The Annual Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Tasting 2025 – A Celebration of Glorious Grenache…

May 17, 2025November 13, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The world of fine wine is an ever-evolving scene, enriched by a wealth of passionate wine producers but equally by a profusion of passionate wine connoisseurs and collectors all championing different styles of wine. I for one however, cannot think of another category of wine that has in recent years come under more intense scrutiny than that of Grenache or Garnacha Tinta, producing many wines that now sit comfortably at the fine wine top table in the global marketplace. Now in its 9th year, the Judgement of Wimbledon was originally organised by a group of passionate collectors to celebrate the finest expressions of Grenache from various premium producers around the world.

On the 1st of May 2025, the time had finally come for the next scintillating instalment of this annual blind tasting challenge. After much deliberation, including many smaller preliminary comparative blind tastings and cork pulling, 16 wines were chosen to make the starting grid for the 2025 judgement tasting. This year’s selection included: three wines from DOC Priorat, two wines from Gredos, two from Aragon, one from DO Montsant, one from DOC Rioja, one from Sardinia, three from Australia, and three from the Swartland in South Africa.

In last years Judgement report, I stated that almost all the big name, big money Grenache wine labels made in a more “sophisticated, terroir-driven style” seemed to be coming from the Spanish heartlands, with many producers making multiple micro-winery boutique labels from old vine plots of Garnacha that in many instances were often abandoned and nearly forgotten and lost for future generations. Grapes that used to be sold off to local co-operatives for below-cultivation cost prices, are now finally being rediscovered with a newly found appreciation for these cherished old vine plots. For the 2025 Judgement tasting, the line-up once again saw a very strong showing from Spain and South Africa, but with this year’s selection featuring a trio of impressively finessed Grenache reds from down under, including one from the Barossa Valley and two from McLaren Vale.

Australian wine has, over the past few years, seen many premium producers begin to reinvent their styles, moving away from the “sunshine in a bottle” mantra, instead embracing minerality, restraint, elegance and freshness, all features that allow for a vineyard’s individual and unique site and terroir characteristics to shine through. Indeed, after the 2024 Judgement tasting, there was a fair amount of parallel commentary surrounding the clear lack of Australian selections, something I feel has been comfortably addressed within the 2025 line-up.

Wine Advocate lead Spanish wine critic Luis Gutierrez.

After Neal Martin from Vinous.com joined the judging panel in 2024, this year, the judges were incredibly fortunate and honoured to be join by possibly one of the world’s emerging critical authorities on premium Grenache, and undoubtedly the one international wine critic that has done more single handedly to champion not only the incredible diversity of Garnacha styles from his home country of Spain, but arguably from all around the world. I speak of course of The Wine Advocate’s lead wine critic for Spain and Portugal, Luis Gutiérrez. The insights, background stories, and tasting expertise offered by Luis made the 2025 Judgement tasting one of the best yet.

Judgement of Wimbledon 2025 Blind Tasting Line Up:

(…featuring my personal blind scores and tasting notes.)

Wine 1 – 2022 Sands of Time, Thistledown, McLaren Vale, Australia

Dense and ripe, pretty, floral hints of rose petal, red liquorice, brambled berries, mint leaf, chocolate peppermint crisp and red plums. Initially quite deep, broody and restrained. The palate is plush, fleshy but very fine grained, showing depth of bramble berry fruits, vibrant tangy acids, and a gently savoury, strawberry laden accessible finish with a hint of alcohol warmth on the tail.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 2 – 2022 Sadie, Soldaat, Piekenierskloof, South Africa

Shows a fine exotic perfume, violets, incense, Turkish delight, plum compote and smoky Turkish bazaar nuances. There are earthy deep broody notes showing plummy meaty foresty hints. Accessible, sweet fruited and quite earthy and brambly, this is full of meaty red currant and strawberry compote, soft fleshy tannins, and a relaxed, lingering finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 3 – 2021 Yangarra Estate, High Sands Grenache, McLaren Vale, Australia

A fine aromatic lift with plenty of perfume and fragrance but also a defined mineral undertones over picante black berry fruits. Plenty of minerality and dry stony tannins supported by fairly light sinewy red and black fruits. Plenty of density, concentration, and emerging power on display.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 4 – 2022 Frontonio, El Jardín de las Iguales, Aragon, Spain

The aromatics show an accessible, attractive perfume of musk, Parma violets, wild strawberry, red cherry rock candy and a hint of oystershell reduction. The entry is cool and fleshy, fulsome, tangy, and fresh but with plump creamy red berry and red plum notes beneath. Finish is tight, a little clipped but seems to have plenty more to offer given time.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 5 – 2022 Alvaro Palacios, Quinon de Valmira, DOC Rioja Spain

Another broody, earthy bramble berry character with hints of plums and mulberry before savoury meaty nuances with a dusty granitic undertone. The palate is incredibly soft, fleshy, and accessibly, loose knit and friendly, the tannins mineral and chalky, over spicy red berry fruits with juicy acids but perhaps finishing a little abruptly.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 6 – 2020 Torres, Mas de la Rosa, DOC Priorat, Spain

A richer, more intense aromatics showing cherry tobacco, tannery leather, stewed strawberries, and dried herb garrigue spice. This is a full, rich, plump expression with massive concentration, tart blue and black berry fruits, a creamy mineral undertone with a long, glycerol finish. Plenty of finesse and polished winemaking on display here.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 7 – 2022 Terroir al Limit, Les Manyes, DOC Priorat, Spain

The pretty aromatics are decidedly blacker fruited with black currant, dry tobacco leaf, salinity, hints of herbaceous leafy berry fruit notes with a mineral granitic undertone. The palate follows with savoury, smoky, toasty, meaty black bramble berry fruits, a loose knit structure, light polished tannins and an all-round accessible friendliness.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 8 – 2022 Mas Martinet, Els Escurcons, DOC Priorat, Spain

The aromatics are fresh and spicy, packed full of dried herbs, potpourri, cinnamon and clove spices with tangy red currant and candied strawberry fruits beneath. The mouthfeel is rich, plush, and superbly fleshy and plump, broad across the palate but always soft and juicy with dusty, chalky fine-grained tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 9 – 2022 Momento, Riebeekberg Grenache, WO Swartland, South Africa

This is a more ethereal, taut, linear style with pure perfumed aromatics of red cherry and strawberry with a dusting of granitic mineral spice. On the palate this wine shows class and pedigree, creamy, limestone chalky tannins, polished sleek red berry fruits and real harmonious balance. A lighter, more delicate, ethereal style that delivers in spades.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 10 – 2021 Teularju, Ghirada Ocruarana, Sardina, Italy

This is a decidedly riper, more opulent style with layers of stewed black berries, creamy oak, molasses, sun raisined plums and sweet herbs, graphite, and sappy wood spice. A warmer, baked fruit expression that points towards later picked fruit in a warmer climate. The execution is faultless, the tannins like velvet, perfectly marrying with a soft, integrated, seamless acidity. No edges, no corners, this is plush hedonistic opulence.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 11 – 2021 Rico Nuevo, La Quebrá, Gredos, Spain

Beautifully bright, aromatic, perfumed red currant and red cherry perfume with subtle potpourri, garrigue and marzipan hints, strawberry pastille, and hints of rock candy. This shows delicate frame and structure but also silky finesse, violets and potpourri, blood orange, talcum tannins and a long, steely, linear finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 12 – Dylan Grigg 2022 Vinya Vella, Old Bush Vine Grenache, Barossa Valley, Australia

A more classical style with sweet herbs, earthy black currant fruits, leafy sapidity, gravel and a peppery garrigue spice. The palate is silky and soft, light, fleshy and accessibly with delicately drying talcum tannins beneath, finishing with a lingering bramble berry, garrigue, meaty spice. Very classy expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 13 – 2022 Cuevas de Arom, Tuca Negra, Aragon, Spain

Initially incredibly dusty and mineral on the nose, even slightly leafy, with crushed gravel, chalkboard duster, and a whole bunch red berry picante spice. The spicy, dried herb, garrigue expression blossoms further on the palate, packed full of leafy spice, sandalwood, baking herbs and tobacco leaf, wrapped in cool, chalky, powdery tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 14 – 2021 Naude, Grenache, Swartland, South Africa

A deep and alluring expression with blue and black berry fruits, hints of creamy oak, saline cassis and fragrant rose petal perfume that points to a fine concentrated style. Another very sleek expression on the palate with dusty, chalky drying tannins and intense red berry fruits that are enticingly lean and sinewy, before the tangy acidity fans its tail on the finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 15 – 2022 Comando G, El Tamboril, Gredos, Spain

A more exotic, ripe, earthy, nutty, spicy style with bay leaf, clove, potpourri, and a medicinal herbal nuance. The palate follows with breadth and power, creamy supple dry tannins and a very open knit, chalky mineral finish. This is a beautifully subtle expression, that whispers but certainly carries a bit of a punch.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 16 – 2021 Venus la Universal, Venus de La Figuera, Spain

An accessible overt style that shows sweet Christmas herbs, sappy spice, exotic black berry, bathroom soaps and pink musk candy. No doubting the pedigree when this wine hits the palate, boasting silky opulence, huge concentration, plush chalky expansive tannins, wrapping fruit concentration and exceptional length. This is certainly a winemaking masterclass on display.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2025 Group Blind Ranking Results:

With all judges required to offer their final rankings from their favourite to least favourite, numbered from 1 to 16, with the largest score tally going to the top ranked wines which were then all added together to get a final 1 to 16 group ranking by preference points. This format saw Rico Nuevo’s new stylish Gredos place top alongside Comando G’s El Tamboril, followed closely by Judgement newcomer Marelise Niemann’s Momento Single Vineyard Riebeekberg Grenache tied with strong annual performer, Mas Martinet’s Els Escurons from Priorat in Spain.

However, using just a straight score ranking by averaging all the judges 100-point scores, interestingly saw the Momento single vineyard Grenache topping the averages with an impressive 96.19/100 score. So a slightly different dynamic to that of the judges’ favourite to least favourite choices which of course could easily see 3, 4 or even 5 different wines sitting on the same score of 94 or 95 points etc. However, judges were then required to retaste the matching scored wines and still order them in a preference from 1 to 16.

The Judgement’s highest scored wines by averaging judges’ scores.

Convenor of Judges, Riaan Potgieter (on the right) crunching the numbers after the blind tasting.

Judgement of Wimbledon Convenor of Judges, Riaan Potgieter’s Final Conclusions:

At the outset of planning this year’s event, I wasn’t sure how we were going to bring some excitement to the day. We were facing a warm 2022 in both Spain and South Africa, and many producers were telling me that the wines weren’t ready yet. This was exacerbated by a few of our favourites being released later than usual, and therefore not available for the event. In the end, we had nothing to worry about as the 2022s acquitted themselves very well and showed better than previous warm vintages did at a similar stage.

Clearly producers are getting more and more skilful at managing the heat, with most of the wines showing grace and elegance whilst bringing edgy herbal characteristics you don’t get in cooler vintages. A Spanish producer once told me that the warmer vintages are difficult to understand in their youth, but really start to shine after a few years in bottle. Whilst I can certainly attest to this, it seems the 2022s might be able to capture some of that magic much earlier in life.

The top 3 Grenache winners by Judges’ preference.

With a few of our usuals being unavailable, there was space to bring in a few first entrant wines and producers, some of whom I’ve been tracking for some time. Whilst we have tasted their wines for possible inclusion in the past, they have gone from strength to strength in recent vintages and their inclusion became an easy choice. This showed in the final results, with two first time entrants making it into the top 3 wines.

One star performer was the Rico Nuevo La Quebrá. I was introduced to this young producer on a trip to Spain in 2024, and loved the wine from the first taste. The Wimbledon judges didn’t know it was in the lineup, and most have never even tasted it, yet it was enchanting and ended up near the top for most. Luis Gutiérrez ranked it his favourite and exclaimed that he “loved it from the first sip to the last.”

Marelise Niemann from Momento pouring her wines in London in recently.

Another strong new entrant was the Momento Riebeekberg Grenache. Whilst we’ve been following Marelise Niemann’s wines for many years, the 2022 single site expressions have taken her Grenache to a whole new level. It ended up 3rd based on ranked preference, but achieved the highest average score across the group.

Generous venue host and fellow judge Barry Van Bergen deep in discussion with Luis Gutierrez.

Finally, a massive thank you to Luis Gutiérrez for joining us at this year’s event. His work has always been our spiritual guide through the exciting world of this, still relatively new, style of Grenache. It was an absolute pleasure to have him there to share the joy of these incredible wines. Signing off for 2025, and I am already looking forward to next year where, I’m sure, there will be even more new discoveries.

Final Judgement of Wimbledon 2025 Results Summary:

A big congratulations to all the producers who are championing elegant, terroir driven, premium Grenache globally. We salute you!

Until next year… that’s a wrap! 🍷

(Ps. If you are a Grenache producer who would like to see your wines considered for the Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 final tasting next year, please do get in touch via my website.)

The Premium Jewel of DO Pla de Bages in Spanish Catalonia – Exploring the Wines of the Can Serra dels Exibis Winery…

April 24, 2025April 24, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Spanish territory of Catalonia is comprised of four provinces, namely Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Together, these provinces occupy over 30,000 square kilometres in the north-eastern corner of Spain (bordering France and Andorra) and are home to some seven and a half million people. Catalonia is one of a few regions in Spain, such as the Basque Country and Galicia, which has its own language apart from Castilian Spanish. Within Catalonia, you will find one of the most historic and elaborate histories of grape growing and winemaking that stretches back to Roman times and beyond.

While many international wine critics have visited the historical vineyards of Catalonia, especially its more famous wine regions of Priorat, Tarragona and Terra Alta, clustered west of the Catalan capital Barcelona, and Emporda and Alella further east, few of them tend to venture a mere 50km, just an hour and a half northwest up into the mountainous region near the city of Manresa, where you will find the small but increasingly influential Denominacion de Origen Protegida (DOP) of Pla de Bages.

The Exibis winery north east of Manresa.

One of the smallest DOPs in Spain, covering less than 500 hectares of vines (1,186 acres), it is also one of the newest denominacions having only acquired its official status in 1995. Consisting of only 16 wineries that produce just under 3,800 hectolitres of wine, you wouldn’t realise that this region used to be one of the most viticulturally significant areas of Spain in the pre-phylloxera 19th century when vineyards located in the valleys of the Llobregat and Cardener rivers and their weaving tributaries, numbered closer to 27,700 hectares in 1890. After being decimated by phylloxera which took hold in the Pla de Bages region in 1889, it would take almost a hundred years until the region properly resurrected its true winemaking heritage.

Today, 27 different municipalities are entitled to use the designation ‘DO Pla de Bages’ many of which encircle the city of Manresa. Splendid isolation is the word that comes to mind when you consider that this is one of Catalonia’s least densely populated regions. The climate in Pla de Bages is a mixture of Mediterranean and Continental influence with hot summers and cold winters as standard, with around 550 to 600mm of annual rainfall per year, something almost on par with Stellenbosch in South Africa.

Vineyard locations, and the corresponding grape-growing conditions are defined by two distinct types of terroir – The central basin at an altitude of 200m, which has predominantly clay-based soils and is slightly warmer in the growing season, and then the Alt Bages (Upper Bages), which lies at over 500m above sea level and is generally the cooler part of the vineyards with a significant amount of lime in its soils that helps retain moisture during the hot summer months. Another key to high quality grape growing is the significant diurnal temperature variations that help both the red and white cultivars retain their all-important acidity levels while developing flavour complexity, with an annual average temperature of only 13C (maximum 35C and minimum -5C).

The dramatic mountains around DO Pla de Bages.

Having myself also only visited all the famous wine regions to the west of Catalonia, I recently decided to explore this intriguing region of DO Pla de Bages, arranging a visit to the Can Serra dels Exibis winery that I firmly believe is producing some of the most exciting wines in the DO at the moment. Quite fortuitously for me, the founder, co-owner and winemaker, Joan Soler, who is a qualified agronomist and oenologist, used to be the president of the Pla de Bages designation of origin. A man with many talents, superb English, and a never-ending energy, Joan somehow also enthusiastically manages to consult to a number of other local wineries and artisanal projects that produce a wide array of unique wines, more often than not, using indigenous local cultivars.

Sumoll vineyard near the Exibis winery with traditional training on a pole.

Exibis is located between Cardona, with its castle and the salt mountain (must be seen to be believed!); Montserrat, the mountain of spiritual and geological reference; and Sant Benet de Bages, which typifies the expansion of the vineyards through the monastic influence in the region. With the Pyrenees lurking ever presently on the horizon in the north and Barcelona just over one hour to the southeast, Exibis is perfectly situated within the DO.

Joan Soler showing me the latest Exibis vintages still in tank.

Located at 500 metres in altitude, the Exibis winery was started in 2009 and has thrived while Joan has attempted to resurrect the historical wine making practices of the past, which inevitably involved rediscovering lost or abandoned vineyards of indigenous varieties that were once cultivated so successfully by his ancestors, but which are now being improved with the use of modern organic and biodynamic agricultural principals.

Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard over 80+ years old that Joan uses for his Blunt Cuvee.

Speaking to Joan while wandering though his high-altitude vineyards, I loved how he expressed his winemaking philosophy so simply… “to make wines that represent our history as well as our future. But above all, they are the present.” With this sympathetic mindset, Exibis focuses on cultivating both local cultivars like indigenous white Picapoll, red Sumoll, Mandó and Garnacha Tinta, as well as accepted international cultivars like Cabernet Sauvignon, to make “wines that express their terroir as well as the variety, balanced and each with its own unique personality.”

One of the 14th century Tines fermentation tanks carved into a boulder that’s still being used today.

After visiting several of their replanted vineyards, we returned to the Can Serra dels Exibis winery, located on one of the oldest farmhouses in the municipality of Castelladral, thought to have been built in the High Middle Ages during the reconquest of central Catalonia in the 10th century. With the modest winemaking facilities housed in a simple but effect neighbouring modern warehouse, we proceeded to taste through a selection of young wines in tank before moving on to a full range tasting of current release bottled wines.

Joan pulling barrel samples from the barrel cellar.

“Sumoll is a bit like Nebbiolo, thin in the mouth but beautifully powerful and intense with a low pH, rustic but then emerges as a very friendly wine on the persistent finish.” ~ Joan Soler

“Our Mandó is fermented in amphorae and our Sumoll in open topped six-year-old 300 litre oak barrels, before being blended in tank. A wonderful marriage.”

Myself with Anthony Crameri, one of the winery’s export agents, alongside Exibis co-owner Joan Soler.

A Rough Guide to Recent DO Pla de Bages Vintages:

2018 – Rainy fresh vintage making wines with goodfinal ripeness.

2019 – Warm vintage but generally a good, regular year of high quality.

2020 – May / June / July moving to a drier harvest time. But a much cooler, wetter year than compared to nearby Bordeaux.

2021 – A cool, fresh, well-balanced year.

2022 – Hot and dry year making ripe, good quality wines.

2023 – A hot and even drier year than 2022 but still produced wines with good freshness thanks to good diurnal temperature fluctuations.

Exibis Valentina d’Exibis 2023, DO Pla de Bages, 13% Abv.

A blend of 80% Macabeo and 20% Picapoll with a 20% portion of the Macabeo barrel fermented, the rest stainless steel tank fermented before blending and bottling after a light bentonite fining. This shows a deep complex aromatics full of earthy root vegetables, children’s plasticine, dried fennel seeds, buttered white toast, and subtle kerosene and waxy nuances. On the palate the wine is delightfully bright and energetic, packed full of tangy acids, dried orange peel, wet straw, white peach and lemony citrus pastille that ties in nicely to the slight kerosene hints on the nose. Really a very characterful expression from its second vintage of production. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Cellers Underground Pura Vida 2023, Costers del Segre, 13% Abv.

A blend of 40% Garnacha Blanca, 40% Macabeo and a 20% barrel fermented Chardonnay portion. Displays deliciously enticing aromatics of lemon and herbs, melted butter on grilled sweetcorn, sweet green herbs, pear puree, lemon pastille and subtle notes of almond skins and marzipan. The entry is fleshy and vibrant, the acids energetic and fresh – a wine that really speaks to you of its terroir. There’s impressive breadth and palate depth, pithy phenolics but also a long finish of picante green apple and crunchy pear fruits. Really quite an accomplished white blend. Drink now and enjoy its evolution over 5 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Exibis Les Tines 2023, DO Plages de Bages, 13.5% Abv.

All components are unoaked except for a 15% portion of the previous year’s 2022 cuvée that is blended back in after a further 12 months of ageing in used 300 litre French oak barrels. A blend of Mandó, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tinta and Sumoll, with 33% of the whole cuvee aged in sandstone hollowed ‘Tines’ tanks carved by locals in the 13th and 14th century. The blend reveals a deep rich expression of wet stone minerality, black berry fruits, sweet sappy oak, and a lactic blueberry complexity. On the palate, the acids are bright and pithy alongside saline, mineral black currant and pithy bramble berry fruits, kissed with a smoky, dusty mineral wet stone intensity. This is an energetic gourmet-friendly wine that is pithy and superbly bright, offering up an enjoyable energy in its youth. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting the current vintages from bottle with Joan Soler.

Exibis La Rasa 2020, DO Pla de Bages, 15% Abv.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sumoll and 10% Mandó. The blend is made, and the wine is aged for 12 months in 300 litre French oak barrels with a 10% to 15% new oak portion. The aromatics are wonderfully bold and intense, brazenly sweet fruited, showing raisined black cherry, black plum and opulent notes of mint chocolate pralines. The texture and mouthfeel are vibrant and invigorating, the acids tangy, nervy but deliciously vivacious. This is a beautifully complete wine, full of broody dark fruits, a vital freshness and pithy fine grained grippy tannins. Modern-styled and pure in essence but retains a hint of Pla de Bages mountain wildness to it. Undoubtedly a very fine wine with years of ageing ahead of it. Drink now to 2036+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Exibis La Rasa 2019, DO Pla de Bages, 15% Abv.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sumoll and 10% Mandó. The blend is made, and the wine is aged for 12 months in 300 litre French oak barrels with a 10% to 15% new oak portion. From a more ‘normal’ vintage, you see that balance in the essence of the wine’s character. Cool, calm and collected. With an extra year of bottle age, the aromatics are similarly youthful to the 2020, tightly packed with stewed black plum, raisined black cherry, burnt brown sugar and hints of creme de cassis and blueberry fruit opulence. Cooler vintages seem more nervous, but this more temperate expression is relaxed, harmonious and superbly elegant, packed with a fruit density that’s very supple and fleshy. Beautifully intense, tangy and focused, this wine is pure class.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Exibus La Baula 2020, DO Pla de Bages, 13% Abv.

A blend of 66% Sumoll (a portion coming from almost 100-year-old vines) and 34% Mandó fermented in amphorae and the Sumoll fermented in open topped six-year-old 300L oak barrels, then blended in tank. This shares many similar traits with the La Rasa cuvée but shows an extra depth of perfumedaromatics, seamless black cherry confit, bramble berry and sweet grilled herbs. This wine is beautifully elegant and bright, revealing a very sophisticated demeanour. But it’s also a very complete wine, not only fresh and energetic but plush, fleshy and deliciously dense and black fruited, yet always fresh, vibrant and weightlessly concentrated. A more harmonious endeavour, this wine will surely be a big hit with collectors and quality minded connoisseurs. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Blunt 2018, DO Pla de Bages, 14.5% Abv.

A cuvée Joan started while working in a commercial winery that produced 16 million bottles of wine, realising that there is a deeper meaning to fine wine – a philosophy inspired by a Japanese importer. A 90% Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée with a 10% Sumoll portion, the wine is dense, black and opaque in the glass. The aromatics are beautifully layered with notes of sweet blackberry, salty black liquorice, tar, and baked plums with a vanilla pod spice dusting. On the palate, you experience a really plush, full-bodied wine that’s also incredibly easy to drink, with expressive hints of sweet damson plum, mulberry and wild strawberry and displaying sleek, fine grained creamy tannins that frame a wonderfully ripe, pure, harmonious mouthfeel. So balanced and complete, this is one of the most exotically seductive and alluring faces of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve ever experienced! Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)