Red Wine

The name of this unusual Bourgogne Pinot Noir refers to the latitude of Burgundy, and it is a blend of out best Bourgogne Rouge, Cote de Nuits Village, Marsannay and Vosne-Romanee.

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

Cherry red, purple and traces of violet. Subtle notes of cocoa, liquorice, and balsamic. It enters the mouth dry and structured.

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

A very classy and compelling wine. Deeply coloured with a pure, intense bouquet of crushed fruits, spice and oak. Elegant oak aging enhances the wine’s complexity and class.

Dark plum, leather and delicate violet aromas, plus notes of woodsmoke and brown spice. A full, firm and ripe red with rich, powerful flavours. All balanced by ripe tannins, complex savoury notes and a long finish.

Araldica

Attractively aromatic with fresh red fruits, floral notes, and hints of sweet spice. The palate offers ripe plum and damson characters balanced by a lightly earthy, savoury complexity with finely-grained tannins.

Aromas of plum, black fruit, mocha and a hint of dark chocolate. Ripe and full-flavoured on the palate with supple tannins, notes of blackberry and wild plum, which follow through to a long and juicy finish.

Goes well with grilled beef or lamb or robust stew. For a veggie alternative try with spinach and lentil casserole.

Forget any notions of quaint, long-established family wineries, Guillaume Letang is a “driving winemaker” (like a flying winemaker but more prone to homesickness.) Originally from northern Burgundy but now based in Macon, he scours southern France for odd little exciting plots of vines on which he can work his magic. Venturing off piste a few years ago, he came across a fabulous parcel of old Carignan vines from which he has moulded this hearty but beautifully balanced red. Treat it to a plate of game or a rustic stew and watch it come to life,

A complex nose showing notes of black cherry, plum, violets, coffee and raisins. The palate is smooth and rounded, with a richly-textured mid-palate and a medley of spice, dried fruit characters and supple tannins. The wine remains elegant, being so beautifully integrated and sweetly rich, but with a long and complex, dry finish.

Montressor

Arboleda is a relative newcomer to the Chilean wine market but its founder, Eduardo Chadwick, has been around for a while as the fifth generation of the family behind the Errazuriz label. With the confidence that comes of so much experience and a multi-million dollar bank account he set up Arboleda as more of a niche producer, crafting vineyard specific wines from sustainable vineyards. Syrah probably isn’t the first variety you think of when considering Chilean wine but I think it’s got a great future here, particularly at the mid to higher end of the market. This is gloriously full with ripe, soft tannins but still retains a classic Syrah acidity on the finish to add freshness.

Aromas of ripe bramble fruit, plum and a touch of spice. Generous on the palate with fresh red cherry and blackberry leaf characters - supple tannins give structure, all rounded off with a touch of spice on the juicy finish.

Fruity with hints fo ripe cherry and red fruit on the nose. On the palate this is full-bodied and round with more red fruit and a poised acidity

The palate is rich and generous with juicy cherry and more plum fruit, and meaty, spicy notes beneath. Soft oak tannins offer an extra dimension to the texture. A refreshing smack of fruity acidity on the finish gives plenty of definition to the ripe fruit.

Araldica

Barolo Liste is a signature wine of Piedmont, cultivated in the small, prestigious zone of Liste within the Barolo zone.

Nebbiolo grown in calcareous-clay soil gives this pure expression of Barolo its intense, garnet red color, with a few orange highlights. Its nose is moderately intense with notes of wild fruit, liquorice, tobacco and cocoa.

The vineyard carries its 35 years well and enjoys ample sunshine from the east.

On the palate it is dry and full-bodied with a velvety persistence that marries well with the great Piedmont culinary tradition. It is an ideal accompaniment to braised meats and truffle dishes.

95/100 - The Wine Advocate

Damilano Barolo

From Chris- "I was properly bowled over when I tasted this a couple of weeks ago. Whilst the prices of top end Bordeaux place them well out of reach of mere mortals, many properties further down the food chain have struggled in recent years and countless Chateaux have simply thrown in the towel in the face of competition from across the globe. Others, have seen it as an opportunity to raise their game as Michael Regaud has done here. An investment programme started by his father in 1979 has seen quality levels consistently outperforming those of their neighbours – this is “proper” Bordeaux but at an accessible level."

Full-bodied, supple wine with soft tannins and a fruity finish

Dominique Romy and his son Nicolas cultivate their vines naturally according to the Terra Vitis requirements, so as to preserve the biological balance of the soil. Vines are grown in an old fashioned manner, with grass between rows and Green Harvest being practiced to lower yields and to increase the quality of the grapes.

A light aromatic wine with an abundance of juicy red fruit aromas. Bright and flavoursome with supple tannins that are beautifully integrated. The acidity is just right to keep the wine lively and refreshing.

Domaine de Colette

Maison Roche de Bellene

Maison Roche de Bellene

Not your thin, lightweight Merlot but rich, vibrant and very more-ish. Typical full-on red berry fruit on the nose (typical of Merlot) which leads through to a rich, vibrant and aromatic palate that swirls with lashings of ripe fruit underpinned by good structure.

COLOUR. from garnet red to mahogany according to the age.
NOSE. powerful, balancing between black fruits and stewed fruits subtly brought by cocoa aromas.
MOUTH. sumptuous balance between the solar strength of the wine and the fineness of its tannins. It has a great persistency with sweetness which develops greedily.

Domaine de Bila-Haut

Bodega Bresesti was founded in 1937 by immigrants from the Northern Italian region of Lombardy. Bruno Bresesti, still only in his thirties, is the fourth generation of the family to head up winemaking. This is very much a family affair with Bruno as the driving force but still aided by and benefitting from the experience of his hardworking parents. The winery, with its 15 underground concrete fermentation vats, is located on the outskirts of Montevideo

A cross of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat, this is intense purplish-red colour. The nose is fresh, with aromas of mint, blueberries, red fruits and spices and leads to a succulent palate with rich, sweet fruit balanced by firm ripe tannins. A rich wine enlivened by the refreshing acidity of this singular grape . Fermentation in concretes tank with subsequent passage through 80% American oak and 20% French oak for 3 or 4 months, subject to tasting.

Fresh raspberry aromas complement Malbec trademark floral violet notes on the nose. The palate is round and soft, with gentle tannins to complement the fresh red and black fruit flavours and just a hint of vanilla, licorice and spice on the finish.

The nose has rich plum and blackcurrant pastille characters, with delicate vanilla spice and cedar. The palate is ripe, smooth and opulent with layers of pure blackcurrant, juicy blackberry, lush spicy plum and cherry fruit, minerality and complex fine tannins on the finish.

Ruby red colour. A clean nose with notes of balsamic and fine nuances of plum and clean oak. Intense spice and oak on layers of velvety cherry fruit and a slight hint of licquorice. Lasting rich fruit flavours with smooth round tannins. Complex and structured. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

Ruby red with earthy colour notes. Elegant and complex in the nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. It is polished and rounded, making it pleasant and easy to drink. Fleshy with both elegance and power. It has touches of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

Bright cherry red in colour, with fresh black fruit aromas, with spice, balsamic, underbrush and cedar notes. A full bodied crianza that is well structured, elegant with a long mineral like finish.

Bodegas Manzanos

70% Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) & 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A full bodied red with bags of character. Expressed in a seductive ruby colour, with dominant notes of spice, herbs & a liveliness from fresh blueberries. Some discrete aromas of dark chocolate & cocao nibs. Tied together with a freshness on the palate that develops to a warm & long finish with a blast of ripe fruit

Great with venison or beef in stews, pâté. Red & white cabbage meals, schnitzel & goulash

Created in 2017, Bourgogne Cote d'Or is a Burgundy classification intended to bridge the (ever growing) gap between straight Bourgogne Rouge (or Chardonnay) and Village wines (Nuits St Georges, Santenay, etc). Grapes can be blended from across the 40 villages of the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits but can only be Chardonnay or Pinot Noir (Gamay and Aligote are excluded)

Harmonious and balanced, with a plump fruitiness and silky texture offset by round, gentle tannins in a wine of medium body and elegant structure.

Maison Roche de Bellene

Luscious and mouth-watering, blackcurrant and redcurrant fruit characters. Fresh and vibrant with a twist of nutmeg and clove through to the finish.

An impressive, classic Cairanne - about as good as Côtes du Rhône Villages gets! The nose is as explosive, plush and opulent as ever, layered with suggestions of exotic spices, cracked black pepper and streaked with vanilla. The palate is instantly appealing, polished and smooth on entry but steeped in depth and texture as the flavours swirl around, lengthen and delight. The lasting impression is satisfying - a big and opulent Grenache-driven wine with obvious oak quality, great structure, length and finish.

Fresh black cherries and cassis notes of the nose. With a juicy palate showing soft tannins with more red fruit flavours, and a touch of spice on the finish.

Lifted, sweet bramble and raspberry aromas with a hint of dried herbs on the nose followed by more crunchy flavours. The palate is generous, with slightly savoury red cherry flavours and a good structure balanced by a pleasant freshness.

Produced from the estate's young vines (average age 10 years) growing in vineyards overlooking the Camargue and strewn with smooth pebbles from the Durance river valley. After harvesting, the grapes are chilled for 3 days before a natural ferment at controlled temperatures. Unoaked and ‘croquant’. Aromas of red bramble fruits and woodland herbs The palate has mature raspberry, blackberry and redcurrant fruit, juicy acidity and supple tannins.