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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 -
Casa Rojo Machoman Tierra de Murcia Monastrell 2020Big fan of Jumilla Monastrell, there's great Monastrell made in Spain, with a ton of character. This particular Monastrell; concentrated with red and dark berries, balanced with a touch of chocolate and savoury components. Great wine and food pairing! NICK CAPEL, PWS SYDNEY
The grapes are from 13 plots of Monastrell vineyards in La Raja (where the winery is located) between the mountain ranges of El Carche and La Pila. The vines range from 20 to 70 years old sitting at 800 metres, within the wine region D.O. Jumilla, in the south of Spain. Steel tank ferment with 5 months in small French oak.Red licorice, pastille fruits, and a hint of charry savouriness and scorched earth layered in with sweet, heady spice. Black cherry, black raspberry fruit paint the palate then slowly melt away to reveal spice box and savory herbs then rushes back in with plum, blackberry compote, blueberrie, and blackcurrant that bring the finale to a luxurious finish that trails off with some dark chocolate, and tobacco.
2020monastrellSpain411$70.00 As low as $63.00 -
Casa Castillo La Tendida Monastrell 2021The 2021 La Tendida is the second vintage of this wine from young vines planted between 2006 and 2010 in an area where they are going to keep growing as they transition from the valley to more limestone-rich soils in other parts of the property. It was produced with 75% Monastrell and 25% Garnacha and matured in oak foudre. It has an elegant rusticity compared with Las Gravas or Pie Franco bottlings, with a combination of herbs, flowers, earth and tree bark, with very fine tannins and a chalky finish. It has ripeness, power, elegance and balance. 40,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February/March 2023. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate2020Grenache, monastrellSpain411$51.00 As low as $45.90 -
Telmo Rodriguez Almuvedre Monastrell 2022Fine and polished nose - floral, figgy and gently meaty, it's a delicate and perfectly varietal expression of Monastrell. Soft, wide tannins start the mouth off and a long rip of ripe acid in the back half really straightens things out. Almuvedre has long been one of the bargain wines of the world and the style-quality-value amalgam continues to boggle the mind. IMPORTER
2022monastrellSpain342$34.00 As low as $30.60 -
Raventos i Blanc Brut 'De Nit' Rosado Espumosa Cava 2021A dry pink style of sparkling, using the classic blend of xarel.lo, parellada and macabeu, along with monastrell to create an amazing pink hue to the wine. Varieties are fermented separately in stainless steel before blending to create the base wine. Minimum of 18 months on lees in bottle before disgorgement, with a tiny bit of dosage at the end.
Dry pink of great elegance. A lovely faded rose pink colour, it smells of gently boozed strawberries, dusty rose aromatics - perfumed without any outrageous fruitiness or excess. Nice false sweetness on entry -the balance is ultimately off-dry, juicy and gentle, with high quality delicate bubbles underpinning the fruit, cutting the fruitiness and running on to a super-gently acid close.
2021Macabeo, monastrellSpain372$81.00 As low as $72.90