Usseglio Les Claux Rouge
$36.99
"Les Claux" Rouge is Domaine Raymond Usseglio's entry-level CDR, a blend of 60% Grenache, 20 % Syrah, 20 % Mourvedre. The average age of the vines is 50 years and the wines are all biodynamic. Exclusive to KWM, you’ll have to search far and wide to find a better value!
The Usseglio family initially emigrated to Châteauneuf de Pape from Italy. Brothers Pierre and Raymond began the dynasty that we know today as one of the most revered producers in the region. Stéphane, Raymond’s son, has now taken over the Domaine and is pushing hard to reach the potential of the family’s holdings, some of the best of Châteauneuf.
Dumangin Cuvee 17 3L Double Magnum
$424.99
A grower-producer in the heart of Chigny-les-Rose, Giles Dumangin has champagne coursing through his veins. Dating back to the 1650's, the Dumangin's have always worked with the vines of Champagne, but it wasn't until 1890 when Hippolyte Dumangin created Champagne Dumangin in the 1er Cru vineyards of Chigny-les-Roses. Five generations later, Champagne Dumangin is producing an array of wines, from their classic feminine style to their newer, high-end cuvees. This Cuvee 17 is (almost) an equal blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and is one of their newest additions to their line. Cuvee 17 is a natural style champagne, but this is serious wine! With 33% of the bottle consisting of reserve wine, it creates a fierce complexity and opulent notes of elderflower, banana, lemon cream and hints of brioche. Perfect as an aperitif, with appetizers or with fresh seafood.
Heartland Cabernet Langhorne Creek
$24.99
The Heartland story began in the late 1990’s when winemaker Ben Glaetzer (of Amon Ra fame) became excited about the outstanding quality of fruit being grown in some of South Australia’s lesser-known regions, in particular Langhorne Creek. Together with industry veterans Scott Collett, Grant Tilbrook and more recently, Nick Keukenmeester, they grew Heartland into an award-winning winery. It offers blackcurrant and berry fruits wrapped in a neat parcel of dried herbs, and a hint of eucalyptus. A touch firmish in the mouth, but the finish is long and seemingly endless.
Siegel Ketran
$91.99
Alberto Siegel and his father founded Viña Siegel in 1980. They started planting vineyards in Colchagua, eventually building a winery in Santa Cruz after years of selling bulk wine to large producers. The Colchagua Valley is located in the Central Zone of Chile. It's a 'transverse valley", which means that it is a valley formed by a river, in this case, the Tinguiririca, running east-to-west towards the ocean. The valley cuts out at a ridge or mountain at right angles. The Colchagua Valley is the leading fine-wine-producing region in Chile. In the Mapuche language, Ketran means “land ploughed by the fire resulting from volcanic activity.” This wine is born out of the inspiration of the volcanic soils that give birth to the vineyards in Los Lingues at the foot of the Cordillera de Los Andes, high Colchagua. It offers black fruit, mocha, toast, and spice with firm, chewy tannins. The wine will continue to improve with time in the cellar. It's a blend of 35% Syrah, 30% Petit Verdot, 25% Carmenere, and 10% Cabernet Franc grown on colluvial soil, clay, and a decomposition of volcanic rock. It's hand-picked, and aged in French oak barrels and left to age for 30 months and then another 12 months in bottle before release.
Protos Crianza
$33.59
Protos has the distinction of producing wines in the Ribera de Duero region since 1927, making them the first producer to sell their wines commercially. They authorized the use of their Ribera del Duero brand for the region, and in doing so created what has become one of the most famous names in Spanish viticulture. They built their new state-of-the-art facility in 2008, and the structure has won awards for its design. The fruit for this wine is sourced from two of their oldest vineyards, Burgos and Valladolid, both averaging 35 years of age. It spends 12 months in French and American barrels and shows subtle notes of vanilla, char, and spice, all wrapped in a core of red fruits. The tannins are soft and well-integrated, a nice choice for charcuterie or roast chicken.
Dumangin Ratafia Craft
$74.99
This bottling of Ratafia Champenois from Gilles Dumangin is made of 2/3 Pinot Meunier and 1/3 Pinot Noir. Multiple vintages with a minimum age of 6 years were chosen to be married together before a further 9 years of maturation took place in casks that previously held wine from Northern Rhone. Bottled at 18% ABV.
Ratafia Champenois is a fortified wine from the Champagne region of France typically made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Brandy or a neutral grape spirit is added to the grape juice before fermentation. The Ratafia has a lovely tawny colour and rich, complex dried fruit flavours. Gilles recommends serving it with melon, cheese and chocolate desserts.
Durigutti Compuertas Cordisco
$31.99
It all began in 2007 with the first five hectares of an old Malbec vineyard that the brothers acquired a few steps from the winery, on Callejón de la Reta. Since then, a path of recovery and revaluation of the history and traditions of an emblematic wine region of Lujan de Cuyo begins: Las Compuertas. Over the years, more hectares were added to the project, today 31, and they baptized this place with the name of their mother, as Finca Victoria. This work seeks to accompany the development of producers in the area who maintain their vineyards with pride in the face of the unstoppable advance of urbanization.
Russiz Pinot Bianco
$39.19
The origins of the Felluga family - who own both Marco Felluga and Russiz Superior - dates back 150 years, and six generations later they enjoy a position as one of the benchmark producers of white wine in Italy. The winery follows sustainable viticulture practices and derives all of their electricity from solar panels. Collio is situated in northeast Italy on the border with Slovenia. The Pinot Bianco has a deep straw yellow colour with golden and green hues and expresses ripe apple and flower aromatics. In the mouth, it's silky and round with a lengthy finish.
Podere Forte Guardavigna 2018
$274.99
Podere Forte's top-end wine is made from 100% estate-grown Cabernet Franc, nurtured in vineyards above 525m. “The name comes from the rock that used to guard the vines. I mix up – I have to mix up – History and Fable. The Fable of a great Tuscan wine.” - Pasquale Forte
The Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, encircles the Podere Forte. The estate was founded in 1997 by Pasquale Forte, a visionary entrepreneur who has created a balanced system where every element complements the others, following the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. The old concept of the corte romana has been recreated on the 500-ha estate: a place where people, plants and animals coexist in harmony and sustainable self-sufficiency. Wine is the main focus, but Podere Forte is also synonymous with the breeding of Cinta Senese pigs, Chianina cattle and Suffolk sheep, as well as various other farm animals, all living on biodynamic feed. Podere Forte produces its own fertilizers and compost using vine prunings and fallen timber from the woods. The pigs eat acorns and chestnuts in the woods where they roam freely, the bees pollinate the flowers and aromatic herbs in the botanic garden where the hives are. The olive groves cover around 26 hectares and in 2020 production of the first varietal oil, from the Frantoio variety, started.