Wine of the Month for March
It’s time again for our popular wine of the month feature. This month, Hedonisim’s Sherry Rose Stellar has chosen to feature wines from the natural wine sector. If you’re new to natural winemaking, Sherry’s selections are a great introduction to wines produced ethically and naturally, as well as a great tipple. We can all drink to that.
Over to you Sherry;
Thanks, Martin
Ahead of our April Hedonism Wine School event, “What are Natural Wines Anyway?” this month, we’ve selected a range of wines that fall into the category of “natural” winemaking. Natural wines can be a confusing and often misunderstood category of wines; despite misconceptions, not all natural wines are funky, cloudy or “natty.” Below, we’ve selected a range of natural wines across sparkling, white and red that we believe to be Hedonistic in their own right.
Girard Bonnet A Mi-Chemin
White Champagne France £65.00
Led by Paul Girard, Champagne Girard-Bonnet is a relatively new estate, located in the Grand Cru village of Les Mesnil sur-Oger. ‘Mi-Chemin’ is Paul’s first bottling, a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs sourced from two different parcels. Expect the plush, florality and ripe fruit of Oger with the saline and rigid structure of Les Mesnil.
Te Whare Ra Gewurztraminer 2020
White, Marlborough, New Zealand £27.70
Te Whare Ra is a boutique winery located in Renwick, Marlborough, and their 11ha vineyard is one of the oldest in the region, having been planted in 1979. Great care is taken throughout production, and all farming is done organically and biodynamically. An intensely perfumed, off-dry Gewürztraminer with notes of lychees, ripe oranges and cloves. These lead to luscious varietal flavours of lychee and quince, with underlying characters of ginger and exotic spice. The palate shows intense fruit concentration and weight with a fine, soft texture and excellent persistence of flavour.
Terroir al Limit Pedra de Guix 2019
White, Priorat, Spain £63.90
Established in 2001 by South African winemaker Eben Sadie and the skilled German Dominik Huber, Terroir al Limit offers two distinct white wines. Dominik categorizes Pedra de Guix as his “oxidative” white, contrasting it with Terra de Cuques, his “skin contact” white. Pedra de Guix, a blend of old-vine Pedro Ximenez, Macabeo, and Garnacha Blanca from diverse plots, exhibits a fresh, mineral, and expressive character, evoking the essence of a white Hermitage.
Les Cailloux du Paradis Racines Claude Coutois 2019
Red,Loire, France £57.00
Nestled in the heart of Soings-en-Sologne, 35 km from Blois, Claude Courtois and his sons meticulously craft their wines using ancestral methods, staunchly advocating for natural wine. The vineyards strictly adhere to the principles of no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, or synthetic substances. The resulting wines are pure and vibrant, a testament to exceptional biodynamic winemaking. ‘Racines’ is a field blend of as many as 30 grape varieties, many of which are unknown—the year 2019 marked the sixth consecutive vintage of notable quality in the Loire Valley, continuing a positive trend that started in 2014.
L’Archetipo Aglianico 2014
Red,Puglia,Italy £24.70
L`Archetipo Aglianico is a medium-bodied Puglian red wine produced by Valentino Dibenedetto. Rooted in the concept of synergistic agriculture, he and his family are at the forefront of Italy`s no-till regenerative viticulture movement. While Aglianico can often produce dense, tannic wines, this is a wine of striking elegance, with tannins refined by more than six years of bottle ageing. It is rustic yet precise.
Thanks as always to Sherry Rose Stolar and Hedonism Wines for their selections this month.
www.hedonism.co.uk
