About the Wine:

Variety: 50% Macabeo (Viura), 50% a blend of Verdil, Malvasía, Pedro Ximénez and other local varieties.

Aged in clay. Organic. 6 months in amphoras.

Cullerot 2024 is a fresh, aromatic, and elegant white wine, with a Mediterranean touch that balances delicacy and playfulness. Its notes of dried hay, fennel, and yellow flowers with a clean and precise sensation on the palate, offering a gentle yet characterful freshness. It appears easy to drink, yet serious in its complexity, and its long finish invites you to enjoy a sunny afternoon, a light aperitif, or simply let the Mediterranean essence fill your glass. Irresistible.

The name Cullerot means tadpole in Valencian.

About the Producer:

Celler del Roure is nothing short of the pioneer of quality wine in the DO Valencia. Until recently, Valencia was only known for its cheap bulk wines, but it is now blossoming into one of Spain most interesting wine regions. Thanks to the estate, which rehabilitated long-forgotten local grapes like the red Mando and the white Verdil, and also rediscovered the use of amphoras.

Pablo Calatayud is like the exception that proves the rule. He has no family roots in wine. He is a newcomer in the profession, which is not really a bad thing in a region like Valencia, where it is better not to follow the « tradition » of high yields, low prices and bad quality. He was lucky enough not to be influenced by all this and to start with a sound basis. His family is active in the local furniture business but supports his project wholeheartedly. Since a few years, his wife Sandra has also been working on the estate. The vineyard is located in Clariano, Valencia’s hinterland, a region with an enormous wine potential. Pablo’s wine story began in 1995-1996, just after he finished his agronomy and oenology studies. Then, with the help of his father and brother, he decided to buy an estate in the highlands and plant it with vines. French grapes, but also old local varieties, which bear witness to the Valencian wine history (even if most of them are long forgotten). In 2000, Pablo produced the first vintage of his Alcusses (the name is a reference to an Iberian settlement dating 4 centuries BC). On the labels of the wines and in the boxes, we'll find the text of a small tin plaque dating from these times, found on the estate. It is written in paleo-hispanic. This is a way for Pablo to pay his dues to the culture of this beautiful region. Pablo’s ambition re-dynamised the whole region. Several other estates followed his example and started producing quality wines, in accordance with their terroirs and tradition. Pablo’s most important decision was the purchase of an old bodega on the mountainside. There they found a real treasure: nearly 100 dug-in amphoras in an almost perfect state of conservation. This is something really unique, all the more so as these amphoras are nearly 500 years old ! Pablo is experimenting with making white and red wines in them, and the results are encouraging. This estate’s future looks bright and the birth of Pablo’s first daughter, Carla, on March 8th 2011, only confirmed it.

Pablo can use a wide range of grapes, but after 15 years on the estate, he knows which ones are really interesting. He thus grafted Monastell onto his Tempranillo, since this last variety did not seem suited to the area. Pablo’s estate covers 66 hectares of old and young vines, more precisely: 14.5 ha of Merlot, 12.5 ha of Monastrell, 12 ha of Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 ha of Tintorera, 6.5 ha of Petit Verdot, 6.5 ha of Syrah, 4 ha of Mandó and 2.5 ha of Chardonnay. He also buys some Macabeu, Malvasía, Pedro Ximenez and Verdil grapes for his whites. As far as red grapes are concerned, he has a special interest in Mandó, a very delicate variety that was nearly exctinct, and which needs a skillful ageing process. Pablo also likes Monastrell (also known as Mourvèdre), a very Mediterranean grape quite common down south. Last but not least, the red-pulp Tintorera, which plays an increasing part on the estate. The other grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Syrah add structure, body, juicy tannins, and spiciness to the wines, respectively. The vines of these varieties are more than 15 years old. Pablo farms the estate organically. Celler del Roure takes part in several university experiments on water stress, canopy management, vine training methods, etc…\

Terroir:

Vineyards are divided between four fincas, on the northern flank of the Serra Grossa (“l’Ombria”) and in the Alforins-Alcusses vale. The average altitude is 550 m. Most soils are very poor in organic matter - mostly sands, clay and limestone. The area is in a transition climate – this is what is called the pre-meseta, a link between the high plateau of Castilla La Mancha and the Costera valleys (Vall d’Albaida and Rio Cànyoles). The mountain ranges guide the wind coming from the interior (El Poniente) to the vineyard; the area also takes advantage of the humid breezes coming from the Mediterranean (El Levante), which gives the region some 600 mm of rainfall.

100% Godello wine 

CRDO Monterrei Characteristics

Cimate:

• D.O Monterrei´s territory belongs to river Duero´s basin because river Tamega, which crosses the D.O from North to South, flows into it.It has a mild Mediterranean climate with continental tendency with Atlantic influence. Its summers are hot and dry while winters are cold. The zone has many temperature differences, up to 20ºC in ripening period.

Soil:

• Monterrei has three types of soils: slated and schist, ideal in draught periods that provide aromas to the red wines, granitic and sandy; that come from granitic rock erosion, they have low pH, appropriate for white wines. Sedimentary; complex due to the mixture of materials.

Fraga do Corvo has vineyards in all 3 soil types lending incredible complexity to their wines.

Appearance:  Precise yellow color with greenish iridescence, steely rim, clean and bright, with very good dense tears.

Nose:  Juicy tart green and yellow apples, with intense floral aromas (jasmine, mimosa, orange blossom), subtle hints of lemon and clementine zest, boxwood, freshly cut grass, tea leaf, delicate fragrant aromas.

Palate:  With a creamy and voluminous entry, enveloping, leaving a sensation of intense freshness, fruity notes of white plum, lime peel zest, subtle minerality, rich in elegant nuances, with intensity, glyceric, long.

This Reserva Tempranillo from Valdepenas is a great example of the quality coming out of Spain at the  moment.  Ripe and juicy, yet also with hints of oak and complexity.  Grapes from their oldest, low-yielding vineyards were combined with those of younger vines to create a blend of rich dark fruit with smooth vanilla and rich cocoa. 12 months in American oak barrels, followed by a further 24 months in the bottle add a silken texture to the blend.  Superb with hearty stews and char-grilled steaks as well as a variety of tapas.

"Dark cherry red with a savoury bouquet infused with redcurrant fruit and cake spices, then spicy and savoury to the taste with lifted red berry fruit, a touch of orange zest and peppery spices. There's a nice touch of smokiness coming through, underlying earthy notes and a long dry finish lifted by vanillin oak and mint. Tannins are firm yet the wine is ripe and juicy with a pleasing generosity. Fantastic presentation.  13% alc."

100% Tempranillo. 

From various vineyards around Rioja, on Chalky Clay, Ferrous Clay, & Alluvial soil's between 350m-550m elevation. 

Cold Macerated prior to fermentation, then fermented 15 days in Temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters with daily pump overs, & aged for 24 months in French & American Oak barrels racking every 6 months. 

Ruby red colour with signs of ageing. Aromas of vanilla, spice, leather and ripe fruit. Silky medium body with good length. A classic Rioja.

Marques de Riscal Reserva is an exceptional Rioja made from old vines, planted pre 1970s. A touch of Graciano and Mazuelo (10%) adds complexity and crisp acidity. This is a medium-full bodied red wine with bright red fruit flavours, integrated oak and a long, juicy finish.

Contreras Ruiz is located in Condado de Huelva which borders the National Park of Doñana to the south and east. The stunning winery was constructed in 1868 and sports five naves separated by arches 30m high, made from forged iron, typical of the south of Spain and boasts state of the art wine tech within.

Vallehondo is a 100% Syrah that expresses the extremes of the D.O. Condado de Huelva terroir, famous for its warmth, saline notes from the Atlantic and soils predominated by sand and limestone.

The wine is Intense and elegant on the nose which is dominated by ripe red fruits, and nuanced by black pepper and vanilla notes. The palate is silky and unctuous reflecting the warmth of Southern Spain, but is kept fresh by decent acidity, round elegant tannins and well integrated oak.

Pale yellow, dry, acidic, ripe citrus notes, minerally, peach notes, green pear notes, gooseberry notes

Dark and delicious Spanish blend of Tempranillo (85%) and Merlot (15%) made from grapes planted at high altitudes in the village of Moradillo de Roa. The hillside vineyards give depth and ripe fruit flavours to this dry, full bodied red, which has bright fresh fruit flavours, notes of spice and a smooth soft lush texture. 

Maravedí is the name of an ancient Spanish coin and this wine is an excellent example of a Tempranillo and Syrah blend, made from old Spanish dry farmed and organically certified vineyards. Deep purple with a ruby rim, displaying aromas of red fruit and blackberries with slight spicy notes of freshly ground pepper. Medium bodied and juicy on palate, yet with fine tannins and a refreshing finish.

The continental climate, with sunny days and cool nights, allow for intense fruit and excellent varietal definition, while retaining remarkable freshness. The Organic Grapes are picked at night and in the early morning hours and shipped quickly to a state-of-the-art winery for destalking, light crushing and fermentation under temperature control in stainless steel. Maceration lasts for 8-10 days to achieve a perfectly balanced style without excessive extraction. No oak is used to achieve a pure expression of the combination of Tempranillo and Syrah.

Graciano is one of Spain’s best kept wine secrets - a red grape with thick skins that is a tricky customer to grow, which means there’s precious little of it about, even in the vineyards of the Rioja, where it is one of the traditional ingredients in the wine of the same name.

This is a dark Spanish beauty with soft fruit flavours, medium body and fresh, long finish.

Vallformosa, is a family owned operation that has been around for 150 years. 

Appearance: Pale yellow with greenish reflections in the glass

On the Nose: Good aromatic intensity of fruity aromas, including green apple and fresh herbs like fennel welcome the nose. These fruiter elements also combine with notes of white flowers and citrus in the bouquet to offer complexity.

On the Palate: Vallformosa Cava is a bright sparkling wine with fine persistent bubbles. The palate is balanced and dry while soft, resulting in well balanced acidity and a fruity aftertaste.

About Cava...

Cava is one of the great sparkling wine secrets of the world and you could call it poor man's champagne because it's made the same way, only with slightly shorter aging time and therefore a little less complexity on the palate. Still, given that it costs a fraction of the price and has had its secondary fermentation in the same bottle that you buy it in, this really is superb value for money.

It can be made with grapes grown anywhere in Spain. These days, producers are allowed to use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to make cava but this one is from the traditional Spanish grapes, namely, Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada, each of which combines to create a fruity but dry and lightly yeasty fresh taste. A stunner at the price and an extremely fresh, refreshing dry bubbly. Awesome value for money.

The Wine:

50% Monastrell, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Garnacha Tintorera, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Syrah

Hand harvested, destemmed, natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks. 

8 months in 250-500L French oak barrels and 5000L French oak foudres

About the Producer:

Celler del Roure is nothing short of the pioneer of quality wine in the DO Valencia. Until recently, Valencia was only known for its cheap bulk wines, but it is now blossoming into one of Spain most interesting wine regions. Thanks to the estate, which rehabilitated long-forgotten local grapes like the red Mando and the white Verdil, and also rediscovered the use of amphoras.

Pablo Calatayud is like the exception that proves the rule. He has no family roots in wine. He is a newcomer in the profession, which is not really a bad thing in a region like Valencia, where it is better not to follow the « tradition » of high yields, low prices and bad quality. He was lucky enough not to be influenced by all this and to start with a sound basis. His family is active in the local furniture business but supports his project wholeheartedly. Since a few years, his wife Sandra has also been working on the estate. The vineyard is located in Clariano, Valencia’s hinterland, a region with an enormous wine potential. Pablo’s wine story began in 1995-1996, just after he finished his agronomy and oenology studies. Then, with the help of his father and brother, he decided to buy an estate in the highlands and plant it with vines. French grapes, but also old local varieties, which bear witness to the Valencian wine history (even if most of them are long forgotten). In 2000, Pablo produced the first vintage of his Alcusses (the name is a reference to an Iberian settlement dating 4 centuries BC). On the labels of the wines and in the boxes, we'll find the text of a small tin plaque dating from these times, found on the estate. It is written in paleo-hispanic. This is a way for Pablo to pay his dues to the culture of this beautiful region. Pablo’s ambition re-dynamised the whole region. Several other estates followed his example and started producing quality wines, in accordance with their terroirs and tradition. Pablo’s most important decision was the purchase of an old bodega on the mountainside. There they found a real treasure: nearly 100 dug-in amphoras in an almost perfect state of conservation. This is something really unique, all the more so as these amphoras are nearly 500 years old ! Pablo is experimenting with making white and red wines in them, and the results are encouraging. This estate’s future looks bright and the birth of Pablo’s first daughter, Carla, on March 8th 2011, only confirmed it.

Terroir:

Vineyards are divided between four fincas, on the northern flank of the Serra Grossa (“l’Ombria”) and in the Alforins-Alcusses vale. The average altitude is 550 m. Most soils are very poor in organic matter - mostly sands, clay and limestone. The area is in a transition climate – this is what is called the pre-meseta, a link between the high plateau of Castilla La Mancha and the Costera valleys (Vall d’Albaida and Rio Cànyoles). The mountain ranges guide the wind coming from the interior (El Poniente) to the vineyard; the area also takes advantage of the humid breezes coming from the Mediterranean (El Levante), which gives the region some 600 mm of rainfall.

The Wine:

Tinto Joven; 96% Tempranillo, 2% Garnacha, and 2% Viura.
Rioja Alta, vineyards of Ábalos and San Vicente de la Sonsierra.
A blend of native varieties from our vineyards located in the Rioja Sonsierra region. The varieties combine to create a clear definition of a young, fresh, and fruity wine.

WINEMAKING:

Process: Carbonic maceration (whole bunch maceration). This allows us to transmit all the fruitiness of the grapes to this wine. Fermented at a controlled temperature (26º). The fermentation process proceeds normally and quickly. Natural stabilization and bottling.

The Producer:

Abeica is winery currently under the watch of the fourth generation - with the fifth already cutting their teeth. Do not for one second though assume that this historic connection bears the weight of conforming to brand Rioja.  During the 1990's the winery was successful at home and abroad. Growing year -on-year, buying in grapes from neighbouring properties to fuel their growth.  The four siblings, Isabel, Ricardo, Pachi and Raul decided to pull back from this and return to a true family project using only their own vines and their combined skills.  Vineyards are mainly clay-calcareous between 450-590 metres and enjoy the protection of the Sonsierra mountain range. Vintage employs the entire extended family to hand pick and bring in the harvest to the gravity-fed winery. Fermentation is generally whole bunch under carbonic maceration. There is a refreshing hands - off approach, letting nature do the work which leads to freshness across the range. It truly feels like Rioja with the light let in.

About the Producer:

Pablo Calatayud is like the exception that proves the rule. He has no family roots in wine. He is a newcomer in the profession, which is not really a bad thing in a region like Valencia, where it is better not to follow the « tradition » of high yields, low prices and bad quality. He was lucky enough not to be influenced by all this and to start with a sound basis. 

His family is active in the local furniture business but supports his project wholeheartedly. Since a few years, his wife Sandra has also been working on the estate. The vineyard is located in Clariano, Valencia’s hinterland, a region with an enormous wine potential. Pablo’s wine story began in 1995-1996, just after he finished his agronomy and oenology studies. Then, with the help of his father and brother, he decided to buy an estate in the highlands and plant it with vines. French grapes, but also old local varieties, which bear witness to the Valencian wine history (even if most of them are long forgotten). 

In 2000, Pablo produced the first vintage of his Alcusses (the name is a reference to an Iberian settlement dating 4 centuries BC). On the labels of the wines and in the boxes, we'll find the text of a small tin plaque dating from these times, found on the estate. It is written in paleo-hispanic. This is a way for Pablo to pay his dues to the culture of this beautiful region. Pablo’s ambition re-dynamised the whole region. Several other estates followed his example and started producing quality wines, in accordance with their terroirs and tradition. Pablo’s most important decision was the purchase of an old bodega on the mountainside. There they found a real treasure: nearly 100 dug-in amphoras in an almost perfect state of conservation. This is something really unique, all the more so as these amphoras are nearly 500 years old! Pablo is experimenting with making white and red wines in them, and the results are encouraging. This estate’s future looks bright and the birth of Pablo’s first daughter, Carla, on March 8th 2011, only confirmed it.

Vermell:

Vinified in 500 year old underground Amphorae a blend of Mando (an Autochonous Moixent variety that nearly went extinct) fermented whole cluster lending floral notes, raspberry red red fruit into liquorice; & Arcos (synonym for Moristel) which lends cherry aromas as well as dark spices & earthy undertones.

The result is like a fusion of southern Spain & Beaujolais, red fruit driven into an earthy, cocoa powder & spice like tannin.