(2023) Another cross-state blend, this time fruit comes from Yarra Valley in Victoria and Margaret River in Western Australia. A tinge of gold to the colour here, but aromas are of restrained, cool fruit and a creamy rather than toasty oak, ripe pear and touches of tropical fruit, but all tempered and elegant. In the mouth it is a similar picture: perhaps a little more of the tropical, with notes of mango and pineapple, but again there is restraint and balance, the oak supporting rather than dominating. No UK retail stockists listed at time of review.
(2023) From a typically warm and dry growing season in McLaren Vale, this has a saturated depth of colour and blueberry and blackberry aromas touched with violet and light, smoky, ashy character. In the mouth the fruit is bold and succulent, black fruits, with a certain gloss and intensity. A touch of bittersweet chocolate, tannins, acid and the alcohol giving a grippy finish that should soften over a few years in the cellar. Price and stockist listed at time of review are for a previous vintage.
(2023) At six years old this Albariño has developed a touch of gold to the colour, and more than a touch of acacia honey to the aroma, and deeper but still super fresh yellow plum and apricot fruit. On the palate there's a slippery weight to the fruit, glossy and citrussy, more honey and almond richness and a pristine, long finish. Super stuff. Note price and stockist quoted is for the 2016 vintage at time of review.
(2020) A Bordeaux blend with 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec, matured in small French oak barrels, 35% new, for 16 months. Seems ripe and plush, lots of blue/black fruit, some mint, A hint of violet, and chocolate too. A lot of cedar and graphite character. The fruit is sweet and mouth-filling, lots of blackcurrant, but has that cedar and the touch of clove, very juicy and tight, the tannins and fine sour cherry acid in the finish.
(2020) Half the production of the normal vintage. Named after the trinity of original owners, created to pay respect to Hermitage La Chapelle and Gerard Jaboulet who died at the age of 55. 100% new french oak barriques for 14 months. Lovely berry-ripe fruit, has the perfume again, with those refined red fruits, florals and yet the bacon fat smokiness and ripeness. The palate has a seductive plushness, but that gravelly edge of freshness and the tension of tannins and lip-smacking sour cherry and minerals. Dry but not at all austere - but will have great longevity. Price quoted is lowest at time of review for a single bottle, but other retailers sell by the six-bottle case at around £75 per bottle.
(2020) Pale and attractive, red berries and a touch of candy apple, quite fragrant with rose petal notes and red fruits. Fragrant Sandalwood spices too; quality oak. Packed with sweet, fleshy ripe fruit, what a lovely wine with smooth and ripe character and perfect creamy texture. Balanced and fine.
(2019) Dried herbs and dried cherry, mostly Corvina but 16% of Sangiovese in this wine, introduced by Massimilla’s father due to the family’s Tuscan roots. Dusty and ashy aromas. Good sweet fruit, with 14% Molinara also giving some spice, but good freshness and acid, a fresh style of red.
(2019) A sweet earth character here, more of that dusty cherry from this blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, but a more concentrated style with 30% appassimento from the double fermentation system. That fragrance from the cherry wood is there, with a strong palate showing some coffee and plummy fruit, lots of spice into the well balanced finish.
(2019) From a vineyard bought by the family in 1353. More tobacco and cherry and floral lift and perfume, that slightly ashy quality. The lovely sweetness of ripe cherry and juicy, plump currants, and a beautifully judged residual sugar, but set against it keen, cherry skin acidity and tight tannins, with an underpinning of violet and bittersweet dark chocolate, a deliciously balanced wine. Around 60g/l residual sugar. Price for 50cl.
(2019) From a windy vineyard and 100% limestone and rocky white soil. Dried herbs and a more austere nose, taut and dusty aromatics, immediately appears more serious than the Campolongo, with a dried herbal character. The palate too has a drier character - I suspect a little drier technically, but the profile so different, so much tighter and higher in acidity, tight tannins and a graphite sense of precision to this. Long too and finishing with great fruit concentration, it has fine length and I suspect needs more time when it may well merit a higher score too.
