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 - June 2021
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.
Hacienda Don Hernan Rioja Gran Reserva 2001
Tasting notes:
Beautifully expressive and aromatic aroma with some oak maturation but still very fresh fruit. The palate is fantastic; lifted, lively and enveloped with beautiful chalky tannins. The vibrancy and energy on the palate is a rare find. Velvet texture with lovely dark bramble fruits and oodles of freshness for a wine of this age.
Country
Spain
Region
Rioja
Grape
Tempranillo
Market Price
£41.99
Angel Price
£15.99
Hacienda Don Hernan Rioja Gran Reserva 2001
By Rodolfo BastidaTasting notes: Beautifully expressive and aromatic aroma with some oak maturation but still very fresh fruit. The palate is fantastic; lifted, lively and enveloped with beautiful chalky tannins. The vibrancy and energy on the palate is a rare find. Velvet texture with lovely dark bramble fruits and oodles of freshness for a wine of this age.
Serving suggestions: "If you want to open it at this time, which I think is excellent, you should decant it into a jug and perhaps the decanter, put it back in the bottle and juggle it again. So you will have in your mouth the sour cherries that my uncle spoke of, the subtle vanilla integrated with the passage of time in the bottle and in short: a pure velvet wine." - Rodolfo
Food pairing: "I would pair it with a good conversation with a friend only and if you want to bring some food, maybe a little pudding or meatloaf, in which you have a sauce that notes a little cinnamon and peaches or prunes" - Rodolfo
Drinking window: "I think it is a wine that, although it is 20 years old, can be stored for another 20 perhaps without problems, that is, if you have a good dry cellar, without light and that the temperature does not exceed 15ºC." Rodolfo
Rodolfo Bastida shares an insight into a famous Roja vintage; 2001.
The 2001 vintage in Rioja is an exclusive vintage. Many producers consider it the heir to the mythical of 1970. It was rated by the Regulatory Council as Excellent, but many of us consider it: "Excellent plus".
It was 25% less than a normal year in the region and was characterized by being a dry vintage in general, with good bud fruitfulness and therefore abundant grains of grapes but very very small. Winter and spring were rainy but summer and the harvest were much drier than a normal year. The grapes that were harvested in October end. These were blessed by very cold nights and large temperature differences between day and night, which made the grapes very well preserve their acidity and a very vivid color, which has been maintained until the present day.
I remember perfectly that my uncle, my father's older brother who, harvesting next to me in this old vineyards (40 years in that moment), in Villalba next to Haro, in the most special area of Rioja, from my point of view, said: ... notes the freshness in the mouth of these grapes? They have good maturity, but a special freshness. They taste like sour cherries, like grapes from 1970...Store it for at least 4 years in the barrel and then, you can have it in the bottle for drinking with your sons.
The vineyard is mainly tempranillo, but the spicy point, perhaps it is being given from some vines that are in this field of graciano, mazuelo and some ancestral varieties of Rioja such as Monastel, Maturana or hairy tempranillo. Now 60 years old, it is still one of the best vineyards and since 2001, we called it the uncle's vineyard, because he taught us to love it.
We did what my uncle said....fermented in wooden vats, with a very long maceration of almost 1 month and after making the malolactic in the vats themselves, just before the 2002 harvest, we put it into 225-liter barrels for a long time, approximately four or five years maturing in oak.
Chateau Saint Hilaire Bastide Provence Rose 2020
Country
France
Region
Provence
Grape
Grenache Blend
Market Price
£19.99
Angel Price
£16.99
Chateau Saint Hilaire Bastide Provence Rose 2020
By Bruno LapierreTasting notes: Very pale pink, with a very slight peach hue. Nose is very restrained rather than fruity. Palate is silky, glossy, luxurious. It has a beautiful soft, cushion-like texture to it. Fruit characters remain subtle with some near-ripe strawberry and raspberry fruit. Most certainly dry, fresh and pleasurable.
Serving suggestions: Nice and fresh. 9-10°C.
Food pairing: A delicious wine for drink with hard cheese,for fish dishes you will enjoy a tartare of trout pomelos and coriander, for meat dishes, a grilled veal chop with mashed potatoes and truffles will be perfect.
Drinking window: 2021 - 2024
The history of Château Saint Hilaire estate in Provence
The family Lapierre lived and cultivated vines since the end of the XVIII century on the communal lands of Coudoux .
In 1935, Jean Lapierre, officer of the French Navy, decided to devote himself entirely to the soil, which was mostly cultivated with olive trees. In 1952, Max Lapierre succeeded his father and started the transformation of the agriculture property into winegrowing and transmitted all his “know-how” and his passion for this work to his son, Yves Lapierre.
In 1973,Yves Lapierre founded Domaine Saint Hilaire and became the owner of the estate. He focused all his attention on winemaking with the aim of producing a “Grand vin”, a wine of which its richness is drawn from the originality of the soil. This determined aim guided all his decisions, beginning from winegrowing, harvesting and “last but not least” to winemaking.
In 2011, Yves Lapierre, together with his two sons Nicolas and Bruno, undertook the construction of a winery, located in the heart of the vineyard, named Château Saint Hilaire.
Bastide historically represents the cabanon installed in the middle of our vineyard.
Today it is also used to evoke a second home in Provence or a vacation home. It symbolizes the Provençal and Mediterranean art of living.
Coming from our most exposed vineyard, the grapes are cradled by the famous Mistral wind, a privileged exhibition! The grape varieties have been selected with finesse and assembled with the greatest of care. It is made from a blend of Grenache and Syrah. The former is a varietal which comes from Spain originally. It is very high-yield and resistant to violent winds and drought. Grenache brings fatness, a full body and power to wines. It gives young wines elegant hints of berries, and spicier, meaty notes to more evolved wines. Syrah is a grape that produces small black berries with a bluish sheen and delicate but fairly hardy skin. It creates solid, deep-coloured wines. It evolves into its characteristic notes of vanilla, tobacco and candied berries.
The wine is made in what we would describe as ‘traditional vinification’. Destalking of grapes, followed by pressing ( pneumatic press). Then a cool fermentation ( up to 1 month) in order to preserve the freshness and the fruity character before ageing in stainless steel tanks
The first olfaction note is very fresh, marked by a great complexity of red fruit and purple
aromas. The second olfaction note gives wild strawberry and raspberry aromas.
These fresh fruits are marked by freshness. The liveliness of the wine is revealed in the middle of the mouth, a sign of exceptional harmony of this wine, a long-lasting finish of purple and mineral aromas follows.
We hope that this wine will brings you our Provençal Sunshine and offer you some unforgettable moments!
Klein Fume Blanc 2020
Tasting notes:
Fresh gooseberry as well as honeysuckle on the nose. It has the crisp and citrus fruits of sauvignon blanc but with a crystalline and multi-dimensional texture. Heaps of fruit intensity of passion fruit, pineapple and grapefruit. Very long length.
Country
Germany
Region
Pfalz
Grape
Sauvignon blanc
Market Price
£19.99
Angel Price
£16.99
Klein Fume Blanc 2020
By Peter & Barbara KleinTasting notes: Fresh gooseberry as well as honeysuckle on the nose. It has the crisp and citrus fruits of sauvignon blanc but with a crystalline and multi-dimensional texture. Heaps of fruit intensity of passion fruit, pineapple and grapefruit. Very long length.
Serving suggestions: 12-16C. As the wine loses its chill the flavours express themselves more.
Food pairing: It matches great with sushi, smoked salmon, salt-water fish and spicy but not too hot dishes
Drinking window: Best to be enjoyed 2021-2025.
Peter Klein explains the background to his most recent project:
My first vintage of the Sauvignon Blanc Fumé was in 2014 and it was quite a difficult year. A big hailstorm just days before the harvest was planned to start. So everything needed to be done faster than usually. We had a huge minus of the crop and it took ages to harvest the quality I was looking for. The harvest took 8 full weeks (4-6 weeks would be normal). Lucky us, the hail missed the vineyards (north of Hainfeld) of the future Sauvignon Fumé and we were able to harvest beautiful ripe, super intense and aromatic grapes. We just had about 700kg of super juicy and healthy grapes without any flaws and managed to fill one Tonneau / 500L (from the Barrel-Makers of Damy in Burgundy). We were super excited and I went down to the barrel every now and then to see how it´s developing in the cellar. And how it evolved! We brought the first bottles to the 2015 ProWein (wine fair) in Dusseldorf and our guests were amazed and stunned. We didn’t have a name for it in the first place, and Max came up with "Liquid Love“. He said: if you could bottle the love of a mother for her child, it probably would taste like that wine. In the end I chose a more majestic and renowned name: the First Sauvignon Blanc Fumé was born.
The 2020 Fumé shows the great and intense nose and body as the 2014 vintage, but yet more structured and matured. I had 6 years by now to master the Fumé and
I am confident that we delivered a fantastic one of its kind. Sweet gooseberry, leaves of cassis, some basil like herbs and spearmint in the back, but with a punch of yellowish, tropical aromas and a ripe peachy touch, and that was just the nose. First sip is like a revelation. With its elegant, long lasting and velvety touch it captures every single taste bud. It´s refreshing and creamy at the same time and seems to have a hint of a salty mineralic finish. The herbal appearance gives it the structure and the grip it needs to surprise the fine wine club member.
Marta Mate Crianza 2016
by César Maté & Marta Castrillo
Tasting notes:
Deep in colour. Restrained and subtle on the nose with clove spice and the air of finesse. The palate is fresh, elegant and very pure. Three hours after opening (essential) it is very well balanced including a broad chalky sensation on the palate. Dried fruits, cedar wood and a sense of rusticity. The length is long with great perception of the sensation is gives on the palate. All about the finesse.
Country
Spain
Region
Grape
Tempranillo
Market Price
£22.99
Angel Price
£18.99
Marta Mate Crianza 2016
By César Maté & Marta CastrilloTasting notes: Deep in colour. Restrained and subtle on the nose with clove spice and the air of finesse. The palate is fresh, elegant and very pure. Three hours after opening (essential) it is very well balanced including a broad chalky sensation on the palate. Dried fruits, cedar wood and a sense of rusticity. The length is long with great perception of the sensation is gives on the palate. All about the finesse.
Serving suggestions: Open three hours before drinking and watch it soften over time. Recommendations on wine glasses: Fine, transparent and colorless crystal. No drawings. Large size to be able to fill 1/3 and turn the wine to release aromas. Convex shape.
Food pairing: Pasta with spicy sauces, stews with legumes such as chickpea stew, beans. Plates of red meats, poultry stews with dried fruits. Ideal with cured sheep cheeses.
Drinking window: From 2021 until 2030 in optimum storage conditions (14 - 16 ºC) and in darkness (without strong light)
César Maté gives a detailed insight into a precious patch of land for producing very fine wines.
Bodegas Marta Maté was born with the idea of ??creating wines within the Ribera del Duero D. O. that are unique but extraordinary, seeking to escape from "industrialization" in viticulture and giving our wines personality, trying to bottle the particularity of the landscapes that surround us, inside our bottles.
For this project to make sense, first of all, we had to find the place: Tubilla del Lago. This small town is located in the northernmost area of ??the Ribera del Duero and with an altitude that in no case is less than 900m and that reaches 940m at its highest (The average altitude of the whole appellation ranges from 730m to 840m). Very shallow soils and limestone rock characterize the place and make viticulture a little more complex here, but at the same time, it enhances the uniqueness that our idea needed.
On the other hand, developing our viticulture in Tubilla del Lago was feasible because we found dozens of very old plots with the original planting frames (staggered 1 meter between plants), far from the "business *" and with only one problem, we had to transform them in to organic farming and at the same time, recover the plant material, which in some cases due to misuse by their owners, were not in the best possible state, but it was not difficult to rescue and give them a better life. Almost ten years later we work more than 40 plots always by hand, free of chemical agents or pesticides, with living soils and plants that, with more than 150 years in some cases, are every day happier and happier.
The vinification had, therefore, to be particular, adapted to the respect of the work carried out in the vineyards and promoting the concept of Terroir that Tubilla grants us. The balance in the maturation of our tempranillos is the basis and in order not to alter that balance, we do mild macerations with the skins, fermentations with indigenous yeasts, use of barrels of larger sizes than usual, and concrete tanks both for fermentation and for the end of breeding; displacing wood as the main ingredient to enhance the soils and landscapes that surround us.
The result of this combination is a healthy and natural wine concept, with very good acidity, freshness, elegance and fluidity. Adjectives that are not usually used in our area, where others frequently appear such as: structure, volume, full body ...
I would like to finish thinking about the future and all those friends and fellow winemakers who 10 years ago told me "you are crazy, in Tubilla the grapes do not ripen, there is hardly any production because the soils are poor” ... and now they are interested in the area, They reaffirm me in the conviction that Tubilla del Lago is one of the towns with the most future and will resist climate change with personality.
We do not want to frame our Marta Maté as a crianza, there are thousands of crianza in La Ribera del Duero with a more classic concept and if we call it that, people can expect something that Marta Maté is not. We therefore want the wine to stand out above its months in the barrel and not to restrict it to the norm. Our wine is not a Ribera del Duero crianza, it is Marta Maté.
*Business. Viticulture in Tubilla del Lago did not undergo the transformation to mechanization like other areas of the D.O. Because being located in an extreme area the winemakers were not interested in this place and we find the original viticulture from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.
Guy Bocard Bourgogne Cote d'Or 2019
Tasting notes:
The nose is very expressive with good intensity of white almond and yellow fruit. Also some mealy notes typical of the region. Excellent fruit intensity of tangerine, ripe melon and some citrus notes. A multi-dimensional sensation of characteristics. Benchmark white burgundy.
Country
France
Region
Grape
Chardonnay
Market Price
£19.99
Angel Price
£17.99
Guy Bocard Bourgogne Cote d'Or 2019
By Rene MoraTasting notes: The nose is very expressive with good intensity of white almond and yellow fruit. Also some mealy notes typical of the region. Excellent fruit intensity of tangerine, ripe melon and some citrus notes. A multi-dimensional sensation of characteristics. Benchmark white burgundy.
Serving suggestions: Not too chilled. Remove from the fridge 15-20 mins prior to drinking.
Food pairing: This wine will meet both your appetite for an aperitif with friends and your imaginations of food and wine pairings but we recommend it perfectly with seafood.
Drinking window: 2021 - 2028
The particularity of the Guy Bocard estate is that we only produce white wines, coming from the geographical territory of Meursault. We try to highlight the diversity of the terroirs of Meursault by respecting our soils, our vines and working our grapes to their fair value.
At the estate, the working philosophy is to highlight both our regional appellations and our Premier Cru de Meursault. You can see it with this 2019 Burgundy Côte d´Or cuvée.
In line with our production values ??on the estate for about ten years now, the conversion to organic farming was initiated in 2019.
After this first step, René, viticulturist and winemaker, is convinced that we need to be more involved in respecting the environment and the sub-zones of Burgundy. For this, he has been carrying out projects and tests for over a year. As a result, our plots have in turn produced pretty plant cover. These allow us to create a complete living environment for plants, insects and all the biodiversity present on our vineyard plots.
This cover also allows us to protect our soils against erosion and to regenerate them. Some of the estate's plots will also see the agroforestry project arrive. The idea is still here, but on a larger scale, to recreate a complete living environment for biodiversity.These different projects allow us to highlight our vines, the first link in the wine chain. We want to see the quality of our vines and wines improve over time.
The 2019 Bourgogne Côte d´Or cuvée comes from a blend of three Chardonnay plots: Durots, Basses Gouttes and Grandes Coutures. They are located on both sides of the village of Meursault and the vines are located at the bottom of the appellation hillside. The plots are mainly exposed south-east and made up of clay-limestone soil. Like our estate in the heart of the village, the plots are located at an altitude of around 230 meters.
After a hot and dry year, the vines suffered from water stress during the summer period. To get a picture, the grape leaves were starting to turn yellow and toast even before the grapes were harvested. These weather conditions led us to harvest with a very advanced maturity. On the other hand, the overall quality of the harvest was irreproachable. After gentle pressing, the wines are put into barrels to carry out their fermentation. During this step, we let the magic happen.
The grape juice goes into fermentation in the cellars dug by René himself. After a generation of vinification, fermentation takes place without a hitch thanks to the yeasts present in the cellar and on the barrels.
Then comes a 12-month long aging in barrels with fine lees. During this period, René takes the time to taste the wine and "stir" them. This last technique allows the fine lees to be suspended in the barrel to nourish the wine. When the time comes, when the wine is ready, it is racked (moved off lees) to spend some time in the vat. A light filtration followed to clarify the wine before bottling it.
Since his arrival, René has chosen to keep the production techniques that Guy Bocard taught him during his youth. That is to say, a harvest at maturity, a pressing respectful of the grapes, a limited use of oenological tools during fermentation, as well as aging in oak barrels. French oak barrels have been present at the estate for several generations. On the other hand, René seeks to master the contribution of toasted or smoky notes in his wines. For this, the proportion of new barrels will vary between 15 and 20% maximum every year.
You will probably be surprised at the ability of this Burgundy to be drunk now, as well as its ability to age quietly in your cellar.
Cordero Barolo DOCG 2017
Country
Italy
Region
Piemonte
Grape
Nebbiolo
Market Price
£29.99
Angel Price
£19.99
Cordero Barolo DOCG 2017
By Serena CorderoTasting notes: Wonderful cherry character to the nose. The palate has very definite clear primary fruit notes of red cherry, amaretto, raspberry, red currant. This is positively supported with some oak influence, reminiscent of cedar wood, which adds to the earthy complexity. Lovely fresh acidity provides a nice long length.
Serving suggestions: 18 degree Celsius
Food pairing: Beef or even better with our beloved spaghetti (better if with a good white truffle from Alba!).
Drinking window: Barolo Is at the top of drinkability 1 year After the bottling ( so , about this Barolo 2017,that has been bottled in 2020, It's at its top starting from 2021) , and It tastes wonderful up to 15 years later.
Serena Cordero provides a background to the beautiful hills of Barolo.
When we talk about Piedmont (from a oenological point of view ) we are almost obliged to underline the importance of the Nebbiolo grape in this region of Italy.
Known to be one of the most important red varieties in Italy, it’s the grape used to make the king of Italian reds, the Barolo.
But for understanding what makes this wines so important we need to go deep, starting from the area of production and the soil characteristics.
The Barolo is made in the Langhe area, that is the right side of the Tanaro river , which flows through the city of Alba (the heart of the viticulture in Piedmont ), while the left side is called Roero.
This right side is characterised by soil composed more by clay and marls , compared to the Roero ‘s soil richer in sand.
The Alps surround us (during clear days they appear like on a postcard ! ) and give us a mild climate, with cold and snowy winter.
The origin of these soils is traced back to millions and millions of years ago. First there was the sea. The erosion of the surrounding alpine arc brought into the sea layers and layers of sand and silt.
We have 3 big families of soils created in three different eras: Serravallian, Tortonian and Messinian.
In the Tortonian era we can find the formation of the soil of La Morra, the village where the vineyard of this Barolo that you’re going to enjoy is located . Rich in Sant’Agata marl laminate. Sant'Agata marl are a specific type of marl, in the family of clay. Million of years ago we had the sea here. So once this sea started to be more quiet the molécules of clay started to deposit in very thin layers ("laminate"), creating gentle hills.
That’s why we have a unique soil composition that allows us to achieve a great complexity, structure and strength surrounded by nuances of elegance, that are key points for great Barolos.
Taking a look at the history, we have the first Barolo at the beginning of the year 1800 ( Italy hadn’t been unified yet in a single country as we know it today), when the Marquise Faletti, suggested to make a proper red wine using the Nebbiolo grape , in order to offer it to the Savoie royal family.
So it’s been so long since we’ve been producing Barolo!
The Nebbiolo is a tough variety, it’s not so easy and its vinification is not so obvious. A lot of secrets are hidden by the oldest vigneron.
I’ll reveal some of them just for you …..
First of all you need to understand the importance of tannins…something that a lot of people try to escape from. That’s wrong , the tannins are the basis for the structure and the long shelf life of the Barolo.
But there are tannins and tannins ….and how can we recognise them ?….well experience to crunch on them.
We call it Nebbiolo because its best moment of ripening is the late autumn, when here in the Langhe we have a lot of “nebbia”, that’s the italian for “mist “. These days that typically are warmer during the daytime and cold during the night are perfect for having good tannins and colour.
Once we have picked the grape we start the vinification , different every year depending on the status of the grape . Generally we use long skin contact during and after the fermentation ( up to two/ three months if the skins are good, turgid ) during which we try to extract the maximum colour possible ( not easy with the Barolo) with pumping over and punching down.
Then , the malolactic fermentation is completed usually during the skin contact, and after this we move the wine into his next home, a big french oak barrel, where it’s going to spend the next three years. Yes because with the Barolo we need time and patience ….it can be on the market 4 years after the harvest !!!.....And we need even more patience because its best moment is not immediately when it’s out on the market, but 6 months-1 year later, and even better in the following 15/20 years. Tannins will become softer and sweeter , with a mouth well balanced between structure and freshness. Hint of rose and face powder fulfill the aroma bouquet making it charming and refined.
So, cheers, and don’t forget to match it with some good beef or even better with our beloved spaghetti (better if with a good white truffle from Alba!).
Drinking a glass of Barolo you’ll be directly in touch with our beautiful hills. Cheers!
Serena and Gianfranco Cordero
