These famous Tuscan wine estates are home to high quality Sangiovese grapes (and a mix of others), which go into these two outstanding expressions of Tuscan red wine.
In April this year, Frescobaldi will be Regional Wines & Spirits winery of the month.
In the meantime, explore the flavours here, by purchasing online or in store. We will be adding a bunch of other beauties from Frescobaldi. Watch this space.
Frescobaldi Perano Chianti Classico 2021 RRP $54.99
Wild herbs and dark fruit are framed by an impressive structure with notes of chocolate and blackberries in this Chianti Classico. This is a riserva wine, which has spent an impressive 24 months in Slavonian oak barrels aging.
Buy here
Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina RRP $45.99
Frescobaldi's Nipozzano Riserva Rufina Chianta is named after the Castello Nipozzano and is a delicious complex Riserva Chianti with extended aging time and made from vineyards in Rufina. Wild berries and cherry flavours are flattered by spicy undertones of pepper, nutmeg and roasted coffee. It has a silky texture and layers of depth and interest.
Buy here
]]>Ver-deek-ee-oh is the correct pronunciation, for those concerned about such matters, but most Italians are just happy that you have chosen one of their wines and tried to say the word. It's worth taking the plunge in this case and as we have a new addition to our Verdicchio range at Regional, it seems worth diving a little into what makes this white wine taste so good.
The name refers to the grape, which comes from central Italy and specifically from the Marche region; opposite Tuscany and slightly further south on the east coast.
What does Verdicchio taste like?
Well, in a nutshell, we're talking about a dry wine, typically with a medium body and rich textural qualities, which means it fills the mouth, in this case with a silky feel, but without being over bearing. Flavours run the gamut of almonds and green herbs to white peach, while retaining an unmistakable dry style. This is a complex wine, often even at lower prices.
Where is Verdicchio from?
There's the millions dollar question. It is regarded as a wine from central Italy's Marche region on the Adriatic coast; a mountainous and beautiful part of Italy. But it is also fairly common to find Verdicchio in Umbria and Lazio, but wait, yes there's more. DNA profiling has shown in the not too distant past that there is a wine from Lombardy (in northern central Italy) that goes by the name Trebbiano Lugana, which just so happens to fit the same exact DNA details as Verdicchio. No wonder that wine also tastes surprisingly complex when basic Trebbiano can be nothing to write home about.
So, onto the wines we have bearing the name Verdicchio.
Try these... Pop in to buy these exceptional dry whites
Felici Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2022 RRP $35.99
Fresh, waxy in texture and complex in taste with dry flavours of lemon, almond and green herbs, Verdicchio (pronounced Ver-deek-ee-oh) is one of Italy's great white wines and is a hidden treasure on our shelves here at Regional because New Zealanders can easily relate to its bright crisp qualities. Its flavours span the gamut of ripe lemons and fresh herbs through to waxy, full bodied textural qualities. Sealed with a screwcap.
Umani Ronchi Verdicchio Casal di Serra 2021/2022 RRP $33.99
A classic standard bearer, sealed with a screwcap to retain the innate freshness of Verdicchio's naturally high acidity. This one is a keeper - drinks well now and has complexity but can also age.
San Lorenzo Le Oche Verdicchio 2021 RRP $33.99
Complex, dry, full bodied and more savoury than the wines above. A very good wine and great value for money.
Garofoli Podium Verdicchio Superiore 2017/2019 RRP $39.99
Special $36.99
One of the great whites of Italy; Garofoli's Podium is an outstanding expression of Verdicchio and how it can age superbly while retaining fresh, dry, complex flavours.
A must try.
Buy Garofoli Podium Verdicchio Superiore here
]]>The main point is that Antinori is as much about innovation and experimentation as it is about tradition. "It" being the winemaking company and its members. This month, there was an outstanding tasting of a range of the flagship wines from Antinori, which we were thrilled to share at a paid event in our tasting room and also at a tasting off site, which one of our team members (yours truly) attended.
The two highlights of the tasting are the following two wines, one of which is out of stock but which is certainly more than worth waiting for and will be returning to New Zealand mid year. and the fact that we can innovate and sometimes make mistakes too and sometimes not succeed but the point is to experiment and find what works. We want to achieve elegance and balance. There was the trend of oaky wines in the 1980s and 1990s but we believe that
This is a blend of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, all of which meld together beautifully in this smooth, soft, modern Italian red – very ripe with red berries, lush plum aromas and a medium body with typically Tuscan and Italianesque savoury flavours.
Impressive, commanding, powerful silky tannins and high acidity – a very robust wine on nose and palate. Black cherry flavours with great concentration, smoky and cedary notes. Long, powerful and delicious now and can age well for five+ years, at least.
Small is never a word to use when describing any wine made from the Nebbiolo grape but it does fit for a wine from Carema DOC, one of the smallest areas devoted to Nebbiolo in north west Italy. And the 2019 Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema is one of greatest wines to pass my lips so far this year. Not that it is small in taste or lacks for flavour (far from it) but the volumes made are minuscule compared to other regions. So much so that Italian writer Cesare Pillon once wrote "As a great Nebbiolo from northern Piedmont, Carema has only one fault: in good years only 55 thousand bottles are produced. It is not well-known, and neither is the village it gets its name from: Carema."
Perhaps being not so well known is a good thing in this case because it means there is a little available to come to New Zealand. This month we have had the joy of putting our first Carema on the northern Italian wine shelf at Regional Wines & Spirits. At least, it is the first Carema we have stocked in the past eight years, if not even longer.
We hope you enjoy it as much as our team of wine devotees has.
This is an outstanding savoury expression of Nebbiolo from the mountainous village of Carema, bordering Valle d'Aosta in north west Italy. Red fruit notes underpin the powerful but silky tannins and the long spicy finish is complex, rewarding and sensationally statuesque. A commanding wine.
The producer is a quality focussed wine cooperative, which makes sense, given that Carema is a small village and the area can only produce limited volumes of Nebbiolo each year.
Cantina dei Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema is renowned for producing excellent wines and this is an excellent example.
Carema was one of first wines from Piedmont to attain Controlled Designation of Origin status when it was awarded DOC in July 1967.
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This month our wine team at Regional Wines & Spirits has been busy tasting through interesting new Tuscan reds in a quest to find the best of the bunch to add to our Italian wine shelves. It's a tough job and all that jazz, but someone has to do it and we are very pleased to have selected two new wines from a very old winemaking family, Frescobaldi.
The Frescobaldi family has been making wine in Tuscany for 700 years, beginning in the early 1300s. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Florentine wine house provided wine to the Court of England and to the Papal Court in Rome, among many others. And earlier still, the Frescobaldis established relationships and commercial ties with the workshops of artists such as Donatello, Michelozzo Michelozzi, and Filippo Brunelleschi, among many more.
* But wait there's more - all of our Brunellos are on special this month too.
Chianti Classico is one of the greatest expressions of the fabulous noble Sangiovese grape and this riserva wine has spent an impressive 24 months in Slavonian oak barrels aging. This softens Sangiovese's edgy fresh acidity, as does additional time aging in bottle, prior to release.
Flavours run a broad spectrum of flavours from ripe black berries, cherry, wood and spice into a beautifully complex wine with lovely length and excellent potential for further aging in your cellar or dark, cool corner.
Evocative in name and in flavour, Frescobaldi's Nipozzano Riserva Rufina Chianta is named after the commanding Castello Nipozzano, a beautiful place in a stunning region. Savoury aromas intermingle seamlessly in this very good Chianti, which is a riserva; meaning it has been aged for longer than a typical Chianti. It is also from Rufina, the smallest of Chianti's seven main sub regions - and reverred for high quality wines.
* Pop in store to learn more and buy these outstanding wines
]]>A savoury, refreshing and lighter bodied take on Syrah; excellent partner for good salami, cheese, great company and a sunny day.
To describe Domaine Tempier Rosé as one of the cult wines of the world is to make a slight understatement. It is one of the highest priced, most sought after rosés made in France today in the small and heat filled enclave of Bandol, an appellation in the to die for beauty of Provence where lavender lines the gardens and the chocolatey Mourvedré grape lines the barrels.
This pink wine is made mostly from Mourvèdre ( 50%) with Grenache and Cinsault playing support roles, this wine is made with direct pressing and settled at cool temperatures in both stainless steel and concrete vats. The average vine age is 20 years, the wine is bone dry and was aged for six to eight months prior to bottling
Flavours of candied citrus fruit, melon and rose petal add surprising depth to this pale coloured dry rosé.
It drinks well on release, as is to be expected with pink wines, but this one also has the potential to age and evolve beautifully for at least five years, say its makers in the appellation of Bandol in Provence in southern France.
Serve it lightly chilled.
Buy it in store - we have 12 precious bottles. That's our allocation for 2024. Get in quick.
]]>The winery is based in Hawke's Bay and began with high quality plantings on the Gimblett Gravels and other areas in that region. Today, however, the Bay is responsible for 30% of Craggy Range's total wine producer while a vast 70% comes from the windswept, dramatic beauty of Te Muna Valley in Martinborough.
Until 2019, Craggy's producing vineyard area in Martinborough was 90 hectares. Today, this has grown to 250 hectares, the majority of which is Sauvignon Blanc with approximately 65% of the plantings and nearly all of which is destined for export markets.
The remaining 35% is nearly all Pinot Noir, with a smidgeon of extremely high quality Riesling grapes also planted and produced into a dry, zesty, age worthy white wine, which punches well above its price weight. There is also a little Pinot Gris, but it is the Pinot Noirs that really sing and they can also age, especially the Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir - the top wine made in Martinborough.
Dry, savoury and earthy style of Pinot Noir with delicacy and power from grapes grown on Craggy Range's windswept and beautiful Te Muna Road vineyard, 9 kilometres east of the Martinborough village.
This tasty dry Riesling comes from the beautiful windswept vineyard owned by Craggy Range in the sweepingly stunning Te Muna Road in Martinborough.
The grapes in this wine were 100% whole bunch pressed and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and large oak cuves with 100% innoculated yeasts.
The wine was matured for four months before bottling. It's fresh, youthful, vibrant and zingy with intense lime and green apple flavour notes, a medium body and long finish. It drinks beautifully now and will age superbly for at least five to six years.
Te Kahu means the cloak in Maori and refers to the mist that shrouds the Craggy Range Giant's Winery in the Tukituki Valley in early morning . This bold but balanced red blend highlights five classic grapes from Bordeaux in south west France; Merlot leads the way in this sharply priced red with proportions of the other grapes varying each year. These include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
See the full range of Craggy Range wines online here or pop in store to browse.
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The next winery of the month at Regional Wines & Spirits is Seresin Estate. On 1 January 2024, we will share great discounts on the fabulously diverse range of mainstream and experimental wines produced for this large Marlborough brand.
One of the greatest things about Seresin Estate is the organic certification. This came relatively early on for Seresin, who was dismayed by the amount used and the impacts of man made chemicals, which were routinely and frequently sprayed on vines. His early adopting philosophy of organic certification paved a positive path for the integrity of the wines as well as leading others to follow suit.
Winemaker Tamra Washington brings her talents to the table to make everything from the left field Beautiful Chaos range (a top white blend and reds too) to the purity of great Riesling, fleshy Sauvignon Blanc, full bodied Chardonnay and more.
Pop in store this January for tastings and special prices on the entire Seresin Estate range of wines.
Buy Seresin wines here
Seresin Memento Riesling Marlborough 2018 RRP $28.99
Special $25.99
Seresin Estate's Momento Riesling offers exceptional value for money and a super succulent, off dry style with nicely balanced acidity making this wine taste fresh and long on flavour. Its aromas are of lime, Granny Smith apples, ripe peach and a touch of honey but this is a wine to drink with savoury food - it matches brilliantly with Thai curries and fresh herbs. Did we mention that it's also stunning value for money.
Buy here
Seresin Chardonnay Marlborough 2022 RRP $25.99
Special $23.99
Seresin Estate winemaker Tamra Washington puts Chardonnay's best foot forward in this full bodied, dry, smooth and creamy wine, which has great tension and finely balanced acidity in every succulent sip. Here's a Chardonnay that succeeds admirably in highlighting all the bells and whistles that white wine lovers enjoy in their favourite full bodied white, but also has the restraint of a beautifully balanced wine.
Buy here
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It is no secret that the cost of living crisis has made our eyes water with the rise in prices of some of our favourite things but these two bubblies are under $60 on special all through December - and they reveal two different sides of the champagne taste spectrum.
The first is Champagne Bergere, made mostly from Chardonnay (70%) of the blend with Pinots Noir and Meunier making up 20% and 10%, respectively. On the other side, we have an old favourite that we have built up a strong following for over the past five years - Champagne André Clouet, which is 100% Pinot Noir and has all the toasty richness of long ageing on yeast lees; four years in this case.
Both of these wines are multi vintage blends and you can find out more about them on our website.
In the meantime, pop on down to Regional to buy and try these sensational sparkling wines. They both represent staggeringly good buying in the current market, in which we have seen prices of some of our favourite bubblies rise by astronomical amounts.
Our team is thankful to have these two outstanding sparkling wines from the Champagne region in store for Xmas 2024.
Complex creamy champagne with Chardonnay in the lead, giving its citrusy purity and freshness in this lovely Champagne, which is relatively new to our shelves. Champagne Bergere is an exciting modern Champagne based in Ferebrianges, and with a building on the famous Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. The Bergere family has grown grapes since 1848 and the winery was founded in 1949 to release champagnes under the family name. Current generation Adrien Bergere heads up the estate with a primary focus on Chardonnay, low dosage across the range, extended lees ageing and judicious use of oak barrels to tease out the full potential of the wines.
André Clouet Grand Reserve is aged on lees for four years before disgorgement, is made from 100% Pinot Noir and has a low dosage is 8 grams per litre, which makes it dry in taste and in style.
Champagne André Clouet dates back to 1741. Today the family owns eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of Bouzy and Ambonnay in the Champagne region from which it makes (along with purchased grapes) great wines of richness and depth. André Clouet Grand Reserve is one of our staff faves here at Regional and is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes, all grown on grand cru vineyards and aged on lees for four years before disgorgement. That is significantly longer than the legal minimum of 18 months aging on lees, pre release, in the Champagne region.
If you’re after a complex champagne made from the great Pinot Noir grape, try this.
It begins in 1995 with a man eagerly perusing the whisky shelves at Regional Wines in Wellington. It’s not the first time he’s done this and he’s caught the eye of the store owner. Soon the two are chatting about all things whisky and have formulated a plan to start tastings in the small and unassuming room upstairs. Little do they know, this is the beginning of a long and fruitful endeavour.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, Robin Tucek and John Lamond are also concocting whisky plans. They purchase their first cask and bottle it under the name of Blackadder, and thus is born a new independent label which will also go on to great things.
A year later, in the damp cold of the Scottish Highlands, the stills at Ben Nevis distillery are working hard. The distillation here is long and steady which results in a rich distillate that is perfect for sherry casks. Fittingly, on the 6th day of December 1996, 500 litres (or thereabouts) of liquid gold finds a happy home inside sherry butt number 2203.
The slow and steady ethos of the distillery is echoed through this cask, which slumbers for over 20 years until it changes hands and finds a new owner. Finally it is deemed to have become the whisky it was destined to be and is bottled by Blackadder in June 2022 at the ripe old age of 25. It is given the slightly austere and bureaucratic name of Blackadder Ben Nevis 25 YO '96 Statement 41, but, hey, as we know, one should never judge a whisky by its name.
This bottling date is significant as it tees the whisky up nicely for an eventual encounter at the rescheduled Dramfest, on 4th March 2023 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
It is here that the final chapter in our whisky’s story begins to unfold.
This is obviously a very special whisky (Statement 41 no less!) and finds itself at Dramfest in the exclusive whisky set that resides under the table, and which can prove tricky to get one’s hands on. Fortunately, our aforementioned whisky-shelf-perusing-Wellingtonian, who goes by the name of Daniel, sniffs it out and spreads the word.
It is a stunning drop which, thankfully, is also available in very limited quantities, and despite its weighty price tag, three bottles make their way to Regional Wines. One is destined for a Best of Dramfest tasting which will, rather presumptuously, leave two bottles for the end of year tasting to which only the very best drams of the year are invited.
Of course, to make it to the grand finale, it should ideally win its tasting, and this it does, but perhaps not as convincingly as one would have hoped. With a score below nine and the Whisky Cellar House Malt 12 Year Old giving it a good run for its money, there is perhaps a slight feeling of underachievement.
But the biggest drams need a big stage on which to perform and at Best of the Best 2023, this is what our Ben Nevis gets. It shares a tasting mat with an old bottling of Glenfarclas 105, Cardrona’s Full Flight 7 YO PX cask #114 62.7%, an 18 YO Aberfeldy Rare Cask and an indie Benriach 10 YO Sherry Wood, giving it the perfect chance to prove its mettle.
Quite simply, it is in a league of its own. Layers of dried and dusty decayed fruit, mocha and black chocolate textured by Lafitte-like tannins combine with savoury old oak that could just as well be age-receded peat. It has it all and feels like it has been plucked from the cask at its very apogee. It brings more than a smile to the 80 or so happy attendees and a swathe of raised arms is the answer when asked does anyone want to score this a 10 out of 10?
So there we go, the simple tale of a mere whisky - but one (like many others) that has been shaped by so many events, people and moments, and proof that whisky is as much about what happens around it, as what ends up in the glass. No doubt there are others out there with a different tale of this whisky, but this one is ours…
Here's the order on the night and the scores...
1) Hart Brothers - Benriach 10yo Sherry Wood 57.5% 8.76
2) Aberfeldy 18 YO Exceptional Cask Series Double Cask 52% 8.37
3) Glenallachie 15 YO 46% 8.12
4) Blackadder Ben Nevis 25 YO '96 Statement 41 Raw Cask 51.9% 9.34
5) Glenfarclas 105 60% Circa 2006 8.91
6) Finlaggan Original Peaty Cask Strength 58% 8.44
7) Cardrona Full Flight 7 YO PX cask #114 62.7% 8.63
8) Tamdhu Batch #5 59.8% 8.94
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Chablis was declared a wine region in 1938. It is nearly 7,000 hectares, about 80% planted in vines and it is the most northern district of Burgundy (sharing the Chardonnay grape), although it also has an affinity with nearby Champagne, due to those famous soils. Its northern location also tends to give the wines focussed acidity and, often, less oak influence than the rest of Burgundy.
About those soils. Kimmeridgian clay has the same chalk in it that is found in the White Cliffs of Dover and is full of fossilised oyster shells.
Domaine William Fevre wines span the gamut of accessibly priced Chablis right up to Le Clos; one of the most sought after Chardonnays on Earth.
* New Domaine William Fevre wines are in store now at Regional
* Buy here
]]>Get in quick while stocks last... a fabulous new rosé from Central Otago.
One of our newest rosés in store has sold out from the winery in less than a month after its release.
The wine is the new 2021 Dice by Dicey Rosé RRP $74.99 in store now. And it is a total game changer. Dry, delicious, medium bodied rosé made from Central Otago Pinot Noir grapes. This outstanding wine remains fresh for up to a month and offers delicious flavours of summer berries without a hint of sweetness; beautifully made and a great concept.
“Switching to wine in a box for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of retiring 400,000 cars.” The New York Times, Drink outside the Box.
No wonder it has sold out from the winery, less than a month after its release.
Buy 2021 Dice by Dicey Rosé RRP $74.99 in store - we have a few precious boxes left. And that will be it, until the next year.
]]>This new winery has a long winemaking history in Burgundy under the name Delaunay. It is now based in the south of France where Laurent and Catherine Delaunay have founded two brands; Les Jamelles and their high end wines, Abbotts & Delaunay. Both are available here at Regional Wines & Spirits and they represent the outstanding dry heat of southern France, along with a wide diversity of grape varieties from all the usual suspects... Malbec, Merlot and Syrah (among others) to the lesser known wines, such as Mourvèdre (also known in Spain as Mataro and Monastrell).
This month we have new Les Jamelles wines in store, which you can find both online and on our Under $25 stand in store.
A taster of Les Jamelles
2022 Les Jamelles Rosé RRP $16.99
Deliciously dry French rosé made from Grenache and Carignan, which are blended together to make this dry, super tasty rosé. It comes from the hot, dry, and extremely sunny Mediterranean wine region of the Languedoc, which winds its way around the southern French coast. This large, sun drenched and languid wine region border Provence to the east and Roussillon to the west, on the Spanish border.
Buy here
2021 Les Jamelles Malbec RRP $20.99
Wild berries and ripe plums combine with complex spicy notes in this super affordable Malbec from the Pays D'Oc in the south of France. The grapes for Les Jamelles Malbec come from four different vineyards; in the slopes of the Orb Valley for complexity and richness, the foot of Montagne d’Alaric, northern Corbières, lends roundness and complexity and central Corbières for complexity and spice.
Buy in store...
But wait, there's more.
There is more to this tasty range, available in store.
Taster of Abbotts & Delaunay
2019 Abbotts & Delaunay Mourvèdre RRP $21.99
Mourvèdre is a southern French grape (also known as Mataro in Spain) and is known for its dark delicious chocolatey flavours and aromas of mocha, earth and bold black fruit ripeness.
Buy here
]]>These sturdy vines have hefty trunks and, impressively, produce grapes even when they are 100 years of age and older. The fruit tends to taste extremely concentrated and is not exactly plentiful on these old vines, which can yield as low as one to 1.5 kgs of grapes per vine but the results are worth the expense of retaining these beautiful old vines.
All of the above is a build up to recommend one of our most impressive Spanish reds in store, tucked away on a bottom shelf (good for keeping the bottles cool and dark but not so easy to find). The wine is Lalama. The current vintage is 2017 and the blend of five grapes is led mostly by Mencia which makes up 90% of the wine, with the remaining 10% divided between Spanish grapes Brancellao, Mouton, Souson and Garnacha Tintorera.
It is an unusual red. Not least because it is made from such old vines but also because it was aged in French oak barrels (all old barrels), which is a style departure from the norm in Spain, a country that tends to favour the toasted coconut aromas that American oak lend to wine. This full bodied wine has all the dark fruit flavours of a Mediterranean wine but is beautifully balanced by the naturally high acidity of the Mencia grape, which provides a sense of freshness to the wine.
Try this as a gift for the wine lover in your life this Xmas...
Buy it here 2017 Lalama Bodega Dominio do Bibei Ribeira Sacra RRP $56.99
]]>War loomed large in the lives of Reine and Rene Le Brun, whose relationship began around the same time as World War II, which made for interesting times in the world's most famous sparkling wine region, Champagne.
This year, their son, Daniel Le Brun, and his family here in New Zealand, have launched a new sparkling wine to honour Reine. It is called, simply, Reine and it pays homage to the Champagne region, the history of the Le Brun family in the region and to Reine herself. The Le Brun family can trace its winemaking history in Champagne back to 1684, which was the year their descendants planted their first vines in Champagne, producing their first wines in 1791. This date is carved into the family's champagne press.
We will be celebrating No 1 Family Estate here at Regional Wines & Spirits over the looming festive season and we are thrilled to have the family's newest sparkling wine in store for the upcoming festivities. Here are my notes on the new sparkling wine, which was launched in Marlborough in the last week of October this year.
Reine Vautrelle Le Brun loved flowers, which is echoed on the label of this bottle, which is a delicate but full bodied blend of 50% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Meunier, given extended lees ageing of four years giving it the weight and balance to stand up to the low dosage of 2.8 grams per litre. This is bone dry sparkling wine with finesse and a long finish. While it can age superbly for two to three years, it drinks beautifully now - fresh and zingy, paying homage to a woman who lived through World War II; years that represented some of the Champagne region's toughest times.
No 1 Family Estate's history in New Zealand
Daniel Le Brun made his first sparkling wine in Marlborough in 1980 and launched his second venture, No 1 Family Estate, in 1999, on 14 July - Bastille Day. No 1 Family Estate is a family owned and run operation with all family members involved, including Daniel and Adele le Brun and their children, Virginie and Remy.
But back to vino... Tempranillo is hot because it is benefiting so far from the warmer temperatures, although some producers are struggling with some of the challenges heat brings.
Tempranillo has always been the main ingredient in Rioja and in warmer years and in the hands of adventurous producers, many Riojas are now 100% Tempranillo.
Rising temperatures mean riper, plusher, smoother full bodied red wines made from Tempranillo. Rioja benefits from this, big time. And so we do, the drinkers of good red wines.
Another study, which was conducted by sociologists Sergio Andrés Cabello and Joaquín Giró of the University of La Rioja, revealed that 90% of the 481 grape growers and winemakers who were surveyed feel that the effects of climate change will be negative or very negative (65%) and say that the region will need to adapt to survive (46%).
New wines in store at Regional over the past three years show a significant swing towards Riojas made entirely from Tempranillo, such as the outstanding, multi award winning 2019 Cabama Tempranillo Rioja RRP $38.99 which you can buy here.
Other wines are adopting a combination of American and French oak for ageing prior to bottling, which means the results are more complex, smoother, less about the old dusty heartland of Spain style and moving towards flavours of cedar, cloves and subtle vanilla aromas.
Popular, plump and spicy, 2020 Bideona Laderas Tempranillo is a great example - and one of our best sellers, which you can buy here.
]]>Guigal is one of the world’s top 10 best known wine brands and is run by 20 full time people, including many extremely dedicated family members. There are over 850 growers also working, both directly and indirectly for the company, growing a vast volume of grapes, which go towards making the four million bottles of flagship Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge each year. This impressive volume of production is done without external input, other than purchased grapes from those growers. The best thing about this mighty volume of wine is that it has benefited from many incremental steps of quality improvement over the decades. These include the inclusion of a higher proportion of Syrah than a typical Cotes du Rhone, with 55% of the blend now Syrah (higher than in the past), which is softened by Grenache and, as of a clever decision made at some stage in the past 15 years, a small but consistent component of Mourvèdre. This adds complexity, depth of colour and firm smooth tannins to the wine.
As with all good things, time is a big factor in the process of creation and the three years minimum ageing in Guigal’s wine cellars gives this red its softness, transforming Syrah's impressive youthful tannins into something approachable and delicious when the wine is released. This is why the current vintage is 2019...
Buy 2019 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge here
RRP $28.99 / Special $24.99
2021 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc
2021 Chateau d’Aqueria Cotes du Rhone Esprit Rouge
2019 Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge
Of course we all know about the gas and its detrimental effect on the environment through global warming, but if you’ve been following the roller coaster ride of the NZ craft beer scene of late - you will also be aware that the cost of CO2 has recently gone through the roof.
This is bad news for brewers who use bottled CO2 in many ways; for pneumatic processing (forcing liquids from A to B), to force carbonate beers and also as a preservative (or rather as a means of expunging oxygen).
In an age of high CO2 emissions, where we are liberally pumping the stuff into our atmosphere, the irony will not be lost on you I am sure - especially if you realise that most bottled CO2 is actually generated from the processing of petrochemicals to create ammonia and hydrogen.
Don’t know about you, but linking beer to petrochemicals is far from ideal for brand image, and the thought of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
It’s ironic, too, that our brewers, who need this gas so badly, are actually generating it naturally as a by-product of fermentation. The problem is, that unless you are working at low temps (as with most lagers) the CO2 is easily lost and therefore needs to be artificially re-introduced
Luckily there are crafty brewers who have found a way round this.
Eddyline is a good case in point. This Nelson based brewery has moved with the times and is leading the charge towards more sustainable brewing. They were the first NZ brewery to install an Earthly Labs carbon capture machine and now carbonate 100% of their beers with the CO2 produced from their brewing. This will be simultaneously saving them money and removing the slightly unsavoury link to the petrochemical industry.
So there we go. It’s a great example of how doing one’s bit for the environment can help the world, provide a financial boost and improve a brand image - all in one hit.
If that’s not a win win - then I don’t know what is!
When the going gets pricey, the thinking gets lateral and that is how a French winemaking family from the Loire Valley ended up with a vineyard in Marlborough.
The family is that of Domaine Henri Bourgeois and family members first came to New Zealand in 1999 to make wine, with the main focus being on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. This reflects the key varietals they make in their Loire home. They had been wanting to expand in France but the cost of land was prohibitive, which led the family to search for great vineyards further afield, retaining their home base at the same time. Their initial search saw them research South Africa, but New Zealand was decided on and it has since proven to be a win win.
The family initially planted 21 hectares, which has now grown to 45 hectares and is planted on two main soil types. These are the stony riverbeds of the Wairau, which are free draining and planted mostly in Sauvignon Blanc grapes, which benefit from stones absorbing the warmth from the sun's rays. The other soil type is called clay and this is home to most of the winery's Pinot Noir but there is also a deliciously concentrated, flinty and complex Sauvignon Blanc made from the clay soils and called, simply, Clay.
* All of the Marlborough grapes are certified organic with BioGro New Zealand.
The family has made wine in the Loire Valley for 10 generations. The key varietals are Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noir, both of which benefit from different soil types, as is the case with the family's Marlborough wine production. Soils in the Loire include what the family describe as a mosaic of plots, including Kimmeridgian Marl, Silex and Limestone Clays.
Buy Clos Henri and Domaine Henir Bourgeois wines here.
* Join us this November for in store tastings and a special tutored tasting upstairs (bookings essential). Call in to Regional Wines to find out more, to try and buy these great wines, all on special for November.
]]>The Verdicchio grape comes from Italy and its name comes from the Latin word viridis, which means green and refers to the green skins of the Verdicchio grape. Its home is the Marche region in Central Italy where there are currently about 2,000 hectares of Verdicchio growing, mostly around the town of Jesi, where the designated wine region (DOC) is called Castelli di Jesi. Most of the vines are on the slopes of the Appenine mountains with the highest vineyard planted 1,312 feet but the majority vines are grown on flatter, undulating terrain. The soils range from limestone to clay to sandy, despite the variable nature of which, Verdicchio is almost universally a high quality wine, even at lower prices.
There is a smaller area of Verdicchio grown at higher elevation and called Verdicchio di Matelica, but this hilly DO has only about 200 hectares planted.
The Verdicchio grape has naturally high acidity, which gives it the ability to taste fresh when young, to age well and to be made as a sparkling wine or, as the majority are, as full bodied still dry whites.
Traditional winemaking of Verdicchio included skin fermentation to build fullness and body as well as flavour, but the majority of wines made from the grape today are fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel to preserve freshness.
2021 Umani Ronchi Verdicchio Casal di Serra RRP $31.99 / Special $28.99
An excellent example of Verdicchio from one of this grape's top producers, Umani Ronchi. This wine is weighty, richly flavoursome but completely dry and full bodied with a long, zesty lemony finish. A great white for now and for the cellar.
Buy here: https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/products/umani-verdicchio-casal-di-serra-14
]]>So, what exactly goes into modelling a sparkling wine after Bollinger? Well, patience is the primary key.
All champagnes and sparkling wines made in their mould are aged on their yeast lees (the decomposing yeast cells) in the same bottle we consume them from for a minimum of 15 to 18 months, which is a long time to wait for any wine. The makers of Bollinger - and also of Nautilus, our winery of the month - wait an entire three years for their wines to gain flavour and complexity as the yeast cells break down, releasing tasty substances called mano proteins, which become part of the wine. These impart complex multi layered flavours of fresh pastry, toast and other savoury flavour notes. The higher the percentage of Pinot Noir in the wine, the more savoury and rich it tends to taste. Sparkling wines that contain more Chardonnay tend to taste crisper when youthful and creamier when aged. These two grapes (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) are the main ingredients in sparkling wines from the Champagne region and in all bubblies modelled on them.
Bollinger is always a higher proportion of Pinot Noir than Chardonnay and is typically a 70%/30% blend. A portion of the base wine is also always fermented in older French oak barrels, which softens the classic high acidity of grapes grown in the cool northern Champagne region's climate. The base wine is the still wine made, prior to blending and refermenting in the bottle to gain the bubbles in the form of dissolved CO2. And then the wine is aged on tirage (yeast lees) in the bottle for three years.
When winemaker Clive Jones launched Nautilus Winery's sparkling wine programme, the model was always Bollinger and hence, Nautilus is aged on lees in bottle for three years. And also, like Bolly, it is disgorged regularly so that it always tastes fresh.
We are big fans of the style of both Bollinger and Nautilus, which bears the trademark of a winemaker dedicated to coaxing the very best out of Pinot Noir with bubbles.
Try these...
Nautilus Cuvee Brut NV Museum Release 2010 Tirage RRP $50.99
Special $46.99
Can you imagine tasting history? Well, here is the perfect chance to do just that with This new museum release Nautilus Marlborough Cuvée Brut, which was aged for 10 years on tirage; on its yeast lees in the bottle. Dry, richly flavoursome and full bodied with enormous toasty appeal adding depth of flavour and power. Grapes come from three vineyards in Marlborough, were all hand picked and fermented with a champagne yeast with full lees aging and malolactic fermentation. This wine typically contains between five and 15% of reserve wine, which is held back from previous vintages. This blend is 73% Pinot Noir and 27% Chardonnay.
Buy here: https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/products/nautilus-methode-cuvee-brut-nv-marlborough-museum-release-2010-tirage-750ml
2018 Nautilus Cuvee Brut Rosé RRP $45.99
Special $40.99
One of the best bubblies made in New Zealand, and always a vintage wine with the grapes 100% from one year and 100% Pinot Noir. Tastes dry, yeasty fresh with notes of red berry flavours in a full bodied bubbly with a long finish.
Long ageing on tirage – aka lees (decomposing yeast cells) in bottle - provides depth, body and a lingering finish.
Buy here: https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/products/nautilus-methode-rose-16
]]>Antinori Tignanello has been a trend setter from its inception in 1975 when Piero Antinori launched the first vintage of this off beat blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It has long been regarded as the first contemporary red from Chianti Classico that was aged in barriques (rather than large Eastern European oak vessels) and that didn’t use white grape varieties.
The latest vintage of Tignanello is a blend of Sangiovese (68%) with the balance being Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc - and we have one bottle for one fortunate customer with a serious wine cellar. This wine does drink well now but will be a revelation in years to come when its complex floral aromas and structured dark fruit flavours intermingle into a wine that evolves to become a more layered drink than today.
The 2020 Tignanello has a beautifully fragrant floral aroma spectrum with an upfront and accessible personality.
"The tannins are sweet and silky and Tignanello proves itself as a great vineyard site in both the challenging and the classic years,” says Antinori managing director Renzo Cotarella.
"The first vintage of Tignanello in 1975. It has since paved a path as a defiant rebel red made with grapes grown on the Santa Cristina vineyard, a 127 hectare site in the Chianti Classico zone, 350 to 450 metres above sea level."
Tignanello is typically aged for at least 16 months in barrels, which today tend to be a blend of mostly French barriques with a little Hungarian oak also used in most years.
Buy 2020 Tignanello RRP $204.99 in store at Regional Wines & Spirits
But wait there's more... 2020 Antinori Marchese Chianti Classico Riserva RRP $74.99 - is also new in store at Regional and we have six precious bottles; which is our full allocation for the year.
Pop in store to grab yours.
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The Alsace region is driest and most northern wine region in eastern France - and once, incidentally, part of Germany, until the First World War. This is why the Alsace region is dedicated to aromatic German white grape varieties, such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer and Sylvaner, among many others. On the red front, there is this wine. A powerful, pretty, silky and succulent expression of Pinot Noir from one of the most interesting wine regions in France.
This is an impressive wine from a producer where the husband-wife team are committed to organic grape and wine production.
2019 Domaine Rene Mure Pinot Noir RRP $63.99
An impressive expression of Pinot North from the far north east corner of France and the country's driest wine region, Alsace. This wine was harvested over three days in late September 2019 and is made using 50% whole bunch fermentation which was taken to bone dry with less than 1 gram of residual sugar. It was matured in barrels and drinks well now with balance of fresh acidity in keeping with its bold, ripe red and dark cherry flavour notes, intermingle with touches of spice in a wine with a long, bright finish. It can age for four to five years.
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