The Manzanos brothers make a range of customer favourite Riojas at their family estate. Then just over the border, into Navarra, they also own vineyards and there make this bright fruit red. All Tempranillo, it is silky with deep berry flavour.
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If you enjoy quality wine and appreciate value, southern France has a lot to offer. There is a myriad of appellations and producers to get to know. And fewer rules to follow, so winemakers can be creative. We have been wending our way around villages and vineyards there since the late 1960s so we know where to look and have many invaluable connections.
Yannick Pons of Domaine Saint André has a beautiful estate, skirted by the Canal du Midi and the Roman road Via Domitia. It's not far from the famous Oppidum (hilltop town) d’Ensérune, which dates back some 3,000 years. This is prime Chardonnay country, producing lovely, pure, creamy peach fruit in this modern style white. It’s perfect on its own or with salads, fish dishes or roast chicken.
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True to its Marlborough origins, Duck ’n’ Pheasant is a crisp, ‘jump from the glass’ aromatic Sauvignon. Quality in 2022 was so good, the team were able to make us more passion fruit zing, using top grapes from individual growers.
For lovers of big, smooth reds, El Bombero is a top choice. It comes from Cariñena, a hot, arid region of Spain where sun-loving grapes like Garnacha (same as Châteauneuf’s Grenache) achieve amazing ripeness. Ancient vines, hot summers and a lack of rain mean fewer grapes, which in turn means superb flavour intensity. Hence mouthfilling El Bombero. There are no fancy châteaux around Cariñena, but, as Decanter magazine notes, that doesn’t stop it from being home to some of the best-value reds in the world.
From award-winning winemaker Javier Domeque, El Bombero is packed with spicy black fruit power and a warm glow. Great on its own and a tasty choice for casseroles, full-flavoured pasta dishes, herby roast sausages and mash, and barbecues.
Big Red El Bombero has been a top choice with customers for over 20 years. And in special vintages, winemaker Javier Domeque crafts a sophisticated Gran Reserva version using the pick of the crop from his oldest vines. To qualify for Gran Reserva status, the wine is aged in oak for three years with further time in bottle prior to release. It’s made mostly from Garnacha, an important component of many full-bodied Spanish reds (and also of Châteauneuf-du-Pape), with a generous portion of juicy Tempranillo for added flavour. It's a touch more refined than El Bombero itself, but still full of rich berry flavour and with delicious spicy complexity from American oak. Drinking perfectly right now with roast lamb, game or a selection of tapas.
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Critic Tim Atkin declared, "For wine lovers, South Africa offers something special," while the Press Association wrote, "South African winemakers are producing an abundance of world-class wines". Excelsior Estate has been doing just that for 150 years, since its foundation in Robertson in 1870. It's still owned today by the De Wet family, with Freddie and his son Peter running the show. Their philosophy is that great wine is made in the vineyard, so they put much work into tending their vines.
Their Heritage Reserve wines use their finest grapes from the lowest yielding vines on the region's premium limestone soils, all to ensure intense flavour. Ripe, but with zesty freshness, this white is great with ginger-spiced pork or noodle soup.
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