The wild and remote Toro region in northwest Spain, has gone from zero to hero in the last 10 to 15 years. Practically unheard of in the 90s, it is fast becoming one of Spain’s most exciting fine wine regions.

While the region establishes itself, there is still some serious value to be found though, and Xavier Iturria's wines are prime examples.

Xavier bought his plot of ungrafted old vines back in 2009 and has been making quite a name for himself since then. He makes just two wines, both rich reds as is the Toro way but with an elegance that is becoming his signature style.

The Valdosan is his top wine, it is 100% Tinto de Toro and comes from 60 year old vines. It is aged in French oak for almost two years before release and the resulting wine is an incredible combination of power, elegance, freshness and complexity. This is the sort of wine that seems to reveal something else each time you take a sip.

Offered: February 2023

Alcohol: 14.5%

Vintage report: A high yielding, high quality vintage thanks to plenty of rain in winter and a long, hot summer.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2035.

Food matching: Drink with roast lamb, other grilled meats or hard cheeses.

The wild and remote Toro region in northwest Spain, has gone from zero to hero in the last 10 to 15 years. Practically unheard of in the 90s, it is fast becoming one of Spain’s most exciting fine wine regions.

While the region establishes itself, there is still some serious value to be found though, and Xavier Iturria's wines are prime examples.

Xavier bought his plot of ungrafted old vines back in 2009 and has been making quite a name for himself since then. He makes just two wines, both rich reds as is the Toro way but with an elegance that is becoming his signature style.

The Iturria 2019 is a wonderfully smooth, polished red made from 90% Tinta de Toro and 10% Garnacha. It is medium bodied with ripe, dark cherry fruit, a bit of spice, freshness thanks to the altitude and a slight toastiness from 22 months ageing in French oak. The overall balance is excellent and the complexity mightily impressive for the price.

Offered: February 2023.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Vintage report: Low rainfall during the winter followed by a warm, dry spring and a hot summer resulted in excellent quality grapes - intensely flavoured and deep in colour. Yields across the region were down about 25% but quality was outstanding.

Drinking window: 2023 - 2028.

Food matching: Drink with roast lamb, other grilled meats or hard cheeses.

Finding whites of this calibre at this price hardly ever happens. Jan and Caryl have managed to pull off that rarest of tricks – produce an age-worthy, fresh and characterful white which is light on it’s feet and remarkably good value.

Fresh, orangey and minerally with a discrete richness from the oak barrel ageing (15% new), it is delicious now but will age beautifully over the next 2 - 3 years. I love it for its mix of Loire freshness (from the Chenin Blanc and the local Mauzac), and Burgundian roundness (from the Chardonnay and the oak). If possible, give it a bit of time in a decanter to open up. The bottle I tried was even better on night two.

Offered: February 2022.

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: A very wet spring followed by a boiling hot, dry summer added up to challenging conditions. As a result yields were low but, thanks largely to a steady westerly wind, quality was excellent. 

Drinking window: 2022 – 2025.

Food matching: Very versatile, works as an aperitif but would also go well with chicken and leek pie, smoked salmon pasta or pork chops to name a few.

The tiny Domaine de l'Amauve is run along organic lines with minimal spraying and a real focus on biodiversity in order to create the healthiest, richest possible environment for the vines.

The vines are old and low yielding, and thanks to the altitude of the vineyards and their western facing aspect, the wines are ripe but with real freshness too.

These natural advantages, combined with Christian's exacting work in the vineyard and experienced hand in the cellar, are fast making the domaine one of the most exciting prospects in the appellation.

Offered: February 2022.

Alcohol: 14.5% abv.

Vintage Report: Yields were slightly down due to a tricky spring. A hot, dry summer though, with a single storm in August bringing some welcome rain, resulted in excellent, fruity reds with fine tannins and a nice deep colour.

Tasting Notes: A fresh, fruity and aromatic DELIGHT, with excellent balance, medium to full body and silky, fine-grained tannins.

Drinking window: At its best 2022 - 2025.

Food matching: Grilled red meats and hard cheeses.

Yannick Cadiou was until recently the head vigneron for Domaine Laroche, one of Chablis' grandest domaines. He now has his own, meticulously managed little estate and is turning out small amounts of first-rate Chablis at very good prices.

His parcel of vineyards are organically farmed and hand harvested. Yields are low but as a result, the wines are wonderfully fragrant and intense. This crisp, mineral, fruit forward 2019 is a mouth-wateringly good example.

Offered: December 2021.

Alcohol: 12.5% abv.

Vintage Report: 2019 was a small vintage, yielding complex and intense wines.

Tasting Notes: Fresh and minerally with ripe citrus fruit (lemon and grapefruit) and floral notes.

Drinking window: At its best 2021 - 2028.

Food matching: Drink with smoked salmon, vegetable risotto or hard cheeses such as Comté or Gruyère, to name a few.

The Wine.

100% Chenin Blanc, aged on the lees for 6 months and lightly oaked. This is just starting to come into its own. Soft and rounded but with a minerally acidity alongside apricots, limes and grapefruit. A delicious, tense, complex white that is superb now but would age well for a good 4 years or so.

The Estate.

Domaine Dutertre has been in the same family for 5 generation and is currently run by Gilles Dutertre. The estate is based in the village of Limeray on the northern banks of the Loire Valley, not far from the town of Amboise. They are currently undergoing conversion to organic viticulture.

Offered: October 2021.

Alcohol: 14%.

Vintage report: A very good and large vintage in the Loire Valley. Plenty of heat meant concentrated whites with lower acidity than usual. A particularly good vintage for Chenin Blanc.

Drinking window: 2021 – 2026.

Food matching: Fish pie, milder cheeses such as Caerphilly or Lancashire.

The Domaine.

Brother and sister Béatrice and Raphaël Dubois are fourth generation winemakers based in Premeaux-Prissey, close to Nuits Saint Georges. This cuvée comes from their 0.8 hectare parcel of vines over on the Hautes-Côtes.

The Wine.

Brisk and lively Chardonnay, sparingly oaked. Citrus fruit with honeysuckle and hawthorn. Lovely balance with a lingering minerally finish. Exactly the sort of fresh but characterful white Burgundy that I love, this is drinking beautifully now but can age for a further 2 years.

Hautes-Côtes de Nuits.

The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits AOC is in the famous Côte d'Or department of northern Burgundy. To the north east is Chablis, and to the south, the Côte de Beaune, then the Côte Chalonnaise and further down, the Mâconnais.

Offered: August 2021

Alcohol: 13.5%

Vintage report: Plenty of rain during the winter served the vines well during a long, hot summer. The result was a high quality, bumper crop.

Drinking window: 2021 - 2023

Food matching: Roast chicken, simple fish dishes, soft, creamy cheeses. 

The Estate.

Château Coudert was bought by the Carles family back in 1961. It sits atop the highest hill in the St-Christophe-des-Bardes area of St-Emilion. There are 10 hectares under vine, all farmed with a keen eye on sustainability. Harvest is by hand, and vinification, blending and ageing is all done under the watchful eye of famous oenologist, Jean-Philippe Fort.

The Wine.

Made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and aged in French oak for one year, the Coudert 2012 is a superb example of fine mature Right Bank Claret. Rich and full with velvety tannins, juicy red fruit and complex mature notes of cigar box and leather.

St-Emilion.

Along with Pomerol, St-Emilion is one of the two most important wine appellations on Bordeaux's Right Bank. (The Right Bank being the one to your right as you follow the river to the sea, in this case, the River Dordogne).
Merlot is the key grape variety here, with Cabernet Franc making up most of the rest of the plantings. As a result, the region's wines tend to be softer and faster ageing than their counterparts on the Left Bank, where the more tannic and therefore long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon dominates.

Offered: July 2021.

Alcohol: 13.5%.

Vintage report: A good vintage for the early ripening Merlot grape which was harvested before the Autumn rains arrived. As such, some lovely wines were made on the Right Bank. The later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon struggled in the wet conditions before harvest meaning the Left Bank fared less well.

Drinking window: It will be at its best over the next year or so.

Food matching: Drink with roast beef, hearty stews or hard cheeses.