Product Line

No, this is not just another "Light Dry Red" playing to the recent fads but a serious nod to the 'Burgundies' of the 50's 60's and 70's which Nick Spencer is paying homage to. These were classic light-bodied Shiraz and Shiraz/ Pinot blends that emerged from the Hunter and are highly sort after now. They are back in fashion and tasting this it's not hard to understand why.

The style can be a little hit or miss and getting that combo of pinot and shiraz just right is critical, which Nick has done a brilliant job of here. A touch of sour cherry, cranberry and strawberries that plays off broodier black currant and blackberry fruit swirling around in the background. It's served on a palate that is crunchy and vibrant with lovely fine structure and soft melting tannins. Great poise between the fruit and other elements and while this is wonderfully easy to enjoy there is a plenty going on here that belies the seriousness of the wine.

While its ready to go now and easy to love if you put a couple of bottles away for just a couple of years or so I think you would be a very happy camper!

The red 2019 La Calleja comes from a vineyard that could only be bottled in 2010, 2016 and 2018, as it has suffered everything—hail, frost or whatever. It's from a north-facing plot that was planted in 1992 in Fonzaleche on shallow sandstone soils on white limestone that is harvested late but keeps a moderate degree (14.2%). This 2019 feels darker than usual, with black rather than red fruit, but it is still vibrant on the palate with freshness and fine tannins. The vineyard is farmed organically (but not certified), and they started with regenerative agriculture in 2019. It had a long élevage of 23 months in foudres and 500-liter barrels. 5,200 bottles were filled in September 2021. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

La Calleja is a single hectare planted in 1992 by Eva with her father, when she was a little girl. 100% Tempranillo and typically yields 4500 litres (although the first vintage, 2010 produced just 3000 bottles). Its name means 'little street'. Mountainous, with lots of stone in the soil, Fonzaleche village produces light and fluid wines with excellent acid structure. Typical handling regime: lightly crushed (yielding only a half-litre per kilo of fruit), open fermentation in medium-sized old wood for 6 days without additions (total sulphur, 40mg/l).

Fruity-floral with violets, a fresh, mineral acidity and lovely texture, La Calleja is a genuine 'voice' distinct from the me-too choir of industrial-process Rioja.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making! (99) WINE ADVOCATE

The 2019 Opus One is a dense, beautifully layered wine, but it is also quite restrained. That should serve it well in time. Tasted next to the 2018, the 2019 possesses a bit more textural nuance and body, yet it has all the classicism that is such an Opus One signature. Bright floral accents linger on the sublime finish. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

Intensely perfumed on the nose, rose petals, violets, deeply scented and seductive. Rich yet expansive on the palate, very open with dark chocolate, cherries, fragrant blackcurrant - sweet and scented, with satin-like tannins that effortlessly support the flavours. There is real drive and persistency to this, fresh, youthful and alive with a vibrant juiciness that is so appealing. No one element is too dominant, this feels harmonious and balanced with an excellent tangy acidity and long minty, herbal finish with edges of tobacco and dark chocolate. A classic Opus with breadth, finesse and energy. Grapes were harvested 10 days earlier than average, on 10th September with harvest lasting four weeks. 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec complete the blend. (98) DECANTER

The grapes for this wine come about 82% from our own block in Mitch Patin’s Lloyd Vineyard on West Soda Rock Road planted in 1998 towards the southern end of Alexander Valley on the banks of the Russian River. 11% comes from the Larrick Vineyard that we farm, and the remaining 7% is Malbec from J. Rickard in Cloverdale.

As always, this wine was produced more like a Pinot more than a Cab. Fermented in open-tops with native yeasts, punched down by hand, and racked to barrels before being aged in 2nd fill French oak barrels for 15 months.

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!

This village wine is from a collection of vineyards in the highlands around San Vicente, at altitudes of 500m and above, from different sites and soils. Of San Vicente’s six valleys, all but la Rad figure. The composition is Tempranillo with 20% Garnacha and a little Viura. Manual harvest; destemmed; all the plots are made separately, then blended. 

After fermentation in the concrete cubes in Briones, 40% of the village blend lingers in concrete, while the balance has ten months of gentle ageing is in old 500L barrels in the medieval cellar of San Vicente’s Castle Davalillo.

The whole orchard on display here, wood, flowers and fruits of cherries and apples, boysenberry, plum and blackberry. All is cut to shape by hyssop, juniper, dry brown spices and orchard bark. Savoury-but-juicy, it’s open, perfumed and round. Gravel and iron in the soil nuance the satin fruit-tannin sumptuousness. It’s a wine of great harmony and balance, and as it lingers, fruitfulness is beautifully trimmed by tannin to the finish where spice, bitters and easy nutty acid join in the violets-in-earth gorgeousness. SCOTT WASLEY

A river of black fruit, subtle florals and brown spices. Beautiful purity in the fruit, such detail and intensity and while there's a dusting of oak spice, the power and deeply pitched and mineral flecked fruit is very special. Bristling with energy. As I said above, long and aristocratic. Utterly convincing and delicious wine. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

100% Tinto Fino, from the towns of Villálvaro, Sotillo de la Ribera, Moradillo, Hontoria, Peñafiel, Quintana del Pidio, Anguix and Curiel de Duero. Average altitude of 850 to 900 meters, all in the province of Burgos and Valladolid. The grapes come from old vineyards between 35 and 100 years old. In French oak barrels for 428 days, having undergone malolactic fermentation in barrels for 10% of the final blend.

Smashed red and black fruits with that blue-note hit and spicy oak to top it off and little highlights of smokey, leather notes make for a heady and complex nose. Again, plenty of concentration for the mixed, wild berry fruit profile but never at the lack of freshness or energy. Firm but plush tannins grip the black fruits plastering them to the palate and driving home to a full and rich finish. Definitely see some oak here but it suits the style perfectly. PWS

Earthy, underbrush aromas with hints of fig, raspberry compote, cherry and herbal overtones. Bursting with red plum, spice and a mouthwatering layer of sour fruit. Peppery tannins and a toasty, warming finish. DECANTER

A pristine and primary Toro with spices and baked cherries. The juicy, medium- to full-bodied palate is wrapped by fresh, tight tannins before a medium-length finish. Vegan. Drink within the next three-to-four years. (90) JAMES SUCKLING

Matsu is more than a winery or a wine; it is a modern project of sustainable viticulture out of the Toro region in western Spain. Use of biodynamic agriculture through all its vineyards are cultivated in a form that is completely ecological, avoiding any use of chemical or synthetic herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

El Picaro´ is a young wine of the author that was born out of the process of biodynamic viticulture. With this wine comes the completion of the collection of Matsu, a trilogy that is surprising for its ability to unite power with elegance. ´El Picaro´ continues to pay a tribute to the viticulturists that have dedicated their lives to the vineyards. As the youngest generation in the Matsu line, El Picaro embodies the characteristics of a strong young man, valiant, impertinent, and uncontrollable.

Cabernet ……  who drinks Cabernet anymore?   I mean we can't all hang out in exclusive "Gentlemen's Clubs in Mayfair" can we?

So I was super surprised when I had a chance to taste an older (2018) vintage of the Forman Cabernet a few months ago which was superb - so I couldn't wait to have a crack at the new vintage.  California cabernet - all big, juicy and ripe fruit….. right?  Nope - definitely not.  There were layers of blueberry fruit, dusty chocolate, coffee bean, black cherry - and lovely hint of sweet spice and graphite minerality.  Also a hint of oak supporting the rich - but definitely not over ripe - fruit.    With a little time in the glass fantastic savoury notes popped up … think sage, bay leaf all adding wonderful complexity and interest to the wine.

This wasn't an over ripe jammy new world Cabernet … nor was it an austere/mouth puckering Bordeaux  - just a wonderful balanced wine - drink up! MATT O'CONNOR, PWS



The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, deep wine that marries elegance and finesse in a way few people can do, like Ric Forman. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, with terrific depth, the 2020 has so much to offer. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice, incense and new leather are all dialed up. Although it is early, this 2020 is shaping up to be one of the finer wines of the year.
(95) ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to be seen as a success in the vintage, revealing a solid bouquet of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, cigar, and toasted spices. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet with a good sense of balance, moderate tannins, and outstanding length. It's well done and should evolve for another decade at a minimum. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it always showed well. JEB DUNNUCK

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!

STAFF PICKS 2024 - MICHAEL MCNAMARA

This is Yeringberg at its best - medium weighted but with fruit and touches of oak seasoning persistent and pulsing through the body of the wine. Nothing is overstated but you never feel like anything is missing either, such wonderful balance. An Aussie icon that shows where less intervention and artiface delivers so much more. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

A blend of 58/14/14/9/5% cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc/merlot/petit verdot/malbec. Matured 20 months in French barriques (35% new). Bright crimson purple. From a great year, this is a beautifully fragrant and seductive Yeringberg with its aromas of blackcurrants, blueberries, cherry blossom, violets and just the right amount of oak-derived cedar and pencil-shaving scents. The epitome of medium bodied, it's elegant, discreet and persistent on the palate, even at this early juncture. Equally important, the fruit is perfectly framed by the wine's fine-grained and silky tannins and, as has been demonstrated on many occasions, this will mature slowly and gracefully. 98 PHILIP RICH, wine companion

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!

The 2008 Camartina (70% Cabernet Sauvignon,30% Sangiovese) comes across as rather understated in this vintage. Dark fruit, spices, leather and tobacco are some of the aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass. Mineral notes appear later to frame the long, vibrant finish. The 2008 shows lovely balance in a relatively subdued style for this wine. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous 

Happy days for me when I can taste Cabernet and Italian wine in the one glass. Two worlds collide.  Black and red fruit, chocolate and licorice, florals and fine spicy oak treatment. It’s firm and medium bodied, almost tense with a slight jaggedness to its grainy tannin and crisp acidity – though it feels clearly defined and lively. Has a subtle green tobacco note along with leather that lends it an Italian drawing room charm. Needs a bit of time to settle down, but a lovely stylish wine it is. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Maturing ruby with orange tinges. Gorgeous cherry and cassis nose with notes of undergrowth, and with plenty of energy. Tar, tannic grip and pure cherry and cassis fruit. Acidity adds a real sense of freshness while streamlining the whole. Tasted 03/18 WALTER SPELLER, JancisRobinson.com

Deep bright purple-red colour leading into a stylish bouquet of sweet mulberry and other berry fruits, violets and cassis, succulent and mouth-filling, with masses of fine emery-like tannins that run the length of the palate adding authority, structure, length and refreshment to the aftertaste. Concentrated, superripe blackberry, cassis and mulberry flavours; oak tucked discreetly into the background. (98) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

Really delivers as you might expect from this excellent concentrated and powerfully frame vintage in Margaret River. It’s dominant cabernet with smaller portions of merlot, cabernet franc and malbec. Typical of this wine since switching to biodynamics, it is bright and brilliant with a nervy tense energy to drive the palate. The succulent fruit is harness by fine chalky tannins and neatly played oak of which 55% was new. A wine of extraordinary elegance and poise with a few of many decades. (98) RAY JORDAN

Needless to say, Margaret River enjoyed another superb vintage with the 2022 season. Slightly cooler, Cullen report that it was a vintage of “immense perfume and texture”. The wine is a wonderfully vibrant purple in colour. The nose gives up plums, cassis, spices including nutmeg, chocolate, mocha, bay leaves, cigar box notes – think a freshly opened box of Cohiba Siglo VI – and near perfect oak integration. This is finely balanced and exhibiting immense length on a palate that sees the emergence of aniseed, mulberries and coffee beans. An alluringly supple texture with the silkiest of tannins, though plenty of them – there really is some grip here. This will easily sail through fifteen to twenty years in a good cellar. (98) KEN GARGETT, Wine Pilot

Extremely perfumed and floral with lavender, lilacs and violets to the sweet, ripe berries, such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Some slate and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and refined, with super fine tannins that last for minutes. Fresh herbs, such as bay leaf and lemon grass highlight the dark fruit. The quality of tannin is exquisite with wonderful polish and refinement. Lasts for minutes. So wonderful to taste now, but better after 2026. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note. (98) WINE ADVOCATE

Power and concentration from the start but with a lovely vein of cool blue fruits and an invigoratingly fresh core. Dark chocolate, coffee, blueberries and pomegranate combine to give a seductive nose and follow through on the palate with an immediate burst of juicy acidity and plush tannins. Layered and nuanced, the texture is striking, elegant and precise with juice that his the side of the mouth supported by oak spice that gently frames the overall feeling giving balance. Abundant in a sense but also reigned in making you want another glass straight away. 80% wild yeast fermentation for the first time as of the 2018 vintage. (98) DECANTER

The 2010 Opus One is on another level and is a deep, concentrated, full-bodied, flawlessly balanced beauty. From a cooler vintage that saw significant heat spikes later in the year, it has incredible purity in its cassis and darker fruits as well as leafy tobacco, flowers, and background oak. With a great mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and full-bodied richness on the palate, it’s a brilliant wine that has another two decades or more of prime drinking. (98) JEB DUNNUCK – TASTED 2023

Bright dark ruby. Initially reticent nose opened in the glass to reveal wonderfully complex scents of black- and redcurrant, blackberry, minerals, licorice, loam and tobacco leaf, plus a whiff of leather. Seamless, savory and classy on entry if a bit subdued, then delivers lovely restrained sweetness and a complicating wildness in the middle palate that still calls for more bottle aging. Old World in its classic dryness, this highly concentrated Opus One really shines on its vibrant, slowly building back end, where the broad, dusty tannins caress and saturate the palate and allow the fruits and minerals to build. A wine of outstanding depth, clarity, finesse of grain and class; it's hard to imagine that this site could give more. (97) STEPHEN TANZER – tasted 2020

The 2010 Opus One bursts from the glass with an exotic melange of black and blue fruits, menthol, cloves and licorice. Today the 2010 is much more overt, racy and intense than it was just a few months ago. The tannins have begun to soften, releasing the aromas and flavors in an opulent, full-bodied Opus One supported by veins of precise minerality. The 2010 is very, very young, but is also striking in its beauty. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

Comprising of almost all Mencía with just a dash of Tempranillo and Sousón, this expressive, light bodied wine captures the very essence of Ribeira Sacra, grown on slopes above the River Sil so vertiginous they can only be worked by hand. Flavours of blueberries, blackcurrants, and herbs with fresh, lifted acidity. BARRICA WINES

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One of Australia’s great cabernets. This from a cooler season highlights and accentuates the typical bright red fruits and blue fruit mix, especially on the nose. It’s aromatic and perfumed with an African violet scent. The palate as always is so exquisitely balanced and refined. Since 1989 the cabernet has been augmented with the floral bright fruit of cabernet franc and the darker robust black fruits of petit verdot. The palate delivers with a gentle restraint yet there is power deep within. The chalky tannins define a long and focussed finish. A deceptive medium bodied wine that will cellar for many years. (98) RAY JORDAN

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!

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!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the 2003 Camartina is a drop-dead gorgeous effort. Fat, rich and opulent, it will reward consumers with its generous super-ripe fruit, great length and beautiful overall balance...It is a very refined effort in this vintage. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous 

Even though this is 17 years old, the colour is still an amazingly deep garnet even if the rim is now transparent. Oo, that is rather lovely! Lots of evolution and subtlety, with a hint of quite attractive dustiness, on the nose. It does taste very much more like mature Cabernet (even Bordeaux) than anything informed by Sangiovese. Dry (but not drying) finish and really appetising – perhaps that's thanks to the Sangiovese. So it's all Cab on the nose and possibly Sangiovese on the finish. Long and playful. Tasted 5/22 WALTER SPELLER, JancisRobinson.com

Lifted spice and a head-spinning top note are joined by aromas of dark fruits, cassis and a touch of bright cherry mixed with woodland undergrowth. I love the ebullient personality of this wine - there's a crunchy, sappy green note to the juicy fruit which adds a counterpoint to the lush, velvety texture and creates a lovely, bright energy. It all comes together with an expressive exuberance. A wide-awake wine! DECANTER

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Excellent depth and complexity here, showing graphite, pencil shavings, inky blackberries, dark earth funk, black cherries and some roasted spices. Medium to full body with plenty of tight but creamy tannins. Juicy, pretty long and youthful. 100% tempranillo. Better from 2024. ZEKUN SHUAI, JamesSuckling.com

Laderas de Cabama is 100% Tempranillo, crafted from a single plot of 40-year-old vines in Ollauri. It grows on the classic clay/limestone soil of the Rioja Alta. This single-vineyard bottling used to be made in a similar style to Valenciso’s flagship Reserva, in that it was built to age in barrel and bottle before release. From the 2018 vintage, Valenciso has sought to craft Laderas de Cabama in a younger, more fruit-forward style. The fruit is picked a little earlier and the winemaking employs a portion of whole-berry, semi-carbonic fermentation, bringing a more primary, juicy profile.

No new oak is used. Instead, fermentation occurs in cool concrete, followed by 14 months in used French oak barrels. The resulting wine is spicy and rich, with blackberry and plummy fruit, some spice and tobacco leaf notes from the whole-bunch fermentation. It boasts good depth and a tea-scented, full-bodied finish. Great on its own, this will also suit a wide variety of meat dishes.

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!

21 days on skins and matured for 16 months in new and seasoned French oak hogsheads and barriques. The colour is a deeply pigmented magenta. The purity of just-ripe, immaculate blackberries, currants and plums is astounding. It’s almost stark in its pureness of fruit and restraint of oak additions. Elongated tannins and lingering acidity with Nyon olive brine, nutmeg and the slightest touch of fresh picked bay leaf. Confident and completely unsullied. Stunning now and will only improve with age. This is a testament to scintillating fruit and the winemaker’s appreciation of it. 96 SHANTEH WALE, wine companion

A bright, racy nose loaded with fruit, flowers, minerals and red cherries. Fine tannins unwind nicely with the fruit on the palate, with a medium body and a pretty long, precise finish. A co-fermentation from a co-planted vineyard over 60 years old in Abalos. 80% tempranillo, 10% garnacha tinto and 10% viura and other grapes, Half of the wine was aged in old concrete and the other half in used 500-liter oak barrels. Such a joy to drink now. ZEKUN SHUAI, JamesSuckling.com

The 2022 Colección de Viñedos is a village red with 80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 10% Viura from four vineyards in Ábalos. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts. It feels a little like a carbonic-maceration red, but it fermented destemmed; it feels very young and primary, with a fruit-driven nose and a vinous palate, juicy and with very fine tannins and moderate acidity. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

Balanced and supple, with notes of fresh plum, blackberry, tobacco leaf and liquorice. This is a juicy, fresh wine with bright acidity and a dry, chalky finish. DECANTER

Coleccion' is an assemblage of old bush vines (more than 60yo) from three parcelas, Peña Caída, Centenales y los Trepados, planted to Tempranillo with 10% each of Garnacha and Viura. These are field blends grown at just below 600m, yielding 4 tonnes/ha. Open tank fermentation of destemmed fruit, after a brief cold soak, 14 days fermentation and maceration, then malo transformation and 'aged' in raw concrete and 500L French oak casks for six months. Unfined. An incredible bargain!

The wine that stole the show this time is the 2020 Bahierra. It's from a single vineyard that they have worked organically for the past four years (but not certified) with some very old Garnacha and Viura on five terraces and some 35-year-old Tempranillo. It had a 15-month élevage in used 225- and 500-liter barrels and expresses the freshness of the place in Sajazarra. This vintage feels different, with red cherries and a touch of orange peel, more elegant and more Pinot Noir if you allow me. This is really a clarete with 60% red grapes and 40% white, fermented and aged like a red. The palate is vibrant and effervescent with acidity and acid berry flavors, ultra fine tannins and a long, supple and dry finish. Superb! Unfortunately, they had hail and had to sort to produce only 316 bottles. It was bottled in January 2022. It should age well. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

Located in the tiny pueblo of Villaseca, on the municipal footprint of Fonzaleche, Baherra is just north of Sajazarra, and features cold stony limey soil. It's a tiny 0.45 hectare field blend vineyard, planted 100 years ago to roughly 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Viura and other unknown cultivars. Total yield is 1-1.5 tonnes (harvested in October).

Simply, the taste of a place. Tree and vine, wood and leaves, sky and earth. Brilliant, bright, savoury, lactic-electric fruit, centred and radiating. Floral, detailed, deep, fresh. Wonderful.

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