Wine Reviews

Artadi Pagos Viejos 2010

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The 80’s, when Juan Carlos López de Lacalle managed the Laguardia cooperative and spent his time “swimming” through a sea of maceration carbonique, are long gone. This technique was prized and popular with the famous "cosecheros" of La Rioja at the time.  But López de Lacalle had greater ambitions and he slowly set about building the business he...
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Les Pezerolles Premier Cru 2009

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Created in 1988, under the lineage of the Gros family, this domaine is managed by Jean Gros' daughter, Anne-Françoise Gros, and is completely independent of the domaines owned by her two brothers, Michel and Bernard.  Most of the property is located in the village of Pommard, south of the Burgundy wine capital of Beaune, but there are also...
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Located in the village of Negrar, in the middle of the Valpolicella valley, amid vineyards interspersed with olive and cherry trees, is the Azienda Agricola Quintarelli.  This azienda is a veritable reflection of ancient tradition and extreme purity, allied with the more "contemporary" personal aspirations of its alma mater, Giuseppe Quintarelli,...
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Reserva Real 2003

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At Selectus Wines we have been fortunate enough to taste various of the Torres family estate wines. To be honest we have always liked them and when we include them in blind tastings, they are often among the highest scorers. This Reserva Real was not going to be any different and of course, here it is. This wine was created in the 90's as a modest...
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Vall Llach 2009

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This bodega was founded in the mid-90's in the magical town of Porrera, Priorat, by singer Lluís Llach and Enric Costa, who passed away recently. They released their first vintage in 2000 with a trio of wines, well recognized by wine enthusiasts familiar with this region's modern classics.  To these they recently added a fourth, "vila" (village...
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Único Vega Sicilia 2003

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If any bodega in Spain combines quality, history and uniqueness unlike any other, it is certainly Vega Sicilia. Little did Don Eloy Lecanda imagine, back in 1864, that nearly one hundred and fifty years later, the wines of the bodega he founded would be among the most prominent, iconic references on the international wine scene. Their wines are...
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Viña Albina Vendimia Tardía 2001

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One of the country's old traditional wineries located in Cenicero, Rioja Alta, which was officially founded in 1890 by the Artacho family and Don Rafael Carreras. This important piece of Spanish wine history houses over 4 million bottles, produced in its 300 hectares of vineyards. It is well worth a trip to the area to understand how the Spanish...
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Clos Dominic Blanc 2012

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This is a splendid example of a Priorat bodega, created in 1998, which quickly made ​​a name for itself in the market and which has enjoyed international critical acclaim since its first release with the 2002 harvest.  Run by the Castillo-Bairaguet husband and wife team, it is by definition a family winery which has only 10 hectares of vineyards...
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Pedra de Guix 2010

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This interesting business was set up in the middle of the last decade by South African, Eben Sadie and German, Dominik A. Huber, who are possibly the best representatives of what has been termed Priorat's "second revolution".  The bodega is located in the village of Torroja del Priorat and its style is distinctly Burgundy-inspired. They produce...
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Sorte O Soro 2011

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In the Ourense valley of Bibei, at some distance from planet Rioja, and far removed from the wine that made his brother the “re-discoverer of Priorat”, the youngest Palacios-Remondo embarked on his wine adventure just nine years ago with a noble purpose - to make the best white wine in Spain.  In a short space of  time, Rafael Palacios has shaken...
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