Quartet and Domaine Faiveley Score Highly

Quartet and Domaine Faiveley have achieved high scores in Wine Spectator’s “First Look at our Editors’ Most Exciting New Wines”.

Quartet, the Roederer Estate winery nestled in California’s fog-shrouded Anderson Valley, has scored a fantastic 93 points for their Brut Anderson Valley L’Ermitage 2007 and 91 points for their Brut Anderson Valley NV.

Wine Spectator described these wines as “well-focussed”, “sleek and charming” with complex flavours of baked apple and ginger.

Both are drinking beautifully now and L’Ermitage will continue to develop through to 2017.

Domaine Faiveley has also achieved an excellent score of 92 points for their Joseph Faiveley Maursault-Blagny 2013. Under the careful eye of Erwan Faiveley, the family have been producing outstanding wines for seven generations.

Described by Wine Spectator as “lean and focussed, showing mint, apple, lime, mineral, spice and smoke aromas and flavours”, this elegant white is the perfect match to Salmon with citrus beurre blanc and green beans.

To find out more about these outstanding wines please contact MMD on 0208 812 3380.

Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs is a “Breathtaking Beauty”

In an article published by Money Week, award winning wine writer Matthew Jukes described the Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs 2009 as a “breathtaking beauty of a Champagne”.

He called the wine “amazing” and was astonished at the beauty and persistence of its “exquisite” perfume.

The Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs is made from 100% estate grown Chardonnay, harvested from the Roederer vineyards in Côte des Blancs Grands Crus. As Matthew Jukes points out, 10% of the wine has been matured in oak barrels and this fantastic wine then spends five years maturing in the Roederer cellar before being disgorged.

At six years old the 2009 Blanc de Blancs is drinking perfectly and is the perfect match for oysters, summer salads or langoustines.

Current vintage available: 2009

Contact Marinel for more information about this “breathtaking” wine!

The full article can be found on-line here.

Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2011 received the Tre Bicchieri 2016 award

Maisons Marques et Domaines are delighted to announce that the Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato 2011 won the prestigious award “TRE BICCHIERI 2016” from Gambero Rosso.

Castello Fonterutoli receives Gold Medal at Chianti Classico Masters 2015

Castello Fonterutoli Chianti Classico, Gran Selezione 2010 won the Gold Award at the Chianti Classico Masters organised by the esteemed magazine The Drinks Business.

The jusdges of the first UK blind tasting Chianti of the Great Selection bank were:
-Tom Bruce-Gardyne, a former wine buyer and current wine writer specializing in Italy
-Alex Reed, former brand manager for Antinori in the UK, longtime Italian wine buyer and today’s off-trade director at Berkmann Wine Cellars
-Roberto Della Pietra, Italian native and former head sommelier at Clos Maggiore

“This Gran Selezione from the Mazzei family, who have owned Castello Fonterutoli since 1435, was a textbook example of great Chianti Classico. A touch of orange coloration on the rim of the glass, and complex aromas of citrus peel, cherry and cedar, immediately identified this as a classic and class-leading Sangiovese.”

You can find the full tasting note of the wine HERE

Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2004 named Supreme World Champion

Champagne Louis Roederer’s Cristal Rosé 2004 was named Supreme World Champion at the Awards Dinner of the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2015 at Vintners’ Hall in London, 2^nd Septmeber, in front of over 100 international winemakers, producers and guests.

Competition founder Tom Stevenson and fellow judge Essi Avellan MW announced 11 National Champion sparkling wines, covering France, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa, Spain and the US.

Commenting on the results, Tom Stevenson said: “With 113 new producers, a 38% increase in the number of countries represented and 36% more Gold and Silver medal-winning wines this year, we can truly say that the CSWWC 2015 has been welcomed and embraced by every significant terroir for sparkling wine production!

“This increase in both diversity and quality has doubled the number of Best in Class awards this year, which is a good thing because it draws attention to the high standard of sparkling wine around the world, but it presented us with a problem. It would have resulted in so many Champion trophies by Style that those trophies would have been devalued. We therefore made National trophies our highest and most prestigious awards in 2015, with the single illustrious exception of the Supreme World Champion. Next year it is very likely that we shall see the return of World Champions by Style, but they will be reduced to a select few to ensure that the exclusivity of our top awards is retained.”

The CSWWC is the most respected, comprehensive and rigorous international sparkling wine competition in the world. The complete list of Trophies, Best in Class, Gold and Silver medal winners for 2015 is now available to view on the CSWWC website and will be published with full tasting notes and price categories for each wine in Tom Stevenson’s Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide 2016 (due to be published in October 2015).

The CSWWC is the first and only terroir-driven competition judged exclusively by renowned fizz experts, all of whom taste each and every wine submitted to guarantee an unprecedented level of consistency and accuracy of judging. Founded by Tom Stevenson in 2014, with the support and expertise of Essi Avellan MW and Dr Tony Jordan, the CSWWC provides both consumers and trade with the definitive annual guide to the best Champagnes and sparkling wines on the planet.

Best Australian Sparkling Wine 2015 – House of Arras 2005 Grand Vintage Brut
Best Canadian Sparkling Wine 2015 – Trius NV Brut
Best English Sparkling Wine 2015 – Nyetimber 2010 Classic Cuvée
Best French Sparkling Wine 2015 – Louis Roederer 2004 Cristal Rosé
Best German Sparkling Wine 2015 – Solter 2009 Rheingau Riesling Sekt Réserve Brut
Best Italian Sparkling Wine 2015 – Ferrari Perlé 2006 Trentodoc in magnum
Best New Zealand Sparkling Wine 2015 – Hunter’s 2010 Mirumiru Reserve
Best Serbian Sparkling Wine 2015 – Trijumf 2009 Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut
Best South African Sparkling Wine 2015 – Avondale 2009 Armilla Blanc de Blanc Brut
Best Spanish Sparkling Wine 2015 – Segura Viudas NV Reserva Heredad Pinot Noir
Best US Sparkling Wine 2015 – Caraccioli Cellars 2007 Brut

Siepi 2012 “20th Anniversary” awarded 98 points by James Suckling!

Siepi 2012, a wine by Marchesi Mazzei that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has been awarded 98 points by James Suckling.

“Fantastic depth of fruit and mouthfeel to this red with blackberries, blueberries, spices, walnuts and fresh herb character. Orange peel, too. Full body, round and savoury tannins and a mouth watering finish. Easily the best Siepi ever, and it celebrates 20 years of production”

Football and Capellanía: The perfect match.

The Wall Street Journal have crowned Marques de Murrieta’s Capellanía 2010 ‘a wine worthy of a Premiership Game’ quoting: “Where football and wine are similar is that in a football team, just like in a wine, you need structure and you need backbone,”

Read the full article by Will Lyons below:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/football-and-wine-a-beautiful-friendship-1438873865

High scores for the Murrieta range

Impressive scores from James Suckling for the Marques de Murrieta range:

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay 2005
97 Points

“You just want to smell this, with a polish and clarity that changes all the time. Aromas of walnuts, dark fruits, ginger, roasted seaweed, soya, iron, rosemary, and lavender. Full-bodied, yet polished and firm. Such tension and form. The length is phenomenal. As always, this is a selection of the best of the best. A blend of 90% tempranillo and 10% mazuelo. Almost all American oak. Aged three years barrel and then three years in bottle.”

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Gran Reserva 2007
96 Points

“Unique aromas of ginger, sweet tobacco leaf, leather and ripe fruits. Full-bodied, very firm and tight. A racy, linear wine with great length and structure. It opens on the palate from a state of compression to opulence and beauty. This is, as always, a selection of the best barrels of gran reserva. 26 months in American oak barrels and 36 months in bottle.”

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Capellania 2010
95 Points

“Aromas of white flowers, sliced pears, pineapple and chrysanthemum. Lilacs too. Full body plus mineral, stone and bright fruit flavors. It last for minutes on the palate. From a single plot of viura on the estate. It is barrel fermented and then aged 17 months. A great white. Phenomenal for the money.”

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2010
94 Points

“Fabulous aromas of crushed berry and dark fruits with walnuts, hazelnuts, and ginger. Cinnamon and honey melon too. Full-bodied, very tight and firm. Linear backbone of fruit and tannins. Very long and racy. 22 months in American oak (six months new and then racked into used). Beautiful now but needs another two or three years to soften. A triumph.”

Pazo Barrantes Rias Baixas La Comtesse 2012
93 Points

“A creamy and beautiful wine with sliced pear and apple. Hints of white peach and lime too. Full body, lovely texture and a long and flavorful finish. This is made from a special plot of vineyards that have 50 years of age or more. Fermented and aged one year in a large 3,000 liter French oak cask. A stylish white. Electric.”

Murrieta Reserva Scores 90 Decanter Points

A fantastic 90 Points from Decanter’s Sarah Jane Evans MW for the Marques de Murrieta 2005 Reserva.

“Murrieta Reserva offers a reliable taste of classic Rioja. This has had about 22 months in American oak, the traditional wood for ageing in the region, giving a superb slick of vanilla and adding richness to the cherry fruit. The ripeness of 2005 makes it ready to drink now, though it has plenty of life ahead.”

June 2015

Mazzei Strengthen their Partnership with MMD

We are delighted to announce that the Marchesi Mazzei estates Castello di Fonterutoli, Belguardo, and Villa Marcello will be distributed by Maisons Marques et Domaines from 10th June 2015 following the addition of Zisola, the family’s Sicilian estate to their portfolio in 2013.

“The Mazzei family is one of the most acclaimed names in Italian wine with a rich history and heritage and also a vision for the future. We are delighted to be extending our association with the family”, comments MMD Managing Director, Richard Billett, “In particular, the addition of one of the most sought-after Chianti estates, at a time when premium Italian wines are enjoying positive momentum, strengthens our proposition and underlines MMD’s ongoing commitment to the Italian category”.

Giovanni Mazzei adds, “Joining MMD means joining a distributor that we feel represents the level of excellence and commitment we consider important. MMD and Mazzei will form a perfect match with a succinct vision. We are both family-owned companies, sharing similar values and we look forward to a long and prosperous working relationship.”

Castello di Fonterutoli is located near Castellina in Chianti in the heart of the Chianti Classico, and has been owned by the Mazzei family since 1435. Today, the estate comprises 117 hectares of vineyard, largely planted with Sangiovese (36 carefully selected clones that are best suited to the four areas of production: Fonterutoli and Badiola, the higher areas, with clones giving aromas and elegance and the lower areas, Siepi and Belvedere, with clones that provide structure and opulence). A small number of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines are also planted, the latter being blended with equal proportions of Sangiovese to make the iconic, single vineyard ‘Siepi’, made only in the best vintages. The cellar at Fonterutoli designed by architect, Agnesi Mazzei, is one of the most impressive in the Chianti region and has a minimal impact on the environment.

Tenuta Belguardo was purchased in the 1990s after the family identified the potential for producing quality wines on the estate. In line with their philosophy of innovation, the Marchesi Mazzei implemented an intense re-planting programme, carefully selecting grape varieties and clones. The estate is situated in the Maremma between the hills of Grosseto and Montiano, and within the official Morellino di Scansano viticultural zone. The estate is only 10km from the coast which plays an important role in the microclimate of the vineyards which cover 60 hectares and are planted with Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante, Vermentino, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and other indigenous varieties.

Villa Marcello is the latest project of Giovanni Mazzei, who launches his first vintage Prosecco from his mother’s family estate in the Veneto. The Prosecco shows a balance between modern and traditional techniques which highlight the wines’ origin and unique character.

A selection of the wines will be on show at the ‘Definitive Italian’ Tasting in London at the Royal Horticultural Hall on Thursday 25th June and at the ‘Chianti Classico Consorzio’ Tasting in Edinburgh on Tuesday 7th July at the Balmoral Hotel.

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