Red Wine

Cifras Garnacha 2020

Tasting: A juicy medium bodied palate of dried mulberries, blackberries, soft plush texture, with delicious well rounded tannins and hint of dry scrub herbs.

Bodega: Bodegas Exeo

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: Fermented in then aged 12 months in ceramic eggs, with 10% of the wine in oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Ramirez Seleccion Crianza 2019

Tasting: This is powerful, characterful Rioja at its finest.Aromatic incense infused wood aromas, muscular red fruit, ripe spice accented raspberry and redcurrants, complex flavours and layers of spices, tobacco and leather.

Bodega: Ramírez de le Piscina

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 15 months in French and American oak followed by 12 months in bottles

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Hacienda López de Haro Gran Reserva 2014

Tasting: Elegant, complex and refined, lashings of dried mature blackcurrant and bramble fruit with delicate spices, cassia bark, star anise and angelica. Although a very classic oak driven Gran Reserva, it is well balanced, with exceptionally plush texture and balance.  

Bodega: Bodega Classica

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano

Aging: 30 months in French and American oak, followed by 36 months in bottle

Vintage: 2014

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Bruma Del Estrecho Parcela Vereda Tinto 2018

This plot is called Vereda owing to the fact that a traditional drovers’ road (vereda) used for the transhumance of bulls used to run next to it. As a result, there is a highly visible separation between the vineyards where the road, which is naturally no longer in use, used to be.

One of the most interesting things about this plot is that it boasts two evidently distinct types of soil: a hillside with white, chalky soils, poor in organic material, which affords salinity to the wine, and at the foot of the hillside, fresher soils that boast more abundant clay.

The wine boasts exceptionally attractive fruit nuances and good acidity, while in parallel it obscures the acidity with a noticeably high saline content in the mouth.

Bodega Viña Elena
Brand Bruma del Estrecho de Marín | Parcela Vereda
DO Jumilla
Type Oaked red wine
Vintage 2018
Variety 100% Monastrell
ABV 14.5%

Últimas Huellas Tempranillo 2018

Tasting: Medium bodied with exceptionally silky texture, a very refined wine that shows plush purple berries, refined cassis fruit, blackberries. A wine of beauty and elegance. 

Bodega: Esteban Celemín Viticultor

Region: Castilla y León

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 12 months in first and second use oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 15%

Closure: Cork

Jordi Miró Cariñena 2018

Tasting: Cariñena is rare as a monovarietal due to its very forthright tannin and acidity, characteristics that Jordi successfully tames and uses to craft this delicious wine. Earthy black fruit leads the palate, with support from blackberry, black olive, black pepper, balsamics, deli meats and a sustained mineral length.

Bodega: Celler Jordi Miró

Region: D.O. Terra Alta

Grape: Cariñena

Aging: 12 months in French oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Bancales Olvidades Mencía 2018

Tasting: From the vertiginous canyon-side vineyards of the legendary D.O. Ribeira Sacra, where all vineyards work is carried out by hand and is coined ‘Heroic Viticulture’. A little more texture and weight than the typical Mencía from the region, but still with a light body at its core, Mineral edged black fruit that is simultaneously expressive, but decidedly dry and austere. The wine has a fine acid line, grippy tannin and the fruit is supported by white pepper and dry spice.

Bodega: Adega Ponte da Boga

Region: D.O. Ribeira Sacra

Grape: Mencía

Aging: 10 months in 2^nd and 3^rd use French oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Entre Palabras Tinto Fino 2021

Tasting: The outstanding wines of Alejandro Moyano are as poetic to drink as the labels and their names would suggest. An award-winning winery, self-sufficient and completely off the electricity and water supplies vinifies the organically grown Tinto Fino – the local name for Tempranillo – with the minimum of handling. Entre Palabras – Between Words – Is rich and powerful, although still manages to occupy the middle ground when it comes to body. Ripe, condensed red fruit, raspberry, strawberry, morello cherry, twirl around a core of fresh acidity, very present grippy tannins and supporting herbaceous and mineral elements. Certified organic.

 Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Valdemonjas

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 12 months in French and American oak

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Bobales Perdidos 2018

Tasting: An indigenous grape variety in Spain’s southeast, Bobal has a chequered past. When over irrigated it can produce very large volumes of fruit, over cropped vines produce bland, sub-standard fruit. This coupled with its extremely good disease resistance has meant that it has been used extensively for poor quality bulk wine. However, in the right hands, with yields kept low, Bobal can produce exceptionally beguiling wines. An exceptionally vibrant nose of concentrated cassis, blackcurrant and herbs backed by a sumptuous palate of plush blackberry jam, spicy cassis and finished off with a hint of Mediterranean herbs. 

Bodega: Bodegas Pigar

Region: D.O. Utiel-Requena 

Grape: Bobal

Aging: 4 months in old 400L barrels

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 15%

Closure: Cork

Ramón Bilbao Gran Reserva 2014

Tasting: Everything you’d expect from classic Gran Reserva Rioja, aromatic and complex with a palate of blackberries, redcurrant, cherries, nutmeg and vanilla.

Bodega: Bodegas Ramón Bilbao

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo

Aging: 30 months in American oak, followed by 36 months in bottle

Vintage: 2014

Alcohol: 14% 

Closure: Cork

El Puño Garnacha 2019

Tasting: Made by Scotsman Norrel Robertson, El Escocés Volante – The Flying Scotsman – in the north of Aragón. El Puño – The Fist – can definitely be described as punchy! Light bodied, bursting with vibrancy, concentrated old bush vine fruit delivers flavours of fresh red cherries, juniper berries, and intense notes of the wild bush herbs that grow in Norrel’s vineyards.  

Bodega: El Escocés Volante

Region: Aragón

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: Old French oak followed by 24 months in subterranean concrete tanks

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Nineta 2014

Tasting: A small family winery run by husband-and-wife Alfredo and Nina. Growing vines on their little parcel of land was Alfredo’s Grandfather’s dream, realising this dream Alfredo and Nina named their first wine ‘Avi’, meaning Grandfather in Catalan (a local version of which is spoken throughout Valencia). Nineta is a complex, dense, full bodied wine, packed full of character. Bramble fruits, blackberries, ripe plums, liquorice and spice. Organically grown, bottled un-fined and unfiltered with minimal sulphites added.

Bodega: Bodega Mas l’Altet

Region: Alicante

Grape: Garnacha, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging: 12 months in French oak

Vintage: 2014

Alcohol: 15%

Closure: Cork

Melquíades Tinta de Toro 2018

Tasting: Esteban is fast becoming one of our favourite winemakers, he really goes from strength to strength with every wine he releases, the Melquíades perfectly illustrates this. The name shares his grandfather’s nickname, he explains that he was a loving man, but with a fiery temper at the same time! Soft, plush and very expressive, but with a kick at 16% abv, it has definitely earned the comparison. Rich, unctuous dusky purple berries coat the palate, the texture of this wine is phenomenal! Luxurious cassis, bramble fruits with Mediterranean herbs, the aforementioned alcohol seamlessly balanced, you wouldn’t even know it was there. Grown organically, un-fined and unfiltered, minimal sulphites used. Quite simply one of the most outstanding reds we import.

Bodega: Esteban Celemín Viticultor

Region: V.T. Castilla y León

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro)

Aging: 12 months in new oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 16%

Closure: Cork

Tremenda Cariñena 2016

Tasting: This organically and biodynamically grown wine from Cataluña’s far south is a dark and intense wine, full bodied with aromas of earthy, dark berries followed by a concentrated and muscular palate of brooding black fruit, deli meats, smoke and minerality. 

Bodega: Vins del Tros

Region: D.O. Terra Alta

Grape: Cariñena

Aging: 12 Months in French oak 

Vintage: 2016

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

Señora Carmen Garnacha 2018

Tasting: Joan begun Vins del Tros in 2009 with friend Josep Arrufat, they were joined in 2012 by Xavier Orobitg. Farming five plots of mostly Garnacha Tinta and Blanca over D.O. Terra Alta’s trademark panal soils, their objective is to make wine that represents the distinctive characteristics of D.O. Terra Alta. A wine of intense concentration and power, dark red fruit, morello cherry, tobacco accented plum, notes of rosemary and a touch of thyme.   

Bodega: Vins del Tros

Region: D.O. Terra Alta

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: 12 months in large format French oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 15%

Closure: Cork

VX Cuvée Caco 2018

Tasting: Coto de Gomariz’s jewel in the crown, the VX Cuvée Caco is made up of their highest quality fruit from the vineyards Finca A Ferreira and Canceliña in Ribeiro. A tribute to the winemaker’s father Ricardo (Caco is the shortened version of Ricardo), who rescued many old plots of vines and planted many that the winery makes wine from today. Light bodied but with complexity, ripeness and depth. Punchy dry black fruit bursts out of the first sip, hedgerow fruits, spice accented mulberries, toasted rosemary, white pepper and slatey minerality.

Bodega: Coto de Gomariz

Region: Ribeiro

Grape: Mencía, Sousón, Caiño Longo, Caiño da Terra, Carabuñeira

Aging: 20 months in new French and American oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Lo Morenillo 2018

Tasting: Making wine in the far south of Cataluña, Vins del Tros since 2009 have set out to make wines that are the truest essence of Terra Alta. Morenillo is an indigenous grape variety, almost extinct that Vins del Tros have been instrumental in reviving and securing its acceptance into the permitted varieties under the D.O. This is an exceptional and beguiling wine, light in body, exceptionally complex and expressive, an explosion of aromas on the nose, fruits of the forest, boysenberries and musky lilac petals. The palate reveals layers of flavour for days, delicate, subtle and nuanced, freshly picked ripe wild strawberries, soft, plush morello cherries, blueberry and a deliciously silky texture round out for a sensationally long finish.

Bodega: Vins del Tros

Region: D.O. Terra Alta

Grape: Morenillo

Aging: Half in amphora and half in French oak for 18 months

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Zerberos El Altar Garnacha 2016

Tasting: From Sierra de Gredos natural wine maestro Daniel V. Ramos, a self-described ‘Span-Aussie’ (born in Australia to Spanish parents, then grew up in Madrid). El Altar is a single vineyard located near the area of El Berraco, light and immensely elegant, powerful flavours of ripe red and black fruits interweaved with nuanced herbal and mineral tones. Organically grown, bottled un-fined and unfiltered with minimal sulphites added.

Bodega: Daniel V. Ramos

Region: Sierra de Gredos

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: 12 months in French oak

Vintage: 2016

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Martínez Lacuesta Gran Reserva 2010

Tasting: Traditional gran reserva Rioja at its finest. Long aging has produced a complex and elegant gran reserva, absolutely classic in its execution. A nose of delicately soft incense and spice with dried blackberry fruit and cedar. The voluptuous palate shows supple bramble fruits, mulberries, wood spices, cedar and thyme with deliciously silky texture that slides across the tongue.   

Bodega: Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo

Aging: 36 months in American oak, followed by 36 months in bottle

Vintage: 2010

Alcohol: 13.75%

Closure: Cork

How to serve
Consumption temp.
16ºC

Capricho Merenzao 2017

Tasting: Merenzao is a native northern Portuguese variety that thanks to cross border viticultural exchange also has a presence in Galicia, as many native Galician grapes also do in Portugal. The wine leads with intense aromas of cherry, raspberry and rose petals backed up by a light bodied palate of delicate rose, red berry fruits and pomegranate.   

Bodega: Adgea Ponte da Boga

Region: D.O. Ribera Sacra

Grape: Merenzao

Aging: Old French oak barrels for 10 months

Vintage: 2017

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Phinca Abejera 2012

Tasting: David Sampredo-Gil’s Bodegas Bhilar has slowly become one of the most respected small wineries in Rioja. His vineyards are bursting with life due to the biodiversity he encourages using organic and biodynamic farming. Based in the subregion of Alavesa around the town of Elvillar (Bhilar is the Basque word for Elvillar) he makes an array of exceptional wine that stuns his fans year after year. Phinca Abejera is a majestic wine, deep and complex, aromas of lilac and red blossom, the velvety palate is redolent of redcurrants, black raspberry, Mediterranean herbs, and the trademark menthol quality that runs through so many of his wines.

Bodega: Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha, Viura  

Aging: 36 months in French oak barrels

Vintage: 2012

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Los Tres Dones 2020

Tasting: The outstanding wines of Alejandro Moyano are as poetic to drink as the labels and their names would suggest. An award-winning winery, self-sufficient and completely off the electricity and water supplies vinifies the organically grown Tinto Fino – the local name for Tempranillo – with the minimum of handling. Los Tres Dones – The Three Gifts – is full bodied but with poise and restraint. Rich, and ripe notes of preserved black raspberry, sun ripened strawberries, nuanced herbal notes, and a delicious spiced vanilla note with graphite minerality through the extended finish. Elegance, power and finesse bottled!

Bodega: Bodegas Valdemonjas

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 14 months in French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Suprema 2020

Tasting: Intense, mature and powerful, this is the Bardos stable of wines at its absolute best. Full bodied with a nose of dark fruit, spice and caramel. The palate, rich and textural, bursts open with fleshy blackberries, loganberry, cooked black plums, expressive spices with an exceptionally long finish, underlined by smoke, cacao and minerals.

Bodega: Bardos

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 30 months in new French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 14.8%

Closure: Cork

Com Tu Garnacha 2015

Tasting: Clos Mogador are one of the ‘Gang of Five’ producers that helped bring Priorat back from the brink of obscurity, to one of the world’s most premium regions. The Com Tu project is based on vineyards from Montsant, an appellation that almost completely rings Priorat, 130km southwest of Barcelona in Cataluña. Com Tu opens with a punchy nose of freshly picked red cherry, a note of cacao and herbs. The palate bursts forth with vibrant, zippy fruit, frozen Cherry Ripes, redcurrant compote, blackcurrant jam, Mediterranean herbs, and acidity that frames the wine perfectly.  

Bodega: Clos Mogador

Region: D.O. Montsant

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: 18 months in old French oak

Vintage: 2015

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork