RAÚL PÉREZ 2017 ULTREIA GODELLO

BIERZO, SPAIN

Raúl Pérez takes nature very seriously. His priority is to exert as little influence on the grapes as possible, that’s how he understands wine. Observing every type of soil, each individual climate and the ripening times of every variety is the basis of his work, an endeavor that allows the wine to express itself without touching it or adding any additives. This method of working leaves an unmistakable stamp on his wines.

Godello (pronounced “go-day-yo”) is a white wine grape that is thought to have originated in the Spanish province of València.

Godello is a very versatile varietal that can range from super dry and mineral driven to full bodied and creamy, this particular expression is the perfect balance of both, it’s got gorgeous notes of flint, pears and yellow plums on the nose that are complimented by a creamy texture and flavours of apricots, peaches and just a hint of fresh honeycomb.

CHATEAU GAUDOU 2018 EXCEPTION MALBEC ROSÉ

CAHORS, FRANCE

People are often shocked to hear the Malbec’s ancestral home is France and not Argentina. In fact, The Durou family of Chateau Gaudou have been making wines from the Malbec grape since 1733, but it wasn’t until 1868, over 100 years later, that the grape was even introduced to Argentina.

99% of the time, rosé is made from red wine grapes. This gorgeous example was made using the saignée method (pronounced “sohn-yay”), which means “to bleed”. This basically means that a portion of the juice, after it’s been in contact with the skins and seeds for a short period, is “bled” off and placed in a separate vessel (stainless steel tanks in this case) to finish fermentation.

This beautiful, excellent value rosé is super expressive offering aromas of rose petals and stewed raspberries. On the palate you’ll find delightful flavours of freshly baked strawberry rhubarb pie and pomegranate.

CLAUS PREISINGER 2018 PUSZTA LIBRE!

BURGENLAND, AUSTRIA

This little number is one of my favourite wines of 2019, so I just had to share it with you!

 This delicious, crunchy red is a blend of 70% Zweigelt and 30% St. Laurent. On the very top of the very top of the very minimal label you’ll notice the words “Gekühlt Servieren”. This is German for “Serve Chilled”, and I highly recommend you do just that. And not just slightly chilled, but fully chilled, like straight from the fridge chilled.

The grapes for this particular cuvée come from 15+ year old vines and were all harvested by hand, they were pressed off into stainless steel tanks for spontaneous fermentation. The wine was then transferred to large, neutral oak barrel for 5 months.

As I said earlier, this wine is crunchy, meaning that it’s fresh and bright with juicy acidity. Notes of super ripe mixed berries covered in orange zest jump from the glass and translate onto the palate with a hint of freshly picked violets and crispy fried sage. 

STÉPHANE AVIRON 2016 CÔTE DE BROUILLY

BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Côte de Brouilly is a sub-district of Brouilly which is the largest of the ten Crus within France’s Beaujolais region. It’s located high on the slopes of the extinct volcano - Mont Brouilly.

Winemaker Stéphane Aviron has adopted an almost radical return to tradition in Beaujolais - sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques.

As this wine comes from within the Beaujolais region it’s made from Gamay grapes. The grapes are sourced from two separate vineyards. The first makes up 75% of the blend, it’s southwest facing on the hillside and the vines average 60+ years old. This fruit accounts for the wine’s depth and structure. The second parcel faces due south, with what Stéphane considers to be younger vines (40+ years), these grapes contribute ripe juicy fruit to the final blend. Aromas of sumac and field strawberries drizzled with balsamic carry onto the palate and are balanced with flavours of oregano, dark chocolate, and cranberries.

BODEGAS MURVIEDRO 2015 SERICIS BOBAL

UTIEL-REQUENA, SPAIN

According to the folks at Bodegas Murviedro, “sericis” is the Latin word for “silky”. They’ve named this wine Sericis as it’s got such a smooth and silky mouthfeel and to pay homage to the region’s history in the silk trade.

The grape here is Bobal and it’s native to the Utiel-Requena region, which is in the province of València (yup, just the like the first offering in this month’s instalment). The name derives from the Latin “bovale”, a reference to the shape of a bull’s head. Bobal accounts for about 90% of all vines grown the region, which makes sense as, until fairly recently, it was mainly used for the production of bulk wine. Nowadays though, thanks to producers like Bodegas Murvierdo, Bobal is getting the respect it deserves and we’re starting to see amazing wines from the varietal in our market.

As the name obviously indicates, this wine is super soft and silky with notes of plums, dried figs, saskatoon berries and cola, 8 months in French oak gives the wine warm, cozy notes of toasted baking spices.

DEVIUM 2017 FRENCH CREEK RED

WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON

French Creek Vineyard is planted on a steep NE facing slope. The slope and the aspect help to protect the fruit from the intense summer sun. The soils are a mixture of gravel, sand and silt, which leads to a wide range of ripeness and flavour amidst the block. Winemaker Keith Johnson says he feels that this is ideal for producing the edgy, complex profile of his Mourvèdre based French Creek Red.

“Devium is about creating something unique, it is about minimalist winemaking, early picking and special vineyards. It is about tradition and history, spontaneous fermentations and foot stomping. This is my take on Washington wine.” - Keith Johnson

A blend of 81% Mourvèdre, 18% Syrah, and 1% Grenache Blanc, the 2017 French Creek Red is full of potential and so far, is just starting to show hints of what’s in store. This wine will cellar very well for up to 15 years! With a good decant though

(1 – 2 hours), it’s brilliant right now. Aromas of black pepper and leather pull you in and flavours of mulberry, savoury herbs, and toasty vanilla linger on the long, seductive finish.

-Erin Loader