Fall is high season in the wine business. Producers present new vintages, explore new bottlings and give us something to get excited about.
From left: Theo Pashko (chef, Nowhere Bar), Alberto Moro (Emilio Moro), Barry Shaughnessy (owner, Nowhere Bar).
We met Alberto Medina Moro of Emilio Moro at a fun pintxos tasting at Nowhere Bar. The winery farms 170 ha in Ribera del Duero planted in Tinto Fino (Tempranillo).
A new project in Bierzo is producing a delicious white wine 2025 Polvorete Godello. “We are really excited about this as we have made only red and rosé for three generations. We went to Bierzo to find a place to make white wine, especially from Godello, wines that are naturally high acid with structure—austere in youth and more complex as they age. 2016 was the first vintage,” said Alberto. Some lees contact creates a lovely texture and nuttiness, along with bright fruit and salinity. Drink with little bites like a Gilda tapa or anything with anchovies.
2024 Finca Resalso could be your intro to Ribera wines—made from younger vines. Approachable, vibrant, with lots of juicy red fruit, and well-priced!
2023 Emilio Moro. The flagship, made from 30-40 year-old vines, has a distinctive black fruit profile, complex, elegant, super well-integrated. Drink now with roasted dishes, aged cheese or cellar for several years.
2023 Malleolus is delicious. Super youthful, so much sweet dark fruit, still evolving, well-balanced and impeccable with food. Drink with braised short ribs, cheese dishes now or cellar for at least 10 years.
From left: Prasad Gunaratne (GM, Atlas Steak and Fish) shares a glass with Laurent Drouhin (Maison Drouhin).
Laurent Drouhin of Maison Joseph Drouhin visited in late fall for tastings and dinners. Although Drouhin is best known for its Premier and Grand Cru offerings, the quality in the village level wines is unsurpassed.
The 2023 Mâcon-Villages has beautifully balanced acidity, crystal clear Chardonnay flavours, finishes crisply, so refreshing. Laurent puts a bottle in his golf bag to quench thirst on the 10th hole. We would be so lucky to have this in the fridge door all through the holidays.
2023 Beaujolais-Villages. Can’t decide what to have with the turkey, ham and various side dishes at Christmas? This bottle will not disappoint—fresh, charming red fruit, wonderful acidity, goes with everything, especially conviviality.
From left: Kiera Lotoski (GM, Bar Trove), William Doney (Bar Manager, Bar Trove), Ken Silverio (Remírez de Ganuza).
Remírez de Ganuza is making waves in Rioja.
Founded in 1989 by Jose Urtasun, it’s known for the uncompromising winegrowing and winemaking which combines the best of old and new. The 80 ha of vineyard are in 200 parcels in the Sierra Cantabria hills, What a treat to taste with winery ambassador Ken Silverio at Bar Trove.
The 2023 Blanco Reserva is primarily Viura, with some Garnacha Blanco and Malvasia this vintage. Firm textured, with waves of flavour—toasty almonds, some attractive salinity, pretty apricot notes and subtle oak—just delicious. Ageable too. Drink now with roast pork, mushroom dishes
2018 Remírez de Ganuza Reserva is a lovely example of the Remírez philosophy—exceptional fruit, gentle winemaking and élevage in French oak. The result? A super drinkable modern Rioja—juicy, electric, with spicy fruit character and beautiful tension.
Jason Greene (exec chef, Braven) and Martina Girardi (Fanti).
Martina Girardi from Tenuta Fanti (Montalcino, Italy) was in town recently to taste through the new vintages. Filippo Fanti began planting vineyards in the late 1970’s in south-east Montalcino (Castelnuovo dell’Abate). The estate is now headed up by his daughters, Elena and winemaker Elisa.
2024 Poggio Torto IGT Toscana is a terrific blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab Sauv and Syrah. Well priced, approachable and a delicious intro to this family estate. Drink slightly chilled with snacks, charcuterie, pizza, it’s a great all-rounder.
2021 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG In the other corner is the flagship, grown on schist and galestro across the slopes of Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Elegant, layered, concentrated, savoury fruit, with cherry, licorice and lovely dark notes of coffee and dried herbs. A stunning example, drink now to 2030 with your best beef.
From left: Ian Searle (Bonvida), Cynthia Vermette (Bonvida), Giorgio Fragiacomo (Querciabella).
Giorgio Fragiacomo of Querciabella Greve in Chianti had a lively tasting at Bar Bricco this fall. We tasted through current offerings while Giorgio described the heat waves of the summer, the geography and what makes these 74 ha of organic and sustainable vineyards a leading light in Tuscany.
2022 Chianti Classico DOCG On regular rotation is the 2022 Chianti Classico, a stellar representative of the region. It’s so drinkable—wild herbs, juicy cherry fruit, with those delicious Sangiovese tannins and sprightly acidity keeping everything in check. Drink with finocchiona sausage, on a charcuterie plate or in a pasta.
2021 Camartina Toscana IGT If you could describe a Sangiovese and Cab Sauv-based wine as Burgundian, this would be it—all the finesse, aromatics, elegance. Giorgio says it’s the long chain phenolics. Beautifully balanced, super concentrated with effortless tannins—a lovely wine. Drink slowly with the Tuscan favourite, hearty lentils.
The exceptional 2022 Batàr Toscana IGT is a legend in Italian winemaking. The Chardonnay Pinot Blanc blend is complex, heady, unforgettable. It deserves to be savoured with exceptional food (it’s on the list at Olia).
Dog Point Vineyard in the Wairau Valley, New Zealand
We are big fans of this organic vineyard in Marlborough, making exceptional Sauvignon Blanc as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These are wines to have in abundance during the holidays, to take to friends, to give as gifts, to drink while prepping dinner.
2025 Sauvignon Blanc. If you are wondering what made the rep of Marlborough for exceptional Sauvy, look no further. Tangy, beautiful complexity of flavour, a little savoury, on point acidity, just a terrific bottle of wine. Well-made wine with little intervention, this is the vineyard speaking.
Drink with seafood, light meals, salted almonds.
2023 Pinot Noir. Silky tannins, velvety texture, lots of elegant red and black fruit, especially berry. Drink with game birds, lighter meats, popcorn, just delicious.
David Piera at La Mesa for lunch.
David Piera, sales director for Spanish wine company CVNE, brought two wines from Viñedos del Contino, a 63 ha site beside the Ebro River on alluvial and limestone soils in Rioja Alavesa. The 2021 Contino San Gregorio Blanco is a blend of Garnacha Blanco and Viura— beautifully textured, with lovely notes of almond, creamy citrus and stone fruit with a lingering finish. This might be the wine for Christmas dinner—rich, with a toothsome mouth feel, able to stand up to all the holiday flavours. Or, enjoy the 2020 Contino Reserva Primarily Tempranillo, with some Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha. Silky, love the plummy black fruit notes and subtly sweet baking spice and coconut.
2017 Imperial Gran Reserva (Rioja Alta) is the most recent vintage of the classic Imperial, which had defined Riojan wines for decades. Made from the grapes of three specific three villages only, and only in the best years. A big wine—a monster really—richer, darker with great concentration and a velvety texture. Drink now or cellar for another 10 years.
All bottle shots supplied, all people photos Mary Bailey.
