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.

Bodegas Frontonio is an exciting project in Aragón that focuses on old vines, high altitude plots and regenerative viticulture. This red is a blend of Garnacha, Garnacha Peluda, Mazuela (Carignan) and a small percentage of Macabeo that is planted at 600 metres altitude and to 50 year old+ vines. The wine demonstrates incredible balance and freshness with bright red berry fruits and wild flower perfume. The tannins are fine grained and beautifully integrated into the wine's silky core.

At just over 1 hectares, this old vineyard high altitude plot is planted on slate soils and dry farmed. The whole bunch winemaking adopted gives the wine a floral lift with wild strawberries and red berries as well as cranberries and layers of complexity offered with garrigue herbal notes. The tannins are so fine with a hint of ripeness giving a nod to the wine's origins.

Planted at 700 metres in a parcel named Barrandijos in the village of Alpartir on primarily limestone and slate soils. Juicy red cherry fruits combine with wild strawberries, rosemary and thyme notes. Fine grained tannins are supported with a silky palate and bright core.

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.

Bottled in July 2020. Beautiful pale colour. Lovely nose, with impressive depth and purity. This has powdery tannins, slightly dark fruit, with excellent tannic structure and purity. Very finely judged, and lots of energy here. Really lovely, classically styled, and so delicious already. With a year or two in the bottle it will be even better.

There’s such a delicate, floral notes, while on the palate there’s notes of blood orange, and other fresh citrus. Hints of anis, orange pith, and salinity all give a phenolic bitterness to the wine, which has you reaching for another glass.

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.

Really nice fruit, almost citrus and red berries. Good concentration, nice hint of reduction, and there’s lots of tannic structure here. This is very finely judged and good length, Slightly herbal in character, quite mineral on the finish.

Selection of grapes, of barrels - quantity can change from year to year. Quite balsamic in character, really nice energy, this have coiled energy on the palate. Very nice texture, this is quite backward, but with time it will be outstanding. From a truly great vintage, don’t miss this.

Slightly closed today, but there’s impressive power and intensity here. So driven and intense, lots of tannic structure, very vertical in style, more mineral and powerful. This has incredible potential: there’s a coolness and definition here, with lovely length on the finish.

Bramble fruits, plum and black cherry fruits dominate the nose, with rosemary, thyme and leather, black olive and tobacco notes adding layers of complexity. The tannins are firm and pronounced, yet integrate brilliantly with the wine’s generous core. A rich wine that has plenty of energy.

Aged for longer than the Classico in larger barrels for 12 months, this wine is wrapped in savoury spice and leather notes. Bramble fruits take to the forefront, as well as cranberry and sour cherry combining with liquorice and tapenade notes. The tannins are powdery and present, but superbly integrated. This is Aglicanico at its best.