{"title":"Eamon's Easter Picks","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith a proper Easter feast in mind, I’ve put together a case of six wines that will absolutely hit the spot this long weekend. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"chateau-leydet-valentin-saint-emilion-grand-cru-2022","title":"Château Leydet-Valentin Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eThis is a modern, fruit-forward, and incredibly delicious style of Saint-\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eÉmilion\u003c\/span\u003e Grand Cru.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyard is located north of the village of Saint-\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eÉmilion\u003c\/span\u003e, near Pomerol. It’s right beside Château Figeac, one of Bordeaux’s most iconic (and expensive) wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrédéric uses a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc (19%) than most Saint-\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eÉmilion\u003c\/span\u003e wines. This results in a fresher, brighter style of Bordeaux. Medium and light-toasted barrels further enhance this style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy friend in France, who runs a wine club in Toulouse, has been a big fan of Frédéric and his wine for years. So when I met her at Wine Paris and told her I was looking for a good Bordeaux for my customers, she reached straight for this bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it’s everything you look for in a good Saint-\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eÉmilion\u003c\/span\u003e. The nose is intense and dark, with lovely refined oak. On the palate, it’s broad, smooth and elegant, with good structure and length.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s just begging for something roasted and beefy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52517424333131,"sku":"LEYSTE22","price":29.25,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/ChateauLeydet-ValentinSaint-EmilionGrandCru2020.jpg?v=1715952374"},{"product_id":"domaine-des-berthiers-pouilly-fume-2024","title":"Domaine des Berthiers Pouilly Fumé 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ePouilly Fumé lives in the shadow of its more famous neighbour, Sancerre. It’s a bit more intense and full-on than Sancerre, if that’s your thing (it is mine).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd winemaker Damien tells me Domaine des Berthiers is one of the most underrated estates in all of Pouilly Fumé.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s got amazing soils - 100% on silex (flint), the most coveted soil in the region. This brings out a piercing, mineral and almost smoky expression of Sauvignon Blanc - you don’t get this anywhere else in the world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of this wine is sold to high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants. The owners usually avoid retail, but Damien thought WineSpark customers would be the perfect drinkers for this wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’ll have to try it and find out for yourself!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52816511697227,"sku":"DDBPF24","price":23.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0013_2.jpg?v=1730726739"},{"product_id":"cordero-hica-barbera-dalba-2022","title":"Cordero Hica Barbera d'Alba 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Barbera was one of the first wines I decided to bring in for WineSpark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a deep, rich red with serious personality. ‘A bit impolite like me’ says winemaker Serena.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’d never tasted it before - its tiny production would have been way too small to come across my radar before. And that’s the best thing about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from an area called Bricco Gatti, well-known to experts as one of Alba’s best vineyards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyard is a prime south-west facing site - the extended afternoon sun gives the Barbera grapes serious power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s lovingly tended to, vine by vine, by Serena’s brother Gabriele. He’s at peak happiness surrounded by the bees, bugs and butterflies that thrive in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis attention to detail doesn’t happen anywhere else in the region. And the meticulous work speaks for itself in the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s unmistakably Italian on the nose, with aromas of dark fruit, dried herbs and tea leaves. Then it’s rich, creamy and powerful on the palate - if you love your Italian reds, this is absolutely guaranteed to be right up your street.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53061734891851,"sku":"COHBA22","price":27.23,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Hica_Barbera.jpg?v=1722606426"},{"product_id":"la-mateo-rioja-tempranillo-blanco-2023","title":"La Mateo Rioja Tempranillo Blanco 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou’ve no doubt heard of Red Tempranillo, but how about White Tempranillo? I couldn’t believe my tastebuds when I first experienced this wine. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMost white Rioja is made from the Viura grape - and tends to taste quite oaky and flat. Mateo wanted something fresher and punchier, so he planted an experimental vineyard of white Tempranillo 15 years ago - making it the oldest white Tempranillo vineyard in Rioja!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\" data-mce-style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt’s incredibly fresh and floral on the nose, with tons of lemon meringue, honey and brioche in the mouth. If you like whites with a bit of oak like good Burgundy, you’ll love this.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53722230948171,"sku":"LMTBL23","price":26.45,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/LaMateoRiojaBlanco2021.jpg?v=1716285320"},{"product_id":"cillar-de-silos-torresilo-ribera-del-duero-2021-copy","title":"Cillar de Silos Torresilo Ribera del Duero 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eIf you were ever to splash out on a big Spanish red, this is the one.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is Oscar’s flagship wine - he calls it the ‘messenger’. It’s exactly the wine that sums up the world-class potential of Ribera del Duero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything in the making of this wine screams luxury…\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe grapes are carefully hand-picked from older vines, aged between 40 and 100 years\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe wine is aged for 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% of which are new\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter the wine is bottled, they rest in Oscar’s 17th-century underground cellar, where time stands still.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose is incredibly savoury and aromatic - I get baked ham, smoke, and sweet spice. On the palate it’s rich, structured and fresh… it’s drinking great now, but will easily age 15-20 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOscar’s Cillar de Silos Crianza is comfortably our best-selling wine. This has more structure, more power, and is worth every cent of the step-up in price.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55811077636427,"sku":"CDSTR22","price":38.63,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/CillardeSilosTorresilo2021.jpg?v=1716299410"},{"product_id":"metzer-family-cabernet-sauvignon-2022","title":"Metzer Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is an unmistakably South African Cabernet Sauvignon from an unmistakably South African winemaker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from the Helderberg sub-region of Stellenbosch, 45 minutes south-east of Cape Town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd made by Wade Metzer, one of the up-and-coming names in South African wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyards sit between the towering Helderberg Mountains and beautiful False Bay, and you can taste these extreme influences in the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blend is dominated by Cabernet with a small dollop of Shiraz and Cinsault - you get loads of bright blackberry and cassis from the Cab, the Cinsault adds aromatics while the Shiraz gives meatiness and spice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you want to taste top-end, authentic Cabernet the way it should taste, from a winemaker at the absolute top of his craft, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55856857416011,"sku":"MTZCS22","price":25.47,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0048.jpg?v=1762533694"},{"product_id":"cordero-hica-barbera-dalba-2023","title":"Cordero Hica Barbera d'Alba 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis Barbera was one of the first wines I decided to bring in for WineSpark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a deep, rich red with serious personality. ‘A bit impolite like me’ says winemaker Serena.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’d never tasted it before - its tiny production would have been way too small to come across my radar before. And that’s the best thing about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from an area called Bricco Gatti, well-known to experts as one of Alba’s best vineyards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyard is a prime south-west facing site - the extended afternoon sun gives the Barbera grapes serious power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s lovingly tended to, vine by vine, by Serena’s brother Gabriele. He’s at peak happiness surrounded by the bees, bugs and butterflies that thrive in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis attention to detail doesn’t happen anywhere else in the region. And the meticulous work speaks for itself in the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s unmistakably Italian on the nose, with aromas of dark fruit, dried herbs and tea leaves. Then it’s rich, creamy and powerful on the palate - if you love your Italian reds, this is absolutely guaranteed to be right up your street.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57496414060875,"sku":"COHBA23","price":27.3,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Hica_Barbera.jpg?v=1722606426"}],"url":"https:\/\/winespark.co.uk\/collections\/eamons-easter-picks-1.oembed","provider":"WineSpark","version":"1.0","type":"link"}