Rioja

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

~ 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!

An Iconic White Rioja – Tasting the Current Release Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia 2011 Rioja Blanco…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I will never forget my Vina Gravonia vertical tasting evening with Maria-Jose and Jose Luis in November 2018. Beforehand, Jose Luis had apologised that Maria-Jose would unfortunately have to go to Hong Kong and would not be attending the tasting with him. Fair enough, they are one of the most high demand power wine couples in the world. So when the evening eventually arrived, it was an extra wonderful surprise for Maria-Jose to arrive, announcing her schedule had changed. This augured well for an exciting evening.

One of the most interesting points taken from the evening was that Vina Gravonia blanco, while not one of their most expensive wines, is certainly one of their rarest, especially the old vintages, as it is the only wine in the Tondonia range that the estate does not really hold back any archive stock. So for Maria-Jose to taste older back vintage verticals is quite a true rarity.

So her advice was buy all you can and cellar them as they can age equally as well as many Reserva or Gran Reserva whites! After this evening, the Vina Gravonia earned an even more special place in my icon ranks and remains one of my favourite food whites.

Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Vina Gravonia 2011 Rioja Blanco, 12.5% Abv.

This is yet another wonderful Vina Gravonia white Rioja. It just seems this estate can do no wrong. Coming from a warmer year with lower yields, the wine still retains its hallmark freshness, saline dried orange peel zest and an incredibly complex aromatic array of crushed almonds and walnuts, waxy lemon peel, oxidative rancio notes, dusty grey slate minerality, chamomile and a faint kerosene touch. The palate is fairly taut and nutty, showing a fine textural polish, a bitter saline nutty melange, hints of brine, sherry, honey, bruised yellow orchard fruits and a piquant finish of stony bitter orange. Perhaps not quite as intense or piercing as some previous vintage expressions, this 2011 is nevertheless a slightly more serious, austere, mineral driven food focused wine that should continue to develop further mouth-watering complexity over the next 8 to 12+ years. Buy every bottle you can find!

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

Revisiting the Mind Blowing Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosato 2009…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I recently read an interesting tweet by my good buddy Dr Jamie Goode, one of the most well known global wine journalists writing daily on his http://www.wineanorak.com website. Never one to shy away from controversy, his tweet really did get me thinking.

Inspired by his comments, I thought I’d revisit probably one of the most authentic wines on the market that also happens to be one of the rarest new releases, the Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosato. I last tasted the 2009 vintage of this wine way back in June 2019 and also bought a couple of cases for myself. So with UK lockdown recently extended by a further three weeks, I thought it was time to crack one of these unicorns!

The controversial tweet…

The Lopez de Heredia portfolio extends over 170 hectares and four separate vineyard areas of which Tondonia is both the largest (70 Ha) and the most famous. The other three sites making up the estate are Cubillo, Bosconia and Gravonia, each with distinctive terroir characteristics, vineyard aspect and differing styles of wine. The Tondonia Rosato must surely be one of the rarest wines in their portfolio as it is aged for 10 years before release and is also not made every vintage.

Tasting the new Rosato 2009 release in June 2019 with Andrea Mullineux, Maria-Jose and husband Jose-Luis.

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Rosato 2009, Rioja, 13 Abv.

What a mind blowing Rosato wine experience. A fabulously iconic wine that offers up the expectation of greatness… and then delivers it in bucket loads! The nose is jam packed with notes of dried ginger, saline orange peel zest, star anise, red liquorice and enticing crushed pomegranate nuances. On the palate, there are seductive notes of bitter blood orange citrus, dried tangerine peel, sweet vermouth botanical spices, white peach and oodles of wet stone liquid minerality. A truly sublime palate that is supremely taut, saline, concentrated and linear while simultaneously being super elegant, slightly tertiary but beautifully pure and focused. All in all, any one lucky enough to drink this wine will experience a profound, authentic Vina Tondonia expression shaped by this iconic winery’s unique philosophy and historical cultural heritage. An incredible wine!

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

Unicorn Rose… the best of the best!

Marques de Murrieta Launches Their Spectacular New Reserva Tinto 2015 In London and Previews Their Castillo Ygay 2010 For the First Time…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 4 Comments

As well as being the oldest winery in the new era of Rioja, being established in 1852, Finca Ygay remains the largest single estate in Rioja (Alta) with 300 hectares of prime vineyards. Current owner, Vicente Dalmau Cebrian-Sagarriga, Count of Creixell, has over the past 25 years in charge focused on updating and upgrading both the quality of Marques de Murrieta’s wines as well as the international reputation of the entire estate.

My last visit to the Finca Ygay estate was in 2017 after they had broken ground on their new wine cellar which received the 2018 harvest and will also take in the 2019 vintage despite the new layout only being due for completion in 2020.

With wine distribution now in 100 countries around the world, Vicente chose London as one of his first stops to launch the new 2015 Reserva Tinto and also preview their new 2010 Castillo Ygay, due for release next year.

Marques de Murrieta Reserva Rioja Tinto 2015, 14 Abv.

Grapes are sourced at the estate from vineyards located at 320m to 485m altitude with harvest starting on the 14th September and finishing on the 16th October. The 2015 is a traditional blend of 80% Tempranillo, 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha. Grapes are destalked and destemmed before fermentation in stainless steel followed by 18 months ageing in 225 litre American oak barrels 7 of which are in new oak before being racked to 2nd and 3rd fill barrels.

A deliciously seductive nose of sun dried strawberries dipped in milk chocolate, ripe cherries and red bramble berries drizzled with balsamic with a subtle top note of mocha, cocoa and vanilla pod spice. The texture is plush and sensual, wonderfully elegant and fresh yet so supple and harmonious with the finest of powdery chalky tannins, sweet cherry liquor notes, strawberry confit and spicy vanilla pod oak notes on the finish. A really impressive benchmark expression of Reserva Tinto from a very good vintage in Rioja.

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

Marques de Murrieta Dalmau Reserva 2014, Rioja DOCa, 14 Abv.

A selection of the best fruit from a 465 meter altitude plot. The 2014 is a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Graciano which was fermented for 11 days before 21 months ageing in new French oak Allier 225 litre barriques.

Rated internationally by critics from between 97 and 99/100, this wines reputation certainly preceded it. The aromatics are big and bold, packed full of dark chocolate, sweet black cherry and black current laced with cocoa powder and espresso vanilla pod spice. Seductive brambly black fruit notes fill the palate, punctuated by intense smokey black cherry concentration, piercing acids and layers of unctuous, hedonistic, opulent sweet tannins and glycerol fruit weight. This is certainly a very serious effort and possibly the best expression of the Dalmau blend produced to date. A seductive, thought provoking wine. Modern styled Rioja doesn’t get much better than this.

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

Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Rioja Tinto 2010, Rioja Alta, 14 Abv.

Castillo Ygay is always made from the grapes from the same La Plana single vineyard planted in 1950 and located on the highest plateau of the Finca Ygay estate at 485 meters altitude. A classical blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Mazuelo grapes that were picked on the 21st October. After fermentation, the wines were aged for 24 months in 225 litre American and French oak barriques.

The perfume and lifted fragrance on this wine are profound. The aromatics are more complex, nuanced and delicate than its predecessor 2009 with ethereal sweet violets, dried lavender, cherry blossom, kirsch liquor and hints of balsamic spice. The palate is more Burgundian than Bordeaux with incredible intensity and purity but also a lithe, delicate texture, weightless concentration and a long, sun raisined strawberry fruit finish. The tannins are like silk and the oak immaculately integrated already. While deemed “not ready” for release until March 2020, further time in bottle should only make this special wine even more spectacular. A real show stopper that is certain to take the world by storm. One of the best Ygay Tintos since the epic 2001 vintage.

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

A Rare and Wonderful Tasting Evening In London With the Owners of Lopez de Heredia…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The scarcity and rarity that now hampers regular drinking of the Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia whites, roses and Gran Reserva reds has been well documented. With such irregular releases due to very specific and long cellar ageing regimes, the wines of Lopez de Heredia usually sell out long before a successor vintage is ready to be released to the market with the only exception perhaps being their Reserva Tinto Rioja.

With Jose Luis scheduled to come over to London for Lopez de Heredia’s UK importer tasting, I managed to steal him away for a precious evening to present a wonderful masterclass centred around a selection of the rare Vina Gravonia white Riojas. But it was a wonderful and most welcomed surprise when at the last moment, Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia decided to join her husband on the flying trip to London.

Maria Jose and husband Jose Luis…

With a special line up of wines, Maria Jose and Jose Luis presented a fascinating and insightful masterclass to a sell out crowd of Rioja-philes. However, the evening was highlighted by Maria Jose as being even more special because of all the wines Lopez de Heredia produce, they never hold back archive stock of their Vina Gravonia, thus making vertical tastings of back vintages of this wine extremely rare and infrequent occurrences!

Vina Gravonia Vertical:

Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco 2008

Wet rainy year

Delicious freshness and vibrancy, liquid honey on white toast, roasted nuts, grilled herbs and bergamot nuances. Seamless, rich and texturally very harmonious and sleek, there is such fine balance and savoury lemon concentration. Youth, linear, taut.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco 2004

Cool high quality year

Delicately savoury and earthy bruised lemon and peach tea nose with old honey, nutty spice and subtle wood spice and crushed limestone minerality. Super sleek, relaxed and piquant, wonderfully harmonious texture but a resurgent, piquant, crystalline finish with power and persistence. Very youthful.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco 2003

Very hot, dry year

Richer and more opulent with peach tea, bees wax, honey, grilled nuts, bergamot and waxy green apples. Fleshy and more texturally honied and exotic with a lower acid mouthfeel but delicious richness and complexity. Delicious, ripe apple pastille finish.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco 2002

Difficult, wet rainy year with botrytis

Earthy, honied, savoury aromatics with a pronounced peachy, stone fruit character, almonds and crushed gravel. Palate is creamy, mellow, honied and beautifully plush and textural with a seamless satin mouthfeel, peach tea, apple purée and a tart, fresh spicy, crystalline pure finish. Very impressive.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco 2001

An exceptional year

Super complex nose of wet limestone, old honey on white toast, struck flint, peach stone and vinyl and bees wax. The palate follows with liquid minerality, great tension and power, with a wonderfully mellow, relaxed, supple texture, fantastic focus and persistence and a long, complex, profound finish. Incredible white expression.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Blanco Reserva 2005

Very good year

With a small percentage of Malvasia blended with the Viura, vines are grown on clay and limestone soils and show a more honied, vanilla spice bouquet with cedar spice, roasted nuts, grilled herbs, dried mint leaf and lemon cordial. Palate possesses great gravitas, density and textural depth and breadth, with a creamy glycerol weight, wonderful smokey, nutty, peachy concentration and a soft, fleshy length. Beautiful wine.

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

Red Flight:

Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia Rioja Tinto Reserva 2006

Cool, dark, mellow elegant nose of polished mahogany, vanilla pod, savoury plum, black cherry and earthy black berry with a subtle layer of graphite minerality. The palate is super elegant, polished and finely linear with salty liquorice, black cherry, strawberry and a finely poised harmonious mineral finish. A beautiful, expressive, elegant rendition.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Tinto Reserva 2006

Sweetly fruited nose with delicious nuances of salty liquorice, caramelised black cherries, black savoury plums with a complexing note of polished oak in an old library. Beautifully textural, harmonious, suave and fleshy with piquant grip, graphite tannins and a fine, harmonious, minerality focused finish. Concentrated but accessible, very generous and a very smart expression of this iconic wine.

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Tinto Gran Reserva 1994

Impressively complex tertiary bouquet of polished mahogany, red apple purée, smokey graphite, charcoal wood embers, savoury root veg and beetroot earthiness with a subtle, salty, maritime, blackberry finish. Super creamy and lactic, plush and fleshy with complex earthy bruised plums and stewed strawberry and winter fruits. Dense and taut, grippy, youthful mineral tannins and a long, profound classical finish. Wow!

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

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Rioja Tinto Gran Reserva 1980

Fabulous tertiary nose of malted chocolate milkshakes, coffee sweets, espresso, grilled nuts, almond spice, caramelised oak spice, creamy earthy stewed winter fruits and savoury bruised plums. Superb seamless intensity, harmony and focus in a mature, generous, intriguingly aged mellow Rioja style.

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

Post dinner drinks starting with some Mullineux white, who’s winemaker, Andrea Mullineux, is a close friend and follower of the wines of Lopez de Heredia.

The Unicorn Whisperer at Work – Tasting the López de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco 2004…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 7 Comments

It’s always an exciting moment when one gets to drink a new release of Vina Tondonia and even more so when the colour is white! While the 2004 Reserva Blanco was released back in 2017, this was my first opportunity to leisurely drink a bottle of this delicious unicorn nectar.

Tondonia is of course the hottest topic at the moment with the long awaited new release Vina Tondonia Reserva Rosado 2008 finally released into the UK in April 2018. Very little Rosado will be made available but at least there should be around 35,000 bottles of the Reserva Blanco 2004 produced. Buy it while you can!

Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva Blanco 2004, 12.5 Abv.

The delicious 2004 Reserva Blanco seemed to creep onto the market in 2017 under the radar of thirsty buyers probably due to its impossible rarity. Differentiated with the Gravonia Crianza Blanco by 10% of very old Malvasía Riojana, the Reserva 2004 is a complex, intense, sophisticated expression that was fermented in 140 year old oak vats with natural yeasts, where it also underwent malolactic fermentation. The aromatics are packed with dried peaches, herbal peach tea, earl grey bergamot notes and melted honey on warm white toast. Few wines are as evocative and beguiling as white Rioja from Vina Tondonia. The palate is rich and nuanced but at no point does it show overt oak characters. Instead, it just unleashes wave upon wave of honied yellow orchard fruits, tea leaves, lemon cordial, dried guava roll, lemon grass and pungent ginger spice notes framed by vibrantly fresh acids. This is another incredibly strong performance by a Tondonia blanco reinforcing its status as one of the ultimate unicorn white wines.

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

A Fantastic Culinary Adventure at Michelin Starred The Harrow at Little Bedwyn…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

What better way to kick a bank holiday weekend off than with an indulgent evening of Michelin starred cooking and plenty of fine wine. But of course that’s what you get when you let chef Roger Jones spoil you with his fabulous cooking at the Harrow.

Incredibly, Roger had his usual spring in his step and looked as fresh as a daisy – and that’s after coming off a long week of judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards packed with early mornings and late nights. Very impressive stamina indeed.

Also, a big thank you to Sue Jones for her expert front of house and wine service. We will be back soon. 🍷🇬🇧

Hattingley Valley Blanc de Blancs 2011 En Magnum, English Sparkling Wine, 12 Abv.

Super creamy and fine with mature brioche notes and the most tantalising saline lemony edge. So much depth, vibrant white citrus acidity and defined chalky complexity. Very impressive.

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

Alpha Xinomavro Rose 2016, Macedonia, Greece, 13 Abv.

Lush and complex, this delicious rose shows earthy strawberry, savoury red cherry and chalky crushed gravel nuances. Full flavoured, dry, classy and very characterful, this Rose manages to tick all the boxes and leave you salivating for another glass.

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

Torbay Crab Macaroon

Hogan Chenin Blanc 2015, Swartland, 14 Abv.

Delicious mouth watering saline, white peach expression of Chenin Blanc with crushed gravel and wet slate minerality. Lovely full palate with crunchy peach, lemon grass, dried herbs and chalk nuances. A really classy expression. So drinkable already but will benefit from another few more years of ageing.

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

Seared Yellow Fin Tuna, Wasabi and Cucumber Sorbet, and Wasabi Pearls

Rioja Alta Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva 2011, DOCa Rioja, 13.5 Abv.

A super sleek graphite and vanilla pod laden mouthful of deliciousness! Lovely subtle hints of sous bois, wild strawberry, dried fennel seeds and pithy cherry spice. Texturally very fine but also a wonderfully restrained, well proportioned palate that never puts a foot out of place.

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

Langoustine and Shrimp Ravioli, Langoustine Soup

Champagne Krug Vintage Brut 1996, 12 Abv.

Broad, expressive and complex with intense saline briney lemon citrus, honied brioche, lemon grass, lemon herbs and dried honey mead notes. Palate is super energetic, evolved but beautifully fresh, layered and beguiling. Going strong after all these years.

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

Boiled Egg and Soldier Pre-Dessert

Andrew Quady Deviation Dessert Wine, Madera, California, 15 Abv.

Fantastic alternative dessert wine with Rose Geranium and Damiana extract. The nose is bursting with yellow stem ginger, lemon pastille, vermouth botanical herbal notes and orange rind macerated in cognac. So complex and intense, but supremely fresh and clean on the palate, saline and slightly medicinal in an attractive way. Of course it’s all down to the botanical infusions. Absolutely delicious and an amazing match with dessert.

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

Cherry Soufflé Dessert

The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, High Street, Little Bedwyn, Marlborough, SN8 3JP, England. Tel: 01672 870871

The New CVNE Monopole Clásico 2015 Released – Reinventing the Past For a Future Generation of Wine Drinkers…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The world of wine is a big place with countless grapes, wine styles and production techniques. Indeed, wine has never been more mainstream and more popular than it is now. However, with this populism has come a growing tendency towards homogenisation, taking the safe option and producers not pushing boundaries any longer. A comment from UK wine journalist Jamie Goode recently sticks in my head… “just because most consumers drink boring commercial rubbish a lot of the time, doesn’t mean they don’t actually want to drink exciting, edgy, innovative wines too.” That’s where wonderful wines like the CVNE Monopole Clásico come into their own.

This Monopole Clásico white was produced from a blend of white varieties, hand harvested in 20kg cases at optimum ripeness. Softy pressed, as in the 1960s, the must went into concrete tanks for their debourbage / settling, then into stainless steel tanks for the alcoholic fermentation. Once completed, the wine was transferred with its fine lees into wooden vats and botas of 300 litres and 500 litres that had previously been used two or three times. The wine was then aged for around 8 months.

The uniqueness of this wine lies in the contribution of a small quantity of Manzanilla sherry, developed by the traditional method of crianza under “velo de flor”. The wines’ ageing contributes to its peculiar organoleptic characteristics, adding aromas of chamomile tea, dried fruits and nuts, and a long and salty aftertaste with a marked acidity.

The 2015 vintage proved to be one of the best in recent years, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Starting slightly early and proceeding at pace, throughout the vegetative cycle the weather conditions displayed classical textbook seasonality. A rainy autumn, a dry winter with heavy frosts, a rainy spring and a summer with large diurnal temperature shifts between day and night. Weather during the harvest was exceptional and allowed for a harvest with great quality, superb ripening and very healthy fruit.

CVNE Monopole Clásico Blanco Seco 2015, Rioja, 13.5 Abv.

A wonderfully tangy saline nose full of crunchy pear, sea breeze, oyster shell, almond skins, nutty Manzanilla flor spice and caramelised orange peel. Plenty of tension and coiled spring energy, this wine is known to flesh out further with an extra 6 to 8 months in bottle. The palate revels in its nutty, saline Intensity with oxidative Manzanilla sherry nuances whispering in the background, all the while tempered by pithy gooseberry and white stone fruits, chamomile and a dusty, chalky texture. So characterful and deliciously mouth watering, this is an admirably unique wine style that everyone should experience. Drink now to 2035+

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

Rioja Alta’s Torre de Oña Martelo 2012 Bringing New Excitement to the Red Rioja Category…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

La Rioja Alta is one of Rioja’s most respected wineries and recently launched a new premium wine produced from its Torre de Oña estate. Made from a single vineyard, this ‘reserva’ wine from the region’s coolest and highest sub-region, Rioja Alavesa, is a rare new premium addition to the Rioja Alta portfolio.

A blend of 95% Tempranillo and a 5% field blend of Mazuelo, Garnacha and Viura from 60+ year old vines, this is a very classy, polished expression from one of Spain’s most famous Rioja producers. This Reserva spends 24 months in 80% American and 20% French oak barrels, a higher proportion than normal according to Julio Sáenz, winemaker for La Rioja Alta. Despite the large US oak percentage, the wine retains impressive purity, minerality and varietal typicity for a premium Rioja.

Rioja Alta Martelo Rioja Reserva Tinto 2012, 14 Abv.

A beautifully piercing perfumed nose with hints of chocolate mocha spice, powdered cocoa, violets and small intense black berries with a definite gravelly mineral undertone. The wood notes are finely integrated and only show a subtle piquant mocha spice on the palate mixing with crunchy strawberries and earthy bruised red plum notes. No doubting this wine is engineered around taught, crisp premium Tempranillo with its hallmark fresh acids and red berry fruit purity. The finish is fairly linear and suggests subtle notes of polished oak, balsamic and buttered brown toast spread with red currant jam. Very youthful and tight, decant this delicious gem for 45 mins if drinking now or cellar for another 8 to 10+ years.

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

(Price point Circa £35 per bottle in the UK)

Tasting the Contino “Hail Storm Cuvee” Rioja…

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Contino is a real pioneer of single estate wines in Rioja and uses only its own fruit from its 62 hectares of vines. In a normal vintage Contino’s production is around 1,500 barricas (barrels), spanning a number of different wines. 2013, however, was not a normal vintage.


When a freak hail storm struck the estate in 2013, one week before the harvest was set to commence in September, golf ball sized hailstones reduced the crop by a staggering 90%. Winemaker Jesus Madrazo scoured his devastated vineyards and marked specific vines that had the odd bunch of undamaged, viable fruit. A miniscule amount of grapes were thus harvested in the following week, being sorted berry by berry at the winery. All the healthy fruit that Contino could salvage produced 17 barricas (barrels) of red wine.


Contino 17 Barricas 2013 Rioja Tinto, 14.5 Abv.

While only 17 barricas were produced, what eventually made it into the bottle is a beast of a wine. A classic Rioja blend of 80% Tempranillo, 13% Graciano and 7% Garnacha aged for nearly two years in French and American oak. The nose is rich and opulent with the most expressive intensity of bruleed black berries, damson plums, forest bramble berries and stewed strawberry compote. There is still a lick of dusty, vanillary oak, but the concentration of fruit is such that the oak melts away in the glass, eventually overpowered by back cherry, blue berry crumble and salty licorice complexity. The palate is broad and ripe, with real intensity of red and black fruits reaching out and touching every corner of ones mouth. Layers of black berry, caramelised plum and strawberry confit are supported by fresh juicy acids and sweet creamy tannins. There is a hint of alcohol warmth of the finish but this is quickly obscured by an abundance of generous cocoa, chocolate and sweet black fruit nuances. All the hallmark purity, intensity and modernity of the Contino style are to be found in this wine, which will undoubtedly find a welcoming home among the estate’s many followers. Drink now to 2028+

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