Silky.Perfumed.Effortless
I know, right? A Californian Pinot Noir for £13.95? It’s gotta be awful! Ha, ha! What kind of chump would buy Californian Pinot Noir for that sort of price? It’s probably made from grapes they picked off the ground! Ha ha! It’s probably got more sugar in it than a pot of jam! Ha ha! It’s probably made from formaldehyde and glue. Ha, ha! They must think I was born yesterday. I bet it doesn’t taste anything like Pinot Noir, I bet it’s jammy and sweet. I bet it turns to vinegar within a day of opening it. Ha, ha! These charlatans aren’t going to pull one over on me! 13.5% alc. Vegan. Drink now-2030.
Customer Comments:
“This is absolutely gorgeous. Not normally a Pinot guy and prefer a wine that delivers to the solar plexus but well…..stone me……” - Mr A.W
“It’s brilliant. I would say very Gevrey like.” - Mr. B. W.
“It’s as nice as some US or NZ I drink, but at half the price, so a great ‘cellar saver’!” - Mr. C. S.
“Just to let you know we are currently having a tasting of Odd Lot. You are right. Excellent value.” - Mrs. J. T.
“Delicious wine!” - Mr. A.P.
“The Odd Job {sic} Pinot is very nice.” - Mr L.B.
“How are you stocked for Odd Lot, any left? It went down a real storm.” - Mr D.C.
“It really is good. It’s not spectacular, but it’s undeniably a really good wine” - Mr N.S.
”It is everything you guys said it was. Astonishing for the price…” - Mr. W.G.
”Am much enjoying the Pinot ! Hope you haven't sold out, as I'll take another dozen, if available!” - Mr. J.P.
“We are enjoying the Odd Lot Pinot Noir an awful lot!! Do you have any left?” - Mr D.M.
”Just wanted to let you know that the Odd lot pinot is absolutely incredible for the price.” - Mr. I.S.
“The Odd Lot Pinot has lived up to everything you said about it” - Mr. A.W.
“Just to let you know that the Odd Lot Pinot Noir lived up to its promise. Such a bargain!” - Mr C.C.
Pinot Noir has a reputation for being a capricious grape, reluctant to give of its best unless everything is in place (soil, climate, temperature, aspect, humidity etc), but this diva-like behaviour might just be the result of the limited choices that winemakers had in the centuries that preceded modern interconnectivity. Burgundy is the traditional home of Pinot Noir, and Burgundy is relatively cold, with low rainfall, south east-facing slopes, early morning mists and winter snow. This has led to a lot of wine books stating that Pinot Noir likes relatively cold climates, low rainfall, south east-facing slopes, early morning mists and winter snow. That was probably the accepted wisdom, until forward-thinking winemakers planted vines in Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and South Africa, and Pinot Noir discovered sunshine and ocean breezes and dry earth beneath its roots and flourished in a way that no one expected.
Take this delightful, uncomplicated Australian Pinot Noir, for example, full of juicy, bright fruit, so evidently ripened by warmth and sunshine. It’s not a Burgundian Pinot Noir in any way, shape or form, but that’s not the only acceptable paradigm anymore. It’s a great red for picnics or barbecues, bursting with bing cherry, orange blossom and cranberry freshness. As a minimal intervention wine, the very slight hint of spritz on opening is carbon dioxide in lieu of sulphur dioxide and dissipates quickly once opened. 13.5% alc. Wild yeast fermentation. Aged in pre-loved 225-litre barrels. Drink now-2030.
“Lovely, pure, graceful and fragrant.” - Decanter, 95 points
A brilliant value Mencia from the brilliant Telmo Rodriguez. It’s silky smooth, aromatic and oh-so very 21st Century in the way that it favours freshness and drinkability over oak-spice and weight. Lucia said that it reminded her of those high altitude Languedoc reds from the Terrasses du Larzac and she’s spot on, as it has delicacy yet richness of flavour, with similar core flavours of red-plum, vine tomato and cherry, highlighted by white pepper and grilled bacon fat. On the palate, it feels graceful, like a new world Pinot Noir, with some floral notes too, but finishes with a little pinch of tannins that gives it an air of sophistication, stopping it becoming a juicy fruit bomb. All of this, from one of Spain’s top winemakers, for just £18.95? Grab a Gaba do! 14% alc. Organic & biodynamic farming. Drink now-2028.
Press review:
Decanter: “Telmo Rodríguez’s journey through Spain reviving and recuperating vineyards has led him to work with 43 different varieties. Although established in Rioja, he has also put Málaga back on the map and worked with Garnacha in the Sierra de Gredos, as well as establishing wineries in other regions. This Mencía is fermented and aged in stainless steel, revealing the variety’s purity. Sarah Jane Evans MW: Forward, juicy aromas. Distinctly individual profile, with dense, succulent fruit and a long, ripe finish. Beth Willard: Pretty nose with tomato vine, sour cherry, floral. Very crunchy, green freshness and just the right amount of grippy tannin. Highly drinkable. David Williams: Lovely, pure, graceful and fragrant – full of violet and raspberry juice, racy and succulent with silky tannins and a twist of bergamot and blood orange tang, beetroot earthiness. Almost Pinot-esque. Drink now-2028.” 95 points
A beautiful example of ‘old vine’ Cinsault, nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Pinot Noir’, and you can see why, as it pours a translucent ruby colour, reminiscent of red Burgundy, and sits gently on the palate like a red Sancerre, but there’s no mistaking the Mediterranean heart and soul of this Lebanese wine with its savoury overtones of warm tomato skin, soft tobacco and dried orange peel, with a juicy sweet cherry core. One might be inclined to underestimate this wine because of the price and its place of origin, but it’s actually of a very high quality, so if you were going to play safe and choose a claret or a red Rhone to go with your Sunday roast, please give this a try instead, you won’t be disappointed 14% alc. Drink now-2032.
Press reviews:
Jamie Goode: “Supple and elegant with lovely cherry fruit providing the flesh. Rounded and sweetly fruity, but with nice grainy structure.“ 94 points
JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Light to mid crimson. Dusty/stony non-sweet – but not quite sour – red fruits, lively and inviting, so full of energy, almost playful but still needs to be taken seriously. A touch peppery. Bone-dry, chalky tannins and immense freshness. Elegant, long and utterly moreish. Good Value.” 17 points
Decanter (previous vintage): “Faouzi Issa has been making this 100% Cinsault from the domaine’s old vines since 2014. It has an enticing, smoky nose of red fruits with hints of garrigue and aniseed. Ripe and strikingly fresh in the mouth, with a tangy, herby intensity. Great underlying structure with plenty of rich, slightly confit fruit, but also bright, elegant and balanced, with a surprisingly delicate quality. Great example of how expressive, even refined, Cinsault can be in Lebanon. Good value too. Well worth seeking out.” 94 points
“Excellent-value.” - Decanter
A sweetly juicy and elegantly oaked Frankovka, otherwise known as Blaufränkisch (which I realise to many people would be like me saying Rumpelstiltskin, otherwise known as Tűzmanócska). It feels full, yet fresh, with comfortingly rich impressions of plum skins and warm leather, animated by cherry, and those tiny, flavour-packed wild strawberries. 13.5% alc. 18 month in large Slavonian oak barrels. Drink now-2030.
Press review:
Decanter: “Earthy and vibrant, with elderberry, spiced plum and fresh red-black berry fruit. Medium-light bodied with grippy, rustic tannins and lively acidity. An excellent-value Frankovka (aka Blaufränkisch) ideal for roasted vegetables or midweek stew.” 90 points
“Saint Jacques is by far the most important wine I make.”- Raúl Pérez.
An astonishing value Mencia from one of Spain’s most important (and hairy) winemakers, Raúl Pérez. It pours a bright, glossy, crimson colour and the appearance seems to translate into flavour, as the palate evokes shiny purple- and blue-skinned fruits (damsons, blueberries, blackcurrants) with succulent acids, black pepper and a hint of cherry blossom. There’s a seamless feel to the polished fruit and you can really taste the quality of the harvest, which is clearly the winemaker’s intention, as there is no oak flavour. It’s vibrant and beautifully supple with fine-grained tannins and a hint of cool graphite, which elevates the fruit. Raul makes some stunning ‘single vineyard’ expressions of Mencia, which have a bit more structure than this blend from old vineyards on different soils, but if you want to get beneath the skin of a grape, a winemaker and a region, then this is your backstage pass. 13% alc. Drink now-2030.
Organic farming
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2023 Ultreia Saint Jacques has a lifted nose. In the rainy 2023, they selected from the many plots in different lieux-dits of Valtuille, which this year included El Val and El Cepón in Villafranca, mostly from very old vines, with 50% of the grapes purchased from growers. It fermented mostly with full clusters and had a long maceration and matured in used barrels. It has contained ripeness and less than 13% alcohol. All the 2023 reds from the Ultreia range are very clean. Drink now-2030.” 93+ points
Jancis Robinson MW (previous vintage): “Thoroughly satisfying, complex, lifted perfume that already shows some integration even if quite a hit of acidity and a little tannin on the palate. It doesn't have the sweet majesty of Bierzo reds costing many times as much but is clearly an artisanal product from the heavily bearded Pérez. Refreshing and only medium body in terms of impact on the palate. Very Good Value.” 17 points
Customer comments:
“This is an amazing wine.” - Mr. P.D.
”Another case of the Raul Perez Saint Jacques Ultreia if available; it’s brilliant!” - Mr. A.R.
”A hit! Muy, muy bien. Should have had a whole case. Please may I have another 6? - Ms. V. J.
“By the way, the Raul Perez, Ultreia St Jacques was absolutely brilliant for the money.” - Mr M.B.
“Love that Ultreia. I will do another 12!” - Mr. P.N.
”Outstanding!!” - Mr. P. J.
“Very much enjoyed the first bottle last night. Lovely fruit and balance. Slipped down very - too! easily!” - Mr J.G.
”Drank a bottle of the Ultreia St Jacques on weekend. Lovely!” - Mr. D.A.
”This is a damn good wine.” - Mr. D.A.
“I should say I have really enjoyed the Ultreia St Jacques - quite delicious!” - Mr S.C.
”Delicious and superb value.” - Mr. A.T.
Such a pretty wine, with cherry, strawberry and flint held within a delicate frame of lacy tannins and a sense of warm terracotta, which I romantically take to be the terroir shining through. If you haven’t tried Païs before, also known as Listan Prieto, and you like light-coloured, delicate reds, then this one is a great introduction. It’s like a cross between Pinot Noir and cold strawberry tea! 13.5% alc. Drink now-2030.
In my defence, I was genuinely just checking that I hadn’t taken leave of my senses, because the terrific quality didn’t seem commensurate with the extremely reasonable price, but I don’t think the lady pouring the tasting samples saw it that way, judging by the way she audibly tutted when I returned for the seventh time. The trouble was, it was not only delicious and incredible value, but so incredibly moreish! It’s a pure Syrah from granite soils in the northern Rhone and billows with fresh aromas of sweet cherry, violets, apricot, woody spice, black pepper, orange peel and bacon fat. You can see why I kept going back! The palate is supple and juicy, a wonderfully refreshing red wine that draws you back for another sip, like a siren song. 12.5% alc. 15 months in oak. Biodynamic certified. Drink now-2029.
What a delightful expression of Spanish Garnacha! It pours a pale ruby colour, like a vermilion watercolour wash, but it’s not wishy-washy. It’s so perfumed and delicate, like a cross between a young Beaujolais and a Tenerife red, yet with plenty of fruit intensity to give it depth too. Cherry dominates the aromas and the flavours, but there are also hints of orange, pink peppercorn, flint and cool graphite (I’m thinking pencil lead). If you like perky and perfumed grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Gamay, Nerello Mascalese, Païs or Trousseau, then do give this a try, especially with a plate of charcuterie. Can be drunk slightly chilled. 13.5% alc. 7 months in oak. Drink now-2028.
Press review:
Decanter (previous vintage): “This bright, juicy Garnacha Tinta (with 5% Garnacha Blanca) is lovely to serve slightly chilled alongside platters of charcuterie at a picnic. Named after El Garbi, the warm African wind that blows through the vineyard in cool Terra Alta, it's packed with vibrant cherry fruit, dusted with spice. Fresh acidity balances the soft tannins for a crisp finish. Drink now-2027.” 91 points
Featured in Decanter’s ‘Top Red Wines to Chill’ (June 2024).
Customer comments:
“I could drink gallons of this! Beautiful!” - Mr W.B.
"I just tried the Garbi. It is superb. Another gem you and Lucia have unearthed!" - Mr A.D-W.
It is thought that one of the main reasons why Merlot gained such a strong foothold among the public is that it is easy to say when ordering in a restaurant, in much the same way that Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso isn’t. It’s a shame, because Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a grape that can make fantastic wine, especially in Friuli, where its noble history dates back over two millennia (Pliny the Elder cited it as the favourite wine of Augustus’s wife, Livia, circa 20 BC!).
I was curious to see if Jancis Robinson had reviewed many Refosco dal Peduncolo Rossos on her website and I only found a handful, but the same adjectives recurred several times: “gorgeous”, “generous”, “seductive” and “sassy”. That chimes with our experience, because it’s a really expressive wine with dramatic aromas, and this example has theatrical swagger to burn. It’s a flamboyant and sensual red, serpentine as its flavours coil around your tongue, evocative of blood-red cherries steeped in orange juice, sweet spices from the bazaar, the juice of red-fleshed plums combined with cinnamon, neroli and mandarin oil. So, why hasn’t Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso caught on? It’s really hard to say. 13% alc. 12 months in barriques and tonneau. Drink now-2031.
Press review (previous vintage):
JancisRobinson.com (Tamlyn Currin): “Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, with its naturally high acidity and often alarmingly firm tannins, can sometimes be pretty hard work. This wine is anything but. Light ruby-to-garnet colour and a nose that smells sweet and fragrant, perhaps a little vanilla pod and cinnamon from oak, perhaps a little orange blossom. There is definitely the fragrance of oranges on the palate – I can almost smell the oils in the air as I'm peeling the orange in my head. And the fruit is so sweet and bright and pumping flavour and alacritous that I can't make it stand still for long enough to be identified. Was that red cherry? Or tangerine? Or maybe rose hip with a sidekick of pitanga? Did I spot a red splat of fresh pomegranate somewhere in there? Yes. Yes. Yes and yes and yes. And the fruit is festooned with lilac blossom, white thyme flowers, a dusting of sumac and baharat. The tannins weave, deft, dextrous, dancing through fruit like ribbons in a Dunhuang dance. Light clouds of white pepper that simply get washed away by wave after wave of this flagrantly seductive wine. Is this really less than £20? VERY GOOD VALUE. Drink 2024-2030” 17.5 points
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“Amazing stuff and as you say so approachable in youth! got to be one of the best and most interesting 20 quid bottles of wines out there!” - Mr J.T.
“Please reserve me another 6 bottles of the delicious Refosco - which provides the very drinkable combination of good concentration without excessive weight… Oh, and it's tremendous value too.” - Mr T.M.
“Just tasted it - terrific!” - Mr A.S.
“The red from Friuli is excellent.” - Mr E.C-W.
“We had the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso last night, we both thought it was lovely, can we order some more please?” - Mrs. S. G.
“The Refosco has been a huge success. I bought some recently and thought it SUPERB. Such a lovely, balanced, interesting wine.” - Mr. S. R.
“We didn’t try the Refosco until last night but I am pleased to say that we really enjoyed it. I would therefore like to purchase another 12 bottles!” - Mr. I. C.
“We had some of the Refosco last night, love it!” - Mr M.A.
“Just wanted to say, we are really enjoying the Refosco, delightfully fruity and (too) easy to drink! “ - Mr. H.S.
A beautifully aromatic Nerello Mascalese sourced from pre-phylloxera vines on the slopes of Mount Etna, fermented with wild yeasts and aged for 6 months in French oak barrels. The combination of the altitude (2,000 feet above sea level) and the rich, mineral soil, give the wine extraordinary aromatic lift, almost exotic, suggesting chopped red cherries, peach fuzz and whetstone, while the palate is as buoyant and fresh, as the somewhat pale colour suggests it will be, but there's real fascination and depth in there too, as you might find in a ripe Nebbiolo or a richly-scented Pinot Noir. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2029.
Biodynamic farming.
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“All the hype about this wine is more than deserved..... absolutely stunning!” - Mr. R. H.
“As always, thank you for spotting the wine - another absolute banger, which blew away the conventional Burgundy we had at the same meal.” - Mr. R.E.
”That Etna Rosso is absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for the recommendation” - Mr. A.D.
“Loving it (too much!). Would be happy to take two more cases if you have them.” - Mr. I. W.
”I much enjoyed your Etna Rosso last night – it was lighter than I expected but very smooth and delicious." - Mr. A.M.
"Like drinking liquid silk, really light and cherry-scented but with that dark, basalt thing going on too. Ethereal and magnificent. Love it." - Mr. J.W.
"I did just cracked open a bottle of Ciauria and it is excellent!" - Mr T.J.
"I thought the Ciauria was really lovely! Great find." - Mr. J.L.
"It's incredible! I've never had anything like it." - Mr. G.D.
"Tried the Etna Rosso last night and it was delicious!" - Mr. J.F.
"You can tell from the repeat order that the Ciauria has gone down very well. Looking forward to receiving the order, looking forward to drinking it more." - Mr. G.S.
The fruit is so vivid on this Pinot Noir (aka Spätburgunder), that it feels as if it’s in high definition. Wild raspberries and shiny morello cherries show in clear focus on the nose and the palate has wonderful clarity of fruit too, with tiny, pixelated top notes of pomegranate. rosehip and orange peel. This is Thörle’s entry-level Pinot Noir and is much closer in quality to their ‘single vineyard’ expressions than the discrepancy in its price tag would suggest. 13% alc. Unfiltered. Drink now-2032. Organic (certified) & biodynamically farmed.
Press review:
James Suckling: "The vibrant sour cherry aromas are beautifully interwoven with lovely creaminess, fine tannins and chalky minerality. I love what the energetic acidity does for the long finish of this slightly cloudy beauty. From organically grown grapes. Matured for 18 months in well-used, small oak casks. Unfiltered. Drink or hold." - 94 Points
“Terre Nere continues to raise the bar with their Etna Rosso.” - Vinous
A delicious and characterful Nerello Mascalese from the northern slopes of Mount Etna, which articulates its origins as eloquently as a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon or a Northern Rhone Syrah articulate theirs. The aromas are classic Etna Rosso, a heady cocktail of shiny red fruits, peach fuzz, raspberry and pumice stone. That volcanic minerality brings a slight tannic austerity to the fruit and a suggestion of smooth grey pebbles, but it’s not drying, because the fruit is ample, so you sense the pit as well as the cherry, the stone as well as the plum. 14% alc. Organic (certified). Drink now-2030.
Organic (certified)
Press review:
Vinous (previous vintage): “The 2023 Etna Rosso seduces with a burst of ripe cherries, cloves and sweet rose aromas. This is an energetic and wickedly fresh effort with a cascade of wild berry fruit and crunchy mineral tones that flow beneath an air of violet inner florals. A coating of fine tannins frames the finish without slowing its momentum as this tapers off with amazing length and a saturation of raspberry. The 2023 aims to please. Drink now-2029” 92 points
Everything we love in a red wine: aromatic lift, juicy moreishness, terroir expression, varietal identity and bags of personality. It is made from our favourite Sicilian grape variety, Nerello Mascalese, which is a thin-skinned black grape, producing pale-coloured wines, similar in depth and weight to a Pinot Noir, and capable of translating the rocky minerality that comes from vines growing on the side of a volcano. Take a moment to savour the extraordinary aromas of apricot, jasmine, cherry and frankincense, which lead you to a seriously fine and elegant palate of red stone-fruits and cool pebbles. It's a very digestible, food-friendly wine with high acidity and a refreshing purity that leads you to demand another sip. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2028 (conservatively).
Biodynamic farming
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“It’s like Gina Lollobrigida just kissed me on the lips and I’m currently lost for words… Genuinely think this is my favourite wine of the year.” - Mr. B.F.
"Feels like a perfect summer red. We really enjoyed it." - Mr. J.S.
"I love this wine, it's become my new fav!" - Ms. C.H.
“I opened one of the Guardoilvento last night. Delicious. Still great freshness but just the right amount of development too.” - Mr. T.V.
”We thought the Etna Rosso was sensational.” - Mr. M. H.
“A wine that strums my heartstrings.” - Tamlyn Currin for JancisRobinson.com
This is a terrific wine from Marco de Grazia of Tenuta delle Terre Nere, who, in 2006, was offered two small parcels on Mount Etna in the crus of Feudo di Mezzo and Moganazzi, which were too small to blend into Terre Nerre’s cuvees, and so this project was born, named after his daughter, Eli, whose crayon drawings have adorned the labels ever since, changing each year as she grows up. It has the gorgeous aromas that we look for in proper Etna Rosso, with that telltale note of peach fuzz and apricot skin, as well as dried cherries and whetstone, plumped up on the palate by sweeter flavours of pomegranate and wild strawberry. 13% alc. 12 months on 20% new oak. Drink now-2027.
Press review:
JancisRobinson.com: “Licking terracotta tiles on a hot summer day after a thunderstorm; eating small red cherries fallen onto an old, crumbling stone wall; pomegranate seeds crushed between rough concrete. Transparent as stained glass, rugged as weathered brick. Incense and under-log earthy; crushed radicchio and soft triangles and columbine-scented five-pointed stars of flavour of earth and flower and root and fruit and stone. A wine that strums my heartstrings… (TC). Drink now-2027.“ 17.5 points
Customer comment:
“I have popped the Etna Rosso La Vigne di Eli and have to say it’s lovely, light, refreshing and invigorating in equal measure, and your tasting note is absolutely spot on.” - Mr A.H.
Drinking this intensely beautiful Crozes-Hermitage reminded me that wine is made from grapes. Quite a “Eureka!” moment, I’m sure you would agree, but in the daily ebb and flow of the wine trade, you tend to forget that wine is made from something that has a primary purpose over and above that of being fermented for the pleasure of human beings. In nature, fruit is a lure. It’s made to attract birds and insects for the vital business of pollination. So, it needs to look, smell and taste good. Birds don’t read reviews or choose grapes with high scores, they don’t do vertical tastings or keep cellar notes, they just want to eat tasty, ripe fruit and when I tried this wine, made from the Syrah grape, all of the extraneous noise that surrounds wine just fell away and I imagined how delicious the grapes on the vine must have been to produce such a heaven-scented, fabulously delicious wine, redolent of violets, perfumed blueberries, peonies and deeper notes of red-fleshed plums and orange rind on the silky and sweetly succulent palate. 12.5% alc. 100% Syrah. 70% whole bunch. Drink now-2030. Organic
Press review:
JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Beautifully fragrant nose – black pepper, sappy green-stem aromas, a bit of smoked meat and wonderfully pure plum fruit. Finishes with a charred-meat character and a gradual, perfumed fade. Very convincing.“ 17.5 points
Vinous (previous vintage): “Brilliant violet colour. Smoke-accented aromas of cherry, blackberry, violet and olive show very good freshness and are joined by a spicy nuance that builds in the glass. Silky in texture and sharply focused, offering spice-laced red and blue fruit flavours and a deeper liquorice note. The peppery quality comes back on the long, clinging finish that’s shaped by discreet, even tannins.” 92 points
The Wine Advocate (previous vintage): “Loads of black cherry fruit are nicely balanced by savory hints of licorice, espresso and black olives. Enjoy it over the next few years for its youthful exuberance—it's an ideal bistro-styled red.” 90 points
“Stunning and incredibly priced.” - The Wine Advocate, 95 points
The buzz about the Ribeira Sacra region is only going to get louder when people taste wines like this. The region seems to be spearheading a new direction in Spanish wine towards lighter, fresher, silkier reds with lower alcohol and an appetising dryness that makes them so versatile with food, showing more of an affinity with the textural fragility of Pinot Noir, for example, than the ‘oak soups’ that you often find in modern Rioja or the Ribera del Duero.
This is a fantastic introduction to Spain’s new bearing, which is really gathering pace in the ‘Atlantic’ appellations around Galicia, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The Lousas ‘Vinas de Aldea’ is Envinate's equivalent of a ‘village’ wine, in the Burgundian sense, sourced from 12 different parcels in various sub-regions of the Ribeira Sacra ranging from 20 to 60 years of age and located between 400 and 600 metres altitude on varied soils of slate and granite depending on the location.
The Vinas de Aldea 2023 is predominantly made from Mencia, with a few local varieties thrown in for good measure (Brancellao, Merenzao, Mouraton, Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera), and the grapes were foot-trodden and fermented with whole-clusters (i.e. with the stems) in small open vats before transferring to 2,000 litre barrels for 11 months. It’s oh-so-fine and elegant and beautifully tailored to fit its shape. The aromas are pure and wild, suggestive of shiny cherry skins, fraises des bois and crushed purple flowers, while the flavours glide across the palate, evoking dark cherry, juicy red grapes, blood orange, a hint of white pepper (typical of Mencia) and a suggestion of cool minerals. It tastes best if you drink it slightly below room temperature. It’s an utterly beguiling Spanish red and you shouldn’t hesitate in snapping some up while stocks last. 13% alc. Drink now-2032.
Organically farmed
Vegan-friendly
Press review:
The Wine Advocate [bottled sample]: “The bottled 2023 Lousas Viñas de Aldea is perfumed, intoxicating and showy, with a floral note of dried rose petals that I also found in the Misturado from this same vintage. There's also a flinty smokiness that gives the wine a different twist. It's stunning and incredibly priced. Drink now-2032.” 95 points
The Wine Advocate [barrel sample]: “I tasted a very promising barrel sample of the 2023 Lousas Viñas de Aldea, cropped from a more Atlantic, cooler and rainier year (especially when compared with the super warm and dry 2022). Right now, it's super primary and they are slowly introducing larger oak foudres (3,000 litres) and lowering the impact of the oak in the wine. This has very good freshness, purity and elegance, reminiscent of past vintages like 2021 or 2016. It has terrific balance. Drink now-2032.” (94-96) points
Customer comment:
“We tried the Lousas Vinas de Aldea over the weekend. It was quite delicious. In fact it was so good we drank a bottle on Saturday and opened another on Sunday. So clearly I am going to need some more.” - Mr. Q.J.
“Such skill on show here; a beautiful wine… Moreish and hedonistic yet fine and poised.” - Decanter, 96 points
“Really exciting wine… Tastes like a wine that might be quite a bit more expensive. Good Value.” - Jancis Robinson MW
Fans of full-bodied red Burgundy and/or Chinon will feel at home with a glass of this in their hand. It is high-toned and elegant, certainly for a wine made from Xinomavro, which can be a bit rustic and astringent, whereas this is so smooth and glossy you could slide down it. Aromas of loose tea leaves, kola nut, black cherry and wet clay lead to a palate of red-fleshed plums, shiny dried cherries and rhubarb compote showing a distinctly Mediterranean warmth of flavour on the finish. It’s approachable now, but will surely unfurl further layers of complexity over the next decade and possibly beyond. It was aged for 16 months in large French and Austrian barrels, a quarter of which were new. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2036. Organic & biodynamic farming.
Press reviews:
Decanter: “Such skill on show here; a beautiful wine that's perfumed with peony and plum. Exquisitely textured like satin embroidered with silk thread: soft and flowing yet punctuated with stitches of tannin and mineral tension. Shiny red apple skin and black cherry sweetness wrap up the finish into something to moreish and hedonistic yet fine and poised, it's impossible not to return for another sip.“ 96 points
Jancis Robinson MW: “Mainly 45-year-old vines on limestone with schist and clay topsoil. Fairly deep garnet with a pale rim. Really exciting wine – excellent demonstration of the variety’s tannins and acidity on the palate but with a lightly tarry nose. Damson fruit. Very energetic. Dry finish. So zippy! Tastes like a wine that might be quite a bit more expensive. Good Value. Drink 2026 - 2033.” 17.5 points
Gamay has spent years trying to convince people it's more than just frippery and Chateau des Vergers 'Aux Saules' 2022 is Exhibit A for the defence. While many Gamays are all about youthful exuberance, this is a wine with both charm and substance—a Beaujolais that has graduated from dancing on tables to hosting the dinner.
Now running her family’s 7-hectare estate near Morgon’s famed “Côte du Py,” Cosima Bassouls is at the forefront of Beaujolais’ new generation. The nose is wonderfully expressive, bursting with wild cherries, crushed raspberries and juicy redcurrants, but there's something deeper lurking beneath the fruit. Notes of violets, graphite, forest floor and a gentle peppery spice add layers of intrigue, while a distinctly stony minerality reminds you that these vines are rooted in the granitic soils of Lantignié. The palate is beautifully poised. Bright and energetic, yet with a surprising depth and seriousness, it combines Gamay's trademark freshness with the texture and persistence more commonly associated with Pinot Noir. Silky tannins glide across the tongue, carrying flavours of red berries, sour cherry and spice through to a long, savoury finish. This is Gamay wearing a tailored jacket rather than a Hawaiian shirt: still charming, still approachable, but with a quiet confidence that makes you sit up and pay attention. Organic (certified). 12.5% alc. Drink now - 2030.
Press Reviews:
Tamlyn Currin for JancisRobinson.com: “Nippy, perfumed red fruit that makes me think of hibiscus tea, sour plums (Chinese li hing mui) and hawthorn berries. Energetic tannins that scramble nimbly up and down the fruit as if it was a super-fun climbing wall, there to play with. Pellucid purity at its core. And then a delicious peppery cloud of five-spice on the finish, like a vinous fist pump. Bassouls really is a winemaker to watch. Drink now-2030.” 17 points
James Suckling: “This is a wild and delicious red with fragrant notes of strawberries, red plums, cola, chocolate, oranges and flowers. It’s medium-bodied, silky and supple, with a seamless and fresh finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.” 92 points
“l love the pale, aromatic, fragile and mysterious 2024 Vins Oblidats Escursac. It's simply delicious!” - The Wine Advocate, 94 points
“This is an up-and-coming producer.” - Jancis Robinson MW
It’s entirely possible to go through life eating nothing but comfort food, reading the latest bestsellers and rotating through the same Spotify playlists. Taking pleasure in the same things repeatedly isn’t a bad thing, we understand the thinking, but we can’t resist trying to tempt people off the beaten path from time to time. This is a delicious and delicate Escursac from Mallorca. It’s pale in colour with a very pretty, enticing nose full of wild strawberries, rosehip, blueberries and sweet cherries with a touch of something herbal. The palate is really fresh and lively with lovely tension, silky and bright, full of charm and with very gentle, fine tannins and delightfully light. Utterly seductive. Organically farmed. 11% alc. Drink now-2030.
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “I love the pale, aromatic, fragile and mysterious 2024 Vins Oblidats Escursac. It comes from a recently recovered varietal and hence from young vines. It fermented with 50% whole clusters with a soft vinification and extraction and was kept in stainless steel until bottling. The variety is known for its low alcohol, and this year it was 11% - something they didn't quite manage in 2023 - with a nose of wildflowers and berries, rosehip and hibiscus, something herbal and citrusy. It's fine-boned, with a medium body and very fine tannins, sparkling freshness and pungent flavours. It's simply delicious! Only 1,200 bottles were produced. Drink now-2032.” 94 points
“Marcel Lapierre is something of a hero to the natural wine movement and his Morgon has been called the ‘original natural wine’.“ - Decanter
Marcel Lapierre can reasonably be considered to be the godfather of ‘serious’ Beaujolais, as he spearheaded the famous Gang of Four, alongside Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet and Jean Foillard, who forever changed the landscape of the region, both physically and metaphorically, with their focus on preserving and nurturing old vines, eschewing herbicides and pesticides, harvesting late, adding minimal sulphur and avoiding chaptalisation. Sadly, Marcel passed away in 2010, but his son, Mathieu, and daughter, Camille have continued his legacy.
Their Morgon 2023 is made from 70 year-old vines and combines lightness of touch with richness of flavour. The lightness of touch can be attributed to their father’s belief in ‘minimalist intervention’ winemaking, while the richness of flavour comes from the aforementioned deep-rooted, old vines. Textbook Beaujolais flavours of red-fleshed plums, sour cherries and a touch of gravel bring energy and purity for current drinking pleasure, but it should really be tucked away for a couple of years, because its floral, mineral and subtle spice notes are still surrounded by petals waiting to unfold. 12.5% alc. Drink 2025-2036.
Curious to know how long this wine might age? At a recent tasting of ‘very old wines’, attended by the likes of Jancis Robinson MW and Neal Martin, the 1998 vintage of Lapierre’s Morgon received 18.5 points from Jancis and was a “candidate for wine of the night”.
Biodynamically farmed
Vegan-friendly
Press reviews:
Jamie Goode (previous vintage): “Lovely presence here. Fine and elegant with sweet cherries, plums and some strawberry richness. Nice fruit weight, and quite elegant, but it has some grippy structure, too. Has life, energy and nice purity.” 95 points
Jancis Robinson MW (previous vintage): “This wine is so pure and gorgeous! It's a great advertisement for minimal intervention and purity. Direct fruit and not a trace of oak. Long and reverberant. Already drinkable but there is no hurry whatsoever.” 18 points
I’m drinking this instead of Brunello for a number of reasons. Firstly, it has the aromatic ‘wow factor’ that I yearn for, but seldom find, in a lot of Brunellos. Secondly, it is utterly faithful to the character of the grape variety, Sangiovese. Thirdly, it’s incredibly well-priced when you compare it to serious Brunello and, trust me, it tastes like serious Brunello.
It has a gentle side, with sweet cherry, floral notes, orange peel, cinnamon and scented wood yet it also has a brooding side, a touch of the gothic, with lilies and and black ink, velvet tannins and terrific length. You might notice that it’s closed with a screwcap, which is about the only thing about this wine that doesn’t scream ‘Brunello’! A blend of Sangiovese (95%) and Canaiolo (5%) aged for 20 months in Burgundian oak (20% of which was new). 14.5% alc. Drink now-2036.
Customer comments:
“We had dinner this evening in a restaurant in Edinburgh called Sotto, where the sommelier recommended the Montedassi, il Borghetto and I was blown away by it, so I looked it up online and found your review. I entirely agree. This is a spectacular wine for the price and the 2020 vintage entirely matches what you said about it. “ - Mr T.M.
Such a beautiful, pale grenadine colour, you can almost taste it. It’s a daringly light Bourgogne Rouge (Pinot Noir), as delicate as a watercolour brushstroke of rosehip, wild strawberry and blood orange. It’s so lithe, so gentle, so pretty, I would love to have a glass of this in a wine bar, on my own, swirling occasionally, pretending to be entranced by the lambent liquid, but actually eavesdropping on my neighbours. 13% alc. Declassified village wine. Organic & biodynamically farmed. Drink now-2028.
“Highly recommended.” -The Wine Advocate, 96 points and highest-scoring wine in The Wine Advocate’s ‘New Zealand Report ‘ (of 146 wines reviewed)
“Only tiny quantities produced, so if you see it, snap it up quickly.” - Decanter
It’s a slightly deeper hue than you might expect from Marlborough, still translucent through the glass, but with a healthy dark cherry sheen to the colour. At first, the aromas are like wallflowers at a disco, with their back to the wall, afraid to step forward, but after 20 minutes they’ve cleared the dancefloor and are blaming it on the boogie. That slow unfurling is a sign of great Pinot Noir quality at the wine’s core, which doesn’t need to show all its moves at once.
On the palate it has texture and depth, a beautiful inner perfume and the impression of a rich core of brambly, thorny fruit waiting to unfurl. It’s still young and is only stuttering towards the sort of eloquence you can expect in 2 or 3 years’ time, but there’s enough pleasure on offer now if impatience intervenes. The temptation is to compare any New World Pinot Noir to Burgundy, but this is so proudly and distinctly a New Zealand Pinot Noir that it makes more sense to compare it to its peers and I think it shows some of the silky, rich intensity of Felton Road’s ‘Block 5’ and the glamour of Prophet Rock’s ‘Home Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, both from Central Otago, which is where I would put the Novum if given it blind. Try it with crispy duck in tamarind sauce or dragon roll sushi or roast pork with prune and chestnut stuffing, because it can handle bold flavours. All of the fruit was destemmed, it underwent a wild ferment and was aged in 30% new oak. 12.5% alcohol. Organic & biodynamic (not certified). Drink now-2032.
Press reviews:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2024 Quarters Vineyard Pinot Noir is excellent. With an abundance of silky red fruits, baking spices, attractive tannins on the mid-palate and balance throughout, this wine comes highly recommended. It has great length too.” 96 points and Wine #1 in The Wine Advocate’s ‘New Zealand Report’ (of 146 wines reviewed)
Jamie Goode: “Direct and bold, but also floral, showing some nice green hints. Silky and sappy with nice acidity, and lovely presence.” 94 points
Decanter (previous vintage): “Made with 10% whole-bunch fermentation, fruit sourced about 60% from Quarters vineyard in the Brancott valley and 40% from the organic Settlement vineyard. Super-delicious, with layers of fragrant, inviting fruit, spice, earth and florals. An equally beguiling palate. Seamlessly melded, good concentration and length in a very calm and graceful wine. Only tiny quantities produced, so if you see it, snap it up quickly.” 96 points
Novum
Novum is the brainchild of Will and Rachel Hoare. Like all good stories, it sprang from adversity, when Will was kicked out of school for selling wine to his fellow students. A more sympathetic headmaster might have kindled that early sign of entrepreneurial spirit, but it was not to be the case. The prospect of becoming a drifter was never on the cards, so he dusted himself down and got a job at Cloudy Bay, where he spent a year on the bottling line before their oenologist, James Healy, saw something in him and invited him to join the wine-making team. It was at a time when Healy was turning his attention to Pinot Noir and he suggested that Will should expand his knowledge of that grape by spending the winter months in the northern hemisphere, so for 5 consecutive years Will went over to California and helped with vintages at Au Bon Climat, learning about the importance of soil and site selection from the inspirational Jim Clendenen.
On his return to New Zealand, he pursued his interest in small parcel selection by helping out at Fromm, who were the only winery in Marlborough focusing on single vineyards at the time. That short stint turned into a 19 year career, rising from cellar hand to general manager, before the call to do his own thing became too loud to ignore.
Will’s father had been one of Marlborough’s early pioneers, planting some of the first vines back in the 1970s, and the family became contract growers for many of the top wineries, developing an extensive knowledge of Marlborough’s best sites. They are still Cloudy Bay’s oldest growers. Thanks to his family’s network of contacts, Will grew up with his boots as deep in Marlborough’s soil as any aspiring winemaker could wish for, with an address-book filled with the names of all the important growers in the region, and has spent his career getting to know all the ‘sweet spots’ as he calls them: “We have learnt that the best fruit usually comes from just a small pocket of a good vineyard, due to soil type, microclimate etc. It might be just a few rows, the eastern side of a slope, or a rocky swale running through a vineyard site. Pinpointing these pockets takes additional time to sample and costs more to hand harvest, but in our experience, it is these tiny parcels of fruit that produce the most intense and interesting wines.”
The aromas on this wine are so beautiful, I felt like a bumble bee drawn to a rose. It’s exactly what I want from a red Burgundy, the sweetly seductive scent of morello cherry, kola nut, cassia, hibiscus tea, neroli and orange peel all swirling around to create a heavenly congregation of vapours. I actually blurted out “Oh, wow!” when I tasted it, but thankfully the producer wasn’t within earshot or I would have ruined my hopes of negotiation, like a poker-player squealing “Yippee!”. The palate is so pure and refined, with super-silky tannins supporting classic Pinot Noir fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry, with the top-class oak adding woodsy, sweet spice notes. Nothing feels overworked, it feels like an infusion rather than an extraction, so everything flows smoothly and the alcohol is a pleasingly old-fashioned 12.5% alc. With so many new world Pinot Noirs demanding sky-high prices from Oregon to Otago, it puts this wine’s value, from Pinot Noir’s heartland, into sharp focus. It’s completely ready to drink now and should hold until 2032 at least.
An absolute stunner from the guys at Envinate! Just the right amount of wispy volcanic smokiness on the nose to draw you in, but not so much that it occludes the fruit, which jumps out of the glass with juicy vibrancy, packed with shiny black cherry, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate laced with whetstone, pumice powder and pepper (that’s the volcano talking!). One of our favourite releases from these brilliant winemakers. A field blend of Negramoll and Listán Negro. Very old vines. 12% alc. Drink now-2030. Organic (non-certified). Vegan
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2022 La Santa de Úrsula is balsamic and reveals notes of rose petals and talcum powder. The fruit is darker (riper), and it has a juicy palate with fine tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now - 2029.” 95 points
Tamlyn Currin for JancisRobinson.com: “So fine, high-wired and pellucid that the wine has a kind of haunting, keening brilliance. The rose-hip and hawthorn-berry fruit is bright and wild and pure with a wintery tartness, curved like a cutlass in the teeth of a salty wind. Old-brick bitterness and petrichor minerality, enough to set your jaw on edge and send tingles down your spine. The tannins are like a storm wind, invisible and yet whipping through the stones and the bones and iron-red flesh of the fruit. Crack of smoke. It’s a whetstone of a wine, and it will divide opinion. Some (like my husband) will find it thin, some (like me) will fall in love with the pared-back-to-the-breath of this naked, raw, hungry wine. The score is for people like me. The rest of you can go to Napa.” 17.5 points
Customer comments:
“A belter.” -Mr. M.A.
“Stunning.” - JancisRobinson.com, 17.5 points
“Really compares well against much pricier Pinots by sheer intensity and quality of flavour.” - Richard Hemming MW
A real humdinger of a Pinot Noir from Geelong (pronounced Jia Long), a thriving wine region southwest of Melbourne. It’s deep and rich and silky, the sort of style you might expect to find in Central Otago (Felton Road springs to mind) with glossy black and purple berries and the warmth of sun-kissed plum skins with lots of fine detail in its layers of barrel-aged flavours (cinnamon toast, vanilla, ground spices). Unequivocally delicious even on day 2 and day 3 after opening. 13% alc. Vegan-friendly. Drink now-2036.
Press review:
JancisRobinson.com: “Long fermentation with up to 60% whole-bunch. Intoxicating scent that majors on the fecund herbal complexity of whole-bunch fermentation. Baking spices, rhubarb, cranberry and redcurrant. Utterly engaging – it retains light body but delivers outrageous complexity, from decomposing vegetal/beetroot funk to vibrant young fruit. Stunning. 13% alc. Drink now-2036.” 17.5 points
The Wine Companion: “From four separate vineyards in Geelong that all make single-vineyard wines as well! About 50% whole bunches and 50% new French barriques. A bright ruby garnet. Ultra perfumed with aromas of wild strawberry, musk sticks and spices such as cardamom and clove. Medium bodied and red fruited and with fine, silky and persistent tannins rounding out a wine that's already delicious yet will reward another five to seven years in the cellar.” 95 points
Customer comment:
“I tried the Lethbridge last weekend and really enjoyed it.” - Mr J.G.
Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Garnacha Tintorera and others. Viladequinta is a single site composed of six north-east-facing parcels located at higher elevations than the Valdeorras average, between 650m and 700m. Hand-harvested, with 30% whole-bunch fermentation in open 500-litre barrels, which were later used for 12 months of ageing. Limited production of 1,300 bottles. 12.5% alc. Drink now-2038.
JancisRobinson.com: “An absolutely beautiful wine, delicate and expressive, showing violets, redcurrant and pomegranate. This is a superb red, full of energy, mineral tension and with seamless construction, delivering enviable depth and precision. Fine-grained, sapid, vertical and vibrant, with perfectly integrated tannins and a distinct mineral edge. The most mineral and cooler-profiled red from Adega O Cabalín, clearly reflecting its northerly exposure which brings extra freshness and vertical tension. Drink now-2040.” 18 points
Awarded a whopping 99 points by The Wine Advocate!
Derek Mossmann Knapp of Garage Wine Co. has just received the ‘Old Vine Hero’ Award 2024 for his overall impact in the field of ‘old vine’ restoration, thanks to his efforts working with local communities to revive historic vineyards in Maule, Chile and the fruits of his labour can be tasted here in his Carignan ‘Vigno’ 2018, which offers a wonderfully silky, glossy and deeply-coloured interpretation of this variety (plus a splash of Païs and Monastrell). As wine merchants, we are, quite rightly, forbidden from using the word ‘healthy’ to describe a wine, but I think it’s fair to say that the fruit itself must have been in the rudest of health when picked, as the wine is so pure in flavour, gleaming with ripe cassis and black cherry, with cashmere tannins and enough complexity (graphite, wood, baking spices) to keep you intrigued and keen for another sip. Delicious with roast pork and crackling or Peking duck. 13% alc. Drink now-2032.
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2018 Vigno comes from a creek where there's terrific drainage and thus low yields and concentration. It's Carignan with smidgens of País and Monastrell in the field blend, the grapes grown by a Maule farmer by hand and horse with traditional methods of dry-farming, uncertified organic for 75+ years. Like all the rest, it fermented in open-top vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barrels over two winters. None of these wines are about the process, they are about the place and the year. Drink now-2030.” 99 points
A sense of place is usually the first casualty of inexpensive wines, but this red tastes inescapably Italian. There’s a glossiness, reminiscent of shiny Morello cherry skins, a tangy hint of orange peel, as you might find in a Cinzano, a ripeness of red-fleshed plums, typical of a Sicilian red, and a hint of glamour, bringing a touch of La Dolce Vita. It’s a crimson ribbon of a wine, flowing easily without the friction of tannins, a wine for early-drinking and thanks to the high altitude of the vineyards, there’s a juicy freshness to the palate. 12.5% alc. A blend of Nero d’Avola (85%) and Syrah (15%). Drink now-2029.