Make this January a month where you branch out and try something new rather than restrict what you do! Our #tryjanuary box set contains six bottles of beautiful wines from places you may not have had them before, grape varieties you may not know or wines made in a style that's new and exciting.
This case contains one bottle of each of the following wines. Buy it here for £140 - delivery available locally and nationwide.
Milan Nestarec, Bel, Moravia, Czech Republic -
Milan Nestarec is a name that has shaken the wine industry to it's knees, those natty wine enthusiasts seek Him out, even having a dividing dating system, there were those wines BN (before Nestarec) and those AN (after).
He is a humble wine maker and claims to be normal - 'Not using herbicides & other industrial treatments? Normal. No fooling around in the cellar? Normal. Not adding sulfur? Normal.', in reality this isn't normal and the wine industry needs to find these game changers and take notice. All Hail Nestarec!
This wine is made simply, take local Moravian grapes that ripen slowly, that are low in alcohol and produce high yeilds. There is no maceration, just a gentle pressing before raging in stainless steel and neutral oak. This is the only wine Nestarec adds sulphur (30ppm total), he isn't dogmatic and knows when it is needed, other than that its all natural, no fining, no filtering and natural yeasts.
The next great thing about this wine is that it's in a litre bottle, the favourite party wines are served in mini magnums.
Producer - Milan Nestarec
Country - Czech Republic
Region - Moravia
Variety / Blend - Welschriesling, Muller Thurgau, Gruner Veltliner
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Tajinaste, Listan Blanco, Tenerife, Spain -
From vineyards on the north coast from Tenerife, not at all what you might imagine! A unique way of growing vines, a unique climate, a unique wine formed by coastal winds, volcanic soils and an indigenous grape variety.
Floral, fresh, lovely balance and intensity but light on its feet.
Producer - Tajinaste
Country - Spain
Region - Tenerife
Variety / Blend - Listan Blanco
Vegetarian
Malinga, Sauvignon Blanc,Kamptal, Austria -
Sauvignon Blanc but not as you know it! Christoph Heiss decided it was time to jazz up his families wine portfolio and so this wine was born of an experiment. The grapes are picked early in August due to the low altitude and grapes are destemmed and the fermentation begins in the harvest boxes on the skins. Chris also adds 25% whole bunches of Sauvignon for some semi carbonic maceration to extract more fruit flavours.
After 13 days on the skin the wine is pressed with 15% Welschriesling being added for acidit. Fermentation is completed in stainless steel before racking in 500 litre barrels where it stays for 9 months before being bottled unfixed and unfiltered with a teeny bit of sulphur addition.
Producer - Malinga
Country - Austria
Region - Kamptal
Variety / Blend - 85% Sauvignon Blanc/ 15% Welschriesling
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Valdibella, Dhyana, Sicily -
Valdibella are back with another banger..and it's good!
Dhyana, a word which is a state of one-pointed absorption in which there is a diminished awareness of the surroundings, the seventh limb of buddhism and the training of meditation.
While the Valdibella coop's main focus is on wine they embrace polyculture, partly to enhance biodiversity in their environment, and produce food - pasta, flour, almonds, oil and vegetables- with produce from their members.
This wine is produced from Perricone, a local varietal which produces this amazing colour from just a direct press, it is light with a savoury, spicy edge.
Producer - Valdibella Coop
Country - Italy
Region - Sicily
Appellation - Sicily
Variety / Blend - Perricone
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Markovitis, Xinomavro, Macedonia, Greece - Marcos Markovitis is the third generation of viticulturists and winemakers at Markovitis Winery, formerly Chateau Pegasus, first producer in Greece to practice organic grapegrowing. Naoussa is a region in the very north of Greece, near the border with Macedonia, famous for making Nebbiolo-style wines that can be just as ageworthy. Made with Xinomavro grapes, the can be austere in youth, with grippy tannins and high acid. With age, they acquire a fragrant lift and develop complex earthy notes, not unlike Pinot Noir.
Producer - Markovitis
Country - Greece
Region - Macedonia
Appellation - Náoussa
Variety / Blend - Xinomavro
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Monte Rio Cellars, Primitivo, Lodi, California - California hasn’t always produced the ultra-ripe Cabernet-based blockbusters it’s known for today. Settlers brought a host of grapes from Europe in the 18th century, initially to make everyday wine to quench the thirst of workers during the gold rush. Some of these old vineyards, or their descendants have survived. Patrick Cappiello, inspired by this heritage winemaking in the area, started Monte Rio winery with a vision of creating wines that summon a sense of an “old California”.
Grapes come from the Shergill vineyard at the south end of Lodi's Mokelumne River area, where 10 year old tall vertical cordon trained Primitivo is planted in between old vine Zinfandel. Soils are sandy and alluvial. Lodi sits just inland from the Sacramento River delta, which channels in ocean breezes in the evening, making it cooler than other parts of the Central Valley.
Producer - Monte Rio Cellars
Country - USA
Region - California
Appellation - Lodi
Variety / Blend - Primitivo
Farming - Organic
Vegan
This case contains one bottle of each of these wines. If any is out of stock or becomes unavailable it will be replaced by one of equal or greater value and deliciousness.
