FAREHAM WINE CELLAR PORTFOLIO TASTING 2018
It’s that time again!!! Time for the biennial Fareham Wine Cellar Portfolio Wine Tasting. This year will see and taste plethora of wine (and spirit) people, old faces, and new, but who will all be bringing their fine drinks for our delectation. All the key suppliers will be in attendance and there will be well over 150 different wines and spirits to try. Tickets £15.00 per person – in advance and over 18 years old only. Tickets are available at Fareham Wine Cellar (55 High Street, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7BG UK), over the (telephone: 01329 822733), and online (www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk).
If you have never attended one of their portfolio wine tastings before, basically, on arrival, you will be given a tasting glass and you are then free to wander around the different tables, chat to suppliers and try wines and spirits to your heart’s content. The tasting is open for five and a half hours. You do not need to attend for the entire time, or taste every single thing (that is not a challenge), but they recommend that you have a plan of attack if there are certain things that you want to try and please set aside at least a couple of hours to do the tasting justice. There is a tasting booklet for download which can be downloaded and printed out. In the meantime, you can find a current list of all the exhibitors.
ABOUT BODEGAS URBINA RIOJA
Bodegas Urbina are a small family-owned Rioja producer with 75 hectares of vineyards. Established in 1870 the winery and vineyards are located in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón at the north western edge of the Rioja DOC with some more vineyards located in the heart of the Rioja DOC at Urunuela. All the grapes they use are from their own vineyards, they don’t use any bought in fruit. Urbina produces a full range of Riojas including white, rosé and a full range of red wines from the young, un-oaked Jovens up to Reservas and Gran Reservas which are aged for years in barrel and bottle. There is a definite Urbina “house style”, the wines tend to be lighter than some more modern styles of Rioja with a lot of red fruit and vanilla character, an almost Burgundian style of Rioja!
WINE TASTING EXHIBITORS 2018
- Awin, Barrett and Siegel: Andrea Bulcock will be showing wines from our old favourite, Simon Hackett, The Hedonist Wines (Walter Clappis), Jordan Wines Stellebosch and much more.
- Berkmann Wine Cellar: Laurent Bergmann will be showing wines from Lapostolle Chile, a selection of Italian wines, rums and Marconi 46 and Hedgehog Gins.
- Bodegas Calar: Grandson of founder Juan José Moreno, Manuel Rivas Moreno, will be showing a new range of first rate Spanish, Tempranillo based wines from Granatula de Calatrava in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real. Look out for the Calar and the Abrego.
- Burridges of Arlington Street: Edward Burridge and Teresa Burridge will be in attendance with Pedro Urbina from Bodegas Urbina showing Pedro’s Riojas and Spanish wines from other producers.
- Cellar Trends: Cellar Trends are a specialist spirits company and we will be showing a range of Rums, including Pusser’s, Botran, Bumbu and Bayou Select. Ian Robinson will also be showing some Scotch Whiskies from Spey Distillery and Beinn Dubh, American whiskies, Stolichnaya Vodka, Italicus and Tequila.
- Chateau Lestage: Owner Caroline Philippon will be showing some of her delightful Bordeaux wines from Chateau Lestage in Listrac and Chateau Caroline in Moulis. She will also be showing wines from her brother’s estate, Chateau Fonreaud, also located in Listrac en Medoc.
- Domaine Jones: Owner and winemaker Katie Jones, who I am sure needs no introduction, will be bringing some excellent new wines and vintages.
- EA Vinos: Export Manager Jordi Portillo will be presenting some excellent wines made in central Spain by Manuel Manzaneque Suarez including the ¡Ea! Vinos and the superb Fatum wines.
- Hambledon Vineyard: The team from Hambledon Vineyard will be showing all of their fantastic Hampshire Sparkling wines including the Classic Cuvee, Rose and Premiere Cuvee.
- Hatch Mansfield: Hatch are the UK agents for such fantastic wineries as Robert Oatley Vineyards and Hancock and Hancock in Australia. James Wilson will in attendance to tell you all about them as well as showing wines from Louis Jadot, Champagne Taittinger, Caliterra and Kleine Zalze.
- Jean Baptiste Audy: Nadège Sabras represents Bordeaux negociant and Chateau owner J B Audy in the UK. She will be showing a range of their delicious Clarets.
- John E Fells: Fells are UK agents for all sorts of interesting wineries. Matthew Nutt will be presenting wines from wine producers including Champagne Henriot, Torres Spain, Torres Chile, Wente Vineyards, Tedeschi, La Crema, Smith Woodhouse, Blandy’s Madeira and Pellegrino Marsala.
- Louis Latour: Guy Nightingale will be showing wines, not just from the esteemed Burgundy house Louis Latour, but also wine from Champagne Gosset, Wakefield Wines, Seresin Estate in New Zealand and Cognac Frapin.
- Maison Marques et Domaines: Adam Baggott will be showing wines including Meerlust from South Africa, Burgundy from Domaine Faiveley amongst others. I am sure we can persuade him to bring some Champagne Louis Roederer and Port from Ramos Pinto too.
- Marussia Beverages: Helen Wainwright will be showing a wide range of spirits including artisan Gin, Cognac, Armagnac, Liqueurs and perhaps some Sake.
- Moet Hennessy: Moet Hennessy’s portfolio includes wines from Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Champagne Ruinart, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Whisky. Hopefully we will get the first peek at the 2018 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc if it arrives in time. Sirlene Torres and Paul Tucker will be exhibiting.
- Raimes English Sparkling Wines: August Raimes will be showing her delightful Hampshire Sparkling wines made from grapes grown on The Tichborne Estate near Arlesford. Look out for the richer Blanc de Noirs and their new Classic Cuvée Brut.
Tahon de Tobelos Reserva 2012 Rioja DOC: (£23.95/bottle or £273.03/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Tahon de Tobelos Reserva Rioja is the flagship wine from Tobelos Bodegas y Vinedos and is 100% Tempranillo. Bodegas Tobelos is a relatively new wine project in Rioja which was founded in late 1999 through the hard work and vision of current manager Ricardo Reinoso. Reinoso, who has many years experience in managing wineries in the Rioja Denominacion de Origen, brought together investors from around the world who shared his same ideals and wished to create a top quality Rioja wine. Tobelos has a magnificent, minimalistic, modern winery located at Brinas, the gateway to La Rioja. Tobelos sources it grapes from a number of contracted growers with many small plots, totalling around 15 hectares, with an average vine age of 20 years old. Many of these plots are at the top limit of altitude for grape growing. Tobelos also own their own, older vineyards (some 3 hectares) surrounding the winery called Mocotero and Los Quinones. The grapes for the Tahon de Tobelos Reserva Rioja come from Tobelos’ own vineyards between the villages of Brinas and San Vincente which have an average age of 55 years. Made frmo 100% Tempranillo. The grapes are hand-harvested and destemmed prior to a 9 day fermentation, twice daily pumping over but this time with a maceration period of 22 days on the skins. The wine also undergoes malolactic fermentation in new oak casks. The wine is aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for 14 months. Production around 32,000 bottle per vintage.
Celler Cal Pla Tinto 2016 Priorat DOQ: (£13.95/bottle or £159.03/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Celler Cal Pla Tinto Priorat DOQ is a red wine made Joan Sangenis. It is a blend of the traditional grapes of the region, Garnacha and Carinena, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on the famous Priorat “Llicorella” soils. After previous generations had sold their grapes to the local cooperative, owner / oenologist Joan Sangenis decided, in 1995, to create Celler Cal Pla to vinify wines for himself. The winery is based in the village of Porrera and Joan Sangenis now owns some 80 hectares of south-facing vineyards, at altitudes of 300 to 400m, with an average age of 50 years or more and some small parcels of Carignan and Grenache which are over 100 years old. The oldest vineyards are located on very steep slopes which aree known locally as “Costers” The soils are typical of Priorat – the topsoil is composed od slate and quartz and often appears very dark grey or black in colour. The subsoil below is a reddish slate with quartz with very high mineral content – this is known as “Llicorella”. The combination of low-yielding old vines, a modern stainless steel winery and healthy maintenance of vineyards with no pesticides are all factors which allows Joan Sangenis to produce some of the very best Priorat wines. Celler Cal Pla Tinto Priorat DOQ is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 45% Carinena and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that is aged for 14 months on its lees in 15% American and 85% French oak barrels (a mixture of 1 to 3 year old barrels). The grapes are sourced from vines with an average age of 10 to 20 years. Average production of 30,000 bottles per vintage.
Celler Cal Pla Mas D’en Compte Blanco 2014, Porrera, Priorat DOQ: (£21.50/bottle or £245.10/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Celler Cal Pla Mas D’en Compte Blanco is one of only a handful of white wines produced in the Priorat wine-growing region. Indeed, white wine production consist of only about 2% of total wine production in the region. After previous generations had sold their grapes to the local cooperative, owner / oenologist Joan Sangenis decided, in 1995, to create Celler Cal Pla to vinify wines for himself. The winery is based in the village of Porrera and Joan Sangenis now owns some 80 hectares of south-facing vineyards, at altitudes of 300 to 400m, with an average age of 50 years or more and some small parcels of Carignan and Grenache which are over 100 years old. The oldest vineyards are located on very steep slopes which aree known locally as “Costers” The soils are typical of Priorat – the topsoil is composed od slate and quartz and often appears very dark grey or black in colour. The subsoil below is a reddish slate with quartz with very high mineral content – this is known as “Llicorella”. The combination of low-yielding old vines, a modern stainless steel winery and healthy maintenance of vineyards with no pesticides are all factors which allows Joan Sangenis to produce some of the very best Priorat wines. Celler Cal Pla Mas D’en Compte Blanco is a blend of 60% Garnacha Blanca from vines with yields of 900 gr per vine, 20% Picapoll, 10% Pansá and 10% Macabeo. Each grape variety is vinified separately. The wine is barrel-fermented in large 3000 litre oak barrels for 15 days on the skins and then each variety is aged on its lees in 80% new French Allier oak and 20% new American oak barrels for 6 months. The wine is then blended prior to bottling and release. Approximately 13,000 bottles per vintage are made. Celler Cal Pla Mas D’en Compte Blanco has once been voted best white wine in Spain by the Spanish national newspaper El Pais as well as winning many other accolades.
Bodegas y Viñedos Blanco Nieva 2017 DO Rueda: Selection of the estate’s finest 100% Verdejo aged on lees from 80%-23 year old trellised vines with yields of 2.98 tons per acre - and 20%-83 year old gobelet vines with yields of less than 1 ton per acre. Fermentation for 20 days in small stainless steel tanks at 15°C, matured on natural yeast lees. Straw-coloured with a steely reflection, clean and bright. Striking bouquet of citrus and anise with stone fruit, green apple, grapefruit and mineral notes. Tasty and fresh acidity, rounded, zesty mouthfeel with citrus, pear flavours, fleshy, ripe white fruit and fennel notes with a characteristic Verdejo bitterness which creates an immense aftertaste. A refined and full-bodied wine. The cellar’s crowning glory. Smooth, elegant with a very long finish.
Bodegas Campos Reales, Canforrales de Verdejo 2017 White, DO La Mancha: 100% Verdejo, cultivated for more than a decade at Campos Reales vineyards, adapting perfectly to its surroundings. Fresh and cheerful, yellow-ish green, bright and alive. Citrus and tropical fruits are the predominant aromas which precede a broad and long finish on the palate.
Moet Hennessy Portfolio Wines: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, also known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 under the merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger between the champagne producer Moët & Chandon and Hennessy, the cognac manufacturer. It controls around 60 subsidiaries that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. The subsidiaries are often managed independently. The oldest of the LVMH brands is wine producer Château d'Yquem, which dates its origins back to 1593. Christian Dior SE is the main holding company of LVMH, owning 40.9% of its shares, and 59.01% of its voting rights. Bernard Arnault, majority shareholder of Dior, is Chairman and CEO of both companies. In 2017, Arnault purchased all the remaining Christian Dior shares in a reported $13.1 billion buy out. The Dapifer reports that LVMH will gain ownership of Christian Dior haute couture, leather, both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, and footwear lines. Arnault's successful integration of various famous aspirational brands into a single group has inspired other luxury companies into doing the same. Thus, the French conglomerate Kering (formerly named PPR) and the Swiss-based Richemont have also created extended portfolios of luxury brands. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.
Champagne Dom Perignon Vintage 2009: (£135.50/bottle or £1544.70/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Champagne Dom Perignon was the first prestige cuvée, an idea proposed by Englishman Laurence Venn. The first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936. It is named after the alleged creator of champagne, a 16th Century Benedictine monk called Pierre Pérignon. True to the ambition of Pierre Pérignon in the late 17th century, Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy demands the exceptional: only an outstanding harvest is worthy of Dom Pérignon vintage champagne, the exclusive product of a single year. More than three centuries later, the House of Dom Pérignon perpetuates the visionary approach of its founder, widely considered the spiritual father of Champagne. Each new vintage is a unique creative act, reinventing the extraordinary style of a wine that only the Chef de Cave may declare a “vintage year”. “The grapes are never the same from one year to the next. If a harvest does not meet Dom Pérignon’s unyielding standards, there will be no vintage champagne that year. This isn’t a value judgment – it’s an aesthetic vision,” says Dom Perignon Chef de Cave Richard Geoffroy. The unique personality of Dom Pérignon is born of this creative commitment. It is this tension between the distinctive qualities of a year and the timeless spirit that defines Dom Pérignon, an unparalleled sensation that imparts weightlessness, airy richness and suppleness from first impression to the long-lasting finish. From Dom Perignon’s website, “The stretch of excellent weather condition of 2009 was unprecedented, and allowed us to explore new frontiers of grape ripeness in Champagne. The vintage offers a taste of the ripest and richest fruit, grapes in their prime, with the promise of the future wine’s freshness and energy. The 2009 vintage brings a prodigious, sunny, bold and generous decade to a close.” Champagne Dom Perignon Vintage 2009 is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.
Numanthia Toro 2012, Bodegas Numanthia: (£40.99/bottle or £467.28/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Numanthia is a red wine produced in the Toro wine-growing Denomicanc d’Origen in the northwest of Castile and Léon. The Numanthia estate lies near the small village of Valdefinjas, in the province of Zamora. The wines are made from 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). Numanthia was was founded in 1998 by the Eguren family, from the Rioja region. From the start, the aim of Marcos and Miguel Eguren was to produce the best wine possible in the Toro wine-growing region. The estate was purchased by French luxury goods giant Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in 2008. Today the estate owns 83 hectares of vines in the communes of Valdefinjas and Toro. Of these, over 40% of the vineyards are planted with vines aged over 70 years old and there is another exceptional plot of 4.8 hectares (Teso de los Carriles), in the commune of Argujillo, whose vines were planted over 140 years ago. These grapes contribute to the three wines called Termes, Numanthia and Termanthia. The estate’s signature wine is Numanthia. Numanthia is a subtle blend of grapes from more than 100 parcels of the finest terroirs offering unique balance, elegance and power. Numanthia’s style depends on the selection of exceptional vines, aged between 50 and 100 years old, ungrafted and non-irrigated. Year after year, their low yields deliver grapes of extreme concentration with intense fruit and structure. Harvesting is carried out manually and there is a rigorous selection of grapes both in the vineyard and at the winery. The grapes are 100% destemmed and undergo between 4 to 6 days of cold maceration with 2 daily pump-overs. There is then an extended maceration on skins for 21 days with light pump-overs. The wine is aged in new French oak barrel during 18 months and is racked every 4 months.
Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2015, Napa Valley: (£36.95/bottle or £421.23/case (12+ bottles, 5% off) Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay is a barrel fermented Chardonnay made with fruit sourced from vineyards in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. Widely acclaimed as a California wine trailblazer, Newton Vineyard was one of the first wineries on Spring Mountain, a rugged yet serene appellation located west of St. Helena on the eastern flank of the Mayacamas range which separates Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Newton Vineyard was established in 1977, the vision of founders Peter Newton and his wife Dr. Su Hua, who recognized the potential of Spring Mountain as a prime viticultural region. Today Newton Vineyards is part of Estates & Wines, the wine division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Newton Vineyard comprises some 560 acres with less than one fifth planted to vine at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,600 feet above sea level. The non-farmed acreage remains in its native forested state providing natural habitat for indigenous wildlife. Sustainability is very important at Newton who are members of The Napa Green Certified Land and Winery program. The winemaker since 2016 is Italian born Alberto Bianchi who has also worked at other LVMH properties including Terrazas, Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay. As mentioned, Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay is made with fruit sourced from vineyards in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. The vineyards are situated on well-drained, rollinh hill sloping to the San Pablo Bay. The proximity of the bay moderates the vineyard microclimate with morning and evening fog and afternoon breezes. The maritime climate helps to produce a long-growing season to develop even and optimal ripeness. Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay was 100 percent barrel fermented using indigenous yeasts. The wine was aged for a total of 12 months in French oak barrels, 27 percent of which were new. During maturation every barrel as hand-stirred weekly to re-suspend the sediment, a technique that protects the wine from oxidation and creates added complexity. The individual lots were then blended and bottled unfiltered.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Marlborough: (£21.50/bottle or £245.10/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is quite simply the iconic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and the 2016 vintage is the 32nd vintage of this wine. Cloudy Bay Vineyards was established in 1985 by Kevin Judd and David Hohnen of Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia, and is today part of Estates & Wines (owned by LVMH). The winery and vineyards are situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough at the northern end of New Zealand’s South Island. This unique and cool wine region enjoys a maritime climate with the longest hours of sunshine of any place in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has estate vineyards located at prime sites within the Wairau Valley as well as long-term supply agreements with local growers. Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc has become an international benchmark wine noted for its vibrant aromatics, layers of pure fruit flavours and fine structure. Grapes are sourced from estate and grower vineyards located in the Rapaura, Fairhall, Renwick and Brancott sub-regions of the Wairau Valley. Free draining, stony soils typify the Rapaura and Renwick areas whilst Fairhall and Brancott are predominantly aged alluvial loams containing some clay. The grapes for Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc were de-stemmed and transferred straight to tank presses within hours of picking. Following harvest, the free-run juice was cold settled for 48-72 hours before racking. Fermentation was primarily carried out in stainless steel tanks with a mixture of cultured yeasts and wild yeast. Approximately 3% of the blend was fermented at warmer temperature in old French oak barriques and large format vats.
BY.OTT Rosé 2017, AC Côtes de Provence: (£17.99/bottle or £205.08/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). BY.OTT Rosé is new Cotes de Provence Rosé made by Domaines Ott and first vintage produced was the 2015, released in 2016. Domaines Ott is arguably one of the best, and most famous, producers of Rosé wines from Provence and their Clos Mireille and Chateau de Selle are widely regarded as two of the very best of their type. Domaine Ott was established in 1912 by Marcel Ott, an Alsacien who dreamed of creating a great wine estate by the Mediterranean. The estate continued to be family-owned until it was bought out by Champagne Louis Roederer in 2004. Domaines Ott consists of three different estates in the Bandol and Cotes de Provence ACs and produces some of the most prestigious wines in the world. Today the estate is represented by Christian and Francois Ott and comprises Chateau de Selle and Clos Mireille in the Côtes de Provence appellation and Chateau Romassan in Bandol. BY.OTT Rosé is a blend of wines from both Chateau de Selle and Clos Mireille with some other fruit sourced from two trusted wine-growers from outside of the estates. Clos Mireille´s proximity to the sea and microclimate offer freshness while Château de Selle, located on limestone hillsides, gives plenty of fruit and texture to the wine. There is also a BY.OTT Rouge (fruit from Chateau de Selle) and a BY.OTT Blanc (fruit from Clos Mireille). The wines are made by cousins Jean-Francois Ott and Christian Ott, the fourth generation of winemakers. BY.OTT Rosé is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 10% Syrah. The BY.OTT range is produced at Chateau de Selle’s new winery. The grapes are hand picked, followed by strict and selective sorting on tables and an extremely delicate pressing process of whole bunches with a super short maceration to produce the beautiful light colour. Slow fermentation takes place in thermo-regulated vats.
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2015, Marlborough: (£27.99/bottle or £319.08/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir is a red wine from New Zealand. It is made from 100% Pinot Noir fruit sourced from the Marlborough wine-growing region. Cloudy Bay Vineyards was established in 1985 by Kevin Judd and David Hohnen who were both then at Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Western Australia. Today Cloudy Bay is part of Estates & Wines, owned by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). The winery and vineyards are situated in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough at the northern end of New Zealand’s South Island. This unique and cool wine region enjoys a maritime climate with the longest hours of sunshine of any place in New Zealand. Cloudy Bay has estate vineyards located at prime sites within the Wairau Valley as well as long-standing contracts with many growers in region. The winery takes its name from the bay at the eastern extremity of the Wairau Valley, which was named Cloudy Bay by Ca ptain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770. Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir was first made in 1989 and the wine-making team has been obsessed with the variety ever since. The grapes for this wine sourced from carefully selected sites located within the southern Wairau Valley, including the Mustang and Barracks vineyards. The Barracks vineyard is an elevated site in the Omaka Valley dedicated almost entirely to Pinot Noir. In the winery, the purpose-built Pinot cellar allows the winemakers to handle as many as 40 unique parcels of wine from 25 different sites with the utmost precision and care. The Pinot Noir fruit was entirely handpicked and de-stemmed before being gravity fed into the fermentation vessels. 13% of the fermentation was comprised of whole bunches. The fermentations utilised natural occuring yeast populations under carefully monitored conditions. The grape skins were gently plunged with an average of 18 days skin contact. After fermentation the wines were matured in French oak for 12 months, of which 35% was new.
Meerlust Rubicon 2015, Stellenbosch: (£22.99/bottle or £262.08/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Meerlust Rubicon is the top Cape Classic Blend from Meerlust Estate which is one of the oldest and most prestigious South African Wineries in the Stellenbosch wine region. Meerlust has a long history and the Myburgh family have been making wine at the estate for eight generations since 1756. Current owner Hannes Myburgh (who studied winemaking at Geisenheim, Germany and Chateau Lafite) continues to maintain the family tradition to the art of fine wine making. The head winemaker since 2004 is Chris Williams, who has worked at Meerlust since 1995, and has worked for Michel Rolland in France. Meerlust consists of 110 hectares of vineyards located 15 kilometers to the south of Stellenbosch and 5 kilometers away from False Bay. The Estate is ideally positioned for the production of characterful and complex wines – there are cooling ocean breezes and evening mists in the summertime which allow the grapes to ripen slowly and thereby gaining full, complex, rich and robust varietal characteristics. The soil is similar to those of Bordeaux, it is deep well-draining Hutton and Clovelly soil types (decomposing granite and clay), ideal for wine-growing offering the vines good drought resistance and conditions for producing concentrated, complex wines. 110 hectares are planted, mainly with red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Meerlust Rubicon 2015 is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Each variety was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels, 66% new French Nevers and 44% second fill casks. After 9 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 9 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. Winemaker is Chris Williams.
Belguardo Bronzone Riserva 2015, Morellino di Scansano DOCG: (£21.99/bottle or £250.68/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Belguardo Bronzone Riserva Morellino di Scansano DOCG is a red wine made in the Maremma wine-growing region of Tuscany. The Mazzei family purchased the Tenuta Belguardo estate in the 1990s after identifying the potential of the estate for making great wines. The estate is located in the commune of Grosetto in the hills between Grosetto and Montiano and is within the Morellino di Scansano DOCG. Morellino di Scansano was granted DOC status in 1978 and only recently upgraded to DOCG status with the 2007 vintage. By law the wines must be at least 85% Sangiovese, Belguardo Bronzone Riserva is 100% Sangiovese. The estate is located only 10kms away from the coastal and the coastal influence plays an important role in helping to maintain low humidity, below average rainfall for the area and a high rate of evapotranspiration. The estate has 32 hectares of vineyards planted with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, Vermentino, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and other indigenous varieties. The soil contains a high content of limestone and sandstone rocks which are good for water retention and some sand, giving excellent drainage. The grapes for the Belguardo Bronzone Riserva Morellino di Scansano DOCG are sourced from vineyards with an average age of 14 years old. The grapes are hand harvested, crushed and fermented with a maceration period of 14 to 16 days. The wines is then aged for 14 months in 225L French oak barriques, 40% of which are new.
Seresin Leah Pinot Noir 206, Marlborough: (£18.00/bottle or £205.20/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Seresin Leah Pinot Noir is named after Michael Seresin’s daughter and is a blend made from grapes sourced from all three of their vineyard sites. The name Seresin might be familiar to you if you have an interest in the film world. Michael Seresin is a world-famous cinematographer most famous for his collaborations with Alan Parker on such films as Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express. He founded Seresin Estate in 1992 and, with their first vintage in 1996, they are celebrating 20 vintages in 2016. Seresin Estate encompasses not only the vines and olive groves, but also pasture land, livestock, vegetable gardens and orchards, as well as native vegetation. The Pinot Noir grapes for this wine are certified organic and come from the estate’s Demeter certified biodynamic vineyards, Raupo Creek, Tatou and Noa. Raupo Creek is located in the Omaka Valley with its clay-rich hillside soils. Both Tatou (alluvial shingles) and Noa (their original vineyard with alluvial Waimakariri soils) are located in the Wairau Valley. The 2011 is sourced 21% Noa, 10% Tatou and 69% Raupo Creek. The grapes are hand-harvested and completely destemmed, they are then cooled and undergo a period of pre-fermentation steeping. The wine is fermented using natural yeasts with a twice daily punching down of the cap. The wine is left on the skins for 2 weeks after fermentation and it then lightly pressed and racked into French oak barriques (10% new). The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel and is then aged for 11 months prior to bottling unfiltered and unrefined. Seresin Leah Pinot Noir is certified organic and biodynamically grown. It is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. No dairy products or eggs used during production.
Meerlust Rubicon 2015, Stellenbosch: (£22.99/bottle or £262.08/case (12+ bottles, 5% off). Meerlust Rubicon is the top Cape Classic Blend from Meerlust Estate which is one of the oldest and most prestigious South African Wineries in the Stellenbosch wine region. Meerlust has a long history and the Myburgh family have been making wine at the estate for eight generations since 1756. Current owner Hannes Myburgh (who studied winemaking at Geisenheim, Germany and Chateau Lafite) continues to maintain the family tradition to the art of fine wine making. The head winemaker since 2004 is Chris Williams, who has worked at Meerlust since 1995, and has worked for Michel Rolland in France. Meerlust consists of 110 hectares of vineyards located 15 kilometers to the south of Stellenbosch and 5 kilometers away from False Bay. The Estate is ideally positioned for the production of characterful and complex wines – there are cooling ocean breezes and evening mists in the summertime which allow the grapes to ripen slowly and thereby gaining full, complex, rich and robust varietal characteristics. The soil is similar to those of Bordeaux, it is deep well-draining Hutton and Clovelly soil types (decomposing granite and clay), ideal for wine-growing offering the vines good drought resistance and conditions for producing concentrated, complex wines. 110 hectares are planted, mainly with red varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. Meerlust Rubicon 2015 is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Each variety was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels, 66% new French Nevers and 44% second fill casks. After 9 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 9 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. Winemaker is Chris Williams.