Red Wine

Phinca Abejera 2013

Tasting: David Sampredo-Gil’s Bodegas Bhilar has slowly become one of the most respected small wineries in Rioja. His vineyards are bursting with life due to the biodiversity he encourages using organic and biodynamic farming. Based in the subregion of Alavesa around the town of Elvillar (Bhilar is the Basque word for Elvillar) he makes an array of exceptional wine that stuns his fans year after year. Phinca Abejera is a majestic wine, deep and complex, aromas of lilac and red blossom, the velvety palate is redolent of redcurrants, black raspberry, Mediterranean herbs, and the trademark menthol quality that runs through so many of his wines.

Bodega: Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Viura  

Aging: 36 months in French oak barrels

Vintage: 2013

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Protos Gran Reserva 2015

Tasting: Bodegas Protos were founded in 1927, they were instrumental in the foundation of the the Ribera del Duero appellation, their wines speak of the very essence of traditional winemaking in the region. Expressive and extremely complex, cocoa, red berry fruits and tobacco aromas complement a rich palate of concentrated, muscular raspberry fruit, with cedar, spice and fresh leather. Powerful wine built to age, 2011 is in a beautiful drinking window currently

Bodega: Bodegas Protos

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 24 months in French and American oak, followed by 36 months in bottle

Vintage: 2015

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Romántica Crianza Tinto FIno 2020

Tasting: Deliciousness in a bottle from Bardos. Winemaker Raúl Acha makes wine in this inhospitable part of the Duero Valley because as he states “To make daring wines, one must be surrounded by daring people”. Medium bodied, rich dark fruit, black plum, cassis, and cedar with tobacco and fresh leather.

Bodega: Bardos

Region: Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 14 months in French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Lealtanza Gran Reserva 2015

Tasting: Bodegas Altanza make a decidedly modern style of Rioja, this Gran Reserva shows great aromatic complexity, red fruits, cacao and leather with a luxurious palate of forest berries, back raspberry, fresh new leather, tobacco and judiciously used oak characters of cedar and spice. 

Bodega: Bodegas Altanza

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo 

Aging:  24 months in French oak, followed by 36 months in bottle

Vintage: 2015

Alcohol 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Altanza Familia Reserva 2015

Tasting:  A more premium expression of reserva Rioja from Bodegas Altanza. Bright and well balanced with notes of cherry, liquorice, fig, spices, leather and tobacco and subtle notes of vanilla oak. 

Bodega: Bodegas Altanza

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging:  18 months in French oak, followed by 24 months in bottle

Vintage: 2015

Alcohol 14%

Closure: Cork

Valvarés de Altanza Crianza 2017

Tasting: An outstanding nose of ripe red fruit, liquorice and spice leads into a silky medium bodied palate of preserved mulberry, blackberries, sweet spices and woody incense. 

Bodega: Bodegas Altanza

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 12 months in new French oak barrels, followed by 12 months in bottle

Vintage: 2017

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Clea Crianza Tinto Fino 2018

Tasting: Intense dark fruit aromas, liquorice and tobacco. Silky soft and elegant on the palate with a nice balance of acidity and supple tannins. 

Bodega: Bardos

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 14 months in new French oak.

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol 14%

Closure: Cork

Formiga de Vellut 2019

Tasting: From Catalunya’s highest quality growing zone – Priorat, 130 kms southwest of Barcelona. Farmed organically, Formiga de Vellut is intense and complex, combining red and black fruits with spicy notes and minerals, silky buy powerful. 

Bodega: Clos Galena

Region: D.O.Q. Priorat

Grape: Garnacha, Cariñena, Syrah

Aging: 5 months in French and American oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Crossos 2018 

Tasting: From Catalunya’s highest quality growing zone – Priorat, 130 kms southwest of Barcelona. Farmed organically, it has a punchy nose of black fruit, thyme and orange peel, the palate, ripe and powerful shows condensed bramble fruits, spices and well-balanced oak.

Bodega: Clos Galena 

Region: D.O.Q. Priorat

Grape: Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cariñena

Aging: 6 months in French and American oak 

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Serendipity Double Mass 20201

Tasting: The Serendipity range is from Jordi's daughter Aïda, this is her version of the winemaking method ‘doble pasta’, whereby some of the fermenting juice is run off and more grapes are added to the fermenting must, producing a wine of intense concentration and depth. On this occasion she has applied this method to producing a light bodied red wine. Red fruit and spice abound, but due to low fermentation temperature, the immense tannin and acidity associated with these styles is kept in check. 

Bodega: Celler Jordi Miró

Region: Terra Alta

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Serendipity Late Harvest Garnacha 2021 500ml

Tasting: Garnacha is the perfect grape for producing late harvest sweet wines as it accumulates sugar rapidly in late ripening, though there are not many examples. The Serendipity Late Harvest fills the gap nicely, sweet red berried fruit with notes of rose and red apple skin. Although firmly in the sweet arena, its fresh acidity prevents it from being too sticky and cloying. 

Bodega: Celler Jordi Miró 

Region: D.O. Terra Alta

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 17.5%

Closure: Cork

Mas dels Frares Vi de Licor Dolç 2017 500ml

Tasting: A blend of late harvest Garnacha and Cariñena, producing a sweet red wine of exceptional subtlety. Ripe red fruit, raspberry liqueur, delicate floral notes and candied cherries. 

Bodega: Vinícola del Priorat

Region: D.O.Q Priorat

Grape: Garnacha, Cariñena

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2017

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Frares Joven 2019

Tasting: A medium bodied Priorat wine, showing vibrant plums, blackberries, dark cherries, fresh tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. 

Bodega: Vinícola del Priorat

Region: D.O.Q Priorat

Grape: Garnacha, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cariñena, Merlot

Aging: 3 months in old oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Trapiche Merlot 2020

Tasting: Medium bodied, soft, dusky plum fruit with cassis nuances. 

Bodega: Bodega Trapiche

Region: Mendoza

Grape: Merlot

Aging: 3 months in old oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 12.5%

Closure: Cork

Phinca Hapa Tinto 2019

Tasting: This wine from Bodegas Bhilar falls under the Struggling Vines label, led primarily by Melanie Hickman, and named after their late four-legged friend Hapa. Bhilar’s vineyards are farmed organically and biodynamically with Demeter certification upcoming. There is great freshness and perfume in this wine, very typical of the wines of Bhilar, the palate shows wild red berries, forest fruits, layers of spice and tightly wound but perfectly balanced tannins.

Bodega: Struggling Vines / Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano

Aging: 12 months in French oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Vendimia Seleccionada 2019

Tasting: Rioja of great typicity, and outstanding value. Silky and plush texture reveals beautifully expressive blueberry fruit, supple hedgerow berries and well balanced vanillan oak.

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Zuazo Gastón

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Mazuelo

Aging: 6 months in American oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

Phincas 2019

Tasting: David Sampredo-Gil’s Bodegas Bhilar has slowly become one of the most respected small wineries in Rioja. His vineyards are bursting with life due to the biodiversity he encourages using organic and biodynamic farming. Based in the subregion of Alavesa around the town of Elvillar (Bhilar is the Basque word for Elvillar) he makes an array of exceptional wine that stuns his fans year after year. Floral scents and bright red fruit on the nose, the beguiling palate is full of truffles, red fruit, blueberries, spices, coffee and lots of minerality. 

Bodega: Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Viura

Aging: 18 months in French oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Bhilar Berria 2020

Tasting: David Sampredo-Gil’s Bodegas Bhilar has slowly become one of the most respected small wineries in Rioja. His vineyards are bursting with life due to the biodiversity he encourages using organic and biodynamic farming. Based in the subregion of Alavesa around the town of Elvillar (Bhilar is the Basque word for Elvillar), he makes an array of exceptional wine that stun his fans year after year. Produced using a technique called ‘Carbonic Maceration’ which helps produce, light, fruit driven wines, the Berria, is packed full of juicy, vibrant red and purple fruit, it explodes across the palate, fresh and aromatic, this is super interesting wine!

Bodega: Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Viura

Aging: 2020

Alcohol 11%

Closure: Cork

El Ilusionista Joven Tinto Fino 2020

Tasting: Fresh, young and full of life! Un-oaked Tempranillo bursting with crunchy red fruit, brash and breezy tannin with trademark firm acidity.  

Bodega: HGA Bodegas

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Las Enebradas 2017

Tasting: Viñedos del Jorco is a project out of Cebreros in the Sierra de Gredos, a mountain range to the west and northwest of Madrid, becoming renowned for its ethereal expressions of Garnacha. Involved in this project of four friends Nacho, Flequi, and César, is legendary winemaker of the northwest, Raúl Pérez. Las Enebradas is one of the wines at the pinnacle of their stable, the fruit comes from a dry-grown vineyard, organically managed, and the vines average over 100 years old. An exceptionally powerful, but at the same time refined nose of red cherry and balsamic notes gives way to a silky palate of fresh loganberry, light morello cherries, bay leaf and a finish that will be with you a week later! 

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez

Region: Sierra de Gredos

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: 18 months in French oak

Vintage: 2017

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Massimo Selección en Barrica Mencía 2018

Tasting: From a future icon region steadily gaining significant international renown, Ribeira Sacra is famous for its impossibly steep canyon-side vineyards along the rivers Sil and Miño. Its principle grape variety is Mencía, which makes light to lower medium bodied reds, given a little time in barrel as this wine is, builds in a little more structure and body. Fresh and aromatic on the nose with inky purple blossom and a palate of dusky purple berries, with supporting cassis, blackberries, tar and a deliciously silky mouthfeel.  

Bodega: Viña D’Mateo

Region: D.O. Ribeira Sacra

Grape: Mencía

Aging: 7 months in French oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

Ultreia Saint Jacques Mencía 2021

Tasting: Raúl Pérez is considered one of the icon winemakers of Spain’s northwest, learning from one of the pioneers of the resurgence of Bierzo, Álvaro Palacios, Raúl’s name is now synonymous with Bierzo. Light bodied but showing Bierzo’s trademark structure, the nose is all violets and wet stone with a palate of intense black fruit and white pepper with deliciously chalky tannins. 

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez

Region: D.O. Bierzo

Grape: Mencía

Aging: 5 months in old French oak

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Ultreia Mencía 2020

Tasting: Raúl Pérez is considered one of the icon winemakers of Spain’s northwest, learning from one of the pioneers of the resurgence of Bierzo, Álvaro Palacios, Raúl’s name is now synonymous with Bierzo. From a single plot in Valtuille de Abajo called Las Villegas, this classic Pérez Bierzo wine has aromas of blackberries and aromatic herbs, with a palate that has crunchy acidity and flavours of juicy black hedgerow fruits, white pepper and mountain thyme.

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez

Region: D.O. Bierzo

Grape: Mencía

Aging: 12 months in French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Ultreia Valtuille Mencía 2021

Tasting: Raúl Pérez is considered one of the icon winemakers of Spain’s northwest, learning from one of the pioneers of the resurgence of Bierzo (as well as and more famously, Priorat) Álvaro Palacios, Raúl’s name is now synonymous with Bierzo. This wine is the pinnacle of Raúl’s production, from a one-hectare plot of mainly Mencía (the others are unknown and co-fermented). An exceptionally complex, persistent and structural wine that has aromas of blackberry and cherry, with flavours of just picked morello cherries, cassis, black pepper, cacao and aromatic herbs. Sublime. 

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez

Region: D.O. Bierzo

Grape: Mencía

Aging: 14 months in French oak

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork