Benje Blanco is produced on the northwest side of Tenerife in the most mountainous organic vineyards at an altitude of around 1000m. The vines are autochthonous, ranging in age from 70 to 100 years and the Listan Blanco variety may be better known to you as Palomino Fino from the dry sherry of the Andalusian coast. Of course here Listan Blanco comes...
The vineyards are cultivated under the supervision of local winemakers and Roberto Santana from Envinate. The harvest, as with all wines, is manual and the grapes are pressed whole in large concrete tanks where they ferment spontaneously. Maturation takes place in two large oval-shaped foudres and concrete tanks, and the wine is bottled unfiltered and...
Ronceray is a wonderful step-up in complexity and intensity from the simple, but also beautiful" Anjou Blanc from Chateau de Plaisance. Harvesting on the Chaume hill is manual and after a gentle cold pressing of the grapes, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts. 30% of the wine is matured in Burgundy barrels for 12 months and the barreled part...
Philippe Desbos' approach is based on his respect for tradition, not because of a tendency but bades on the his belief that it makes better wines. Far from all viticultural and technological innovations, he produces his Saint-Joseph from the "fillet" of the great wine-growing zone, following techniques used by his ancestors. He plows the vineyard with the...
Travelling to Philippe Desbos' stone-built farm to the north of the village of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, traditionally one of the best terroirs of the Saint-Joseph appellation of origin, is like taking a trip through time. In this secluded spot, looking down on the Rhône from above, time has stopped and everything is done by Philippe himself as it was decades...
It may not have the uniqueness of the Colares of winemaker Antonio Bernardino da Silva Chitas, but this wine is an excellent introduction to the important wine producing region of Lisbon and the great producer's wines. Arinto is an excellent base for wines that are reminiscent of Riesling, with acidity, freshness and a relatively harsh character but also...
Malvasia de Colares, which is genetically different from other varieties bearing the same name, is planted on the region's characteristic sandy soils with great care and effort to protect it from the strong, salt-laden Atlantic winds. In the cool coastal climate, alcohol is always restrained in these wines and the character is full of umami salinity and...
