Translation missing: en.Rovellotti + Tenuta delle Terre Nere + Picq + Spanish Wine Tasting Saturday 13th 3pm-6pm + Cascina Val del Prete PROMO: Rovellotti + Tenuta delle Terre Nere + Picq + Spanish Wine Tasting Saturday 13th 3pm-6pm + Cascina Val del Prete PROMO
Rovellotti
Rovellotti are a hidden gem of Italian wine, producing sincere and detailed wines from the overlooked Ghemme region of Alto Piemonte. The Rovellotti family have winemaking history dating as far back as 600 years and have established themselves in the region since 1972. The Rovellotti family have been working with the agricultural faculty of the University of Milan since the 1980s to achieve a level of no chemical use in the vineyard whatsoever.
The Rovellotti winery's vineyards, located near Ghemme, cover 25 hectares of the Novara Hills. Their location, exposed to Alpine air currents, is particularly suited to growing the native varieties of Nebbiolo, Vespolina, Vitigno Innominabile, and Bonarda. Here, they find the ideal microclimate for developing their unparalleled aromatic characteristics, thanks in part to the temperature differences between day and night. The highly acidic soil makes the grapes very distinctive, influencing the final style of wine. The clayey soil found in the nearby Novara rice fields, retains water like a sponge, favoring the growth of the bunches which are medium-sized and have an optimal surface-to-skin ratio. This philosophy of protecting their environment has historically been adopted by the entire Rovellotti staff, starting with its owners and gradually by all its collaborators, who have made it a natural question of conscience, almost as if wanting to repay the land for its generosity in producing such great grapes. The winemaking seeks to highlight the work they put into the vineyard, with ageing in large barrels of Vosge oak and no sulphur at all in the process.
We tasted these wines the other week and knew instantly that we had to have them in the shop. The '22 'Colline Novaresi Morenico' is a beautiful blend of Nebbiolo 60%, Vespolina 20%, Bonarda (Uva Rara) 20%. Fresh, crunchy and dangerously drinkable. The '22 'Colline Novaresi Valplazza' is 100% Nebbiolo and should be bought by anyone that would usually pick up a Langhe Nebbiolo at this price point. Finally, the '19 'Ghemme Chioso dei Pomi' is made of 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Vespolina and spends 36 months in large Swiss Jura oak barrels followed by another 9 in bottle. This wine had layers of red fruits, spice and florals that lingered for ages. This punches significantly above its weight and would probably outperform most Barolo up to the $200-$250 price point and beyond. Sensational. Try out this new producer to our store and you will not be disappointed!
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Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Tenuta delle Terre Nere are one of the greatest and most important producers working in Etna, producing distinctive wines from indigenous grapes on a range of terroirs. Being located in an extreme climate (the name literally translates to property of the black lands), extreme attention to detail in the vineyard is what sets them apart from their competitors. Strenuous organic viticulture affords them the ability to be hands-off in the cellar and express the distinctive volcanic terroir that makes Etna so special.
The estate is located on the northern slopes of Etna, within the hilly belt that extends between Solicchiata and Randazzo - the area historically known to be the best for red wine production. The climate of Etna - Europe's largest active volcano, is significantly different to the general climate of Sicily. The high altitudes dedicated to viticulture on Etna's slopes start at 400m above sea level and span up to over 1000m above sea level creating a large diurnal range, preserving natural acidity in the grapes and extending the growing season to what is one of the latest harvests in Europe. There is a patchwork of volcanic soils that have been formed and reformed by millions of years of lava flows. All of these factors create a range of unique micro-terroirs that this Tenuta aims to capture in their wines, particularly the Contrada offerings which winemaker Marco de Grazia refers to as "Burgundy of the Mediterranean". Marco draws analogies between Etna and Burgundy, not necessarily in taste (although there are similarities), but due to the fact that they both have extreme climates with differences in site that manifest themselves in the wine so well. Consequently, Tenuta delle Terre Nere are on the board of directors of the Consorzio di Tutela Etna D.O.C. to formalise the sub-areas of Etna so that they can write the crus on the labels and that the customer will come to understand the difference between 'San Lorenzo' and 'Calderara Sottana' the same way that they would 'Romanée-Conti' and 'Montrachet'.
We've just picked up the recent release of these fantastic wines for you. We have the '24 'Etna Bianco' which is a field blend of indigenous grapes: Carricante, Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico and Minnella and always sensational for the price. We also have the '24 'Etna Rosato' has the "body of a white and the soul of a red" according to the winemaker - a savoury and interesting Nerello-based rosato. We have already sold through 2 of the 3 classic red crus from the 2023 vintage so don't hesitate to snap this last one up! Marco unofficially uses the Burgundian classification of hierarchy and designates Premier Cru and Grand Cru status to the crus that he works with. From one of Marco's honrary "Grand Crus", the 'Calderara Sottana' comes from 600m-650m above sea level from stony volcanic soils with pumice, basalt and a little ash - often to be considered to greatest Etna Rosso cru. Finally, we have a couple of bottles of the mythic '22 'Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino Calderara Sottana' that comes from ungrafted vines planted before phylloxera hit Etna in 1881, making these vines planted by Don Peppino over 140 years old. This is a wine that needs some time in bottle to show its true colours but is an absolutely remarkable, distinctive wine and a valuable piece of history. Many people love the wines of Etna already, but any of you Burgundy lovers that haven't made the jump into Etna yet should definitely check these out.
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Picq
Domaine Gilbert Picq is based in the tiny, quiet village of Chichée, just southeast of Chablis itself where they produce wines from holdings in and around the village. The family has history of farming these plots for multiple generations and the Domaine is now in the hands of Gilbert's children: Didier, Pascal and Marilyn. Together, they are able to produce classic mineral Chablis wines from the limestone-rich hillsides of the region.
The Picq wines are produced in the traditional method of the region; that is, fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks using native yeasts to preserve each plot's sense of place. There is not a single chip of wood to be found at the domaine. The family's extremely strict pruning routine helps to ensure that these grapes, even from "lesser" vineyards have enough concentration to produce compelling wines. In fact, the Domaine excels at producing wines that are often considered "Premier Cru quality" from parcels that fall under the regular Chablis label. Didier feels that these parcels are the Domaine's calling and it is truly exciting to see what can be produced when less prestigious vineyards receive the same degree of viticultural work that 1er and GCs would usually receive. These are often considered some of the best Chablis lieux-dits bottling and of course their actual Premier Crus are stunning as well.
We've just picked up a range of these sensational wines. The '22 'Chablis' comes from vines averaging 20 years on a hillside in their home village. This one always overperforms. The '23 'Chablis Vieilles Vignes' is sourced from the oldest vines in their non-cru holdings averaging more than 50 years old. The '23 'Chablis En Vaudecorse' comes from a parcel just under a hectare in size planted in 1980 and the '22 'Chablis Dessus La Carriere' comes from 2 parcels that sit above an abandoned limestone quarry. Finally, the '23 'Vosgros Premier Cru' comes from 2 plots of 35-40 year old vines that face southwest on Kimmeridgian limestone and clay. These are some over-delivering classic Chablis wines - what's not to love?
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Spanish Wine Tasting
Saturday 13th
3pm-6pm
We have another exciting tasting lined up for this Saturday. This week we'll be showcasing wines from Spain but with a twist. This is all about rethinking the narrative and having a deeper dive into the regions and grapes of Spain. There is more than just heavily oaked Rioja!
These are the wines that we'll be pouring on Saturday:
2021 Cosmic Gratitud Sauvignon Blanc
2023 Amor per la Terra Cal Ros Xarello
2022 Moraza Tempranillo Blanco
2021 La del Terreno Ninja de las Uvas Grenche
2022 Moraza San Vicente Tempranillo
2024 Partida Creus MUZ
This is a great chance to see a classic wine-producing country in a new spotlight and to discover what hidden gems have been lurking he whole time. See you on Saturday!
Wishing you a great week from the team: Chris, Pete and Aaron.
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WEEKLY SPECIAL!
Cascina Val del Prete
This week's special comes from the remote hills of Piemonte, Italy.
This deal covers two wines that we think you'll like as much as we do - one white and one red, from Cascina Val del Prete.
Cascina Val del Prete Luet Arneis 2024 - Regularly
$54 per bottle / NOW $40 per bottle*
Cascina Val del Prete Serra di Gatti Barbera d'Alba 2024 - Regularly $54 per bottle / NOW $40 per bottle*
This is a saving of 25%!
OFFER: BUY ANY MIXED 6 BOTTLES OF CASCINE VAL DEL PRETE LUET ARNEIS OR SERRA DI
GATTI BARBERA D'ALBA AND RECEIVE $84 OFF
Cascina Val del Prete (Valley of the Priest) are nestled in the northwest corner or Italy where they produce high-quality wines from indigenous grape varieties. Since 2013, their 10 hectares planted to Arneis, Barbera and Nebbiolo received organic certification and they are farmed biodynamically as well. The approach to winemaking at Cascina Val del Prete is non-interventionist. The makers use indigenous yeasts for their long fermentations and wines are eventually racked to barrel where they age until ready. These are great wines that speak to their place.
*price per bottle when ordering 6 bottles of either Cascina Val del Prete Luet Arneis 2024 or Cascina Val Del Prete Serra di Gatti Barbera d'Alba 2024 in store or online. Offer available while stocks last or until the end of the week - finishing at 11:59pm on Sunday 14th September.
Get in quick!