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Our new arrivals – just in time for summer

Summer has eventually arrived, and we have a very exciting new selection of wines to celebrate. From a range of countries, we have every style of wine covered, from an old-school Burgundy to a thrilling Spanish and Italian selection. They also offer great value for money. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did while tasting and selecting them.

De Martino, Calco, Chardonnay, Limari, 2018, £19.00 ​
 Abad Dom Bueno, Mencia, 2019, £11.99 

Abad Dom Bueno, Mencia, 2019, £11.99 From the Galician appellation of Bierzo in north-west Spain, Bodega del Abad is a modern winery which focuses solely on the native varieties of Godello and Mencia.

Fruit for this cuvee is sourced from 35-year-old vines growing at a 650m altitude in Villafranca del Bierzo and Valtuille de Arriba on clay and mineral soils.

The winemaking process is labour intensive, reflecting the care Bodega del Abad take in their winemaking. Grapes are harvested manually and then berries undergo careful hand selection on the sorting table. Alcoholic fermentation occurs naturally. During the fermentation, pumping over and punching down are carried out manually.

This young wine expresses the more fruit-forward end of the spectrum in the Bierzo appellations expression of the Mencia grape. It is a fresh, supple wine showing plum and berry fruit along with smoky notes. On the palate it is medium-bodied and delivers subtle savoury tannins with some grip.

Sassi Bianco, Abruzzo, 2020, £15
Sassi Bianco, Abruzzo, 2020, £15 From an organic/biodynamic producer from Abruzzo, making great value wines. Made from the Montepulciano grape, this is unfiltered and made with minimum intervention. The labels are designed by tattoo artist Michele Labbati with the idea of symbolising the sea and mountains. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, high acidity, and straw, mango and peach flavours with a gentle herby character. Sappy finish.
Solco Lambrusco dell’Emilia
Solco Lambrusco dell’Emilia Such fun! Juicy fresh sparkling red from Elimia, and only 10.5% alcohol. Made from the Lambrusco Salamino, an off-dry grape, this is a traditional Lambrusco with minimal intervention. Rich dark fruits and concentrated blackcurrants and blackberries. Gentle bubbles. Best enjoyed chilled and paired with tomato-based dishes and cheese.
Bret Brothers, Vire Clesse, Climat 'Sous Les Plantes', 2018, £33.00

Bret Brothers, Vire Clesse, Climat 'Sous Les Plantes', 2018, £33.00 Jean-Philippe and Jean-Guillaume set up Bret Brothers, the negociant side of Domaine de la Soufrandière, in 2001. They buy top-quality organically-farmed grapes from 40-year-old vines in small plots in the best sites in the Mâcon. All the vineyards are hand harvested by their team. Vinified using natural yeasts, matured and bottled in house, with the same care and attention to detail as their estate wines. The brothers are committed to organic viticulture, which they believe produces more vibrant wines.

Grown on clay and silt soils then fermented in 228 litre oak barrels, before 11 months ageing in demi-muid and barrel, this is proof that great white Burgundy does not need to be grown on limestone. Delicious sweet cream to the nose, powerful concentration of fresh lemon, racy yet mouth coating.

Senorio de Sarria, Navarra Reserva, 1994, £27.00
Senorio de Sarria, Navarra Reserva, 1994, £27.00 Deliciously mellow Navarra Tempranillo. Aged for two years in cask and then over two decades in bottle. Excellent level for the age of the wine and is drinking dangerously well. Soft spice, leather and dried meats alongside raisined red fruits, still with enough acidity to keep the wine alive. Amazing value for a wine so old.
De Martino, Calco, Chardonnay, Limari, 2018, £19.00
De Martino, Calco, Chardonnay, Limari, 2018, £19.00 Lovely oaked Chardonnay from clay and limestone soils in the cool Pacific coastal Valle de Limari. Aged for 12 months in used oak. Concentrated but very fresh with minerality. The palate has a fresh, linear, mineral tone. Delicately creamy, toasty nose leading to melon and red apple palette kept vital by lots of crisp citrus flavours.
Benito Santos, Godello, Monterrei, 2020, £17.00

Benito Santos, Godello, Monterrei, 2020, £17.00 Benito Santos is a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rias Baixas DO. He began working in his grandfather’s vineyards in the 1930s making wine for his bar. In the 1960s he repeatedly won prizes in the Annual Fiesta de Albarino in Cambados and was was instrumental in the creation of the DO in the 1980s. The winery was built in 1979. He is buried nearby in the grounds of the Monastery of Calago in Arousa.

In his work he showed sincerity and a respect for nature (organic farming) enabling the wines to show the character of their terroir. Benito Santos believed that “wine should be made in the vineyard, not in the winery.”
Current winemaker Jose Antonio Porto concurs and carries on the tradition.
In 1995, they leased eight hectares in Monterrei to the east, planted since Roman times. Situated on the Tamega river, a tributary of the Douro, south of Ourense. The climate is more continental here. Only 394 hectares are planted. Santos’ vineyard is in the Ladeira de Monterrei subregion, on the slopes.

This Godello has deliciously fresh aromas of cucumber, white melon and herbs which continues onto the palette. Aged three months on lees the wine definitely has some structure but this is wound around the white stone fruit, citrus, stone, and fresh herbs. Lovely long refreshing finish.

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