A Double Gold Winner!

In 1990 Ron and his wife Jamie, bought their first vineyard and in 1995 McManis Family Vineyards was formed with the purpose-built winery arriving by the end of the Millennium. Now the McManis family owns over 2,600 acres between the Ripon area and Lodi in California’s northern interior region.

Alan's personal notes "For those not sure of Viognier, this is delicious - really expressive, great weight and unctuous pineapple and peach flavours. Go on - you'll love it!".

Tasting Notes

Colour

Bright in hue and is medium straw in colour.

Nose

This wine is filled with big, bright fruit aromas of pear and peach.

Palate

The wine is viscous and creamy in the mouth. All the flavour promised by the nose is amply delivered with a long finish.

Harvest

100% of the fruit for our 2018 Viognier came from McManis’ very own River Junction AVA, located at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Rivers. The vineyards here sit below the waterline most of the year, resulting in temperatures 2-5 degrees cooler than the surrounding area and a more prominent diurnal temperature swing; an excellent climate for premium Viognier.

The fruit was harvested on September 11th, 2018, averaging 25.8 Brix at harvest. The juice was cold fermented in stainless steel to retain the unique fruit characteristics of Viognier.

Awards

• 2018 Best Buy - Wine Enthusiast
• 2017 90Pts Best Buy, Wine Enthusiast #23 Top 100 Best Buy 2019
• 2017 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2019
• 2013 Viognier 89 points from Wine Enthusiast (December 2014 edition)
• Top rated wine under $15 dollars (Wine and Spirits Magazine, December 2014)
• Best Viognier at Houston International Wine Competition 2014
• Best White Wine of the Show at Houston International Wine Competition 2010

Specifications

Their best-selling wine ... for good reason! Wine Enthusiast 87 pts 'Best Buy'

Tasting Notes 

Colour

Dark garnet in colour 

Nose

A bouquet that is full of dark berry fruit, such as Blueberry, Blackberry and Black Cherry. Oak aging has contributed just a hint of smoke to the nose. 

Palate

The round, creamy wine delivers an abundance of the fruit flavours promised by the olfactory. The fruit and oak are well integrated and the complexity of the wine plays on the tongue long after the wine has been ingested.

History

In 1990 Ron and his wife Jamie, bought their first vineyard and in 1995 McManis Family Vineyards was formed with the purpose-built winery arriving by the end of the Millennium. Now the McManis family own over 2,600 acres between the Ripon area and Lodi in California’s northern interior region.

Accolades

• Wine Enthusiast 87 pts. Best Buy

Specifications

The rivers of Australia help to irrigate the vineyards. Although water is important; the drier the river the better the concentration of flavours in our wines. We are working in close partnership with a family owned winery, which pride themselves on producing consistent and good quality wines. After harvest our wine buyer travelled to Australia to specially select these wines for this range.

Tasting Notes

Colour 

A deep and inky red in colour

Nose

Dry River Shiraz displays a nose of smoky rich fruits with a touch of mint.

Palate

Smooth and rich on the palate with spicy flavours of luscious dark berry fruits, the balanced tannins help to deliver a tremendously concentrated finish.

Oak Treatment - aged with French and American oak chips

Specifications

Hints of forest fruit flavours, subtile citrus aromas on the nose which continue onto the palate.  Dry to taste, this rosé is lively, well balanced and mineral on the palate with a crisp finish.

“Pinot Noir can be quite a temperamental grape but thrives on limestone soils in cool climates. This Pinot Noir Rosé vom Kalkstein is the palest of pale pinks reflecting the brief period of skin contact with the red Pinot Noir grapes to extract this delicate colour. There are hints of raspberry, watermelon and pomegranate on the nose which continue onto the palate. Dry to taste, this rosé is elegant, bright and racy on the palate with a crisp finish. Its fruitiness comes best to the fore by not chilling too much.’’

Alison Flemming MW

Producer

This wine comes from the Pfalz, one of Germany's key wine-producing regions, situated in the southwest, across the border from Alsace. The weather here is generally dry and sunny as the Pfalz wine region lies in the rain shadow of the mountains. The vineyards for this rosé are located in the north of the Pfalz and are in a valley basin, making it a cool area because of the fog and thermal currents. This cool climate, together with the limestone soils, makes for lean, long-lived wines. 

Specifications

Chateau Montelena shot to fame in 1976 at the iconic Judgement of Paris that shook the wine world to its core when their 1973 Napa Valley Chardonnay won first place against an enviable line-up of top French Burgundies. The result was a shock to the wine trade all over the world and changed the history of California wine - and Chateau Montelena - forever.

Tasting Notes

Zinfandel is California’s heritage grape, and as anyone who has tasted long-lived examples from the 1970s, it can produce wines of tremendous quality, both immediate pleasure and age-worthiness, and all in a rich and spicy berry profile that is unique in the world of wine. Like every wine they produce, Montelena looks first and foremost to take the tremendous fruit they work with and transmit it in a complex, balanced package.

Colour

Beautiful and dark garnet in colour.

Nose

This Zinfandel opens with aromas of bright raspberry and floral top notes; followed by cedar, dried berries, dried plums, and the classic Zinfandel briar-berry along with hints of pipe tobacco and dusty cocoa.

Palate

The palate opens softly, with exceptional balance, and builds nicely into a good full finish. Dried fruit notes are perfectly complemented by fresh, red currant and mature black fruit flavors. Very juicy on the palate, it is ripe and sweet, with good length and just a hint of herbs on the finish. It shows good weight and velvety tannins throughout – very fleshy without being overbearing.

Vintage Weather

Not a hot or incredibly early vintage like ‘96 or ‘87, respectively, the weather cooperated and helped us produce wines of finesse, elegance, and balance – aspects that are critical for wines that exhibit a purity of expression and our wonderfully unique growing site.

Producer

Established in 1882 and located in Calistoga, California– the Montelena Estate is one of the oldest and most notable wine-producing properties in the Napa Valley. Click below to explore our beautiful grounds and see for yourself.

Chateau Montelena Winery, originally called A.L. Tubbs winery after its founder Alfred Tubbs, was constructed in 1888 and intended as a barrel-aging facility. The Chateau was unique in materials, plan, size, and style for its era. In nineteenth-century Napa Valley, the majority of wineries were constructed of wood. Instead, the Chateau is made of stone with walls three to twelve feet thick, which provides natural insulation against outside heat or cold. Similarly, the structure built into a hillside, to further regulate temperature - something necessary for producing quality wines but uncommon at the time. Also rare among Napa Valley wineries, the Chateau resembles an English Gothic castle gatehouse complete with rusticated stone walls, battlement with crenels and merlons, narrow arched windows, large arched door in the place of a portcullis, and bartizans with faux arrow slits.

Accounts of the stone winery’s designer, masons and source of materials vary. The design has been attributed to Hamden McIntyre, the well-known local winery designer; however, McIntyre relocated to Vina in 1887 where he took charge of the vineyard and winery of Leland Stanford. The building is unlike McIntyre's other wineries, none of which were designed in a Gothic style. Some sources also suggest that while in Europe, Tubbs hired a French architect to draw plans for the building, brought back French masons to build it, and imported European stone for the walls. Other accounts suggest the design was inspired by the Cellar of Chateau Lafite in France.

Originally, the interior was one large space with a second-story crushing floor, but in 1960, a second-floor apartment was inserted so the Chateau could be used as a home. The space was then converted into our current Tasting room though parts of the private residence remain and are used on occasion today for family guests and private events.

Vineyards

Tasting Notes

Greek for “a serene state of mind, free from worry and preoccupation”, Ataraxia lives up to the hype. Aptly called The Skyfields, Ataraxia Wines is perfectly positioned on a commanding rise in the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde wine-growing area. Just a short distance from the coastal village of Hermanus, a picture-perfect drive brings you to the most elevated part of these winelands. Here you can experience jaw-dropping vineyard, valley and mountain views: all from the chapel-like Wine Lounge®, while sampling some of the most exciting wines South Africa has to offer.

Nose

A wine that possesses a finely scented, vibrant nose with hints of red berry fruit and intriguing mineral and spicy notes. 

Palate

Mouth-watering and polished grape tannins are wrapped in an elegant structure that subtly occupies all corners of one’s palate. Intriguing, unusual and lingering.

History

Hemel-en-Aarde is Afrikaans for “heaven and earth” and the claim is justified. Our estate sits on a particularly heavenly stretch of land beneath a lofty peak of the Babylon’s Tower mountain range. In addition to its unrelenting beauty, Ataraxia is home to some of the most spectacular terroirs South Africa has to offer.

In 2004, The Skyfields Farm was visioned into the Ataraxia wine label when husband and wife, Kevin and Hanli Grant and a few friends purchased this 47-hectare prime vineyard property. More than a decade later, they are associated with crafting wines of incredible finesse, balance, and depth.

Production

The fruit used to make this wine was sourced from radical and individual vineyards sites with one goal in mind – to have the confidence to “whisper” style through the true expression of these sites rather than “shout” brashness through winemaking excesses. This wine is a seamless blend of three varietals, Pinot noir, Cinsault and cool-climate Pinotage. However, the emphasis of this blend remains entirely on style rather than cultivar make-up. Cultivars are after all merely vehicles to express terroir and not the expression of a wine itself.

Specifications

Very well made and incredibly well balanced

Tasting Notes

Château Haut-Grelot was established in 1920 in the village of Les Grelots by the Bonneau family. Today the Domaine is comprised of 58 hectares of vineyards and is run by Céline and Julien, who have been awarded the title of “Best Young Talent” in Bordeaux. The vineyards are made up of sandy gravel on the hillsides bordering the Gironde Estuary and sand clay-silt on the hillsides further inland. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux benefits from an ideal microclimate where there is a high level of sunshine and just enough rain. The reds are fruity and concentrated and the whites are fresh, vibrant, and delicate. The Rouge is produced from 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and spends some time in oak barrels creating rich, plummy fruit supported by silky tannins.

Colour

Ruby red colour 

Palate

Lovely flavors of red berry fruit with vanilla, spicy nuances. On the palate, the wine is round, fruity, and well balanced with a long aromatic finish.

Sustainability

Since 2015, Euralis and Château Haut Grelot have set up a program called OPTIDOSE to reduce phytosanitary products. Their philosophy is to preserve the landscape and ensure the best quality of their wines.

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"All the cassis and blackcurrant aromas and flavours we come to expect from quality Bordeaux - but the plum mines of the merlot isn’t far behind in concentration. Like the white, it is very well made and incredibly well balanced with the forward fruit tamed by a mix of vanilla and spice - no doubt from some oak aging.

Extremely silky tannins with good length, finishes this off nicely.

To summarise the Haut Grelot Red & White are a fantastic pair of very well-made and well-balanced wines that show Bordeaux well at this price point - not something you can always say at this price point!" January 2022

Specifications

Native Assyrtiko combines with a dash of Sauvignon Blanc to create a wine of great aromatic purity, fermented and matured in large Acacia barrels.

Tasting Notes

The Meth`Imon Acacia has seductive aromas of candied lemon, hay, mandarin zest and quince. Fresh and zesty in the mouth with a fleshy mid-palate. Skin contact gives this wine depth of flavour and a hint of tannin. This is a very subtle `orange` wine which still retains the typicity of Assyrtiko and shows fantastic barrel integration.

History

Alan's Tasting Notes

"This is different and absolutely delicious. Honeyed candied fruit, some pleasant minerality, enough acidity and length you just don’t expect from white wine - even at this price! An organic Greek triumph without a doubt. One of these truly great finds you sometimes get when you wander off the well-worn wine paths." August 2021

Accolades

• Julia Harding for Jancis Robinson - 17.5 Points

'Pale gold. Layered aroma that makes me think of gold bars (though I realise they probably don't smell), but there's a rich, seductive oily-mineral spice with ripe pear and citrus fruit. Intense flavours of citrus and cedar, and a creamy texture from the barrel ageing and lees. Fabulous acidity is a counterpoint to the power, and all at such a modest alcohol level. Long, layered finish. Really impressive. Drink 2023 - 2030.' Julia Harding

Specifications

Fresh and zesty with aromas of yellow pepper as well as exotic influences suggesting guava and passion fruit.

Vinification

The grapes are pressed gently and the juice cold fermented with selected yeasts at 16-18°C in stainless steel tanks. No malolactic fermentation or oak.

Producers

As one of the largest and most modern wineries in Germany, Reh Kendermann has a reputation for producing high-quality, premium wines. 

Specifications

The rivers of Australia help to irrigate the vineyards. Although water is important; the drier the river the better the concentration of flavours in our wines. We are working in close partnership with a family-owned winery, which prides themselves on producing consistent and good quality wines. After harvest, our wine buyer traveled to Australia to specially select these wines for this range.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Light straw in colour

Nose

Dry River Chardonnay displays an enticing nose of peach, citrus and lemon aromas. 

Palate

The tropical fruit flavours and luscious mouth feel mid-palate complement each other to deliver a deliciously rounded wine with a crisp and clean finish, balanced nicely by acidity.

Oak Treatment - Aged with French and American Oak Chips

Specifications

The Domaine de Cantagrils Picpoul de Pinet, a refreshing example of the signature white variety of the Languedoc.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The Domaine de Cantagrils Picpoul de Pinet begins with aromas of grapefruit, flowers and sea salt on the intriguing, enticing nose. A hint of nuttiness also appears with some time in the glass.

Palate

The wine tastes clean, fresh and lively with a bit of chalky, salty minerality running underneath. The primary fruit flavors are melon, citrus, white peach, grapefruit and lime. It ends with good length and lingering tropical fruit flavors. 

Producer

Domaine de Cantagrils were among the first to plant and cultivate Piquepoul in 1983. When the terroir became AOC Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet in 1985, they then began converting to wine production. Winemaker Claude Jourdan works the estate her mother started.

The terroir of the domaine is characterised by beautiful red soils, with plots originally planted amongst an orchard of almond trees. Situated in the north of Picpoul de Pinet AOC, there is a strong continental rather than maritime influence with more humid morning fog, higher rainfall, warmer temperatures, which has a pleasant ripening impact on the fruit.

Picpoul de Pinet is the uniquely Languedoc white grape with stern minerality and zippy clean acidity. Here, one finds a classically austere style, deceptively golden colour, and light, clean minerality. An easy choice for oysters and all briny shellfish. 

Specifications

The wines of Deux Roches are in pure Mâconnais style – fresh, incisive, pure, and marked by minerality.

Tasting Notes

This wine represents the roots of its Mâconnaise lands. Dressed in a blond suit, the wine exhales toasted cereals and white peach wrapped in a creamy texture. On the palate, it is juicy, chewy and savoury with a good length for an intense pleasure.

In the Cellar

After harvest, the grapes are loaded by gravity into pneumatic presses. The presses are slow and long in order to delicately extract the juices and thus preserve the aromatic finesse. Then the musts are cooled and decanted. The vinification takes place in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature or in wood (20%, including less than 10% new barrels). Depending on the vintage, malolactic fermentation is desired or not. The aging takes place on fine lees until spring. From picking to bottling, we limit the use of inputs such as SO2 as much as possible.

Producer

The rugged terrain that is home to our vines is dominated by the limestone crags of Solutré and Vergisson, vestiges of a prehistoric era, and by Mont de Pouilly, more rounded but just as high, culminating at some 485 metres.

Our Domaine sits in the heart of the picturesque Mâconnais landscape, and our vines extend around the villages of Davayé, Prissé, Vergisson, Pierreclos, Charnay-lès-Mâcon, Chardonnay, Chevagny and Hurigny. A total of 63 hectares de vines, of which around 24 are in the Saint-Véran appellation, 25 in Mâcon-Villages, Mâcon or Mâcon Chardonnay, and Mâcon La Roche Vineuse, and 2,300 square metres in Pouilly-Fuissé, all producing white wines, plus a little under a hectare of Mâcon rouge.

Our white wines are all pure Chardonnay. The vines have the benefit of all the geological treasures to be found in these well-exposed limestone clay soils, as well as a favourable climate. The wines of Deux Roches are in pure Mâconnais style – fresh, incisive, pure, and marked by minerality.

They are created by blending different parcels, an art that we have been perfecting for 30 years. 

Alan's Tasting Notes

"Now I’m not a big Chardonnay fan but this is lovely. Lovely summer fruit salad flavours are wrapped up in a creamy aftertaste with lovely fresh acidity keeping it fresh from start to finish. Really interesting, fruity and well-balanced and a great starter white for people that say they don’t like white wine." January 2022

Specifications

Nose

Intense ripe dark fruit aromas, underlined with bright florals and harmonious spicy oak notes.

Palate

Flavours of red and dark fruits balanced with soft, silky tannins. Long, lingering and mouth-filling finish.

Vineyard

Awatere Valley Marlborough, New Zealand. Blocks: Araroa, Moana, Rotokaro, Taumauri & Tohu. Planted 2002. 19.22 ha. Loam soils varying from shallow to deep silt, and fine sand.

Viticulture

A relatively frost-free spring resulted in good early shoot growth. Leaf plucking facilitated bunch exposure and promoted fruit flavour development. Slightly lower than normal brix levels resulted in clean, concentrated flavours.

Winemaking

Hand-harvested grapes gently destemmed then chilled for seven days in open top vessels. Warmed for a fast ferment; the wine was pressed directly into dedicated Pinot Noir French oak barriques for the winter. Malolactic fermentation once the temperatures started to warm again in spring. Rigorous blending and barrel section, with the final blend left to settle a few more months before being bottled without the need for fining or filtration.

Bottled May 2018 – 3276 bottles produced

Awards

• Gold - 2020 IWC
• 91 points James Suckling

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Our signature Brut harmonises an average of 32 skillfully selected reserve wines, for an elegant expression that sings with subtle intrigue.

Colour

Pale gold in colour

Nose

The Brut has a generous nose and a bright lemony character with notes of passion fruit and honey.

Palate

Minerality in the mouth indicates a good, balanced structure, with an intense backbone and a lengthy finish with a whisper of white pepper.

The Winery

Exton Park is a Hampshire sparkling wine producer with a 60-acre single vineyard planted on a south-facing slope in the South Downs National Park. Their first vines were planted in 2003, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier and their state-of-the-art winery was built in 2011. A luxurious, private event space overlooking the vineyard is also under construction and will be opening later this year. With a 60-acre single vineyard, a bespoke winery and a breath-taking promotional facility all on one estate, Exton Park will be able to offer guests an unrivalled English wine experience.

2021 marks the release of their Reserve Blend range. These are traditional method sparkling wines that challenge classic winemaking conventions. They do not rely on a base vintage like other English sparkling wine producers. Over 80% of each blend is composed from their extensive archive or reserve wines.

The number of reserves in each blend is reflected in the name of each wine. For example, Exton Park RB28 Blanc de Noirs is created from a blend of 28 wines. This unique approach has been pioneered by Head Winemaker Corinne Seeling to ensure consistency, quality and complexity with each bottling. 

Specifications

A hand-harvested organic wine for special occasions!

Tasting Notes

Colour

Ruby Red

Nose

The nose is intense and very complex with combinations of ripe fruit, wood, herbs, leather.

Palate

Powerful taste with a lot of finesse: fine acids, integrated alcohol and clearly present but noble tannins.

Production

The Riserva is produced with the fully ripe grapes that arrive at the end of the harvest. The fermentation is wild (indigenous yeasts) and thanks to the good quality of the grapes the use of additives is minimal. Maceration on the skins lasts three weeks and the wine is matured in oak barrels previously used to ferment Chardonnay. A wine for special occasions: it grows in elegance with the refinement in the bottle and waits six to ten years from the harvest to get to its fullest expression.

Notes from the Producer

The vineyards are the beating heart of the estate. They occupy only 14% of the land but account for over two-thirds of our working hours throughout the year. The diversity of the varieties grown in the vineyards and the variety of recently planted Sangiovese clones are the palette from which we compose the 'colour' of our wines, with labour-intensive harvests during which we pick the various types of grapes separately. The structure of the plantations has changed a lot over the past forty years. Until the 1960s there were few vineyards: most of the grapes were produced in the rows separating the small fields typical of sharecropping. The hectares planted as vineyards came later, with the end of share-cropping and the spread of tractors in the Tuscan countryside. A further change took place in the mid-1980s, when we abandoned the quantity targets for which the plantations had been designed and focused instead on improving product quality. We adopted less potent fertilisers, changed from the traditional guyot pruning to the less productive Cordone Speronato technique, and selective harvesting. Finally, for the plantations in recent years, we returned to Guyot pruning and decided to continue our policy of planting Tuscan vines rather than turning to international varieties such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. The only exception is Chardonnay, which we use with the Tuscan Malvasia white grape to produce Spareto.

In the more recent vineyards, we have planted various Sangiovese clones and complementary red varieties (Colorino, Malvasia Nera, Foglia Tonda, Abrustine and Pugnitello) to have a wider choice when creating our wines. When we introduced organic farming techniques in 2001 we also began to sharpen our focus on managing the vineyards. Indeed, the physiological balance of the plant is a crucial aspect of using organic fertilisers, which are milder than chemical ones, and products such as sulphur and copper, which offer less protection than synthetic pesticides. We harvest the grapes by hand, in several passes, so that the grapes can be taken to the cellar while they are still healthy and at various stages of ripening. The first grapes to be harvested are used in the simpler wines, while the second, riper batch is earmarked for the wines that are finished in the bottle, such as Chianti and Chianti Riserva.

More about Italian Chianti

The most commonly consumed wine in Italy, and interestingly, the most commonly consumed Italian wine in the world, Chianti is emblematic of what Italy means to the world of wine. Fermented primarily from Sangiovese, fresh cherry, strawberries, and red plum pleasure the senses when enjoying this wine.

Winemakers have spent the last couple of decades trying to change the old image of Chianti: Wine bottles in wicker basket, interestingly also called ''fiascoes". They've done so by producing very nice wines through state of the art growing and fermentation techniques. 

Chianti is a red wine that comes from Tuscany, but can contain small amounts of white grapes during blending. This is not the case with Chianti Classico, which must be solely made from red Sangiovese grapes. 

Specifications

97 Points | James Halliday Wine Companion 2021

Best of the Best by Variety in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Dense dark red to black colour of great intensity.

Palate

The Hay Shed Hill Block 2 Cabernet Sauvignon displays ripe berry aromas of brilliant intensity with underlying earthen nature along with typical characters well noted from Margaret River. There is a depth here that is hard to fault, in fact its downright breathtaking. The palate itself is quite substantial, even by Western Australian standards; displaying fully ripe, fleshy sweet fruit filling the mid-palate with great palate extension driven by the ripe and mature tannin.

Vintage

What a long, and strange vintage 2017 was. Every vintage is different; lessons learned from the previous year don’t always help the following year. 2017 vintage started late, two to three weeks later than the preceding couple of years. The reason for this was the mild, cool spring weather experienced all across the southern part of the state. During the middle and latter part of March the South-West region including Margaret River experienced a very unusual amount of rain and very cool weather, ripening over this period was very slow. The first suggestions of worry started to appear in growers eyes. Of recent history Margaret River has experienced very dry conditions in March and early April with the season breaking mid to late April, not a problem with all the grapes picked. But this year the concern was that if the season broke in mid-April all the red grapes would be still on the vine. However, anyone that lived though the late April and early May in the South-West of Western Australia will testify that never had we had a better, warmer early autumn. It was simply perfect; cool crisp mornings and evenings but beautiful warm and sunny days; not too hot, textbook conditions for great ripening especially for the red varieties.

Winemaking

The grapes from Block 2 were de-stemmed into open-topped vessels for fermentation on skins with traditional pump over cap management. At the completion of fermentation the wine was left on skins for a further 10 days to maximize the development of the mature tannin. Maturation in French oak barriques for 18 months added further complexity and structure without dominating the fruit. The wine was matured in bottle for six months prior to release.

Vineyard

BLOCK 2 on the Hay Shed Hill vineyard was planted in the early 1970’s to the Houghton clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. These old dry grown vines have sunk deep roots into the gravelly loam soil profile providing the nutrient basis they need. Block 2 has a steep northern facing aspect maximizing the sunlight interception by the vines providing ideal ripening conditions.

Reviews

97 Points | James Halliday Wine Companion 2021 Best of the Best by Variety in the 2021 Halliday Wine Companion. Block 2 has the oldest vines on the vineyard, reflected in the depth of varietal fruit aroma and the palate. It has been singularly well made, drawing out the full array of blackcurrant, bay leaf and black olive fruits. The texture, structure and balance rest on ripe tannins, making a complete wine.

95 Points | Mike Bennie, Wine Business Magazine Magnificent wine here - power and grace, elegance and tension, super tannins and a suite of delicious berry, herbal, oak character woven wonderfully through the wine. It feels very ‘of region’ with its bay leaf herbal detail. Offer delicious, sweet but gently bitter cassis character, draws long and lingers well. Class Stuff.

92 Points | Nick Bulter, The Real Review Rated #21 of 33 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River Vibrant, dark cherry red. Charry oak, red and blueberries, a tease of cedar - a classic nose for the variety. Very dry and savoury when sipped, firm and imposing, black olive and dark soy. Built to reward a decade in the cellar. Plenty of class.

91 Points | James Suckling, UK Assertively herbal with mint, boysenberries and redcurrants, as well as cassis. The palate has a juicy feel, combined with some very ripe tannin. Compressed, dark-berry and cassis flavors. Drink or hold. 

Specifications

Biodynamically Farmed & Vegan Approved

Our lively wines have subtle corners and edges. And it’s good this way, because we love natural, authentic wines. Each one has a characteristic soul, which develops from the natural flavours of the grapes and the terroir. All this comes to fruition thanks to our biodynamic cultivation. We also work gently and reductively in the wine cellar.

Tasting Notes

The grapes for this Natural Zweigelt come from two particularly old vineyards in Ried Weisleiten on Vienna`s Nussberg. This bright, polished Zweigelt is quite dark and intense, with aromas of black cherries and plum fruit, as well as a subtle touch of herbs and spices. Fine texture and freshness on the palate with an engaging spiciness that leads to a fruity, cool finish.

In the Cellar

Zweigelt from old vines on the Nussberg forms the basis, maceration and longer storage on the skin (9 weeks) leads to an intense and dark berry fruit, as well as a lively tannin structure.

The wine is then not aged in wood, but in concrete eggs, which can breathe in the same way as wooden barrels, but do not bring those typical oak tones nor toasty aromas. Of course, the wine is neither fined, nor filtered, nor sulfurized, just as we do with the mash-fermented white wines of the NATURAL series. After about 6 months of storage, the wine is put together and bottled, and after several months of aging in the bottle, the NATURAL Zweigelt goes on sale in September immediately before the next harvest.

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Vibrant black cherry and plum aromas with a hint of tomato plant and dark chocolate. The wines has instant appeal with soft, squish, succulent dark fruit with a light tobacco leaf edge. Ample plum and cherry with spice highlights and deeper earth- and cocoa notes below. Softly textured but with a supportive structure and frame. Lovely, generous ripe-fruited finish.

In the Vineyard 

After de-stemming and crushing the wine is transferred to 10 000 French oak tanks and 10 000 L stainless steel tanks. Fermentation on the skins takes place at 26°C for about 15 days. The wine is drained from the skins and pressed. The free-run juice and press juice are aged separately and blended after 8 months. Maturation takes place in 225 L 2nd- and 3rd –fill French oak barrels and also on new French oak staves in tanks for about 8 months.

History

Anthonij Rupert Wyne was founded on the farm, L`Ormarins in Franschhoek. Originally owned by the late Anthonij Rupert, who passed away in 2001, the farm was eventually taken over by his brother Johann Rupert in 2003 and the brand named after him. It was Johann Rupert who constructed a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, catapulting the farm into a prestigious wine estate and the beginnings of what is now a sprawling enterprise.

The focus is on terroir specific wines and therefore it would seem obvious that the brand is made up of an impressive portfolio of farms representing the best in grape producing locations. The portfolio is made up of L`Ormarins situated in Franschhoek, Rooderust in Darling, Riebeeksrivier in the Swartland and Altima in isolated Elandskloof. Individually each site offers optimum varietal specific growing conditions, allowing Anthonij Rupert Wyne to adhere to the requirements of their different brands.

Specifications

This wine showcases the strength of Margaret River for Chardonnay with a restrained, modern, elegantly structured wine from one of the great Margaret River vineyards.

Tasting Notes

Colour

The wine displays fresh green tinges on a pale straw colour. 

Nose

The nose exhibits aromas of fresh-cut pear and honeydew melon with some zesty citric notes. There are no overt woody or buttery aromas with the primary fruit characters expressed with clarity and definition. 

Palate

The palate is fresh and lively with clean crisp acidity complementing the vibrant fruity flavours. The palate has very good extension and ends clean and bright. This is a restrained style of Australian Chardonnay and highlights how far we have come with this style of wine over the last decade.

Producer

We have worked with Michael Kerrigan for more than 25 years, and we are continually impressed with his talent and capacity for reinvention. Former winemaker at Howard Park and Madfish, Michael struck out on his own when his dream vineyards in the key quality region of Wilyabrup came up for sale. With more than 30 years of winemaking under his belt, and 12 years going solo with Hay Shed Hill, this man is one of the most experienced, respected and revered winemakers in Australia - and rightly so. He is also a strong purveyor of classically blunt Aussie pearls of wisdom: “It’s all in the detail - you quite simply visit the vineyard every day. I’m not interested in being epic, I just want to make wine I like to drink”. He likens Margaret River’s climate to “Bordeaux in a perfect year”, and attributes the region’s success to its maritime climate, meaning a low diurnal range, very important in a country that is known for its extremes in temperature, and pretty much everything else!

Michael produces wines under two labels - the entry-level ‘Pitchfork’ range and the estate, single vineyard ‘Hay Shed Hill’ wines. The Pitchfork range represents unprecedentedly good value considering that all of the grapes are grown in Margaret River – very unusual for a wine at the entry-level from this region, and yet another example of Michael’s commitment to quality over all else.

There are 4 lip smackingly good, everyday wines in this range. Everything under the Hay Shed Hill label is single-vineyard, which Michael explains: “I make single vineyard and single block wines because they express a particular character – otherwise what’s the point?” All of the vines are dry farmed and made from free run juice only. The vineyards are around 20 years old and they are all farmed organically, but without certification. The Chardonnay sees 25% new oak and represents the ‘modern Australian Chardonnay’, in the words of its maker.

Reviews

95 Points | James Halliday Estate-grown. The bouquet is very pure, pointing to the restraint of the palate, where white stone fruit, apple and grapefruit do the talking. It was barrel-fermented, which has left its imprint on both the bouquet and palate. The way the wine has developed to date makes me certain it will grow old with grace a long way down the track. Great value.

93 Points | Ray Jordan, Wine Guide 2020 Great fruit from this vintage has pumped some seriuos quality into this excellent chardonnay. Retains a bright and lively mouthfeel, but with layers of complex meal and grapefruit character. Oak is neatly judged, with the 11 months maturation adding further complexity. Rich middle palate with a fine edge of melon and pear to finish. Nice wine.

92 Points | Sam Kim, Wine Orbit Delightfully fruited and elegantly expressed, the wine shows white flesh nectarine, rockmelon, nougat and lemon zest aromas on the nose, leading to a beautifully rounded palate that’s succulent and creamy. It’s splendidly composed and styled, offering lovely drinking.

91 Points | James Suckling, UK This has an array of lemons, lime juice, pears and melon with quite a fine, pared-back and taut textural stance.

Specifications

The modern era has brought us to a point where we live in an over-stimulated, demanding, success-oriented whirlwind, with no time to enjoy the everyday pleasures of life. That is why Vistmar wines were created, wines that offer a new approach to life, a new mood, an attitude that will lead you to venture out and enjoy the simple things that surround us every day. 

Tasting Notes

Colour

A straw-yellow wine with golden highlights

Nose

It has great aromatic intensity, with hints of white flowers, white peaches, apricots and quinces.

Palate

In the mouth, it is silky, juicy and fresh. Its flavour is reminiscent of recently picked grapes, blended with figs and dried peaches. It has a long, pleasant and persistent finish, excellently balanced by its natural acidity.

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Nose

Intense black fruit aromas, blackberries along with notes of herbs and spices such as cinnamon and cloves.

Palate

The palate is rich in fresh red-fruit flavours with notes of tobacco and white pepper. Unoaked. 

Accolades

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Covered, intense and elegant. Great aromatic complexity, velvety and with a long balsamic and spicy aftertaste.

Terroir

Vinification process

Traditional production method based on a selection of the best grapes of the estate, harvested by hand at its optimum ripeness, and after selecting the fruits in perfect condition. Harvested by hand in boxes of 12 Kgs. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Aged in Alliers and Nevers French oak barrels of medium toasting and 18 months of aging. It is only made in years of exceptional quality.

About Marques de la Concordia

Don José Abascal (1743-1821) was crowned Marqués de la Concordia in Peru in 1812 by King Fernando VII of Spain, was also recognized for his personal merits in the 24th Viceroyalty of Peru (1806-1816) Man of his time (The Enlightenment), was an intellectual in the army and made an important public work in Peru. he also pursued reform in society and an advance of knowledge in the vast territory and cities that he ruled in the name of the King, making the Creoles and the metropolitan Spaniards work together. This is the origin of the word "Concordia" in its title.

Did you know?

This is the most prized Rioja reserve today is the crown jewel of the Marqués de la Concordia family.

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Colour

Palate

Production Method

Specifications

Select fruit from our Awa Block, Awatere Valley, fermented in 500L French oak puncheons to create integrated body and complexity. Flinty, fruity and generous.

Nose

Aromas of juicy ripe stonefruit, pink grapefruit and soft smoky oak.

Palate 

Richly textured palate of citrus, summer fruits and subtle mealy characteristics. Seamless balance, refinement and length.

Vineyard

Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand. Awa (River) Block. Planted 2010. 1.10ha. Silt-loam terraced block renowned for its long, cool ripening period.

Vinification

The 2016/2017 growing season began with a frost-free spring and good early shoot growth. Warm still dry conditions in the late summer, unaffected by early autumn rains in other parts of the region. Warm and settled weather in the latter part of the harvest period allowed extra ripening time.

Winemaking

Hand-harvested grapes, gently whole-bunch pressed • unsettled juice then moved to old French oak barriques for fermentation. Fermentation with natural ‘wild’ yeasts, with a cultivated yeast added partway through fermentation to assist the wine to dryness . Post-fermentation, each barrel underwent twice-weekly batonage (yeast stirring). Malo-lactic fermentation occurred once the weather warmed in the spring. Individual barrel assessment, with only the best deemed exceptional enough to make the final blend.

Bottled March 2018 - 4140 bottles produced

Accolades

• Gold - International Wine Challange 2020 - 95 points

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Colour

Salmon pink, with fine and persistent perlage.

Nose

Fresh and mineral, with notes of red berries and brioche.

Palate

Elegant, clean and juicy, with savory aromas.

History

The Moncuit family has been making superb champagne in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, for more than 100 years. Pierre Moncuit had recognised the intrinsic quality of his terroir and, together with his wife Odile, strove to make the best possible champagnes from his grapes. Nicole Moncuit and her brother Yves, along with her daughter Valérie, are now in charge of the domaine and make sublimely complex, delicate wines from 20 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards. The palate of the Cuvée Pierre Moncuit Delos Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is delicate and refined with citrus fruit and yeasty notes. It is perfect as an apéritif. The vintage Cuvée Millésimée Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs is an outstanding wine, truly representative of the perfect vintage conditions and expressing the full potential of the terroir and the grapes. The Vintage wines are always aged for between 5-10 years. The Grand Cru Brut Rosé is made from 75% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil and 25% Vin Rouge d’Ambonnay

Awards

• The Champagne Brut Rosé Grand Cru by Pierre Moncuit won the Silver Medal at the Concours Mondial du Rosé 2015

Specifications

Expressive, tropical fruit, white pepper & a touch of richness. A limited production wine, with only small amounts produced each year.

Tasting Notes

Our iconic Blanc de Noirs masters an average of 28 Pinot Noir reserve wines from our library, many from our very earliest plantings, to create a complex and sophisticated sparkling wine. Favoured by gourmets and gastronomes, Exton Park’s Blanc de Noirs is a true showcase for the precision of sparkling Pinot Noir.

Colour

Pale gold in the glass

Nose & Palate

The Blanc de Noirs opens with notes of freshly baked brioche and a touch of lime tree blossom, moving to rich rounded fruit and a long, delicately spiced finish.

Made from 100% Pinot Noir from our single vineyard, this expressive and fruity wine is precise, charming and English to its core.

The Winery

Exton Park is a Hampshire sparkling wine producer with a 60-acre single vineyard planted on a south-facing slope in the South Downs National Park. Their first vines were planted in 2003, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier and their state-of-the-art winery was built in 2011. A luxurious, private event space overlooking the vineyard is also under construction and will be opening later this year. With a 60-acre single vineyard, a bespoke winery and a breath-taking promotional facility all on one estate, Exton Park will be able to offer guests an unrivalled English wine experience.

2021 marks the release of their Reserve Blend range. These are traditional method sparkling wines that challenge classic winemaking conventions. They do not rely on a base vintage like other English sparkling wine producers. Over 80% of each blend is composed from their extensive archive or reserve wines.

The number of reserves in each blend is reflected in the name of each wine. For example, Exton Park RB28 Blanc de Noirs is created from a blend of 28 wines. This unique approach has been pioneered by Head Winemaker Corinne Seeling to ensure consistency, quality and complexity with each bottling. 

Specifications

Greek for “a serene state of mind, free from worry and preoccupation”, Ataraxia lives up to the hype. Aptly called The Skyfields, Ataraxia Wines is perfectly positioned on a commanding rise in the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde wine-growing area. Just a short distance from the coastal village of Hermanus, a picture-perfect drive brings you to the most elevated part of these winelands. Here you can experience jaw-dropping vineyard, valley and mountain views: all from the chapel-like Wine Lounge®, while sampling some of the most exciting wines South Africa has to offer.

Tasting Notes 

Nose 

The wine has an intriguing luminous hue that reflects rather than absorbs light. The svelte nose offers up a fine blend of red cherries, pomegranate, delicate forest floor and a hint of spice and new oak.

Palate

On the palate the wine is sensual and embracing, with a captivating mid-palate depth, lovely transparency and excellent focus on a suavely tannic finish.

In the Cellar and in the Vineyards

Grapes were hand-picked into small crates and then sorted, destemmed and gently crushed at the cellar. A 10 day pre-fermentation cold soak period in open fermenters was followed by a temperature-controlled ferment, peaking at 28°C for a total cuvaison of 22 days. The cap was gently punched down twice a day during alcoholic fermentation. The wine was then pressed and racked to carefully-selected French oak barrels, 22% of which were new and where 100% malolactic fermentation occurred.

History

Hemel-en-Aarde is Afrikaans for “heaven and earth” and the claim is justified. Our estate sits on a particularly heavenly stretch of land beneath a lofty peak of the Babylon’s Tower mountain range. In addition to its unrelenting beauty, Ataraxia is home to some of the most spectacular terroirs South Africa has to offer.

In 2004, The Skyfields Farm was visioned into the Ataraxia wine label when husband and wife, Kevin and Hanli Grant and a few friends purchased this 47-hectare prime vineyard property. More than a decade later, they are associated with crafting wines of incredible finesse, balance, and depth.

Elegant, fruity and more velvety than a classic Xinomavro - awarded 17/20 from Jancis Robinson! Delicious with tomato based dishes.

Tasting Notes

The Rapsansi exhibits a perfume of roses and red fruit compote with hints of peppery spice and tobacco; and subtle herbal undertones. Fresh and lively on the palate with a fruit profile of macerated cherries and red plums. This is an elegant and medium-bodied red with moderately firm but fine tannins, reminiscent of powdered cocoa.

History

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Appealing plum-, black fruit- and spice aromas with a soft smoky nuance. Bright, juicy entry to the mouth with the same black fruit, plum and spice flavours apparent. The subtle brush of smoke is also discernible. Easy drinking and soft-textured, the wine is medium-bodied and eminently quaffable.

In the Vineyard 

The Shiraz grapes were harvested by hand at 24,5 Balling.

In the Cellar

After de-stemming and crushing, the wine is transferred into 10 000L French oak tanks and 10 000L stainless steel tanks. Fermentation on the skins takes place at 26°C for about 15 days. The wine is drained from the skins and the skins pressed. The free-run and press-wine are aged separately and blended after 8 months. Maturation takes place in tanks with tight-grain French oak staves and 3rd-fill barrels for about 10 months.

History

Anthonij Rupert Wyne was founded on the farm, L`Ormarins in Franschhoek. Originally owned by the late Anthonij Rupert, who passed away in 2001, the farm was eventually taken over by his brother Johann Rupert in 2003 and the brand named after him. It was Johann Rupert who constructed a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, catapulting the farm into a prestigious wine estate and the beginnings of what is now a sprawling enterprise.

The focus is on terroir specific wines and therefore it would seem obvious that the brand is made up of an impressive portfolio of farms representing the best in grape producing locations. The portfolio is made up of L`Ormarins situated in Franschhoek, Rooderust in Darling, Riebeeksrivier in the Swartland and Altima in isolated Elandskloof. Individually each site offers optimum varietal specific growing conditions, allowing Anthonij Rupert Wyne to adhere to the requirements of their different brands.

Specifications

This is a 100% Limniona from Dougos, which is a rare red variety, indigenous to the Thessaly region.

Tasting Notes

This wine shows very bright and lifted aromatics of wild blueberry, red currant and red plum fruit, underpinned by fragrant rose and violet notes and just a slight herbal lift. Vivacious and pure on the palate with very crunchy and pure red fruit and fantastic lively acidity. The tannins are textured but supple. Just utterly gorgeous.

History

Specifications

ONLY 6 LEFT!

 La Cantina's Prosecco DOC fizzy organic and vegan certified wine!

Tasting Notes

Colour

Straw yellow with greenish hues and brilliant.

Nose

Harmonious, with notes of acacia flowers.

Palate

Fresh, rustic, delicate with hints of golden apple and honey.

Vinification

The first phase includes a soft pressing and a traditional white vinification, keeping low temperatures to preserve quality. In a second step the natural fermentation is performed in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature for at least 20 days. 

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Penfolds RWT Shiraz presents an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead, single-region Barossa Valley Shiraz matured only in French oak. The initials RWT stand for 'Red Winemaking Trial', the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. Naturally, now no longer a 'Trial'!

RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and fine texture rather than sheer intensity or power of flavour. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa Shiraz at the highest quality level.

"Now into its second decade of release, the 2007 vintage excels. It encapsulates what is now the RWT style... defined with its own personality and style territory." Peter Gago - Penfolds Chief Winemaker

Colour 

Dark Red

Nose

Opulent glaceed fruits - saturated blueberry and satsuma plum elude from a freshly mixed summer berry compote. Stylish cedary oak marries with mixed spices and an element of (Gorgonzola) blue-vein cheese. Aromatically decries Barossa, and Shiraz - but not separately, as per these words!

Palate

Firm, lively & vibrant. Cola and a flavour sensation not dissimilar to a generous longitudinal slice of Blackforest cake, replete with fruits. Tight, finely-grained harmonious oak and lacy, mouth-coating tannins induce a multidimensional 3D palate, tempered by crisp acidity. Awash with flavour, depth & extract. The essence of Barossa Valley Shiraz... oh, and balanced! Convincing ... and out of 2007!

Reviews

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

Nose

Showing complex aromatic nuances of rose petals, violets and sappy grilled herbs. 

Palate

The palate is supple and fleshy yet also displays a weightless concentration of red berry fruit, plum spice and savoury woodsmoke.

Winemakers Notes

Handpicked grapes, cooled overnight. 10% whole bunches. Grapes were cold soaked and partially natural fermented while minimal extraction was done. Maturing separately in older oak barrels.

Vineyards

If you can talk to a grape, it will tell you that the Piekenierskloof region is the ideal spot for a tough top class wine-producing grape, as it’s exposed to extreme conditions. Piekenierskloof is the mountain pass between Piketberg and Citrusdal, over the Olifants River Mountains. With warm inland temperatures rising from the Swartland during the day and cool Atlantic sea breezes rolling in overnight, these grapes grow in a dryer soil with just enough water to produce grapes that add depth and complexity to every single sip. 

The Region

The Swartland begins some 50 kilometers north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east. It is so called because of the endemic Renosterbos that appears dark mainly when it rains in winter. The Swartland area is mainly known for wheat, but the crown prince in this area is the small concentrated berries of the vines that produce well-balanced and exceptionally ripe and deep-flavoured wines.

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"Very soft, supple and juicy for a Shiraz-dominant wine. Red berry & plum fruits - herby more than spicy and reasonably long. Had it opened for an hour before serving which helped enormously. Medium to full-bodied and good value shiraz. It’s long, soft and smooth and everything you’d expect from a wine such as this. Fruit definitely starts to open up and come to life with time in the glass." December 2022.

Agile, dynamic and straightforward.

Of all our Rieslings Loiserberg is the most uncompromising and coolest, pulling its tracks straight forward on the palate. Ends juicy, mineral, invigorating and long. Single Vineyard site - most Northern, highest & coolest.

Tasting Notes

Elegant fruit melange of citrus and stone fruit with a touch of pineapple, a tinge of ciabatta, fragrant, delicately floral, balanced and discreet. Juicy mid-weight, elegantly with a lot of fruit in the entree, tighter behind with a fine bite and a pleasantly dry finish.

Producer

Weingut Weszeli, in Langenlois, a now-famous wine village located on the river Kamp where it wends its way down to the Danube at Krems. There is a crazy patchwork of Burgundy-like Cru vineyards which have helped put Austria on the map as a source of world-class whites.

The story of this winery echoes that of many others. A former city-slicker, Davis Weszeli struck out in search of something new, with one clear goal: to feel closer to nature. He discovered his calling in the form of a traditional Kamptal winery in 2011, and from then on he has been on a mission to create authentic, unique wines whilst always prioritising sustainability in organic viticulture, and a principle coined by Davis himself: Terrafactum, the importance of the unique nature of the earth and terroir of Kamptal.

Davis makes charming and impressive Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, the two grapes he feels best suit the climate and soils of Kamptal. 

Location

The first thing that strikes you when you stand at the top of the Loiserberg is its meagre, rocky soil. It consists almost exclusively of Gföhler gneiss, covered only by a shallow layer of humus. Our Riesling vines are growing at an altitude of 380 metres; there is no higher point around Langenlois. And you can feel this in every sip. Although the vines look to the sun all day long, they are properly cooled as soon as twilight falls over the vineyards. As a result, full ripeness always arrives in late October, when the grapes have crystal-clear aromatics and immense vitality.

Altitude means everything at the Loiserberg. If you are at the crest of the hill, where our largest parcel is located, you’ll soon feel that the conditions here are quite different from those down below. Although our vineyard lies under the sun almost all day long, its power is relativised by the altitude and the wind that whistles through the vines.

Riesling also benefits from the climatic conditions mentioned earlier. Sun and dryness in combination with nocturnal cooling allow the grapes to ripen slowly. And finally, when it’s the right time to harvest, there’s an ideal balance of precise aromas, energy and acidity structure.

Specifications

The Grüner Veltliner ‘Felix’ introduces us to the grape in its simplest, most charming form: ‘Austria in a glass’

Tasting Notes

The grapes going into Felix are picked from vineyards undergoing organic conversion and tended with a priority to protecting the natural biodiversity of flora and fauna.

Slightly cool and spicy nose, with pronounced varietal characteristics on the palate: orchard fruit and a hint of green beans. Very light-bodied and lean with citrus notes, subtle juiciness and a bittersweet, slender finish.

Producer

Weingut Weszeli, in Langenlois, a now-famous wine village located on the river Kamp where it wends its way down to the Danube at Krems. There is a crazy patchwork of Burgundy-like Cru vineyards which have helped put Austria on the map as a source of world-class whites. The story of this winery echoes that of many others. A former city-slicker, Davis Weszeli struck out in search of something new, with one clear goal: to feel closer to nature.

He discovered his calling in the form of a traditional Kamptal winery in 2011, and from then on he has been on a mission to create authentic, unique wines whilst always prioritising sustainability in organic viticulture, and a principle coined by Davis himself: Terrafactum, the importance of the unique nature of the earth and terroir of Kamptal. Davis makes charming and impressive Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, the two grapes he feels best suit the climate and soils of Kamptal. 

There are three levels of Grüner Veltliner - Felix, Langenlois & Käferberg ÖTW, offering a fascinating journey into a grape oft-overlooked for its more famous stablemate, Riesling. 

Specifications

Luigi Bosca is absolutely in the top tier of Argentine producers and this wine is the most refined of the Bosca range. Immaculately crafted with all the hallmarks of very fine wine: structure, complexity & finesse.

Tasting Notes

Colour

A unique deep violet reddish field blend with ruby reflections.

Nose

It has expressive and intense aromas, with red and black fruit, sweet spices, flowers and smooth smoked notes from its ageing process.

Palate

This amazing Malbec and Petit Verdot blend wine is very intense and robust, with aromas of cassis and smoky wood. But, on the palate, it is structured more like a classic European wine than anything from South America - fresh and compelling. We are searching for this kind of restraint from every region on the map, and are delighted to find it in spades here.

Winemaking

The grapes are hand-picked in boxes from 18 to 20 kilograms, clusters are then selected and destemmed for further grains selection. The must is cold macerated for 3 to 5 days at a temperature from 10°C to 12°C. Then it is fermented with selected yeast in stainless steel tanks of 6,000 liter capacity with delestages and pressings. Once fermentation is finished, the wine is aged in new French oak barrels where malolactic fermentation occurs and then is matured for 16 to 18 months. Once the ageing is finished, the wine is stabilized, filtered and bottled. It is stored in the winery for at least  2 months before market release.

Climate

Continental climate, with a wide temperature range between day and night, and well-defined seasons which contribute to a good growth of the vines. The altitude and its microclimate are ideal for the grapes since they provide a unique character. Many hours of good sunlight.

Comments by the winemaker

The dry and warm weather of the 2016 season resulted in excellent raw material with ripe profile and great fruity expression. It is a field blend of unrepeatable style, great elegance and finesse. Petit Verdot, present in 6% of this wine, blends with Malbec providing its character and spirit, thus complementing Malbec’s smoothness and sweetness. The result is a highly complex and harmonious wine.

Specifications

The bouquet has hints of blueberries, cherries, violets, tobacco leaf and spicy cedar wood. The mouthfeel is opulent with a generous lingering aftertaste. 

Accolades

• 90pts | Platter’s

  Weighty & serious Bordeaux blend, 70% cab with merlot & petit verdot in 2018, showing quintessential black-fruit aromas/flavours of cherry, currant & berry. 15% alcohol & 80% new oak deftly handled, as in 2015 (93 pts), though shade less freshness because of intense fruit-sweet finish. Also in 1.5L, as Teano. No 2016, 2017 untasted.

  Platter’s 2022

Specifications