‘The Convert’ – this might the wine to convert more of your friends to organic! 

Tasting Notes

On the nose, it is ripe and vibrant with fresh blackcurrant and blueberry, accompanied by a faint herbal, almost seaweed character. The bundles of freshness on the palate make this Syrah a true pleasure to drink. Textural, this is a wine that exceeds expectations.

History

El Convertido loosely translates to 'the converter' and tells the story of La Mancha, the world's largest wine region, which is gradually transitioning to a more sustainable future. The conditions are ideal for organic viticulture and that is what family business De Haan Altés wants to show with this Syrah

Specifications

Light that fire! Curl up on the couch with a great book, series, friend or loved one, and a glass or three from this collection of Autumn Reds.

Each case contains one bottle of:

2023 Cuvée Jean-Paul Rouge, IGP Méditerranée (France) A classic southern uncomplicated Rhône red which is deliciously drinkable yet serious enough to accompany food.  Rich fruit and an appealing herbal freshness.  Lusciously textured with plum, strawberry and a touch of spice.  Drink with hearty food such as grilled meats and casseroles. Also great with BLTs, pizzas and mature, hard cheeses.

2024 Da Vero Nero d’Avola (Organic) (Italy) Aromas of ripe black fruit with a hint of spice. The palate has rich plum and bramble fruit, along with savoury and herbal notes, and soft tannins balanced by fresh acidity.  Excellent with rich pasta dishes, casseroles and grilled meats

2024 Ancora Sangiovese (Italy) Appealing aromas of fresh red fruit and a touch of black pepper spice. A fresh, medium-bodied style with red and black berry fruit characters, and a hint of spice balanced by tangy acidity.  The perfect juicy food wine - with pasta, pizza and tomato sauces.

2023 Camarada Malbec (Argentina) A wine with a conscience! It was bottled using only clean and renewable energy. So you can drink this wine and know that it didn’t ‘cost the earth’ (in more ways than one).  It may be a cliché but this big red will go very well with a medium-rare sirloin steak, served with peppercorn sauce or other grilled meats, and pastas.

2023 Ananto Organic Bobal Tempranillo(Spain) A vibrant, fruity organic red from Utiel-Requena, highlighting the region's trendy and indigenous Bobal variety. Bursting with lively aromas of blueberry and blackberry. Juicy plum and spice flavors are enveloped in soft tannins, delivering a smooth and well-balanced finish.  Superb with roasts and stews, red meat dishes, small game, cheese or cold meats.

2023 False Bay Bush Vine Pinotage (South Africa) Fresh, plummy aromas with savoury, smoky notes. The palate is ripe and rich with vibrant fruit, slightly rustic yet moreish tannins and a persistent finish. Perfect with pork belly dishes or barbecued meats, boerwurst, game or good, old fashioned sausage and mash.

Save £12 on this collection of delicious reds plus Free Delivery!

Bright and fruity Spanish red with - the eyecatching label design and 'El Ninot de Paper' name are inspired by the 'paper dolls' of the Las Falles de Valencia festival.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Aromas of ripe black fruits with a hint of spice. 

Palate

The palate is bright and juicy - blackberries and plums are balanced by soft tannins, juicy acidity, and a touch of pepper.

Awards

• Bronze at the 2020 Sommelier Wine Awards for the 2018 Vintage

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"This is a bit of a revelation. Loadsa ripe, juicy black fruits with more a touch of herbs than spice I think? Really soft tannins and a touch more serious than I expected. Overall a real pleasant surprise. Medium-bodied, soft, juicy & fruity, and would be really versatile with food although it drinks really easily on its own. Value but also decent quality for a crowd pleasing easy-drinking style." June 2022

Specifications

"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