page 1 memberservices@ The Society s French Full Red, Côtes Catalanes Quite rightly one of the most popular wines in our entire range. It comes from sunkissed Roussillon and is a blend of very ripe grenache, carignan and a little syrah, bought from a small co-operative in the well-situated valley of the Agly river. It is full-flavoured, fruity and round, and ideal for everyday drinking. Stunning quality at any price. Product Code FC371 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates Within two years of purchase Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style Full-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2015 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château de Pena This is one of the smallest co-operatives in the region which has been able to survive thanks to good management and a belief in quality over everything else. Like many co-operatives and estates in the Roussillon, production had historically been geared towards fortified wine but they were able to anticipate the downturn and realign themselves towards table wine which includes their flagship red from Château de Pena. Very wisely, they resisted the temptation to replant with other grape varieties and so kept their large holdings of old carignan and grenache, a good amount of it planted not on appellation land but nonetheless very good. Over the years these vines have formed the base for the very successful Society's French Full Red. There has been a change of cellarmaster in the last two years but if anything that has been wholly positive.
page 2 memberservices@ Baccolo Appassimento Parziale, Rosso Veneto 2012 A seductively rounded wine with much greater concentration of spicy, dark-cherry fruit than one might expect from a wine of this price. This is a cunning mix of merlot and corvina partly dried to increase flavour. The long name is simply explained: Baccolo refers to 'Bacchus', the Greek god of wine: appassimento parziale means that the grapes are partly dried in a similar way to Amarone in order to concentrate and increase the flavour; and Rosso Veneto tells us that it is a red wine from grapes grown in the north-east of Italy near Verona. Product Code IT17501 Dominant Grape Merlot Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin NE Italy (Trentino, Veneto) Alcohol Level 12.5% Style not applicable Closure type Twin top Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Cielo e Terra Gruppo Cantine Colli Bercici - See next page.
page 3 memberservices@ Producer : Cielo e Terra Gruppo Cantine Colli Bercici This family-run co-operative is based in the Colli Berici (Berici Hills), which are between Verona and Padua in the Veneto region of north-east Italy. It is owned by the Cielo family, and the name Cielo e Terra is doubly clever: it translates literally to heaven and earth and also reflects the family s close ties to the terroir of Veneto. The estate was founded in 1908 by Giovanni Cielo. He began by planting vines around the family home, but the property grew and grew, and his sons and grandsons built their own winery and began buying grapes from other local growers to meet production demands. By the time it reached the current, fourth generation Luca and Pierpaolo Cielo in the early 21st century, the co-op was sourcing fruit from over 2,000 producers in the Colli Berici. Considering that the Berici hills are a real suntrap, with a warm, Mediterranean climate, it isn t surprising to learn that vines have been grown here for hundreds of years. Co-op members own 4,000 hectares of vines here in total, from well-known favourites like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, trebbiano, merlot and sangiovese to more local varieties like Manzoni bianco, tai rosso and raboso. The company has three wineries spread across the southern towns of the hills. On arrival, grapes are sorted according to variety, area of origin and sugar levels. Winemaking involves cold fermentation and soft pressing, both of which help to retain the grapes natural fragrance and complexity. The co-op produces various ranges of wines the one wine we buy, Baccolo, is from the estate s premium range, and is a blend of merlot and corvina. The grapes are partially dried to enhance flavour and part of the blend is aged in oak barriques.
page 4 memberservices@ Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2011 Ch de Pena A welcome burst of Midi sunshine from one of the Roussillon's leading co-ops. The varied make-up of the region's soils brings both complexity and a certain minerality to the wines. Product Code FC23211 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2012 to 2015 Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2011 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château de Pena This is one of the smallest co-operatives in the region which has been able to survive thanks to good management and a belief in quality over everything else. Like many co-operatives and estates in the Roussillon, production had historically been geared towards fortified wine but they were able to anticipate the downturn and realign themselves towards table wine which includes their flagship red from Château de Pena. Very wisely, they resisted the temptation to replant with other grape varieties and so kept their large holdings of old carignan and grenache, a good amount of it planted not on appellation land but nonetheless very good. Over the years these vines have formed the base for the very successful Society's French Full Red. There has been a change of cellarmaster in the last two years but if anything that has been wholly positive.
page 5 memberservices@ Côtes du Roussillon-Villages, Château de Pena 2012 Château de Pena is situated to the east of Latour de France on schistous soils in the well-placed valley of the Agly in the foothills of the Pyrenees. This is the flagship wine of the excellent local Cave des Vignerons de l'agly co-operative, which takes its name from the ruins of the castle perched above the village of Cases de Pène. The hot, arid climate in this part of France made it ideal in the past for producing fortified wines, but, as consumer demand for this style of wine has declined, those producers wedded to making fortified wines have suffered. Small and independent, the coop at Cases de Pène has survived due to its dedication to producing value-for-money table wines for everyday drinking. More and more producers recognise the potential of the region to make stunning table wines, and now the area is seeing rapid change. New appellation rules aim to improve the quality of the wines by increasing the proportion of syrah grapes used. This is blended with local grapes, grenache and carignan and sometimes a little mourvèdre and the result is a round, smooth-tasting yet full-bodied red that can be drunk at any time during the year, on its own or with a wide variety of foods. Product Code FC25481 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2016 Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château de Pena This is one of the smallest co-operatives in the region which has been able to survive thanks to good management and a belief in quality over everything else. Like many co-operatives and estates in the Roussillon, production had historically been geared towards fortified wine but they were able to anticipate the downturn and realign themselves towards table wine which includes their flagship red from Château de Pena. Very wisely, they resisted the temptation to replant with other grape varieties and so kept their large holdings of old carignan and grenache, a good amount of it planted not on appellation land but nonetheless very good. Over the years these vines have formed the base for the very successful Society's French Full Red. There has been a change of cellarmaster in the last two years but if anything that has been wholly positive.
page 6 memberservices@ The Society s Montepulciano d Abruzzo 2013 This traditional Italian red is made by a small, top-quality co-operative called Roxan, advised by expert winemaker Vincenzo Fiore, whose vineyards are situated in and around the neighbouring Pescara hills, on the Adriatic coast. Montepulciano is one of the most flavoursome red grapes in mid Italy. The flavour and colour is extracted by three to five days maceration on the skins before fermentation. The wine is naturally deeply coloured, rich and full and was very successful in recent vintages. Drink over the next year with most full-flavoured dishes. Particularly good with pasta in a spicy tomato sauce with bacon and chillies. Product Code IT2471 Dominant Grape Montepulciano Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates Within two years of purchase Origin Central Italy -Tuscany, Umbria Alcohol Level 13.5% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, plastic Vintage 2013 Price No longer for sale Producer : Casa Vinicola Roxan - See next page.
page 7 memberservices@ Producer : Casa Vinicola Roxan Montepulciano d Abruzzo is the seldom overpriced but frequently variable wine made from the eponymous red grape variety on Italy s Adriatic coast. At its best it is flavoursome, deeply coloured and delightfully fruity. Most of the wine here is produced at winemaking co-operatives. The Society s version is made by the Roxan co-operative, known for their special relationships with 700 individual growers who, unusually in a co-operative set-up, are given a significant amount of input into the final wines. While up to 1,000 hectares of land is farmed, less than 10% of the grape yield in each vintage is actually bottled by the cooperative which keeps quality control reassuringly strict. These are smooth, stylish wines at the price. The winery itself is located in the town of Rosciano, near Pescara, and each bottling tends to be drawn from vineyard-specific sites. Buyer Sebastian Payne MW recalls that The Society first looked to buy wines from the Roxan co-operative after Edoardo Valentini, the brilliant but eccentric local winemaker and one of the most influential figures of his generation, sold his surplus grapes to it. Valentini was fiercely secretive, shunning wine critics and the wine establishment in general, yet this particular co-operative was the only one he trusted to turn his grapes into good wine. He died in 2012, but his son continues his estate, and upholds his father s trust in the Roxan co-operative.
page 8 memberservices@ Nero d'avola La Ferla, Sicilia 2011 La Ferla refers to the flower of the fennel which grows in this part of Sicily. The winery is situated near the town of Canicatti, close to the southern coast of the island and the natural home of Sicily's best red grape, which retains freshness in the heat of summer. Aged in stainless steel. Product Code IT16801 Dominant Grape Nero d'avola Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin S Italy and Islands Alcohol Level 13.5% Style not applicable Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2011 Price No longer for sale Producer : Viticultori Associati Canicatti - See next page.
page 9 memberservices@ Producer : Viticultori Associati Canicatti The Canicatti co-operative is based inland from Agrigento on Sicily s south-western coast, although its 480 members cultivate 1,000 hectares of 60 different types of vines across the entire winemaking area of the island. They are eager to express the ancient nature of Sicily s vines and water-deprived soils in the character of their wines, without rejecting the benefits of modern winemaking practices. The gently undulating hills of vineyards which rise to 600m above sea level are made up of mineral-rich soils (including potassium, sulphur and calcium), making them like a laboratory for winemakers keen to experiment and see what the various vineyard areas of Sicily can produce. Despite the size of the vineyard area covered by their growers, the co-op employs very strict growing guidelines and only accepts grapes of a certain quality level. The poor soil quality results in low yields, so growers can monitor the ripeness of each parcel of vines individually and harvest at the best time. They grow a wide array of indigenous varieties in the hope that they ll be able to showcase the huge amounts of regional variation in this small but important winemaking region. One of the most important of these regional varieties is nero d Avola, grown for the co-op s La Ferla range of wines. These grapes are sourced from vines in the areas surrounding Palermo, Agrigento, and Caltanissetta. The vines are grown on sandy silt soils with limestone influence, and have an average age of 12 years. Regional identity matters not just in the vineyards, but in the winery too: grape parcels are selected and vinified separately according to a harvesting calendar. In recent years they have invested in pneumatic presses to improve the quality of the free-run juice, and another key investment is the development of temperature-controlled cement tanks a modern twist on a traditional method as well as stainless-steel ones. The stainless-steel tanks are particularly small, so that batches of fruit from specific microclimates can be fermented separately. Investments have also been made in the bottling line, which is now so advanced that quality control can be monitored throughout every step of the process. The effort to portray Sicily s regional identity does not stop here: Canicatti are currently undertaking a simply astonishing project to convert the historic Taccia-Caci sulphur mine at Aragona into an ageing cellar for their vines. Their aim is also to open these converted mines to the public, so tourists can learn about their history as well as to see how they ve changed to benefit a new industry. Winemaking is overseen by consultant Tonino Guzzo. La Ferla Rosso is fermented in a mixture of steel and cement and aged for eight months in cement tanks with no wood influence
page 10 memberservices@ Segnavento Tarantino Primitivo 2012 Fresh, no-nonsense briary primitivo the same grape as California's zinfandel from Gregory Perucci, who specialises in the grape in Manduria in Puglia deep in Italy's heel. Product Code IT17461 Dominant Grape Primitivo Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin S Italy and Islands Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Screwcap Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Accademia Dei Racemi Srl Gregory Perucci, who owns Accademia dei Racemi, inherited from his father a bulk wine business specialising particularly in primitivo wines which used to be shipped north to Piedmont, the south of France and even Spain to add colour and body to their local wines. The Peruccis were based in Manduria in Puglia where all the best primitivo vineyards are found. With his deep knowledge and long experience of the best vineyards and oldest alberello vines, Gregory began to bottle and sell the wine from his best vats himself. By 2010 he owned 120 hectares of vineyard, was no longer buying grapes, and bottling most of his production. In addition to his primitivo wines, Archidamo, under his Pervini label, from terra rossa soil, Sinfarosa, from black soil and Dunico Masseria Pepe, from very old vines on sandy soil by the sea, he makes negroamaro/primitivo blends and has rediscovered the native sussumaniello grape.
page 11 memberservices@ Minervois, Château Sainte Eulalie 2012 Full, dark and ripe but with a lovely seam of freshness. Excellent value for money. Product Code FC24871 Dominant Grape Carignan Grenache Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2019 Origin Languedoc - Roussillon Alcohol Level 14.0% Style Medium-bodied Closure type Cork, colmate Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Producer : Château Sainte-Eulalie Château Sainte-Eulalie is an outstanding estate run by a young and enthusiastic couple, Laurent and Isabelle Coustal. The domaine was first established in the earlier part of the 20th century, but it has been since this dynamic pair took over in 1996 that it has gained its excellent status. The property is known as a campagne meaning that the vineyards, winery, main house, workers lodgings, and cellar are all located on one site and Isabelle and Laurent have worked hard to revitalise the entire complex. Sainte-Eulalie lies in the heart of the Minervois appellation in the south of France, just above the tiny village of La Livinière. The vineyards are spread over the Aude Valley, on the south side of the Black Mountain and Massif Central and not far from the Canal du Midi. This area isn t just an idyllic, laid-back sun-trap, it s also brilliant for vines: Eulalie s terraced vineyards lie on south-facing slopes at between 200-250m altitude, where they are protected from the northern winds. The 34 hectares of vines planted on pebbly soils with a high proportion of chalk, clay and manganese are mostly over 20 years old, with the exception of two hectares of syrah planted by the Coustals in 2000. The balance of vines comprises 36% syrah, 28% grenache noir, 27% carignan and 9% cinsault. Machine harvesting is responsible for most of the picking, but once the grapes reach the winery they are sorted by hand to ensure only the best fruit is used. Grapes then undergo fermentation and are aged in a mixture of vessels. The everyday Minervois spends 15-18 months in traditional concrete tanks, whereas the premium bottling, Cuvée Cantilène, which comes from old vines and contains more syrah, ages for a year in barrels, 25-50% of which are new oak, depending on vintage conditions. The rosé is much fresher, containing more grapes from the younger syrah vines, and is designed for younger drinking with fresh summer fare.
page 12 memberservices@ Teroldego Rotaliano, Cavit 2012 A particularly successful and well-priced version of this native Trentino grape. Ripe, rounded and attractively fruity and easy to enjoy. Product Code IT17871 Dominant Grape Teroldego Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2014 to 2016 Origin NE Italy (Trentino, Veneto) Alcohol Level 12.5% Style not applicable Closure type Twin top Vintage 2012 Price No longer for sale Copertino Eloquenzia 2010 Spicy, ripe, mellow negroamaro from the Garofano family who continue to offer us brilliant value. Product Code IT17231 Dominant Grape Negroamaro Product Type Red Wine Drink Dates 2013 to 2015 Origin S Italy and Islands Alcohol Level 13.0% Style not applicable Closure type Cork, natural Vintage 2010 Price No longer for sale Producer : Masseria Monaci The Masseria Monaci estate at Copertino is the creation of the wise and talented oenologist Severino Garofano, who bought the old estate of Bacile di Castiglione and restructured the vineyards. His Copertino is one of the best value buys in Puglia and Le Braci one of the finest. Severino, now helped by his son Stefano, has been a huge influence for good in Puglia, though he is originally from Campania. He persuaded the Vallone sisters to create Graticciaia and also advised Candido.
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