"Possibly the single greatest dry red wine value in the world, this is an unbelievable wine … any wine retailer worth his weight should be stockpiling this wine next to the cash register ...I don’t understand how anyone can make wines this good to sell at this price… 90 points.” Robert Parker, the Wine Advocate #203.

Tasting Notes 

Nose

Rich, plum and red berry fruit with a touch of spice on the nose.

Palate

Balanced yet concentrated red fruit mingles with darker spice and chocolate characters to give weight and layers to the palate. Plump ripe tannins add grip to this classic style of Garnacha.

Production

From selected 15 to 30-year-old vines grown in low yielding hillside vineyards around 600m above sea level. Soils are stony with some sand. The Tempranillo and Syrah grapes are trellised, but Garnacha is bush vine. Harvest usually takes place in the first two weeks of October. Varieties are vinified separately (22-24º C) in stainless steel with 10-15 days maceration.

History

The winery was established as a co-operative in 1959. In 2001 it joined with two other progressive, co-operative, cellars in the Campo de Borja region to become the Bodegas Borsao that we know today.

Grapes are sourced from over 375 member growers covering 2,400 hectares - nearly a third of the region's total. Vineyards lie in the undulating foothills of the Moncayo mountain, ranging from around 350m to 800m above sea level. At lower altitudes vines are younger and may require some irrigation, but higher up the slopes the vines are older, unirrigated bush vines.

The climate is rather severe and arid, with hot dry days, and cool nights - which allow optimium acidity levels to be maintained within the grapes. Garnacha thrives in these conditions and represents 65% of total production. The Cierzo wind from the Moncayo sweeps across the foothills of the mountain. This cold, dry wind reduces humidity levels and allows grapes to be picked a couple of weeks later in the harvest, at full maturity.

Borsao has access to a large number of vineyard plots at different altitudes, and hence to a wide selection of fantastic quality grapes. They are recognised for their entry-level varietals - as outstanding examples of easy-to-drink inexpensive wines - as they are for their premium wines, in particular the iconic, multi-award-winning Tres Picos.

Sustainability

With 2,400 hectares of vineyards, Bodegas Borsao is a substantially sized operation in a warm, dry region and as a result the availability and usage of water is a major issue. All new plantings have reverted to the traditional style of bush training to preserve water. Inter-row plantings are used to improve the water-holding capacity of the soil and protect it from erosion. These cover crops mean that less spraying and tending of the vines is required, thus fewer passes are made by tractors which reduces the compaction of the soil and the consumption of diesel. Pheromone treatments are also employed to sexually confuse predatory insects, reducing their populations significantly.

These cover crops mean that less spraying and tending of the vines is required, thus fewer passes are made by tractors which reduces the compaction of the soil and the consumption of diesel. Pheromone treatments are also employed to sexually confuse predatory insects, reducing their populations significantly.

Awards

• 2019 Vintage - Silver at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards
• 2016 Vintage - Silver at the 2017 Sommelier Wine Awards

Specifications

A perfect pale pink that screams Provence!

Tasting Notes

This is a perfect, pale, raspberry-pink wine that is very drinkable. Delicate aromas are followed by lovely sweet fruit from Grenache grapes. Clean and well balanced with good depth.

Production Method

The Domaine's vineyards are situated in the best area of the AC Côtes de Provence with a very particular micro-climate and sandstone clay soils. A classic blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, the grapes are picked by hand. This is a rosé de presse produced in an ultra-modern gravity-fed winery.

Producer

Domaine de la Vieille Tour is a 22-hectare estate in the Côtes de Provence, situated between Pierrefeu and Cuers and not far from Château Gairoird. The Domaine's vineyards benefit from lying in a slight geographical depression which has a particular microclimate, encouraging the long and even ripening of the grapes. Grapes for the rosé, Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, are cultivated on sandstone clay soils and harvested by hand, before being transported to a very modern, gravity-fed winery.

A Note on Sustainability

As a négociant, Gilardi is very keen to minimize its own environmental impact and to work with sustainably-minded growers. For example, on its bottling line, Gilardi has switched from a traditional sediment filtration system to a more efficient cross-flow filtration system and chooses eco-friendly dry goods such as Normacorc’s carbon neutral "Select Green" corks which are made from plant-based polymers from renewable resources and which are recyclable. Gilardi is expanding its collaboration with HVE Level 3 certified winemakers and currently, two of the wines it offers are organic.

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Colour 

Deep violet-red.

Nose

The nose is very fruity with a predominance of black fruits such as blackberries and blueberries on the forefront followed by light notes of blackcurrants and violets.

Palate

The fruity intensity is present at all times and pairs with the very velvety, elegant palate to make this wine very easy to drink.

Production

The Syrah and Rousanne grapes were picked into bins, transported to the winery and immediately chilled. The reception process begins with a double selection system on conveyor belts both before and after being destemmed. The grapes are then crushed and deposited into stainless steel tanks, where they undergo a 3-day cold maceration at 6º–8ºC. The temperature was then raised for the alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts at temperatures controlled to 24º–27ºC with a pump over program managed according to enological criteria. The new wine remained on its skins for an additional 6–7-day post-fermentation maceration and a total vinification of approximately 20 days. Malolactic fermentation took placed naturally in stainless steel tanks, where the wine was aged for 12 months. The wine was the stabilized naturally without treatments. It was filtered with a 1-micron cartridge filter prior to bottling. The wine is aged for 5 months in stainless steel tanks.

Producers

Voted by Wines of Chile as "Winery of the Year 2016", Emiliana is one of Chile's most exciting producers and pioneers in organic and biodynamic winemaking. Since 1998, this Chilean winery has been producing award-winning wines from almost 1,000 hectares of vineyards in prime sites including Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua and Bio Bio.

Its spectacular biodynamic vineyard and winery at Los Robles is a model that attracts visiting viticulturalists and winemakers from across the world. Emiliana's innovative and natural-leaning wines are made with great care and attention and the results are inspiring.

Awards 

Specifications