Portugal
- Maçanita Vinhos Maçanita Vinhos
The Maçanita Vinhos project was created by characterful siblings Joana and António Maçanita in the Douro back in 2011. Having worked together in over 14 wineries around the country, they wanted the new project to reflect their experiences and aspirations; lots of laughter, lots of arguments and an ethos of questioning the existing way of doing things. Over the intervening years, Maçanita Vinhos have managed to encompass the diversity of the terroir of the Douro Valley in its purest and most faithful form. The wines of Maçanita express each facet of this spectacular landscape; the “high-altitude Douro”, the “hot schist Douro”, the “cold granite Douro” all through indigenous grape varieties from old vines and a non-interventionist approach.
https://www.antoniomacanita.com/pt/vinhos/vinhos-macanita - Quinta do Noval Quinta do Noval
Lying in the heart of the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal, Quinta do Noval has been producing some of the world’s most highly sought after Vintage Ports since 1715. Winemaker Christian Seely has dreamt for years of making top quality unfortified red wines, which express the unique terroir of Noval’s steep sloping vineyards. He has finally achieved his dream, one of which is the excellent Cedro do Noval
https://www.quintadonoval.com/
Spain
- Ramon Canals Ramon Canals
Ramon Canals was founded by Miquel Canals Ollé whose family links to vine growing and production in Penedès dating back as far as 1903. In 1975, Miquel Canals Ollé and his son Ramon Canals Llaverol, an oenologist by profession, pooled their resources and decided to produce their first bottled wine and cava. The climate here is mild Mediterranean, with average annual rainfall of 465-515 litres per square metre. Soils are calcareous clay. Grapes are hand-harvested in September. Today their children, Ramon and Marta Canals are ready to drive the company forward while maintaining traditional winemaking practices. The experience of three generations dedicated exclusively to the quality and integrity of their wines is now producing cavas with distinct finesse and complexity. The cultural heritage is clearly evident in their own museum housing more than 4,500 exhibits related to vine cultivation and the production of wine and cava. Nowadays, this family-run company produces wine in four different wine regions: DO Penedès, DO Cava, DOQ Priorat and DO Montsant
https://www.ramoncanals.com/en/ - Fragas do Lecer Fragas do Lecer
Produced by talented local winemaker José Manuel Martínez (also oenologist of Quinta de Couselo), Fraga do Corvo (Woods of the Crows) exudes the true character of carefully tended, manually harvested Godello grapes grown on slopes of decomposed granite in Monterrei, North West Spain. Now at least 20 years old, these vines yield a fruit quality that reflects precisely this very particular ‘terroir’. Fraga do Corvo’s Godello is meticulously vinified under strict temperature control, before ageing on its lees for 7 months in order to gain added richness and mid-palate texture.
https://www.fragasdolecer.es/nuestros-vinos/ - Finca Viñoa Finca Viñoa
José Gonzalez and his brother Javier have worked hard to restore the extinct vineyards of the Avia Valley in Ribeiro. Respecting ageold traditional winemaking techniques and using indigenous grape varietals, Treixadura, Godello, Albariño and Loureira, the brothers together with winemaker José Manuel Martínez Juste have produced an exceptional white wine from a little over 12 hectares of steeply terraced vines, which truly expresses this magnificent terroir.
http://www.fincavinoa.com/ - Quinta de Couselo Quinta de Couselo
Built in 1163 by the monks of the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Oia, Quinta de Couselo is located in the O Rosal Valley, bordered to the south by the mouth of the Miño River and influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. José and Javier Gonzalez have done a great job of restoring these ancient vineyards, which cover just over 6 hectares. Respecting Quinta de Couselo’s age-old traditional winemaking, oenologist José Manuel Martínez Juste produces seriously elegant and precise wines, which reflect the estate’s unique terroir
https://www.quintacouselo.com/?lang=en - Bodegas Tomada de Castro Bodegas Tomada de Castro
Bodegas Tomada de Castro is a family-owned winery founded in 1988, in the heart of Rías Baixas in the Salnés Valley. This is not only the oldest sub-region; it is also the largest, coolest and wettest zone for Albariño, situated right on the Atlantic Coast. Led by winemaker Carlos Castro Serantes, the philosophy is to make a high quality Albariño which conveys the unique “terroir” of Salnés Valley. Soils are decomposed granite and sand with excellent drainage. All 14 hectares are trained in the characteristic ‘Parral’ training system (pergola).The harvest is completely manual using small crates with the utmost care so that the grapes arrive at the winery in the best possible condition. Rías Baixas ‘Ría de Arosa’ Albariño – 100% Albariño sourced from vineyards exclusively in the Salnés Valley with an average age of 25 years. Gentle pneumatic pressing is followed by a 24 hour settling of the must prior to a controlled temperature fermentation with natural yeast. Ageing for 8-9 months on fine lees in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling.
http://tomadadecastro.com/ - Bodegas Santa Marta Bodegas Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a family owned & run winery that has been crafting its own wine since 1998 with one main aim – ultimate quality and authenticity. Santa Marta’s vineyards are located at an altitude of 600m in an area where the climate is characterized by cold winters and warm summers. The significant elevation of the vineyards as well as the mineral rich soils (slate and granite) ensure that the resulting wines offer marked natural vitality and persistence of expressive flavour. The cool temperatures of this Atlantic influenced region provide a more gradual, extended ripening period. All Santa Marta’s wines qualify for the D.O of Valdeorras. Based upon a marriage of tradition and innovation, Santa Marta strive to fashion the most expressive examples of their local grape varieties – namely Godello for whites and Mencia for reds. The majority of vines are at least 50 years of age. In total Santa Marta control 30 hectares of vineyard, 12 hectares of their own and 18 hectares worked under contract with local, like-minded growers.
http://www.vinaredo.com/en/santa-marta-historia.php - Bodegas Cobertizo Bodegas Cobertizo
El Bierzo is a natural region located in the northwest of the Spanish province of León. A set of small valleys in this mountainous area offer a variety of orientations and gradients whilst a wide flat depression called ”El Bajo Bierzo” provides less challenging viticultural terrain. The region has a special microclimate, very suitable to the successful cultivation of Mencía. Toni Quiroga decided to start his adventure in wine some 20 years ago, when he started working in his father’s vineyards in Valtuille de Abajo. Almost 22 hectares are the base of this family bodega, where Toni crafts a range of expressive wines that demonstrate clearly his love for his lands and his family roots. All wines from Bodegas Cobertizo are certified organic, with extremely low use of sulphites, far lower than European ecological standard limits. Viticulture is sustainable, and Toni’s practice of leaving vegetation cover between rows helps to bring balance to the soil. His red wines are produced with old vine Mencia (60 years of age) and his white wines with old vine Godello (50 years of age). Old, steep vineyards such as these cannot be tended by machines, so all viticultural work is carried out by hand.
http://www.bodegacobertizo.com/ - Gonzalo Celayeta Wines Gonzalo Celayeta Wines
In 2006 Gonzalo Celayeta started work as a winemaker at Bodegas San Martín, within the subarea of Baja Montaña in the DO Navarra. He trained at EVENA (Navarra’s Viticulture and Oenology Centre), and launched his own project in 2004. Focusing on Garnacha, his production is very low producing between 10,000 to 13,000 bottles, which include his white, rosé and red wines. Unusually, the ‘El Caserio’ is barrel fermented in Spanish chestnut wood.
http://www.gonzalocelayetawines.com/ - Bodegas Ostatu (Organic) Bodegas Ostatu (Organic)
Bodegas Ostatu enjoys a prime position in Samaniego, in the heart of the famous Alavesa Basque region. María Asun Sáenz de Samaniego and her family run the 34 hectares estate. Winemaker Iñigo Sáenz de Samaniego (her brother) uses a mix of modern methods and French oak barrels to exploit the full potential of their superb vineyards, many planted with vines over 50 years of age. The result is a collection of precise wines with a great sense of terroir and well-preserved fruit.
https://www.ostatu.com/en/index/ - Gregorio Martínez Gregorio Martínez
The current winery was constructed in time for the 2001 vintage, with grapes sourced from a 120 hectare estate, 40 hectares of which are under vine. Located in the Iregua Valley, between the villages of Nalda, Sorzano & Entrena. The founder of the project was Gregorio Martínez, who started to purchase land around Sorzano, his wife’s hometown, in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s. Currently managed by his descendants, the project changed dramatically following the appointment of head winemaker Ricardo Cantera back in 2009. A recently introduced range, Finca Gregorio Martínez, includes a clean, vibrant white Viura; a vibrant, pale-coloured rosé made from Tempranillo and a Mazuelo aged in oak for 8 months plus two single-varietal reds crafted from Tempranillo and Mazuelo respectively. Rather unusually the malolactic fermentation takes place in the same tank with skins, resulting in wines that exude a natural freshness
http://www.gregoriomartinez.com/en/quienes-somos/ - Bodegas Félix Lorenzo Cachazo Bodegas Félix Lorenzo Cachazo
One of the eight producers who originally created the DO Rueda back in 1980, the bodega dates as far back as 1946, though the family has been growing vines in the area for five generations. The work of Félix Lorenzo Cachazo continues today with his children Eduardo (sales manager) and Ángela (winemaker). Located in Pozaldez (Valladolid), they own 35 hectares of vineyards, including 9 hectares of pre-phylloxera vines destined for their barrel-fermented Verdejo. The characteristic soils in the DO Rueda are stony with limestone, allowing good drainage. The significant difference in temperature between day and night (sometimes up to 20°C) means that Rueda benefits from a slower ripening process and a more aromatic expression of the Verdejo grape. The large oak vats that were historically used to store the wine in underground cellars have almost disappeared in order to make way for modern equipment. As an original producer in the Rueda región, Félix continues to pave t
https://www.cachazo.com/ - Herrero Bodega Herrero Bodega
Viñedos de Nieva was founded in 1989 by José María Herrero and his wife Janine Vedel, who acquired 60 hectares of vineyards which were in disarray, having been completely neglected for many years. It took a great deal of effort to restore these vineyards, especially to salvage many older vines of between 100-150 years old. In 2009 the Martue family purchased the bodega, however, in 2010, José Maria’s three sons – José María, Juan Miguel and Javier Herrero Vedel – exercised their option to be bought out and left the winery in the hands of the investor to do what he would with it. With only one vintage lost in the process and the money needed to continue the dream, the Herreros went down the road, literally, and began construction of the Herrero Bodega in 2011. Since the vineyards were never part of the investment deal the vines stayed in the family. Nieva is famous for its deep, sandy soils with wines produced from the local white grape variety Verdejo, with a thriving winemaking tradition that dates back hundreds of years to the Jeronimo monks. Nieva has a very favourable natural environment for the production of high quality white wines, often considered the ‘Grand Cru’ of the terroirs of Rueda. With a high altitude of over 850m, Nieva’s climate is continental with very cold winters and hot, dry summers, ideal for perfect ripening and lower risk of disease. Most bodegas in Rueda are found in the northern part, where the soil is mostly clay, but here in the southern portion the soil is almost entirely sand with lots of river stones and clay subsoil, providing excellent quality. These sandy soils have literally saved this area from the ravages of phylloxera allowing for old ungrafted Verdejo vines to florish.
http://herrerobodega.com/ - Bodegas Carmelo Rodero Bodegas Carmelo Rodero
Carmelo Rodero belongs to an ancient line of wine producers in the Ribera town of Pedrosa de Duero. From the time he was an adolescent, he began to invest his first earnings in new vine plantings, building up a considerable holding, even selling grapes from his then 50 hectares of vineyards to the legendary Vega Sicilia winery for 14 years. It was in 1990 that he embarked on his own project with his wife Elena. Today, a new generation has followed with daugthers Beatriz and María who have joined the winery. Specific weather conditions characterize this part of the Ribera where Atlantic and continental influences come together with warm, dry summers and long, harsh winters leading to dramatic temperature fluctuations. Carmelo knows intimately every inch of his 140 hectares of vineyards here, his holdings divided into different terroirs in order to exploit the distinct types of loam perfectly. On average, the vines are now more than 30 years old, combining younger vinestocks with those that are more than 100 years of age. Their vineyards lie at elevations ranging from 750m in the valleys to 900m in the hills. The soils are mostly clay and chalk combined with pebbles, silts and sands. In the winery Carmelo and his two daughters take the greatest care of the grapes simply using gravity. Techniques include 100% destemmed grapes, thorough control of the maceration and fermentation temperature, malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tank, ageing mostly in French oak (only a very small percentage of American oak is employed at the bodega) followed by a minimum bottle ageing of 3 months before release.
http://herrerobodega.com/el-vino-y-la-uva/ - Bodegas Antídoto Bertrand Sourdais Bodegas Antídoto Bertrand Sourdais
After being Dominio de Atauta’s winemaker for several years and establishing the bodegas to the highest level, Bertrand Sourdais has returned to his native Loire region to take over the family property. However, his love and passion for the Ribera del Duero is still intact and he’s created Antídoto, a new, toned down version of Dominio de Atauta, sourced from 7 hectares of ancient vineyards, which are at least 60 years old (many date back to pre-phylloxera!).
https://www.bertrandsourdais.com/en/bodegas-antidoto/ - Castell d'Encús Castell d'Encús
Castell d’Encús is a very exciting project from Raül Bobet, following his time with Torres. In 2001, whilst searching for land in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenées, Raül discovered a stunning estate at almost 1,000m above sea level dating back to the 12th century. Farming organically, he chose to plant 23 hectares of high density Riesling, Pinot Noir, Albariño, Sauvignon, Sémillon, Syrah and most of the classic Bordeaux grapes varieties. Inspired by his discovery of 9 medieval rock fermenters in the vineyards, Raül restored them back into working order and now ferments several wines in them, embedded in the rocky hillsides. The results are amazing: high natural acidity, superb length and mouth feel, with both reds and whites receiving a great deal of critical praise
https://www.castelldencus.com/ - Ferrer Bobet Ferrer Bobet
Planted with some of the oldest Cariñena vines in Priorat on exclusively black schist soils, known locally as “llicorella”, Ferrer Bobet’s 15 hectares of dramatically steep and terraced vineyards are organically managed as well as being located in some of the highest and coolest hills of the region. Winemaker Raül Bobet is driven by a passion to make distinctive wines, which are unique expressions of Priorat’s terroir, characterised by their ultra silky tannins and refreshing acidity. His hard work and dedication has resulted in Ferrer Bobet being regarded as one of the most successful new wineries in Spain.
http://www.ferrerbobet.com/ - Bodegas Monfil Bodegas Monfil
Bodegas Monfil is situated in the northeast of Spain on the Ebro River, where the grape varieties Garnacha and Tempranillo are the speciality. Their vineyards cover approximately 22 hectares, over a myriad of different microclimates, due to soil variation, altitude variation and orientation differences. Still owned and run by the Matéo family, the business was originally established in 1943 but they did not bottle their own wine until the early 2000’s. Now run by siblings Maria, Victor and Ana, the bodega produces excellent wines that offer great value, especially due to the wonderful old vine Garnacha fruit exuberance!
http://www.bodegasmonfil.es/ - Bruno Murciano Bruno Murciano
Bruno Murciano, one of the UK’s most well regarded Spanish Sommeliers, with more than 16 years of international experience, is pursuing a lifelong dream to produce a range of wines made from Bobal in his native homeland of Utiel-Requena. Working alongside his brother Jose Luís who looks after the viticulture and winemaking with the initial help of David Sampedro, one of Rioja Alavesa’s 5th generation of vine growers from an extremely talented winemaking family, they have combined their joint experience and passion to produce an amazing range of Artisan Family wines from high altitude 7 hectares of organically grown vineyards above 900m. Bruno and Jose Luís use artisanal methods and biodynamic techniques, with very little intervention in the cellar, whilst following the lunar biodynamic calendar to achieve the very best results.
- Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega
In 1982, Felipe and Pilar moved into an old Almazara (olive mill) in the secluded village of Parcent, finding more space to work, along with greater accessibility to the diverse range of vineyard sites throughout their region. Currently the family farms 10 hectares of organically certified head-pruned vines around La Marina Alta, as well as inland in the Sierra de Salinas mountains. The earthy soils, high elevations, and proximity to the ocean allow the grapes to fully ripen while maintaining very good acidity. The grape varieties are as varied as the climate; Moscatel originates from the lower lying areas close to the ocean whilst Monastrell makes its home in the ungrafted sandy soils of the Sierra de Salinas mountains. Violeta, Felipe and Pilar’s talented winemaker daughter, is gradually taking over the reins from her parents. Their approach has always been artisan; natural yeasts are employed for fermentation and no other products are used in the winery except for judicious amounts of sulphur. Soleras are maintained for their highly acclaimed noble sweet wines and based on the direction of Felipe, there will be a bottling periodically with an age designation.
http://bodegasgutierrezdelavega.es/es/ - Bodegas Olivares Bodegas Olivares
Paco Selva and his family have worked tirelessly to improve the quality of their wines at Bodegas Olivares. Blessed with a high proportion of some of the world’s largest collection of ungrafted old Monastrell vines planted on sandy soils, their vineyards also benefit from the coolness brought by the higher altitude. A judicious use of French oak barrels brings just the right amount of tightness and gives another dimension to their rich and spicy wines. Not to be missed is the sweet version, which bursts with the flavours of dates, figs and liquorice
https://bodegasolivares.com/en/ - Bodegas La Cigarrera Bodegas La Cigarrera
Bodegas La Cigarrera is a small, family-owned bodega in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, founded in 1758. The current bodega was purchased in 1891 by the great grandfather of the Hidalgo Garcia de Velasco brothers who run the firm today. The name of the bodega owes its origins to the women who used to sell cigarettes on the streets, on behalf of the big cigarette factories in Cadiz and Sevilla. Due to historical regulations of the Consejo Regulador, the company originally operated as an “almacenista”, a stock-keeper who sells their wines to bigger shipping bodegas (e.g. Lustau). In 1998, after the regulations had changed, they started to bottle their own wines for the first time. The company still uses the original bodegas in the Plaza Madre de Dios in the Barrio Bajo (lower part) of Sanlúcar, which hold a total of around 500 casks (including some of the oldest in town). The “cathedral” cellars of La Cigarrera consist of three naves (Bodega de Colóm, Bodega de Cabral and Bodega de Samilla) that surround a beautiful central Andalusian patio. Grapes are sourced in part from family owned vineyards and the remainder purchased from trusted and locally managed vineyard farmers with a view to sourcing 100% of grapes from family owned vineyards in the near future.
http://www.bodegaslacigarrera.com/es/bodega.php - González-Byass González-Byass
González-Byass is one of the most iconic estates in Jerez, producing some of the region’s finest wines for over 175 years. We are thrilled to offer a handpicked selection of their rarest and oldest Sherries. Named after the palma chalk used by winemaker Antonio Flores and the cellar masters to mark a wine’s maturity, the ‘Palmas’ range is fuller bodied and intensely aromatic. Matured in oak casks for a minimum of 30 years, their Rare Old Solera Sherries are a true expression of some of the world’s finest and rarest wines.
https://www.gonzalezbyass.com/int-en - Pérez Barquero Pérez Barquero
Pérez Barquero was established back in 1905 within the historic town of Montilla, south of Córdoba and in 1985 the winery was purchased by Rafael Córdoba. Montilla-Moriles is a Spanish DO located in the south of the province of Córdoba and is bounded by 3 rivers Genil to the east, Guadajoz to the west, and Guadalquivir to the north, and the Subbetic Range of mountains to the south. Pérez Barquero own almost 100 hectares of vineyards, all of which are located on chalky soils in the highest quality zones of the Sierra de Montilla and Moriles Alto. The majority of plantings are Pedro Ximénez (PX), indigenous to the Rin valley. The pressing house is located near the vineyards; as the ambient temperature can reach almost 38°C during harvest, hence maintaining freshness in the grapes is key. It is traditional in Montilla-Moriles to use 6000L amphoras called tinajas, of which Pérez Barquero uses cement tinajas. Fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks, but there is still about 5% residual sugar when the wine is moved to the tinajas. It is here that the wine finishes its alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, and where a layer of flor first develops. Pérez Barquero’s 350 tinajas are stored in a large two storey room with high ceilings and open windows to control the temperatures. The wine ferments on indigenous yeasts; very important in order to fully ferment these high sugar/ high alcohol wines. These natural yeasts develop into the flor which gives these wines their particular character, where after they continue to ferment naturally to 15-16% ABV. The wine then rests in tinajas for one year, from September through to September. After one year the wines are moved to 500L double tapered American oak barrels known as sherry butts. Fino is raised in the solera system in a cooler temperature-controlled cellar than other wines. Oloroso and PX are also raised in a solera system but aged in warmer cellars with a great deal of air contact
https://perezbarquero.com/en/a-name-pedro-ximenez/