Arneis, Calvados, Barbera, Mou...
-
Delas Cote du Rhone Saint Esprit 2021One of our favourite rhone reds year-in and year-out. There may be nothing quite as satisfying as a good value Rhone red and this one always delivers. Delas Freres is based in the beautiful northern Rhone with a large holding of their own vineyards supplemented by long-term relationships with quality growers all over the rhone. How they manage to put so much goodness into a bottle at this price is an astonishing feat to say the least.
While this indulgent red reflects the north’s regional dominance of Shiraz over Grenache, it reflects the darker fruits and a spicy earthiness often found in the southern Rhone, where this wine hails from. Silky rather than heavy, it still feels concentrated with bright, bubbly raspberry fruits complimented by a little dollop of wild, blackberry fruit. A waft of violets and pastille fruit just add to its appeal.
2021GSM, Mourvedre, shirazFrance467$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Cotes de Provence Rose 2022 375mlMore product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Rose 2021 375mlNever judge a book buy it's cover right? Mostly, you see the colour of this and you at least know you are on good footing to begin with. It's pale, like a blush of peach. Properly dry with a splash of sweet citrus, mandarin, ripe red grapefruit, a just tart orange aspect and then some lovely peach notes. All this is underpinned by a bright, clear, palate cleansing freshness and a nice pithy texture that licks at the sides of your mouth. It's long and energising, it both slackens the thirst with its buoyant, uplifting feel and engages the old taste buds and sets the salivary glands quivering. Who doesn't love Rose like this? It's so enjoyable to drink. ROSCOE2021Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Solis Cotes de Provence Rose 2023Solis Rose. This is the summer wine we have been waiting for. This is one of the best value Provence rose we have seen in some time and that is saying something given how much good pink is in the market at the moment.
This is pretty classic stuff in all the best ways. A touch of fresh strawberry, snappy red currants, white pepper, a touch of fairy-floss lift and oh-so-inviting sweetly floral nose. It follows with that same wild strawberry and red berry fruit all fleshy and bright with a rim of citrus peel and quartzy-like minerality edging. It punches way above its weight here and while it will go down a treat on a warms summers day its equally at home paired with any BBQ fair you might want to throw at it.
2023Mourvedre, RoseFrance460$28.00 As low as $25.20 -
Head Red GSM 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazAustralia349$29.00 As low as $26.10 -
Bondar Junto GSM 2024More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2024Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazAustralia436$29.00 As low as $26.10 -
Paolo Scavino Vino da Tavolo Rosso 2021Paolo Scavino owns 29 hectares entirely in the Barolo area and works on 20 Barolo historical crus located in Castiglione Falletto, Barolo, La Morra, Novello, Serralunga d'Alba, Verduno and Roddi. The Scavino family distinguishes itself from the beginning by their scrupulous care of the vineyards and passion for terroir. Their core beliefs is the supremacy of the viticulture above the oenology therefore the focus is the care of the vines in order to grow ripe and healthy grapes. In winemaking minimal and equal intervention are sought, to preserve natural diversities, terroir.
Second year in a row for this wine (new vintage) so you know it must be good. While they may be well know for their excellent Barolo this wine is always one that sucks us in when we try it. Nebbiolo from younger vines and those that don't quite make the cut go into this delicious Piemontese red. A melange of read and black fruits with roasted earthy notes from the neb component striking a beautiful counterpoint of savouryness to the sweet fruits. So plush and mellow but with a tingling spine of energy and fresh cut acidity. A wonderfull combo of vibrancy and velvety fruit. Love this wine!
2021Barbera, NebbioloItaly457$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Mutual Promise Arneis 2023Mutual Promise are wines made by Even Milne and comes from the Latin Compr Missum or compromise. The compromise being that he doesn't farm the fruit and nor does he have full control over the creative process making the wines with friends in their Beechworth wineries. The Mutual Promise in essence being that they trust in others to create as they would with the aim of quality at the forefront. The wines champion some of their favourite varieties sourced from the King and Alpine Valleys in Victoria's spectacular North East. Varietal and regional purity is the heart of these wines.
A summers afternoon, an Autumn evening, neither seem complete without a glass of refreshing dry white wine and this wine is inspired by the dry whites of Northern Italy which are home to some of the all time great refreshing dry whites. Whole bunch pressed, racked and fined to tank for cool fermentation with 50% aged in white oak for complexity. Pear skin, lemon and almond blossom and that little green nutty thing that arneis does. A little bit slippery with green peach and some light herbal notes that expand out to more fleshy tree fruits on the finish. A pretty and convincing rendition of this Italian varietal but with a little more generosity of fruit and that's a good thing.2023ArneisAustralia436$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Clos la Coutale Cahors 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020MourvedreFrance467$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Margan Breaking Ground Rosato 2022More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022Barbera, Merlot, Pinot GrisAustralia407$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Ravensworth Barbera Nebbiolo 2024More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2024Barbera, NebbioloAustralia365$32.00 As low as $28.80 -
Domaine les Fouques Cuvee Tradition Rose 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020MourvedreFrance460$35.00 As low as $31.50 -
Albino Rocca Barbera d'Alba 2023The lion’s share of this small-volume cuvée is drawn from a single parcel of vines planted in 2004 in the clay and limestone soils of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio—just outside the Alba township, on the edge of the Barbaresco area. More recently, a parcel of 20-year-old Barbera from Castagnito, on the opposite side of the Tanaro River, has joined the party. The resulting wine, raised entirely in tank, is bursting with juicy red and blue fruit and crushed-flower flavours framed by light-footed tannins and balancing acidity.2022BarberaItaly457Special Price $35.00 Regular Price $42.00 -
The Story Wines Super G Red Blend 2022It's not heavy but it's so wild with spice and so generally captivating that it's hard to put it down. This is a cracker of a wine. Red and blue berried fruit flavours, black pepper notes, a mezcal aspect and flings of roasted nuts. It's ripe and robust, in a mid-weight way, but the real key here is that it's aflame with roasted spice/pepper notes. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winecompanion.com2022Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazAustralia399$37.00 As low as $33.30 -
Rizzi Barbera d'Alba 2020Ripe, plummy fruits leap from the glass followed up by violets, dried rose, gravel and something that reminds me of the perfect Sunday lamb roast. Yum. This is unctuous, round and ripe at first but just when it's needed that tart Barbera acidity comes to the rescue, freshening the palate and propelling the wine forward revealing a lovely mineral tingle and foundation of ripe tannin in its wake. This is very appealing and even more so when you see the price tag. ALEX DOBSON
2020BarberaItaly457$41.00 As low as $36.90 -
Domaine les Fouques Cuvée l’Aubigue Provence Rose 2023Importer Felix Riley knows I like a rosé or two, but gee, he puts me through my paces with his huge portfolio of pink.
Peach, redcurrant, vanilla ice cream, dried herb perfume. It’s glossy and smooth, but has a pleasing chalky chew to texture, strawberry, mint and pink grapefruit, a slight quinine tang to it, with a dry finish of excellent length. Lovely wine. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
2023MourvedreFrance460$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Cotes de Provence Rose 2023Pale, shimmering orange-pink. Spice-accented red currant, cherry and floral scents pick up a hint of orange pith with air. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and red berry flavors and a touch of candied lavender. Finishes long and silky, with repeating florality and a zesty snap of white pepper. VINOUS2023Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$43.00 As low as $38.70 -
Correggia Roero Arneis 2022Pear, apple, a white flower perfume, something a little like hay, and almonds. It’s a glossy wine but has a balanced attack of acidity, a slight lemon zest and almond bitterness, a pleasant and appropriate level of chalky grip, with a juicy finish of good length. Good. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
Small tweaks and incremental changes in vinification and winemaking have seen the wines improve every year. The quality across the board has always been top of their class and further cements this outstanding estate as one of the pre-eminent producers in the region. It would certainly be no stretch to call them a leading light in the heart and hearts of Roero.
This is another great rendition. A hint of tropical fruit that lends an almost riesling like element to the wine, along with a floral hint. There is a some lovely depth to the fruit and that bit of extra flesh show so nicely on this wine. Still fresh and zippy on the finish with a little phenolic grip that carries the orchard fruits into a long, gentle close. Yum!
2021ArneisItaly457$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
Correggia Roero Arneis 2023Pear, apple, a little green herb, some perfume, candle wax and smoked almond. It’s medium-bodied, bright and has good flavour, though not too much, and it keeps itself trim with some light citrus bite, a slightly waxy texture, some chalkiness, and offers a finish of good length with some preserved lemon tang. It’s well-balanced and drinks very well. Nice. GARY WALSH, the wine front2023ArneisItaly457$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
Correggia Roero Arneis 2021 (Screwcap)The Correggia family are a small yet formidable force in the sandy soils of Roero, just west of the Tanaro River in Piedmont. After the tragic death of her husband, Ornella with help from friends propelled the wines of Matteo Correggia to even greater heights. She is now flanked by her children Giovanni and Brigitta and the wines have never looked better.
Fragrant aromas of white flowers, citrus and pear on the nose lead into a finely textured palate. Hints of sweet almond arise. Its fresh and tingly finish with a fine phenolic chew carrying the orchard fruits into a long gentle close. GABRIELLE POY, PWS
2021ArneisItaly457$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
Swinney Mourvedre 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021MourvedreAustralia400$45.00 As low as $40.50 -
Albino Rocca Barbera d'Alba 2022The 2022 Barbera d'Alba is another delicious entry-level wine from Albino Rocca. It captures notable freshness and energy. Dark red cherry/plum fruit, spice, leather and blood orange and all dialed up. Vinification and aging in steel keeps the flavors vibrant. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous2023BarberaItaly457$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Hobo Wine Camp Folk Machine Parts and Labour Red 2022This is the second vintage that Grenache has dominated the P&L blend. The 2022 is a blend of Grenache from Mangels Ranch in Suisun Valley, Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, and Waddington Ranch in Mendocino, Carignane from Lolonis, Maria Martinson, and Castañon all in Mendocino, and Syrah from Vecino in Potter Valley. There is a good amount of whole cluster and carbonic maceration through the lots keeping everything fresh and fun. As always, the blend was made immediately after harvest and the wine was aged in a combination of French oak foudres and stainless steel tanks.
Oh yum! This is such a joy to drink. A cracking drop here from the legend that is Kenny likitprakong of Hobo. He was telling us that this was his house wine. The one that he has cases of to rip the corks off when mates come round, the BBQ fires up and a long warm weekend is about a kick off and we can see why. This is hard to put down once it's in your glass.
It's all about the red fruits here with fresh picked red cherry and raspberry all vying for position at the front of the pack. Some pretty violet notes swirl around and as this opens up some savoury whole black peppercorn and foresty bits make themselves heard. Its lithe and fresh bursting onto the palate with that core of red berry fruit. Clean and pure just sizzling with energy. A joy to drink and would happily take a brief chill if you were so inclined.
2022Barbera, Carignan, Grenache, shirazUSA362$46.00 As low as $43.00 -
Marchesi Alfieri La Tota Barbera d'Asti 2021 (Screwcap)Voluptuous black fruits on the nose, blackberries with intense plums and dark cherry. Broad and fleshy with good weight of fruit and concentration. Candied cherry and good structure with grip and bite. Solid richness on the moderate finish. DECANTER
Dark chocolate, black cherries and poached plums on the nose, with a kiss of tobacco and clove. It’s full-bodied, balanced by lively acidity, with fine and polished tannins. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLLING2021BarberaItaly457$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Marchesi Alfieri La Tota Barbera d'Asti 2022 (Screwcap)Morello cherries, fresh bouquets and a touch of geraniums. Creamy tannins on the palate, with fleshy cherries and plums. Juicy, brambly and pristine medium-length finish. Drink now. ZEKUN SHUAI. James Suckling2022BarberaItaly457$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Marchesi Alfieri La Tota Barbera d'Asti 2020 (Screwcap)Made from 100% Barbera, sourced from vineyards of different ages, soil types, and aspect. The grapes are harvested and vinified separately, and only after the malolactic fermentation, is the final assembly carried out.
An intense ruby red colour with some purple hues is followed by intense, vinous aromas of ripe plum, blue and black fruits, and vanilla. Opulent and robust on the palate with soft tannins, note of sweet spices, wild berries and the vanilla of the wood, all with a vibrant finish. Delicious! PWS
2020BarberaItaly457$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Duseigneur La Goutte du Seigneur Cotes du Rhone 202250% Grenache, 50% Syrah farmed organically. The name of this cuvee is a nod to the Duseigneur family name that means "Drop of the Lord". Vines of 30 years old with an average yield of around 30hl/ha. 2 weeks of maceration in a concrete tank. No oak aging. Fragrant nose of wild strawberries, red plum, cherries and spices. Fresh and charming style of Cotes du Rhone. Medium bodied and elegant Cotes du Rhone. Beautiful mid palate with fresh black and red berries. A wonderfully thirst quenching and refreshing wine!
2022Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazFrance467$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Clos du Gravillas Sous les Cailloux des Grillons 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazFrance418$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Chateau du Rouet Cuvee Reserve Cotes de Provence Rose 2022A lovely lift of red cherries, pomegranate and white nectarines leads into a fleshy and textured core. Subtle herbal tones of fennel and dried thyme and wild strawberries join in the chorus too. There's presence and intensity thanks to the riper 2022 vintage, balanced by a spine of chalky acidity. Pleasing phenolics on the finish add a tantalising chew, like biting through peach skins. A hint of white pepper to finish adds a twist (reminds me of adding pepper to strawberries, shouldn't work but it does!). Keep this delightful thirst slaker on hand this summer. GABRIELLE POY, PWS
2022Carignan, Grenache, MourvedreFrance460$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Chateau Les Mesclances Mourvedre 2020More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2020MourvedreFrance460$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Chateau Barthes Bandol Rose 2023Equal parts Mouvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault all hand harvested and macerated on skins for 24 hours at 10° C. Luminous pale pink colour. Fresh and aromatic with lifted citrus and delicate rose petal and wild raspberry red fruit aromas with a hint of Provence herbs. Fresh and softly textural palate with hints of raspberry and rose petal on the palate with a citrus twist of freshness coming from the limestone terroirs underneath the deep red clay that helps to regulate and ensure perfect ripeness in this warm and dry terroir.2023MourvedreFrance460$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Piero Busso Barbera d'Alba Majano 2020
The domaine crafts two Barbara wines, both sitting at what we could call ‘the serious end’ of the Barbera spectrum. In a Bibendum setting, this means closer in style to the structured, ageworthy style of Cavallotto, rather than, say, the approachable and seductive character of Sandrone or Massolino. This wine is the more fruit-forward of the two and is drawn from the Majano vineyard in Neive, sitting at 190 metres on sandy clay. The oldest vines here have reached 50 years of age, bringing uncommon depth and vinosity. The wine was matured in stainless steel for 12 months before bottling.
This is superb; bloody and ferrous yet with lovely florals and a pure, dark cherry core. It immediately speaks as to why we love this producer. There’s depth yet great finesse and it’s loaded with character.
2021BarberaItaly457Special Price $52.00 Regular Price $62.00 -
Albino Rocca Barbera d'Alba Superiore Gepin 2020The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Gepin is deep, flavorful with tons of character. It emerges from the Cottà cru, where the wines are naturally rich and creamy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and incense all open nicely. A year of aging in cask adds structure. What I like most about the 2020 is the combination of fruit intensity and depth, but in the restrained, classic style that is the norm here these days. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous
The name of this wine is taken from the previous farmer. Gepin tended these old parcels of Barbera in the great crus of Ronchi (Barbaresco) and Cottà (Neive), planted between 1950 and 1974.This wine has improved out of sight in recent vintages (in part thanks to enhanced barrel integration) and has now become a regular in our portfolio. Where the classic Barbera is raised in tank, the Gepin matures for 12 months in low-impact, large Austrian casks (from you know who) and is bottled unfiltered
2020BarberaItaly457Special Price $52.00 Regular Price $62.00 -
Rizzi Barbera d'Alba 2022
More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2022BarberaItaly457$52.00 As low as $46.80 -
Chateau d'Esclans Whispering Angel 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023MourvedreFrance460$54.00 As low as $48.60 -
Fratelli Revello Barbera d’Alba 2022From vineyards located in Annunziata, measuring 1.8 ha, facing east, at 270 metres above sea level, and west, at 240 metres above sea level. Roto fermenters and all steel tank with about 8-10 days skin contact.2022BarberaItaly457$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Mount Mary Marli Russell RP2 2021Grenache (60%) Shiraz (25%), Mataro (10%) and Cinsault (5%). It’s in keeping with my little Grenache theme this week, except it’s from the Yarra Valley!
It’s complex and a wine of many layers. Raspberry and blackberry, plenty of perfume and spice, hazelnut, something in the way of dried herbs and earth. Medium-bodied, no shortage of red and black fruit, rose oil, but also something a little more meaty and savoury in the mix, with fresh acidity, kind of like pomegranate, fine emery board tannin grip, and a fine ‘minerally’ finish of excellent length. Outstanding in 2021. (95) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
60/25/10/5% grenache/shiraz/mourvèdre/cinsault. The grenache spends 16 months in 1600L seasoned foudre, the rest matured in barriques (15% new for the shiraz). A wine that shows both the potential of these varieties and this blend at Mount Mary. Perfumed and spicy with red and black fruits and a little Mediterranean garrigue. Brightly fruited and with tannins that are juicy and balanced, this medium-bodied wine is already a treat to drink. PHILIP RICH, Halliday Wine Companion2021Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvedre, shirazAustralia506$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Alkina Night Sky GSM 2022A great rendition of this wonderful blend. Dark Cherries and plums with spice notes. The fruit is ripe, but very bright and the tightly wound structure opens up beautifully with air. SARA TORRES, PWS SYDNEY2021Mourvedre, shirazAustralia349$55.00 -
Fratelli Alessandria Barbera d'Alba 2023More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2023BarberaItaly457$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Diego & Damiano Barale Barbera 2021More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2021BarberaItaly457$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Domaine Danjou-Banessy Roboul 2019More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!
2019MourvedreFrance419$57.00 As low as $51.30 -
Diego & Damiano Barale Barbera 2022Sourced exclusively from the Barolo San Giovanni Cru in Monforte d'Alba
Distinctly ripe with plenty of charm and appeal, this is what Barbera is all about. The acidity is bright and that is reflected in the fruit through the tartness that snaps its way across the palate while the more obviously ripe and well rounded fruit follows up with admirable depth and plenty of spice inflected plum, orange zest and a bright, long, primarily red fruited finish that carries a light mineral flair and a faint hint of scorched earth. Plenty of potential here, this is a very classical styling that really screams out for food. Your ideal partner for a lot of meals and with more than enough going on to keep the geeks interested too. NICE! ROSCOE2022BarberaItaly457$59.00 As low as $53.10 -
Valfaccenda Arneis 2021Luca and Carolina are two of the best people we’ve met in the world of wine. We’ve known one another for many years and long admired the wines so we decided it was time to navigate our friendship and import the wines. Luca Faccenda grew up in the hills of Roero, northwest of Alba, where his family made wines in Valle Faccenda, a small valley between Canale and Cisterna. The vineyards in Roero are primarily on sandy soils, the hills very steep and difficult to work, and the wines more perfumed and pretty compared to those of the Langhe with a distinct saltiness on the palate.
This comes from Loreto and Mompellini with an average vine age of 15 years and the vineyard parcels are divided into ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ soils, harvested separately. The rich soils bring acidity and and sharpness to the wine, whilst the poor soils more structure and warmth. The poorer soils produce smaller berries with ripe tannins and these parcels are fermented and aged in old wood, with about 10-15 days on skins. The wine goes through malo and is blended and bottled in the waning moon of late Spring following the harvest and then aged in bottle for a minimum of three months.
Luca makes the point that his Arneis is grown only on the steep hillsides (where mostly Nebbiolo is grown) and it’s the first variety to flower and the last to ripen. He is looking complexity rather than a simple aperitivo wine. The nose is rich with peach and pear fruit and touch of white pepper. The mid palate fills out with depth and some tannin, finishing crisp and salty.2021ArneisItaly499$62.00 As low as $55.80 -
Lalu Langhe Barbera d'Alba 2021Organic. Lalù’s Barbera from fruit purchased from Monforte’s San Sebastiano—a site that Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala believe is exceptional for this variety. Made with a third each of whole-berry (Leroy style), whole-bunch and destemmed fruit, the wine fermented and was raised entirely in concrete, where it aged for eight months. Lalù’s is a radiant, linear, focused Barbera that wafts from the glass with shades of fresh red fruit, woody herbs and floral lift. The palate is silky and vibrant with depth and texture, and while it delivers a serious dose of fruit, you’ll find plenty of finesse and mineral freshness, too. A lovely, new-wave Barbera.2021BarberaItaly457Special Price $62.00 Regular Price $74.00
-
Lalu Langhe Barbera d'Alba 2022
Organic. Lalù’s Barbera just gets better. The new release is the first to include fruit from the new estate vineyard of Bricco Giubellini in Monforte. The vines here lie on Diano sandstone at a lofty 530 metres, an altitude that brings welcome freshness to warmer Piemonte vintages such as 2022 and 2023. The balance of the Barbera is drawn from fruit purchased from Monforte’s San Sebastiano—another site Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala believe exceptional for this variety.
Made with a mix of whole berries and bunches, the wine fermented and matured for eight months entirely in concrete. It’s a more powerful, sensual release than last year, still perfumed and vibrant yet more textural. The wine slinks out of the glass with pure red berries, violets and brown spices before turning towards more earthy shades of liquorice and woody herbs. The palate has joyous purity as well as a lovely mouthwatering quality from both the powdery tannins and the variety’s bright acidity while also hinting at Lalù’s light touch in the cellar. A first-class artisanal Barbera here.
2022BarberaItaly457Special Price $62.00 Regular Price $74.00 -
Idlewild The Bee Flora and Fauna White Wine 2017Proprietor Sam Bilbro has spent virtually a lifetime around wine. His family owns Marietta, while brothers Jake and Scot are behind the reborn Limerick Lane. At Idlewild, Sam Bilbro focuses on Italian and other less well-known varieties. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the, Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard, Vin Gris Dry Creek Valley and Grenache Gris Gibson Ranch. The best wines in this range are compelling, and point to a bright future. ANTONIO GALLONI, www.vinousmedia.com
Having had a relationship with the Bilbro family as importers of the Marietta wines some years ago we were delighted to find youngest son, Sam, was behind this new venture, Idlewild. In many ways the wines are the anitpathy of what so many believe Californian wines are supposed to be. Hunting out heritage stands of Italian and Rhone varietals (mostly in Mendocino County) Bilbro makes extremely interesting wines characterised by texture, savouriness and subtlety. Skin contact is a part of the wines as is a relatively non-interventionist approach; both indicative of the preferences of the younger brigade of Calfornia producers. PWS
The 2017 White The Bee Flora & Fauna, is a classy, polished wine to drink now and over the next few years. Green pear, mint, white flowers and light tropical overtones all grace this very pretty, expressive wine. The Muscat in particular adds an attractive aromatic flair. ANTONIO GALLONI2017Arneis, Cortese, MuscatUSA362$63.00 As low as $56.70 -
Domaine Duseigneur Lirac AntaresFrom 50 year old Grenache and Mourvèdre vines in lirac - all Biodynamic fruit.2016Grenache, MourvedreFrance467$63.00 As low as $56.70 -
Paitin ‘Bonina’ Freisa Paitin 2020This is a bit of a banger. Raspberry, almond paste, dried roses, a fair bit of white pepper and spice, aniseed too. It’s medium-bodied, frisky and fresh, plenty of red fruits, dried herb, a ‘mineral’ feel to it, not least with regards to acidity, peppery tannin, lots of energy, also kind of earthy and gravelly too, with a brisk finish of excellent length. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front
The 2020 Freisa Bonina is another fabulous wine in the entry-level portion of the range. Bright and translucent, the 2020 delivers striking complexity and nuance. Rose petal, lavender, spice, mint and dried herbs all open in the glass. The 2020 is translucent, bright and wonderfully expressive. For readers who want to explore Freisa, this is certainly a great start. ANOTONIO GALLONI,Vinous
2020BarberaItaly457$63.00 As low as $56.70