Fellow Wine Lovers,
So how are you feeling this morning? Did you tuck in on #NationalDrinkWineDay? Clearly from a purely professional perspective we felt obligated, with Wayne choosing a bottle of the Salcheto Chianti Colli Senesi (£11.49) and Alex dining with chums and going off-list in the Kew area.
Earlier this week, we found ourselves with more in common with Paul McCartney than we ever imagined possible. All our invites for the Grammy’s were unexplainably lost in the post so, finding ourselves available, we popped out for a quick supplier tasting on Tuesday on the hunt for some new wines. Not sure what Paul got up to.
We also had a meeting with a new cheese supplier for our Cheese & Wine tastings, he brought some very tasty samples that we’re pretty excited about (tough working here sometimes!). Talking of which, we have just two spaces left for the Cheese & Wine on 10th March so don’t drag your feet!
Over the years we have sold, suggested, or just spoken to many of you about Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2008 (£23.99). We’ve long been fans of the estate (Alex even visited them!) so we were dead chuffed to see that this week they featured in Decanter Magazine’s top 7 Rioja’s to buy under £30: “Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso’s Reserva is always a delight to taste, and ages brilliantly in bottle. Made entirely from Tempranillo, spread over 14 parcels, it’s floral, elegant and refined with impressive finesse and subtle red fruit flavours. The oak is deftly integrated, too.” 96 Points Drink 2016-2025
Tasting This Weekend
We’re going to tickle our taste buds with a trip to down to Walker Bay in South Africa for the white. Our chums at Barton Vineyards produce their delicious Barton Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2013 (£11.59) amongst other things (Olive oils, honey, holiday lets, alongside other great wines).
Red-wise we’re driving for an hour or two out of Barcelona, heading for the hills behind Tarragona. Montsant is the home of Celler de Capçanes whose Mas Collet 2012 (£14.49), a winning blend of Garnacha, Samsó (Catalan for Carignan), Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, will be standing in the red corner.
Montsant, as I said an hour or two out of Barcelona, is a little special. Curving around the better known Priorat, with which it shares much of the same soils and geography. A vine growing area almost forever, it has only been a DO since 2001, its distinctive qualities earning it a separation from the much larger DO Tarragona. Like in Priorat old vine Garnacha and Carignan rule the roost here, along with some Tempranillo joined by the occasional more internationally famous varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.
And finally, yesterday in 1478 the Duke of Clarence was drowned in a vat of Malmsey. We’re not sure if that demonstrates the folly of not using a glass, or just a stunningly memorable way to go.