{"title":"This is WineSpark - Spring Edition wines","description":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve picked out some of my favourite recent arrivals and put them on this page.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"folium-marlborough-sauvignon-blanc-2024","title":"Folium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTakaki grew up in Tokyo drinking European wines, and loved their character and how each year they tasted nuanced and different. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSomething that’s impossible to find in a big commercial region like Marlborough.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHe reckoned the difference was water - 99% of Marlborough vineyards are irrigated, while many old European vineyards get their special character from having to survive without regular water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSo the first thing he did when he bought his new vineyard in the Brancott Valley was to turn off the taps.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe vines, usually happily watered and producing lots of fruit, regressed and produced next to nothing for 3-4 vintages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHis neighbours told him he was crazy - he probably was. But Takaki kept the faith and kept the taps off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnd then something wonderful happened. The vines picked up and started producing incredible fruit. Fruit with complexity, purity and texture unlike anything he’d come across in Marlborough before.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis wine has all the fruity intensity of a Marlborough Sauvignon, but with the finesse and smooth texture of a great Sancerre.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn a big region like Marlborough, dominated by enormous companies churning out mass-produced Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is a breath of fresh air.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53339701150027,"sku":"FOLSVB24","price":20.22,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0141_1.jpg?v=1729089927"},{"product_id":"cesar-marquez-la-salvacion-godello-2023","title":"César Márquez La Salvación Godello 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you’ve ever wondered what the fuss is all about with Godello, then do yourself a favour and try this wine. It’s one of the best examples that you’ll ever taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt comes from a high altitude, single-vineyard site in Bierzo, the most exciting emerging fine wine region of Spain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGodello is better known in neighbouring Valdeorras and Monterrei in Galicia, but the Cantabrian Mountains shelter Bierzo from the wild Atlantic weather, and as a result you get a riper and more complex style of white.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust two barrels are made here - the grapes are hand-picked and after pressing, the juice is transported straight to French oak, where fermentation starts gently and and naturally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine stays in barrel for 12 months, where it develops beautiful flavours of white pears, juicy peaches and spring florals. It’s bottle unfined and unfiltered to keep all that character intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a region dominated by the amazing Mencía red grape, César aims to recover these special 100+ year-old Godello vines and give them ‘salvation’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith this wine he’s definitely done that! \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53518735606091,"sku":"CMGDL23","price":23.52,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0206.jpg?v=1715952445"},{"product_id":"i-filari-sicilia-nero-davola-2021","title":"I Filari Sicilia Nero D'Avola 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003eFederico Cerelli's latest creation from Sicily is here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's from the village of Salaparuta, which is one hour south of Palermo on the island's western side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nero d'Avola vineyards have been farmed organically for over 20 years, and with strong winds blowing through all year round, the grapes are kept cool, fresh and healthy despite the heat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFederico tells me that this is exactly what you need to achieve the balance of ripeness and freshness to make truly great red wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThink luscious black cherries and blackberries, bright florals and those lovely tea leaf flavours you get in Italian reds. It’s spicy, powerful and smooth, but with a delicious elegance and freshness to it too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI poured a sneak preview at our Spring tastings, and people loved it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Wilson of The Irish Times was seriously impressed, highlighting it as one of his wines of the tasting and adding: \u003cem\u003e'big and full-bodied with masses of dark fruits and a core of soft tannins; it still has a certain elegance. One for the hedonists amongst us'\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd because this is Salaparuta, and not Etna or even Tuscany, at €28.54 a bottle it is just amazing value for a wine of this quality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53561761005899,"sku":"FEDNER20","price":26.73,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/IFilariNeroDAvola2020.jpg?v=1715952238"},{"product_id":"grasshopper-rock-central-otago-pinot-noir-2022","title":"Grasshopper Rock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eCentral Otago is about as far south as you’ll find vineyards in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou get Pinot Noir with real depth and intensity here, but also an elegance and consistency that puts it right up there with Burgundy and the great Pinot regions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrasshopper Rock comes from a vineyard near Alexandra called Earnscleugh - which is widely recognised as one of Central Otago’s Grand Cru equivalent sites.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose is vivid and perfumed with red fruit, wild herbs and sweet spices. The palate is silky, gentle and balanced, with a long and smooth finish cushioned by some lovely oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd don’t just take my word for it… Decanter gave it 94 points and Robert Parker gave it 95 - both outstanding scores for wines from around here. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302589444427,"sku":"GRPN22","price":25.59,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey_0277.jpg?v=1769795352"},{"product_id":"tim-smith-barossa-shiraz-2022","title":"Tim Smith Barossa Shiraz 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTim has 35 years’ experience working in the Barossa - so he has long-standing agreements with some of the best growers of fruit in the region.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it’s this amazing quality fruit that shines in this, his flagship wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike many of the truly great Australian wines, it’s a blend of multiple vineyards, located in the Barossa and Eden Valley. Each vineyard adds something unique to the blend, and their age ranges from 30 to 145 years old!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine is aged in 500 litre French oak barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered - preserving all the amazing flavours and textures from the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like powerful reds you’ll love this - it’s meaty and leathery on the nose, with layers of pure dark fruit. Then on the palate, it’s spicy, gamey and silky. It’s got loads going on but slips down so easy - a slam-dunk winner of a big red.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56321509261643,"sku":"TSBRSZ22","price":22.76,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Tim_Smith_Barossa_Shiraz_2021.jpg?v=1722437003"},{"product_id":"las-pedreras-los-arroyuelos-garnacha-2024","title":"Las Pedreras Los Arroyuelos Garnacha 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen it comes to Spanish fine wine, Gredos is now the talk of the town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt’s all about Garnacha here, which is the same grape (Grenache) behind great Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe unique combination of high altitude and sandy-granite soils in Gredos produces Garnacha with intense flavour, but also great finesse\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThink Burgundian elegance with Spanish sunshine, and you’re in business.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a beautifully balanced Garnacha, a blend of different plots along the Alto Alberche valley. It has the juicy fruit of a good Côtes du Rhône, with classic Gredos structure and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpain's most respected wine critic, Ferran Centelles, gave the 2021 vintage 17\/20 points on JancisRobinson.com and also a big thumbs up for its value.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think this one's even better!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57047494426955,"sku":"ARYLS24","price":21.59,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0238.jpg?v=1753384767"}],"url":"https:\/\/winespark.co.uk\/collections\/this-is-winespark-spring-edition-wines.oembed","provider":"WineSpark","version":"1.0","type":"link"}