Aphelion Brini Grenache Noir
Aphelion Plaisted's Single Site Grenache Noir
Arila Gardens Old Vine Shiraz Grenache
Comando G Rozas 1er Cru Grenache
The Rozas 1er cru Garnacha is, as the name says, classified premier cru by Comando G. Elegant and poised, this wine is a step up in classification and altitude, sitting above the Rozas Villages vineyards close to the ceiling beyond which growing grapes isn't really viable. The brick-red tinge to the colour bring Langhe to mind, Nebbiolo specifically, and there are more hints of that in the glass. The colour and the approachability owe a lot to the greater presence of silt midst the layers of granite. For the 1er cru, the vines are older, the soils are lighter and the altitude of the vineyard is higher than the village showing that signature highwire Sierra de Gredos/Comando G acidity.
Arila Gardens Single Vineyard Grenache
Deep purple with bright red hue. Aromatic and enticing with layers of fresh mulberries, black cherry, and musk, complexed by notes of Turkish delight and baking spices. Black fruits fill the mouth with expansive length. Nuances of flavour emerge, with chocolate malt supporting the generous fruit. A nerve of bright natural acidity heightens and drives the palate, complemented by finely knit, powdery tannins.
Guigal Gigondas
Gigondas always seems to play the little-brother role to Chateauneuf du Pape, but these wines can be very, very good. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre vinified in the purest tradition, this wine is opulent now and will age well for the next 8 or 10 years.
Torres Mas La Plana
In this small (29 ha.) vineyard, only the most select Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown. These are used to make strictly limited quantities of Torres most prestigious red wine, now known to connoisseurs all over the world. In the Paris Wine Olympiad, the 1970 vintage triumphed over some of the most famous wines in the world, including Château Latour. This success has been repeated on several other occasions, with Gran Coronas Mas La Plana notching up numerous other international awards.
Te Mata Bullnose Syrah
The Bullnose Syrah from Te Mata is one of New Zealand's original Syrah wines, having been made since 1992. Vineyard partners, Michael Morris and Peter Cowley - both car enthusiasts - named the wine after the pre-1928 Morris Cowley car, nicknamed Bullnose due to its distinctive radiator. The Bullnose is a single vineyard wine from Hawke's Bay that shows characters that are aromatic, savoury, and elegant. It's an expression of syrah which, when well stored, develops and intensifies in bottle with medium term cellaring.
Majella The Malleea Cabernet Shiraz
The Malleea (an aboriginal word for 'green paddock') is a very fine exapmle of the classic Australian Cabernet/Shiraz blend. The 2008 is rich, dark magenta in colour, with ripe plums, spice and vanillin oak on the nose. The palate is like a complex fruit cake with layers of fresh berries, black olives and hints of chocolate.
