As Jancis Robinson MW says, “some truly magnificent wines are now emerging from Chile”. The country is indeed producing exciting and character-filled wines, the quality exceptional, the price still incredibly low.
Chile's beautiful Elqui Valley boasts some of the world’s highest vineyards, as well as clear skies, ultra-bright sunshine, and pure snowmelt from the Andes providing plentiful water.
As the World Atlas of Wine says, it produces “some particularly gutsy Syrah at altitudes of over 2,000 metres”. The Carménère, like this powerfully rich example, is equally robust.
It comes from Viña Falernia, built in the valley in the late 1990s by Italian Giorgio Flessati. He recognised the quality conditions from the beginning, and indeed, the winery won a Trophy in its very first vintage.
It’s still impressing the show judges today, the Antakari Carménère Reserva 2023 picking up Gold from the Gilbert & Gaillard Competition:
“Intense garnet red colour. The nose is expressive and intriguing for its aromatic variety … eucalyptus, mint and blackberries. A firm structure … Spicy aromas” (Gilbert & Gaillard Competition)
It’s a really delicious red, the kind that will match any grilled or barbecued meats beautifully – sizzling beef and lamb, of course, but also duck and pork. The ripe berry, delicious spice and gently smoky notes are a winning partner.
This plump, juicy-fruit Merlot is made by Trophy-winning winemaker Nicolas Bizzarri. He heads the cellar team at the family-owned Luis Felipe Edwards estate, four-time winner of ‘Chilean Winery of the Year’. The Don Cayetano Merlot is full of fruit and silky smooth – a luscious velvety mouthful you will adore.
As Jancis Robinson MW says, “some truly magnificent wines are now emerging from Chile”. The country is indeed producing exciting and character-filled wines, the quality exceptional, the price still incredibly low.
Chile's beautiful Elqui Valley boasts some of the world’s highest vineyards, as well as clear skies, ultra-bright sunshine, and pure snowmelt from the Andes providing plentiful water.
As the World Atlas of Wine says, it produces “some particularly gutsy Syrah at altitudes of over 2,000 metres”. The Carménère, like this powerfully rich example, is equally robust.
It comes from Viña Falernia, built in the valley in the late 1990s by Italian Giorgio Flessati. He recognised the quality conditions from the beginning, and indeed, the winery won a Trophy in its very first vintage.
It’s still impressing the show judges today, the Antakari Carménère Reserva 2023 picking up Gold from the Gilbert & Gaillard Competition:
“Intense garnet red colour. The nose is expressive and intriguing for its aromatic variety … eucalyptus, mint and blackberries. A firm structure … Spicy aromas” (Gilbert & Gaillard Competition)
It’s a really delicious red, the kind that will match any grilled or barbecued meats beautifully – sizzling beef and lamb, of course, but also duck and pork. The ripe berry, delicious spice and gently smoky notes are a winning partner.
This plump, juicy-fruit Merlot is made by Trophy-winning winemaker Nicolas Bizzarri. He heads the cellar team at the family-owned Luis Felipe Edwards estate, four-time winner of ‘Chilean Winery of the Year’. The Don Cayetano Merlot is full of fruit and silky smooth – a luscious velvety mouthful you will adore.
Antonio Federici is a small, 3rd-generation cellar in Lazio, just south of Rome. As you'll taste here, its wines are both authentic and exceptionally delicious.
Normally, they only supply their meagre output to top restaurants in Rome. But with most shut in 2020 and 2021, we managed to gain a small allocation of this superb, cherry-scented red.
On fine limestone soils (the rocks of which were used to build some of Rome's most famous buildings) they grow some of Italy's most characterful native grapes. From these they make a small range of highly awarded, rule-breaking wines.
No doubt the skill of top Italian consultant Franco and Matteo Bernabei come into play, as well as the commitment and passion of the family.
A great pizza or pasta red.
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Known for its outstanding landscapes, Argentina’s Patagonia is increasingly recognised for its extraordinary wines. A pure expression of Argentina’s flagship grape, it shows intense red fruits, velvety tannins, and an elegant finish.
When Hermann Schroeder decided to build a winery in 2001, little did he expect to unearth the fossilised bones of a 75-million-year-old dinosaur, later named Panamericansaurus Schroederi after the family. Aside from dabbling in accidental palaeontology, the Schroeders also make a range of award-winning wines. Their brand ‘Saurus’ paid tribute to the amazing discovery, whereas ‘Bariloche’ is named after a modern treasure of Patagonia.
The quaint town of Bariloche, a hot spot for winter sports, hosts the source of a number of meltwater rivers that feed into the valley where Schroeder’s vineyards lie. Made from handpicked Malbec grapes with a touch of oak, its bright cherry fruits come forth with a swirl of the glass. Ideal with grilled meats.
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Wine Enthusiast calls Amarone “one of 15 icons in Italian wine”. They are certainly some of the country’s most treasured reds. Rooted in the ancient tradition of sun-drying grapes before fermentation, Amarone wines offer exceptional richness and a glorious combination of power and complexity that cellars well, too. No wonder they are sought after worldwide. This 2020 from esteemed Cantina Negrar pays tribute to 18th century poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, whose epic poems celebrating rural life made Valpolicella wines famous.
The grapes are from the ancient, dry, stone terraces of the cool Marano Valley, where they ripen slowly. They are then air-dried for 120 days to intensify flavours. Decant early and enjoy with hearty dishes, or cellar.
They own Bodegas Muriel in the Rioja Alavesa, a winery established in 1926 by Jose Villaverde, the father of the current owner, Julián.
Julián and his son, Javier, have for years made our customers the much-loved red Barón de Barbón.
Always a top seller, it's adored for its generous, ripe fruit and value for money. This fresh white is in the same class – no doubt why our customers order it more often than any other blanco.
It’s pure Viura, fermented at a cool temperature in stainless steel to capture every single flicker of freshness.
it's ideal served chilled with tapas, barbecued chicken or spicy prawns with noodles.
Opi Sadler has brought us the customer favourite ‘Waxed Bat’, now he presents the ‘Big Bat’. If you didn’t think a wine could get any richer, silkier and packed with luxurious layers of flavour, you were mistaken. But then, Opi is one of Argentina’s most internationally renowned winemakers and he adores the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
To achieve such an ageworthy perfection, he selected grapes from the finest, high-altitude vineyards in Altamira, Uco Valley, ageing this grand red for 18 months in French oak barrels. This lends a spicy edge to the rich black fruits. Opi states that Argentina makes "undoubtedly the best Cabernet wines in the world". A big statement, but judging by this wine, he may well be right. An elegant, mature steak red.
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Martinborough may be less high profile than other Kiwi wine regions (it's only small) but the quality of its cool climate wines is second to none. It lies in the southern corner of North Island and is renowned for Pinot Noir. A government report in 1979 had highlighted that the conditions of the region were remarkably similar to Burgundy – free-draining gravel soils, with moderate temperatures and rainfall. Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs founded their beautiful family estate in 2005, after a wine stint in France.
They chose a site in Martinborough's Te Muna valley and planted Pinot Noir. This is their gloriously fragrant, expressive flagship wine. Aged in new oak, it has a lovely balance of ripe fruit, spice and savouriness. Open early.
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