The Rioja Case

6 bottles of Château Le Bedat.

Château Le Bedat is a nineteen-hectare property, situated in the commune of Gensac, east of St Émilion and is owned by the Fontana family. This is a juicy, fruit driven style of Bordeaux for immediate pleasure.

The blend is 75% Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is thirty years old.

We're taking the road less travelled here with 6 highly unusual and truly interesting wines.

1 bottle each of the following.

Nando Rebula – 100% organic Rebula grapes that from a tiny 0.25ha plot. The wine spent 40 days on the skin and, then 18 months in 500l oak barrels and finally was allowed to mature in stainless steel vats for 24 months before bottling without fining or filtration.
Cheeky Pinot Gris – Pinot Gris is a dark skinned grape, not that one would know with most of the wines it makes being white. Coonawarra’s only plantings of the variety, the wine is given four days skin contact. Not so much an amber or orange wine (no oxidative handling), more a blush, it’s a style of texture and interest.
Blauburgunder, Castel Juval –Glorious Pinot Noir from a property acquired by Alpine legend, Rheinhold Messner back in 1988. Not sure what his ability to scale Everest without oxygen might have contributed but this is a beautifully balanced, delicate Pinot that is drinking beautifully now.
Maury Blanc – Fortified white from Rivesaltes in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Aromatic with scents of tropical fruits, orange blossom and star anise. A complex, perfumed palate with flavours of peach and apricot and a hint of brioche. Full and creamy with low acidity yet a fresh and herbacious finish.
Anarkia, Vinedo de los Vientos –Totally unoaked, this proves that Tannat doesn't need wood to show at its best, a juicy, meaty, savoury number with plum and blackberry fruit and racy, mouth-watering acidity Value Red Wine of the Year - by Tim Atkin MW Uruguay report (2020)
Source Blanche, Chateau Ka – An intriguing blend of Sauvignon, Viognier and Muscat from Lebanon. Flora and citrussy with great depth of character.

6 wines in styles you may not yet be familiar with

1 bottle each of the following.

Jubilation, Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, sur lie – Muscadet with a difference. The village of Le Pallet is one of only two in the region that is afforded "cru" status and as if that were not a sufficient accolade, 15 of the village’s top growers have collaborated to create a "super Muscadet" with an almost Burgundian depth and richness whilst retaining classic Muscadet acidity.
White Mischief, Hahndorff – A full-on, New World take on Gruner Veltliner. Packed with clean, ripe apple and citrus infused fruit rounded of by a twist of savoury white pepper.
Lobethal Road Roussanne –Hand picked on 23 March 2016 and whole bunch pressed into seasoned French barriques. A delicate floral nose with hints of nectarine leads to a textured palate of spiced honey, wild herbs and grapefruit notes.
Neuburger Exempel, Adreas Gsellmann – After hand-harvesting the grapes were crushed and left in a stainless steel tank with the skins for 7 days. Fermentation was spontaneous using indigenous yeast, followed by a malolactic fermentation, and then battonage. The finished wine stayed on the fine lees in 500lt tonneaux for 9 months to get enough energy for the time in the bottle. No filtration and a one-time addition of sulfur promise natural drinking pleasure. Today and tomorrow. Now and later.
Grus, Vinedos de Alcohuaz –Fresh red fruit, violets, pepper, granite and a whole lot of minerality. Vibrant and expressive on both the nose and palate. Silky smooth finish, which Reta attributes to ageing in concrete egg.
Sousao, Casa Santos Lima – A wine drinkers wine with a big character. It has a very strong ruby colour, due to the red flesh of this grape, with a deep smell of spices, red berries, chocolate and slightly smoky.

As is often remarked, variety is the spice of life. And that's exactly what we're offering you here. Six delicious, and very different wines. Maybe not what you would have chosen without our help, but each of them entirely deserving your attention.

1 bottle each of the following.

Champagne Ray Maurin – a light, zesty style of Champagne, the perfect aperitif.
Bourgogne Aligote, Lafarge 2015 – Aligote will always play second fiddle to Chardonnay in Burgundy and is frequently dismissed as being a bit thin and mean. In the right hands, that can be seen to be complete nonsense; don't get me wrong, Meursault this ain't but it's a gorgeous, slightly nutty, dry white with some real depth and richness.
Muscat Beaumes de Venise, Chapoutier 375ml –Intensely aromatic "vin doux naturel." Fortified with neutral grape spirit to arrest fermentation, the natural, residual sugars create the most beautifully balanced dessert wine, marrying seamlessly with grapey, muscat flavours.
Enira – Despite a large slug of Syrah in the blend, this owes more than a nod to vigneron, Count Stephan von Neippberg's background in Bordeaux (Canon la Gaffeliere and La Mondotte are amongst his properties.) Decidedly full flavoured with blackcurrant and spice peeking out from behind well-integrated, toasty oak.
Manzanos Crianza –Aromatic and intense, this is full of lovely aromas of wild red berries, blossom, nutmeg and hints of sandalwood. It is fresh, fruity and well balanced with sensations of raspberries, vanilla and cinnamon.
Lobethal Road Tempranillo/Graciano – And, for comparison, a Rioja blend from Adelaide Hills. A traditional blend of Tempranillo and Graciano delivering an elegant palate of luscious rich mulberry and raspberry fruits, underpinned by subtle savoury and earthy notes, with a touch of spice.