Castiglion del Bosco launches Millecento 1100

Castiglion del Bosco, a founding member of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, has launched its first Brunello Riserva under the name Millecento 1100, paying a tribute to the year the fortress safeguarding Montalcino from the attacks of Siena and Florence was built in the Estate.

The 7,000-bottle Millecento Riserva production comes from a single 8.5-hectare organically treated, high density plot, planted at 460m above sea level in the spectacular ‘Capanna’ vineyard. Its prolonged maceration is followed by a 36-month maturation in large (30hL) French oak barrels and concrete egg tanks to ensure unparalleled quality and longevity.

Cecilia Leoneschi, winemaker at Castiglion del Bosco, since Massimo Ferragamo purchased the property in 2003, said:

“The particularity of this single-plot is its dual exposure, south-east and south-west, which adds personality to the wine. We waited for the vineyard to reach optimum quality potential (it was planted in 1998) and released the first Millecento in the spectacular 2010 vintage.

Millecento Brunello Reserva, despite being the most recent addition to the Castiglion del Bosco range, is the most traditional in both winemaking and packaging. It represents the estate’s philosophy of making wines in the vineyard, with minimum intervention and respect in the winery.”

Millecento Riserva was launched at a private dinner hosted by Massimo Ferragamo and Cecilia Leoneschi and organised by Harrods at Tartufi & Friends and was recently showcased at the Italy Decanter Fine Wine Encounter at The Landmark on Saturday 4th June.

Contact Effi Tsournava should you require further information.

Great Parker Scores for Pazo Barrantes!

The latest vintages of Pazo de Barrantes’ two Albariños have received outstanding Parker scores. After tasting the wines, Luis Gutierrez said that ‘the wines of Pazo de Barrantes, in Rias Baixas, have become one of the best values of this Appellation of Origin’.

Located in the Salnés valley, just a few kilometres from the Atlantic coast, Pazo de Barrantes boasts 12 hectares of Albariño vineyards surrounding their 16th century Galician Palace. All the vines are trained high on supporting wires in the “Parral” trellis system, as is the local tradition, to guard against mildew and rot, and also to assist ripening. The soil is sandy, acidic and shallow.

The Pazo Barrantes style is rich and full, released last out of all the wineries in the region after a slow malolactic fermentation and is intended to develop well in bottle.

Pazo Barrantes 2015: 90-91 points

‘It has a very expressive nose and it’s creamy on the palate following its characteristic style, while maintaining the freshness and acidity. It is evolving very well and gaining complexity.’

La Comtesse 2013: 93 points

‘The best vintage of La Comtesse so far. It shows a brilliant combination between volume and freshness when tasting it. If you want to combine Albariño grape with oak, this is the way to do it.’

Contact Christine to find out more about these high scoring wines.

Five Gold Medals for MMD at the DWWA

Maisons Marques et Domaines is delighted to announce five Gold Medal wins at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2016!

The Decanter World Wine Awards has become one of the largest and most influential competitions in the wine industry, judged by thousands of wine experts to find the world’s most exciting and high quality wines.

Gold Medals have been awarded to the following wines from the Maisons Marques et Domaines Portfolio:

Domaines Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Saering 2013

“Golden in colour with green hues, with aromas of lime, camomile, stone fruits and a hint of white pepper. Zippy, mineral and dry”.

Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2011

“This elegant Barolo has fragrant aromas of delicate florals, tar, sweet cherry and spice. Immediately approachable with excellent balance and structure. Polished tannins and a long, mineral finish.”

Pio Cesare Barbaresco Il Bricco 2011

“Garnet in colour, with perfumes of dark berries and summer fruits with a touch of sweet spice, liquorice and herbal notes. Rich, with delicious juicy fruit, fine tannins and a long, expressive finish.”

Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2013

“Deep ruby in colour with a perfumed nose of black cherry, bramble and spice with hints of tobacco. Rounded structure with ripe tannins and a long, spicy finish”.

Ramos Pinto 20 Year Old Tawny

“Stunning tawny colour with red tints and lovely aromas of ripe dark fruits, spice and vanilla. Very long, savoury finish.”

Contact Maisons Marques et Domaines to find out more about these Gold Medal winning wines.

Duas Quintas Reserva Wins Gold

The Duas Quintas Reserva 2013 has been awarded a Gold Medal at the International Wine Challenge 2016.

The famous Port House, Ramos Pinto, produces Duas Quintas, exceptional red table wines from the Ervamoira and Bons Ares vineyards in the Douro region of Portugal.

The Reserva is made from hand harvested grapes vinified in granite wine presses and stainless steel tanks, depending on the plots. Twenty percent of the wine is aged in wooden tonnels and eighty percent in new and one year old barrels.

This award winning wine is intense, dark garnet in colour with aromas of luscious dark red fruits and undertones of toasty oak and wild herbs.

Contact Christine to find out more.

Pio Cesare Scores 98 Points

James Suckling has awarded the Pio Cesare Barolo and Barolo Ornato outstanding scores in his Barolo 2012 Tasting Report.

James Suckling tasted 160 examples of the 2012 Barolo and remarked that the vintage was similar to the “warm-styled wines” of 2008 and 2005 that are so inviting when drunk young.

According to Suckling, the vintage was hot and sunny in Piedmont, cooling down towards the end of August. Although some rain was an issue in September, wines achieved exceptional balance and harmony.

Suckling quotes Pio Cesare’s description of the 2012 Vintage:

“I like the vintage better than the 2010 and the 2011. They are opulent and attractive wines, especially now”.

James Suckling was exceptionally impressed with the Barolos of Pio Cesare, awarding the Classic Barolo 95 points and the ‘Ornato’ an outstanding 98.

Pio Cesare Barolo 2012:

“This is a young Barolo that builds on the palate with super silky tannins and fantastic pure and delicious fruit. Hints of hazelnut, plum and dark berry character. Full and polished tannins. Better in 2019 but delicious now.”

Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2012:

“This is amazingly structured with tight and polished tannins that give this wine superb linear length and balance. Full bodym bright and focussed fruit. Goes on for minutes. Beautiful now but better in 2020”.

Contact Effi to find out more about these outstanding wines.

10YO Tawny Port receive Special Design Commendation

Ramos Pinto are delighted to receive a Special Commendation for the design and packaging of their 10 Year Old Tawny Port, RP10, in this year’s Drinks business Awards.

The Drinks Business Awards have become some of the most respected accolades in the drinks industry, celebrating the achievements of importers, designers, launches, and marketers.

Ramos Pinto have been famous for their distinctive designs and striking art nouveau advertising campaigns since the 20th century. This love of art and design was inherited from family member Adriano Ramos Pinto, who considered that enjoying a good wine was a cultural act, just like appreciating a fine work of art.

The RP10 gift pack combines sophistication, modernity and practicality. The stylish box can be turned into a cork wine cooler, the perfect way to store and serve this award-winning wine. The distinctive label is truly representative of Ramos Pinto, combining simplicity, style, modernism and tradition.

Contact Christine to find out more about Ramos Pinto.

Siepi makes the “Super Super Tuscan” List!

Wine journalist James Suckling has included the Castello Fonterutoli Siepi 2012 in his list of “Top 10 Super Tuscans”.

He scored the wine an outstanding 98 points and described it as having:

“Fantastic depth of fruit and mouthfeel, with blackberries, blueberries, spices, walnuts, fresh herbs and orange peel. Full body, round and savoury tannins and a mouth-watering finish. Blend of sangiovese and merlot. Easily the best Siepi ever; it celebrates 20 years of production.”

The 2012 Siepi celebrates the 20th anniversary of this iconic wine. Siepi is made exclusively from grapes harvested from the eponymous Siepi vineyard, the oldest vineyard site in Chianti. Six hectares of vines are surrounded by an oak forest on the south west slope of Castellina, 260m above sea level. Siepi has a unique exposure to sunlight and ventilation, as well as a highly complex geological structure. The soil is predominantly Alberese and the average vine age is thirteen to twenty-six years old.

Read the rest of James’s article here.

Contact Effi to find out more about Siepi.

Provence in Pictures

Douglas Blyde, a food consultant and wine Journalist, has documented his recent trip to Domaines Ott* with a series of photos published in the Drinks Business.

The photo series takes the viewer on a journey through the history of Domaines Ott*, starting with its creation in 1912 by Alsatian agricultural engineer, Marcel Ott, who ‘dreamed of founding an illustrious wine estate near the Med’ (Blyde).

Back to the present, Douglas shows Ott’s new wine, By.Ott, released this year from Château de Selle’s new cellar. By.Ott is made from hand harvested grapes grown on ancient schist, limestone and clay soils. Pretty and pink in colour, this new wine is delicate and fruity with aromas of fresh citrus zest and sweet spice – the perfect wine for summer!

Click here to read the full article.

Contact Christine to find out more about Domaines Ott*.

Domaine Faiveley unveil new winery

On Tuesday, March 1st, Domaine Faiveley unveiled their new winery, “La Framboisière”, in Mercurey, where they vinify their 72 hectares of Côte Chalonnaise vineyards: Rully, Mercurey, Givry and Montagny.
The renovation of this historic winery started in May 2013, and it has taken almost three years to complete this exciting 1000 m² project.

Domaine Faiveley’s new winery optimises vinification conditions and facilitates the aging of the domaine’s wines (including an 800-room barrel cellar).

Contact Christine to find out more about Domaine Faiveley.

Rioja 2015 Vintage Report

Wines from Spain have released their annual Vintage Report for 2015.

Wines from Spain have reported that 2015 was ‘very different in Rioja’ due to a hot summer and September rains. Picking began in mid-September and the harvest was complete by October 13th.

Despite the heat in early summer, the weather became more moderate from mid-July, with September’s daytime temperature hovering between 22-24˚, alongside cooler nights. This dry, sunny weather was especially favourable for vineyards which had not yet been harvested.

Wines from Spain quoted the Consejo Regulador: “Quality was particularly outstanding in vineyards located in cooler areas with moderate vigour and limited production, often yielding considerably less than the maximum allowable kg/ha rates.” Lower berry weight due to a dry spell during the last part of the growing cycle also had a very positive impact with a better skin-to-pulp ratio – a key quality factor.” Alcohol levels are slightly higher than those of an average year.

Contact Christine to find out more about the harvest at Marqués de Murrieta, situated on the southern limit of the Rioja Alta.

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