Giodo La Quinta
Giodo La Quinta Toscana IGT La Quinta comes from younger vines (7-12 years old) and spends 12 months in 700-2500 ltr oak barrels. It is a brilliant wine; if ever there was a wine with the Carlo Ferrini stamp on it, the La Quinta would be it. Its vibrant, pure and elegant; it is the pure essence of Sangiovese.
Pillastro Primitivo
It’s no coincidence Pillastro is one of our bestselling Italian reds – customers love all that richness, warmth and bold, ripe fruit. Pillastro comes from Puglia, in Italy’s deep south, best known for big, smoky wines made from prized local varieties Primitivo and Negroamaro. It is made by Angelo Maci, a leading figure in the quality revolution of the last two decades, whose cellar Cantine Due Palme has twice been named Winery of the Year. Angelo made this wine purely from Primitivo, which produces rich, powerful reds with plenty of ripe fruit. A period of oak ageing has infused the wine’s generous plum and damson character with notes of spice and vanilla. Enjoy with hearty casseroles, pasta with a rich tomato sauce, or garlic roasted lamb.
El Bombero Gran Reserva
Big Red El Bombero has been a top choice with customers for many years. And in seriously good vintages, like 2012, winemaker Javier Domeque crafts a sophisticated Gran Reserva version using the pick of the crop from his oldest vines. To qualify for Gran Reserva status, the wine was aged in oak for three years with further time in bottle prior to release. It's made entirely from Garnacha, an important component of many full bodied Spanish reds, and also of Châteauneuf du Pape from neighbouring France. At 14% vol, it's a touch less powerful than El Bombero itself but full of rich berry flavour and with delicious spicy complexity from American oak. The 2011 is perfect right now. Just decant for an hour and serve with roast shoulder of lamb.
Il Papavero Primitivo
Stones & Bones
A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours. Equally impressive is the winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, who relaxes after work by cycling or playing football, or, more unusually, bull wrestling! Having worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines, his credentials for making this rich, old vine Portuguese red are second to none. For maximum enjoyment, decant and serve with a rich beef casserole.
Tenuta Fenice Nero d’Avola
Save the vines and enjoy a gorgeous, rich red! Poggioreale used to be an important wine village in Sicily. It was where Dino Taschetta grew up, like generations of his family before him. After an earthquake reduced Poggioreale to ruins in 1968, a new town was built further down the hill and the vineyards above the village, the highest and oldest in Sicily, were then neglected for decades. Now, with many of the island’s oldest Nero d’Avola vines grubbed up, there’s even more reason to treasure what’s left. Dino recently returned to the family estate and began to restore the vineyard. His first vintage was 2017 and he was in urgent need of a customer. Our Buyer tasted the wine and reserved it all. A year later, we’ve returned for more.
Amoras
Ermita de San Lorenzo Gran Selección
As famed Spanish wine expert John Radford wrote in Decanter, the tiny enclave of Campo de Borja is “the source of some of the best value wines from Spain, if not the world”. It’s true. Where else could you find such a mellow, complex, oak aged red at this price? It’s made by our old friend Pamela Geddes (who also makes our bestselling Monasterio de Santa Cruz) at the 500 year old Bodegas Ruberte. 60% of the wine is Garnacha from vines planted in 1958. They’re not as prolific these days but the intensity of flavour in the grapes is impressive. The balance is Cabernet Sauvignon, which adds classic cassis character and structure to the spicy raspberry Garnacha. A rich and fragrant Spanish red best enjoyed with rustic lamb dishes.
Isole E Olena Cepparello
Isole e Olena owner and winemaker Paolo de Marchi, is a legend in Tuscany and in the wider world of wine. His obsession with Sangiovese has led him to study the grape at a genetic level in pursuit of greater knowledge and striving for perfection in winemaking. Paolos wine are appreciated around the world be discerning collectors as well as those who appreciate the complexity of the wine and the pains taken in their production. The Cepparello IGT is the flagship Super Tuscan from Isole e Olena. Paolo de Marchi was at the vanguard of the revolutionary Super Tuscan movement and these wines are the product of his vision. An extraordinary wine still brimming with revolutionary energy after all these years.
Zero Montepulciano
No added sulphites. Just taste! Fragrant And Crispy Life is too short to give your best moments to inferior wines. This is why Zero was born: fragrant and structured, it is our most natural interpretation of Rosso Conero, special with traditional dishes and irresistible during aperitifs with friends! A lively, dynamic red withno added sulphites. What more could you want?