Fine Wine Club Archive
Explore your previous cases here in The Archive, with downloadable tasting notes from the winemakers behind your bottles. Plus catch up on live tastings.
Your case & tasting notes - January 2020
We buy our fine wines to order for club members so sometimes there's only enough for one bottle per person. Shop our in stock bottles here.
Ontem Branco 2017
Country
Portugal
Region
Douro
Grape
Rabigato Blend
Market Price
£24.99
Angel Price
£18.99
Ontem Branco 2017
By Naked MarketplaceTime for a proudly eclectic, off the beaten track wine. Brace yourselves for something that is truly outstanding, but not as you know it. Both Rita and Manuel have made wine, separately, around the world in regions such as California, New Zealand and South Africa. After a couple of years of Manuel working at Rita’s family estate in the Douro, she realised that if the house style of the estate wasn’t going to change, it would take an exciting project like Ontem to keep a talented winemaker like Manuel engaged. It would give them both artistic licence to push the limits on winemaking, trial new things that would not be suitable for the conventional family estate wines and have a bit of fun along the way. Their philosophy is that there can be too much intervention in winemaking. They wanted to be less ‘control freaks’ and let nature take the reins again. Simply put, if the quality of the grapes is good, you don’t need much intervention.
They found a vineyard with a field blend of grape varieties just south of the Douro border. Field blends can be found throughout Portugal as vineyard owners aimed to spread their risk in grape growing by having red and white, of various varieties all in together, so if the climate that vintage was unsuitable for one variety, the others would make up for it. Here, Rita and Manuel found Rabigato, Verdelho, Síria, Dona Branca, Encruzado, and many others. Varieties native to Portugal and stunningly interesting both on their own or as a blend. The site is on white granite soils, which keeps the vines cool and fresh, rather than reflecting the heat. As a result, you get wines with vibrant acidity and energetic expression of variety. The vines are managed by a local group of people that cherish the vineyards as their grandparents did before them. Not wanting this place to disappear, this small project aims to preserve the heritage and prevent it from being replaced by other more productive ones or simply abandoned.
The grapes are hand harvested by a team of passionate people. In the winery the whole bunches were placed in a stainless-steel tank where fermentation with wild yeasts, which give a bit more of the wild character to the wine. 20% of the wine was transferred to used oak barrels, so as not to introduce an ‘oaky’ character and were aged for 10 months.
Tasting this wine, you will find slightly aldehydic notes – think bruised apples.This is a result of minimum sulphur dioxide (SO2) use, which is an antioxidant and antibacterial and is present in every single wine, whether formed naturally or added at varying levels to protect the wine. Natural winemakers shun its use, but one runs the risk of by leaving the wine do its own thing, off aromas and flavours mask the very natural flavours you are trying to preserve. In this wine I believe the real allure is the sensation on the palate. The texture, weight and electricity that these varieties produce when combined.
This is more of a wine plus cheese kind of wine rather than one to drink alone or with dinner. It’s a rarity and an oddity. Worthy of acknowledgement of what is happening in the wine world that is not mainstream.
Consider it a spectacle.
Patatsblanc 2018
Country
South Africa
Region
Western Cape
Grape
Colombard Blend
Market Price
£21.49
Angel Price
£18.99
Patatsblanc 2018
By Reenen BormanWinemaker Reenen Borman introduces his Patasblanc 2019 from the remote area of Montagu, South Africa.
Ask any serious winemaker what makes a great wine and he will tell you a great vineyard. And for this to happen the vineyard needs to grow within a micro-climate that adds intrigue and quality. Montagu is mostly known for its sweet Muscadel, as well as farmers cropping high yields just to make ends meet. But settled on top of a mountain ridge, called the Keisie Valley, just outside Montagu is a farm with unbelievable potential. It has low yielding Karoo Slate soils, an altitude of 600m above sea level and 30+ year old vineyards (Chenin blanc and Colombard) growing on it.
We started making wine from this off the beaten track area about 5 years ago and immediately felt we are busy vinifying a special product. The slate soils add a mineral and saline core to the wine, while the surrounding fynbos scrubs adds a spicy after tone. The high altitude brings cool evenings that adds acidity and freshness. These grapes don’t produce the typical tutti fruity Colombard, but wines with an identity to its origin. Is that not what wine should be about? The first vintage of our Patatsfontein Chenin blanc was immediately picked up by wine critic Tim Atkin MW as his White Wine Discovery of the year. This gave us some reassurance that we are on the right track.
5 years later and we are lucky enough to still have access to these grapes. The Patatsblanc 2019 is 52% Colombard and 48% Chenin blanc. All the grapes are wholebunch pressed and after natural fermentation took place I aged the Colombard in a cement vessel and the Chenin blanc in old French oak, both still on its primary lees (what remains of the yeast after fermentation). With the purpose of trying to capture the slate and mineral soils we work in a hands-off manner within the cellar. No fining agents were used. The wines are racked for the first time after 10 months.
This is a wine with a unique mineral core and loads of personality. It would appeal to lovers of Chablis in equal measure.
Raats Family Red Jasper 2017
Country
South Africa
Region
Stellenbosch
Grape
Cabernet Franc Blend
Market Price
£18.99
Angel Price
£14.99
Raats Family Red Jasper 2017
By Bruwer RaatsRed Jasper 2017 in the words of winemaker Bruwer Raats.
The Jasper 2017 is a Bordeaux blend, led by 53% Cabernet Franc, the variety I love so much and have specialized in, since founding our winery in 2000. I have always believed in Cabernet Franc and am often quoted saying that Cabernet Franc has the spice of Rhône, the elegance of Burgundy, and the structure of Bordeaux. It lends a beautiful red fruit character, vibrant freshness with its higher acidity and perfumey appeal with crushed gravel and garrigue aromas and flavours.
Over the years I’ve worked with Cabernet Franc and learning from my French colleagues in the Loire valley, I’ve come to realize that Malbec is in fact an excellent partner for Cabernet Franc. The one thing Malbec certainly brings to the blending party, is body and mid-palate structure, with its bold, often rich fruit flavours and smooth chocolaty finish, complimenting the flavour profile of Cabernet Franc just beautifully. Although my quest was to create a classic Bordeaux style, I’ve accordingly decided to use 36% Malbec in the Jasper blend. The result is an intriguing New World Bordeaux blend, offering exceptional complexity with its opulence of vibrant fruit, yet with pristine focus, especially on the mid-palate.
The wine was named after our father, Jasper Raats. He was a humble man with a big heart, and he loved Cabernet Franc, not only in the glass, but also working with it in our vineyards. He was instrumental in founding Raats Family Wines and did valuable work for us as our viticulturist, always following a textbook approach. I know that this wine would have made him very proud.
The Jasper 2017 has been highly accoladed, not only locally (nominated for Platter 5 Star, 93 points Winemag Cape Bordeaux Report) but also internationally, always attaining scores above 90 points form the world’s leading critics. All grapes are sourced in Stellenbosch, the classic growing area for Cabernet Franc in South Africa.
Ageing potential: 8 to 10 years
Blend information: 53% Cabernet Franc; 36% Malbec; 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot
Food suggestions: Venison dishes / lazy-aged sirloin or rib-eye / Hard cheeses
The Brave Goose Reserve Cabernet 2018
Country
Australia
Region
Central Victoria
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon
Market Price
£19.99
Angel Price
£15.99
The Brave Goose Reserve Cabernet 2018
By Nina StockerGrape grower and winemaker Nina Stocker introduces her Cabernet from her family vineyard.
Our Cabernet Sauvignon was planted in 1987 on the rolling ironstone slopes in the foothills of the Tallarook Ranges in Central Victoria. My parents bought a small sheep grazing property here after returning to Australia following 12 years living in Switzerland, where they had fallen in love with a tiny cooperative vineyard in our small rural village. Our farm in Australia was as stark a contrast to the village in Switzerland as you could imagine – typifying our image of a sunburnt country. I still remember these tiny vines' first hot summer in the ground, when my sister and I were sent out with buckets of water and a garden hose to give them a much-needed drink... I was 6 years old! So, you could say we grew up together. My family still laugh when we remember these days, as my sister (who was a rather strong willed 10 year old), sang a very ironic version of ‘so this is Christmas’ and tried unsuccessfully to revolt.
Seeing the vintages from these vines improve each year and mature into the beautifully fragrant balanced wines that I now have the privilege to make, and now take all the way to your shores in the UK, is amazing. For as long as the vines have been producing our family have made small parcels into wine for friends and family and sold the rest as fruit to a large wine company, so to be able now to harvest all our grapes and guide them all the way through the winemaking process to the finished product is quite exciting. My parents have retired up to Queensland, but they watch with pride to see their decision all those years ago to plant this little vineyard continue to flourish.
2018 was a winemakers dream in many ways, particularly for Cabernet. The dry conditions meant very little disease pressure, which suits our philosophy of reducing chemical sprays to a minimum (we run an organic spray program but haven’t had the time yet to pursue formal certification). On average the nights were cool, allowing the fruit flavour and phenolic structure to develop over a longer period of time. Our Cabernet has tiny berries, in part thanks to the ironstone soil, which means very concentrated flavours in the final wine. It was hand picked, destemmed into small open fermenters, and hand plunged twice daily. It remained on skins post fermentation for 3 weeks, softening, evolving, and lengthening. Pressing to French oak barrels followed where it remained for 18 months prior to bottling. No fining was required prior to bottling, and we made the decision not to filter so that the elegant nuances and finesse of the wine could remain intact.
The result is a wine that displays cassis and violets on the nose with cedar and spice lingering enticingly in the background. The palate is rich and powerful, full of blackcurrants and spice, with an elegant tannin structure, and a long, clean finish. We hope you enjoy drinking our Cabernet, and want to extend our thanks to you for being an integral part of the Naked Wine model which has made growing our sustainable wine business possible.
Domaine du Chateau de Pierreclos Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2018
Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Grape
Pinot noir
Market Price
£19.99
Angel Price
£14.99
Domaine du Chateau de Pierreclos Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2018
By Jean-Marie PidaultPinot Noir, like its spiritual cousin Chardonnay, has a tendency to act like a chameleon, adapting its identity to reflect its surroundings. The grape grows all the way through Burgundy, from the more rustic style in Irancy, near Chablis, through the Cote de Nuits where it adopts more of a supple texture on good sites, and down to the Maconnais where it can still sometimes be found blended with Gamay in a Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains . This wine from Jean Marie Pidault comes from the surroundings of the incredible rockface of Solutré in Vergisson, in the Macon region of Burgundy. Located one hour south of Beaune and one hour north of Lyon, this area of Burgundy is considered the first step into the South of France. As a result, it benefits from a micro-climate that bring ample sun for to ripen grapes but with the refreshing air from the north to moderate the rate of ripening. In addition, the vines are grown on limestone which brings elegance and length to the wine.
This is very much a family affair with Jean Marie and his wife managing the vines and making the wine at their own estate. Their son recently returned to the roost and he now spends most of his time amongst the vines, improving quality and converting to organics. The 2018 vintage was, according to Jean Marie, generally hot with lots of sun. Because of the organic viticulture, the roots are deeper, and so the vines are less sensitive to the heat, resulting in fresher wines. At harvest, all grapes are manually picked and 100% destemmed at the winery. They spend 3 days at 15 degrees Celsius (relatively low for red wine making), to extract the aroma and colour before the yeast converts the sugars to alcohol, which, as a solvent, can extract bitter notes at higher temperatures. Then, once the desired aroma is achieved, they increase the temperature to 28C to finish the fermentation.
The wine is very pale, very light and very pure. It’s not really a wine to lay down and age. You’ll fine red fruit flavours of cherries and cranberries here. No oak. It should be enjoyed in its youth and even possibly slightly chilled to give the refreshing drinkability that Pinot Noir from the Macon so wonderfully delivers.
