Arché – Sangiovese Rubicone IGT, 2018
This medium-bodied wine has a pleasant, fresh bouquet with a dark cherry and plum nose. Very easy on the palate with light tannins and a smooth finish.
Aventura Tinto, Susana Esteban, Regional Alentejano DOC 2013
Fresh, fruity and elegant, with a lovely floral hint. Soft and velvety, fruity and balanced with vibrant freshness and soul. Elegant and polished with good aging potential.
Bardolino DOC Cantina di Custoza 2016
A very pleasant bouquet of cherry and black pepper. A delicate palate with notes of plum and a touch of spice, the palate also displays a fresh acidity and a lengthy finish.
Bergerac AC Vieilli en Fut de Chene Domaine de Mayat, 2015/16
Made from 100% Merlot, deep garnet red wine with powerful aromas of black fruits. A round, velvet taste with a rich structure of tannins. Showing some bottle age and drinking very well now.
Bodega Roda – Roda I, Rioja DOC, Spain 2006
Intense, deep, black cherry red background with bright red cherry red hues in the rim. On the nose their is great balance between the oak and the fruit, in particular black plums, with some dark chocolate and sweet spices on a background of stark minerality showing through, providing a very elegant and complex bouquet. Medium bodied but showing great lenght. Mouth filling without weighing you down. The ripe black plum fruit shines together with some cocoa and dark chocolate blending perfectly with the sweet tannins from the oak. A very elegant, pleasing wine to the palate. Beautifully balanced, silky smooth, arousing an inviting moreish feeling that makes it a great food companion
Aged in 50% brand new and 50% second use French oak barrels. 16 months in barrels and 20 months cellaring in bottle. Bottled April 2008.
Bodegas Navajas – Rioja Crianza, 2015
Navajas get their hands on some of the finest fruit from region’s best vineyards and make an excellent traditional Rioja which combines attractive oaky, leathery flavours with fresh, bright fruit and supple palate.
Harpers (30th Jun 2014) (2010 vintage)
“Textbook smooth and sleek Rioja.”- Heather Dougherty
Bodegas Navajas
A family winery originally founded in 1918 as Bodegas Arjona but in 1983 the Navajas family become the sole stockholders, changing its name to Bodegas Navajas
The year 2000 was a turning point in the Bodegas history when they invested in enlarging and improving the winery and cellars with a new barrel-aging area and new modern facilities equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The Navajas family believe that the quality of the wine begins in the vineyards and for this reason they monitor and control the vineyards which belongs to their growers in Rioja Alta and Baja.
Bordeaux AC Elevé en Fut de Chene Domaine de Mayat, 2014/15
This classic and well vinified Bordeaux wine has a pleasant nose of ripe red fruits, a very expressive, fruity mouth with a fresh finish. 10-12 months in barrel. Enjoy from 2-3 from vintage up to 8-10 years. Pair with games dishes.
Domaine de Mayat
Family farm for 3 generations, Domaine de Mayat is located on the plateau of Fougueyrolles, and dominates the Dordogne valley at 90 meters altitude.
With a southern exposure, the soil is clay-siliceous and clayey-limestone with a high iron content.
The vineyard therefore benefits from the best criteria for the elaboration of its fine wines.
Cabernet Merlot Cape Mentelle, Margaret River, 2013
Opaque black dark purple colour with dark purple red hue. The nose is a little subdued with aromas of blackcurrant, mulberry, cedary tobacco and spice emerging. Medium weight the palate is a little closed at present with flavours of ripe mulberry, cedar, a touch of tobacco and spice. Fine grained, slightly dryish tannins. Aftertaste of blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco and spicy cedar.
Cabernet Sauvignon “Grain d’Automne” Pay’s d’Oc IGP Domaine Bergon, 2017
Dazzling garnet ruby colour with a good intensity. Plenty of ripe blackcurrant and green-pepper flavours on the palate to balance the generously rich tannins.
Caleo – Primitivo IGT Salento, 2017
Deep in color with a bright berry fruit nose. The palate is rich and spicy, full-bodied with a long velvety finish.
Calmel & Joseph – Syrah Villa Blanche, 2017/18
Tasting Note
Deep purple red colour. This vintage is fresher than the 2013 with aromas of red fruits, blackcurrant, blackbery and spices. The mouth is well balanced, round and fruity. Notes of truffles and gunflint. Tannins are soft with a generous finish of spices. Very nice balance on this vintage clearly elegant.
Ageing
10% of the wine is aged for three months in oak barrels of 2 vintages. The remaining 90% is raised in tanks on fine lees.
Top 100 The Wine Merchant
Highly Recommanded by The Wine Merchant
Guide Gilbert & Gaillard 2016
Gold Medal
Calmel & Joseph, Corbières, 2016/17
Ruby-red robe and a pronounced nose of black fruit, fresh figs and prunes. Clean and crisp on the palate, with notes of garrigue scrubland, spices and quince. Fine tannins, ending with a hint of truffle. Well-balanced and elegant, with very good ageing potential.
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson.
“Syrah, Grenache and a bit of Cinsault. Pure delicious red fruit on the nose. Sweet rounded cherry and plum swathed in a sinewy, slightly rugged, leather strap of tannins. The taut refined acidity, that is such a hallmark of Calmel & Joseph, strims through the sweetness of the fruit like a blade, leaving freshness and just a hint of earthy spice in its wake. Just a little Cinsault, and yet it brings it distinctive soprano note into the deeper alto and bass tones of the Syrah and Grenache.”
Cannonau di Sardegna Costera, Argiolas, 2017
Made from the Sardinian clone of Grenache called Cannonau, Carignan & Bovale Sardo, it is a chunky, robust, meaty effort revealing scents of garrigue, kirsch liqueur, white chocolate, pepper, and spice. Full-bodied, with terrific fruit as well as loads of personality.
Casanova di Neri – Brunello di Montalcino 2013
Casanova di Neri’s Brunello di Montalcino is a beautiful wine, from one of the all-time great Brunello vintages. Refined and elegant with gorgeous aromas of ripe cherries, blackberry, smoke, leather and fresh floral notes. Focused and tightly wound with wonderful fine-grained tannins and a long lingering finish.
Casanova di Neri
The Casanova di Neri Estate was founded by Giovanni Neri in 1971 and is now run by his son Giacomo. Giacomo has spent several years acquiring the best possible vineyards within the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG area. Most recently, he has re-developed the winemaking facilities at Casanova di Neri and has just completed an impressive underground winery and cellar. Giacomoâ??s passion and expertise, together with 55 hectares of vineyards, represent the ideal combination for producing wines with exceptional personality, uniqueness, and recognisable characteristics. The Casanova di Neri vineyards, set on the slopes of Montalcino, are influenced by radical differences in soil, microclimate and surrounding vegetation, whilst maintaining a maximum separation of just one kilometre. Although primarily an advocate of Brunello (a Sangiovese clone), Giacomo has recently experimented with international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon for his Pietradonice DOC. The winery is now recognised as one of the finest producers in Italy. It has been awarded the Tre Bicchieri at the Gambero Rosso and received international recognition in the wine industry’s most important publications.
Château Canon la Gaffeliere, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2006
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 92 points.
“Stephan von Neipperg’s splendid 50-acre vineyard on clay and limestone soils has once again produced a beautifully ripe, concentrated, textured, sensual wine of both power and elegance. The 2006, an unfined, unfiltered blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, reveals sweet aromas of fruitcake, cassis, black cherries, roasted herbs, cedar, and spice box. This pure, textured, forward beauty should drink well for 12-15+ years.” February 2009
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 91-94 points.
“Stephan von Neipperg’s flagship estate (and, in my opinion, one that should have been upgraded to a premier grand cru classe in the new St.-Emilion hierarchy) has turned in another stunning performance. A blend of 55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from small yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare, the 2006 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as scents of creme de cassis, pain grille, espresso roast, chocolate, and spicy roasted herbs. Dense, medium to full-bodied, and surprisingly opulent for a 2006, with oodles of fruit, and terrific structure as well as purity, it is a more noble expression of Neipperg’s other St.-Emilion, Clos de l’Oratoire. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2024.” April 2007
Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc, 2009
Soft and silky on the palate with an almost Right Bank feel, the 2009 Ch. Cantemerle is full if generous, mulberry fruit and supple tannins. The fruit is well balanced by the refreshing acidity, leading to a crisp, clean finish.
‘Gorgeous ripe fruit character, with loads of blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Full body, with velvety tannins and a fruity, fresh, grapefruit aftertaste. Really beautiful. Best ever from here. Best after 2018.’ – 95pts, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2012.
The Estate
Cantemerle is a Cinquième Cru Classé (Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855) and has 94 hectares of vineyards, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (6%) and Petit Verdot (4%). The wines are made under the guidance of consultant oenologist, Eric Boissenot, undergoing 12 months’ ageing in French oak, of which 40% is new.
Château Carbonnieux, Grand Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan, 2009
A classic Pessac-Leognan, the 2009 Carbonnieux possesses aromas of sweet black currants and cherries intermixed with hints of roasted herbs, unsmoked cigar tobacco, charcoal and licorice. Medium to full-bodied with more concentration than many vintages, this surprisingly fleshy effort has more poundage and glycerin than this normally light-styled Bordeaux has offered in the past. Harmonious sweet tannins and low acidity give the wine a fleshy mouthfeel and immediate appeal, but most of its aromatic complexity will not emerge for another 5-7 years. It should keep for two decades or more.
Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis en Médoc, 2008
Soft and approachable, this fruit forward claret has immediate appeal. Concentrated black cherry aromas dominate the nose alongside herb and sweet spice hints. The palate shows earthy and more savoury characters and is rounded with a pleasing mouthfeel, all very well balanced.
Château Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen is a leading estate in Moulis. Although classified as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc’s more renowned classed growths.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months and is bottled unfiltered.
Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis en Médoc, 2009
Beautiful blueberry, black raspberry and cassis fruit as well as incense and graphite jump from the glass of this inky ruby/purple-colored wine. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, dense and rich, this is one of the stars of Moulis in 2009.
Château Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen is a leading estate in Moulis. Although classified as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc’s more renowned classed growths.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months and is bottled unfiltered.
Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis en Médoc, 2010
A beautiful effort from Chasse-Spleen, this dense purple wine exhibits plenty of black currant and black cherry fruit with some licorice, roasted herbs and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied and supple, the final blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot has produced a fleshy, succulent style of Chasse-Spleen to drink over the next 15+ years.
Château Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen is a leading estate in Moulis. Although classified as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc’s more renowned classed growths.
A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months and is bottled unfiltered.
Château d’Agassac, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois, 2010
A superb wine from the Southern Medoc, this blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc is a real sleeper of the vintage. Floral notes intermixed with forest floor, black currant and some subtle smoke and truffle are all present in this seriously endowed, full-bodied wine that is performing beautifully.
Château d’Aiguilhe, Comtes von Neipperg, Côtes de Castillon, 2010
One of the best-run estates in the underrated and undervalued appellation of Cotes de Castillon is Chateau d’Aiguilhe, which is owned by Stephan von Neipperg. As with all of von Neipperg’s wines, Stephane Derenoncourt is the consulting winemaker. The blend is usually 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, although I did not see the statistics on this particular vintage. The 2010 (10,000 cases produced) achieved 14% natural alcohol from modest yields of 34 hectoliters per hectare. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue, lots of cassis, crushed rock and floral characteristics, a round, generous, savory, broadly textured style and sweet tannins. Drink it over the next decade.