Spring Clean Day Two

The red 2017 Escalada do Bibei is a little riper than the red from the Sil and, at 13.5% alcohol, it's also riper than the previous vintage and comes through as juicy and chewy, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins and a dry finish.

From 85 year old vines that come from a small 1 hectare vineyard at altitude on complex soils of quartzite, slate and clay. Primarily Garnacha, there is some Macabeo that has been field blended in the vineyard. Blood orange, raspberries combined with sweet and savoury spice. The tannins a chalky and extremely well knit.

Enrico fell in love with this wine during the harvest. It’s so fresh and pure, with exceptionally fine, silky, saline tannins, and remarkable length. There’s complexity too: citrus fruit and red berries, and then a hint of seaspray. Wonderful, and balanced on the finish.

This vineyard, that shares the estate’s name, has marne and clay at the top, and then a little sand lower down. So there are 2 soils in the same cru. It’s savoury and pure, and there’s a density and hints of smoke on the finish. This is such a charming Barbaresco: an unbelievable bargain.

The Nervo comes from Serravalian soils, and shows the high-toned fruit, citrus lift, and minerality that you'd expect from such origins. In 2018 it's a real stunner: not to be missed.

A lovely wine from the vineyard surrounding the estate, this is some of the best value that you'll find in Piedmont. Delicate but not overly, the finish here is stunning, with so much energy and poise. Delicious, and approachable younger than some.

4ha in the higher part of the cru. More floral, with a lovely fruit character. More sandy soil, south facing, and first to ripen. There’s almost an amphitheatre here that creates a microclimate. The fruit is slightly darker. It’s almost opulent on the nose, but there’s such energy and vibrancy on the palate. This feels like a step up, with lovely salinity and depth.

From Tortonian soils, as found in Barolo and La Morra, this is for those who like a slightly silkier, richer style of Nebbiolo. Notes of tar and tobacco on the finish, and there's exotic spice, too. Beautifully complex, and very long.

From Albesani, San Cristofono, Messoirano, Gallina. Very soft and silky, nice depth and purity here, and good perfume. It’s very nicely lifted and simple, but nice cool Neive style. Excellent length, from a great vintage.

From a historic vineyard for Dolcetto, but now lots of people have made it as a Barbaresco. Very pure and fine, juicy, lovely soft fruit: Italo’s father bought it in 1930, and he would go and pick grapes to eat. South, steep, windy, ideal for Dolcetto. Very pure this, lovely energy and good tannins. This is excellent.

Produced from a family estate in the heart of the Basque town of Getaria, Spain this wine is wonderfully zingy and fresh. The nose is full of lemon verbena, green apple and white pepper spice. There is a touch of spritz on the palate and the acidity is crisp and refreshing. The core has hints of white peach, white blossom and a salinity that offers a sense of place to this very easy to drink dry white wine.

This charming barrel-aged pinot from Stodden in the tiny Ahr district on the Rhine opens with cherry blossom, sandalwood and dried herbs. There is real fruit intensity of red and black cherry on the palate, hints of cocoa, with a silky texture and a focused, refreshing finish.

This is a brilliant introduction to the estate, from a selection of vineyards in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Dernau and Rech. Cherry fruit and some spice, and then a long and mineral finish. Just such a delicious Pinot Noir, with excellent potential.

Planted in the early 1980s, Alexander Stodden has cared for this vineyard since 2001. From Greywacke soils, with some clay, this is a spectacular wine from the first Ahr vintage since their devastating 2021 flood. It’s bright and cherry fruited with plenty of cedar spice, and herbal nuances. Stodden is one of the leading lights of German winemaking, and this is a great-valueGrand Cru wine that firmly cements the estate’s place as the country’s premier producer of red wine.

This wine is comparable in quality to the Grosse Gewächs level Spätburgunder from this estate. Expect the spiciness of Krauterberg, a breadth and creaminess of Sonnenberg and a minerality and complexity that you would associate with Herrenberg and Mönchberg. This wine has a delicious red berry perfume that is reminiscent of some of the best Pinot noir in Germany and beyond. Wild strawberries, jasmine tea and spice are the main charcteristics that shine in this wine. The tannins are tight knit and there is great tension on the core thanks to the crisp acidity and silky palate. The wine has an innate quality that you can enjoy now or will develop and age for many years to come.

From the oldest vines on the estate (alte reben means old vines), this is a wine that wows with its intensity, power and structure. Notes of thyme and a pure core of blue and red fruit are encased in wonderfully refined tannins. And it’s the length that really marks this wine out as special: it’s detailed, pure, and incredibly long. Spectacular.

From the vineyard above the winery, and a real insider’s pick. South facing slate soils craft a dark and brooding Pinot Noir, but one that retains brilliant dancing acidity. This is made from the same side as the GG Herrenberg, and shows much of the same character: it’s a baby grand cru.