Jaime Quendera, our favourite Portuguese winemaker, has made a juicy, fruit-forward red, aged in a very special cask. Enjoy Alicante Bouschet’s smooth texture in this red from rare, ancient vines that oozes rich flavours of black cherry and pepper.
Can you imagine buying 1,008 bottles of wine in one year? That’s 200 gallons to be exact – the same amount that each American household was allowed to make for ‘personal use’ during Prohibition. And the go-to grape during this DIY time wasn’t Cabernet or Merlot, it was the bold and juicy Alicante Bouschet - widely planted in California but originally from Portugal. Today, award-winning winemaker Jamie Quendera has crafted a mighty, Reserva-quality red, from rare 100-year-old vines. And the unique twist? Jamie aged the wine for 12 months in custom double casks. The top and bottom are French oak (imparting subtle spice) while the long side planks are American (for vanilla notes). The result is an ultra-smooth, cherry-ripe, well-spiced drop!
We work closely with great producers to ensure we get the best wines for our Averys label range. Our new German Riesling is crafted for us by Gabel winery, a small family estate with 350 years of winemaking history. Recently awarded “Rising star of the year 2022” in Germany’s Eichelmann Wine Guide, Oliver Gabel learnt his craft through the vineyards of Baden, Bordeaux, Burgundy and South Africa. He’s now developed his own style at home in the Pfalz, striving for elegant wines that show their origin. This Riesling is from limestone soils in organic vineyards giving the wine an invigorating mineral character. Wild yeast fermentation in traditional wooden vats (some more than 100 years old!) preserves the vibrant fruit aromas. Drink or cellar.
Let’s go back in time! To the 1st century AD and vineyards planted to serve the ruling elite at the thriving Roman port of Troia. Here, on Portugal’s windswept Atlantic coast, the only grape that thrives in the dry, sandy soils and super-hot sun is local star Castelão. This small, dark-skinned grape boasts fathomless depths of flavour – if you know how to unlock it. Back to today and enter Gold-medal maestro Jaime Quendera at Portugal’s most awarded winery, Casa Ermelinda Freitas. Only made in the best years, this Black Red flies of our shelves as soon as it's in stock. So our advice is: if you see it, buy it! Rippling with ripe plums, black fruits and laced with chocolate, with a spicy oak finish. At 14.5% it’s got power, so sip slowly.
When I came over the high pass south into the Agly Valley in the 70s, I was captivated by the ancient vines on steep, terraced hills, topped by high, ruined castles. It was wild 'unknown' territory. That's where bestselling Cabalié, made by the legendary Hervé Sabardeil, is from. Hervé buys grapes for Cabalié from many vineyards, but the best grapes came from two vineyards of 100-year-old vines on schist/granite soils. They are two of France's oldest vineyards, lying on steep, terraced hillsides. When Hervé learned the farmer was retiring, he bought those two vineyards – and thus we have the 'Grand Cru' Origine … the purest essence of Cabalié … made solely from those two vineyards. It's a nearly all dark, spiced Carignan, with a few rows of silky Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, which add to the incredibly rich fruit and luscious texture.
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Family owned since 1664, the Karp-Schreiber estate lies in the heart of the Mosel. This important region starts southwest of the ancient city of Trier and follows the river its named after through the Rhineland to Koblenz where the Mosel joins the Rhine. Dramatic, slate-covered slopes are the key to the region’s wine quality. Estate manager Alwin Karp and winemaker son Jobst Julius have 6 hectares of Riesling, cultivated on these steep slopes, including a patch of Grand Cru Juffer Sonnenuhr vines. As the vineyards are far too precarious for machinery, all the work is done by hand.
Dry Karp from the very good 2021 vintage is a Mosel classic – zesty, delicate floral notes and mineral freshness. Great solo or with seafood or Asian dishes.
