(2022) From a avery small winery this is all Chardonnay, with fermentation in French oak barrels, followed by six months ageing in the barrels and a minimum of 30 months on the lees. Fine almond and mineral flecked creamy nose, with plenty of biscuit and fresh lemony flavour. The palate has lovely juiciness and succulence: lots of fresh-squeezed lemon running through peach, that light creaminess of texture adding some mouth-filling texture, the acidity very fresh with a touch of salinity. Only 6g/l dosage, disgorged in October 2020.
(2021) 100% Vermentino from a small vineyard on the Oristano coast at less than five metres above sea level. Soils are loose sand and clay and the wine is made in concrete and clay amphora. It opens with real energy and freshness, a burst of floral-touched, succulent pear and citrus, a suggestions of mineral salts too. In the mouth there is a deal of initial fruit sweetness, again fresh and bursting citrus flavours, hints of juicy watermelon perhaps, but that distinctive saltiness to the acidity kicks in. It's a concentrated and powerful wine with lots of drive and saline character into the gastronomic and dry finish.
(2021) Made from 30% Bovale sardo, 35% Cannonau, 20% Monica and 15% Carignano and Barbera, vinification is similar to Susu, though the eight months of ageing is in larger oak barrels. Similarly vibrant but medium-density crimson to Susu, more floral aromas, a little more light and a little more perfume, the florals accentuated and again red berry fruit. The palate too has a more vivacious character, bright and edgy cherry fruit, fine acids and very tight tannins
(2021) 100% Cannonau, or Grenache, whole berries undergo a slow ferementation with natural yeasts before eight months ageing in second use barriques. Crimson in colour, though not too opaque or saturated. There's a touch of leather and earthiness, but definite red fruit character then a more floral aspect emerges. The palate is weighty and textured, a cetain rusticity adding grip and a sense of bloodiness that is gastronomic and feels very authentic. There is plum and cherry skin grip and juiciness in a wine that reveals sweet mid-palate fruit more slowly, and is quite different from Mari or Stobi in its power and rustic grip.
(2021) A Mandrolisai DOC wine made from 35% Bovale sardo, 35% Cannonau and 30% Monica. The wine is aged for six months in large, second fill oak barrels. What a lovely nose here, the perfume lifted again, with plenty of cherry and brighter raspberry characters. Such sweet fruit, but again retains that element of natural, mouth-filling rusticity. Fine sour cherry acidity, lots of spice and grip here too, chewy tannins, but the edge of firmness to the fruit and lightly saline acidity gives great freshness.
(2021) Atypical Prosecco from the DOCG of Asolo Superiore, with just 3g/l of residual sugar. It is 100% Glera, and foams dramatically in the glass. On the nose, definite fruit ripeness with pear and peach and quite estery - even a suggestion of ripe banana adding a tropical twist. In the mouth it is bone-dry as expected, with lemony acidity and a touch of saltiness into the finish keeping it quite elegant and gastronomic.
(2021) Quite a distinctive Riesling this, with beeswax and light honey, but a whole basket of citrus fruits. On the nose and then the palate, not just lemony notes but distinctive tangerine and clementine, for me to something that reminds me of physalis (Cape gooseberry) and then more citrus in the form of grapefruit into the finish. Really quite an interesting wine, though lacks just a touch of precision on the finish. Price and stockist quoted is for the previous vintage at time of review.
(2020) Alain Brumont's Montus is one of the superstar wines of the Madiran appellation in South West France. Mostly Tannat with a litle Cabernet Sauvignon, it spends 12 to 14 months in barriques, which are 80% new. It's a true vin de garde, so this 12-year-old is just hitting its stride. It throws a lot of sediment so decanting is recommended. I also decanted it around 90 minutes before serving. Deep, plum and mulberry colour, the nose refined with graphite and taut black fruit, quite meaty and a little bit spicy. In the mouth a delightfully digestible wine, sour plum and Asian spice into soy flavours, the dark stripe of chocolate to the tannins and firm acidity gives agility, the mid-palate builds fruit sweetness, before a long, again quite spicy finish. Terrific with rib-eye. Price quoted is for the most recent vintage at time of review. Use the wine-searcher link to see all available vintages.
(2020) This is Pinot Nero (Noir) with a little Pinot Meunier that spends between 18 and 24-months on the lees. It pours a pale, fresh colour, the nose very delicately scented with a touch of white flowers, cool citrus fruit and just a small suggestion of a more biscuity character. On the palate it is dry and riven with citrus acidity, lemon and a touch of lime, cool and firm on the mid-palate, certainly on the dry and mouthwatering spectrum, very clean and crisp.
(2020) This is 'Pas Dosé', otherwise known as zero dosage, with no sweetening dosage added after disgorgement. Made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the decision on which parts of the harvest are directed towards the Cuvée More Brut or Pas Dosé is based based on blind tasting. A lovely nose on this, again the autolysis showing nicely with some yeasty complexity, pear and citrus peel. In the mouth there is no sense of austerity - it is bone dry, yes, with a bracing salty acidity emphasised by the lack of dosage, but the sweetness of fruit balances in a most satisfying style.
