, vibrant fruits with a touch of leafiness from firm but well integrated, round tannins. Let it explode untamed out of a slightly chilled bottle. The founder of the winery, Tibor Gál was asked by none other than Ludovico Antinori himself to join Ornellaia in 1989 where he soon became the chief winemaker. One of his greatest achievements was the 1998 Ornellaia which was voted best wine in the world by Wine Spectator in 2001. Meanwhile Marchese Incisa della Rocchetta, the man behind Sassicaia, partnered with Gál and together they founded their winery in Eger. Tibor Gál jnr. is in charge today with no less talent. His Bikavér blends are the most honest representations of the volcanic terroir of Eger. Vibrancy, elegance and finesse define the identity of all his wines. I am sure his dad would have been extremely proud to have seen his son become the pioneer of a new era of Egri Bikavér.
  • White Dandy Douro is produced mainly from the Samarrinho grape variety. Freshness and tension combine perfectly with delicacy and an aromatic profile of white fruit, citrus and ground stone
  • A Vintage Port is only declared in years of exceptional quality. Quinta do Vesuvio is arguably the most magnificent estate in the Douro valley. Located in the beautiful and austere Port-growing region of the Upper Douro valley, its history dates back to the 16th Century. “The quinta of all quintas – one of the wonders of the world”. At Vesuvio, the work of man and the work of nature achieve a perfect and enduring harmony. More than anywhere else in the Douro it has a haunting and enchanting beauty; when you leave it, you take with you a sense of the place that does not fade with time.
  • Those who have tasted this wine know that the ‘simplicity’ of its name is about a philosophy, a family story; yet the wine is seriously complex. A blend of Cabernet Franc and Kékfrankos aged in small barrels – You can expect a seriously complex and rich red wine, while its velvety juiciness and ripe fruitiness really make it dangerously good to drink! 'Inni Jó' translates to 'Drinking is Good' "My younger son Vencel tasted a sip and said, it feels good to drink, then my eldest, Vince, pondered on ‘Drinking is good!’ – so my three-year-old instinctively articulated the essence we all have been working towards for generations." - Ipacs tells the story behind the label.
  • Ponte da Barca Rosé is a versatile wine, ideal for moments of celebration. Enjoy it with pleasure in the company of all who are in love with life!
  • A juicy, super fruity red with good drinkability, from the Heimann estate. Lots of red fruits, delicious Szekszárd spiciness, subtle and hardly detectable tannins. It’s a real fruit bomb with place-of-growth notes. It's the most exciting when tasted at cellar temperature.
  • Eins-Zwei-Zero is a premium range of non-alcoholic wines created by award-winning winemaker Johannes Leitz. Using 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Argentina, these wines are produced with great attention to detail. The alcohol is removed through gentle vacuum distillation at low temperatures, allowing the natural flavours and delicate aromas to be preserved.
  • The historic Fritz Haag wine estate is located in the heart of the central Mosel River Valley. The earliest documentation of the estate dates back to 1605. At that time, the village in which it is situated was known as “Dusemond.” In 1925, this village was renamed “Brauneberg” (“brown mountain,” a reference to the color of the slate soil in this area of the Mosel) in an endeavor to further promote the reputation of its world-renowned vineyards “Brauneberger Juffer” and “Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr.” Like all the top Mosel producers, Fritz Haag produces a range of wines including some very rich, late harvest dessert wines. These wines put the region on the map for luxury wine in the 17 and 1800s, making some Mosel Riesling more pricey and coveted than first growth Bordeaux. But in truth the wines that the locals drank, especially in the summer, were generally off dry to completely bone dry. Fritz Haag's vineyards sit along the slopes of the Brauneberger hill and the vineyards of Juffer and Juffer Sonnenuhr. Brauneberger faces almost entirely south which makes it a bit easier to get fully ripe Riesling in the classically cold, wet Mosel. That has changed a bit recently of course, but this is still a prized site for wines that perfectly balance finesse and power, complexity and airy drinkability. This specific wine is a VDP GG or Grosse Lage which is equivalent to a Grand Cru.
  • Domaine la Fourmone is a multi-generational domaine and is currently run by sister, Florentine and brother, Albin Combe. The property dates back to the mid-1700’s when it originally producing wheat. Wine began to be grown in the last 19th century and thent became the crop after Julien Combe purchased the property in 1910. The domaine cultivates 41 ha (104 acres) of vineyards of which, 20ha are in Vacqueyras, 10ha are in Gigondas and 7ha of Côtes-du-Rhône and IGP and 4ha of vines on the southern edge of the Dentelles hills that reside in the Ventoux appellation. “Les Ceps d’Or” comes from a blend of mainly Grenache and Mourvèdre. It expresses the imprint of the 50 years of our goblet-pruned vines. The berries are delicately harvested on the northern and eastern limits of the Vacqueyras appellation. The plots come from two islands located on the plateau of the appellation at the foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail, a massif well known for its geological richness. The first islet is located in the Piedmont de Beauregard region. The soil is made up of dark beige marly silts, cut by broken slabs of Miocene molasses at a depth of one meter. This terroir requires a lot of effort from the vines to slide their rootlets into the cracks and deploy meters of roots. This effort gives the wine a singular complexity and aromatic richness. The second islet is located at the northern limit of the Cône de la Font des Papes terroir. A surface of light beige clay-sandy silt with small limestone fragments with a well-developed root profile up to two meters deep. The materials from this terroir have all the criteria favorable to the vine: freshness and good water reserve.    

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