March 2025 Release

2022 BERNABELEVA

MANCHOMUELAS

“Warm and tender, yet energizing!” 

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Bernabeleva was founded in 1923 in the town of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid. Today, it is a renowned winery producing wines which showcase the unique character of the local grape varieties. Bernabeleva, literally, means the path of the bear which is displayed in their logo to represent the goddess of hunting in ancient times. This 2022 Manchomuelas is a white wine made from a field blend from a single hillside vineyard. Field blends are exciting because even the producer may not know exactly what grapes and percentages are going into the blend. The wine takes its name from the hill (Mancho meaning boulder, and Muela meaning millstone) containing poor-nutrient granite soils. Bernabeleva uses organic practices in the vineyard. Only 650 bottles are made.

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REGION: Vinos de Madrid, Spain.

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VARIETIES: Albillo, Malvar, Viura.

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WINEMAKING: The grapes are hand-picked and chilled for 24 hours. They are macerated on the skins and some stems prior to pressing and a cool fermentation. The wine is aged in 500-litre neutral oak barrels for 9 months.

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TASTING NOTE: A medium-bodied wine with golden hues and notes of yellow orchard and stone fruit. Lingering notes of honey and hay compliment this dry, refreshing style.

PAIRING: Breaded or battered seafood appetizers, savoury pastries, or creamy seafood pasta. Drink now or keep for another 2-3 years.

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2020 VINYES DEL TERRER

NUS DEL TERRER BLANC

“If the Mediterranean Sea were a wine.”

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Vinyes del Terrer is a small family-run winery in Vila Seca, east of Barcelona. The winery was established in 1989 by Joan Maria Morell, tending the 7-hectare vineyard plots and producing the first wines in 2003. There are two unique features of Vinyes del Terrer: first, the proximity of the vineyards to the Mediterranean Sea (all within 2 km), and second, the unique lumaquela soil, which is made up of marine-rich fossils. This terroir produces wines with exceptional minerality, freshness, and complexity. Today, the winery is overseen by Joan Maria’s son, Eduard, who farms sustainably. The Nus del Terrer Blanc is a unique barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc grown from 18-year-old vines and  showcases the distinctive influence of the Mediterranean. Approximately 2,400 bottles were produced of the 2020 vintage.

REGION: Vila Seca, Tarragona, Spain.

VARIETY: Sauvignon Blanc.

WINEMAKING: The grapes are hand-harvested, and the bunches are gently whole-cluster pressed to separate the free-run juice from the skins. Fermentation takes place in small stainless-steel tanks, followed by aging in an 1800-litre concrete egg, and a 500-litre new oak barrel.

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TASTING NOTE: Wonderful notes of lemon and pear, backed by expressive minerality of wet stone, and flint. The oak aging adds notes of vanilla, cedar, and baking spices. A dry and energizing wine with a lasting finish. 

PAIRING: Sushi with crunchy panko and soy sauce, Grilled seafood to compliment the wine’s smoky/flinty notes, herb-crusted chicken.

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2022 LE CLOS DU CAILLOU, LES QUARTZ

“A wine to be savoured."

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We are excited to showcase Le Clos du Caillou, a family-owned winery in Courthézon in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Clos is surrounded by a 3 km wall, and when the authorities came to classify the Clos within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in 1936, apparently, the estate gamekeeper chased them off with his rifle! Understandably, they never returned. While the hunting reserve was eventually planted with grape vines, wines made from vineyards inside the Clos are still to this day ‘declassified’ as generic Côtes-du-Rhône. Today, the winery is run by Sylvie Vacheron and her two children, Marilou and Axel, with the winemaking team led by Bruno Gaspard. The vineyards are certified organic, with some farmed biodynamically.

REGION: Rhône Valley, France.

VARIETY: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah.

WINEMAKING: Fruit from the 21-year-old vines are hand-harvested and meticulously sorted before fermentation in concrete tanks. The wine is matured in large oak foudres, demi-muids (600 litres) and barriques (225 litres) for 14 months before being bottled with light filtration.

TASTING NOTE: A beautiful ruby hue with aromas and flavours of fresh red plum, cherries, raspberries and blackcurrants. A hint of black pepper and savoury herbs compliment the sweet oak notes. A fuller-bodied wine with integrated tannins and lingering finish.

PAIRING: Roasted root vegetables like carrots, or parsnips. Roast beef with mushroom gravy, or aged cheese like a nutty and earthy Gruyère. Potential to age 5-10 years.​

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