Named after a stone in the vineyard this wine is a selection of their best plots. The grapes are whole bunched pressed and fermented and aged in demi-muid (600l oak barrels) for one year. Mineral, lemon, lime, acacia 4.5/5
This Syrah from organic vineyards is fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel vessels. It matures for 14 months in French oak barrels of which 25% new. Very smooth and delicate. Cherry pie, ripe red cherry, black cherry 5/5
The name is an homage to Miquel Pons the winery founder that did more than 77 harvests. This wine is made from 100% Xarel-lo from hand harvested old vines. It spends 4 months in 300L used French oak barrels with bâttonage. It has an amazing balance and clear displays the Xarel-lo aromatics with a light aromatization from the oak. Lemon, pear, mineral, vanilla 4.75 / 5
This amazing Aligoté comes from a plot in the Côte d'Or close to Aloxe-Corton. It's hand harvested and hand sorted and goes through whole bunch pressing with no additives. After, it is fermented with indigenous yeast in barrels and matured in 600 litres old wood barrels for 12 months and 4-6 in stainless steel. Mineral, grapefruit, yellow plum 4.75/5
Most of the vineyards on this Beaujolais Cru are planted on steep slopes and the Gamay grapes for this wine are no exception; they come from 90y old goblet vines planted at 320 meters. The wine is fermented with 80% de-stemmed grapes and spends 12 months in old oak barrels. Red cherry, raspberry, plum 4.5/5
Hand harvested from vines with over 20 years planted at 900m in Castilla. Fermented and aged for 6 months in new French oak barrels. Vanilla, butter, smoke, yellow plum, coconut, some varnish 4.75/5
These two wines were both so outstanding that I couldn’t select one over the other, although from different geographies, and like the mythological brothers who founded Rome, they have something in common as well as clear differences Remus is made from Shiraz from Eden Valley vineyards older than 50y. Hard harvested, fermented with up to 25% whole-bunch berries. Matured 50% in new French oak for 18 months. With black cherry, spices, red cherry Romulus is also made from old vine Shiraz but from the Barossa Valley. Also hand harvested, but fully destemmed and crushed for fermentation. Matured 50% in new French oak for 18 months. Vanilla, blackberry, black cherry, black plum 5/5
Domaine de Villeneuve in Languedoc has been family owned for more than 7 generations. This wine is made from Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache, with the Syrah undergoing carbonic maceration. The wine spends 24 months in new French oak barriques Red cherry, blood orange, butter 5/5
The grapes come from the old vines of Brandlin Vineyard in Mount Veeder and are over 90y old and dry farmed The wine is 90% Zinfandel and 10% Mourvèdre, Charbono and Carignane. It spends 18 months in French oak (30% new) Pomegranate, red cherry, raspberry, lemon grass tea 5/5
This was my favourite wine at the WineGB tasting this year! I found it very different from the more "traditional" British sparkling wines, full of red fruit without losing the typical refreshing acidity of British sparkling wines. It's a field blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Pinot Meunier that spends some time macerating on the skins before pressing. The wine is aged in stainless steel and used oak, and on its lees for 18 months Red plum, red cherry, mineral 5/5
