The Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Grenache Tasting Celebrates Its Historic 10th Anniversary Tasting in London…

March 5, 2026March 6, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

And just like that, what started out 10 years ago as a serious but fun effort by a group of passionate wine trade professionals and wine collectors to taste and benchmark some of the best Grenache wines in the world has evolved into one of the most respected annual blind Grenache assessments organised anywhere in the world. Year by year, more and more effort has been channelled into sourcing the rarest, the finest and the purest terroir expressions of Grenache produced. Much of this positive momentum and passion must be attributed to the Judgement of Wimbledon’s Convenor of Judges, Riaan Potgieter.

Year after year, Riaan has painstakingly scoured the new releases and global reviews with the sole mission of tracking down any new fine Grenache expressions whether produced in the USA, South Africa, Australia or Spain. So, it seems only fitting that Riaan’s efforts and considerable financial outlay annually, are acknowledged and recognised. As soon as one Judgement tasting ends, Riaan can be seen planning the next line-up by tracking down and tasting numerous new pretenders as well as organising multiple preliminary blind tasting rounds to whittle down the final selection.

In its 10th year, the Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 departed slightly from previous editions by assembling an array of wines mostly from producers who had performed well in previous years, but this time using vintages with some additional bottle age. The New World participants were chosen primarily from the 2019 vintage and the Old World producers from the 2018 vintage, allowing for some wines to shed their youthful reductive veil and show their true terroir and pedigree as their winemakers intended.

The final 18 wine line-up for the 2026 Judgement of Wimbledon blind tasting featured 3 wines from Australia, 3 wines from South Africa, 11 wines from Spain (1 x Aragon, 1 x Costers del Segre, 3 x Gredos, 2 x Montsant, 3 x Priorat and 1 x Rioja) and 1 from the USA. Due to the older vintage categories chosen, this naturally excluded some newer start-ups such as Dylan Grigg from the Barossa Valley in Australia as his first Vinya Vella Old Vine Grenache vintage was only produced in 2021. The other notable change to the format was moving the venue from Wimbledon to the mecca of London fine wine, 67 Pall Mall, where a professional team of sommeliers could organise optimal glassware and perfect pouring temperatures.

With guest judge Dominik Huber from Terroir Al Limit in Priorat.

With last year’s winner, Juanan Martin from Rico Nuevo in Gredos.

In 2024, the judging panel was joined by Vinous.com lead critic Neal Martin, and in 2025, the panel was positively thrilled to have world renowned wine critic and Grenache / Garnacha specialist Luis Gutierrez from The Wine Advocate join proceedings. For the 10th anniversary, two top producers were invited to join the Judgement panel, namely Dominik Huber from Terroir Al Limit in Priorat and Juanan Martin, who’s own wine Rico Nuevo La Quebra 2021 won the Judgement tasting in 2025. In all, there were 14 judges this year and two bottles of each wine were poured blind.

As is customary, below you can find my personal BLIND tasting notes and scores.

Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 Blind Tasting Notes:

Wine 1: Alvaro Palacios Quinon de Valmira 2018, Rioja, Spain

Sweet and sour red and black fruits on the nose with clear savoury hints, stewed red plums, dried baking herbs and bramble berry spice. The palate is sleek and taut, fine grained, mineral yet delicately sappy with bramble berry fruits, silky soft compact tannins and a spicy, stony mineral finish with a delicate kiss of dried thyme on the finish.

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

Wine 2: Torres Mas de la Rosa 2018, Priorat, Spain

Deeper, darker broodier aromatics with notions of sweet damson plum, black cherry, cinnamon and clove spice with a hint of mixed dry baking herbs and mint leaf. On the palate this is a real Peter Pan wine packed full of blue and black berry fruits, pithy cherry and saline cassis on the dense, compact finish. Wonderful composure, balance and harmony on this young, vibrant, fruit forward expression.

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

Wine 3: Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat 2019, Swartland, South Africa

A tighter, fresher, mineral driven aromatics with hints of crushed granite, bay leaf and whole bunch red berry spice. The palate is subtle and understated, compact and pithy with hints of vermouth spice, Seville orange peel and pithy black cherry persistence. A more classically framed, Old World leaning expression that you expect would have been reductive in its youth but that is now finally drawing the curtains and letting in the light. A very pretty, stony, terroir driven expression.

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

Wine 4: Frontonio El Jardín de Las Iguales Garnacha 2018, Aragon, Spain

A more lifted, exotic aromatics with notes of cherry cola and stewed strawberry but also some subtle early tertiary notes of bramble berries, tannery leather and strawberry compote. The colour shows some age and development, the palate too is equally sweet and sour, slightly evolved and showing savoury cured Serrano ham notes over pithy stewed red berry hints. An intriguing expression.

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

*It should be noted that some tasters who know the Frontonio well thought that the 2018 bottles might have suffered some heat damage or poor storage. While the wine still performed relatively well, judges wanted it noted for the record that the bottles may not have shown at their best.

Wine 5: Rico Nuevo La Quebra 2018, Gredos, Spain

A darker fruit profile is dominant in the glass with a dusty, stony minerality and some smoky, spicy wood smoke and blueberry fruit opulence. The youthful depth and blueberry opulence follows to the palate that shows chalky grippy tannins, a fabulous piercing black cherry and black fruited intensity with a searing saline oystershell maritime edge to the finish. Very impressive indeed.

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

Wine 6: Lagravera Ciclic Negre 2019, Costers del Segre, Spain

A richer, riper aromatics with notes of cola syrup, red cherry candy and caramelised brown sugar. The palate is cool and sleek, slightly understated but retaining the cola candy mouth coating “dry” sweetness. Plenty of glycerol weight, the tannins are stony and slightly rasping, the finish drying, picante and slightly curtailed at the moment.

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

Wine 7: Mas Martinet Els Escurcons 2018, Priorat, Spain

Exotic aromatics suggests pink musk, rock candy and Wrigley’s chewing gum. Underneath, there are herby spicy notes with subtle medicinal medicine chest nuances. The palate is fleshy and generous, cool and chalky with a certain harmonious accessibility and chalky, candied approachability. Silky tannins, beautiful finesse and a fine youthful freshness on the finish.

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

Wine 8: Alkina Polygon No. 5 Grenache 2019, Barossa Valley, Australia

A taut, tight, broody aromatics with defined notes of granitic tension and dusty minerality over sappy red fruits and pink musk. Compact yet fleshy, there is good glycerol weight, savoury broody, earthy red and black fruits and a fine-grained chalky limestone mineral finish. Tight, youthful overall impression but certainly not lacking any class.

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

Wine 9: Terroir Sense Fronteres Guix Vermell 2018, Montsant, Spain

The aromatics are stand alone with unique hints of caramelised brown sugar, wood smoke, roasted caramelised nuts and cola syrup hints. Tight grained, chalky and deliciously mineral on the palate, there is that invigorating salinity that raises its head, with creamy talcum tannins, tight grained tension and a real pedigree on display here. True class.

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

Wine 10: Venus la Universal Venus de La Figuera 2018, Montsant, Spain

The aromatics show a unique mix of baking herbs, cinnamon and clove spice over notes of cola, pithy red cherry and delicate reductive black currant nuances. The palate is a little looser knit than some examples, with savoury strains, clove and vermouth spices, dried herbs and pithy red and black cherry spices over cured meats on the chalky mineral finish that coats your palate with energetic grippy tannins. An enticing expression of Grenache.

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

Wine 11: Terroir al Limit Les Manyes 2018, Priorat, Spain

This shows hints of tertiary complexity before notes of cinnamon and cedar oak spice, bramble berries, cola and top notes of thyme. The picante, spicy, lipstick lift continues to the palate that is incredibly tight grained, chalky and mineral, with a fascinating texture. The acids are fresh and lift the wine on its long finish. Another wine with a real terroir feel.

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

Wine 12: Comando G Tumba del Rey Moro, Gredos, Spain (Magnum)

A complex expression that combines aromatics of musk, talc and dried herbs with notes of dried cherries, potpourri and pressed violets over a subtle granitic undertone. The vermouth spices and red liquorice notes rise on the palate with more pink musky fruits, red cherry, and the ever present drying chalky granitic spice from some formidable tannins. Despite its age, this is an infant in nappies, promising a phenomenal future of fine wine drinking.

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

Wine 13: Naude Wines Grenache 2019, Western Cape (Swartland), South Africa

This feels a leaner, tighter, more mineral expression on the nose with an earlier picked translucent, mineral brightness to the bramble berry and wild strawberry fruits. The palate is vibrant and plucky, fresh, light on its feet but certainly lacking no intensity, as the acids reverberate across the mouth, the cranberry and red apple fruits lingering for extra effect on the finish. A pristine, focused, classical expression of note.

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

Wine 14: Thistledown Sands of Time 2019, McLaren Vale, Australia

A rich, expressive aromatics boasts notes of caramelised sugar, toffee apples, red currants and bramble berry spice with a hint of cherry cola. The exotic aromatics translate into a delightfully approachable expression on the palate with generosity and opulence, tangy acids with crystalline red cherry and red plum fruits and an altogether more serious length and power on the saline finish. Very long, intense and piercing! Wow.

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

Wine 15: Momento Grenache Noir 2019, Swartland, South Africa

Another complex, broody example with slight cola-tinged red cherry hints over delicate wild strawberry spiced fruits. The palate is a little wild and bloody, like fresh game birds bleeding on the chopping board as they are dusted with herbs and spices. With plenty of minerality on the finish, this is yet another artisanal Grenache that speaks of its terroir.

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

Wine 16: Yangarra High Sands Grenache 2019, McLaren Vale, Australia

This shows a compact, dense black fruited aromatics with youthful complexity, black plum layers, and blueberry and mint leaf nuances. If the nose was fanning the proverbial peacock’s tail, the palate is positively in full dance mode, plush, fresh, compact and youthful with rich and intense black berry fruits that remain restrained and never err on the side of vulgar sweetness, always carefully ringfenced by chalky mineral tannins with just the most delicate vermouth herbal nuance on the finish.

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

Wine 17: Clendenen Rancho La Cuna Grenache 2019, Santa Maria Valley, USA

An exotic, overt aromatics showing a slightly more medicinal, herbal array of spice and macerated red berry fruits over barley sugar and molasses hints. While the medicinal notes dissipate, the slightly caramelised molasses black stewed fruits persist long on the palate, giving this wine a feel of ripeness, some early development and a warmer climate feel. The finish is intense, long and decidedly savoury.

(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wine 18: 4 Monos Viticultores La Isilla 2018, Gredos, Spain

A beautifully lifted aromatics displays notes of talc and pink musk, red cherry, strawberry candy and fresh pink bubble gum nuances. The tension and linearity on the palate are palpable, strict, focused and rasping with chalky limestone tannins, tart piercing tangy acids and a fine-grained texture that is so beautifully polished. Very impressive, mineral expression.

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

Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Scoring Procedure:

All judges are required to offer their final rankings from their favourite to least favourite, numbered from 1 to 18, with the largest score tally going to the top ranked wines which are then all added together to get a final 1 to 18 group ranking by “preference points”. So, a slightly different dynamic to that of the judges’ favourite to least favourite choices by score alone, 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 are then required to retaste the matching scored wines and order them in a subjective preference to complete a final 1 to 18 without actually being required to change the wines final blind score. This method can sometimes lead to wines scored slightly higher, perhaps on 96.9/100, ranking lower than a wine on 96.3/100, because of judges final “preference points” tally.

Riaan Potgieter, Convenor of Judges for the Judgement of Wimbledon.

Judgement of Wimbledon Convenor of Judges 2026 Executive Summary – By Riaan Potgieter

The 10th anniversary always had to be something special, and while I knew we wanted to open some back vintages, selecting the right vintage(s) was far from straightforward. These wines are typically made in small quantities, and with many producers still relatively new, sourcing bottles was always going to be a challenge. Naturally, the further back I looked, the fewer options were available. In the end, I settled on 2018/19: old enough for the wines to be drinking beautifully, yet recent enough to ensure a compelling lineup from two excellent vintages.

Dominik Huber deep in thought mid tasting.

Armed with a selection of wines ready to drink, we were all exhilarated by the prospect of experiencing them a bit closer to their peak. What we didn’t anticipate was just how challenging that would make the tasting. Given we normally use wines from the latest vintage release, judges are used to wines being closed off initially but continuing to evolve over the course of a tasting session, but this time the wines took “evolution” to an entirely new level. They were playful and unpredictable in the best possible way. Every sip brought something new and exciting, and returning for another pour often felt like encountering a completely different wine.

Trying to rank the wines in any sort of order was equal parts delight and agony. Each wine demanded your full attention, yet the ticking clock kept dragging us back to reality and the serious business of attempting to record something remotely coherent on our tasting sheets. One thing is certain: I’ve never seen Judgement of Wimbledon judges so quiet, and for so long, before finally erupting into the inevitable excited post wine tasting chatter.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Juanan Martin of Rico Nuevo and Dominik Huber of Terroir al Limit for joining us at this year’s event. It felt only right to share the 10th anniversary with some of the people who made it possible and who continue to bring us so much vinous joy. It was a true honour to have them both with us for the occasion. We did, of course, do our best to persuade them to have a guess which wine was their own, but they steadfastly rebuffed even our most determined efforts.

In the end, these wines more than delivered on the brief — doing so in a way that goes far beyond anything a simple 100-point score could ever capture. The 2026 Judgement of Wimbledon provided an experience that will resonate for a very long time, far exceeding even our wildest expectations when we took our first tentative steps into this new world of light, edgy Grenache way back in 2017.

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2026: Group Blind Ranking Results

All judges were required to submit their final rankings, from favourite to least favourite, numbered from 1 to 18. Points were allocated accordingly, with higher-ranked wines receiving more points. These scores were then aggregated to produce a final group ranking from 1 to 18 based on total preference points. Under this format, first place was awarded to Terroir al Límit Les Manyes—an old favourite and a first-time winner—which secured the largest winning margin in the history of the Judgement of Wimbledon. Second place went to Marelise Niemann’s Momento Grenache, improving slightly on last year’s maiden entry and finishing in the top three for the second consecutive year. Rico Nuevo rounded out the top three with his maiden vintage of La Quebra, another strong performance following his win at last year’s event with the 2021 vintage.

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 Final results (by judges’ preferences).

When the results were recalculated using a straight score ranking—by averaging all judges’ 100‑point scores—the order shifted slightly, with a tighter distribution among the top wines. Les Manyes remained firmly in first place, while second and third positions were taken by Álvaro Palacios Quiñón de Valmira and Sadie Family Soldaat, respectively.

Final results by straight averaged judges’ scores.

Final Conclusions…

The 2026 tasting line-up featured an incredible array of mature Grenache wines, all representing the finest expression of terroir and winemaking from around the world. Also, it cannot be overstated that many preliminary tasting rounds took place during the course of the year with view to choosing the final line-up of wines. Merely having your wine selected for the final Judgement of Wimbledon tasting line-up should be regarded as a massive accolade in itself.

For the 2027 Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Grenache Tasting, the younger 2023 vintage will be assessed. If you would like to potentially have your wines included in the tasting, please message me directly through the A Fine Wine Safari contacts page. Until next year, keep drinking Grenache!!

Fine organisation by the sommeliers at 67 Pall Mall Private Members Club.

Comando G’s Rumbo Al Norte Garnacha – Tasting a Mini-Vertical of the Most Collectable Single Vineyard Garnacha in the World…

November 6, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

“Comando G, apart from being a cartoon series from the 1980s (known as Gatchaman in English), is also Comando Garnacha (Garnacha Command), a couple of friends convinced that they can produce some of the best Garnacha wines in the world from the Gredos mountain range. What started as a pastime has become the point of reference for the area, one of the main advocates for bringing back Garnacha, and also one of the most exciting success stories in the Spanish wine world over the last decade.” – Luis Gutierrez in The New Vignerons (Planeta Gastro) 2017.

Comando G is the brainchild of Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi and Fernando García. When they started in 2008, there was initially a third partner in the company – Marc Isart. Daniel, Fernando and Marc all grew up in the 1970s and 1980s with legendary cartoons such as Mazinger Z, Heidi, Marco and Gatchaman (Comando G in Spain). When the time came to give a name to their project, they set up their own fictional series, Comando Garnacha, which would eventually be responsible for producing some of the best Garnacha wines in the world. After all, there aren’t that many world class wines made exclusively from Garnacha grapes… Chateau Rayas in Chateauneuf-du-Pape probably being the most famous internationally.

Daniel Landi pouring his Comando G wines in London with his importer Les Caves de Pyrene.

Daniel Landi started his career in 2004 at Jiménez-Landi, the old family winery in the village of Méntrida, where he gradually found his way from Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot to some magnificent top-class Garnachas from the Gredos area. In the early days, Comando G was a 5,000-bottle hobby project with a lot of potential.

The Rumbo Al Norte vineyard – Pictures by Riaan Potgieter, the Judgement of Wimbledon Grenache Tasting Convenor of judges.

Fernando and Daniel worked around the clock to make great wines and grow the project. They sought minerality, freshness and elegance in their wines through biodynamics and by revitalizing the vineyards by returning to old traditions. Their conviction is that “great wines are grown, not made.” They are winegrowers devoted to their land, who understand Garnacha and work with whole clusters. At the time of launching Comando G, as well as until quite recently, Garnacha was looked down upon as an inferior cultivar. In villages in the Gredos area, such as San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Cebreros or Méntrida, most wine was sold off in bulk. Gredos as we know it today simply did not exist.

The geographical zone of Gredos is split between three different provinces (Ávila, Madrid and Toledo) belonging to three different regions (Castilla y León, Madrid and Castilla – La Mancha), and three appellations of origin – Vinos de Madrid, Méntrida in Toledo, and Ávila, which falls under the generic appellation of Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y León. Comando G, together with the majority of producers in Gredos, set up an association called Garnachas de Gredos with the aim of correcting the mistake of taking a political rather than geographical approach to the appellations.

70+ year old Garnacha vines in Rumbo Al Norte vineyard.

With firm proposal to create the Sierra de Gredos appellation, Comando G suddenly found themselves alone in this endeavour as most of the growers in the Ávila part of Gredos opted for the creation of a new appellation within their province, calling it Cebreros after the village with the most land under vine there. Despite this, Comando G, given their totally terrorist approach, wanted to explain and label their wines showing their geographical origin rather than their political one. So, after all, Sierra de Gredos is simply “the appellation that could have been.’

Daniel Landi eventually left the family winery in 2012 due to differences in opinion on how to run the business, leaving behind a brand built over years of hard work in the global market, keeping just a small personal project called Dani Landi which produces just over 15,000 bottles between four reds produced from the seven hectares under vine which he owns in different villages. Las Uvas de la Ira comes from a mixture of Garnacha from El Real de San Vicente, while there are three single-vineyard reds, all Garnacha but from diverse locations, soils and with different profiles: Cantos del Diablo, also from El Real de San Vicente, El Reventón from slate-textured soils in Cebreros, and the most recent, Las Iruelas, also from slate soils in the village of El Tiemblo in the province of Ávila.

In a short space of time, Comando G went from being Dani and Fer’s hobby to becoming their main project. Since 2012, the year they built a small, simple winery in Cadalso de los Vidrios, this became their permanent project. With no plans for new wines beyond the current range, their work now focuses on a better interpretation of the vintages and a better knowledge of each of their vineyards. Work in the vineyard is key. At Comando G, they produce up to 75,000 bottles, all sold out on allocation. Production quantities vary significantly by cuvée and vintage conditions, but the below is a good rough guide:

Village Wines: (e.g., ‘La Bruja de Rozas’): This is their highest-volume wine, with approximately 40,000 to over 56,000 bottles produced in recent vintages (e.g., 56,487 bottles in 2022, 40,943 in 2023).
Premier Cru Wines: (e.g., ‘Rozas 1er Cru’, ‘La Breña 1er’): Production is more limited, with volumes around 5,000 to 15,000 bottles per wine (e.g., 15,238 bottles of Rozas 1er Cru in 2018; 874 bottles of the first vintage of La Breña).
Grand Cru / Single-Vineyard Wines: (e.g., ‘Rumbo al Norte’, ‘El Tamboril’): These are the most limited and exclusive, with production often well under 2,000 bottles per year (e.g., 1,712 bottles of Tumba del Rey Moro in 2021, and less than 2,000 bottles of Rumbo al Norte).

The plot they named Rumbo al Norte, a piece of land which faces north in the tiny village of Navarrevisca (Ávila) at 1,200 meters above sea level, is one of the most striking vineyards conceivable. The landscapes in some parts of the Gredos mountains and the province of Ávila is scattered with Granite boulders, conjuring up images of giants playing with Granite marbles and their game has been interrupted and they’ve left them scattered, as if they didn’t have time to tidy up. Rumbo al Norte itself means ‘heading north’ and in this unique site, vines can be found amongst the huge boulders, tucked into the most unlikely spaces. In this unique, cool north-facing plot of 0.3 hectares in the area called La Breña, the soils are shallow decomposed Granite and Sandstone planted with 70-year-old Garnacha vines. Historically, there was no clonal selection used so the vines are a mixture of clones making them all slightly different as well as being a mixture of younger and older vines as dead plants were replanted over time. Due to the small size of the plot with a marginal climate, only around 1,000 bottles are produced each vintage. The conditions result in grapes with high acidities, making fresh, vibrant, mineral laden wines with moderate alcohol levels.

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2010, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Sadly Corked. No Score.

Luis Gutierrez inspecting the corked 2010 Rumbo Al Norte.

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2013, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Cooler vintage.

Stewed strawberry compote, red plum and pithy red currant. Deep and dense, there is incredible structure and focus, tight, mineral and with gravelly tannins, glassy red and black berry fruits, with a long, granitic, dried herb finish. Serious effort, taut, tight and young.

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

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2015, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Warm vintage.

Sweet opulent nose of Seville oranges, violets, pink musk, cherry blossom and bramble berry spice. Silky and smooth, this has a certain ease and elegance, soft creamy supply dry mineral tannins and long, focused finish.

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

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2016, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Cooler vintage.

This shows a broody, earthy lavender note, with spicy red currant and pithy forest strawberry compote notes. Cool vintage on display here revealing intense, tighter, silkier tannins. Simply superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 99/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2017, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Warm, hot year.

This shows an intriguing melange of dusty gravel, dried herbs, gravel, dried herbs and dried orange peel. The palate is structured and mineral, focused, taut and tight but slowly opening its grip on this tight vintage. Finish is mineral, austere in comparison and stony, but certainly imposing.

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

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2018, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Cool year.

The 2018 is a complex offering of struck flint, smoky herbs, green leaf, and picante notes of red and black berry fruits. The texture is impressive, silky, polished and quite fine, laden with bramble berry fruit complexity, stewed strawberry, and liquid mineral slatey tannin finish.

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

Comando G Vino de Parcela Rumbo Al Norte 2020, Villanueva de Avila, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Slightly unusual, dry & warm vintage.

A frenetic wine, fragrant and complex, rich, mineral, and taut. This is still an embryo, fragrant, perfumed and fine grained, delicately fruited but plenty of minerality, gravel and granitic spice. Not showing its best, super young but plenty of age worthy potential.

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

Many thanks to Luis Gutierrez for joining the Rumbo Al Norte vertical tasting in London in 2025.

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 3: Marques de Murrieta Ygay Vinos de Rioja Crianza Etiqueta Blanca Cosecha 1971…

November 3, 2025November 3, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Marques de Murrieta estate in Rioja, Spain, is one of the truly historic and symbolic wineries profiling the best of Spanish winemaking. Founded in 1852 by Luciano de Murrieta, Marqués de Murrieta has been under the ownership of the Cebrián-Sagarriga family since 1983. Situated in the heart of Rioja. The estate has been a pioneer in the region, introducing techniques over the years that have become synonymous with the rich, aged wines of Rioja. Today, Marques de Murrieta continues to blend the old with the new, producing wines that are both deeply rooted in tradition and forward-thinking and modern in their approach.

All the grapes are sourced from the bodega’s own vineyards at Ygay near Logroño, which were recently extended to 300 hectares. Traditional grape cultivars are favoured including Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, Garnacha Blanca and Viura (Macabeo), many of which are now starting to disappear from the Rioja region. The estate’s flagship wine, Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay, is a prime example of the owner’s premium winemaking philosophy, offering a rich, complex profile that evolves beautifully with extended ageing. From the meticulously tended vineyards to the state-of-the-art winery, Marques de Murrieta embodies the very best quality Rioja has to offer, creating wines that are celebrated the world over.

Tasting with Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, the current Count of Creixell.

The Vinos de Rioja Crianza Etiqueta Blanca (white label) was a Vino de Crianza wine (designated to be aged at least one year in barrel and one year in bottle) that was primarily made from Tempranillo grapes, though other traditional red grape cultivars were also grown on the estate and were thought to have occasionally been included. The wine was aged in American oak barrels for at least two years, which was a traditional method for the winery and a longer aging period than other wineries at the time. While I don’t know what the very first vintage of the Etiqueta Blanca was, I have only physically seen vintages as old as 1967 on tastings though it is suggested by some that the label goes all the way back to 1925. The last vintage Marques de Murrieta produced was the 1982, which is considered a legendary vintage for this classic wine. I remember talking to Vicente Dalmau Cebrián-Sagarriga, the current Count of Creixell, and he mentioned that the Etiqueta Blanca was often aged in barrel and bottle for much longer than required by the appellation and indeed could have qualified as a Rioja Reserva in reality.

Regional Overview:

The Rioja designation area, located in northern Spain in the Ebro valley, is divided into three production sectors: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. The Rioja vineyard occupies approximately 60,000 hectares spread on both sides of the Ebro over around a hundred kilometres and is bordered by the Cantabrian Range to the north and the Sierra de la Demanda to the south. Three autonomous communities inhabit the designation area: the Rioja itself, Navarro and the Basque Country.

Marques de Murrieta Ygay Vinos de Rioja Crianza Etiqueta Blanca Cosecha 1971, Rioja, Spain

This was the second of four bottles I own (my birth vintage), originally bought from merchant Gareth Birchley when he working as the fine wine manager at Berry Brothers and Rudd. The storage has been exceptional, and the ullage levels are all in the lower neck. In the glass, the colour shows opaque hints with ample powdery sediment and a very developed maroon red colour with old mahogany overtones. The aromatics are sweet, stewed and almost pungent with tertiary notes of balsamic, polished mahogany wood, old leather sofas, and leather backed library books over vanilla pod, sweet dried cherries, stewed strawberry compote, blood orange zest, sweet Christmas spices and aged sous-bois herbal characters. Beautifully evolved and complex on the palate, the wine retains a seductive level of sweet fruit opulence, tinged with a tangy sweet-sour acidity and notes of dried fruits, stewed red berries, soy sauce, strawberry jam, cloves, cured meats, and earthy, savoury spicy tilled earth nuances. While obviously evolved and tertiary, the wine does not feel fragile, and indeed I recorked the last quarter of the bottle and drank it later that day having not oxidised any further from opening. This wine has that sweet, seductive glow of aged red wines that retains a broad enough appeal for even novices to enjoy and savour. The tail of the finish has a delicately bitter orange, dry rancio grippiness that merely accentuates the flavour persistence on the palate. A wine of this style has now become almost ageless, and I will certainly be in no rush to drink my last two bottles as they slumber in a state of stasis, neither improving nor decaying further.

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

The most recently listed market price for the Etiqueta Blanca 1971 was $179 at Acker Fine Wines.

The Marques de Murrieta wines are imported into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines (MMD).

Beyond Bordeaux – The 2025 Global Fine Wine Offering from La Place de Bordeaux…

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

For the past few years, Bordeaux negociants have been supplementing their wine businesses by offering their distribution expertise acquired globally over many decades, to distribute alternative premium fine wines from around the world. CVBG have been one of the largest proponents of the “Beyond Bordeaux” wine category and accordingly, host an impressive fine wine tasting for the trade in London annually. Below are a selection of my scores from the 2025 offerings.

The impressive tasting of Beyond Bordeaux hosted in London by Negociant CVBG Dourthe.

Massetino 2023, IGT Toscana, 15% Abv.

Plush, exotic and lifted with aromatics of cherry kirsch liquor, cassis, sour plum and subtle brûléed vanilla nuances. Super sleek polished texture showing overt stony mineral tannins with a picante, grippy extract on the finish. Plenty of tension belies the 15% alcohol.

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

Marchesi Antinori Solaia 2022, IGT Toscana, 13.5% Abv.

Deep dark broody aromatics full of macerated black berries, damson plum and black cherry compote with a dusting of brûléed vanilla pod spice. Fleshy and silky soft, fulsome but also very characterful with a classical weightless concentration and elegance. A very polished expression.

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

Marques de Riscal Tapias 2022, Rioja DOC, 15% Abv.

Shows dense layers of black berry, damson plum and ripe wild strawberry. Ripe tight core with muscle but also precision. The oak is still dominant now but should integrate further and age gracefully.

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

F. ALGUEIRA Dolio 2021, Ribera Sacra, 13% Abv.

Layered aromatics with dark bramble berry fruits, a graphite dusting, crushed stones and a hint of smoky reduction. Sleek and precise with a savoury plummy sweet – sour ripeness neatly tucked between bright linear acids and fine chalky tannins.

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

Chateau Cheval Blanc Petit Cheval Bordeaux Blanc 2023, 13.5% Abv.

A 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 17% Semillon blend, this new release shows a juicy opulent crystalline aromatics full of vibrant yellow grapefruit citrus, fresh fennel, ripe gooseberries and lemon grass spice. Deliciously full with a harmonious texture that’s mouth coating, almost creamy, finishing with a delicious purity and clarity. Superb.

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

Cheval des Andes 2022, Mendoza, 14% Abv.

Cool integrated perfumed aromatics offering a classy balance and purity of blueberry, cassis and damson plum. Beautifully fine grained displaying a polished texture. A true class act with superb balance.

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

Errazuriz Sena 2023, Valle de Aconcagua, 13.5% Abv.

Beautifully aromatic perfumed fragrance of violets, white blossom and hints of saline cassis, black cherry and ripe blueberries. Seamless and silky, but also delightfully vibrant and fresh with a piercing black fruit concentration while remaining classically light on its feet. Very classy expression.

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

Appassionata Pinot Noir 2014, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Oregon, 13% Abv.

Enticingly fresh aromatics with delightful tertiary hints of freshly brewed tea and sous bois, bold orange and pomegranate nuances. Sleek, soft and very pure, this balances savoury red berry fruits and a bramble berry intensity with citrus, orange vermouth spices and blood orange notes on a very sleek polished finish. Wow. Impressive.

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

Dr Loosen Wines:

From 130 year old seven hectare plots of Riesling from Ernie Loosen’s Great Grandfather (out of a total 40 hectares in Wehlener Sonnenuhr) Being the 2nd biggest holdings after JJ Prum.

Riesling Dry 2019, 12.5% – 95+/100

Riesling Kabinett 2019, 9.5% – 97/100

Riesling Auslese 2019, 9.5% – 98/100

L’Aventure Optimus 2022 Red Blend – 95/100

L’Aventure Cote A Cote 2022 – 95+/100

L’Aventure Estate Reserve 2022 – 97+/100

Verite La Muse 2022, Sonoma County, 14.5% Abv.

Mostly Merlot, wood spice, black berry, plum pip, with smoky graphite and crushed gravel. Super sleek and polished, seamless, showing sappy leafy black fruits, cedar spice, black tea and a spicy grippy finish.

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

Verite La Joie 2022, Sonoma County, 14.5% Abv.

Tightly packed with cedar, spice, chai tea, graphite and real mineral presence. Fruits are dark, taut and full of tension, acids are crisp but with a marble like polish. Tight, classical and serious.

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

Verite Le Desir 2022, Sonoma County, 14.5% Abv.

Tight dark and broody, this is a classy, tight black fruited expression, offering up hints of aromatic complexity. Red berries, sweet cedar and red currant fruits with a lurking leafy, red cherry intensity. Sublime balance and harmony.

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

Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Beautiful blend of Cabernet vineyards from Spring Mountain with 3% Merlot for extra interest. Delicious black currant, black forest gateau, plums and blueberry compote. Lovely balance with impressive balance and fleshy generosity.

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

Inglenook Blancaneaux 2023, Napa Valley, 13.7% Abv.

40% Viognier with Roussanne and Marsanne. Lovely cool precision, stony minerality with smoky flinty reduction, spice and dried herbs. Mouth coating, intense but good freshness.

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

Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Napa Valley, 14.1% Abv.

Small warmer vintage with slightly higher yields than 2021, showing blue and black berries, cassis, dried herbs and sweet cedar spice. A harmonious palate showing restraint with intensity and concentration, silky balance and a blueberry, black currant finish. Classical but impressive intensity.

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

Inglenook Rubicon 2022, 14.3% Abv.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot – Sweet herbs, sappy cedar, saline black currant, with black and blueberry, liquorice and creamy, graphite tannins. Full, powerful, incredibly complete.

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

Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Coonawarra, 13.5% Abv.

Quite an ethereal, musky, dusty Cabernet aromatics with blueberry, cassies, black cherry and black berry rock candy. Sublime balance, silky soft tannins with a creamy velvety mouthfeel, tangy acids and a salty black berry fruited finish. The oak is almost imperceptible. Very classy.

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

Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2023, 12.5% Abv.

Lovely lemon and lime intensity spiced up by a complexing, well judged smoky reduction. Crisp, crystalline, deliciously lean. This is a truly delicious, grown up fine wine Chardonnay.

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

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2022, 14.5% Abv.

Restrained subdued aromatics, with hints of liquorice, blue and black berry and a spicy, granitic, mineral grippy finish.

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

Penfolds RWT Bin 789 Barossa Shiraz 2023, 14.5% Abv.

Sweet and exotic aromatics full of black berry, hoisin plum sauce, sweet Christmas spices and a smoky savoury depth with very dry, mineral grippy tannins. Very serious.

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

Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Abv.

Subtle aromatics of black berry, dried mint leaf, chocolate peppermint crisp and sweet dried herbs. Full and creamy, powdery chalky tannins, a cool tangy acidity and a long, focused finish. Very precise.

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

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, 14.5% Abv.

Sweeter black fruits, mulberry and damson plum, over tilled earth, graphite and chai tea. Dense, complex and textural, pinpoint, focused and tight grained. Dusty chalky tannins, liquid minerals and a picante, pithy finish.

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

Penfolds Grange 2021, 14.5% Abv.

Beautiful aromatics of incense, plum sauce, black cherry, and sweet Christmas spices with a kiss of salty black liquorice. Full in the mouth with a textured, grippy tannin frame, plenty of chalky minerality and an unctuous, fleshy, grippy finish. Plenty of premium winemaking on display here.

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

Cloudburst Chardonnay 2023, Margaret River

Fabulous lemon lime intensity with an intricate smoky reductive vein. Wet stones, lemon grass and fabulous depth. Cool classy and restrained, this is top drawer cool climate Chardonnay.

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

Cloudburst Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Margaret River

A vibrant, distinctive terroir driven expression that oozes terroir… wet stone minerality, tea leaf, graphite, black currant leaf, tobacco and kelp. Deliciously maritime, saline and focused with amazing energy and inner character. Wow!

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

Yalumba Florita Riesling 2015, Clare Valley, 12.3% Abv.

Lemon cordial, lime confit, white flowers and hints of butter, ginger and passion fruit crunch. Dry, pristine, very classy!

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

Jim Barry The Armagh 2022, Clare Valley, 14% Abv.

An incredibly fragrant aromatics, fully perfumed with rose petal, incense, rose hip, tangerine peel, pink musk, talc, red peppercorns and vibrant red berry fruits. Incredibly cool sleek and silky, this is Armagh elegance at the next level. Fabulous purity, weightless concentration and spectacular elegance. Wow!

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

Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 2020, Barossa Valley, 14.5% Abv.

Dark broody black and blue berry fruits, beautifully complex, integrated aromatics of black currant, liquorice and salted caramel. Incredibly harmonious and balanced, this is a sublime Barossa expression.

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

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)

Joan Soler, co-owner and winemaker at Exibis.

The 500m altitude highland vineyards around Can Serra dels Exibis.

The Exibis wines are available ex-cellar. For more information on current vintages and pricing contact Anthony Crameri:

anthony_crameri@orange.fr

Tradition, Character and Precision – Tasting the New Release (#2024) Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Wines…

August 11, 2024August 11, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Always an exciting event when Lopez de Heredia releases new wines, the 2012 Vina Tondonia Reserva comes from a very dry year which saw -25% less rainfall than the long term average resulting in reduced yields of very healthy grapes that produced wines with an excellent balance between alcohol and tannins, making it suitable for lengthy aging in barrel. As a result, the 2012 Reserva saw a slightly longer élevage of 6 years in barrel before bottling.

For the 2004 Gran Reserva releases, this historic vintage was classified by The Regulating Council of Rioja as EXCELLENT. The absence of spring frosts helped with ideal conditions leading to healthy pollination and fruit set but delayed budding due to lower temperatures during that period. All of these weather conditions produced a high yielding, high quality harvest. The summer weather was a little more unstable with a high risk of storms but the autumn was fresh and full of sunlight, allowing the winery to harvest very high quality grapes. The harvest started at Vina Tondonia on October the 11th and at Vina Bosconia on the 20th.

Vina Tondonia Tinto Reserva 2012, Rioja, 13% Abv.

70% Garnacha, 20% Graciano, and 10% Mazuelo.

This is an extremely attractive release that is already showing a seductively alluring, complex aromatics full of earthy red berry compote, stewed strawberries, tannery leather and savoury molasses notes embellished by flamboyant salted caramel nuances. The elegance and fleshy opulence of the nose is matched on the palate by beautifully accessible earthy red and black berry fruits, and dried sweet baking herbs that are quickly enveloped by a soft, friendly acidity and wonderfully creamy, supple spicy tannins. A finely balanced, harmonious release with a deliciously characterful personality. (240,000 bottles produced.)

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

The 2012 vintage was classified as “Very Good” by The Regulating Council of Rioja

Vina Tondonia Tinto Gran Reserva 2004, Rioja, 12.5% Abv.

70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo.

Beautifully pure, bright and lifted, this Gran Reserva Tinto shows the precision and class of Tempranillo in a 5 Star Rioja vintage. The aromatics reveal layers of polished mahogany, red currant fruit, sun raisined cranberry over sweet savoury cured meat nuances. Incredibly pure and focused, this 2004 is vibrant and fresh with a creamy red berry fruit concentration that melts into sweet wood spice and subtle vanilla pod hints, finishing off with real focus, tension and intent. The tannins show a lovely ripeness and polish, still firm but incredibly seamless and fine grained, building to a harmonious, sumptuous finish with power and persistence. Simply beautiful. (24,000 bottles produced.)

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

Vina Bosconia Tinto Gran Reserva 2004, Rioja, 12.5% Abv.

80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, and 5% Mazuelo and Graciano.

This is a characterful release of Bosconia brimming with forest floor decay, savoury earthy red berry fruits, gamey tannery leather notes, brewed tea, dried tobacco leaf and cured meats. Delightfully elegant and airy, seamless and sophisticated with a weightless concentration, creamy stewed strawberry fruits and plush, spicy tannins, this wine is always more Burgundian in style with extra layers of subtlety, delicacy and finesse. (6,000 bottles produced.)

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

Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 2004, Rioja, 12.5% Abv.

90% Viura, 10% Malvasia, barrel aged for 10 years being racked twice per year.

A pale gold yellow brightness welcomes an attractively complex nose of camomile tea, honey on white toast, sweet caramelized lemon peel, burnish yellow citrus, quince and subtly oxidative, nutty, sherry phenolic hints. The palate boasts a plush, fleshy, breadth and depth with creamy, fleshy voluminous yellow fruits, salted honied peaches, lemon confit, honey and a savoury, harmonious, smoky, spicy minerality. Seductively evolved and tertiary as you’d expect but also beautifully vibrant, energetic and flavourful. (10,000 bottles produced.)

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

The Lopez de Heredia wines are imported into the UK by FMV / BBR and are available to trade on allocation.

Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 – It’s ‘Start Your Engines Gentlemen’ With a Preliminary Round of Grenache Wine Selections…

March 15, 2024March 15, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 2023 edition of the Judgement of Wimbledon Grenache Tasting was held last year with one of the most impressive line-ups of Grenache wines to date, and the results were of course always going to be highly contentious. The 14-wine blind flight included three wines from Sierra de Gredos, the mountainous region west of Madrid, four wines from Priorat in Catalonia, one wine from Montsant next door to Priorat, one wine from Vinos de la Tierra Castilla y Leon, three old vine wines from South Africa, one wine from Rioja and one wine from the USA. It was indeed a spectacular array of wines that the tasters thought couldn’t be easily surpassed.

But of course, as another year has passed and another vintage hits the market, so many truly incredible 2021 Garnachas from Spain, among other regions, have become available and the prospects for a fourth consecutive Judgement of Wimbledon have never looked so tantalising! With the line up being restricted to circa 16 to 18 wines, there is, by necessity, a certain amount of pre-selection, that needs to take place before a final line-up can be agreed, and while the judges won’t know the final line up destined for the grand blind taste-off, they certainly get an initial insight into the quality they can expect by tasting in some of the preliminary Judgement of Wimbledon Tasting Pre-Selection assessments.

This year, one of the Kew-based judges volunteered to host one of the preliminary blind tastings and the below report gives a brief but illustrative snapshot of just what is in stall when the final Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 tasting occurs. Some mention should be made to the selection criteria as many people often ask why wines such as Chateau Rayas or some big, ripe Australian expressions are not included. The simple answer is that these wines, from USA, Australia and of course Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in the case of Rayas, are often simply too stand apart and unique, making their expressions incredibly obvious and very easy to identify. So, over many years, the focus has naturally moved to emphasise not only innate quality, but also minerality, freshness, terroir, and classical restraint… which seems to be the modern style of Grenache / Garnacha that has started to captivate the world in the past 3 to 5 years, led by Spain and South Africa, though of course, not exclusively.

With a special acknowledgment and thanks to global wine critic from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Luis Gutierrez, who contributed many suggestions for the preliminary tastings, proceedings kicked off in January 2024 with the following initial wines tasted blind:

Tasting Line Up (with group average scores):

1. 2021 Vina Zorzal, Senora de las Alturas – 94.1/100 score

2. 2021 Mas Martinet – Els Escurçons – 92.2/100 score

3. 2020 Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra – 94.9/100 score

4. 2020 Bruma de Valverde – 91.9/100

5. 2020 Pegaso Granito – 93.9/100

6. 2020 4 Monos Viticultores Molino Quemado – 93.7/100

7. 2020 Uvas Felices Reina de Los Deseos – 94.9/100

8. 2020 Bodegas Frontonio, El Jardín de Las Iguales Garnacha – 95.2/100

9. 2020 Uvas Felices La Mujer Canon – 95/100

10. 2020 Bruma del Arenero – 92.4/100

11. 2020 Bodegas Frontonio, Las Alas – 94.8/100

12. 2022 Sam Lambson, Experimental Grenache – 91.2/100

Or in order of scoring for individual judges:

Undoubtedly, Spain has made the category of Grenache almost its own with incredible tension, precision, minerality and power. This snapshot tasting was merely a teaser for what is lined up for the grand finale, with some of the above wines possibly making the Final Cut?

Watch out for my full report on the Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 in the coming weeks. It stands to be the pinnacle of Grenache perfection!

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2023 – Ratings and Results for the Grand Blind Grenache Tasting…

April 8, 2023April 8, 2023 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

One of the greatest measures of a wine’s quality and style can usually be achieved when lining up the finest creations in a blind line-up against all one’s global peers. If you want to be the best, you need to pit yourself against the best. This philosophy applies equally in business, sport and of course fine wine and it was this simple principle that inspired the original “Judgement Tastings” many years ago… the first popularised benchmark exploration being the Judgement of Paris held by the late Steven Spurrier back in 1976, pitting the best of California against the best of France.

In the same pioneering spirit of competition, a group of London fine wine enthusiasts set out, some years ago, to compare the finest Grenache wine expressions from around the world in a rigorous blind comparative tasting. Roll on several years, and not only have the finest offerings from around the world increased in number, but the “Grenache fine wine category” itself has evolved dramatically to include some incredible new expressions, primarily from Spain and South Africa.

So with the latest 2023 edition of the Judgement of Wimbledon held recently with one of the most impressive line-ups to date, the results were always going to be highly anticipated. This year, the 14 wine blind flight included 3 wines from Sierra de Gredos, the mountainous region west of Madrid, 4 wines from Priorat in Catalonia, 1 wine from Monsant next door to Priorat, 1 wine from Vinos de la Tierra Castilla y Leon, 3 old vine wines from South Africa, 1 wine from Rioja and 1 from the USA. Where possible, the latest releases were included covering vintages 2020 to 2014.

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2023 tasting featured seven judges, 14 wines double decanted, tasted blind and rated using the 100-point scoring system. With regards to the wine selection, a more elegant, classical, mineral and pure fruited aesthetic was followed in conjunction with high critical scores from international reviewers for the vintages on the tasting, or else for previous vintages if the latest releases had not been rated yet. Previous Judgement tastings have including more “obvious” riper expressions of Grenache from Australia, the USA, and Chateauneuf du Pape (Rayas), so these were excluded from this years selection as a point of difference.

My personal tasting notes and scores were as follows, followed by the group average results.

The Judgement of Wimbledon Tasting Line-up: (including Greg Sherwood MW’s blind notes)

Wine 1 – Terroir al Limit Les Manyes 2019, Priorat, Spain

Light translucent colour reveals an aromatics of tar and leather, freshly tilled earth and bramble berry spice. Very sappy, smoky with a deep peppery spicy seam. Quite phenolic and very spicy on the palate with quite a dense glycerol mouthfeel, plenty of crushed peppercorns, austere liquid minerality and wood spice on the finish.

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

Wine 2 – Comando G Rumbo Al Norte 2020, Gredos, Spain

Very pale colour in the glass before a nose of vermouth spices, strawberry reduction, tomato juice, dried orange peel, tangerine and blood orange. The palate is taut and incredibly saline with a very polished textural feel, tight knit tannins and a quite exotic finish of red berries, Xmas spices and granitic minerality.

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

Wine 3 – Telmo Rodriguez Pegaso Granito 2018, Vinos de la Tierra Castillo y Leon, Spain

A darker, deeper expression on the eye and the nose, showing complex layers of black currant pastille, cassis and salty blueberry. The tannins are pure silk showing a powdery texture, a tight grained minerality, pear notes and a long focused harmonious finish. Impressive and immediately hedonistic.

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

Wine 4 – Naude Family Wines Grenache 2019, Darling, South Africa

Another light, translucent coloured expression. The nose shows a delicate smoky elegance layered with sapidity, crushed granitic spice and dried herbs. On the palate there is a supremely elegant mouthfeel, pinpoint acids, delicate freshness and a wonderfully cool, focused saline precision on the finish. Very harmonious and classy despite its evident youthfulness.

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

Wine 5 – Terroir Sense Fronteres Guix Vermell 2019, Monsant, Spain

A much riper, denser opulent expression with plenty of sun dried red berries, hints of diesel rag, and sweet grilled herbs. On the palate there is a plush texture, plenty of fleshy red berry fruits, red bruised apple, notes of raspberry coulis and wood spice. The entire package is very impressive with a sleek texture and compact mouthfeel. Very classy.

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

Wine 6 – Mas Martinet Els Escurcons 2019, Priorat, Spain

Another dense, darkly coloured expression. On the nose the aromatics show a nervy, crushed gravel, limestone mineral dustiness mixed with sweet grilled herbs, sweet leaf, red cherry, orange peel and sweet vermouth botanical notes. There is impressive ripeness on the palate with a fleshy richness, Poire William and balancing acidity complimented by supremely creamy chalky tannins. An impressive wine with red and black berry fruits and a deliciously creamy persistence.

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

Wine 7 – Alvaro Palacios Quinon de Valmira 2020, Rioja, Spain

Medium dark colour with some transparency. The nose is quite lifted and perfumed with notes of cherry cola, herbal tea, cherry tobacco and leafy spice. The palate is as attractive as the aromas, showing deliciously vibrant acids, a glycerol textured breadth but also lovely complexity, a smoky minerality, and a long, powdery tannic finish. Very powerful and intense making for a serious wine indeed.

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

Wine 8 – Torres Mas de la Rosa 2018, Priorat, Spain

Another dark coloured wine, the aromatics are expressive and perfumed with raspberry herbal tea, red cherry, cherry cola and subtle vermouth herbal spices over a subtle blueberry muffin spice. There is a lovely fleshy richness that offers breadth and depth with a sweet / sour acidity but also incredible precision and balance. Some ripeness here but also a beautiful acid balance.

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

Wine 9 – Mas Martinet – Cami Pesseroles 2019, Priorat, Spain

This is a more lush, plush opulent expression with plenty of depth and breadth both on the nose and palate. The nose reveals warming stewed black plum, dark orchard fruits and subtle sweet vermouth and grilled herb spices. The palate is medium to full with an intense fruit concentration tempered by an earthy tart sweet / sour acidity, and a very sweet tannin profile. Lovely concentration on a wine that leaves a little less to the imagination but delicious nevertheless.

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

Wine 10 – Sadie Family Wines Soldaat 2021, Piekenierskloof, South Africa

Light and translucent in colour, this youthful expression is smoky and reductive with saline maritime notes over black currant pastille and purple rock candy and subtle musk notes. The palate is salty and spicy, tart yet rich, taut and nervy with plenty of red berry fruits, tart red apple, and a sweet plummy complexity.

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

Wine 11 – 4 Monos La Isilla 2019, Gredos, Spain

A more classical rendition of Grenache with all the archetypal notes of grilled herbs, smoky black berry, hints of salty cassis, oyster shell and subtle tar and roses complexity. The texture is dense and fleshy, bristling with more red fruits, bright acids and sweet and sour Victoria plum notes. Tight knit, polished and very impressive indeed.

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

Wine 12 – Comando G El Tamboril 2020, Gredos, Spain

A taut, classical note with plenty of herbal aromatics, hints of plum and tar, smoky railway yard and earthy black berry. The palate shows a hint of saline flinty reduction but also massively mineral drying tannins, chalky grip and immense power. This is muscle in a bottle, one for the cellar, but a potential block buster. Very impressive.

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

Wine 13 – Naude Family Wines Grenache 2020, Darling, South Africa

Light and ethereal in colour, the nose shows sweet sappy red berry fruits, cool red cherry, earthy red plum and grated red apple skins. The palate is liquid lazerbeams, saline and tart yet mouth-wateringly salty and mineral. This is elegance with extreme precision and power but all delivered so deftly. A really incredible expression.

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

Wine 14 – A Tribute to Grace Morro View Vineyard Santa Barbara County County Grenache 2014, California, USA

Rich and ripe with sur-maturité notes on the nose with hints of sweet figs, caramel, stewed plums and earthy savoury cherry liquor. The tannins are rasping and dry, mouth puckering and grippy with dried fruits that indicate the grapes were picked perhaps a bit too late.

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

The Group Tasting Score Averages and Rankings:

The tasting group in deep discussion **after** results where completed and submitted for auditing.

Conclusions and Observations:

One thing you can be sure of when you do blind tastings like this is that the results will never conform to preconceived expectations. Indeed, that was certainly the case with the 2023 Judgement of Wimbledon tasting. Some of the obvious surprises were the low ratings for both the Comando G Rumbo Al Norte 2020 and the Les Manyes 2019, though this could be down to their youthfulness. Equally, a big surprise was the dominant performance of another Sierra de Gredos wine, the El Tamboril 2020, that shone incredibly brightly and seduced all the tasters.

Plenty of happy faces all round! Viva Grenache! (The Sadie Pofadder 2012 Cinsault was a delicious post-tasting treat!)

Also, taking previous critical ratings and retail prices into consideration, all three South African Grenache wines performed incredibly well, with purity, precision and balance in the face of stiff competition from wines that were sometimes close to 10 times their price. The Naudé Family Wines Grenache was one of the original wines that inspired the Judgement tastings all those years ago, so hats off to an impressive 4th and 5th placing for Ian Naudé’s two incredible reds. World class in every sense of the word! Until next year and the 2024 Judgement… cheers!

Tasting and Reviewing One of the Greatest White Wines in Spain – Pazo Señorans Selección Añada 2013…

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Pazo de Señorans Selección de Añada is an incredible white wine produced in the D.O. Rias Baixas by the Pazo de Señorans winery and is undoubtedly one of the finest wines made from Albariño grapes as well as one of the greatest white wines produced in Spain. The grapes used to produce Pazo de Señorans Selección de Añada come from gnarly old vines of over 45 years old planted on an elaborate trellis system so that the plant is protected from the soil moisture but also has a greater leaf surface area exposed to the sun.

The vineyard is planted about 300 meters above sea level on poor sandy soils of decomposed granite and a cool Atlantic climate with mild temperatures and abundant rainfall. Pazo de Señorans have been an industry leader in showing the aging potential of Albariño and releasing older wines. Collectors and connoisseurs should indulge themselves!

Pazo Señorans Selección Añada 2013 Albarino, DO Rias Baixas, Spain, 13% Abv.

The seriously fine Pazo Señorans Selección Añada 2013 is a fabulously cool, taut, creamy Albariño creation that expresses both youthful and subtle tertiary aromatics all at once. Matured in stainless steel for 36 months on its fine lees, the wine is then aged for a further 72 months in tank before being bottled in April 2022. The wine always shows such incredibly fine-tuned, pure precision without any oxidative notes whatsoever. On the nose, the 2013 positively bristles with hints of dried herbs, acacia flowers, quince puree, pithy waxy lemons, honeysuckle, yellow grapefruit, black currant, and complex notes of smoky lees, and crushed granite minerality. The palate baffles the mind with an electrically charged bright acidity that invigorates the senses with its intensity and freshness. The wine unfurls in the glass for hours, revealing layer upon layer of ripe stone fruits, crunchy white peach, tart yellow grapefruit, gooseberry, and tart green apple. A truly wonderful, eccentric style of premium Albariño that every fine wine lover should drink at least once! Drink now and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

Greg Sherwood MW

A FINE WINE SAFARI

Spain

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From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 3: Marques de Murrieta Ygay Vinos de Rioja Crianza Etiqueta Blanca Cosecha 1971…

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Beyond Bordeaux – The 2025 Global Fine Wine Offering from La Place de Bordeaux…

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

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

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Tradition, Character and Precision – Tasting the New Release (#2024) Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Wines…

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Judgement of Wimbledon 2024 – It’s ‘Start Your Engines Gentlemen’ With a Preliminary Round of Grenache Wine Selections…

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The Judgement of Wimbledon 2023 – Ratings and Results for the Grand Blind Grenache Tasting…

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Tasting and Reviewing One of the Greatest White Wines in Spain – Pazo Señorans Selección Añada 2013…

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