New Label and Blend for 2016 Poggio Badiola IGT Toscana

“…excellent choice …a terrific value at this price point.”, Robert Parker Jr.

The new vintage of Poggio Badiola has arrived! Its brand new label is inspired by the ancient Romanic abbey, La Badiola, which was built in 998 B.C. and overlooks the vineyards of one of the most picturesque hills of Chianti Classico. The addition of Petit Verdot to the blend (65% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot ) adds an appetising spiciness and enhances its longevity. The wine spent 10 months in Tonneaux barrels (500 l) allowing the production of a fresher, more modern style while the introduction of the natural cork enables further ageing and elevates its quality level.

Vineyard: Le Ripe (18 ha)
Altitude: 450-510m
Soil: Rocky (decomposed limestone and sandstone)
Training System: Cordon and Guyot
Vines per hectare: 5,500 – 7,200
Harvest: hand-picked
Tasting notes: juicy red berries, spicy, elegant and velvety
Food pairing ideas: Cold cuts, pasta with meat/game sauce, pizza, meaty white fish, pot roast

Dalmau is one of Tim Atkin MW’s Top Wines from his Favourite Producers!

Tim Atkin MW has picked Dalmau 2013, a blend of Tempranillo and old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, as his top wine from one of his favourite producers, Marqués de Murrieta.

Tim said of Marqués de Murrieta:

“If Rioja has a bodega that can rival the appearance of a great Bordeaux chateau – a Margaux, Clos d’Estournel or Pichon Baron perhaps – then it is surely Murrieta.

…The winery sits at the end of a long drive, surrounded by lawns and cypress trees. Built in 1987 and lovingly restored in 2013, it makes wines that are every bit as stylish as its facade, combining traditional and contemporary techniques.

Murrieta made its first wines in 1852, but its modern success dates to 1982, when it was acquired by the Count of Creixell, Vicente Cebrian-Sagarriga, who planted new vineyards and began to update the old cellars. His son, Vicente, has gone even further since he took over…helped by long-term winemaker, Maria Vargas.

The winery’s 300ha produce some of the bet and most celebrated wines in Spain, led by its occasional Castillo Ygay bottlings…Dalmau (one of the few local wines that includes Cabernet Sauvignon) and its ageworthy Capellania white. Also commendable is its reliable Reserva, which accounts for 85% of Murrieta’s production.”

Tim scored his favourite, Dalmau, 96 points and described it as “sweet, savoury [and] red-fruited”.

Contact Christine Allen to find out more.

Marqués de Murrieta Score Highly in Tim Atkin MW’s Rioja Report

We are delighted to announce that Tim Atkin MW has awarded the Marqués de Murrieta range high scores in his Rioja Report 2018.

Established in 1852 by Luciano Francisco Ramón de Murrieta, this historic bodega was the first of the famous Rioja houses to be established and is still in existence today. The bodega is run by Vicente Dalmau who has revolutionised the entire estate, investing significantly in the vineyards and winery. The emphasis is very much quality focused, with low yields in the vineyard and limited production in the winery. These are truly hand-made, world-class wines from the oldest family owned estate in Rioja.

The 2009 vintage of Marqués de Murrieta’s flagship wine, Castillo Ygay, has been awarded an outstanding 97 points, while the Gran Reserva 2011 and Dalmau 2013 have scored an impressive 96.

Tim scored the winery’s red and white “Reserva” styles with 94 points, and the recently released Primeur Rosé, made from free run juice from Mazuelo grapes grown in Castillo Ygay’s La Plana vineyard, 91.

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

MMD Holds its Annual Portfolio Tasting

Following several very successful years at the Institute of Directors, Maisons Marques et Domaines decided to change the tempo of their Portfolio Tasting this year, choosing instead to hold it at a new modern venue overlooking the river. The tasting took place on the 24th January and, despite the inclement weather, attracted strong attendance from customers, press and the trade. Guests had the opportunity to sample new vintages, including Louis Roederer’s Vintage Rosé 2012, the Pio Cesare Barolo 2014 and the By.Ott Provence Rosé 2017 to name but a few. Tasters also had the opportunity to discover some new wines to the portfolio, including single vineyard offerings from Rapaura Springs and the Castello di Fonterutoli Concerto.

With representatives from the vast majority of producers from Maisons Marques et Domaines’ portfolio of family run wineries, guests had the unparalleled opportunity to discuss the wines and the history of the estates in depth, discovering more about the character of the wines and latest developments in the wineries, as well as a first hand insight into the current market situation in their region.

Richard Billett, Managing Director of Maisons Marques et Domaines said: “We were delighted to welcome so many of our trade customers and friends from the press to our Annual Tasting this week. The event, which in many respects launches the year for MMD, is always a great opportunity not only to showcase new wines and new vintages but also for our customers and producers to engage, reflect on the previous year and more importantly look forward to the year ahead. While we expect 2018 to not be without its challenges, the sense of optimism and upbeat atmosphere throughout the day was particularly encouraging”.

In addition to the vintages on offer in the main tasting, guests were also invited to attend two masterclasses, the first being a technical “Pinot Noir Whole-Bunch Masterclass”, hosted by Matt Thomson of Rapaura Springs, followed by a Meerlust “Rubicon Through the Ages” masterclass held by the owner of the Estate, Hannes Myburgh, where guests were treated to vintages dating back to 1986.

Jamie Goode tastes the 2016s at Domaine Faiveley

Erwan Faiveley, who took over the Domaine in 2005, has had the pleasure of tasting through the Domaine Faiveley 2016s with the award winning wine journalist, Jamie Goode.

Jamie reported that, although 2016 was a challenging vintage at Faiveley, they were able to produce some truly outstanding wines:

“2016 was marked by the most severe frosts in recent memory in Burgundy, but these struck some areas and spared others. There was a knock-on effect for 2017. Erwin says that of recent vintages, everything was good in 2015 and everything that survived the frost in 2016 (which for Faiveley was one-third of normal volume) was good.”

Jamie’s top scoring wines for the visit were the Domaine Faiveley Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, the Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St Jacques, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons Faiveley and the Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, which all scored over 95 points.

The full article can be found here.

Contact the Domaine Faivelely Brand Manager, Christine Allen, to find out more.

Search MMD