Mixed Case Reds

MIXED CASE : REDS 1

Each case contains two bottles of the following wines:

Thibault Ducroux En Roue Libre 2023, Beaujolais, France. $30
Thibault Ducroux grew up in a winemaking family in Bojo but was inspired towards natural wines through reading Jules Chauvet. After working with some natural winemakers in Bojo and Jura, he began his winery with 1.25ha owned vines and 6.5ha total via long-term contracts, all organically farmed and in conversion. This was the wine he made, in 2019, and called En Roue Libre, 'Freewheeling,' referencing his non-intervention winemaking and his love of cycling (he used to race in a club). From 40 year old vines in silty clays, this was whole bunch of carbo, native ferment, and aged in concrete for eight months with no fining, filtration and the bare minimum of sulphur at bottling. Perfumed raspberry, cherry blossoms is kissed with scrubby rosemary, and hugged with lightly grippy / sticky tannins, guiding this to a pink peppercorn rasped finish. Fun and fresh. 

Suertes del Marqués 7 Fuentes 2021, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. $30
100+ year old ungrafted and organic listan negro is splashed with 10% castellana negra in this singular wine, showcasing Tenerife's volcanic soils and vineyard altitude up to 750m. Suertes del Marqués considers this their 'village wine', and an introduction to their range, sourcing grapes from 30 different vineyards. After a native ferment in concrete (20% whole clusters) this rested 11 months in concrete and neutral French oak, before an 8 month stint in stainless. Unlike older vintages of 7 Fuentes, this barely opens with any reduction at all, but rather fragrant cherry, wild raspberry, scrubby resinous herbs, and ample cracked peppercorn, all laced and lofted with pink grapefruit acidity. Tannins are fine and sticky, taking this marine red to a lingering saline finish. Super smart, and great energy.

Viñas Serranas Ciclón Rufete 2022, Castilla y León, Spain. $29
Viñas Serranas was created in 2016 by 4 friends César Ruiz, Bosi Jiménez, Alberto Martín, and Miquel Udina, united by their love for the Sierra de Francia region and for fine, lively, and elegant wines. From older vines rooted in granite and schist terraces around 650m, this Rufete was native fermented with 15% whole bunch in small tanks, with 3 weeks maceration. It was finished primarily in French barrels for 10 months. Perfumed cherry, crunchy plum, raspberries, are framed with fine downy / grippy tannins, wrapping around a juicy core, and finishing super saline. An earlier piece has kept alcohol low and bright (12.67%), encouraging taking this with a slight chill. 15,000 bottles produced.

Château La Grolet Cuvée Classique Rouge 2022, Bordeaux, France. $32
Château La Grolet is a 17th century manor house at the bottom of a valley surrounded by its 50 hectare estate, including 38 hectares of vines. The Hubert family acquired the estate in 1997 and began its conversion to biodynamics, with Demeter certification coming in 2000. Château La Grolet Cuvée Classique Rouge blends 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. The vines at Grolet are 50ish years, and this wine was native fermented and aged in a mixture of concrete and wooden vessels (20%) before being bottled without fining or filtration, and minimum sulphur. Dusty cherry, plum, and raspberry fills the compact palate, with blocky tannins framing through a lightly bitter cherry finish. Best enjoyed with grilled meats or tourtière to meet the strident nature of this red.                                                                                     

Olivier Coste Illegal Mourvèdre 2023, Languedoc, France. $21
Since his childhood, Olivier Coste’s favourite places to play have been the vineyards and the family wine cellar at Domaine Montrose, his family’s wine estate founded in 1701 in Pézenas. With this upbringing, Olivier developed a profound attachment to the Languedoc’s terroir and landscape, and later to its wines. Olivier and his team are committed to respecting the environment so that future generations can enjoy nature’s heritage. This wine comes from a small appellation in Languedoc, but 100% Mourvèdre is illegal there, thus, the winery declassified it to IGP and hid its origin. Destemmed grapes were macerated and fermented in stainless for 3 weeks, and kept there for a brief time before bottling in late winter. Perfumed blackberry, boysenberry, and dusky purple florals fill the juicy palate, with sticky tannins to frame, and a dusting of peppercorn on the finish. Crack into with grilled sausages or Tourtière.

Niepoort Vertente 2021, Douro Valley, Portugal. $34
If one had to pick the winemaker that has had the greatest impact on not only Douro wines, but Portuguese wines in general, it would be Dirk Niepoort. Easily one of the world’s top winemakers, Dirk’s insight extends beyond soils, grapes and blends, and into humans, predicting and driving the wines that today’s wine lovers, of all ages and backgrounds, are interested in drinking. Vertente means aspect or hillside, well named for the vineyards of the Douro. 50 to 80 year old vines are sourced from all of the vineyards Dirk works with, with a traditional blend of several grape varieties predominantly based on Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Rufete, and Tinta Amarela. After a native ferment in stainless, this was aged in French oak for 22 months. Fragrant rockrose, scrubby herbs, wild blackberries, and black plum flood a juicy palate, with a fine, schistous, structural brace of tannins that guide this 13% red to a lingering stony finish. Still so much energy in this wine, and time ahead.

Price:

12 bottles for $387 + HST, including delivery in GTA, and most larger cities in Ontario.
*prices outside of main cities may incur additional delivery charges.

Estimated delivery time is 3-10 business days.

Please note we cannot process wine orders outside of Ontario. Wine can only be ordered from, and shipped to, an address in Ontario.