From the windswept heights of Valdejalón in Aragón, Frontonio redefines what garnacha can be. Founded by winemaker Fernando Mora and partners, the project focuses on high-altitude vineyards, many of them old bush vines rooted in slate and limestone soils. Extraction is careful; freshness is more important.
La Cerqueta comes from a single, historic vineyard planted at around 600–700 metres above sea level. The vines, trained en vaso (gobelet), are dry-farmed. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in large oak foudres and older barrels to preserve purity of fruit and the subtle mineral imprint of the site.
La Cerqueta 2022(Frontonio)
Beautifully translucent, pale ruby colour with a delicate garnet rim. On the nose, it opens with wild strawberries, redcurrant and crushed pomegranate, followed by dried herbs, white pepper and a distinct stony nuance. The palate is finely etched and vibrant, with bright acidity carrying red berry fruit across a supple texture. Tannins are silky and integrated, and the finish lingers with notes of rosehip, blood orange and a gentle saline touch.
Here is one of the best value wines from our varietal tasting. It’s a malbec with a lighter touch, drinkability and sense of fun, crafted by winemakers Maricruz Antolin and Liliana Suarez of Bodegas Krontiras.
The grapes come from Luján de Cuyo in Mendoza, grown on alluvial soils. Vines are just over ten years old and densely planted. Fermented and matured without oak, the aim here is immediacy — a malbec styled with a nod to Beaujolais rather than the classic, muscular Mendoza stereotype.
MiKron Malbec 2023 (Bod. Krontiras)
Bright, dark ruby in the glass. The nose is fresh and fruity, packed with blackberries and ripe cherries. On the palate it’s juicy, supple and effortlessly drinkable, with soft tannins and plenty of dark red and black fruit. A proper crushable, porch-pounding red.
We are in Cahors, in the French Sud-Oest. Here is a 100% malbec (auxerrois locally) from a single 1.2-hectare parcel beside a cherry orchard. The vines are around 40 years old, planted on red clay over limestone. Certified organic and moving towards biodynamics, with yields kept to 35–40 hl/ha.
At Château Combel la Serre, Julien Ilbert represents a new generation in Cahors. Vines have been in the Ilbert family for generations, though grapes were long sold to the local co-operative. Julien struck out on his own in 1998, and an early collaboration with Mathieu Cosse helped shape his focus on high-quality fruit before he returned fully to producing his own wines in 2005.
Today the estate covers 25 hectares, all planted to malbec across varied terroirs within five kilometres of the cellar. Julien believes it is the only grape suited to his vision for Cahors, deliberately avoiding both traditional blending grapes and fashionable Bordeaux varieties. Organic certification arrived with the 2015 vintage, following a decisive break with chemical farming after the death of his grandfather — a turning point in the family’s approach to agriculture.
The fruit is hand-harvested, mostly destemmed, ferments with indigenous yeasts at cool temperatures in cement, followed by around 20 days of maceration. Aged for 14 months in cement, bottled unfiltered and with minimal sulphur.
The wine was served in our local wine club, at a tasting of malbecs from both sides of the Atlantic. While the Argentinians in general showed more upfront fruit and immediate appeal, the French felt more earthy and grounded, maybe more serious. Both versions were good and often with a good quality for the price.
Au Cerisier 2022 (Combel la Serre)
Deep ruby. Aromas of sour cherry, black plum and violets, with notes of earth and crushed stone. The palate is supple and fresh, fruit-driven, with fine-grained tannins and a cool, savoury finish.
Palpite is a personal wine from Fitapreta, the Alentejo project led by António Maçanita. Based just outside Évora, Fitapreta works with old vineyards, local grape varieties and a deep engagement with the region’s viticultural heritage. Palpite is driven by intuition – the name translates as “hunch”.
The grapes come from Alentejo, with a focus on cooler, higher-lying vineyards that bring definition and balance. Indigenous Portuguese varieties are fermented with care, extraction is measured, and élevage is restrained.
The cork contains the phrase TCA free. I don’t know if this is meant to be a prophecy or if it’s really treated in a special way to protect against cork taint.
Palpite 2022 (Fitapreta)
Bright, translucent ruby in appearance. The nose shows red cherry, wild strawberry and dried Mediterranean herbs, with a subtle savoury edge and gentle spice. On the palate, the wine is fresh and finely textured, with vibrant red fruit, refined tannins and an underlying earthy note. Harmonious and engaging, finishing clean and dry.
Yann Bertrand is based in Fleurie, in the heart of Beaujolais, where he farms old gamay vines on granitic soils. The family estate is located just outside the village itself, with vineyards spread across Fleurie and a small holding in neighbouring Morgon. Vine age ranges from around 30 to well over 100 years.
Although he grew up in a winemaking family, Bertrand did not initially plan to become a vigneron. After studying commerce and spending several years working in wine bars and shops in the Alps, he returned to Beaujolais and gradually took over the family domaine, founded by his grandfather in the 1950s and developed further by his parents from the 1970s onwards.
The vineyards were converted to organic farming in the early 1990s, and Yann has since pushed the estate further towards biodynamics and low-intervention winemaking. He works exclusively with native yeasts, whole clusters and minimal or no added sulphur. The aim is not to chase power or extraction, but to express Fleurie through finesse, energy and transparency.
Credit: Les Bertrand
Today I have tasted three of his cuvees.
Phénix 2023
This cuvée comes from high-altitude, granitic parcels in Fleurie, where shallow soils and old vines naturally favour finesse and mineral tension. It’s vinified with whole clusters and gentle extraction, and aged in large, neutral oak.
Cherry red with a blue rim. Fruity and floral on the nose, with raspberry and cherry and gentle volatile acidity. Juicy on the palate, with fine tannins, good acidity and a clear mineral line. Light-bodied but precise, with a fresh, persistent finish.
Note: Yann Bertrand works consistently with very low sulphur. In this wine and Alice 6/10, I feel that he is balancing close to mousiness, but he lands on the right side, with fruit, acidity and mineral structure clearly in control.
Coup de Foudre 2023
Coup de Foudre is drawn from selected Fleurie parcels that give slightly more structure and mid-palate presence. While the approach remains low-intervention and whole-cluster based, this cuvée is shaped to show more depth and grip than Phénix.
Light cherry red. Raspberry and cherry aromas with a herbal edge. Very smooth on the palate, with good natural acidity and an understated mineral backbone. Harmonious and easy to drink, yet firmly rooted in its terroir.
Alice 6/10 2022
This is a personal cuvée, named after Bertrand’s partner Alice and referencing the six out of ten recent vintages affected by hail. It combines semi-carbonic fermentation with a proportion of direct press, followed by élevage in old barrels only, resulting in a wine of greater complexity and a touch of seriousness.
Light cherry red. Raspberry and cherry on the nose, with herbal nuances, and a slight touch of volatile. Fine tannins and good acidity frame a distinct mineral core, leading to a finish of good length. Balanced and composed, with both immediate charm and the structure to evolve further in bottle.
This wine became my first sparkler, as the fireworks lit the sky and the year changed beneath them.
1701 represents a conscious revival of an estate with more than 300 years of documented history in Franciacorta (hence the name). The project was initiated by siblings Federico and Silvia Stefini, whose shared commitment to wine, nature and their home territory has shaped the estate from the outset.
Their ambition was clear: to work according to organic and biodynamic principles, placing nature at the centre of every decision. Today, the family owns ten hectares of vineyards, eight planted with chardonnay and two with pinot noir. In 2016 1701 became the first biodynamically certified winery in Franciacorta, and remains the only one to this day.
For Federico and Silvia, biodynamics is not merely a farming method but a holistic philosophy of life. The aim is always to create the conditions in which the grapes can realise their full potential while expressing their origin with clarity and precision. They describe their wines as natural, made without chemical inputs, additives or synthetic treatments in either vineyard or cellar.
Grapes are hand-harvested and rigorously selected, followed by fermentation in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. The wines are made according to the traditional method, with a minimum of 30 months ageing on the lees. Remuage is carried out by hand, disgorgement dates are clearly stated on the bottle, and there is no dosage. Annual production is approximately 40,000 bottles.
Franciacorta Brut Nature n/v(Soc. Agr. 1701)
Pale straw with a subtle golden hue; fine, persistent mousse. Aroma of lemon zest, green apple and white flowers, underpinned by crushed stone and a touch of toasted almond. Bone-dry in the mouth, tightly structured, driven by bright acidity and chalky minerality. Subtle autolytic notes add depth, leading to a long, saline and precise finish.
