Domaine Fournier Longchamps
Feather-light but with amazing depth and richness of flavour, with grapefruit marmalade, rose petal, honey, quince and pear. Plenty of botrytis, amazing complexity teamed with aerial freshness and perfect balance. Incredibly drinkable, but so wonderfully rich. It's sweet, but that's the last thing on your mind.
Domaine Gourt de Mautens
A co-planted blend of Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picardan, Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Gris, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier grown in Rasteau terroir, bottled as IGP Vaucluse. Natural yeasts, fermented in old demi-muid and foudre, bottled unfiltered. Curious nose; fresh, citrusy, slightly waxy, floral notes. Touch of reduction. Full-bodied, acidity on the low side, but real depth and expansive fruit on the mid palate and finish, ending with slightly warming alcohol, but is nonetheless delicious. Distinctly textural, with a tiny patina of superfine tannin. A fine, complex, textural, fresh and beguiling wine.
Daterra Viticultores
80-120 year-old-vines, hand harvested, no fining or filtration, minimum sulphur use. Field blend of Mouraton, Mencía, Garnacha Tintorera, Marenzao, Gran Negro, Dona Blanca, Colgadeira and Godello. Winemaker Laura Lorenzo was the winemaker and viticulturist at Dominio do Bibei for close to a decade. Searching blueberry and blackberry, the aromas are precise and vital. There’s a touch of reduction, but it’s a feature, not a fault. It’s perfumed. There are green fruits as well as red and black, like gooseberry. The aromas are like descending steps into a still, dark pool. But on the tongue, there’s energy, sap and salinity, sublime freshness, wonderful drinkability and a defined mineral edge. A quietly brilliant, entirely unshowy wine, relaxed in its own skin and not trying to be anything it’s not.