Cape Spring 2010

Type: Red wine
Winery: Les Grands Chais
D.O.: Western Cape
Country: South Africa

Variety: Pinotage

Features

The wines of the Western Cape range from sturdy Rhone-style red wines to aromatic Sauvignon Blancs in vineyards cooled by breezes off the Atlantic. In this case, a fragrant subtle elegant wine, with cherryish, spicy flavours and that familiar bitter sweet flavour one associates with Pinotage.

Alc./vol.: 12,5%
Serving temperature: 14-16 ºC

Tasting
View: Garnet coloured wine. Medium layer.
Nose: Intense ripe bramble and black cherry fruits.

Mouth: Dry with firm but mellowing tannins and huge, yet elegant, structure. With a fine palate of mulberry & loganberry fruits and hints of coffee and cloves in the background. Stylish wine with a savoury twist on the finish.

Imperial Reserva 2004

Type: Red wine

Winery: Cune

D.O.: Rioja

Country: Spain

Variety: Tempranillo (85%), Graciano (10%) and Mazuelo (5%)

Features

A selection of the best grapes from our Rioja Alta vineyards aronund the village of Villalba were hand harvested into small 30 kg boxes. Prior to starting the alcoholic fermentation, the whole bunches of grapes were coolled down and kept at a low temperature for some hours in order to better control the fermentation without using any additives and to achieve the optimum extraction. The fermentation took place in a combination of oak vats and stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures. The wine was then aged in both American and French new oak casks for two years before being bottled followed by another two years in bottle prior to its release to the market.

Alc./vol.: 13,5%

Serving temperature: 18-19 ºC

Tasting

View: Stylish, bright ruby red and very intense in colour.

Nose: Highly aromatic on the nose with hints of red and black autumn fruit aromas along with some toasted and spicy notes of sweet Bourbon character.

Mouth: Full and meaty in the palate with great depthand a fine, long, velvety and complex ending.

Alejairén 2010

Type: White wine

Winery: El Vínculo (Pesquera Business Group)

D.O.: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Variety: Airen

Features

This is the first white wine which Alejandro Fernández commercializes. It is made only with Airen variety, from vineyards from Paraje La Golosa, where the grounds are sandy and stony. A greasy, oily  white wine with a good potential, which will improve and become round standing into the bottle. It is aging inside the casks for 24 months.

THE BEST SPANISH WHITE WINE in the contest organized by Salamanca Wine Association “VINTAGE”, 2007.

Alc./vol.: 13,5%

Serving temperature: 7 ºC

Tasting

View: Golden colour, clean and bright.

Nose: Ripe fruit aromas, wrapped by a nice spicy hint which remembers vanilla. Toasted hints, nuts and pastries.

Mouth: Tasty, greasy and fresh, with flavours which remember cherry and dark berries. It is appreciated the hint by hardwood and toasted bottom.

Baltos

Type: Red wine

Winery: Viñedos y Bodegas de Dominio de Tares

D.O.: Bierzo

Country: Spain

Variety: Mencía

Features

This wine has been produced from the Mencia grape variety from different vineyards in the area of Bierzo, seeking a balanced and harmonious grape combination grown on three different types of soil. The predominant vineyard area is called Cabanelas. From here we have harvested vines between 25 and 40 years old planted on stony limestone soils which produce grapes offering structure and bringing out all its strong flavour.

On the other hand, vines also between 25 and 40 years old were selected from the Valtuille area. These were planted on clay-calcareous alluvial soils giving grapes of elegance and ‘finesse’. Finally, vines of at 40 years old were chosen from the Almazcara area, grown on gravel soils lying over clay-calcareous sub-soils at an altitude between 700 and 800 metres above seal level (2,300 – 2,600 ft.), situated in the Upper Bierzo region. This type of soil confers the tannins and polyphenolic compounds to the wine, needed for correct ageing. The harvest in the Western Bierzo region usually takes place during the second fortnight of September and is finalized in the Upper Bierzo region during the last week of October. After an initial selection of grapes, they are transported immediately after picking to the winery in small lots of 15 kilos. They are then sorted out by hand in bunches. The next step is to separate the stems from the grapes which are further pressed lightly before maceration with their skins during two weeks. When fermentation is completed, the wine is aged for 4 to 7 months inside French and American oak barrels which have been in use from 1 to 3 years.

Alc./vol.: 14,5%

Serving temperature: 16 ºC

Tasting

View: Intense red-cherry colour with violet trims. High layer. Slow tear.

Nose: Medium intensity aromas showing more powerful to the extent that it opens. Many red fruit accompanied with floral hints which let through the typical hints of wood with some lactic and spicy hints which have the prominence. Balsamic ending, with memories of hill grass and mint.

Mouth: Smooth, fresh and elegant, with prominence of fruit. Tasty and nice pace, with any last balsamic touch, spicy and licorice. Balanced. Good ending. Round aftertaste.

Pétalos 2010

Type: Red wine

Winery: Descendientes de J. Palacios

D.O.: Bierzo

Country: Spain

Variety: Mencía

Features

After the empahtic success in Priorat, Álvaro Palacios decided to settle in Bierzo as a great potential area. His way to understand the wine is the selection of minuscule plots of old grapevines on sheer and rocky grounds to make diferent wines depending on features of every vineyard, a similar system to the Burgundian clasification method. It began many years ago since 1999 and his technique in the making has been refined, leaving back the abuse of strong toasted casks to remove the essence of fruit and draw his wines with several fragances. One of them is Petalos, his village's wine, as Burgundians catalogue it.

It is aging for 4 months inside the cask.

Alc./vol.: 14%

Serving temperature: 16-17 ºC

Tasting

View: Violet and dark tonality.

Nose: Fragance has a perfect definition of carnations, violets and rockrose's petals and flower. When it is shaken, it gains in complexity and you can sense graphite, wood and mineral humus.  

Mouth: Floral and blueberries with very fresh texture, balsamic and a velvet dress. Tannins hardly are sensed because of a superfluous and nonexistent touch.