Elio Altare Arborina, Barolo
100% Nebbiolo from the village of La Morra. Made using grapes from two south and south-east facing plots, one planted in 1948, the other in 1989. Soil composition is marna stone with clay and sand. Maceration takes place on skins for 4-5 days in rotary fermenters with temperature control. After fermentation the wine is aged in (225l) French oak barriques for 24 months. After more than 45 vintages, Elio Altare, grandson of founder Giuseppe, passed the torch to his daughter Silvia, who produces some of the very best modern Barolos Piedmont has to offer.
Renato Ratti Rocche dell'Annunziata, Barolo
Fattoria Poggio Di Sotto
Gorelli Le Pottazine, Brunello di Montalcino
Capanna Riserva Brunello Di Montalcino Nico
The Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a deep and vibrant ruby red with aromas of dried red fruits and dried wild herbs. The palate experience is intense with a complex weave of red fruit and spice, a little strawberry and aniseed jam. The palate doesn’t let up for a long time and it’s structural, with the acidity and tannins pointing to a long and steady future. Made with 100% Sangiovese (selected from their oldest vines and only in the best years), the juice is allowed to macerate on skins for 30-35 days and fermented at a controlled temperature followed by spontaneous MLF (malolactic fermentation), both stages in cone-shaped Slavonian oak casks. The wine is then racked off into 10 to 25 hectolitre Slavonian oak casks for a period of around 40 months prior to being bottle-aged for at least 15 months. 'An estate that has been on a roll of late with super-elegant wines.' Antonio Galloni
Petrolo Galatrona
Dalwhinnie Eagle Shiraz
David and Jenny Jones are making wine with tremendous depth of fruit flavour, reflecting the relatively low-yielding but very well- maintained vineyards in The Pyrenees. Their flagship Dalwhinnie Eagle Shiraz is a perfect example of this. Pristine and fresh with more of everything providing plenty of stuffing, redcurrant, blackberry and sage characters.
Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz
Back in 1998 Chief Winemaker, Chris Hatcher, decided it was time to take Wolf Blass into the modern world and the result was a single varietal Shiraz that was 100% aged in French Oak, unlike their famous flagship the Black Label which is a blend and aged in American Oak. A wonderful contemporary version of Wolf Blass that is a cavalcade of rich blueberry, blackberry and complex elements of dark chocolate and warm spice. Superbly long on the palate with an obvious hint to a long future in the cellar.
