2018

Red fruit, herbal notes, citrus and wet stone form the aromatic profile. The palate is concentrated but easy to drink, with marked acidity, polished tannins and chalky texture. Garnacha comes from five vineyards between sixty and seventy years old at 750 metres on sandy granite. The parcels ferment separately in French-oak vats with indigenous yeasts before maturation in foudres.

Concentrated dark-violet colour accompanies intense red fruit, subtle menthol and round tannins. The finish is intense and persistent, and the wine is aged in oak. This dry, full-bodied red blends Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Trincadeira, Baga, Castelão, Tinta Carvalha and Tinta Miúda. The fruit is selected from the strongest vineyard blocks, and the wine is drawn from selected barrels.

Raspberry, blackcurrant leaf, savoury black fruit, rosemary and dried herbs appear with bright acidity. The finish is soft and somewhat dry, with pepper and balsamic notes. The blend is 36% Syrah, 24% Grenache, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Mourvèdre. Maturation lasts twenty-two months in French oak barrels; 38% are new, and 15% of the wine matures in foudres.

Syrah comes from shallow granitic sands on a south-southeast-facing vineyard at 450 metres. The altitude brings freshness to the wine. Vinification takes place entirely in wood, followed by two years in oak barrels. The family has worked as winegrowers for six generations, and its thirty hectares lie in the northern Rhône, centred around Crozes-Hermitage. The wine carries fifteen percent alcohol.

Cassis and blackberry flavours retain freshness despite the wine’s concentration and richness. The Syrah is full bodied, with savoury smoke, nut and iron. Integrated oak and fine, delicate tannins are also present. Fruit comes from a single parcel on granite in Cornas. The grapes are hand picked and destemmed. Temperature-controlled maceration lasts one month. Ageing lasts twenty-two months in oak, fifteen percent new.

Counoise accounts for thirty percent of the blend, Grenache twenty-five, Syrah and Mourvèdre fifteen each, and Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne five each. Floral, blackberry and spice notes appear with cassis and garrigue. The palate is tannic and fresh. Whole clusters are co-fermented in a wooden conical tank for more than a month. Vatting lasts eighty days. Maturation lasts eighteen months in barrel. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

This Pinot Noir comes from fifteen-year-old vines in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. The vineyard occupies a south-facing slope of Mount Prevost, where four Pinot Noir clones are planted. The property is located just outside Duncan, and the site is cropped at low yields. The bottling was offered to CRU Society members. Cowichan Valley holds recognition as a British Columbia sub-geographical indication.

Dark ruby colour accompanies boysenberry, dark cherry, mulberry, baking spice, dill, cola, nutmeg and vanilla. Cranberry, ripe plum, cherry and strawberry appear with cocoa powder and sweet fig. The profile has a generous silky mouthfeel and a graceful finish. This Pinot Noir comes from Dairyman Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, and the Magnum format contains 1.5 litres.