Zestos - Garnacha Old Vines, Madrid, Spain 2020

Incredible Value Old Vine High Altitude Grenache 

When it comes to value wines with exceptional quality, Madrid Grenache tops the list. These are terroir driven wines made from vines with significant age, and grown in high altitude mineral rich soil. Winemaking is non-intervention, clean and simple. Expect lively red and dark berry aromas show good clarity and a touch of candied flowers. Supple and seamless in texture, offering juicy black raspberry and cherry flavors given spine by a gentle mineral nuance. Finishes fruity and broad, with a touch of white pepper adding lift and cut. This could easily sell for 2-3 times the price. 

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From the Ole & Obrigado Portfolio: "If you love wines of tension that exhibit purity and finesse, you will find Zestos old Vine Garnacha to be your new love. Zestos shows the complexity of a wine three times its price. In the words of Robert M. Parker Jr., Zestos is “a staggering value” and “an unbelievable wine for the price”. Zestos old vine is produced from Garnacha vines that were planted as far back as 1950 in the high elevation vineyards of San Martin Valdeiglesias, which is northwest of Madrid. Today San Martin produces some of the most floral and mineral-driven Garnachas in all of Spain. The older the vines, the better the wine. Old vines do not over produce. As a result, the vines yield fully ripened grapes. Perfectly ripened grapes make wine that improves with time.

Zestos means "basket" in Spanish. Not too many years ago, baskets like the ones depicted on the label were used to transport grapes from the vineyard to the wineries. Madrid has recently become the center of one of the most interesting and innovative wine regions on the Iberian Peninsula. The outskirts of this storied royal city are filled with old Garnacha vines situated in high elevation vineyards that have been planted in ideal soils. Madrid is a sort of “great unknown” that is now just freshly discovered. Many people are unaware that Madrid makes wine, and because Vinos de Madrid is somewhat under the radar, it is a great source of incredible value today."

Olga Raffault - Cabernet Franc "Les Picasses",

Chinon, Loire Valley, France 2016

Incredible value, Ageworthy Cabernet Franc from the Benchmark Red Wine Producer of the Loire!

Vinous Media - 93 Points - From a limestone-based plot on the Chinon plateau, the 2016 Chinon Les Picasses features intriguing warming spices, including garam masala, as well as piquant black cherry, all followed up with mouthwatering acidity. Like their other cuvées, it's not showy and extroverted but quiet, its joy being in its tender caress on the midpalate. It has grown up in large foudres (50hl) over a year but reveals little woody influence. The finish has fine sinew and refined chalky tannins that draw the palate out on the lengthy, tea-leaf-like and spiced finish.

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Quinta da Pellada - DAC Red Blend, Dão, Portugal 2018

 Extraordinary Value Portuguese Red, Marked by an Intuitive, ‘less is more’ Approach Winemaking and Sustainable Agriculture by One of the Worlds Greatest Winemakers!

Last week we had the pleasure of tasting with one of the best, if not the greatest Spanish and Portuguese wine importer in the world - Ole & Obrigado. Ole's selection is focused on family-owned, soulful wines of exceptional quality from across the Iberian Peninsula. We couldn't be more excited to share some of our favorites we tasted. To start, we're proud to offer this incredible Portuguese Red Blend by winemaker Alvero Castro. This is a wine of place and elegance, I could see this appealing to lovers of red Burgundy, Spanish Grenache, and Italian Nebbiolo. The wine is fresh and light on it's feet, as the varietal blend offers a depth of nuance. The wine shows great energy with notes of earthy red cherries, crushed provencal herbs, black pepper, and wild violets. This wine screams 'food', with its lively acidity, herbacousness, and spice. Overall a stunning example of terroir driven wines from the Dão.

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Cheers! -Alex

Alexander Knechel - Certified Sommelier

Wine Sales Manager - Plucky Wines

alexanderknechel@pluckywines.com