ROSÉ

Las Falleras Rosé 2012 £4.99 and 25cl
Winemaker and winery: Pablo Ossorio, Bodegas Murviedro
Grape variety: 100% Bobal
Region: Utiel-Requena
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards here are situated at 600-1200m, with 10 year old vines yielding 4,500 litres per hectare. The grapes are destemmed and soft-crushed, using only the run-off must. The wine does not receive oak treatment.
12.0% vol.

This is in green glass, which just doesn’t look as appealing as clear. Cherry aroma. Bitter taste.

Hungarian Pinot Grigio Rosé 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Kamocsay Áko, Hilltop Neszmely Winery
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Grigio

Region: Neszmely, Hungary

Viticulture/Vinification: Following harvest the grapes were destemmed and crushed. They then spent two weeks fermenting on the skins at 14-15°C in stainless steel fermentation tanks.
11.0% vol.

Smells of cardboard. Dry and with a hint of bitterness but, chilled right down, it could be good in the summer.

Monferrato Chiaretto Rosé 2012 £6.49
Winemaker and winery: Claudio Manera, Araldica Vini Piemontesio
Grape varieties: 90% Barbera and 10% Pinot Noir
Region: Monferrato Hills, Piedmont
Viticulture/Vinification: This wine is made from a blend of predominantly Barbera grapes with a small percentage of Pinot Noir. A short pre-fermentation maceration on skins at a low temperature was followed by gentle pressing. Fermentation took place in stainless steel at low temperatures with cultured yeasts.
12.5% vol.

Light on the nose. A slightly bitter taste but the fruit flavour lasts and lasts.

Marques de Alarcon Rosado 2012 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Antonio Calleja/ Inmaculada Pérez, Cooperativa Nuestra Señora de La Paz
Grape varieties: 60% Tempranillo and 40% Garnacha
Region: Toledo
Viticulture/Vinification: The 10-20 year old vines here are trellised, grow on shallow clay-calcareous soils, and have an average yield of 8.000kg/hectare. The grapes are machine harvested, and then undergo an eight hour long cold maceration. After the must has been bled, the fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 16°C.
12.0% vol.

A bit stinky – matchboxes. Fizzy and not very nice.

Gold Label Rosé 2012 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Cedric Jenin, Maison Virginie
Grape variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Pays d’Oc
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine are from vineyards surrounding Beziers and were directly pressed before being cold fermented. The winemaking is largely undertaken at Maison Virginie.
12.0% vol.

Lightly fruity nose. Bitter cherry aftertaste.

Réserve de la Saurine Rosé 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Philippe Amphoux, Laudun Chusclan Vignerons
Grape varieties: 57% Grenache Noir/Carignan, 27% Grenache Noir/Cinsault, 8% Cinsault and 8% Grenache Noir
Region: Southeast France
Viticulture/Vinification: These vines are planted on gravely slopes, trained in the Cordon de Royat trellis system, and pruned using the Gobelet method. Direct pressing was followed by 24 hours of controlled temperature vatting between 20-25°C in cement tanks.
12.5% vol.

Very pale colour. Intense palate. Good length. Bone dry.

Fleur d’Amélie Rosé 2012 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Valerie Valmy, Château de Sours
Grape varieties: 80% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: St. Quentin de Baron, Entre-deux-Mers
Viticulture/Vinification: After harvesting, the grapes were immediately placed in a vibrating hopper that gently moves the fruit to the crusher and eliminates any green materials. Once the fruit was crushed, it was gently transferred through a cooling system that was kept at 12°C or lower, and into a Bucher Vasselin 40 tonne press. The juice was then macerated on the skins for between 6-18 hours, and run off into fermentation tanks. After cold stabilisation and settling, the juice was run off into another tank, where fermentation at cool temperatures of around 16°C commenced. The wine was cold stabilised and then left on lees prior to bottling.
12.5% vol.

Light on the nose. A bit chewey.

English Rosé 2012 £11.99
Winemaker and winery: Andrew Parley, Chapel Down
Grape varieties: 66% Pinot Noir, 13% Rondo, 8% Pinot Noir Precoce, 7% Regent, 3% Chardonnay, 2% Pinot Meunier and 1% Dornfelder
Region: Kent
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were sourced from 5-20 year old vines and most of the grapes were whole bunch pressed. The juices were cold fermented between 12-18°C in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts. The wine received no oak treatment.
11.0% vol.
A little floral. Juicy with lots of lively fruit. Just a bit expensive.


RED ITALIAN

Pinot Nero IGT Dolomiti 2012 £8.99
Winemaker and winery: Massimo Tarter, Casa Girelli
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Nero
Region: Dolomiti
Viticulture/Vinification: The Pinot Nero grapes used to produce this wine were grown at 550 metres above sea level on the volcanic soils of the foothills of the Italian Dolomites. The vineyards here comprise 5000 vines per hectare, and are on average between 15 and 20 years old. The vines are trained on the Guyot system using simple Trentino split pergola.
12.5% vol.

Very pale colour. Gentle nose. Very pinot lite, but quite pleasant. Lunchtime wine. Juicy acidity. Not bad.

Frappato 2012 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Stefano Chioccioli, Santa Tresa
Grape variety: 100% Frappato
Region: Sicily
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow on 15 year old vines, and are hand-picked late in mid-September. The grapes were destemmed, but not crushed. Selected yeasts were added, and fermentation took place at 20-22°C. Remontage was practised until 7% alcohol was achieved, and as soon as the fermentation was completed the wine was separated from the skins. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation took place immediately after the primary fermentation was completed. The wine was then kept on fine lees and stirred periodically, receiving no oak ageing.
12.5% vol.

Very pale red. Fragrant and appealing. Perfumed palate. Rather good. Lightweight. Suggest chilling it for a summer lunch.

Reggiano Rosso 2012 £5.99
Winemaker and winery: Francesco Lombardini, Cantina del Coppiere
Grape varieties: 60% Lambrusco Lancellotta, 20% Lambrusco Salamino and 20% Uve Marani
Region: Emilia Romagna
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow in vineyards planted on limestone and chalk soils. They were hand-picked and macerated for 16-18 hours. Only the first must from the pressing, approximately 45%, is fermented under temperature controlled conditions. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation or receive oak treatment.
Availability: 697 stores
12.0% vol.

Very purply red. Smells like pink shrimps. Tastes of bitter cherries – very bitter – and makes you pull a face. Fairly dry.

Toscano Rosso 2012 £5.99
Winemaker and winery: Miria Bracali, Val delle Rose/Villa Cerna
Grape varieties: 80% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Tuscany
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards here have an average age of 15 years and a yield of 9.5 tonnes per hectare. Fermentation occurs at a controlled temperature of 25°C.
13.0% vol.

Nice savoury nose. Nice juicy taste. Easy and pleasant. Good price.



Dolcetto d’Asti 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Claudio Manera, Araldica
Grape variety: 100% Dolcetto
Region: Piedmont
Viticulture/Vinification: Following harvest the grapes for this wine were immediately destemmed and crushed, before a five to seven day long maceration on the skins took place. Malolactic fermentation was completed before winter and the wine was stabilised in stainless steel tanks before resting for a few months in bottle.
13.0% vol.

Purply red. Really gorgeous aroma. Violets, perhaps? Young, with powdery tannins. Really juicy and fresh. I’d serve this one chilled.



Perricone 2011 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Giuseppe Clementi, Caruso e Minini
Grape variety: 100% Perricone
Region: Sicily
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked and destemmed, before maceration and fermentation occurred at a controlled temperature of 25°C for 18 days. This was followed by malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks.
14.0% vol.

I would never pick this off the shelves because the label is bright turquoise. The same colour as Sandra’s phone. Dark wine. Smells dark and plummy and rich. Tastes the same. A big wine, but with balanced acidity. Savoury, dry finish. Like it.

Lacrima di Morro d’Alba 2011 £11.99
Winemaker and winery: Giacomo Mattioli & Giuseppe Caviola, Umani Ronchi
Grape variety: 100% Lacrima
Region: Le Marche
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards here are located in the hills of the Marche region, 15km from the sea at an altitude of 150-200m above sea level. The vines benefit from very deep clay loam soil and produce yields of 9/10 tons per hectare. Harvest normally takes place at the end of September. The grapes were destemmed and lightly pressed before undergoing maceration at 24°C for a maximum of 10 days in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation followed, and the wine was then aged in stainless steel tanks for about four months. A short period in bottle completed the ageing process.
12.5% vol.

Nice spicy nose. Rich, with chalky tannin and plenty of darkfruit. Alcohol seems warmer than 12.5%. Quite good.

Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo 2009 £27.00
Winemaker and winery: Piero Ratti, Renato Ratti Winery
Grape variety: 100% Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont
Viticulture/Vinification: The Renato Ratti Winery vineyards are situated near the 15th century Abbey of Annunziata in La Morra and were historically denominated “Marcenasco”. They are planted in Tortonian (bluish marl) soils and trained in classic Guyot style at an altitude of 780m with a south-easterly and south-westerly exposure. There are approx. 5,000 vines per hectare with an average yield of 45hl/ha. Harvesting took place between 28 September and 13 October 2009. The grapes were destemmed and crushed, followed by a thermo-controlled fermentation at 30ºC. Maceration lasted approximately seven days, and malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel in October. Part of the wine was aged in 25hl Slovenian oak casks, and part in old barrels. Bottling took place in the summer of 2012.
14.5% vol.

Typical brick red colour. Beautifully aromatic, with woody, earthy loveliness. Caramelised and stunning. A really, really excellent wine.



RED SPANISH

GSM 2012 £6.99 and 1.5L pouch
Winemaker and winery: Pablo Ossorio, Bodegas Murviedro
Grape varieties: 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah and 33% Mourvedre
Region: Valencia
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were fermented separately for 10 days between 25⁰C and 28⁰C using traditional winemaking methods but modern winemaking technology. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks and this wine did not receive oak treatment.
13.0% vol.

Rich and oaky aroma. Ripe and juicy and moreish. Good price. Easy drinking.

Rioja Romeral Crianza DO2009 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Elena Adell, Bodegas AGE
Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked gradually, before being crushed and destemmed. Fermentation occurred at a controlled temperature of 26 to 29ºC and lasted for 15 days. The wine was aged in American oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling.
13.5% vol.

Very little sign of the American oak barrels on the nose but plenty in the mouth. Quite good.


RED CHILE & ARGENTINA

Ulmen Carmenère 2012 £5.99
Winemaker: Claudio Goncalves, Bodegas y Vinedos de Aguirre S.A.
Grape variety: 100% Carmenère
Region: Central Valley, Chile
Viticulture/Vinification: The vineyards here boast soils derived from volcanic ash, as well as excellent exposure to sunlight due to the flat terrain. The region has a Mediterranean climate and the yields are small. The Carmenère grapes were hand-harvested in the middle of April. The must was fermented for a seven day period in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts at 26-28°C. The wine was stabilised and filtered prior to bottling.
14.0% vol.

A very lovely smell of green peppers, perhaps fried with a little coriander. The green pepper carries onto the palate. The alcohol’s quite warm.

Altos Condor Pinot Noir 2011 £8.99
Winemaker and winery: Daniel Pi, Trapiche
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Viticulture/Vinification: The Trapiche vineyards are situated at an altitude of 1,150m above sea level in the Uco Valley, Mendoza, and planted on clay soils with heavy set boulders.
The grapes were manually selected and hand-harvested. 70% were destemmed and 30% were put in the vat with stems. Maceration lasted seven days and took place at 8ºC in oak vats. Fermentation was encouraged by native yeasts and up to 30g/l of residual sugar, and completed in French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation also occurred. The wine was aged on lees for nine months in barrel.
14.0% vol.

Earthy, oaky and appealing nose. Smooth and lovely mouth feel. Nice wine.

Secano Estate Pinot Noir 2011 £8.99
Winemaker and winery: Viviana Navarrete, Leyda Winery
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Leyda Valley, Chile
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked on the last day of March and in to the first week of April. Once destemmed, they underwent a six day long cold maceration before fermentation in open stainless steel tanks commenced. After drying the wine was racked in French oak barrels and aged for 10 months.
14.0% vol.

A lot more oak than the Altos Condor. Much bigger altogether. A little reductive on the nose, so decant it early. Bright, juicy and massive. Alc is quite warm.


RED AUSTRALIA

Pheasant Gully Shiraz Cabernet 2012 £7.49
Available in 25cl, 50cl, 75cl and 1.5L pouch
Winemaker and winery: Dr. Phil Spillman, Deakin Estate
Grape varieties: 50% Shiraz and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: New South Wales
Viticulture/Vinification: Grapes are harvested followed by five to seven days skin contact with two hour pump-overs every eight hours, increased to every six hours during the peak of ferment. Following this malolactic fermentation, the wine was clarified, stabilized, stored in oak, blended and fined.
13.5% vol.

The nose leads with alcohol. It’s sweet, hot and simple. Not great.

Hunter Valley Shiraz 2011 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Mark Richardson, Tyrrell’s Wines
Grape variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Hunter Valley
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes were de-stemmed and then minimally crushed, leaving some whole berries. A two day cold-soak took place before fermentation. The wine was aged for 12 months in large French oak barrels.
13.0% vol.

Nice slim label. Fresh and aromatic. Lovely. Juicy and delicious. I like this very much.

Mule Sangiovese 2010 £13.99
Winemaker and winery: Steve Flamsteed, Innocent Bystander
Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese
Region: McLaren Vale
Viticulture/Vinification: The 2010 vintage in McLaren Vale had minimal rainfall in the ripening season. The soil here is limestone under red, sandy loams, and the vines are on average six years old. 100% Sangiovese from clones MS1 and MS2 was used to produce this wine. The grapes were hand-picked and destemmed, with no cold soak, and macerated for two weeks post fermentation. The wine underwent a 12 month ageing period in four year old barriques.
14.0% vol.

Very farmyardy nose. Well-evolved. Delicious. Buy this. Haven’t tasted a wine as nice as this for quite a while



Tractor Tube Society Clare Valley Malbec 2011 £13.99
Winemaker and winery: Ben Riggs, Zonte’s Footstep
Grape variety: 100% Malbec
Region: Clare Valley
Viticulture/Vinification: For this wine whole bunches of Malbec were hand-harvested, before being gently crushed and naturally fermented in open fermenters for eight days, with hand plunging twice a day. This was followed by basket pressing into new and older French and American Oak Hogsheads to finish fermentation. After 8-10 months maturation and a racking in the same oak, the wine was blended and bottled.
14.0% vol.

Not a huge amount on the nose, but maybe because it’s after an absolute stonker. Tastes good, though. Juicy and fresh.

Wood Duck Dam Heathcote Shiraz 2010 £14.99
Winemaker and winery: Mark Richardson, Tyrrell’s Wines
Grape varieties: 97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier
Region: Heathcote
Viticulture/Vinification: Fermentation took place at 25°C for seven days followed by five more days of skin contact. The wine was then matured in predominantly French oak barriques, of which 30% were new. 40% of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel.
14.0% vol.

Beautiful aroma – oak, vanilla and spices. Massive taste, but with juicy acidity. Really very lovely indeed.



Red Claw Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2011 £17.99
Winemaker and winery: Tom Carson, Yabby Lake
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Mornington Peninsula
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes used to produce this wine were hand-picked, destemmed and transferred to open fermenters, a small percentage remaining as whole bunches. The wine underwent three days of cold soaking and a further 14 days of skin contact before being transferred to French oak barrels. The wine remained in barrel for eight months, where malolactic fermentation was completed. Bottling took place in December 2011.
13.5% vol.

Beautiful pinot nose. Really comes out and grabs you. Delicious smooth, juicy taste. Very good indeed.



RED ZEALAND

Clocktower Pinot Noir 2010 £13.99
Winemaker and winery: Sally Williams, Wither Hills Vineyards
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Wairau Valley, Marlborough
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked from three Southern Valley vineyard sites in Wither Hills. The whole cluster bunches were chilled overnight, destemmed, and then transferred to a fermentation tank without pumping, before being hand-plunged in small-batch fermentation vessels. Basket pressing followed, after which the wine was matured for one year in French oak barriques (30% new oak) with only one racking.
13.0% vol.

Very pale colour with a hint of brick. It’s delicious, but the Red Claw from Mornington Peninsular is way better.


RED SOUTH AFRICAN

Cape Red 2012 £4.99
Winemaker and winery: Schalk van der Merwe & Charl Myburgh, UniWines Vineyards
Grape varieties: 60% Cinsault and 40% Ruby Cabernet
Region: Breedekloof
Viticulture/Vinification: This wine originates from vineyards with average yields of 18-20 tonnes per hectare.
13.0% vol.

Fruity nose. Juicy and easy.

Crow’s Fountain Shiraz Merlot Pinotage 2011 £5.99
Winemaker and winery: Jeff Grier, Villiera Wines
Grape varieties: 60% Shiraz, 20% Merlot and 20% Pinotage
Region: Stellenbosch
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested, partially crushed and destemmed. The primary fermentation occurred in Rototanks, and was followed by gentle pressing before drying. Malolactic fermentation was encouraged prior to 12 months ageing in a combination of French and American oak.
14.5% vol.

Quite farmyard and stinky. Sweet and fruity and bordering on fizzy.


RED BULGARIAN


Peach Garden Merlot 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Dimitar Panov, Domaine Boyar Winery
Grape variety: 100% Merlot
Region: Thracian Lowlands
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-harvested, destemmed, crushed, and chilled to 18-20°C. A controlled fermentation at 20-25°C took place in vertical fermenters, and selected yeasts were added for optimal skin contact. After fermentation the wine was drained into stainless steel tanks and underwent malolactic fermentation.
12.0% vol.

Sweet, floral nose. Thin and simple.


RED RHÔNE, BURGUNDY & SOUTHERN FRANCE

Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche Gamay 2012 £4.99
Winemaker and winery: Jean-Luc Chaleat, Cave de Saint Désirat
Grape variety: 100% Gamay
Region: Northern Rhône
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were sourced from both terraced and plateaux vineyards located between the middle and northern end of the St. Joseph AC. The wine underwent carbonic maceration, but did not receive oak treatment.
12.0% vol.

A bit stinky but the gamay aroma does fight its way through. Juicy and light. Pleasant and good value for money.



Fleurie 2012 £10.99
Available in 50cl and 75cl
Winery: Cave Cooperative de Fleurie
Grape variety: 100% Gamay
Region: Fleurie, Beaujolais
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine are hand-picked, and placed in boxes to avoid crushing. The wine undergoes semi-carbonic maceration for 16 days and is matured in vats on fine lees.
13.0% vol.

Not much on the nose. Mineral, perhaps. Dry and very French (not surprisingly). I’d want it with food.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2010 £9.99
Winemaker: Sylvain Debord, (Nicolas Potel – consultant), Maison du Tastelune
Grape variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked and sorted manually on arrival at the winery, after which a three day long cold maceration in stainless steel tanks commenced. Fermentation took place over 18 days, and the cap was punched twice daily during this time. The wine was put in barrels (80% in 1, 2 or 3 year old oak, 10% in oak tank and 10% in stainless steel) for the malolactic fermentation and ageing. This wine was blended in October 2011, and bottled in February 2012.
13.0% vol.

Aromatic with pinot and oak. Light but really tasty. Not yet started to develop but feels as if 12/18 months might make it rather lovely.

Réserve de la Saurine Rouge 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Philippe Amphoux, Vignerons Laudun Chusclan
Grape varieties: 40% Grenache Noir, 40% Carignan and 20% Syrah
Region: Southeast France
Viticulture/Vinification: These vines are planted on gravely slopes, trained in the Cordon de Royat trellis system, and pruned in the Gobelet method. The wine underwent two weeks of temperature controlled vatting between 25-30°C in cement tanks.
13.5% vol.

Quite a cardboard nose. Sweet and simple.

Le Froglet Shiraz 2012 £6.99
Winemaker and winery: Cedric Jenin, Maison Virginie
Grape variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Languedoc
Viticulture/Vinification: This wine is from the Saint Beauzille area, and is assembled from wines from the Tarn area. The wine undergoes traditional maceration.
12.0% vol.

Cherry aroma. Sweet cherry flavour. Nope.

Old Vines Grenache Noir 2011 £7.99
Winemaker and winery: Hervé Sabardeil, Vindivin
Grape variety: 100% Grenache Noir
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were hand-picked from vines aged between 25 and 100 years. Chilled maceration was followed by a long, slow fermentation lasting up to six weeks. The wine was not fined and received no oak treatment.
14.0% vol.

Dark fruits and alcohol on the nose. It’s a lot better on the palate but the alcohol is stupidly high.

Naturae Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Gérard Bertrand, Gérard Bertrand
Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Pays d’Oc
Viticulture/Vinification: The vinification process for this wine did not use SO2, or any other additive. The grapes were destemmed, and then left to macerate for around 10 days. During this time the only extraction work involved pumping over daily. The grapes were then pressed, with the presses kept separate, and the wines were then racked in order to remove the coarser lees before malolactic fermentation began. After fermentation the wines were racked again, and then cooled.
15.0% vol.

Deep purple. Not a cabernet nose. Dark and quite pleasant. Not recognisable, but OK.

Domaine de Fontsèque Corbières 2010 £9.99
Winemaker and winery: Gérard Bertrand, Gérard Bertrand
Grape varieties: 40% Carignan, 30% Grenache and 30% Syrah
Region: Languedoc
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine are hand-picked very ripe, and the whole bunches are then placed in a vat for carbonic maceration, which lasted for 10-18 days for the Carignan and Syrah, and 15 - 20 days for the Grenache and Mourvèdre. The wine was blended in January, and in February placed in French oak barrels, 30-40% of which were new, for 10-12 months ageing, according to the vintage. The wine was racked every three months but not filtered. After bottling, the wine was allowed several months additional bottle-ageing before release.
13.5% vol.

Lovely farmyardy, manure-y smell – a smell I love. Delicious wine. Really exactly my sort of thing. Savoury, oaky and with smooth tannin and some development. Mmm.



L’Etoile de Romanin 2010 £14.99
Winemaker and winery: Edouardo Pincheira, Château Romanin
Grape varieties: 40% Syrah, 35% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Provence
Viticulture/Vinification: The grapes for this wine were crushed, and then underwent maceration for 15 – 21 days between 24 - 30°C. This wine was produced organically and biodynamically. Frequent cap punching and open air loop-pumping took place during the vinification, and the wine was matured for 18 months in tanks.
13.5% vol.

Lovely smell. Complex and promising. Dry and with quite leading alcohol. Too much money.


FORTIFIED WINE

Dry Old Amontillado NV £7.49
Available in 37.5cl
Winemaker and winery: Manuel Lozano, Emilio Lustau
Grape variety: 100% Palomino
Region: Jerez
Viticulture/Vinification: The vines here are 30 years old and are trained using the single guyot system. The grapes are hand-harvested, and the wine is aged in American oak casks and the solera system.
18.5% vol.

Sweet Jeez, what a smell. A little light in the middle. Very salty and savoury. Quite good.


Dry Old Palo CortadoNV £7.49
Available in 37.5cl
Winemaker and winery: Manuel Lozano, Emilio Lustau SA
Grape variety: 100% Palomino Fino
Region: Jerez de La Frontera, Andalucía
Viticulture/Vinification: This Palo Cortado comes from an exclusive 35 cask solera established in the 1930s and it is aged in American oak barrels following the traditional system of solera and criaders. The withdrawal of wine is limited to a maximum of 12,000 bottles per year.
19.0% vol.

More salty and savoury aroma than the amontillado. It’s good, and the price is excellent.

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