Spain
NV 1+1=3 Cava Brut
Bright yellow-gold. Fresh pit fruits, orange and a hint of smokiness on the nose and in the mouth. Chewy and focused, showing good depth and building spiciness on the nicely persistent finish, which leaves a hint of yellow plum behind.
2023 Alvaro Palacios - Camins del Priorat (750ml)
Racy red bramble berries with notes of hibiscus, pomegranates, cochineal and cherries. Some chewy tannins add more gravity to the otherwise medium-bodied palate. Juicy, firm and stony in the medium-long finish. Better in 2025
2024 Ameztoi - Rose Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (750ml)
The iconic Ameztoi Rubentis rosé is a field blend of the local, indigenous hondarrabi zuri and hondarrabi beltza varieties, grown on traditional trellises high on the slopes rising above Getaria, an ancient Basque fishing village on Spain’s rugged northern coast. In the 2000s, when almost all of the other local wineries gave up on the indigenous red hondarrabi beltza vines, the Ameztoi family retained their old vines, in turn, lending their rosé such exceptional vibrancy and complexity.
Rubentis, the region’s first pink wine, was inspired by the historic claret style wines which were once produced in the area long before the current global craze made rosé famous. The backbone of the blend comes from an old hondarrabi beltza vineyard planted in 1840, preserved by the Ameztoi family for generations. Ameztoi Rubentis is an authentic original, a wine that is often imitated but never replicated.
Vinification – After handpicking, hondarrabi zuri and hondarrabi beltza grapes are combined for destemming; the white and red grapes are worked together, not separately. After direct pressing, fermentation with indigenous yeast occurs in stainless steel at 15°C for 20 days. Towards the end of alcoholic fermentation, the tanks are closed to preserve the naturally occurring carbonation, which is the preferred style of Getaria. The tanks are then kept chilled to near freezing before bottling, which preserves the wine’s delicate, effervescent character and signature mousse. These attributes are unattainable through shortcuts such as force-carbonation, which Ameztoi has never employed.
-Importer notes
2024 Ameztoi - Txakoli (750ml)
Ameztoi’s Txakolina is the wine that has come to define the traditional style of txakolina from Getaria. Light, crisp, refreshing, and low alcohol, Ameztoi Txakolina is bottled with a touch of residual carbon dioxide gas to give it its natural, signature, spritzy style. It is produced exclusively from indigenous hondarrabi zuri grapes at the Ameztoi estate, grown on traditional trellises high on the slopes rising above Getaria, an ancient Basque fishing village on Spain’s rugged northern coast. A joyful wine with signature salty and briny notes, crisp acidity, low alcohol, and refreshing spritz naturally complements the region’s exquisite seafood.
Vinification – Ameztoi Txakolina is traditionally crafted with high acidity and low alcohol, utilizing only the native hondarrabi zuri variety. After hand harvesting, the must ferments in refrigerated stainless steel tanks using indigenous yeasts from the vineyard. Towards the end of alcoholic fermentation, the tanks are closed to preserve the natural carbonation from fermentation, which is the preferred style of Getaria. The tanks are then kept chilled to near freezing before bottling, which preserves the wine’s delicate, effervescent character and signature mousse. These attributes are unattainable through shortcuts such as force-carbonation, which Ameztoi has never employed.
-Importer notes
2018 Artadi - Vinas de Gain Viura
The white 2018 Viñas de Gaín Blanco comes from a number of vineyards in Laguardia and Elvillar at 450 to 700 meters in altitude on clay and limestone soils. In this rainy and cooler year, it fermented with some skins and then matured for two years and fou...
2023 Bodegas Avancia - Godello Cuvee de 'O' (750ml)
All Godello aged 10 months in a mix of neutral oak and tank, the 2020 Cuvée de O Godello is fabulous stuff, offering a clean, juicy, medium-bodied, impeccably balanced profile as well as notes of crushed citrus, guava, mint, and even a touch of minerality...
NV Bodegas Baron - Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Micaela Fino HALF BOTTLE (375ml)
NV Bodegas Baron - Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Micaela Amontillado HALF BOTTLE (375ml)
