Month: September 2015

New Arrival!

The new 2011 vintage arrived, November 2013….a little sweeter and subtler than the 2009. More tasting notes  to follow early in 2014.

On the 17th June 2011, I tasted this wine with Araceli and she told me:

“ The player in the team gives the fruit.”

She is refering to the grape, Mantonegra, which is an indigenous grape to this Mediterranean island. Its a lovely grape, it really gives this wine some wonderful fruit and intensity.

50-60% Mantonegra, 30% Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot make up the last 10%.

Mr Whirly says:

“ Plums, lovely fresh fruit, tabacco, great balance, intricate details, very exciting wine. A lovely sweet middle to the wine acquired from the Mantonegra grape, a berry found on this island.”

Winemaker’s tasting notes:

“ Since the beginning, our main concern when making this wine has been to capture the primary, fruity features of the Manto Negro grape.

And so, with a clear objective and after manually selecting the grapes (to overcome any variability in ripening of the young plants), the wine is fermented at moderate temperatures (~27º C) to avoid over-maceration. We then age some of the wine in 3 to 4- year-old casks, which enables us to prevent the excessive liberation of tertiary aromas or a hardening that the wine would not be able to survive. Blending this aged wine with another part of the wine that has been stored in stainless steel tanks intensifies its primary aromatic potential

The result can be found in its varietal aromas such as fresh red fruit (like blackberries or strawberries) and its mineral and spicy touches. A balanced palate once again emphasises the freshness of the fruit and the wine has a pleasant finish.

Alc vol: 14.5%

Ok. Ok Ok….

A fabulous most spectacular new wine that has been so popular its sold out! New vintage of the 2010, yet only managed to secure 200 bottles, arrives into the UK in October 2012.

Mr Whirly says:

“ This is a very exciting wine. And I know, I always say this you are saying to yourself but if you are going to buy one bottle of wine this year then its this one! This is a Viognier of epic proportions, really gorgeous fruit and  aroma’s leap out to you from the glass, not at all dried peaches like normally with this grape but tropical peaches, round and flat! I have yet to really assess this wine correctly, but will be tasting it in the next few weeks with clients around the country and shall come back to you with more thoughts!”

Winemakers Tasting notes:

“ This wine is the result of collaboration between Bodega Ribas and Sioneta Oliver who, in addition to forming part of the Ribas family, also owns a Viognier vineyard in the town of Consell.

The aim is to achieve the utmost offered by Viognier, a variety with great aromatic potential. The must is fermented at very low temperatures for over sixty days, ensuring a more delicate and selective extraction of the aromatic compounds.

Part of the wine is then put into new casks, where it spends 6 months, the rest being transferred to a tank where it is kept on its lees, becoming enhanced with mannoproteins and other components of the remains of yeast, making the wine more consistent and oily. “

Alc vol: 13.5%

Price: ( SOLD OUT)