Tasting Notes 

100% Chenin Blanc, this has a distinctive yellow apple and pineapple core, alongside notes of green melon and limes. The wine is bursting with fresh fruit flavours ending with zesty citrus flavours, and has a long mineral finish. A very clean and satisfying hand-picked Chenin Blanc that's a versatile wine for food pairing.

Producer

After making wine around the world and honing his craft in the Cape, Bruwer Raats established Raats Family Wines in 2000, based on a policy of ‘excellence through specialisation’, focusing on two unfashionable grapes varieties at the time, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.Purchasing the only land he could afford, some relatively cheap and ‘undesirable’ plots in the Polkadraai Hills, it soon became apparent that the unique granite-based terroir was producing some incredible wines, and is now recognised as one of the finest wards in Stellenbosch. His Eden High Density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and the iconic MR de Compostella hold a place as some of South Africa’s finest wines and sit comfortably amongst the best expressions of the varieties on the planet.

Production

From vineyards with an average age of 35 years. Vines are grown in both decomposed granite and Table Mountain sandstone soils. A combination of trellised and bush vines, irrigated as well as dry land that yield approximately 7 – 8 tons per hectare.

Grapes grown from the two soil types are fermented separately, the decomposed granite bringing a lime and mineral character, while the sandstone more topical fruit and structure. The juice was cold settled for 2 to 3 days, then cold fermented (14º - 16ºC) in stainless steel tanks and aged on the lees for 6 months before bottling. No wood ageing.

Accolades & Awards

2022 – 89 Points Tim Atkin MW
2022 – 4.5 Star John Platter
2022 – 92 Points Winemag

Specifications

The Muscat from La Pigeade is characterized by its freshness and finesse and is to be found in many of the leading restaurants of the Rhone Valley. 

Tasting Notes

Colour

A light gold wine, shiny with golden reflections. 

Palate

The complex aromatic palette combines pear with rose water and exotic fruits.

Soil cultivation

Sustainable cultivation for over 30 years; grassing controlled mechanically (hoeing). Scribbling is practiced several times a year at different depths depending on the case.

Vinification

Hand harvested and sorted before 100% de-stemming and maceration on skins for 10 hours at 3°C before pressing. Cool-fermented to reach a natural alcohol of 5 % before the ferment is arrested by the addition of grape spirit to reach a minimum of 15 % alcohol, with a minimum of 110 g/l residual sugar. Matured on fine lees in tank for two months prior to bottling.

History

Very little sweet Muscat was made before 1945 when Muscat de Beaumes de Venise was classified an AOC for its vin doux naturel, but by the 1970’s and 1980’s its popularity in northern Europe was probably greater than Sauternes or sweet German wines. The wines, by law,  must have an ABV of 15% and at least 110g/L residual sugar. Domaine de la Pigeade was purchased by the Vaute family in 1960 who came from wine families but this domaine was the first generation of winemakers. Up until 1996 all fruit from the 25ha estate was sent to the cooperative but with the succession of the second generation, Thierry and his wife Marina, a cellar was built and the wine-making was brought in house. The domaine sits outside the village of Beaumes, which is sandwiched in between the Dantelles de Montmirail and Mount Ventoux. Of the 25ha around 20 are Muscat blanc à petits grains averaging 35 years of age. The vines are planted on a argilo-calcaire and all weed control is manual. The fruit is harvested at a very low 30hl/ha.

Specifications

A great introduction to the heady delights of Gewurztraminer.

Tasting Notes

Intensly perfumed Gewurztraminer with a rich palate of honeyed and rose-scented flavours.

Production

Produced in the traditional manner by winemaker Jean Michel Lihrmann in Cave de Turckheim's gravity fed cellar - pneumatic pressing, temperature controlled fermentation, no finings and light filtration before bottling - all to preserve fruit and aromatic qualities and elegance. His philosophy is to make wines with good acidity and fruit balance, based on the belief that all the qualities of the wine are already present in the grapes.

Producer

Widely regarded as one of the best co-operatives in the world, Cave de Turckheim lies at the mouth of the Munster Valley. Working closely with 180 partners, its vineyards span the full breadth of Alsatian terroir and grape varieties. Cave de Turckheim only produces wine from the grapes of its member growers, it is a récoltant not a négociant.

Substantial investment in the winery has enabled the team to vinify many parcels of grapes separately, offering Michel Lihrmann (senior winemaker for 25 years) the chance to highlight each wine's nuances in his signature dry, yet fruit forward, style.

Committed to producing the highest quality wines, growers are encouraged to keep yields low - for example, Cave de Turckheim voluntarily caps yields for its Grands Crus vineyards at 45hl/ha rather than the permitted 55hl/ha - and to pick the grapes by hand. This is part of a long term and innovative strategy of sustainability that includes developing the largest holdings of organic vineyards in Alsace, using natural alternatives to chemical treatments, and a green overview of all vineyard practices. Alongside some great organic wines, the extensive range runs from the excellent value Tradition wines right through to individual Grand Cru bottlings, plus fantastic Crémants d’Alsace and Vendange Tardive dessert wines.

Sustainability

An awareness of social and environmental concerns has always been high on the agenda for the Cave de Turckheim’s growers. They were among the first in France to practice integrated agriculture, an approach that combines the best of modern tools and technologies with traditional practices, lowering the consumption of energy and other resources, reducing environmental pollution, conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainability. In 2014, all the members of the co-operative obtained Agri Confiance Volet Vert (Green Section) certification and in 2015, they all obtained High Environmental Value Level 2 certification. The growers are aiming for HVE Level 3 certification in late 2019.

In 2008, a number of growers decided to commit to the rigorous standards of organic viticulture. As part of Alliance Alsace, approximately 70 hectares of vines are now cultivated organically, having obtained organic certification in 2011, with a further 30 hectares in transition. These vignerons have revived ancestral practices, tilling the soil and undertaking work that facilitates the elimination of weeds and the combat against the two major diseases: powdery mildew which is tackled with sulphur and mildew which is treated with copper sulphate. Natural fertilisers are also used (nettle, horsetail, comfrey, and dandelion), fortifying the vines and increasing their natural resistance. Organic winegrowers meticulously observe their vines, enabling them to intervene in the right place and at the right time, rather than treating the plants systematically.

Turckheim’s commitment to the environment extends to the winery where it strives to conserve natural resources. Sorting waste for recycling, reducing its carbon footprint, using solar panels, and preventing pollution are just some examples of how environmental considerations are present in every aspect of its daily work. Committed to both the environment and its customers, Cave de Turckheim also plays an important role in the local economy.

Specifications

Tasting Notes

This pale straw-yellow wine offers fruity aromas with apple notes, creating a refreshing and approachable profile.

Production

The Viura grape, also called Macabeo, is used preferably in the production of Rioja white wines. Its main characteristic is the production of wines with acidity. Therefore, young wines are very fresh. It allows to age the wines in the bottle, as well as in oak barrels. It is also used for the elaboration of the cavas. 

Producer

Bodega Eduardo Garrido García is a family-run boutique winery located in Ábalos, La Rioja Alta, Spain, a region with over 500 years of viticulture history. Founded in 1923 by Vicente Garrido, the winery has been passed down through generations, with Eduardo Garrido continuing the tradition and now joined by Amelia Garrido, representing the third generation of winemakers.

Situated at 600 meters above sea level, the winery benefits from a unique microclimate, influenced by the Cantabrian Sea winds, and calcium-rich clay soils, which contribute to the elegance, fruitiness, and strong bouquet of their wines. Specializing in Rioja wines, the winery produces Tempranillo, Viura, Garnacha, Mozuelo, and Graciano varieties

Specifications

Both the style, quality and winemaking reflect a youthful Gran Reserva. This is a top quality field blend from Gómez Cruzado's oldest vineyards, labelled without any age statement to give a contemporary apoproach to the classic Rioja categories.

Tasting Notes 

Wow! A fruit-packed nose with flavours of dark plums, black cherry and fresh figs. This is balanced by creamy oak notes and Christmas spices. On the palate the 2019 is approachable now with a huge amount of richness and tannin, but a rounded mouthfeel shows this wine is perfectly in its drinking window. However, the immense concentration on display and elegance from the bright acidity suggests this wine will develop for at least another 10 years in bottle.

Production

This 'field blend' is produced from the fruit of Gomez Cruzado's oldest vineyards (over 50 year old vines) - south-east facing, in the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria. The vines planted here are predominantly Tempranillo, but also Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuela and Viura. Soils are poor, chalky clay and white in colour, with slabs of calcareous rock beneath. The grapes are hand-picked into 15kg crates, and are sorted further by hand at the winery. The grapes undergo 4 days pre-fermentative maceration at low temperature, then temperature-controlled fermentation with daily remontage and delestage. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new oak barriques with weekly batonnage, followed by 18 months maturation in new French, thin-grained, oak

Producer

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

Subsequently bought by Angel and Jesus Gomez Cruzado in 1916, and more recently by the Baños family, winemaker Juan Bautista Sáenz crafts wines from vineyards of old bush vines in the most elevated areas of Rioja Alta and Alavesa. He sources from almost a hundred different plots across 3 distinct regions: Alto Najerilla, Bajo Najerilla and Sierra Cantabria. Sierra Cantabria (Rioja Alta and Alavesa). Vines grow in poor, white, chalky-clay soils, on sunny slopes at the highest part of the sierra (up to 750m altitude) - where the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates meet. The area produces wines with freshness and elegance. Bajo Najerilla (Rioja Alta): in the triangle formed by the villages of Uruñuela, Cenicero and Torremontalbo, where the Najerilla river flows into the River Ebro. Tempranillo vines grown in alluvial soils at an average altitude of 500m – in a warmer, more temperate continental climate with a notable Mediterranean influence. Wines have high maturity and excellent ageing capacity. Alto Najerilla (Rioja Alta): Garnacha vines over 80 years old, planted in ferrous clay soil at around 750m altitude, on north-facing slopes near the Sierra de la Demanda. The continental climate confers strong fruitiness and marked acidity on the resulting wines.

Sustainability

In the winery, Gómez Cruzado is constantly making incremental improvements such as reducing its use of sulphur, using more recycled and recyclable materials, and reducing its energy and water waste through investment in energy-efficient practices and implementation of water conservation programmes. Gómez Cruzado’s vineyard efforts are centred around preserving its old bush-trained vines from which it can create great wines, strongly rooted in their terroir. Historical practices of sustainable and thoughtful viticulture and winemaking are also continued as they are both a part of the estate’s cultural legacy and a part of its commitment to respecting and protecting the environment in the future. All vineyard work is done manually. The estate is also examining the possibility of a move towards gaining organic certification and certification under the Decalogue of Integral Sustainability for the Agri-Food Industry.

Awards

• 2016 Vintage - Wines from Spain 2022 = Winner

Specifications

A light and fresh Port wine Rosé with a touch of sweetness. Poças honour the legacy of traditional Ports by using their expertise to create this very aromatic wine with hints of berry flavors.

Tasting Notes

This Rosé Port owes its light color to the short contact with the grape skins during the production process. Unique soft taste with intense sweet red fruit including cherries and raspberries. Elegant, refined and supple body.

Producer - Poças Júnior

In 1918, a few months before the Armistice, Manoel Domingues Poças Júnior, who had been born in the heart of the Port Wine hustle and bustle, decided to establish his own company. Manoel Poças was 30 years old and he had some experience in this business. With his uncle, he created a company to sell grape spirits to large Port Wine shippers. Soon afterward he opened a head office in Vila Nova de Gaia, where they remain to this day. Today, with three quintas in the best winemaking areas of the Douro Demarcated Region, Poças ensures its total control over the quality of its wines and the family is more involved than ever before.

Awards

86/100 points: Wine Enthusiast.

Specifications

From vines cultivated in the challenging and malleable clay-rich soils of the comune of Novello, from which the wine takes its name.

Tasting Notes

Vibrant yellow with green undertones; rich aroma with hints of pineapple, orange blossom, exotic fruits, banana and honey.

Vineyards

It is quite possible that the Franco Conterno estate has one of the most enviable views of any winery. In the heart of the Langhe, in the hamlet of Bussia di Monforte d’Alba, the farm sits alone atop a tiny hill overlooking La Morra, Fontanafredda and Castiglione Falletto. 

Franco Conterno comprises 28 hectares of vineyards, located in the territories of Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Novello and Madonna di Como.

The labels bear the names of the most prestigious vineyards: Bussia and Panerole. The hectares of land are dedicated to the cultivation of Lampia and Michet Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Merlot, Freisa and Chardonnay. Bussia is the first cru to have been declared a member of the "modern" era.

As always, our growing techniques are specially chosen to bring together respect for the environment and agricultural work, as required by the Regional Rural Development Plan to which Franco Conterno first subscribed in 1996. All this is possible thanks to the extraordinary nature of the soil, made up of sand, silt and clay. The elevation above sea level ranges from 250 to 400 metres.

The soil, the extraordinary microclimate, and the excellent south/south-west exposure allow for the creation of wines with unique and valuable characteristics.

From 2015, Franco Conterno has been a certified organic company, dedicated to a production philosophy based on natural ​​vineyard cultivation and a completely wholesome vinification process.

History

In the heart of the Langhe, in the hamlet of Bussia di Monforte d’Alba, is Cascina Sciulun, a typical historic farmhouse, constructed according to Piedmont architectural traditions. Built in the mid-nineteenth century and extended in the 1940s, the house has always belonged to the Conterno family.

The company Franco Conterno has deep roots, and has been a part of the family for many decades. It was nonno Pietro who allocated 18 hectares of land to Nebbiolo vineyards, initially to sell to other wineries for vinification, later destined for the creation of prestigious wines.

The business passed to his son Giacomo, and then to his grandson Franco, who took the helm of the winery in 1995 with his wife Vilma, bringing his own name and identity to the company.

In recent years, Franco’s two sons—Daniele and Andrea—joined the company, following in the footsteps of their grandfather, bringing fresh insight and innovation to the winery and vineyards, continuing the family business with passion and dedication.

Cascina Sciulun now includes a farmhouse where you can stay, for a relaxing visit immersed in the peace and tranquility of the green hills of the Langhe.

Specifications