Kelvin Feku is Alex Milner’s (of Natte Valleij) assistant winemaker, and this is the first release under his own label. Kelvin arrived to South Africa from Zimbabwe as a refugee, and quickly became captivated and inspired by winemaking. This dryland Grenache comes from Wellington’s malmesbury shale and glenrosa soils. The grapes were basket pressed and left undisturbed in foudre for 9 months. Pouring a diaphanous crimson hue, this lighter red charms with perfumed wild raspberry, crunchy cherry, smoked plum, tobacco, sapid branchiness, and fragrant roiboos tea which lingers long on the saline f ..read more

This wine is new to me. An organic Champagne where the front label looks like a back label, but it’s full of interest. Champagne Telmont Réserve de la Terre Extra Brut NV France12% alcohol. This is a blend of 44% Pinot Meunier, 34% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Noir. Base year (70%) is 2020 and the balance is split between 2019 and 2018 equally. Organic, with 2.5 g/l dosage. Full yellow in colour. This has balanced pear and cherry fruit with some green apple and a touch of lemon. There’s nice depth to this wine, with some yellow plum and almond in the mix. It’s quite vinous and gastronomic, and it ..read more

I arrived at Hidalgo La Gitana just as they were about to begin harvesting the 2022 vintage, and it was the earliest ever in the region. This was on August 10, and some producers in the area had begun on 29 July. There’s something special being in wine country at vintage time, and I spent a good deal of time wandering around their El Cuadrado pago looking at the beautifully clean, ripe Palomino grapes ready to be picked. El Cuadrado is the jewel in the crown of Hidalgo La Gitana. It’s the highest part of Balbaina Alta, one of the great vineyards of Jerez. And this is where we need to make an ..read more

It’s been exciting to see the rise of Fino and Manzanilla en rama, a story explained in more detail here. This is the new release from Hidalgo La Gitana, which I visited last year. Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla en Rama NV (2024 release)15% alcohol. This is lovely. From La Cuadrado vineyard in the Balbaina Alta Pago, it’s a full yellow/gold colour. Lovely nose with some oily apple, pear and peach notes, a touch of old furniture and a whiff of drying seaweed. The palate is dense, dry and tangy with a saline twist to the apple, lemon and pear fruit, with some almond and old cask notes on the finis ..read more

In recent years, Roebuck Estates has emerged as one of the best English sparkling wine producers. They have four vineyards across Sussex planted between 2006 and 2017. This, the latest release, impressed. Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2018 England12% alcohol. This is pure, delicate and refined. There’s a fine toasty note on the nose with some fresh bready character, as well as orange peel and lime. The palate is precise and incisive with a nice acid line, some pure lemony fruit, and just a hint of peach and apricot richness. Beautiful balance here. 92/100 Older notes: Roebuck Estates Ros ..read more

This is a remarkable expression of English Pinot Noir, from a special vineyard in the Crouch Valley (one which lots os top wineries buy from). This is a wine made from an exceptional vintage and dedicated to one of the founder owners of the vineyard, Roy Martin, who died suddenly last year. The wine is made by John Worontschak at Litmus, who reckons it’s the best fruit he’s seen in 40 years working with English wine. Matured in a mix of one, two and three year old oak. For more on the Crouch Valley, see this article Martin’s Lane Vineyard Founder’s Vintage Pinot Noir 2022 Crouch Valley, Essex ..read more

Website: https://www.giantstepswine.com.au/ It’s a new era for Yarra Valley winery Giant Steps. It was recently purchased by Jackson Family Wines, and in 2021 they appointed a new head of winemaking and viticulture, Melanie Chester. Melanie Chester The winery was started by Phil Sexton in the late 1990s. He is a serial entrepreneur, and started and sold two breweries (Matilda Bay and Little Creatures  and a winery (Devil’s Lair) in Western Australia, before moving to the Yarra Valley and planting a vineyard in 1997 (first vintage of Giant Steps was 2001). I visited in 2006, and was impres ..read more

Website: https://alegrevalganon.com/ Very impressed by these wines from Alegre Valagñón. Husband and wife team Oscar Alegre and Eva Valagñón started their winery in 2014. They were previously agricultural  engineers and met in Italy when they were studying winemaking. Oscar Alegre They are based west of Haro, close to the Obarenes Mountains, where vineyards produce grapes with freshness. They own some vineyards but also buy from. Their approach is based on the vineyard, they use some stems in fermentation and mature their wines in neutral oak. This project gets to the very heart of the Ri ..read more

Website: http://vinacerron.com/ Jumilla is a wine region in the southeast of Spain, in the province of Murcia. It’s hot here, and the main grape is Monastreall (aka Mourvèdre). Winegrowing arrived early here, with the Phoenicians, and was continued by the Romans. Altitude helps the vines here, with most vineyards at 350-800 m, with a continental climate. Soils are also important: the deep layers of limestone allow vines to be dry grown even when rainfall is just 300 mm a year. Bodega Cerrón are making waves here as one of the top wineries. They farm biodynamically (they are certified by Demete ..read more

The poet in question is Fausto José dos Santos Júnior (1903-1975), who was born in Aldeia de Cima in the Douro. It’s his grandchild Nuno Santos and his wife Gabriela who have begun this new project. The family has vineyards in the Douro: whites primarily come from a 2.5 ha plot at 620 m in Aldeia de Cima, and then there’s a larger (15 ha) vineyard at 350-450 m in Aldeia de Baixo. Gabriela previously worked at Niepoort, starting this project in 2021, making use of the vineyards she owns with her husband. Segredos do Poeta Branco 2021Viosinho, Arinto and Alvarinho from 620 m, schist and granite ..read more