Bosman Wine sellers
Six delicious wines for autumn & winter
DATE
25 October 2021
TEXT
Nico McGough
IMAGE
PR
Inclement weather and cosy warmth at home. Autumn and winter call for a differently styled wine in the glass. Who knows, we might get another real winter with snowballs on the streets and skates out of the grease. In any case, I let six exciting wines flow into the glass: three French, but also beauties from northern Italy, southern Spain and Argentina.
Château Rochecolombe
We descend the Rhône, passing Lyon, to stop just south of Montélimar, the nougat capital of the world. Here the water continues on the left as canal Donzère-Montdragon and on the right as a real river, albeit tamed. On the riverside is the wine town of St Andéol, where the originally Belgian Herberigs family owns Château Rochecolombe. Once bought as a second home with a large apricot orchard.
This was replanted bit by bit into vineyards and now this chateau owns beautifully located plots of old grenache and syrah vines. The wine is of a level rarely seen and sweeps wines of 75 pop and above off the table.
Deep sparkling dark in colour. Overwhelming and deeply fruity with power, concentration and length: a super wine. 'Fireworks', the Volkskrant calls it, and the newspaper has been giving a fat 9 to this organic prodigy for three harvests in a row. Château Rochecolombe Côtes du Rhône: €12.95.
The wine is of a level rarely seen
Château du Cèdre
After this, we turn right into central France, to the vineyards on the banks of the Lot river. Near the ancient town of Cahors lies Château du Cèdre. This winery also has Belgian blood, as it was the Verhaeghe family who turned something simple into a work of art here. Du Cèdre is now considered the top of the Cahors appellation. This estate also works 100% organically. From 7- to 12-year-old malbec vines, they make a beautiful wine. Powerful but restrained. Packed with classic aromas and flavours. This is the controlled version of what used to be the almost unapproachable 'black wine'. Cahors 'Cèdre Héritage: €11.95.
ADN64
From Cahors, we head even further south, to the foothills of the Pyrenees, the ancient kingdom of Béarn. This is where one of France's greatest sauces gets its name: béarnaise. Whereas in Cahors it is all about the malbec grape, here it is the tannat that sets the tone. The tiny family estate of Mont d'Oraàs has just five hectares and excels in precision winemaking, led by Parisian optician Alexandre Fontère. Thinking the whole world speaks and understands French fluently, they christened a wine ADN. Not realising that the rest of the world is talking about DNA. Adding 64, referring to the departmental number of that piece of France: ADN64 was born.
 | Read also: The absolute best from Spain Bodegas Felix Callejo |
Normally, you have to be patient for 25 years for a wine made from 100% tannat to be a little bit drinkable. But that is not what the Fontère family aims for. You have to be able to enjoy it now and we do so to the fullest. Wine writer Hubrecht Duijker was so impressed that ADN64 featured on his site throughout October as the number one red wine of that month. Sparkling cherry red, deeply fruity scented with baskets of ripe berries. Mouth-filling, soft, accessible, classic and civilised. A superb wine. ADN64: €9.95.
Mario Giribaldi runs the organic family estate and includes vineyards around the town of Asti
Barbera d'Asti 'Alma' 2019
Leaving France and crossing the big mountains towards Italy, we enter Piedmont. Perhaps Italy's most gastronomic corner. Fantastic game dishes, fresh pastas, white truffles and brilliant cheeses.
This is also the land of glowing wines like Barolo and Barbaresco. Unfortunately, these wines have become quite expensive. But Piedmont is also home to affordable gems. Barbera is one of them. This wine grape gives delicious, gourmet wines that sometimes have a wonderful fragrant note of freshly sliced (red) onion. Mario Giribaldi runs the organic family estate and includes vineyards around the town of Asti. Here he makes a super-affordable, finely crafted red Barbera. Delicious with (feather) game, young creamy cheeses and pasta with truffles. Barbera d'Asti 'Alma' 2019: €9.95.
Piedmont is also home to affordable gems
Cueva del Chamán 'Monastrell Roble' 2019
In Spain, they also know how to use glowing red. Their abundant sunshine helps. Especially if it involves a sun-worshipping grape, the monastrell. Elsewhere, this thick-skinned red grape is called mourvèdre. Sun and monastrell produce big, full-bodied, fat wines, and if they are then allowed to age for six months in wine barrels made of French oak, then all of a sudden there is a dyke of a wine. The organic Bodega Santa Cruz puts out a hyper-convincing red, barrel-aged Monastrell. A wine that will give you warm feet. Cueva del Chamán 'Monastrell Roble' 2019: €11.95. No money for such a topper.
Altosur Cabernet-Sauvignon 2018
Across the big pond, in the country of birth of our Máxima, beautiful wines are also made. The wine company Sophenia, known as excellent, got a new lady at the helm a few years ago and that made the difference between 'nice' and excellent. They have several lines, including an entry-level wine called Altosur. The cabernet-sauvignon grapes grow in Argentina's Uco Valley and give big, mouth-filling, meaty wines.
International wine critic James Suckling gave 90 points
Geared up for hearty meaty dishes. Serve this hefty boy with red meat, beef or game. Powerful sauces it can easily handle. Nice, old, hard cheeses likewise. Altosur Cabernet-Sauvignon 2018: €11.95. International wine critic James Suckling gave 90 points.
Would you like to get to know these six warm-footed wines at home or in the office? Then order the introductory box, which will be delivered to your home throughout the Netherlands for € 110 (Belgium and Germany at a small additional cost).
text Nico McGough / image PR
Inclement weather and cosy warmth at home. Autumn and winter call for a differently styled wine in the glass. Who knows, we might get another real winter with snowballs on the streets and skates out of the grease. In any case, I let six exciting wines flow into the glass: three French, but also beauties from northern Italy, southern Spain and Argentina.
Château Rochecolombe
We descend the Rhône, passing Lyon, to stop just south of Montélimar, the nougat capital of the world. Here the water continues on the left as canal Donzère-Montdragon and on the right as a real river, albeit tamed. On the riverside is the wine town of St Andéol, where the originally Belgian Herberigs family owns Château Rochecolombe. Once bought as a second home with a large apricot orchard.
This was replanted bit by bit into vineyards and now this chateau owns beautifully located plots of old grenache and syrah vines. The wine is of a level rarely seen and sweeps wines of 75 pop and above off the table.
Deep sparkling dark in colour. Overwhelming and deeply fruity with power, concentration and length: a super wine. 'Fireworks', the Volkskrant calls it, and the newspaper has been giving a fat 9 to this organic prodigy for three harvests in a row. Château Rochecolombe Côtes du Rhône: €12.95.
The wine is of a level rarely seen
Château du Cèdre
After this, we turn right into central France, to the vineyards on the banks of the Lot river. Near the ancient town of Cahors lies Château du Cèdre. This winery also has Belgian blood, as it was the Verhaeghe family who turned something simple into a work of art here. Du Cèdre is now considered the top of the Cahors appellation. This estate also works 100% organically. From 7- to 12-year-old malbec vines, they make a beautiful wine. Powerful but restrained. Packed with classic aromas and flavours. This is the controlled version of what used to be the almost unapproachable 'black wine'. Cahors 'Cèdre Héritage: €11.95.
ADN64
From Cahors, we head even further south, to the foothills of the Pyrenees, the ancient kingdom of Béarn. This is where one of France's greatest sauces gets its name: béarnaise. Whereas in Cahors it is all about the malbec grape, here it is the tannat that sets the tone. The tiny family estate of Mont d'Oraàs has just five hectares and excels in precision winemaking, led by Parisian optician Alexandre Fontère. Thinking the whole world speaks and understands French fluently, they christened a wine ADN. Not realising that the rest of the world is talking about DNA. Adding 64, referring to the departmental number of that piece of France: ADN64 was born.
| Read also: The absolute best from Spain Bodegas Felix Callejo |
Normally, you have to be patient for 25 years for a wine made from 100% tannat to be a little bit drinkable. But that is not what the Fontère family aims for. You have to be able to enjoy it now and we do so to the fullest. Wine writer Hubrecht Duijker was so impressed that ADN64 featured on his site throughout October as the number one red wine of that month. Sparkling cherry red, deeply fruity scented with baskets of ripe berries. Mouth-filling, soft, accessible, classic and civilised. A superb wine. ADN64: €9.95.
Mario Giribaldi runs the organic family estate and includes vineyards around the town of Asti
Barbera d'Asti 'Alma' 2019
Leaving France and crossing the big mountains towards Italy, we enter Piedmont. Perhaps Italy's most gastronomic corner. Fantastic game dishes, fresh pastas, white truffles and brilliant cheeses.
This is also the land of glowing wines like Barolo and Barbaresco. Unfortunately, these wines have become quite expensive. But Piedmont is also home to affordable gems. Barbera is one of them. This wine grape gives delicious, gourmet wines that sometimes have a wonderful fragrant note of freshly sliced (red) onion. Mario Giribaldi runs the organic family estate and includes vineyards around the town of Asti. Here he makes a super-affordable, finely crafted red Barbera. Delicious with (feather) game, young creamy cheeses and pasta with truffles. Barbera d'Asti 'Alma' 2019: €9.95.
Piedmont is also home to affordable gems
Cueva del Chamán 'Monastrell Roble' 2019
In Spain, they also know how to use glowing red. Their abundant sunshine helps. Especially if it involves a sun-worshipping grape, the monastrell. Elsewhere, this thick-skinned red grape is called mourvèdre. Sun and monastrell produce big, full-bodied, fat wines, and if they are then allowed to age for six months in wine barrels made of French oak, then all of a sudden there is a dyke of a wine. The organic Bodega Santa Cruz puts out a hyper-convincing red, barrel-aged Monastrell. A wine that will give you warm feet. Cueva del Chamán 'Monastrell Roble' 2019: €11.95. No money for such a topper.
Altosur Cabernet-Sauvignon 2018
Across the big pond, in the country of birth of our Máxima, beautiful wines are also made. The wine company Sophenia, known as excellent, got a new lady at the helm a few years ago and that made the difference between 'nice' and excellent. They have several lines, including an entry-level wine called Altosur. The cabernet-sauvignon grapes grow in Argentina's Uco Valley and give big, mouth-filling, meaty wines.
International wine critic James Suckling gave 90 points
Geared up for hearty meaty dishes. Serve this hefty boy with red meat, beef or game. Powerful sauces it can easily handle. Nice, old, hard cheeses likewise. Altosur Cabernet-Sauvignon 2018: €11.95. International wine critic James Suckling gave 90 points.
Would you like to get to know these six warm-footed wines at home or in the office? Then order the introductory box, which will be delivered to your home throughout the Netherlands for € 110 (Belgium and Germany at a small additional cost).
