We've hand-picked the following case of our most delicate, floral and fruity, easy-drinking wines, especially with the Month of May in mind. It also represents a case for those that wish to trial and taste some really interesting, authentic, mix of Biodynamic and Natural wines.
(12 bottles, 2 bottles of each)
2 x Rosé - Guy Allion 'Chant de Lune' Dry Rosé, Touraine, Loire Valley
A lovely pale-pink coloured wine made from low-yielding Gamay. The nose is enticing with fresh, lively notes of citrus fruit, red berries and floral hints. It is vividly fresh on the palate, medium-bodied with raspberry flavours mingling with grapey and citrus notes.
2 x Reds -Monte dall Ora, 'Saseti' Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy
11.5% alcohol, so much flavour packed into every bottle, always bright, juicy, crunchy, fresh, clean and so-very drinkable. One of our favourites. Real Valpolicella, this needs to be tasted to be believed. Ruby red colour with purplish reflections, and scents of red fruits such as cherries and juicy red plums with a hint of bitterness.
2 x Didier Desvignes, Fleurie, Beaujolais, France
Desvignes’ Fleurie vineyards are planted on pink granite soils, the wine undergoes eight to ten days carbonic maceration and the wine remains in tank before assemblage. It develops a nose of blueberry, crushed red berries and flowers. Velvety, smooth ripe berries caress the palate and linger on with minerals and juicy notes. A stellar example of wines from this village.
2 x Red - Peza do Rei, Mencia, Ribera Sacra, Spain
Fermented and aged in stainless steel and sees no oak at all. It is a light bodied, sappy, mineral red with crunchy red fruits (redcurrant/cranberry) and refreshing acidity. Try with local chorizo stew, cured meats, even the local pulpo a la gallega (octopus with paprika and olive oil) is a great match.
“Regular readers will know that I love red wines from this part of northwestern Spain, and this was one of my favourite wines of the tasting; fresh juicy raspberry and cherry fruits, with a lovely minerality. I could drink this all-night long.” John Wilson IRISH TIMES BOTTLES OF THE WEEK
2 x White - Clos Tue-boeuf, Pineau de Loire, France
Lovely citrus and wild flowers on the nose, the palate is soft and gentle, with pear, apple and lime character. Pineau de la Loire is the original name of Chenin blanc, in this case, the blend is 90% Chenin and 10% Menu Pineau grown on a mix of Clay, Flint, sand and gravel. The vines were planted between 1993 and 2013. The grapes are crushed gently, the juice ferments and ages 7 months in old barrels. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered with a tiny amount of SO2.
2 x White - Colle Stefano, Verdicchio di Matelica, Marche, Italy
Lip-smackingly refreshing, one of the very best releases in years from this multi-award winning estate.We love this white for its racy, stony and vitalizing mouthfeel. Use it where you might use a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a French Muscadet or a German Riesling: great as aperitif wine, but simply heavenly with shellfish and all kind of seafood.