Absolutely traditional vinification with 100% whole bunches and maturation in old barrels for twelve to fourteen months. It's amazing how the old-fashioned approach lets the terroir shine by sharpening the subtle differences between vineyards. Delicate with fine lines but with nerve and substance alongside its floral and fruity profile - think rose,...
Still etched in our memory is the initial shock of the rich, amber colour and the distinctive aromas and textures of Sebastien Riffault's wines. That afternoon in the hamlet of Sury-en-Vaux his natural wines challenged our opinions and palates to a great extent. Like all of Sebastien's wines, Akmenine Blanc is a perfectly natural, archaic take on...
Patience at all levels for Sebastien Riffault who picks grapes three to four weeks later than the other producers in the area and once the botrytis has started to infect his grapes. About 50% of the grapes are under the influence of the fungus compensating Riffault with richness, volume maturity and taste concentration. All this comes about three years...
The harvest for Auksinis maceration is done on the same day as Auksinis in a percentage of advanced infestation of grapes by botrytis. The extraction of the whole bunches takes about a week and the alcoholic fermentation takes place slowly and for about three months. The wine will mature with fine wine lees first for two years in stainless steel tanks and...
Controlled yields per hectare not exceeding 900kg/ha and a gentle winemaking approach using commercial, but neutral, yeasts and careful use of sulphite in the wine. Vinification is followed by a four-month stay in stainless steel tanks where the wine is worked with fine lees enhancing the oily feel of the variety. The acidity accentuates the fruit on...
Vidiano and Thrapsathiri from vineyards of the Rethymnon area at altitudes between 560-900m. The vines are a combination of younger vineyards and age-old autochthonous stumps on clay and shale soils, 10-100 years old. Iliana Malihin's classic - non-intrusive - winemaking with indigenous yeasts, minimal sulphites and no collage or filtration give a wine...
A landmark wine that proves the strength and stubbornness of Iliana, who despite the difficulties due to the fire that destroyed a large part of her old vineyards, managed to "enchant" us again with her new rosé. In a blessed place where old goblets abound, Iliana turned to the great variety of Crete, Liatiko, in a rosé vinification that raises the bar....
Organic and biodynamic vineyards at the end of the village with the classic non-intrusive Deiss winemaking that allows the terroir to express itself freely in their wines. Whole bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation and maturation with lees for 12 months in foudres. The soils are rich in silica with the vineyard substrate being clay-calcareous. A dry...
In a sea of uniformity where all rosés tend to remind us of the famous wines of Provence, the Marche Rosato of the Aurora winery stands out for its special character. In terms of colour, it is far from the aforementioned style, giving it more the feel of a very soft red, while it is full of aromatic and flavour tensions. The wine is vinified with...
Grapes purchased from different vineyards in the region always with the principles of organic farming which Vanessa Cherruau vinifies with absolute care and the philosophy of low intervention. The wine is vinified by spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel tanks and matured for 9 additional months in them giving a wine of exceptional immediacy, for...
The vineyards are cultivated under the supervision of local winemakers and Roberto Santana from Envinate. The harvest, as with all wines, is manual and the grapes are pressed whole in large concrete tanks where they ferment spontaneously. Maturation takes place in two large oval-shaped foudres and concrete tanks, and the wine is bottled unfiltered and...
Classic, a little rustic, the best you can expect from Italy in this quality/price ratio. And if Chianti brings to mind trattorias and red tablecloths, therein lies its charm. It's direct, familiar, enjoyable and utterly comforting. All this delivered through a quality lens that in recent years has revolutionised the region and restored its name in wine...
