Red Wine

Joaquín Rebolledo Mencía 2021

Tasting: A light bodied wine of poise and elegance, red and black berry fruits predominate, with delicate tannin and fresh acidity.

Bodega: Adega Joaquín Rebolledo

Region: D.O. Valdeorras

Grape: Mencía

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

Martínez Lacuesta Crianza 2018

Tasting: Classic Rioja from a traditional producer of Rioja Alta. Ripe black fruits, black cherry, cassis, and blackberries all combine with smooth, silky tannins, and sweet vanilla and spices.

Bodega: Bodegas Martínez Lacuesta

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo

Aging: 18 months in American oak, then 6 months in bottle

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

El Primer Beso Tinto Fino 2022

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. El Primer Beso – The First Kiss – is certified organic, medium bodied with oodles of soft, ripe, morello cherry fruit, raspberry, and lovely underlying graphite minerality.

Bodega: Bodegas y Viñedos Valdemonjas

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)

Aging: 6 months in cement tanks

Vintage: 2022

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Oak Cask Merlot 2019

Tasting: Complex aromas of cherries, prunes, coconut, cinnamon, chocolate, and tobacco.

Bodega: Bodega Trapiche

Region: Mendoza

Grape: Merlot

Aging: French and American oak for 12 months

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Broquel Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Tasting: Rich, perfumed, with a good balance between depth and power. Aromas of cassis and raspberry jam. Elegant touch of smoke, roasted pepper and chocolate. Soft, complex and with a very long finish.

Bodega: Bodega Trapiche

Region: Mendoza

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon  

Aging: 9 months in French oak

Vintage: 2013

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Ramón Bilbao Crianza 2019

Tasting: Medium bodied, a nose of vanilla, red and black fruits leading to a palate of beautifully balanced oak, acidity and fruit, blackberries, cassis, coconut, graphite and bay leaf

Bodega: Bodegas Ramón Bilbao

Region: D.O.Ca

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 14 months in American oak followed by 12 months in bottle

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Screw cap

Ibai Alde Crianza 2019

Tasting: Classic crianza Rioja, bright and brash red fruit led by strawberries and red-currants, concentrated red plum and cedar spice.

Bodega: Bodegas Ramírez de la Piscina

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 15 months in French and American Oak, followed by 8 months in bottle

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Ramírez de la Piscina Crianza 2019

Tasting:  Medium bodied, this is an attractive wine that has been barrel-aged, and combines both youthful and mature characteristics. Cherry-red in colour with violet notes. On the nose there is a good balance between ripe fruit and quality wood. This balance is also present on the palate where wood, alcohol and tannin combine with spicy vanilla resulting from a touch of delicate oak. A long finish with a pronounced concentration.

Bodega: Ramírez de la Piscina

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 16 months in French and American oak

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Vina Salceda Crianza 2019

Tasting: Traditional Rioja with aromas and flavours of plum, sloe berries, black cherry and woody spices

Bodega: Viña Salceda

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo

Aging: 12 months in American oak, followed by 12 months in bottle

Vintage: 2018

Closure: Cork

Trapiche Varietals Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Tasting: Classic Cabernet Sauvignon, black fruit, spice, and solid tannin.

Bodega: Bodega Trapiche

Region: Mendoza

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon

Aging: 6 months in French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 12.5%

Closure: Cork

Lágrimas de Graciano 2020

Tasting: An elegant yet powerful grape varietal as the red fruit shines through along with some spice.  Graciano – rare in monovarietal form – makes extremely expressive wines, a perfumed nose of violets and rose leads to a delicious palate of spiced blackberries, cassis and distinct mineral undertones. This is a rare and appealing wine.

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 stun his fans year after year. 

Bodega: Bodegas Bhilar

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Graciano

Aging: 6 months In concrete vats on lees

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Massimo 2022

Tasting: Comprising of almost all Mencía with just a dash of Tempranillo and Sousón, this expressive, light bodied wine captures the very essence of Ribeira Sacra, grown on slopes above the River Sil so vertiginous they can only be worked by hand. Flavours of blueberries, blackcurrants, and herbs with fresh, lifted acidity.

Bodega: Viña D’Mateo

Region: D.O. Ribeira Sacra

Grape: Mencía, Tempranillo, Sousón

Aging: Stainless steel on lees

Vintage: 2022

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Sacrima Mencía 2020

Tasting: Light bodied, but with very definite fruit density, Cherry Ripes, balsamic accented raspberry fruit, and herbs.

Bodega: Bodegas Regina Viarum

Region: Ribeira Sacra

Grape: Mencía

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 13%

Closure: Cork

Trapiche Varietals Syrah 2020

Tasting: Ripe plums and damsons, blackberries, soft supple texture, but with plenty of body.

Bodega: Bodega Trapiche

Region: Mendoza

Grape: Syrah

Aging: 6 months in French oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork

Rejadorada Roble Tinta de Toro 2019

Tasting: This wine has an intense, cherry red colour with violet nuances. On the palate, this Tempranillo reveals its balanced aromas, that are strong and broad. The light roasted notes from the gentle aging in the oak barrel for 6 months are perfectly balanced in tannin structure. Highly enjoyable!

Bodega: Bodega Rejadorada

Region: D.O. Toro 

Grape: Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro)

Aging: 4 months in French and American oak

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Arnegui Reserva 2017

Tasting: Excellent value reserva Rioja, spiced blackberries and vanilla aromas support a palate of rich, concentrated plum fruit, woody spices and very present vanilla and coconut.

Bodega: Pagos del Rey

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo

Aging: 18 months in American oak, followed by 18 months in bottle

Vintage: 2017

Closure: Cork

Ònix Classic Tinto 2021

Tasting: An example of the stylistic direction change that has occurred in Priorat over the past decade or so, producers are eschewing big extractions, and lots of new oak in favour of more restraint, elegance, and indigenous varieties. Full of plum, damson and black fruits with aromas of Mediterranean forest.   

Bodega: Vinícola del Priorat

Region: D.O.Q. Priorat

Grape: Garnacha, Cariñena

Aging: Stainless steel

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Viña Salceda Reserva 2018

Tasting: Rich and sumptuous, the aromas and palate alike show intense notes of blackberries, sloe, and elderberries with cedar, balsamic and juniper hints with a background of cloves, black pepper and mocha 

Bodega: Viña Salceda

Region: D.O.Ca Rioja

Grape: Tempranillo, Graciano

Aging: 18 months in American oak, followed by 18 months in bottle

Vintage: 2018

Closure: Cork

Eos de Loxarel Syrah 2018

Tasting: Full Bodied, the fruit and tannins combine well with the acidity and rounds out extremely well. Liquorice, coffee, cocoa and violet with an intriguing cherry aroma. Intense aromas derived from spices, Mediterranean herbs and balsamic notes. 

Bodega: Loxarel

Region: D.O. Penedès

Grape: Syrah

Aging: 10 months in French oak barrels

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Kπ Amphora Garnacha 2019

Tasting: Light bodied and delicate, it shows ripe purple berries, scrub herbs and granite minerality. Fermented and aged in clay amphora, grown organically, un-fined and unfiltered with minimal sulphites added.

Bodega: Daniel V. Ramos

Region: Sierra de Gredos

Grape: Garnacha

Aging: 9 months in amphora

Vintage: 2019

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

El Primer Paso 2020

Tasting: Tinta de Toro, although Tempranillo, is generally considered a DNA variant of Tempranillo, it has smaller berries and ticker skins so makes much bigger wines than Tempranillo in the Duero valley generally does. Made by Frenchman Antony Terryn, who has a stunning array of old vine plantings in Toro. Powerful, spicy, earthy black fruit, cassis, mulberries and scrub herbs with amazingly soft polished tannins.

Bodega: Dominio del Bendito

Region: D.O. Toro

Grape: Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo)

Aging: 6 months in French and American oak

Vintage: 2020

Alcohol: 15%

Closure: Cork

Dehesa del Carrizal Syrah 2018

Tasting: Did someone say Northern Rhône? As they do here in Australia, there are certain French varieties that make excellent wine in Spain too, Syrah being one of them. D.O. Pago is a single site appellation, awarded to estates of exceptional, consistent excellence. D.O. Pago Dehesa del Carrizal is south of Madrid in the foothills of the Sierra de Toledo. A classic expression of Syrah, full bodied, plums, damsons, cassis and blackberries all wrap around a core of toasted oak and extremely well-balanced tannins. In 8 years of importing this wine, we think this is the best vintage yet!

Bodega: Dehesa del Carrizal

Region: D.O. Pago Dehesa del Carrizal (Sierra del Toledo)

Grape: Syrah

Aging: 14 months in French oak, followed by 18 months in bottle

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Aljibes Cabernet Franc 2018

Tasting: The classic Loire Valley and Bordeaux varietal that also makes exceptional wines in its adopted home of Spain. From Finca Los Aljibes in Albacete, it shows everything you would expect from the varietal, medium body, bright tannin and fresh acidity, floral notes of rose and lavender, with light black cherry, bell pepper, blackberries and herbs.   

Bodega: Finca Los Aljibes

Region: V.T. de Castilla

Grape: Cabernet Franc

Aging: 16 months in French oak

Vintage: 2018

Alcohol: 14%

Closure: Cork

Supernova Negre 2021

Tasting: Light to Medium-bodied wine with bright & juicy cherry, black-cherry, raspberry and very light earthy notes, liquorice & dried redcurrant. Tannins are soft and plush.

Bodega: Ca'n Vedura

Region: D.O. Binissalem-Mallorca

Grape: Mantonegro

Aging: 10 months in French oak

Vintage: 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Closure: Cork