El Castro Valtuille Mencia
$27.99
As early as 1752, the ancestors of the (Raul) Pérez family were vine growers in Valtuille, making wine from some of the plots that today form part of the winery. Tradition, experience, and respect for the terroir and for the work of their ancestors define the character of their work, mark the profile of their wines and the life of nine generations of the family linked to the family business. The winery is located in Valtuille de Abajo, t the foot of the western slope of Castro de la Ventosa, a Roman site that gives its name to the project.
Cabasse Margueritte Rouge CDR
$25.99
The winery and estate sit between the towns of Séguret and Sablet, a half-hour drive from iconic Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Under vine for over 600 years, the property has been lovingly cared for by the Baudry family since 2012. Approximately 15 sustainably-farmed hectares in the towns of Séguret, Sablet and Gigondas are planted with Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Carignan, Clairette and other local white varieties. These are some of only 16 Southern Rhône communes which may use their name along with the Côtes-du-Rhône Villages appellation. The small plots are surrounded by hedges and trees that protect the vines from the cold Mistral which can blow violently from the north. The Mediterranean climate assures plenty of warmth and sunshine during the growing season, but the nearby sea and stiff evening breeze ensure a broad diurnal shift that retains acidity and freshness in the wines. The pebbled soils are a mix of clay, sand and, most importantly, limestone.
Meinklang Red
$30.99
Meinklang is a leader in biodynamic viticulture in Austria. The Meinklang vineyards are found in eastern Austria close to the Hungarian border. This gutsy red is a blend of Blaufrankisch (50%), Zweigelt (40%), and Sankt Laurent (10%) planted on sandy loam with shallow rocky topsoil. The grapes are partially destemmed into stainless steel where fermentation is carried out semi-carbonically. The wine then rests for six months in tank before being racked and bottled with 30ppm of sulphur. 12% ABV
Kay Brothers Basket Pressed Shiraz
$44.99
For well over a century, Shiraz has played the main role in producing wines of outstanding quality, depth and longevity at Kay Brothers. The Basket Press Shiraz continues this tradition. The vineyards sourced for this wine have a predominantly eastern exposure. The soil varies from sandy loam at the top of the hill to heavier loam and clay as it transcends down the hill toward the creek. The dry climate forces the vine roots, ranging from 9 - 18 years, to delve into the complex underlying geology consisting of quartz and ironstone gravels, weathered and calcareous sandstone, siltstone and limestone.
Siegel Cabernet Reserva
$22.99
Alberto Siegel and his father founded Viña Siegel (now Siegel Family Wines) in 1980. They started planting vineyards in Colchagua and building the winery in Santa Cruz. When Don Germán died in 1998, Alberto became the owner, together with his family. Initially, Viña Siegel only sold bulk wines to the biggest Chilean wineries, like Concha y Toro, San Pedro and Santa Rita. In 1997, Alberto decided to enter the bottled wine business and made the necessary investments to go ahead with this project.
Le Grand Verdus Reserve Blanc
$56.99
This Bordeaux white is produced entirely from Sémillon, from 80-year-old vines, a rarity in Bordeaux. There is an intriguing bouquet of tropical fruit aromas with delicate floral notes. Hints of honey and almonds add a velvety texture, while a subtle minerality underscores the wine's elegance.
In 1973, Philippe Le Grix de la Salle left the Créon cooperative and started up his winery. This was the birth of Grand Verdus as a wine Château in the classic Bordeaux mould. Under the courtyard of the 400-year-old structure are the wine cellars. At the same time, some Premiers Grand Crus Classés of the Médoc are also developed. With the help of Emile Peynaud, a famous professor at the Faculty of Oenology of Bordeaux and “mentor” of Philippe Le Grix de la Salle, a modern Bordeaux Château is born.
Marie Courtin Cuvee Concordance
$159.99
A Kensington Wine Market exclusive! The champagnes from Marie-Courtin are truly something special. An ultra-fine, elegant style with amazing freshness. Delicate and racy, yet absolutely unique in style thanks in part to biodynamic viticulture. All her grapes are grown in a single plot of 2.5 hectares, which is also the total size of the domain that Dominique Moreau founded in 2000. Because all her wines come from a single vineyard, she has decided to emphasize the differences in champagnes through vinification. There are wines matured in barrique, amphorae, enamel tanks and one without sulfur. All come from the 2.5 hectares of single vineyard on the Kimmeridge marl soil of the Soden, on the Côte des Bar. Winemaker Dominique Moreau, who named the estate after her grandmother, is a master of purism. Her champagnes are delicate and elegant, yet with underlying power and a high degree of drinking pleasure.
The Concordance is an Extra Brut 100% Pinot Noir offering with zero dosage from Champagne Marie Courtin and winemaker Dominique Moreau.
Quote From Antonio Galloni
"Proprietress Dominique Morneau embodies all of the qualities of the artisan approach in Champagne. Hers are some of the most adventurous, cutting edges Champagnes readers will come across. Biodynamic farming, the use of natural yeasts, and low or no dosage are some of the elements that inform these wines. Above all else, the Marie-Courtin Champagnes are made with meticulously grown fruit that makes the above possible. Readers who want to explore the outer boundaries of Champagne should pay close attention to this tiny, emerging estate in the Cote des Bars, a previously under the radar part of the region that continues to produced a bevy of compelling wines."
Greenock Creek Seven Acre Shiraz
$90.99
Thrust into the international wine spotlight thanks to an unmatched eight perfect 100-point scores from the world’s leading wine publication, The Wine Advocate, Greenock Creek remains the proud standard-bearer for long-lived Barossa Valley red wines of deep colour, abundant flavour and great structure.
Their vineyards are situated in the sub-regions of Seppeltsfield, Marananga and Moppa located along the Barossa Valley’s western edge and are some of the oldest vines in the world. Thin, sandy loam topsoils lie sparsely scattered over ancient deposits of bluestone, marble stone, limestone, quartz and ironstone. Rainfall is limited, often to less than 400 millimetres a year falling through winter and early spring. Subsurface clay retains valuable moisture, sustaining the vines through the long, warm and dry summers and autumns. The perfect, low-disease-pressure conditions in which to grow small, healthy bunches of compact, flavour-packed berries.
The Seven Acre vineyard was originally planted in 1990. Each vintage typically undergoes 24-30 months of maturation in American oak with a small amount of further ageing in the bottle before release.
Burgos Porta Mas Sinen Coster
$78.99
Mas Sinen is the name of the 15 hectares of organic vineyards and winery run by Poboleda native Salvador Burgos, a man of incredible energy and enthusiasm. Situated on a steep hillside outside the village, where only mules, not machines, work the land, Mas Sinen produces 4 wines, some from rare pre-phylloxera grapes which yield tiny quantities of juice. His friend, Sergi Mendez shows us around, explaining the mineral-rich content of the water that trickles down the hills through the llicorella soil is potable. “We try to put our terroir into the bottle,” says Burgos. The yield is so tiny, that 2 vines yield no more than a glass of wine. The grey stone-faced winery is small but old, boasting of basket-presses ranged alongside steel tanks. In the tasting room, we taste the 2018 Mas Sinen. It is still a baby, Burgos declares, “It will be ready in 2021, after 6 months in barrel.” Burgos’ wines are ageworthy, but he shrugs this away with “Yes, it can age. But wine is made to be enjoyed, and because Priorat production is so small, its wines are rarely aged. They are drunk very quickly.”