Alta Pavina / Citius Pinot Noir / Castilla y León / Spain
11 May 2021
At first, I was a bit sceptical of this Pinot Noir grown in sunny Spain. However, the 1,000 meters at which these 30y old vines grow allows for slow ripening and the development of a diversity of aromas
Raspberry, red cherry, mineral, leaf, baking spices, strawberry compote, charred wood, smoke
This wine is ready to be enjoyed but has also the potential to age
Great value for money too at around £20
4.25/5
The name is an homage to Miquel Pons the winery founder that did more than 77 harvests. This wine is made from 100% Xarel-lo from hand harvested old vines. It spends 4 months in 300L used French oak barrels with bâttonage. It has an amazing balance and clear displays the Xarel-lo aromatics with a light aromatization from the oak. Lemon, pear, mineral, vanilla 4.75 / 5
This amazing Aligoté comes from a plot in the Côte d'Or close to Aloxe-Corton. It's hand harvested and hand sorted and goes through whole bunch pressing with no additives. After, it is fermented with indigenous yeast in barrels and matured in 600 litres old wood barrels for 12 months and 4-6 in stainless steel. Mineral, grapefruit, yellow plum 4.75/5

Most of the vineyards on this Beaujolais Cru are planted on steep slopes and the Gamay grapes for this wine are no exception; they come from 90y old goblet vines planted at 320 meters. The wine is fermented with 80% de-stemmed grapes and spends 12 months in old oak barrels. Red cherry, raspberry, plum 4.5/5
These two wines were both so outstanding that I couldn’t select one over the other, although from different geographies, and like the mythological brothers who founded Rome, they have something in common as well as clear differences Remus is made from Shiraz from Eden Valley vineyards older than 50y. Hard harvested, fermented with up to 25% whole-bunch berries. Matured 50% in new French oak for 18 months. With black cherry, spices, red cherry Romulus is also made from old vine Shiraz but from the Barossa Valley. Also hand harvested, but fully destemmed and crushed for fermentation. Matured 50% in new French oak for 18 months. Vanilla, blackberry, black cherry, black plum 5/5