There is an old yellow Citroën 2CV that has become closely tied to the story of Venus La Universal. Sara Pérez divides her time between Venus in Montsant and her family estate, Mas Martinet, in neighbouring Priorat. The two cellars are separated by a ten-minute drive along a narrow, winding mountain road, a journey she [...]
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Venus ‘La Universal’ 2021
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Three New Luddite Vintages and Another Look at the Shiraz 2022
Luddite has built a cult-like following over more than two decades, and for good reason. The wines are distinctive, full of personality and made with little interest in trends or technological shortcuts. Niels and Penny Verburg released the first Luddite Shiraz from the 2000 vintage. Niels had confirmed his love for Shiraz while working a [...] More -
Welcome to the range, Raised by Wolves
Two Raised by Wolves wines are being added to the Yardstick range: ‘Swembad’ Chenin Blanc 2024 and ‘Vibes’ Mourvèdre Rosé 2025. Both come from individual Stellenbosch vineyards, offering a closer look at Adam Mason’s more experimental approach to wine. Raised by Wolves gives Adam room to work with interesting sites in small quantities, test different [...] More -
Barbadillo and Fernando de Castilla: the dry side of Sherry
Palomino is behind some remarkably different wines. In Sanlúcar de Barrameda, it becomes pale, dry Manzanilla aged beneath a layer of yeast. With exposure to oxygen, it develops into darker, fuller Oloroso. Amontillado goes through both types of ageing. The grape is the starting point, but what happens in the cellar makes a substantial difference. [...] More -
Trediberri: Barbera, Nebbiolo and Barolo from La Morra
The best way to get to know Trediberri: is to start with their Barbera, move to Langhe Nebbiolo, then try Barolo Berri. Three wines from the same producer, with different grapes, origins and approaches to ageing. Together, they explain the estate’s priorities rather well: fruit, balance and wines that are enjoyable to drink. Based in [...] More -
Beeslaar Wines
Beeslaar Wines “Abrie Beeslaar’s own label shot to early fame as one of the finest modern Pinotages to come out of the Cape.”― Strauss & Co. ABOUT THE WINEMAKER Beeslaar Wines is the family label of Abrie Beeslaar, one of South Africa’s best-known Pinotage specialists. The project began in 2011, when Abrie was offered fruit [...] More -
Ann Faure: The Lighter Side of Craven
Ann Faure began with Pinot Noir. Now Mick and Jeanine Craven have added a White and Red, turning the project into a complete three-wine range. The Cravens are best known for their site-specific Stellenbosch wines under the Craven label. Ann Faure gives them room to work differently, exploring new vineyard parcels, varieties and blends while [...] More -
Jessica Saurwein has BOOM! New Release 2026
Over the years, Saurwein has become closely associated with Pinot Noir and Riesling, varieties Jessica has pursued across some fairly extreme cool-climate sites. Her wines are not about power or heavy-handed winemaking. They are built around perfume, freshness, texture and, importantly, the character of the vineyards she works with. This release continues that story, but [...] More -
Pierre Gimonnet: Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils is a family-run grower based in Cuis, a Premier Cru village in Champagne’s Côte des Blancs. The Gimonnet family has lived in Cuis since the seventeenth century and has worked vineyards in Champagne since around 1750. Pierre Gimonnet began selling wine under the family name between the two world wars, and [...] More -
South African Pinot Noir: What to Drink
Pinot Noir has never been the obvious grape for South Africa. It makes up only a small part of the national vineyard, and compared with varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, there simply isn't very much of it around. There's a good reason for that. Pinot Noir is notoriously particular about where [...] More