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Elegant Pommard

Published 12. December 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Pommard is traditionally known for its powerful, structured wines grown on heavy clay soils, often dark-fruited and firmly built. Les Bertins, however, lies in the southern part of the appellation, close to Volnay, where the soils become lighter and more limestone-rich. This shift in geology brings a different expression of Pommard, one that favours lift, elegance and aromatic nuance.

The wine is made by Huber-Verdereau, a family estate based in Meursault and led today by Thiébault Huber. Since taking over, he has steered the domaine firmly towards organic and biodynamic farming, with careful work in the vineyards and a restrained, non-interventionist approach in the cellar. Fermentations are gentle, extraction is measured, and élevage is carried out with a judicious use of oak to support, not shape, the wine.

Pommard Premier Cru Les Bertins 2020 (Huber-Verdereau)

Deep ruby colour with a bright rim, signalling both concentration and freshness. Aroma of ripe red cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, notes of dried herbs, crushed stone and a subtle hint of spice and undergrowth. On the palate it is poised and finely structured, with a core of juicy red fruit framed by chalky, well-integrated tannins. The finish is persistent. It’s a wine with both tension and clarity, combining Pommard’s natural authority with a Volnay-like elegance.

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Wine of the Week

Friedrich Schatz’ Acinipo

Published 5. December 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Friedrich Schatz is one of the great figures of Andalucía’s modern wine story. A German who arrived in the Serranía de Ronda in the early 1980s, he planted varieties that were then unheard of in the area and worked organically long before it became fashionable. His estate lies in the cool, high-altitude folds north of Ronda, where limestone soils and Atlantic influence create conditions quite unlike the Andalucía most people imagine.

Acinipo 2017 is made entirely from lemberger (blaufränkisch), a variety Schatz has championed with remarkable consistency. The fruit is farmed organically at around 600–700 metres, fermented with native yeasts and aged with a gentle hand to foreground the grape’s natural lift and the site. No unnecessary extraction, no over-seasoned oak – just an honest expression of place.

Acinipo 2017 (Bodega F. Schatz)

Deep, vibrant ruby with a slight garnet hue at the rim. The nose is bright yet brooding, offering sour cherry, redcurrant and dark raspberry, with subtle herbs and a mineral undertow. The palate is energetic and finely structured, carried by limestone-driven tannins and a cool, mouthwatering finish.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Ungrafted Chilean cinsault

Published 28. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

From the ancient granite soils of Chile’s southern Itata valley comes De Martino’s Ungrafted Old Vines Cinsault, sourced from more than 40-year-old bush-trained vines.

Founded in 1934 by Pietro De Martino, the winery is now run by the fourth generation, brothers Marco and Sebastián. De Martino has long been a pioneer in Chile, championing sustainable and organic viticulture and seeking out historic vineyard sites with ungrafted old vines. Their work across Chile’s diverse terroirs has built a reputation for purity and authenticity, with a particular focus on reviving traditional winemaking regions such as Itata.

This cinsault comes from granitic slopes in Guarilihue, and as the name implies it’s planted on original rootstocks. The grapes are gently destemmed, undergo spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and are aged in neutral vessels to preserve freshness and the natural character of the site.

Itata Ungrafted Old Vines Cinsault 2024 (De Martino)

Pale, translucent ruby in the glass. Aromas of red cherry, pomegranate and wild strawberries, lifted by subtle floral notes and a hint of dried herbs. The palate is bright and supple, driven by lively acidity, fine tannins and a clean, stony finish.

Price: Medium

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A nouveau classic

Published 21. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Beaujolais Nouveau Day was yesterday — the annual Thursday in November when the first wines of the new vintage are released. Once a marketing spectacle, it now serves more quietly as a seasonal marker of early fruit and immediacy.

One estate that approaches the style with clarity and intent is Château Cambon, founded in 1995 by Marcel and Marie Lapierre together with Jean-Claude Chanudet. Their aim was to bring the Lapierre philosophy — organic farming, old vines, delicate extraction and minimal intervention — into a separate project focused on purity rather than prestige. Today the estate continues in the same spirit, producing wines that are understated, bright and free of ornament.

The label illustration is signed Siné — Maurice Sinet — the influential French caricaturist known for his sharply satirical line and long association with Charlie Hebdo. His irreverent, uncluttered style fits the wine surprisingly well: playful, direct and never weighed down.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2025 (Château Cambon)

Medium red with a hint of purple. Aromas of raspberry and freshly cut grass. Juicy and quenching on the palate, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins giving just enough shape without adding weight.

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Wine of the Week

Sacred Santo

Published 14. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

At the southern edge of Chianti Classico, near Castelnuovo Berardenga, lies Fèlsina, one of Toscana’s most soulful estates. Founded in 1966, it bridges the classic and the modern with an unwavering respect for tradition — organic farming, old sangiovese vines, and limestone and galestro soils.

Their Vin Santo, made from dried malvasia and trebbiano grapes, follows a time-honoured method. The grapes are hung to dry for months, then pressed and fermented slowly in small caratelli barrels sealed with wax. There, in the quiet of the attic, the wine ages for nearly eight years, developing its complex, oxidative beauty before being bottled — unfiltered and full of character.

Vin Santo 2012 (Fèlsina)

Amber-gold in the glass. The nose opens with dried apricot, roasted almond, and honeyed orange peel. The palate is silky yet vibrant, balancing sweetness with fine acidity and a lingering finish of caramelised nuts and candied fruit. A contemplative wine, best enjoyed slowly, with aged pecorino or an almond biscotto, like we did.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Moravian pinot blanc connection

Published 7. November 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Moravia is not the first place people think of when it comes to pinot blanc — yet from here emerge a really characterful version. The rolling hills of South Moravia, near the borders with Austria and Slovakia, are a mosaic of loess, limestone and clay, dotted with small villages, organic vineyards and a new generation of growers working with minimal intervention.

Milan Nestarec, based in Velké Bílovice, is one of the leading figures in this movement. His wines are raw and transparent, often unfiltered, and reflect a restless curiosity rather than a fixed style. He sees wine as “liquid food” — something that should feel alive and nourishing rather than polished or corrected.

Krásná Hora, located further east in Starý Poddvorov, share the same low-intervention philosophy but express it differently. Their biodynamic vineyards lie on loess- and limestone-rich slopes, producing wines of clarity and tension.

In Pinot Blanc Connection, Nestarec’s partly oak-aged 2022 component meets Krásná Hora’s crisp 2024 juice. The blend captures both sides of Moravia’s new identity: human-scale, collaborative, and driven by the wish to let the land speak.

Pinot Blanc Connection (Nestarec × Krásná Hora)

Pale golden. Complex nose of baked apple, quince and citrus peel, followed by hints of chamomile, honeycomb and raw almond. The palate is broad and textural, with a gentle waxiness and a bright acidity. Layers of ripe orchard fruit and light oxidative tones build toward a salty, slightly spicy finish that lingers with a touch of bitterness, reminiscent of grapefruit.

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Fresh from a talha

Published 31. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is the last of a trilogy of white wines from Alentejo. Between Vidigueira and Cuba, Herdade do Rocim has become a key ambassador for vinho de talha — wine made in traditional clay amphorae, a method introduced by the Romans more than two millennia ago. The estate not only keeps this ancient practice alive but also celebrates it as the organiser of the annual Amphora Wine Day festival, dedicated entirely to talha wines.

This wine forms part of the Nat Cool movement — a collective promoting natural, authentic, and minimally handled wines. Under this banner, producers craft wines that express place and personality: low in alcohol, high in drinkability, and always sold in a generous one-litre bottle. Sustainability and transparency lie at the heart of the concept.

The wine is made from 100% rabo de ovelha, organically grown and fermented with native yeasts in clay amphora.

Fresh From Amphora 2024 (Herdade do Rocim)

Pale golden yellow. Aromas of stone fruit and delicate flowers. Medium-bodied with lively citrus flavours, crisp acidity and a gently textured finish. Vibrant and refreshing.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Clockwork orange wine

Published 24. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

From the ever-restless mind of António Maçanita, this is not your typical Alentejo white. Fitapreta is based at the restored Paço do Morgado de Oliveira, just outside Évora, where schist and granite soils at 400 metres bring freshness to the region’s natural warmth. Maçanita’s project has long been about rediscovering the forgotten grapes and traditions of southern Portugal – and giving them a contemporary voice.

A Laranja Mecânica (“The Clockwork Orange”) is a field blend from old vines, fermented on its skins for around 40 days and aged in used barrels. The grapes – including roupeiro, rabo de ovelha, tamarez, alicante branco and antão vaz – are handled with minimal intervention and no filtration.

A Laranja Mecânica 2023 (António Maçanita, Fitapreta)

In the glass it’s deep amber ans slightly cloudy. Aromas of dried apricot, orange peel, chamomile and wild herbs, followed by a textured palate where grip meets juiciness. Saline, slightly bitter and very drinkable, full of sun and nerve.

Price: Medium

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Vidigueira white

Published 17. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is the first of a trilogy about white wines from Alentejo.

Since taking over from her parents Carrie and Hans in 2019, Anna Jørgensen has reimagined the family estate as a living ecosystem — a polyculture where vines, olive trees, cork forest and grazing animals coexist. Farming is now regenerative and biodynamic in practice, with an emphasis on soil health, biodiversity and water preservation in this increasingly arid region.

This wine comes from a selection of the estate’s best vineyards across two sites. Alvarinho and sauvignon blanc are sourced from the coastal vineyards at Vila Nova de Milfontes, just three kilometres from the Atlantic, while the viognier comes from the inland vineyards at Vidigueira, grown on clay and limestone soils. Fermentation took place with native yeasts — partly in stainless steel for freshness, partly in neutral oak for texture — followed by ageing on fine lees to enhance complexity.

Branco 2023 (Cortes de Cima)

Straw yellow in colour. Subtle aromas of green apple, fennel and wild herbs. The palate is bright and balanced, with fresh acidity, fine minerality and good length.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Speaking of the island and the sea

Published 10. October 2025 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Adega do Vulcão tells the story of a Florentine family who fell in love with the Azorean volcanic islands. What started as a retreat soon turned into a commitment to revive native grape varieties and produce wines influenced by Atlantic winds and volcanic soil.

At the heart of the project are two generations of Italian entrepreneurs with backgrounds in business and marketing. Their work is overseen by Alberto Antonini, the Italian consultant who has guided the project from the outset.

The winery, located in São Roque on Pico, is equipped with modern technology. It uses refrigerated concrete tanks and untoasted wood to preserve freshness and texture while allowing the volcanic character to shine through.

The project spans two islands, Faial and Pico, where approximately 20 hectares of vines are cultivated in two distinct volcanic soil types. The distinctive character of these wines is produced by combining these unique terroirs with the influence of the ocean, latitude and dedicated manual labour. The diversity of the soils is reflected in the wines produced, each with its own unique character.

On Pico Island, the vines are cultivated in currais — small plots enclosed by ancient dry-stone walls that protect them from the ocean winds. They are planted in lajido, the lava crust formed over centuries following volcanic eruptions. Production levels are low.

On Faial, the volcanic ash resulting from the 1957 Capelinhos eruption, has created a unique terroir with an exceptional mineral composition, excellent drainage and a distinctive microclimate, yielding wines of remarkable purity and minerality.

From the black volcanic lajidos of Criação Velha on Pico, this wine is made from predominantly arinto dos açores vines aged 70 to 90 years. The grapes are hand-selected in the vineyard and gently pressed in a vertical press under inert atmosphere, followed by a pre-fermentation maceration and spontaneous fermentation in temperature-controlled cement tulip vats. Aged 12 months on the lees.

Pé do Monte 2021 (Adega do Vulcão)

Pale golden. Aroma of pear and white peach, lime peel, flint and hints of iodine. Medium-bodied with tension, a vibrant acidity and a long salty finish. It really speaks of the island and the sea.

Price: Medium

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