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Bodegas Riojanas, Gran Albina 2004
£19.99
This 'Alte Expression' Rioja is made from hand-selected grapes and gets 24 months in new American oak caskes, creating an intense, concentrated and very modern style of red wine with chewy tannins and opulent fruits. Unlike traditional riojas, which are ready when released (although some can be kept), this needs a few years bottle age to reveal its true glory
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Bodegas Riojanas, Monte Real Gran Reserva 1998
£18.49
Unusually for Rioja, this is a single vineyard wine. The Rioja Alta fruit gives extra weight and body to this smoky, spicy wine, which is ready to drink but should keep in your cellar a while if you like
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Ataraxia Mountain Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Online Catalogue | Sipped and Savoured | Ataraxia Mountain Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
 | Tasted February 2008
Ataraxia, the label set up by long time Hamilton russell winemaker, Kevin Grant is a real press darling, with the wines receiving regular accolades from the likes of Robert Parker, Wine Spectator Jancis Robinson et al. The grapes are sourced from a variety of vineyards with extreme conditions throughout the Western Cape whilst Grant develops his own Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards on the slopes of the Babylon Tower Mountain. This is only the third vintage of Ataraxia Sauvignon
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Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Western Cape, South Africa
Soil Type: Varied
Winemaking: Carefully selected parcels of fruit are processed using reductive techniques including the use of dry ice and inert CO2 to protect and concentrate fruit flavour
ABV: 13% |
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Tasting Note
This is a truly complex wine which changes many times in the glass. The nose is dominated by elderflower and gooseberries in a gentle but assertive manner that immediately marks the wine out from its Kiwi rivals. The palate really does have everything: citrus, gooseberry, capsicum, white pepper, elderflower and cut grass with a classy, heady acidity which again is assertive but not searing and supports a seemingly never-ending finish. Top, top class wine, perfect for those who are 'bored' of Sauvignon and die-hard fan alike.
Cellaring
This will grow in complexity over the next few years, but it's drinking so well now that I'm not sure I could wait!
If you like this, why not try... Southern hemisphere rival Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc seems the obvious choice, made by winemakers formally of Cloudy Bay allows a great comparison of the two styles.
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Online Catalogue | Sipped and Savoured | Ataraxia Mountain Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 2007
