⌛AGED 2 PERFECTION ⌛

Hey, it’s Fionn coming to your inbox this Thursday :)

Been off for a couple of days, celebrating another year around the sun! Whilst it was nice having a few days off I’m pretty excited to be firmly back in the swing of things. Especially as it's clear the team has been rather busy in my absence… An insane amount of new gear awaited on my return.

On the topic of things getting older, I'll start off with this insane bundle of proper OLD + RARE bits we secured for you. Back vintages of Nebbiolo with the cellaring conveniently done for you, how kind! Ar Pe Pe are one of our favourite producers in the high hills of Valtellina. Heroic wines that are pretty and perfumed but with bite and body. They are textbook examples of Alpine Nebb. These Riserva’s are only made in the best years, always single vineyard, old vine bottlings that see many moons in large casks before eagerly waiting in the family’s cantina until deemed ready. This approach is both time-consuming, incredibly expensive, and a logistical nightmare. As such it’s not often we get to see wines made in this thoughtful and earnest way grace our shelves. So I'm overjoyed that we managed to secure very limited quantities of these wines which are singing with tertiary charm atm.

Sassella is the most highly regarded subzone in Valtellina with its excellent drainage and sunny southerly aspect. The Ultimi Raggi from 2004 uses later harvested grapes and is impossibly deep, full of warming ripe fruit and supple spices. A nod to what the great sforzato wines once were! The Rocce Rosso or ‘red rocks’ bottlings from 1996 is again of the highest order. 27 years young, brickish in hue and still firmly alive and kicking. Balsamic-like yet still floral and elegant. A truly profound wine with an uncanny sense of place. Trigger fingers at the ready.

The two Vigna Regina wines come from a particularly rocky site. These poor vines have to dive real deep into the soil for any chance of sustenance meaning these are the leanest, and meanest. The 1999 is herbal and undergrowth-y with a matured minerality. While the 2005 has an iron-like core and walks a tightrope between developed fruit and tobacco-like complexity. Tough to choose a favourite right, I say get both.

Over, in Grumello the wines from the Buon Consiglio site produce silky yet textural examples of Chivanesca. The 1999, from that show-stopping year, is full of dried cherries and rose petals. Teetering on perfection. The 2005 is giving it a serious run for its money though with sweet graceful fruit and tannins that are nicely softened. I can't stress enough how everything they touch is magic, also silly hard to get hold of. So please do the thing, check out the range, be frivolous.

ALSO, gotta mention the return of some much-loved favs - a healthy restock from Suertes del Marqués. The Trenzado is back so you can all stop asking now! Smokey, citrus-laden and saline it’s clear to see why you love it so much. Drinking like a weird wonderful mashup between Burgundy and the Canaries. Cult hero, if you don’t know, get to know. A little bit of Vidonia 'VP' too, Grand Cru-esque in terms of deliciousness. Century-old vines dial things up to the max all whilst still remaining perfectly poised. An abundance of the insanely priced 7 Fuentes too if you’re more into your reds. This scratches those volcanic itches at a fraction of the usual price.

Alright, I would love to waffle on but really gotta get back into some shelf shuffling! Keep your eyes peeled though as this is just the beginning of some of the killer bottles that are about to land.

Take it easy,

Fionn

XOXO