John Radford writes about Valduero

   

It's entirely possible that you may be tired of me going on about how good Spanish wines are and the amazing value that they represent especially when compared to other European wines. Well, too bad! 

  

It would appear that John Radford, the English wine critic who specialises in Spain, agrees with me. He has just written up our Albillo 2010 (although he has put by mistake 2008 in his notes!) and Valduero 6 años 2004 on his blog and given both wines very good recommendations.

Bodegas Valduero, Gumiel del Mercado (Ribera del Duero)
Profile from THE NEW SPAIN (2004 edition)
www.bodegasvalduero.com,
EST. 1983 - in beguiling old Castilian cellars which were formerly part of a co-operative, this bodega has one of the region's most famous female consultant winemakers - Yolanda García - who has inspired a whole generation of young women to train in the profession. The bodega has 200 ha of vines and although it built a spanking new winery about 2 km out of town in the early 2000s, the oldest wines - and visitors - still go to the 16th-century labyrinth in Gumiel.

 

 

2008 (2010) García Viadero Albillo, IGP Castilla y León - 12% abv - £9-£10 Hurrah! Another formerly-despised grape variety back from the dead, proving the Radford apophthegm that there is no such thing as a crap grape, just crap winemaking. Under the skilled hand of Yolanda García the Albillo gives us a delicious, herby fruit, fresh acidity and a crisp, bone-dry finish. 17/20

 

 2004 Valduero 6 Años Reserva Premium - old-vines Tempranillo - 14% - 24 months in oak (from 4 different countries) plus 48 in bottle - £55-£60
'Meaty', blackberry fruit, rich, subtle oak on the nose, gorgeous rich fruit and toasty oak on the foretaste with some working tannins under the surface, lovely fruit on mid-palate, tannins on length, needs another few years. Best 2014 onwards. 19/20

 

We team-tasted this with an £85 bottle of Rioja, and the Valduero won, especially with slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with leek and rosemary in a red-wine marinade. It had a neck label announcing that Robert Parker had given it 94 points. I didn't need to know that (although I do understand that, for the uninitiated, it's a useful marketing tool) but here's another Radford apophthegm, (paraphrased from the late and mightily unlamented Herman Göering) - 'when I hear the name 'Robert Parker' I reach for my revolver.'

Yolanda García, winemaker extraordinaire
(all pics from the bodega's website)

You can read more of Johns writing at his blog http://johnradfordcom.blogspot.com/

What do you think? Have you tried these wines or other wines from Valduero? Please let us know what you think.

Summerhouse 2011 Harvest

Heather Davies is one half of a husband and wife team that own, nurture and produce the highly accoladed Summerhouse wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. Here she shares here insights into the 2011 vintage.



This is the season where all of the decisions made over the last 16 years have shone through and with continued commitment to every step of the annual cycle within the vineyard we have achieved exceptional results.


16 years ago, we choose the Summerhouse vineyard site because of its unique combination of soil, aspect and climate. We chose the grape varieties, clones and rootstock's to complement those natural features. We have engaged cultural practices in the vineyard that ensure healthy vines that in turn give us physiological ripeness of the fruit. By achieving this we have the best quality raw product (the grapes) to make wines with a distinct sense of place.


The 2011 season has been an exceptionally busy one. The La Nina weather patterns that have developed over the Pacific Ocean have given us a cool spring, hot summer with good rainfall, and a cool autumn. This has meant all of the growth phases that the vines go though during the season have occurred over a shorter period.


The cool spring resulted in the canopy being poorly developed by mid November at flowering time. The weather changed to give a dry, warm flowering that resulted in good fruit sets. Throughout summer the heat continued and so did the growth. This gave us ample leaves in the autumn to ripen the crop. It also gave us good berry growth.


Each year we carry out crop sampling in early January and from this we make decisions on whether or not we need to thin off some of the fruit. A combination of a warm dry flowering period, warm rain in December, and strong healthy vines meant our decision this year was to carry out a crop load thin in January, followed by a tail end thin in March.


The decisions paid off when we came into autumn and the cool weather returned. The healthy open canopy, the reduced crop and the warm summer days had put us on track for an early harvest. We harvested the various blocks about 5 days earlier than in an average season.


We picked fruit starting with the Gewurztraminer on the 21st March and finished with the Riesling on the 3rd April. The first ferments are dry (the sugar has turned to alcohol), the later ones are currently mid way through. There is still a lot to do in the winery – I am looking forward in particular to seeing the aromatic varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Riesling develop over the next few months.

Heather Davies
Summerhouse Wines



The Vineyards at Summerhouse



Heather & Meric Davies



New Arrival - Summerhouse

2010 Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc is arriving on New Years day and will be ready to deliver by Friday January 7th. This has been long awaited and will sell fast so contact us today for your advance order.

July 14th - Bastille Day

To all our french friends - Happy La Fete Nationale

To celebrate this great day what better than great French wine like:

2000 Dom Perignon, Brut Vintage Champagne Wine Advocate 94 $950

2005 Domaine Jacques Prieur Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs Pimont, Burgundy

Burghound 90 $570 

Green-gold with silvery tints colour and the nose is pure and fine with aromas of fresh almonds, warm brioche and dried fruits. Palate has flavours of hot toasted bread with lemony notes and the finish is fresh with lovely persistence of good minerals. 100% Chardonnay.

2005 Domaine Jacques Prieur Volnay 1^er Cru Santenots, Burgundy 

Burghound 92 $755

It’s an intense ruby-red wine with fine and delicate aromas of spice and flowers like violets. The palate is soft and tender with flavours of spices and fruits on the palate with soft and fine tannins. 100% Pinot Noir.

For more information or to purchase contact Dean

TOP 10 Summer White Wines

It's summer and by now you've been diving for the wine fridge only to discover you haven't restocked the white wine from last year. Fear not! The team has put their heads together to come up with our TOP 10 White wines for you. If you're still not sure what to get, then get a mixed case and try them all.

1. 2000 Domaine Jacques Prieur Montrachet Grand Cru, Burgundy, FR

Price: $5,260 LIMITED STOCK  Wine Advocate 94

This was a unanimous choice for our favourite Burgundy. Although it's now in it's 10th year it is still as fresh and vibrant as it was when bottled. In fact we recommend that you decant it for an hour or so before serving. Not really one for around the pool but if you are celebrating then it's a great choice.

2.  2007 Antonin Rodet Puligny Montrachet, Burgundy, FR

Price: $475

OK, so if Grand Cru is not for you then how about this winner. This wine is rich and buttery with a warm and generous finish. Aged in oak for 14 months you will find it good with hot appetizers, seafood and well chosen friends.

3. 2009 Summerhouse Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ

Price: $145 

This is no ordinary Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The quality of this wine comes from the care taken with the grapes and it's evident in every drop. Hand picked and bunch pressed it is a fine example of terroir and it is suitable for drinking by itself or with pasta and seafood. This is one to purchase by the case as you will find it disappears very quickly from the fridge.

4. 2007 Domaine Marcel Deiss Riesling, Alsace, FR

Price: $230 Wine Advocate 88

More citrus, less sweetness and good minerals in this Bio-Dynamic Wine. Refreshing enough to drink by itself but Riesling has always been a wonderful food wine. Relatively low in alcohol (12%) it can be enjoyed throughout the whole meal. 

5. 2008 ItaliaPinot Grigio, IGT, Veneto, IT

Price: $85

Many wines in this price range are very drinkable but not many truly reflect their style. This wine is an exception and from the moment you put it to your lips you know you are drinking an Italian Pinot Grigio from the sun drenched hills of Veneto. You really won't need an excuse to open a bottle but if you are having a celebration this summer this wine won't break the bank.

6. 2008 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe La Crau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Southern Rhone, FR

Price: $440   Wine Advocate 91

This is one of the finest white wines of the appellation. Rich, full, super fresh and long bodied. This wine is maturing now and is great drinking.

7. 2009 Valduero Garcia Viadero Blanco, Ribera del Duero, SP

Price: $105  Wine Advocate 87 

A unique wine made from 100% Albillo, the only one of it's kind. Exciting citrus notes give way to a palate that is crisp, dry and fresh but most importantly it is balanced, leaving a clean finish. It's low in Alcohol (12%) so you can enjoy more than one glass. If you find Sauvignon Blancs a bit over powering then you will love this one. 

8. 2007 Domaine Marcel Deiss Langenberg, Saint-Hippolyte, Alsace, FR

Price: $340  Wine Advocate 91
When you want to provide a white wine that is a great expression of terroir look no further. Hand picked and blended this is a wine that is full, luscious and modestly sweet. A great choice for something above the rest.

9. 2009 MOJO Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, AU

Price: $115

Light and refreshing there isn't a summers day that you couldn't enjoy this wine. Tropical fruits, good acidity and a long finish makes this a versatile wine that can be enjoyed with cheese platters or fruit but maybe best enjoyed with Oysters and Scallops. 

10. 2002 Domaine Marcel Deiss Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive, Alsace,  FR

Price: $560  750ml

No list of fine white wines would be complete without a Desert Wine to finish off. This one is not too sweet with great acidity and evidence of aging starting to appear. Any cheese platter or desert with fruit would be a great companion. On a hot day it will make a superb welcome drink for your guests.  

Of course we have many other fine white wine samples and these are just a few of them. If you can't see what you're looking for give us a call and ask. we are only to happy to help.

Contact Dean, Lee, Casey, Kiki, Pierre or Connie for details