• The story of this wine told by Peter Hauptfleisch himself-''Today I'm standing up to defend the EMPIRE - STELLENBOSCH. Silently, she’s been re-aligning her troops and now strikes back at the Swartland to establish herself yet again as a formidable force. Just for the record - I am a huge fan of Swartland white blends. The image of South African wines has changed dramatically over the past 10 years and the Swartland played a huge part in this. Their wines, especially the Rhône-style white blends are top notch. They are fun, young, energetic and unique and started to gain international fame. Stellenbosch, however (where I studied winemaking), is the original EMPIRE of South African wine. Like most of us, I like to support the underdog, and in the case of white blends, the Empire became exactly that. So I created a white blend based on similar varieties - a combination that could give some of the Swartland white blends a go. The empire is therefore now striking back at the Swartland with a blend of an all-Stellenbosch Verdelho, Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc and Viognier. The label consists of two sections. On the left part of the label you will see a half star, which was the logo for the "Swartland Revolution". And on the right - stripes that represent a traditional and conservative EMPIRE. And the red brother of Empire Strikes Back is EMPIRE - not striking back but just being himself. With Cabernet Sauvignon as driver and bits of Merlot and Cabernet franc to compliment. The old style design label shows a combination crest. I combined the crest of Stellenbosch University and Elsenburg College - The 2 Empires when it comes to wine education - I studied at both...'' In another words this red was created to strike back at the popularity of the whites and with its quality to balance the market. I dont it was needed as the reds quality is a great as the counterparts.    
  • Hello my enthusiastic brethren or should I say Oenophilians! (I've just butchered the word a lit bit but I am sure you can relate to it). Wine Oenophilia is a love of wine. In the strictest sense, oenophilia describes a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation. Wine lovers are also known as wine aficionados and connoisseurs. Its the people who appreciate and collect wine, particularly grape wines from certain regions, varieties or production methods. Maybe someone like you... So in the spirit of Oenophilia, I have put together 6 wines for those wine aficionados that want to push the bar a little further and feel excited. Here you have 2 whites, 1 bubbly and 3 reds, all of them are totally different from each other, underrated, unique and perform superbly in their own categories.   Whites: Celler del Roure Cullerot 2019- This "orange" wine from Valencia is produced by  Pablo Calatayud from Celler del Roure and let's say he brought the entire winemaking process back to basics. This is a blend of six different grapes, of which three of them were revived from ancient vines that were no longer in use. The setting is in an ancient country estate outside of Moixent, in the Valencia region. For centuries this was a farm producing grain, almonds, olives and grapes for the production of olive oil and wine. This farm contained a large, stone, olive press and extensive subterranean cellar with dozens of intact 17th century amphorae. It took a few years of research and restoration but Pablo is using these clay vessels to make wine once again. Cullerot, which means tadpole, is the white that Pablo makes in the old cellar utilizing Verdil, Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo and Chardonnay from vines ranging in age from 15–70 years old. Whole cluster pressing, natural yeast fermentation and aging in amphorae seems familiar, but it is in fact, timeless. Moment of Silence by Blankbottle - Blankbottle is not bound to a specific wine area or wine style. It’s from many different vineyards, scattered across the Western Cape of South Africa, different regions, micro-climates, soil types, and ultimately leads to different wine styles. It is driven by quality, adventure, excitement and mystery. And at the centre of it all, are the guys in the vineyards, viticulturists, winemakers, family, friends and Blankbottle fans. Stunning, all rounder there is nothing you can fault in this wine. Aromas of candied lemon, cooked apple and mango with a core of minerality. Soft and voluptuous, it has a lovely ripeness and a fleshy, creamy mouthfeel, which leads to a perfect tangy freshness giving some zip to its otherwise mellow feel. Filipa Pato 3B Sparkling Rosé- The Filipa Pato 3B Sparkling Rosé is a delicious treat of a wine from one of my favorite winemakers in Portugal. Filipa Pato is the daughter of arguably one of Portugal's most famous winemakers, Luis Pato. She is also married to a very famous Belgian Sommelier William Wouters. Despite of all of these influences, she is a fantastic winemaker in her own right since 2001. Filipa became famous when she deviated from the local traditional methods and started producing unique wines out of local indigenous grapes (Baga & Bical) that are biodynamic with minimum intervention and true to themselves and their terroir . Filipa's mantra is 'vinhos autênticos sem maquilagem' – Authentic Wines Without Makeup.  The color of the 3B Rosé is a beautiful light pink. It’s soft on the nose, with light yeast, mineral, rose and strawberry aromatics. The palate is quite dry, with firm mineral flavors complemented by lemon and light raspberry. The mouthfeel is fantastically bubbly. It’s a very tasty, mineral-centric sparkler. Niepoort Voyeur 1 Ltr- Never a winemaker to shy away from experimentation, Dirk Niepoort has spent the last few years trialling amphora vinification. This is the upshot of those experiments: the first release of a field blend of old-vine red and white grapes, which spent eight months fermenting and ageing in six 1000L clay amphorae. One of the aims of the project was to reset expectations of Douro reds - all power, body and muscle. Instead, Voyeur is all about freshness, lightness and elegance, clocking in at only 12.5% alcohol. There is plenty of complexity here, partly from the sheer number of varieties in the blend; partly from earthy amphora notes. But what’s most striking is the pure red fruit and delicate florality of the wine. Chill slightly before serving and savour the freshness. Susumaniello IGP Puglia - The winery "i Pàstini", located in the heart of the Valle d'Itria land, strives to maintain the wisdom of traditions even with modern winemaking techniques, thus managing to obtain the best of enology Puglia has to offer. The vines are imported from nearby Dalmatia, which is one of the most important indigenous vines of the Brindisi area. Its name (there are several theories) is due to the fact that, a long time ago, the young Susumaniello plant was particularly productive, so much so, that it was overloaded with bunches as if it were a donkey. This unknown wine is underrated but will impress for its uniqueness and test your knowledge on how wine in general should taste like. This is a succulent and voluptuous wine with intense aromas of coffee liqueur, dark berry fruits and cocoa. Chat Fou Côtes du Rhône by Éric Texier - 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. For every occasion, red and white meats, charcuterie and to impress your other half.  
  • The 2019 Cotes du Rhone Brézème is a big, well structured wine that retains the freshness and lively character always present in this cuvee. The wine was vinified naturally, without added sulfur. The wine shows vivid  aromas of blackberry and black cherry with hints of musk, blueberry, earth and citrus. The palate is deep and textured with earthy black fruits, bitter chocolate and mineral flavours, quite pure and long. Serve now, slightly chilled, with grilled meats, tagines and full-flavored cheeses, or cellar fo five to ten years or more.
  •   Founded in 1919, Domaine Papagiannakos is located in the Attica region of Central Greece, just 18 miles from Athens. Today, the winery is run by the 3rd generation, Vassilis Papagiannakos, who has issued a new era of modern winemaking while still maintaining the family’s dedication to cultivating and preserving the region’s most famous indigenous grape, Savatiano( We have this one in stock too!). The winery produces a small amount of red wine, showcasing both the indigenous Agioritiko as well as international varietals such Cabernet Sauvignon in this case. Agiorgitiko is a historical variety with a great genetic variation. The vineyards used for the Papagiannakos Erythros are located in southeastern Attica at an altitude of 360 feet. The vineyard is relatively young, with an average of 20-years-old, and has a north-facing exposure. The vineyard is farmed without irrigation, resulting in low-yielding vines that produce grapes with rich, concentrated fruit flavours. The structure of this red wine makes it an ideal pairing for a variety of red meat dishes, as well as hard cheeses.    
  • A classic wine(Organic) obtained from grapes grown at Herdade do Esporão, which showcases the consistency and rich character typical of the best Alentejo wines. It Is from vineyards that on average are about 18 years old, the soils are a mixture of granite and schist with clay and loam, and an integrated pest control and a sustainable viticultural approach is employed. Hand-harvested grapes are de-stemmed, then left with skin contact for six hours before chilling and fermentation, 50% in tank with fine lees ageing and 50% in barriques where it is aged for six months. French and American oak is used, a third new, and the wine does not undergo a malolactic fermentation. Aromas of ripe tangerine, honey and apricot with subtle notes of toast and smoke from the barrel fermentation. The palate is complex, creamy, showing ripe fruit flavours and mineral notes with a long, fresh finish.
  • A smooth, harmonious olive oil with a good balance of those fruity aromas typical of the Alentejo. Excellent for cooking and frying in a wide variety of recipes including soups, baking and roasting.
    Technical sheet
     
  • This is the first wine made by Esporão back in 1985. Label illustrated by António Poppe that changes with every organic vintage. Classic wine style made from estate grown grapes that shows the consistency and the rich, ripe fruit characters which are typical of the best Alentejo red wines. Deep dark red colour with intense spicy aroma of mature red berry fruits with discrete oak complexity. On the palate it is elegant, dense and creamy.
  • This wine is made with grapes sourced from vineyards located mainly in the Primera Zona. Influenced by the winds descending from the Andes Mountains and its lower altitude, this region is one of the coolest areas in Argentine viticulture and often suffers from late frosts during bud break. These conditions also favor great thermal amplitude. Most of the vineyards are old and traditionally irrigated, with relatively heavy and deep loamy soils. Season 2020 was marked by warmer than usual temperatures and a strong hydric crisis due to very scarce rainfall that delivered lower yields and speeded up the ripening process. These conditions followed by the outbreak of a global pandemic accelerated the harvest. Despite all the uncertainties we were able to reach an optimal ripening point that helped delivered great quality wines. Towards the end of the last century, Mr. Miguel Escorihuela Gascón, a passionate and determined visionary, created one of the most prestigious wine companies in the Republic of Argentina since 1884: Establecimientos Vitivinícolas Escorihuela. From the very beginning, his main objective was to achieve wines of the highest quality. Therefore, special attention was paid to the selection and care of grape varieties, the elaboration under traditional methods and the constant incorporation of technology, with a team of qualified Argentine professionals and the counselling of renowned foreign winemakers and technicians, which makes it possible to maintain a high level of international quality. Thus, the winery developed throughout time, succeeding in placing its products in a privileged place both in the domestic and in the global markets on a constant basis, achieving a high level of customer loyalty, with consumers adopting our wines once and for all. 100% Malbec from the Agrelo region, the wine was matured in French and American oak for 4 months. Today, after 130 years innovating in the preparation of top quality wines, Escorihuela Gascón is the leader in the creation of Premium and High End wines and is one of the 10 most important exporting wineries.
  • Fantastic Rosé! This organic beauty is just about as good as Rosé can get… beautiful bouquet of roses, strawberry and white peach. The palate is round, polished, silky and wonderfully balanced between fruity generosity and refreshing, minerally more-ishness. Grab some of this wine for summer while you can. It will sell out! It is another beauty that is clean, pure, has textured and elegant on the palate, with gorgeous purity, it’s a rocking rosé that does everything right. Its freshness and good acidity makes it the perfect companion for snacks and fresh dishes, fruit salads, grilled white fish without sauces, vegetable salads and the legendary pasta salads. In short, a wine to drink and taste at all hours.
  • Excellent to pair with red meats, roasted or on the BBQ. Fresh Mediterranean pasta. Good companion for chocolate
  • 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.
  • Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s most important indigenous grape and up until the 1990s it was relatively unheard of. Gruner Veltliner has many charms, one of them being the consistency of the quality and the flavour profile; it always delivers what it says on the tin. Ferdinand Mayr is a musician turned winemaker and his organic wines are singing with flavour and intensity. Whoever says Grüner Veltliner says Austria and vice versa. This version of Ferdinand Mayr is accessible and it charms you right away. Exuberant, lively nose of citrus, apple and white pepper. On the palate, the ripe fruit and spiciness create a pleasant tension with the acidity. Crispy and ripe, as if you were biting into a juicy apple. Flavor and spiciness characterize this wine. Fantastic with Japanese or Thai cuisine.
  • Here is a Provençal estate rosé sure to add some style to your summer! One smell, one sip and you get beamed to the Mediterranean Sea! This delicious Rosé is created by a pioneering Provence domaine of excellence. The family Combard is one of the ambassadors of a new generation of prestigious winemakers. You can smell notes of white flowers that then develop into white peach aromas. The palate expresses the velvety texture of citrus peel and the zestiness of an essential oil. Citrus profile with this wine that is astringent, green, tight and fresh.
  • The Filipa Pato 3B Sparkling Rosé is a delicious treat of a wine from one of my favorite winemakers in Portugal. Filipa Pato is the daughter of arguably one of Portugal's most famous winemakers, Luis Pato. Passion for the traditional indigenous grape varietals of Bairrada led Filipa Pato to start her own project in 2001. She works a total of 12 hectares of vineyards scattered in various plots throughout the Bairrada appellation of Portugal. Utilizing biodynamic farming practices and minimal-intervention winemaking. The 3B is a homage to the traditional sparkling wines of Bairrada, with this being a blend of the indigenous Baga and Bical grapes. The Bical adds mineral and citrus notes to the berry red fruit notes of the Baga. This is a great little sparkler with a dry finish. Filipa and her husband, Belgian sommelier and restaurateur William Wouters, produce vinhos autênticos sem maquilagem – 'Authentic Wines Without Makeup.' 3B's-Bairrada, Baga & Bical
  • Filipa Pato is the confirmation of the old saying "son of fish knows how to swim". Although she followed the footsteps of her father Luís Pato, even in her academic training, Filipa always wanted to have her own world, her own project, where she would show her ideas, and go up with her own pulse. It was the 2001 harvest, a great year in Bairrada, which would provide all of this. That year, she decided to walk on her own feet, creating her dream. The success was immediate, and soon she rose to the status of one of the most brilliant winemakers in Portugal. The wines are the result of Filipa's innovative and brilliant spirit. They were quickly at the forefront of national and international criticism. In 2011, with her husband William Wouters, a prestigious Belgian Sommelier and owner of the Pazzo restaurant in Antwerp, Filipa receives the title "Newcomer of the year".
  • Filipa Pato and husband, William Wouters have created an expressive range of wines representing the native grape varietals of the Barriada region. Their philosophy is simple: "create authentic wines without make-up to express the true nature of the vineyards they come from". Bairrada is a coastal DOC which borders Vinho Verde, Dão and Lisboa. It has mild and wet winters and hot windy summers. The climatic thermal range, brought about by the Atlantic influence, brings high acidity and freshness to the grapes here. Filipa and William practice biodynamic viticulture and are undergoing conversion to organic certification. The wine is unfined. Drink with sheep and goats cheese, dressed salads, and delicate poultry dishes.
  • This mineral-driven white wine from Filipa Pato is akin to top quality white Burgundy. Using the Bical grape, the wine is aged in old French oak barrels and displays a great balance between creamy richness and lean minerality. Following in the footsteps in the winemaking traditions of her well-known father, Luis, Filipa Pato has now, in her own right, garnered a reputation for producing a superb range of wines in the heart of Bairrada, in Ois do Bairro. Focussing on Bairrada’s local native grape varieties, Filipa’s top-level white. It should be served not too cold, decanted into elegant glasses. It goes well with cheeses, fish dishes and salads.
  • One of FISAN’s most prized products in a practical format to delight your palate with the most extraordinary nuances of 100% Iberico Bellota Ham Alta Gastronomia at any time and place. Its secret: the selection from the earliest stage of the best pure Iberico breed pigs, patience and curing in our natural cellars in Guijuelo, which leads to the best Pata Negra Ham you will ever remember. Only the most exceptional pieces qualify as Alta Gastronomia.
  • The Fleur du Cap approach is unconstrained. Using only meticulously selected grapes from the finest vineyards across the Cape Winelands, the winery produces a range of wines that offer diversity of choice and diversity of taste. Essence du Cap is known for exceptional quality and wines that express their true varietal character. The grapes were selected from four different vineyard blocks situated around the Bottelary Hills, which were planted in 1987, 1994, 1996 and 1997. Two of the vineyards are bush vines and the remaining trellised. The soils consist of deep decomposed shale (bush vines) and granite (trellised vines), with good water retention. Yields for the bush vines were 6 to 8 t/ha and the trellised vineyards 10 to 12 t/ha. Supplementary irrigation was given during the latter stages of the season to ensure full ripening. Pest and disease control is implemented according to South African subjective IPW standards. This wine is an ideal accompaniment to grilled lamb and poultry, pork roasts and game fish. It is perfect with classic Cape cuisine like Bobotie and Malay Curries, as well as spicy Mexican food.  
  • Out of stock
    Lying on homogeneous soils of pink granite containing large crystals, Fleurie is often regarded as the ''Queen of Beaujolais'' with their vines averaging 50 years old. The wines are characterized by great finesse and elegance with floral aromas of irises and violets. An elegant and delicate wine. Lovely paired with roasted chicken, grilled meats and semi-cured cheeses
  • Quinta da Fonte Souto is in the Portalegre subregion of the Alto Alentejo in southern Portugal. Close to the São Mamede range (1,025 metres), the property benefits from the area’s altitude with its cooler microclimate in sharp contrast to the Alentejo region’s typically hot and dry conditions. Yields are low due to the schist and granite soils, which are less fertile than those found in the flat and rolling terrain which characterizes the majority of the Alentejo.
  • Out of stock
    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        
  • Out of stock
    Fourth project of Bodegas Forlong (Cádiz). Vineyard consists of albariza soils in the Pago de “el Forlon” in Balbaina Baja, located in the coastal area of Puerto de Santa Maria, 7 km from the sea. Takes advantage of the proximity of the sea, and the purity of the albariza, as well as the local salt-peters which impart saline, chalky character to the grapes. The Tintilla de Rota grape, a native variety of the area, already existed on the farm along with the rest of the grapes, but they did not give it any value at the beginning, to the point that the first year they even gave it away. Once they discovered its potential "we almost pulled our hair at the thought that we had been giving it away."  Has limited production of 2700 Bottles. As it is a native variety, they wanted to reflect it in some way on the label, and what better way than to put a native animal like the chameleon, which needs albariza soils that are easy to move to bury its eggs. Their long and rolled tongue is a reflection of Rocío and Alejandro's adventure of "rolling the blanket over their heads" when making a quality organic wine with Tintilla de Rota. Its vinification is carried out in clay jars, thus being a different wine. Pair it with entrecote steak, slow-cooked lamb, suckling pig, BBQ and grilled meats, porcini mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes, hard cheeses, olives, jamón de pata negra.  

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