P a g e | 1

2018 List Introduction

Updating and completing a List like this is akin to drawing a line in the sand as the tide is coming in. As soon as the line is drawn, it will get washed away and a new one can be drawn. This List is the product of a recent 12 months of work, backed by 17 years of importing wines. But as you read this, we’re already on the hunt for the wines that may make it into next year’s List. The search never stops for interesting, distinctive, good value and delicious wines made by intelligent, talented, adventurous and trustworthy winemakers.

Their efforts are rewarded when you open one of their wines and enjoy it.

There are over 135, all of which we handpick and import directly and exclusively. We work hard – really hard – because we love this job. ALL the bottles hope to get your attention – and will reward it with quality, value and positive customer feedback.

Our Manifesto

Organic, Biodynamic, Natural, Sustainable, Lutte Raisonée, Non-Interventionist – they (and many others) are labels applied to wines to differentiate them from “conventional” wines.

We all love labels – we want a simple word, picture or phrase that encapsulates everything into an easily digestible (or drinkable!) chunk of information for us. With wine, it’s unfortunately not so simple. For example, within the general realm of what we understand as “Organic” there are many different approaches, largely determined by dramatically varying regulations in different countries. Or take Natural wines – the approach that technically eschews regulation and the addition of anything to the wines – except it doesn’t! Then add to the mix a winemaker who, for whatever reason, decides that their handmade wine (irrespective of whatever “label” they could assign) should be judged solely on its own merits. Bureaucracy and a non-interventionist approach rarely see eye-to-eye.

What is important to us as importers is a winemaker who has passion, commitment and an overall desire to produce a minimum intervention, unique, artisanal Wine. Of equal importance is that it must taste great too. We stand over all of the wines on this List, but those wines crafted by producers who follow this philosophy are designated with the tree Logo.

Our Services to You

Prices and Payment: We import all our wines directly from the Producers – the main reason why we can offer you great prices on the wines we sell direct. However, unfortunately since much of our business is also Wholesale, we do not accept Credit Cards. Payment is by cheque or Bank Transfer. All prices include Vat, currently at 23%.

Weddings and Functions: We pride ourselves on our attentive and comprehensive service. We can work with you to select and sample wines, provide background notes for printing, liaise with the venue and offer a Sale or Return service.

Delivery: We deliver Nationwide – and Internationally. Orders over €250 qualify for free delivery anywhere in Ireland – below that we charge €10.75 per case. Please contact us for very competitive International delivery rates.

Discounts: We don’t mark up our wines with high % margins, only to mark them down again for a “psychological” discount. However, our largest third-party cost aside from the wine itself and the chunk the Government takes in Excise Duty is the delivery to you. If you can help us by making a 10 case order for your party, wedding or function, we can discount our “Everyday” Wines by 10% (included in that order), making them even better value.

Fine and Rare List: We have an extensive (our accountant would say too extensive!) list of older vintages of Fine and Rare wines from around the world including Classified Growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy and iconic Italian and New World superstars. For convenience, these can be purchased by the bottle.

An updated version is always available on our website: www.cabotandco.com

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 2

Exclusive Agency List 2018

France – Page 4 Spain – Page 15

Domaine des Lauriers, Languedoc Bodega Abel Mendoza, Rioja Domaine Larzac, Pezenas Juan Carlos Sancha, Rioja Les Hauts de Montfort, Minervois Bodegas Arzuaga, Ribera del Duero Les Vignes d’Oc, Languedoc You & Me, Rias Baixas Les Caves d’Alignan, Languedoc Clos Bellane, Rhone Valley Italy – Page 18 Ferme du Mont, Rhone Valley Chateau les Miaudoux, Bergerac Aldo Degani, Veneto Chateau Raymond Lafon, Sauternes Antonio Fattori, Veneto Bordeaux and Classified Growths La Riva dei Frati, Veneto Domaine Roland Tissier, Sancerre Cielo e Terra, Veneto Bernard Baudry, Chinon Pradio, Friuli Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont Domaine David & Duvallet, Pays Nantais Serradenari, Piedmont Domaine Pascal Henry, Chablis Tenuta Olim Bauda, Piedmont Domaine Jacques & Nathalie Saumaize, St. Fattoria di Basciano, Tuscany Veran Tenuta del Priore, Abruzzo Domaine Daniel Bouland, Morgon Conti Zecca, Puglia Domaine Philippe Gavignet, Nuits St. Georges Cantina Corbera, Sicily Domaine Philippe Livera, Gevrey Chambertin COS, Sicily Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, Vosne Romanee Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin Morey, Chassagne Slovenia – Page 25

Roka, Stajerska Austria – Page 27 Miro Vino, Stajerska Verus, Stajerska Weingut Moric, Burgenland Gerald Waltner, Wagram Greece – Page 32

Germany – Page 31 Kir-Yianni

Philipp Wittmann, Rheinhessen Klaus Peter Keller, Rheinhessen Bulgaria – Page 33 Weingut Becker, Pfalz Weingut Rudolf Furst, Burgstadt-am-Main Edoardo Miroglio, Thracian Valley Weingut Ansgar Clusserath, Mosel Terra Tangra, Thracian Valley

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 3

Party Wines and Bubbly

“House” wines are the mainstay of restaurants and hotels. All too often they can be an excuse to offer a low quality wine at a grossly inflated price. Ideally a “House” wine should be a Signature wine – proof that the customer can benefit from a quality wine at an entry level price – and one, most importantly, that surpasses expectations. All of the wines below deliver on that promise.

Additionally they offer the bonus of not being big brands that are regularly discounted in the aisles of the multiple retailers. Discounts are available on all of the following wines on a scaled basis subject to volume orders.

Domaines Grauzan & La Prade, Languedoc, France Les Caves d’Alignan is a group name for a co-operative representing a number of growers in the Languedoc. “Co-operative” can often infer mediocrity. Not so here. The Grauzan Sauvignon Blanc is almost a dead-ringer for something from the Loire – crisp, fresh and with good fruit. Not a hint of flabbiness. The Grauzan Merlot is also elegant and structured. These two are our biggest selling and most popular House Wines.

“Best House White in Ireland” - Tom Doorley, Irish Times for Grauzan Sauvignon Blanc

2017 Domaine Grauzan Sauvignon Blanc (Stelvin) €12.99 2017 Domaine Grauzan unoaked Chardonnay (Stelvin) €13.99 2016 Domaine Grauzan Merlot (Stelvin) €13.99 2016 Domaine Grauzan Pinot Noir (Stelvin) € 9.00

Domaine La Prade offer the same quality and consistency, also originating from les Caves d’Alignan. 2017 Domaine La Prade Sauvignon Blanc (Stelvin) €12.99 2016 Domaine La Prade Merlot (Stelvin) €12.99

Domaines Grauzan and La Prade also available in Half Bottles

2017 Half Bottle Grauzan / La Prade Sauvignon Blanc (Stelvin) € 7.85 2016 Half Bottle Grauzan / La Prade Merlot (Stelvin) € 7.85

Vignes d’Oc & Terres Cortal, Languedoc, France So Vignerons is a small “negoce” company, sourcing top quality Languedoc wines. Claude Serra, the highly regarded oenologist and winemaker, supervises the viticulture and winemaking. His sole aim is to produce the best quality fruit that reflects a true expression of individual terroir. The results are beautifully crafted, concentrated wines that are wonderfully complex yet effortlessly enjoyable.

2017 Vignes d’Oc Rosé €12.99 2016 Vignes d’Oc Rouge Grenache / Merlot €12.99 2016 Terres Cortal Cabernet Sauvignon €12.99

Poggerissi, Tuscany, Italy The Poggerissi Rosso and Bianco are made by the very skilled Paolo Masi of Fattoria di Basciano (see page 15). Both are stunning examples of great easy drinking Italian wines. The Poggerissi Rosso is Sangiovese with a splash of Merlot and delivers soft, supple, juicy fruits with a good savoury finish. The Bianco is crisp unoaked Chardonnay rounded out with a splash of Trebbiano that contributes a hint of complexity to a crisp, clean refreshing white.

“Wine of the Week” - Irish Times for Poggerissi Rosso

2016 Poggerissi Rosso Sangiovese & Merlot (Stelvin) €12.99 2017 Poggerissi Bianco Chardonnay & Trebbiano (Stelvin) €12.99

2016 Half Bottle Poggerissi Rosso €12.99

Bubbles - Italy & France Every establishment needs bubbles – and we have two great options! Prosecco has become the drink of choice for many looking for a quality, inexpensive bubbly. There are many styles (and differing quality) but a good one hits the spot – dry, lively and a hint of natural pear fruits. Champagne can also be challenging – largely due to high prices for all too often average quality. However a good Grower Champagne is a revelation – instead of being produced in volumes of millions of bottles, take one producer, their own vineyards, their own hands-on vinification and voilá – a great Champagne!

NV La Riva dei Frati Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOCG (see page 16) €18.99 NV Pierre Moncuit Cuvee H Coulmet Champagne €55.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 4

FRANCE

For many, France is “Wine”.

Despite repeated challenges to its dominance, France continues to be the dominant force in the Wine World. From stratospherically priced Bordeaux and Burgundy to everyday value “quaffers”, France has it cracked.

Add an appellation/labelling system that not only identifies (or at least should identify) quality, but that also acts as the wine world’s best marketing machine (e.g. “the French love their wines so much they names their towns after them” - Marilyn Monroe) – and you have a very strong package. From the contents in the bottle, to the impact of that same bottle on the dinner table, France is a wine producing and marketing behemoth.

Success can often lead to complacency. France is a bit like a supertanker in the flotilla of wine producing countries – it takes a long time to alter course. Many are fed up with the “marketing” antics of Bordeaux producers which are having a negative impact on the overall accessibility of wines – and even the French Government seems disinclined to recognise the potential of their own producers by introducing all sorts of restrictions on the promotion and sale of wine.

But as ever, it’s those who work away under the radar that are breaking the mould. The country has a remarkably experienced pool of intelligent, creative and adaptive winemakers – this is where organic, biodynamic and natural approaches all often spark and fuse together, combined of course with some of the best terroir going.

It may be a supertanker, but keep an eye on those lifeboats!

Les Caves d’Alignan, Languedoc

Les Caves d’Alignan are one of the most highly regarded and progressive co-operatives in the Languedoc. Previously, where volumes were high and quality low, producers have now sought to ally themselves with co-operatives that can offer a price based on quality and a progressive marketing and distribution network. This benefits not only the producer, but of course the consumer. Alignan can select the best grapes and vinify them into various cuvees, of which Domain Grauzan is their flag-bearer.

The Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, fresh white that tastes like it should have come from cooler climates a couple of hundred miles to the north. It has been previously described by Tom Doorley in the Irish Times as one of the best in its class. It provides a fresh, hugely enjoyable drinking experience. The Chardonnay is unoaked – ripe lime acidity combined with crisp, pure fruit.

The Merlot also tastes like it might come from a less intense climate. It has the classic rich plumy nose of Merlot, yet on the palate it has good structure and length. It will match perfectly with red meat dishes. Likewise, the Pinot Noir displays classic, elegant and lifted Pinot fruit.

2017 Domaine Grauzan / La Prade Sauvignon Blanc €12.99

2017 Domaine Grauzan Chardonnay €13.99

2016 Domaine Grauzan / La Prade Merlot €12.99

2016 Domaine Grauzan Pinot Noir €13.99

2017 Domaine Grauzan / La Prade Sauvignon Blanc Half Bottles € 7.85

2016 Domaine Grauzan / La Prade Merlot Half Bottles € 7.85

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 5

Les Hauts de Montfort, Minervois

Renowned winemaker Stephane Vedeau is a great believer in growing vines at altitude, where the cooler conditions lead to wines where ripeness is allied to elegance and complexity. His quest for old vines has led him to Les Hauts de Montfort high up in the heart of Minervois, between Carcassone and Narbonne.

Here ancient Grenache vines grow alongside Syrah and even older Carignan. The old-vine Grenache amplifies the minerality and freshness of the soils. Following hand-picking and traditional fermentation the wine is left un-oaked to allow the pure fruit flavours to show through. The result is a remarkably good wine that Decanter voted the best-priced, best-value French wine.

Deep, youthful colour and ripe cherry, liquorice and damson aromas. Rich bramble fruit flavours are balanced by a lovely mineral freshness and a spicy aromatic finish with just a touch of tannin. Bottled unfiltered to retain all the sun-filled flavours, this is a “hand made” wine in the best sense of the expression.

“Best Quality/Value French Wine“, Decanter Magazine

2015 Minervois “Les Megalithes” €18.00

Chateau Larzac, Languedoc

Pierre and Claudie Bonafé have owned the Château de Larzac since 1993. In 1999 they decided to embark on a new and fascinating project: to extend the Domaine and to completely modernize it. Forty hectares have been replanted, all of the agricultural equipment replaced and a completely new winery built while other buildings were completely renovated. Whenever possible Pierre and Claudie Bonafé built with local materials.

However while the style of the winery building is traditional it hides a state of the art 21st Century wine making facility with north-west orientation to allow the plants to make the most of the generous sunshine and regular dry winds in this part of Hérault River valley.

The north-west wind, the well known “mistral” which blows down the Rhône Valley (called “terral “ in this area which means ”vent de la terre” or “land wind”), frequently blows in winter and summer. It maintains a dry atmosphere. Some vineyards (6 ha) are situated on the banks of the Peyne River. They are inter planted with grass to assist this drying. The main aim of these cultural practices is to reduce the use of chemicals to the bare minimum.

The Syrah / Marselan is a soft, smooth, juicy and very gluggable red and offers ripe, juicy fruits with a hint of herbs and spices. It will match red meat dishes perfectly.

“Coup de Coeur” and Three Stars, Guide Hachette for Coteaux du Languedoc

2016 Syrah / Marselan Languedoc Rouge €15.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 6

Domaine Cabrol, Languedoc

The marine vineyards on the edge of the Thau Lagoon are among the oldest on the Mediterranean coast; They are crossed by the Via Domitian and close to the historic ports of Sete and Agde. The area of dry and sweet white wines, originally named the "Wine of Picardan", has been known for centuries thanks to the "Piquepoul" grape which thrives here, winning a constant battle with winds and tides. Vines have grown here for centuries, and although White Picpoul is the most common, though both blush and black grapes are to be found.

All the way back in 1886, the viticulture professor G. Foex wrote: "Wine from Piquepoul, known as Picpoul, is one of the best white wines in the Midi".

The Cabrol family run Domaine des Lauriers near the Thau Basin in the Languedoc with passion and skill. They produce a brilliant range of whites and reds that all over-deliver in terms of price / quality comparisons. They are advocates for the Terra Vitis movement which practices environmental impact-free agriculture to safeguard and preserve the surrounding environment.

This Picpoul de Pinot is an annual gold medal winner and is regarded as one of the best around. It’s a vibrant dry white that works brilliantly with oysters and seafood. Some describe it as “Sauvignon Blanc with a twist.” It is hugely popular and incredible value for money.

It is regularly cited in France’s leading wine guide, the Guide Hachette.

91 Points / 5 Stars – Decanter Magazine

2017 Picpoul de Pinet Classic (Stelvin) €16.00

Les Vignes d’Oc & Terres Cortal, Languedoc

“So Vignerons” is a small “negoce” structure, sourcing top quality Languedoc wines.

Claude Serra, their winemaker consultant is also professor at Montpellier University of Oenology. He supervises the viticulture and winemaking. His sole aim is to produce the best quality fruit that reflects a true expression of individual terroir. The results are beautifully crafted, concentrated wines that are wonderfully complex and handsomely structured. All the wines vinified by Claude come from vineyards located on specially selected “terroirs” producing characteristic varietals from the region.

The Terres Cortal Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard located 30 km North of Montpellier on the hillsides, well-known to be one of the coolest of the Languedoc. Clay soils with gravels give Cabernet Sauvignon its best expression with a rich, ripe fruit structure. The Vignes d’Oc wines are crafted to be easy drinking. The Red is a blend vinified in stainless steel to maintain freshness, and the Rosé is pressed from Grenache fruit and is crisp and dry.

Les Vignes d’Oc is an insider secret – a great wine from a great winemaker at a great price!

2017 Vignes d’Oc Rosé €12.99

2016 Vignes d’Oc Rouge (Grenache / Merlot) €12.99

2016 Terres Cortal Cabernet Sauvignon €12.99

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 7

La Ferme du Mont, Rhone Valley

After spending his childhood on a vineyard in northern Rhône, Stephane Vedeau pursued a career as a successful athlete for many years before transitioning to his dream activity of winemaking in 1992. After completing studies in oenology, he started the winery Maurel-Vedeau in Languedoc, which he then successfully sold a decade later to return home to his beloved Rhône valley. Here he founded "La Ferme du Mont" and began to buy and rent vineyards and parcels of the coolest and highest-lying parts of southern Rhône's best municipalities.

Stéphane’s sole aim is to produce the best quality fruit that reflects a true expression of their individual terroirs. The results are beautifully crafted, concentrated wines that are wonderfully complex and handsomely structured. His passion for Grenache and his ability to blend with the different and complementary qualities of varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre enables him to produce amazing red wines.

An advocate of “lutte raisonnée” (literally the “reasoned struggle”) Stéphane farms conscientiously using pesticides or chemicals only when detailed observations justify intervention.

“If Chambolle Musigny were made in Chateauneuf du Pape, this would be it” - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

2015 Cotes du Rhone Rouge “1ere Cote” €18.00

2015 Vacqueras “le Rif” €27.00

2015 Chateauneuf du Pape “Vendanges” €42.00

Clos Bellane, Rhone Valley

The “Cotes du Rhone” region in the Southern part of the Rhone valley is a wide-ranging appellation that encompasses many well known regions such as Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueras and so on. It can offer tremendous quality for reasonable prices when passionate producers extract the best from historically old vines.

Clos Petite Bellane lies south of Valreas and north of Vinsobres on a plateau at 400m surrounded by lavender fields. In summer, the air is suffused with the aroma of lavender and there are stunning views of Mont Ventoux to the south east. The altitude means the air is cooler especially at nights and this refreshes the vines. The Domaine was created just 15 years ago with the purchase of superbly sited old vineyards by businessman Olivier Peuchot. A stylish modern winery was built into a hillside to permit movement of wine by gravity and a very cool interior. The estate in the process of converting entirely to Organic production.

The whites are also renowned for their purity and concentration – including a unique parcel of Roussanne that is harvested as late as November each year.

“White Wines of the Year” - Irish Times for Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Blanc “les Echalas”

“Outstanding – 93 Points” - Wine Spectator for Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Rouge “les Echalas”

2015 Le Petite Bellane Organic Cotes du Rhone €18.00

2016 Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Blanc €22.00

2015 Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Rouge “les Echalas” €33.00

2014 Cotes du Rhone Villages Valreas Blanc “les Echalas” €33.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 8

Bordeaux Cru Classé

Mention Bordeaux and most people think of Classified Growths such as Château Margaux, Château Lynch Bages etc. The 1855 Classification – which bizarrely excluded all of St. Emilion and Pomerol – helped to solidify the status and reputation of many of the famous names we associate with Bordeaux today. A separate 1955 Classification did the same for St. Emilion – but Pomerol remains wonderfully unclassified – in fact, Château Petrus, indisputably one of the world's most famous wines, is unclassified.

But away from famous names and classifications a quiet revolution has been taking place. The region’s thousands of smaller producers have been systematically upping their quality level – employing better vineyard management practices, taking more care with yields, pro-actively managing vinification and so on. The result is a plethora of well priced, easy drinking Bordeaux blends from throughout the region. If you’re looking for a medium bodied Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend that offers good value for money, the so-called New World is not your automatic starting point any more. Try Bordeaux!

Chateau la Croix Meunier is a small estate of only 9 hectares and has been family owned for 30 years and is run by Romain Sauterel. With help from consulting oenologist, Pascal Poussevin, this small team is able to consistently produce some of the finest Grand Cru wines in Saint Emilion. Mainly made from Merlot with a supporting role played by a small ampunt of Cabernet, this is a deep ruby wine with a soft nose of cherry, violets and plum.

Chateau Gouprie is a great Pomerol at an even better price! A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it is a great example smooth, supple Pomerol style. It is fermented in small, temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to control extraction and permit micro-fermentations to ensure quality. The wine is then aged for 18 months in oak barrels – 50% new and 50% used.

The Guillebot Plaisance is a lovely soft, smooth Bordeaux, whilst the Senejac is a rare thing – a great wine from a great vintage at a reasonable price!

2015 Château Guillebot Plaisance Bordeaux €15.00

2014 Château La Croix Meunier St. Emilion Grand Cru €28.00

2014 Château Grand Ormeau Lalande de Pomerol €30.00

2012 Château Gouprie Pomerol €33.00

2011 Château Lanessan Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, Haut Médoc €35.00

2014 Château Senéjac Cru Bourgeois, Haut Medoc €30.00

For an extensive range of older Classified Growth Bordeaux, please see our separate Fine & Rare List

Chateau Raymond Lafon, Sauternes

In 1855, one of the most defining events in the history of Bordeaux took place – the 1855 Classification: a division of all the greatest ‘Left Bank’ Bordeaux wines into different ‘Growths’ that, bar one exception (Mouton Rothschild), remains unchanged today. The sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes were ranked too - and top of the pile is Chateau d’Yquem.

Back in the early 1850’s the estate of Raymond Lafon was a newcomer. Sited adjacent to the famous Yquem, they submitted their wines for inclusion into the classification – only to be told that they were of outstanding quality, but that since they were relative newcomers, they should re-submit them the following year when the Classification would be revised. It never was, and the rest is history………..

The 1921 Raymond-Lafon was considered even better than Yquem's wine in that great vintage. However, the estate fell into neglect, and it was not until 1972 that Pierre Meslier, the then manager of Yquem, purchased the vineyard and began to rebuild this wine's once fabulous reputation and most now equate Raymond Lafon with Yquem’s greatness. With a tiny yield of 9 hectolitres per hectare, (even less than Yquem's - less than a single glass per whole vine) and with the same grape blend and winemaking techniques employed as Yquem, the same ruthless selection procedure (normally 20% - 100% of a harvest is declassified), this is a truly great wine.

2009 Chateau Raymond Lafon 37.5cl bottles €37.00

2003 Chateau Raymond Lafon 75cl Bottles €45.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 9

Chateau les Miaudoux, Bergerac

It seems almost unfair to have these wonderful wines squeezed at the end of this section. In many ways Bergerac is the forgotten region of France. It should bask in the reflected glory of Bordeaux, yet the attention grabbing power of its big neighbour often relegates perception of this region to the occasional TV series about dodgy detectives and Holiday Home specials on British television. The wines deserve better recognition – and the value is amazing!

Gerard and Nathalie Cuisset have had a fantastic few years producing wines that rival their nearby Bordelais in everything but price. Accolades from the influential French Press, a tally of no less than 8 Gold and Silver Medals in the last five years and numerous Coup de Coeur in the Guide Hachette have firmly established them as Bergerac’s leading producers.

The Bergerac Sec and Rosé are role models for crisp, fresh wines that leap out of the glass! Style for the Bergerac Sec is very similar to a classic Bordeaux white, but without any oak ageing – just thirst quenching, refreshing, granny-smith style fruit. The Rosé is made from Merlot, so has a nice tautness and precision to it.

Certified Organic

“Coup de Coeur” - Guide Hachette for Bergerac Sec

2017 Bergerac Sec – Semillon 65%, Sauvignon 30%, Muscadelle 5% €15.00

2017 Bergerac Rosé €15.50

Domaine Roland Tissier et Fils, Sancerre

2015 was a journey of exploration for us as far as Sauvignon Blanc was concerned. We discontinued our NZ Sauvignons as we felt the format of exotic, tropical fruits often married with hint of residual sugar had become somewhat predictable. We went back to basics searching for pure, unadulterated linear-style Sauvignons.

The Loire Valley is the spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc and its most noble expression. Roland Tissier and his two sons produce Sancerre that showcase the classically clean, delicious flavours and the flinty acidity that defines the region’s wines. Rudolph takes most of the responsibility for viticulture; whilst younger brother Florent works the cellar. Fermented in stainless steel, the different cuvees are artfully blended to bring the true characteristics of the terroir and classic winemaking together.

With three generations of winemakers, the family farms an area of 11 hectares planted with 80% Sauvignon and 20% Pinot Noir. The production is comprised primarily of white Sancerre but also a little Rosé and Red Sancerre, both of which are very worthy of attention.

“Medaille d‘or” - Concours Mondial du Sauvignion

“Liger d’or” - Salon des vins de Louire 2016

2017 Sancerre “Tradition” €25.00

2017 Sancerre “Tradition” Half Bottles €13.75

2017 Sancerre Rosé €25.00

2015 Sancerre Rouge (Pinot Noir) €26.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 10

Bernard Baudry, Chinon

Bernard Baudry continues to be one of the leading producers of Chinon wines – and like many other greats in their professions, he is a shy, retiring character. After studying oenology in Beaune, he started out as a viticultural advisor in a laboratory in Tours. After five years he decided to set up on his own with 2 hectares. Since 1982 he has steadily increased this to 8 hectares – a size that allows him to vinify each ‘parcelle’ of vines seperately, with each cuvée corresponding to a distinct terroir.

Matthieu, his son, studied in Macon and Bordeaux. After formative experiences in Tasmania and California he returned to the family estate in 2000 and now works alongside Bernard. Between them, they pay painstaking attention to detail. Each parcelle of Cabernet Franc is de-budded to ensure low yields and high quality, with hand harvesting of all grapes. Yields average 35-40 hl/ha from vines between 40 and 60 years of age. The wines display an almost Burgundian combination of finesse and structure. They must be some of the most under-valued (in price terms) wines in the world!! “Les Granges” is soft and fruity and very approachable whilst the 2005 “Les Grezeaux” is more complex and beginning to develop wonderful secondary and tertiary flavour characteristics. It is drinking wonderfully now.

“Wine of the Week” - (Three Times!) Irish Times Magazine for Chinon “les Granges”

“Top Red from the Loire”, La RVF from a tasting of 157 Loire Reds for Baudry Chinon

2017 Chinon Rosé €19.50

2016 Chinon Les Granges €19.50

2014 Chinon Les Grezeaux €25.00

Older vintages of the Croix Boissée & Clos Guillot Cuvees are listed on our Fine and Rare List

Domaine Filliatreau, Saumur

To be very honest, we weren’t actually looking for another Loire Red. However Cabernet Franc can be so versatile and it’s in Saumur that it reaches its apogee of savoury, juicy, fruit-forward, elegant drinking enjoyment – and when we tasted this we were blown away.

Domaine Filliatreau is run by Paul and Frédrik Filliatreau, father and son. The vineyards are planted on top of a tufa-stone outcrop that runs along the Loire river for a number of kilometres. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the stone, a creamy coloured limestone, was quarried for building some of the great monuments and châteaux of the Loire. Cave dwellings and a few formidable houses were actually carved into the cliffs.

The soil and subsoil of the vineyard are highly calcareous and lends the Cabernet Franc grapes juicy flavours and good acidity. The vines are of considerable age and yields are kept low. The wine is vinified in stainless-steel and bottled unfiltered. It is rich in red fruit flavours, with a touch of tobacco and liquorice in the finish and has excellent aging potential.

Château Fouquet is a single-plot vineyard that is worked in biodynamic viticulture. Paul Filliatreau, who twenty years ago did much to put the AOC Saumur-Champigny on the map of great wines, has resolved to go back to "older ways" of tending vines and found the principles of bio-dynamics well suited to this purpose.

Biodynamic production

2015 Château Fouquet Saumur €19.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 11

David & Duvallet, Pays Nantais

We think it’s about time we had a Muscadet back on the List. Not because it is suddenly “trendy” again, but because we believe we have stumbled across some truly incredible wines. As importers, we are regularly inundated with emails from producers looking for representation, but we tend to do it the other way around. We hear about something – a recommendation, a tip-off, a review – and we go looking for that producer.

In the case of Sebastien Duvallet, the procedure proved a little more convoluted than normal. We heard about some of their amazing lees-aged wines (36 months!) and made contact. We requested, and happily paid for, samples. They were then promptly impounded by Customs in Shannon (long running saga) and some weeks later released to us. At that point, we were departing for Slovenia, so we took them with us – and then got distracted by winemaking duties. They were eventually re- discovered and tasted in Slovenia – and they hugely impressed us.

Pierre David started the family domaine with 3.7 acres in the village of Le Landreau way back in 1927. After WWII, his son André added vineyard parcels, and later, grandson Michel expanded the domaine even further. Today great-grandson Stéphane and business partner Sébastien Duvallet farm 74 acres.

The vines average 30 years of age, with 10 acres of 50+ year old vines. Harvest is by hand. The soil in the Clos du Ferré vineyard is schist and mica over a base of granite and the wines have wonderful precision and complexity. The Goulaine Cuvee spends an incredible 3 years “sur lie” and is reminiscent of a top white Burgundy.

While Stéphane and Sébastien are not yet recognized internationally like Le Landreau neighbour Guy Bossard at Domaine L’Ecu, they are rapidly making a name for themselves in the region.

98 Points, Outstanding Rating – Decanter Magazine for Goulaine

2017 Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie “Clos du Ferré” €16.00

2012 Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur Lie ”Goulaine” €22.00

Domaine Pascal Henry, Chablis

Chablis is another tough region to deal with as a Wine Importer. Too many overpriced, under achieving estates trading on the reputation of the region rather than that of their own wines. As a consequence, our interest waned over the past few years. But then something came along that reminded you that this is now, once again, one of the most exciting regions for white Burgundy – and also the source of a very tasty Pinot Noir from the same region. Chablis is back on our List and we’re excited!

Pascale and Pascal (true, I promise) Henry farm 15 hectares of vines worked with respect for nature and tradition. Located on the Commons Chablis, Saint-Cyr-les-Colons and Chitry. The vineyards all have a south facing, south east location on clay-limestone soils.

There’s very little fancy stuff going on here – no tricks or technological wizardry at the winery. Just hard work in the vineyards, followed by meticulous care in the cellar. The wines prove the old adage that wine is made in the vineyard.

The 2016 Chablis has some nutty notes, a nice smoothness combining roundness and liveliness, and wonderful freshness.

Of great interest also is the Pinot Noir. The region may be overshadowed by the more famous neighbours further South, but this is a great, easy drinking elegant Pinot – at a truly excellent price.

“DEUXIÈMES GRANDS VINS CLASSÉS”, Burgundy Whites - Guides des Vins de France

2016 Chablis €22.00

2015 Pinot Noir €20.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 12

Daniel Bouland, Morgon

Daniel Bouland is a fourth-generation Morgon grower and his tiny vineyard is now recognised as one of Beaujolais’ yardstick addresses. He is a great producer of old-fashioned Morgon. with concentrated and textured wines. The fruit weight in no way masks the almost wild minerality of the soil. These wines have an intensity that can only come from old vines that are impeccably cultivated.

From less than 7 hectares of old vines in the Douby, Côte de Py, and Delys, lieux of Morgon, plus small parcels in Chiroubles and Cote de Brouilly, he makes wines that can age 20 years, and are comparable to fine Côte de Nuits Burgundies.

The majority of his old bush vines lie within Corcelette, in the hilly Haut Morgon to the northwest of the appellation. Bouland farms a number of old-vine parcels in this terroir, where (in general) the sandy granite soils over weathered schists tend to result in wines of great perfume and finer, rounder tannins than those of the nearby Côte de Py.

His Corcellette Morgon vineyard has 60-75 year old vines. De Lys (between Corcellette and Ville Morgon) was planted in 1926. In 2014 he acquired another old vines parcel - Bellevue, on schiste and granite. Vineyard work is all done on a sustainable basis. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinified with full clusters in order to extract all the organoleptic qualities. The wines are bottled unfiltered.

“These were absolutely superb expressions of traditional Beaujolais: serious wines that I suspect will age as well as their more expensive counterparts further north in the Côte de Nuits. They represent outstanding value in the current market…” Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

2016 Cote de Brouilly €26.00

2016 Morgon Delys €26.00

20126 Morgon Courcelettes €26.00

Jacques & Nathalie Saumaize, Saint Veran

We visited Jacques and Nathalie in November 2010 and were immediately taken by their wines – placing an order on the spot! They are born and bred Macconais, having both grown up on the land that surrounds their 8 hectare farm. It was a bit smaller back in 1982 when Jacques vinified his first wines, but they have acquired bits and pieces of key vineyards along the way since then.

To say there are passionate about what they do would be an understatement – they both share the responsibilities in the vineyard where the tractor is used as little as possible to avoid compacting the soils and pruning is meticulous to ensure a balanced yield. Natural compost is favoured and no insecticides are used. In the cellars, the handling of fermentations and elevage is designed to highlight the character of each individual vineyard. The wines are matured for a minimum of 10 months over fine lees and are gently stirred about once a week to put the lees back into suspension and lend both body and finesse.

Some of the different cuvées are aged in oak, but we selected two that are not. They both feature balanced, elegant fruits with ripe acidities and wonderful precision.

“White Wines of the Year” - Jancis Robinson, Financial Times for St. Veran “En Creches”

2016 St. Veran “En Creches” €23.00

2015 Pouilly Fuissé “Nuance” €30.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 13

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Chassagne Montrachet

Pierre-Yves is the son of the well known producer Marc Colin, and his wife Caroline is the daughter of the local Chassagne Producer, Jean-Marc Morey. Pierre-Yves worked with his father from 2001 to 2005 – having previously done stints with other producers including Chalk Hill (California), Wolf Blass (Australia), Vacheron (Sancerre) & Ferraton (Rhone Valley). However in 2005 he wanted more flexibility to start implementing his own ideas about viticulture and vinification and his father split the Domaine into four equal parts. Pierre-Yves acquired 4 hectares of various vineyards and 2006 was his first truly independent vintage under the Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey label.

Since then his star has risen rapidly. Although friendships don’t necessarily guarantee good wines, being able to call on Jean-Francois Coche Dury certainly isn’t a hindrance and Roulot is a pretty good role model to follow! Today he produces between 60,000 and 70,000 bottles annually and supplements his own vineyard holdings by buying in about 30% of his annual production in grapes – paying top prices for top quality material.

Pierre-Yves tends to harvest a little earlier than others to preserve freshness, and does no battonage which adds to remarkably pure and focused wines. These are some of Burgundy’s most exciting white wines and are highly sought after.

Very Limited Quantities

2015 St. Aubin “le Banc” €45.00

2015 Meursault “Narvaux” €POA

2015 Chassagne Montrachet “les Ancenieres” €POA

2015 Meursault 1er Cru “Genevrieres” €POA

Philippe Gavignet, Nuits St. Georges

The style of Philippe Gavignet Burgundy “brings back” the profound elegance of Pinot Noir to Nuits-Saint-Georges, an appellation often known for more tannic (and often less balanced) wines. Gavignet wines are solid proof that Nuits has the terroir to produce elegant Burgundy but that it requires a conscientious winemaker such as Philippe to craft it.

We first visited in 2015 and were wowed by the wines. Curiously, Gavignet remains an insider’s secret, while “bigger” names in the village garner the attention (and demand ever-higher prices). These are some of some of Nuits’ most expressive, very-old-vine terroirs, with vines planted as far back as the 1920s.

In fact, most of the vines are very old, with a majority planted in the 1930s and 1950s. Vineyards are cared for as naturally as possible, avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides. Harvest is by hand; wines are aged in a mix of new and older French oak barrels (with no more than one-third new oak). All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Even the Bourgogne Rouge combines fruit from 45+ year old vines grown on two separate plots in Nuits proper; the vineyards’ mineral-rich, silty soils contribute spice and refined tannins. It is a hugely impressive Bourgogne.

2015 Bourgogne Pinot Noir €29.00

2015 Haut Cotes de Nuits “Clos des Dames Huguettes” €34.00

2015 Nuits St. Georges Vieilles Vignes €47.00

2015 Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru “les Chaboeufs” €69.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 14

Philippe Livera, Gevrey Chambertin

You know it's going to be an unforgettable tasting when the very first wine that touches your lips is the best of its kind you’ve tasted in a long time. This is exactly what happened when we visited the cellars of young Damien Livera in November 2009. The wines all displayed juicy supple fruits, absolute precision and wonderful elegance.

Livera’s winery is on the outskirts of the village of Gevrey-Chambertin in Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. It is run by Damien and his father Philippe, both of whom share the winemaking duties. Winemaking is traditional and the wine spends varying time, depending on the appellation and on the vintage, in barrel to age and mature slowly. They have (along with Didier Darviot) one of the coldest cellars in Burgundy. Malolactic fermentations here are agonisingly slow, resulting in wines with great depth and complexity.

They make several different wines, including village appellations as well as Grands Crus from Chambertin or Chapelle-Chambertin. For us, the star was the “Clos Village”. Just outside the Livera house, across the street, they have a small vineyard, a 'clos', that is surrounded by a wall, almost in the centre of the village of Gevrey. (And it produces the wine that they call "Clos Village".)

Made from 60-year-old vines, the Gevrey “en Champs” is like a baby Chambertin, with its deep purple hue and notes of berries and liquorice on the aromatic nose. Notes of chocolate blend with cinnamon and black pepper on the palate; complex, engaging and seductive.

2012 Cotes de Nuits Villages €37.00

2014 Fixin €44.00

2015 Gevrey Chambertin AC “en Champs” €62.00

Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg, Vosne Romanee

The domaine of the late and very highly respected Georges Mugneret in Vosne Romanee is now known as Mugneret- Gibourg. Today the domaine is run by his elegant and gracious daughters and wife. Since Dr. Mugneret's death in 1988 they have, if anything, increased the quality of the wines. We know of no other Burgundies with truer Burgundy character, or more authentic taste of the soil. These are also incredibly ageworthy wines.

The Domaine owns a total of about 14 hectares in 5 different communes. The winemaking duties are shared by the daughters Marie-Andree and Marie-Christine in a very interesting (yet obviously successful) division of labour: one looks after the vines and the other vinifies the harvested grapes – and they keep their roles quite separate. These wines have a delicacy of texture and ethereal fruit qualities that are matched by few producers in the Côte d'Or.

As you can imagine, 14 hectares produces a tiny amount of wine – we get allocations of cases in single figures. The Vosne Romanee AC “Villages” (from old vines) is an exceptional value and Mugneret-Gibourg are now ranked among the very, very top echelon of Burgundy producers.

"The Bourgogne Rouge here is always among the best in its class” - Allen Meadows, Burghound

“The best ‘straight’ Bourgogne around” - Clive Coates

Very Limited Quantities

2015 Bourgogne Rouge €49.00

2015 Vosne Romanee AC €POA

2015 Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Chaignots €POA

2015 Ruchottes Chambertin Grand Cru €POA

For older vintages and other Grand Cru Vineyards, see the separate Fine and Rare List

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 15

SPAIN

Surprisingly, for a supposedly “warm” country, almost 90% of Spanish vineyards lie at altitudes higher than any French region. However drought (in the South) and long, cold Winters (in the North) provide big challenges for wine producers. Although Spain has more area of land under vine than any other country, the actual volume of wine produced has always been relatively small since vine density – and yield – has been low.

In 1995 the law changed and irrigation was allowed. In many regions this was essential to allow even reasonable yields. There are still very dry vintages that challenge the vines, and irrigation is by no means universal as it costs a lot to drill for water, and then install the systems to distribute it. But yields increased dramatically – not always with a consequent increase in quality. Styles changed too: ageing wine prior to release in American oak (e.g. Riserva and Gran Riserva) was always almost unique to Spanish producers, but many now prefer freshness and purity of fruit with shorter exposure to French oak as an alternative to extended ageing. Modern Spanish wines can offer great freshness (both reds and whites), yet also amazing concentration of fruit thanks to access to old vines and low yields.

The “DO” system is less complicated that France’s AOP, or Italy’s haphazard DOC system. However many DO’s are so large in area that they encompass all sorts of different terrains and climates.

Not only do “traditional” and “modern” styles vie for the wine consumer’s attention, but choice of grape variety is also extensive in Spain. Of course Tempranillo and Albarino are ubiquitous, but there are some genuinely stunning alternatives on offer – Garnacha (Grenache) providing a worthy red rival, whilst Tempranillo Blanco might just be Spain’s answer to a minerally, crisp, complex Burgundian white!

Spain is exciting at the moment. It has adventurous winemakers, willing to take risks and push the boundaries – and ambition flows freely.

Abel Mendoza, Rioja Alta

Abel Mendoza works hard – very hard. This is a man who is about as far away from the Frank Gehry designed Bodegas and vanillan, oaky styled Riojas that populate a lot of the export market as it‘s possible to get. His weather- beaten face and clay-covered hands are a by-product of tending some 37 small parcels of vines around the highly regarded San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja Alta.

Yet this is a small winery. The parcels are small, vines are old, yields are low and everything is done by hand. It’s a two person team – Abel (vineyard work)and his oenologist wife Maite (winemaking) look after pretty much everything. Organic principles are followed and wines vinified parcel by parcel.

Their wines are among the most interesting, rare and sought-after in Rioja, in part due to their aversion to all things related to wine guides, events and media. Abel & Maite are the equivalent of those Burgundian vignerons who lovingly tend their vines to create personal wines which are faithful expressions of terroir.

The wines showcase an amazing purity of fruit character – a result of the vigorous vineyard work, but also of traditional techniques in the cellar. But these are not “rustic”, or “brawny” or “rough” – but elegant, pure and focussed.

Old cement tanks are used for fermentation for the youngest and fruitiest style of red called Jarrarte. The grapes (Tempranillo and Malvasia) are entirely handpicked and then deposited into the tanks. After 10 days the free run juice is bled off and then the remaining grapes are eventually crushed underfoot – and this labour just for the Joven (young, unoaked) wine!

The whites are produced in such tiny quantities that they are virtually impossible to find – and they have received some of the highest accolades of any Spanish whites. Please ask about availability.

“First Growth” Classification for Abel Mendoza – 2018 Rioja Classification, Tim Atkin

2016 Rioja Jarrarte €17.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 16

Juan Carlos Sancha, Rioja Alta

I think Juan Carlos Sancha is a man out to prove a very serious point. Not only is he Professor of Oenology at the prestigious University of Rioja and consultant to a number of top Spanish wineries, but he’s also committed to making the most wonderful wines from probably the most uncommercial grape varieties around! That’s a passion.

He has five hectares of land along the border of D.O.Ca. Rioja, up in the coolest zone of this wine region. This facilitates wines of remarkable freshness and quality. Along with a tiny singe vineyard of 95 year-old low yielding Grenache, the winery also has vines of minority varieties such as Tempranillo Blanco, Maturana Tinta, Maturana Blanca, varieties that Juan Carlos and his university colleague Fernando Martinez de Toda discovered, rescued from extinction, and developed. Juan Carlos then went on to found the first Rioja winery bottling these minority varieties.

The vineyard for his flagship Pena el Gato is located in the Najerilla Valley at an altitude of 750 metres above sea level, on south-facing slopes. The soils are poor and shallow and the climate has an Atlantic influence, with cold winters, warm summers and long warm autumns. The strong temperature variation between day and night causes a slow ripening, which is very suitable for producing polyphenols, developing aromas, and giving the wines their characteristic elegance.

The vineyards are farmed organically and hand-harvested. Yields are tiny – and only 1,200 bottles are produced. After de- stemming, the grapes are fermented in new 500-litre French (Tronçais) oak barrels. The wine remains in the barrels with the lees for 11 months. Unusually for a red, this wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation.

“First Growth” Classification for Juan Carlos Sancha – 2018 Rioja Classification, Tim Atkin

98 Points – Tim Atkin for Pena el Gato

2017 Ad Libitum Rioja Tempranillo Blanco €18.00

2014 Ad Libitum Rioja Maturana Tinta €20.00

2015 Pena el Gato Garnacha €24.00

Bodegas Arzuaga, Ribera del Duero

Winemaker Jorge Monzon arrived at Arzuaga in 2004 (after a two year stint at Domaine de la Romanée Conti) to take a well reputed estate and move it steadily higher. The oldest vines here are around 30 years old grown at altitudes up to 900 metres.

The estate, called la Planta, boasts 3,460 acres of land in Quintanilla de Onésimo, near Valladolid. It’s breathtaking with its large number of deer and wild boar roaming free. Within this large natural space, which is also a hunting reserve, grow the 370 acres of vines dominated by the Tinto Fino or Tempranillo varietal and complemented by a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Hand-picked grapes are transported to the winery in crates of 15kg. They are then sorted, de- stemmed and soft crushed. The grapes are then pumped into small stainless steel vats where a slow alcoholic fermentation takes place over several days.

The Crianza is aged for 14 months in half American, half French oak barrels (it also includes 5% Merlot). La Planta is made for earlier drinking and so only spends 4 months in oak, whilst the Pago Florentino is a single estate selection (one of only 14 “Pagos” in entire Spain) of stunning purity and a real showcase for a 100% Tempranillo wine.

La Planta – Silver Medal at the Concours Mondial

Crianza – Silver at Decanter World Wine Awards

2015 La Planta Ribera del Duero €19.50

2014 Arzuaga Crianza €33.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 17

You & Me, Rías Baixas

Ok – whatever way we try and spin this, this wine is made by a big company. Actually, not just a big company, but one of the biggest wine companies in the world. The Ferrer family just happen to be behind over 100 million bottles of Cava every year. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, they might be more familiar to you as Freixenet.

But interestingly they are still a family business. And because they are a family business – admittedly a rather large one – they can also take decisions to do smaller “micro” projects. These are all the rage with large companies – proof they can do something really niche – something that is top quality and that the entire financial structure doesn’t depend on. Something to push the boat out on and make a “product” that really over-delivers.

And that’s what we have here. A pet project to produce a fun, enjoyable, stylish easy drinking wine. But don’t be misled by just half the story. Behind that fun image is the desire to be the best, to be successful and deliver something unique and memorable to the customer.

The estate of You & Me is in Vilanova de Arousa in the Salnés Valley, the most northern subzone of Rías Baixas. It is also the coolest growing region in the Rías Baixas. Fermentation was carried out at a temperature of 14 degree to preserve the entire range of flavours. Ten percent of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation to reduce its acidic aggression slightly without losing the typical Albarino grape flavours.

Don’t take just our word for how good this is – how about an opinion from Decanter magazine…

95+ Points – Decanter Magazine and Top of Tasting

2017 You & Me Albariño €18.50

Bodegas Hidaldo La Gitana, San Lucar de Barrameda

Bodegas Hidalgo, or technically Hidalgo – La Gitana was founded in 1792 by José Pantaleón Hidalgo, who was originally from Santander in the North of Spain. Especially during the 19th century it grew into the well-known company of today.

The operations of Hidalgo – La Gitana are old-fashioned in a positive way, in times when most other bodegas have been modernized. First of all, it is a true family business (sixth successive generation) and one of very few remaining independent. Secondly, it still relies on its own vineyards in two of the best pagos: Balbaína – in between the sea and Jerez – and Miraflores, the great Sanlúcar vineyard. They own about 170 hectares in total – all organically farmed.

The bodega itself is called San Luis and resides in Sanlúcar de Barrameda near the Guadalquivir River, at sea level. Actually it was right on the shore until the 18th century, when the sea started to move away. No need to say there is a constant exposure to sea breezes. The bodegas contain about 10.000 botas, many of them over 200 years old. Hidalgo – La Gitana produces about 200.000 cases of sherry and brandy each year.

About 70% of this production is down to the Manzanilla La Gitana, Hidalgo’s flagship wine, produced in a family solera which dates back to the early 19th century. In fact it dates back to around the same time when Manzanilla as a wine type came into existence. The name La Gitana means the gypsy woman, and comes from a bar in Málaga run by a gypsy, where Hidalgo’s Manzanilla was particularly popular. Nowadays it is probably the most common Manzanilla in Andalusian restaurants and bars.

NV Manzanilla La Gitana 50cl €15.00

NV Amontillado Napoleon €26.00

NV Paolo Cortado Wellington 50cl €35.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 18

ITALY

No other country does “diversity” better than Italy. With over 2,000 varieties planted, Italy is capable of producing an amazing range of wines. At the very top end, the originality and vivacity of the wines compete with the best in the World – not only in quality, but also price!

At the very bottom end though, the results are less spectacular. Some of the wines are still tarnished with decades of over- production – high yields and bad winemaking contributing to thin, weedy wines. But in fairness, much of the country’s wine production was only modernised in the 1970’s. Prior to that, only a tiny proportion was bottled, with most being sold off by producers for bulk production.

Since then, there has been a rapid evolution in quality. The role of the “consultant”, coupled with generous EU grants encouraged producers to strive for clean, juicy, fresh wines at the entry level. The only problem was a certain homogeneity to the style.

But Italy’s trump card is diversity. In recent years individuality has become fashionable. Sure there is plenty of really good Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay being produced, but this is there is great excitement in discovering the pleasures of grapes such as Fiano, Aglianico, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola – and another 1,995 more!

Terroir, winemaking, indigenous varieties are all coming to the fore. Today Italy is very, very exciting and offers excellent value for the quality.

Aldo Degani, Veneto

The discovery of Aldo Degani is certainly interesting – as even the brothers themselves are something of an enigma! One of our objectives on our annual trip to VinItaly was to source another Veneto producer whose wines would be less expensive than Bussola, yet still offer outstanding quality for the price. Having spent three full days tasting hundreds of wines, we were naturally excited (and relieved) to have narrowed the options down to four producers. As ever, we blind taste the wines again on our return to Dublin – and also include what is already available on the market. However, much to our disappointment, none of the prospective wines lived up to their promise. After all the time and effort, we were back to square one! And then we came across Aldo at a tasting in Italy– completely by chance. Simply stunning, and for the past eight years we have proudly imported his wines.

The estate has been around since the early 20th Century, but it was not until Aldo and Luca joined in 1988 that things took a definite upward swing in terms of quality. Aldo is the perfect example of the traditional winegrower whose watchwords are self-denial and hard labour, whereas brother Luca personifies the up-to-date, forward thinking technician: from this apparent clash of personalities comes a highly successful synergistic team that produces absolutely exemplary wines.

“Wine of the Week” - Irish Times Magazine for Valpolicella

“Wilson On Wine 2015 – The Wines to Drink This Year” Top 120 Wines, John Wilson

2017 Valpolicella Classico €16.50

2015 Valolicella Ripasso ‘Cicilio’ €22.00

2014 Amarone Classico €38.00

2014 Recioto della Valpolicella (sweet) €32.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 19

Azienda Fattori, Veneto

Brothers Antonio and Giovanni share the duties (and accolades) for the family run winery. They own 25 hectares of vineyards and produce a mere 7,000 cases per annum – relatively small given some of the production volumes for the much maligned Soave and Pinot Grigio bottlings. In a sea of wines from this region, their wines stand out as uncommonly fresh and individualistic – and to put it as bluntly as possible – they actually taste of something!

Antonio has been running the winery since 1970, and in his own words….

“I, another of a long series of “Antonio”, was the first of a Veneto farming family who had the possibility to study and obviously, it was already planned when I was born, I dedicated to study wine making. I immediately had the desire to create, to experiment and to bring modern scientific methods, but also to research the most authentic and original traditions. I imagined creating more attractive wines, less tired and more vibrant. I desired both elegant aromas and body.

The results are the fruits of a journey which gave me the possibility to visit places, to meet people and to experiment with techniques, instruments and methods. New vineyards or saving some of the older ones, cement, wood or stainless steel vats, fermentation at even lower temperatures to search the limits. Nowadays our vineyards are located between 150 to 450 m a/sl. At each altitude different vines for different wines. The must is processed in a winery where using non invasive methods allows us to eliminate, almost totally, the use of chemicals.

The world of wine is formed by seasons, situations and conditions that are never the same. No amount of experience is ever enough. The important thing is to search, to attempt with determination, humility and a little of patience.”

2017 Pinot Grigio ‘Gregoris’ (Stelvin) €16.50

La Riva dei Frati, Veneto

Prosecco is an under-appreciated drink – its image having being tarnished by some shoddy examples over the years. The fact that both the grape and the region are called Prosecco has led to a wave of varying styles and quality entering the market. The wine could be labelled as Prosecco, but not even be from the same region!

That was until recently when Italy’s latest DOCG (the top classification) was created to support those producers striving to create a top quality product in the Valdobbiadene region. Last year, following many requests, we introduced a cheaper alternative – but at the end of the day, no-one ordered it as they recognised the superior quality of La Riva. The message is simple: there is no such thing as cheap and good Prosecco. Sorry.

When made with care and attention, it can be a revelation. Crisp, fresh flavour combined with a frizzante finish create one of the most refreshing drinks around. Care and attention at La Rive dei Frati extends from the winemaking right through to the presentation. The frizzante status means the wine does not attract the Duty associated with Champagnes, yet this top quality DOCG bottling is allowed to be sealed with a mushroom cork – perfect for celebrations!

It is therefore not only very good and attractively packaged, but also outstanding value for money. It has been a runaway success for us – and it’s difficult to keep enough of the stuff in stock!

“Wine of the Week” - (Four times!) Irish Times Magazine

NV Prosecco di Valdobbiadene NV DOCG (Champagne Cork) €19.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 20

Cielo e Terra, Veneto

No, we are not talking about the title of the 1985 solo album by Italian-American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist Al Di Meola here (as I discovered from Wikipedia when I went to write this piece).

We are talking about the winery founded by the Cielo family in Montorso in the Veneto region of Italy back in 1908. Originally a modest family winery, it has expanded over the years (under the continuing stewardship of the Cielo family) to become one of the largest producers in the region. Today, they can call on the input of over 2,000 wine growers of the Colle Berici and they craft an extensive range of quality wines.

So why are they here in this Portfolio. Well, the words “cheap” and “Pinot Grigio” are pretty much enough to send any wine lover running to the (venetian) hills…. but it seems the Cielo family might have a few tricks up their sleeve.

What the wines might lack in quirky individuality, they make up for with reliability and consistency due to an ability to select the very best from a vast source pool, and to control the vinification meticulously with one of the most modern wineries – not to mention some rather talented winemakers.

Inexpensive… tick

Quality…. tick

Enjoyable… tick

2017 Belfiore Pinot Grigio (Stelvin) €14.00

Pradio, Friuli

The respected Gambero Rosso wine guide awards a single winemaker the accolade of “Best Winemaker in Italy” each year. There are plenty of regions (and winemakers) demanding attention: Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily etc. etc. But up in the slightly less well known region of Friuli in Italy’s slightly cooler North Eastern corner, Gianni Menotti works away quietly at the Pradio Estate. However since 2012 when he was given this top Award, it has been slightly less quiet as word of the wines has spread.

This is a region of crisp, fresh whites and soft, supple reds – and the international varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot thrive, along with their Italian stablemates of Friuliano, Pinot Grigio and Refocso.

The Pradio estate is 35 hectares, mostly on alluvial soils and gravelled terrain. Yields are low here – about 1.5kg per vine, with a density of 5,500 vines per hectare.

The style is to emphasise varietal typicity – Gianni says it best: "For 30 years I have been chasing elegance and balance - I like to transfer the grape in the glass - respectful of the varietal identity"

“Best Winemaker in Italy” Award – Gambero Rosso for Gianni Menotti

2017 Sauvignon Blanc “Sobaja” €17.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 21

Tenuta Olim Bauda, Piedmont

Tenuta Olim Bauda is a true family winery: Dino the Winemaker, Diana the Administrator and Gianni looking after Sales. The estate has been in the family since 1927 and has steadily scaled the hierarchy to become one of the top Barbera producers in Italy.

All vines are trained by Guyot method and by hand. Farming is sustainable, which for this estate bans the use of all herbicides, chemical fertilizers and only traditional copper and sulphur are used sparingly. All grapes are hand-harvested and tractor is only use to cut grass planted between the rows and to spray copper sulphur only when necessary.

Being a wine producer is not just a profession. We must have patience, love for the land, knowledge in the production of wines and ability to relate with colleagues and customers. We do not work alone but we are part of a system.”

The grapes for “La Villa” are harvested at the end of October and selection is entirely by hand. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks with temperature control to ensure it never exceeds 30 Celsius to maintain body and freshness. The wine is bottled the following July and then held in bottle for three months before release.

95 Points – Top Rated Barbera in Decanter Magazine Tasting

Top Ten of All Barbera Producers - Average across all Critic’s reviews for Barbera

2016 Barbera d’Asti “La Villa” €21.00

Serradenari, Piedmont

Marketing “slogans” don’t really work that well for wines as they are generally rooted to the notion of terroir and are thus inextricably linked to their soils and region: “world’s best soils” doesn’t really have a great ring (or authenticity) to it.

However, “World’s highest Barolo” does have both a factual element and some rather positive oenological aspects – as well as being quite catchy!

The 5 or so hectares of Serradenari include officially the highest vineyards in the Barolo region with vineyards ranging in height from 450 to 530 metres. That’s high enough to bring a wonderful elegance and freshness to the often tough and awkward Nebbiolo. The winemaking is overseen by the young and talented “Barologirl” Giulia Negri who lets the quality of the grapes express their unique terroir by way of utilising traditional, non-interventionist techniques such as open conical wooden fermenters and careful ageing in top quality oak casks. Volumes produced here are small: just 2,500 cases across all the wines produced.

The Barolo has been described as “surprising, soft, feminine, and bright, with touches of violet, ginger and vanilla” – a wine that perfectly reflects this terroir’s unique characteristics.

2013 Barolo “La Vetta” D.O.C.G. €39.00

2013 Barolo “Mega Cru” D.O.C.G. €52.50

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 22

Bruno Giacosa, Piedmont

It’s been a while since we last worked with the Giacosa Estate. Almost 12 years. In that time there have been many changes at the winery (his daughter Bruna now runs the business), but the wines themselves remain as good as ever.

The Giacosa winery has been making wine for three generations, and the late Bruno Giacosa himself said that this success was due to his respect for traditional winemaking methods which he believed enhance the characteristics of Piedmont’s varietals. The property covers 37 acres totally cultivated with vines. The altitude of the estate with its ideal south-west exposure and the microclimate combine to create optimal winegrowing conditions.

The Estate also makes wines with grapes purchased from other growers under the Azienda Agricola Falletto label. These are growers they have known for 30 years and trust completely and these wines have also earned them a reputation as an outstanding selector of fruit.

They are the antithesis of many Northern Italian producers who do the image-making and talking for their wines – he was without doubt one of the quietest and most dignified winemaking genius’s and one of the least promotion-conscious winemakers in Italy who preferred to let his wines do the talking.

2015 Dolcetto d’Alba €32.00

2014 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore €45.00

2012 Barbaresco Asili Falletto €POA

2012 Barolo Falletto €POA

Fattoria di Basciano, Tuscany

Paolo Masi’s wines are now well established since our original exhaustive hunt for an outstanding Chianti at a reasonable price – a task that proved to be more difficult than it originally seemed. His approach is one of the best, yet simplest – honesty and care. Here is a producer who will talk openly about the challenges he faces, yet is immensely proud of every wine he bottles. Paolo’s family have owned the estate since 1900, with 20 hectares under vines.

Wines are produced under two labels. Renzo Masi is a ‘negociant’ bottling made from carefully selected grapes bought from producers with whom they have long-standing relationships that include input into the management of the respective vineyards. The ‘estate’ wine is bottled as Fattoria di Basciano and is from grapes grown by the family. Both showcase the skills of not only selecting good fruit, but also of a truly holistic approach to the production of the wines.

The wines continue to outscore and out-rank many more expensive wines from the region – they are truly great wines for the money.

“Outstanding” - 90 Point rating, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate for Chianti Rufina “Top Ten Wines” - from over 1,000 Tuscan Wines tasted, Wine Spectator for iPini “This should be in every Italian restaurant throughout the Nation” – John Wilson, Wines of the Year, Irish Times for Chianti Rufina

2017 Poggerissi Bianco (Stelvin) €12.99

2016 Poggerissi Rosso (Stelvin) €12.99

2016 Renzo Masi Chianti €15.00

2015 Fattoria di Basciano Chianti Rufina €17.50

2014 iPini (Cabernet / Merlot) Super Tuscan €28.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 23

Tenuta del Priore, Abruzzo

The “tenuta del Priore” was a largely unremarkable winery until the potential was spotted by the ambitious owners of the highly regarded Abruzzo estate Col del Mondo. It was a classic instance of spotting the potential offered by perfectly sited vineyards and introducing both capital to refurbish and modernise the winery, and winemaking expertise to unlock the true quality.

There are 40 hectares of vineyards on steep hills, the majority of which form a large natural amphitheatre around a small lake. The principal variety planted is Montepulciano, but Cabernet and Merlot also feature along with some Trebbiano and a very tasty Pecorino.

The warm climate, typically Mediterranean, is mitigated by the cool breezes of Adriatic sea and by the dry winds of local mountains. Those air currents favour an exceptional concentration of body and fruit in the wines.

The Campotino Montepulciano comes from south-west facing vineyards composed mainly of silt and clay soils that bring a richness and body to the wine. The top-quality grapes are fermented and aged in traditional cement tanks and the result is a fruit-forward, plump, juicy, easy drinking delicious wine.

“Wine of the Week” - Liam Campbell, Irish Independent for Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

2017 Campotino Passerina €16.00

2016 Il Fattore Pecorino €16.00

2017 Campotino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo €18.50

Conti Zecca, Puglia

Conti Zecca is a relatively large estate based in Leverano, near Lecce in the southern province of Puglia. They have experience on their side – having been cultivating vines there since the 1500’s. And size certainly isn’t an obstacle to producing wines of exceptionally high quality – 320 hectares may produce a sizeable volume of wine, yet they are the only Puglian estate to have been awarded 6 consecutive “Three Glasses” Awards by the influential Italian Wine Guide, the Gambero Rosso.

Negroamaro is the indigenous red variety here, producing rich, soft, impressive wines, most recognised under the Salice Salentino DOC. Primitivio is also popular – otherwise known as Zinfandel across the Atlantic - and gives a more velvety, juicy, savoury style wine.

The Primitivo is harvested from Donna Marzia, Conti Zecca’s most famous estate. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, this well-structured wine offers an abundance of ripe fruits, accented by hints of spices. The wine has a soft, velvety texture and pairs nicely with grilled red meats and pasta dishes with meat-based sauces.

2015 Saraceno Aglianico €14.50

2016 Donna Marzia Primitivo €16.50

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 24

Azienda Agricola COS, Sicily

Biodynamism has been a buzzword for a while now. Many producers, having seen the results of the organic approach are going that one step further. However COS have been biodynamic for over 20 years! They are regarded as Italy’s foremost producers and regularly attend tastings with other iconic biodynamic producers such as Domaine de la Romanee Conti! However, creating, and maintaining a reputation on an island that produces more wine than all of Australia is no easy task.

Giusto Occhipinti and Titta Celia have worked hard to earn their reputation as one of Sicily’s (and Italy’s) most innovative and progressive producers. Current projects include a version of the Cerasuolo that is being aged in traditional ceramic urns buried in the ground. Winemaking is based strictly on non-interventionist principles – biodynamic principles in the vineyard with nature doing the rest.

Nero d’Avola is being heralded as the grape to end New World domination with its big, rich style. The COS wines are truly at the pinnacle of this unique varietal and as many other producers rush to release weaker, lighter (and cheaper) wines, they will continue to be heralded as the best that Sicily has to offer.

Two Glasses - Gambero Rosso for Cerasuolo di Vittoria

“Red Wines of the Year”, - Irish Times for Cerasuolo di Vittoria

“Outstanding” - Wine Spectator for Contrade

2014 Cerasuolo di Vittoria (Nero d’Avola and Frappato) €32.00

2010 Contrada (Nero d’Avola) €58.00

Cantina Corbera, Sicily

Cantina Corbera is a high quality co-operative producing great value wines. Established in 1971, the growers manage 1.900 hectares of vineyards across a diverse geographic area in the three provinces of Agrigento, Palermo and Trapani. This may seem like a rather large operation, but remember that Sicily alone produces more wine than all of Australia! The key is not necessarily size, but overall consistency and quality. And that’s what Cantina Corbera achieve year after year.

The Grillo vineyards are mostly located in the Isabella area. The soil is characterized by medium texture and rather calcareous. Vineyards have a southwest exposure and an ideal range of temperatures to produce clean, fresh wines.

The Nero d’Avola vines hail from Arcera, located in the Contessa Entellina area, in province of Palermo, at 350-meters above sea level. The soil is typically clay. The vineyards are exposed to the southeast. It has the ideal range of temperatures, varying from day to night, resulting in a superior ripening process – perfect for smooth, savoury Nero d’Avola

2017 Grillo (Stelvin) €16.50

2016 Nero d’Avola (Stelvin) €16.50

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 25

SLOVENIA

Slovenia’s joining of the EU back in 2004 has certainly brought the country’s wines to a larger customer base, but the history of winemaking there stretches back an impressive 2,600 years. In fact, the oldest vine in the world grows proudly in the centre of Maribor in Central Slovenia. As an effective crossroads almost in the centre of Europe, French, Italian and German influences are evident in both the growing and production of the wines. The climate is near-perfect, with the country’s main viticultural regions at the same latitude as Bordeaux and Piedmont.

They are undoubtedly one of the most exciting prospects in the crowded homogenous wine market right now. With a history of domestic consumption (only the size of Wales, 2 million population and an average of 41 litres each per annum!), quality is exceptionally high. In the Decanter World Wine Awards, the judging panel made special reference to Slovenia as follows: “Slovenia put in an extraordinarily strong entry, winning Gold Medals for dry Chardonnay and dessert wines.”

There are three main wine-producing regions in the country: · Podravje – this region joins Austria to the North and Hungary to the East and the wines are among the most prestigious in Slovenia. Mainly white, they range from dry through to stunning sweet dessert wines. The region is now more commonly known as Stajerska Slovenia. · Primorska – adjoins Italy’s Friuli region – in fact many prestigious Italian producers farm vines across the border in Slovenia. With a Mediterranean climate the wines tend to be dry and rich in minerals, with a subtle bouquet. Here 50% of the production is red wine – the highest percentage in Slovenia. · Posavje – to the South of Slovenia, is a varied region with many differing styles and a tendency to produce blended wines rather than single varietals.

The Podravje region lived in the shadow of the “trendier” Primorska region for decades, but in recent years it has emerged as one of the most exciting regions in Slovenia. It has found its feet as a red wine region with great, great potential (part of the old Pannonian seabed/plain that runs all the way up through Hungary and on into Burgenland in Austria), and the whites are getting more and more interesting. They have had “fresh”, clean whites cracked for a good few years now, but highly regarded winemakers like Miro Munda are starting to evolve a more complex, gastronomic style for the whites – try either his XL Cuveé or the wonderful Pinot Blanc and you will quickly be convinced.

Roka, Stajerska

Jaysus, what can you write about your own wine? It much easier to write about ones made by other people….!

Roka is our own winemaking project and 2013 was the debut vintage. The three wine comes from a single hectare west facing vineyard in Kog, in the Stajerska region of eastern Slovenia. Here the climate is continental with the cooling influence of the Alps to the north. Blaufränkisch and Furmint have one of the longest growing periods from flowering to harvest and it is not unusual to be harvesting here in mid-October. The vineyard aspect means the plants get the cool morning air, afternoon sun and warm evenings – a broad diurnal range that allows the vines to achieve optimal ripeness.

There is minimal intervention in the cellar. All the wines ferment spontaneously. The Furmint and Laski are racked into stainless steel for ageing following fermentation. The Blaufränkisch (Modra Frankinja as it is known in Slovenia) bunches are de-stemmed and transferred manually into 500 litre open wood fermenters. After pressing, it is racked into 500L Stockinger oak casks for a year where it matures. No sulphur is added and malolactic fermentation also takes place spontaneously.

The objective is to produce an elegant wine that emphasises the classic savoury, silky, red-fruit character of Blaufränkisch.

“Wilson On Wine 2018 – The Wines to Drink This Year” Top 100 Wines, John Wilson for Roka Blaufränkisch & Furmint

“Wine of the Week” – Jancis Robinson.com for Roka Furmint

2016 Roka Furmint (Stelvin) €17.00

2016 Roka Laski (Stelvin) €17.00

2016 Roka Blaufränkisch (Stelvin) €17.00

2013 Roka Reserve Blaufränkisch (Stelvin) €22.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 26

Verus, Stajerska

It is no exaggeration to say that the Verus wines, which we tasted for the first time six years ago, are truly outstanding – probably some of the most exciting whites we have tasted in a long, long time. And if you don’t take our word for it, how about this: “This week’s wine is a truly stunning white. An exciting new producer, Verus, a triumvirate of particularly ambitious young winemaking friends, has produced a range of thrillingly pure white wine varietals. I can recommend all of them as beautifully made, precise varietal expressions.” Jancis Robinson

Danilo, Bojo and Rajko all worked together at a large local co-operative and decided to strike out on their own. Being familiar with many vineyards in the locality, they forged relationships with the best producers to source their grapes and now have access to some plots of stunning quality – very Burgundian in approach! The wines are fresh and ‘clean’ and are bottled with Stelvin closures. All are around 12.5% or less alcohol with modern winemaking techniques employed – minimum air contact, cold fermentation (under 15 degrees) in stainless steel tanks to maximise freshness. The wines are all produced in small volumes.

Our first vintage with Verus was 2007 (theirs too!), and the wines have found admirers every vintage since. They just get better and better.

“Wine of the Week” - Jancis Robinson, Financial Times for Pinot Gris

“White Wines of the Year” - Irish Times Magazine for Verus Pinot Gris

2017 Pinot Gris (Stelvin) €21.50

2010 Riesling – reserve stock (Stelvin) €21.50

Miro Vino, Stajerska

Miro Munda is a classic example of why people are sitting up and taking notice of Slovenian wines. Based in the East of the country in one of the most highly regarded wine regions, he took over his father’s vines and immediately began to employ his own thinking. Reduced yields, organic principles and an updated approach to the vinification process resulted in a very impressive range of wines.

He has become a great friend of ours – possibly reason enough to convince you to try the wines. But that would be doing him a disservice. The wines in their own right are stunning and thoroughly deserving of your attention. He was one of the first to evolve from the historical style of higher yielding, vaguely sweet wines to a much fresher, fruit forward style. And very successfully too. Now the evolution continues to a more intense, complex style – best described as a “gastronomic” style. There is richness of fruit, purity and wonderful minerality. Everything is done by hand, yields are low (often less than 1kg per vine), sulphur is kept to a minimum and the results are stunning. These are truly individualistic wines made by an intelligent, talented winemaker.

The XL is a special cuvee – his top selection from 2010 – an amazing blend of late harvested Riesling and Pinot Blanc. It is a real gastronomic wine. The 100% Pinot Blanc was fermented in open-top small 500L wood fermenters and is a dead-ringer for a top Burgundian white.

“Wilson on Wine 2015 – The Top 120 Wines to drink this Year”, John Wilson for Miro Pinot Blanc

“Wine of the Week” - Irish Independent for XL Cuvee

2013 Traminec (Stelvin) €23.00

2015 Pinot Blanc (Stelvin) €29.50

2015 XL Cuvee (Pinot Blanc & Traminec) (Stelvin) €29.50

2007 Fuga Mundi (Late Harvest Dessert Wine NB 75cl) €44.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 27

AUSTRIA

Austria is somewhat of a conundrum in the wine-producing world. Though it produces less than 1% of the world’s wine, Austria is increasingly one of the most exciting wine countries. Yet to many, reared on Burgundy, Bordeaux and different shades of the New World, it remains stubbornly off the radar.

This of course generates a certain amount of puzzlement amongst Austrian producers who have little need to convince their own natives of their quality of their wines, yet are regularly faced with importers and consumers wary of experimenting. This isn’t a huge problem as those thirsty natives happily consume the wines at a frantic pace, with equally thirsty Germans taking up the slack. It would be a great shame, however, if we weren’t able to enjoy any of them ourselves, and hence our decision to include some in our Portfolio.

It’s not all Riesling and Gruner Veltliner either. There’s plenty of exciting stuff happening with other varieties too – not least the red variety Blaufränkisch which can produce the most delicious, savoury, elegant food friendly reds around. But it’s not all easy…

The idea of making wine is a relatively romantic one – the image of gently pressing perfectly ripe grapes under your soft- skinned feet, with the juices flowing evenly into vats and magically fermenting themselves into wonderful wines is a pretty common dream. The reality is somewhat different: pestilence, hail, snow, wind, stuck fermentations, flooding, uneven flowering, near-permanent bankruptcy and a myriad of strange-sounding chemical faults should be enough of a reality-check to put most people off. But how about taking on all of the above and deciding you still wanted to make wine – but with a grape variety that had never been bottled on its own until about 15 years ago? One that had always been used as a blending variety. The juicy, succulent variety Blaufränkisch intrigued Roland Velich – as did many other things – e.g. swimming against the mainstream, true expressions of terroir at the geographical extremes of winemaking, expressions of perfume and elegance from the fruit rather than power and opulence and many other ideals.

It is producers like Roland that make Austria such an interesting region right now.

Moric, Burgenland

I began reading about Roland Velich and his wines whilst I was trying to figure out whether or not we had a stuck fermentation with our own Slovenian Modra Frankinja (Blaufränkisch) and I was Googling late at night for people who’d had experience with Blaufränkisch. I think I Googled “best Austrian Blaufränkisch” and the name Moric came up time and time again. I was fascinated with the information – here was someone who had a singular vision to produce a very specific style of wine with a variety that most had beaten into submission by extraction and drowning it in oak to hide the sour cherry and “lighter” characteristics – yet he believed in emphasising the purity, minerality, perfume, acidity, delicacy and fine tannins of a variety that many would consider was not capable of producing such layers of complexity. He had researched possible vineyard sites in forensic detail and settled on an initial two vineyards some 10km apart in Burgenland – Lutzmannsberg with its clay, sand and loam soil and 90 year-old low yielding vines and Neckenmarkt with its slate and limestone soils and 82 year-old vines.

His first vintage was 2001 and in his own words the reaction from his critics and peers was “relatively unanimous: we’ve got something lean and wispy, it’s got relatively little alcohol and relatively little new wood. No new super-Burgenländer. Of no great interest.” But he had achieved his desired delicacy – a balance between tannins, acids and alcohol – and those outside Austria began to take notice.

Then came 2002, a magnificent vintage and by this time open-topped wooden vats had been added for spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts followed by ageing in large 500L and 1,000L casks. The world was beginning to notice. The arrival of David Schildknecht (of Parker’s Wine Advocate) to taste the 2004 vintage (which he reviewed very positively) was followed by his reviews of the 2006 vintage to which he awarded the highest marks ever (if you’re counting points) to an Austrian red wine. And the rave reviews have continued ever since…..

2015 Blaufränkisch €25.00

2014 Moric Reserve Blaufränkisch €39.00

2010 Lutzmannsberg Alte Reben / Neckenmarkt Alte Reben €85.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 28

Waltner, Wagram

Gerald Waltner is a great example of all that is new and exciting in Austria. True, Grüner Veltliner isn’t exactly a new “discovery”, but the region of Wagram has really only come to prominence more recently. Gerald took over responsibility for his family vineyard in 2003 and today is responsible for a little over 5 hectares – not a very big operation, but one that he is passionate about.

Grüner Veltliner is the main variety here, although there is some very tasty (and sadly very difficult to sell) Gelber Muscateller and Weissburgunder. There is also a very tasty, juicy Zweigelt that is well worth a look. Gerald’s approach seeks to emphasise the different guises Grüner can take – the slightly fruitier and fresher from Hochrain to the spicier, long and elegant Steinberz.

Gerald’s wines have quickly found a loyal following at home, and also in the key export markers of Germany and the US. They have also collected quite a few Awards, with the new releases gathering more praise.

A recent profile in the influential Falstaff magazine concluded “Numerous awards in recent years in various Wine Guides confirm the work of the winegrower and attest to the quality of its wines.”

“Wine of the Week” - Irish Times for Grüner Veltliner “Steinberz”

2017 Grüner Veltliner “Steinberz” (Stelvin) €17.00

2014 Zweigelt “Halterberg” (Stelvin) €16.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 29

GERMANY

If Austria has the challenge of making enough noise to highlight the generally excellent quality of its wines hindered by small volumes, Germany has the opposite challenge. To many (mostly older generations), Germany’s place at the table was reserved for the person looking for something cheap, sweet and unchallenging – and available in millions and millions of litres. The rising tide of Liebfraumilch swept over us all in the 1970’s, and when it receded, very little in the way of respect for German wine was left. Yet a mere 100 years earlier, the country’s top wines commanded higher prices than they very best Bordeaux and Burgundy. It was a fall from grace of catastrophic scale – yet the Liebfraumilch itself was never actually sold in Germany!

Although Riesling is now once again considered Germany’s quality grape variety, it is grown in many of the World’s wine regions. Of the 34,000ha of vineyards planted with Riesling worldwide, 22,400 are in Germany. Considering there are more than 7 million hectares of vineyards around the world, this doesn’t amount to much!

Today, a younger, ambitious, educated generation of winemakers in conjunction with mother nature are making the very most of what’s available. It’s easy to forget that the Rheinhessen is a mere few degrees of Latitude in difference to wet and windy Westport, yet growing vines right at the limit of where grapes will ripen creates the potential for some of the most exciting wines around. Add in old vines, high planting densities, near-vertical vineyards that must (for both safely and practicality) be worked by hand and, above all, perfect soils and you have a recipe for some of the world’s greatest white – AND red – wines.

Yes, Germany is bedevilled by a legislative system that ensures label designations drive even the most enthusiastic supporters of German wines to distraction. Yes, they are not the cheapest. Yes, they range from dry to sweet – and every stop along the way. But we all persevered with Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy etc. and it is so, so, so worthwhile persevering with Germany.

Last year, we were delighted to introduce the wines of Günter Kunstler to Ireland and we have had a great response. A number of visits to Germany during 2010 convinced us that we should expand the offering and we have been regular visitors since. We are delighted to be working with some of the country’s best producers.

Weingut Wittmann, Westhofen

History is no substitute for talent and although the Wittmann estate was established all the way back in 1663, it has been the approach of the current incumbent, Philipp, who has brought the wines to worldwide attention. Although youth is a relative thing (I like to think I’m still young!), there is a real feeling of youthfulness and energy throughout the winery. Everyone is young, active, friendly and interested in what they are doing. Led by Philipp, this young team have used Organic viticulture for almost 20 years and have been biodynamic sine 2004 – something of a rarity in the region. Westhofen’s vineyards are unspectacular, neither steep nor stony. The secret is the soil, with a thick layer of loess providing a balanced water regime in this dry region (only about 500mm rain per year). This, along with the high limestone content, many sunshine hours and relatively cool climate (average 10oC/year) is responsible for these unique Rieslings.

Wittmann’s vineyards include Grosses Gewächs Morstein, Kirchspiel and Aulerde. Favouring a drier, trocken style, Wittmann prefers wines “with more minerality than fruit. Riesling is a grape that should show elegance.” There is intensive vineyard care during the year, low yields and rigorous hand selection of grapes.

The slow fermentations sometimes continue well into the following year, but deliver an amazing purity of fruit. Like well-made Burgundies, Wittmann’s wines show great terroir transparency – indeed, Philipp points to Burgundy as a reference point for his finely crafted, pure wines. The entire range is simply stunning.

2017 Dry Riesling “100 Hugel” (Stelvin) €16.00

2012 Estate Pinot Blanc (reserve stock) €21.50

2012 Kirchspiel Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Dry) €49.00

2012 Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Dry) €58.00

2015 Riesling Auslese 50cl €29.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 30

Klaus-Peter Keller, Flörsheim-Dalsheim

“If I had to name the best producer in Germany today, it would be Klaus-Peter Keller, who has raised this estate to new heights since he took over from his father in 2002. His sublime dry Rieslings make up the core of his offering, but literally everything he touches turns to gold.” Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

When reading review of KP himself, or the wines, similar words are always used: “meteoric, skyrocketing career, intense, finest producer of dry Riesling…” and so on. There’s no doubt in my mind that KP is a maverick – but a maverick with a ton of talent. He is opinionated, yet articulate. His wines are at the same time challenging and embracing – huge and yet delicate – heady, dizzyingly intense and yet balanced. They express their vineyard origins to an incredible degree – with each different bottling offering up a unique kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours.

They are a wine drinking experience – here‘s part of my tasting note on one of them: “a ballet- dancing sumo wrestler” - and I haven’t written that about many wines before! But it would be a serious mistake to assume these are all “showy” wines as a stylistic statement.

There is huge substance and complexity to each one. They are unique. Have you any idea how difficult it is to be a ballet- dancing sumo-wrestler? It takes strength, balance, experience and a massive amount of skill.

2016 Riesling (Dry) €22.00

2016 Riesling “von der Fels“ (Dry) €33.00

2016 Kirchspiel Riesling (Dry) €POA

2016 Hubacker Riesling (Dry) €POA

2015 Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen “ABTS E” Riesling (Dry) €POA

Weingut Ansgar-Clusserath, Mosel

Since its founding in 1670, Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath in Tritteheim on the Mosel has been owned and operated by the family.

Today, Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann is following in the footsteps of her father, Ansgar. Together they manage the estate. Like her husband, Philip Wittmann of Weingut Wittmann in Westhofen/Rheinhessen, she is a member of Germany’s new generation of wine-growers who are committed to traditional, ecologically sound viticultural practices as well as forward-looking methods. Both in the vineyard and in the cellar she uses her personal style to bring forth the special characteristics of the Mosel’s unique cultural landscape. Her wines express the typicality of the soils and steep sites with great finesse and elegance.

Considering that Riesling has been cultivated in the slaty soils of the Mosel for centuries, it comes as no surprise that 97% of Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath’s vineyards are planted with this variety.

The wines with residual sweetness are also produced as naturally as possible. Fermentation is interrupted manually through temperature control and sulfurisation. If fermentation stops on its own before the natural sugar in the juice has been converted, no procedures are implemented to encourage a new start. Simply waiting for the next change in temperature usually helps the wines complete fermentation – a reward of patience.

2015 Riesling Feinherb “Vom Schieffer” €21.00

2015 Riesling Piesporter Goldtropfchen €27.50

2011 Riesling Trittenheimr Apotheke €34.50

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 31

Weingut Friedrich Becker, Schweigen

There are plenty of producers with vineyards in different countries and they use various means to commute between them. Fritz Becker is a little different – he trundles backwards and forwards across the border between Germany and France that is less than 100m from his winery in a battered jeep. Again, not unique – but what is certainly unique is that the grapes grown in the vineyards over the French border are brought back over into the German village of Schweigen and bottled as Spätburgunder – all thanks to a 1955 agreement allowing the French side access to a water supply.

Of course, none of this necessarily guarantees good wine, but back in 1973 Friedrich’s father, Willhelm, was one of the first to move away from supplying the local co-op and bottle the wine himself. Most thought he was mad, but over the years their opinions have changed radically and today the reds are regarded as some of the very best in Germany. Young Fritz has now been making them since 2005 and looks after 24 hectares. The temperatures here are about 1 degree Celsius lower than the surrounding region and Fitz prefers to harvest a little earlier to preserve acidity and freshness.

The wines have been highly praised worldwide, with the “Grand Crus” definitely rivaling those of Burgundy: Sankt Paul is Musigny-like, whilst the Kammerberg is more Echezeaux-like. The “basic” Spätburgunder would outclass many a Burgundian Pinot at twice the price.

2014 Pinot Noir (Stelvin) €24.00

2010 Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder “Sankt Paul” Grosses Gewächs €85.00

2010 Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder “Kamerberg” Grosses Gewächs €85.00

Weingut Rudolf Fürst, Bürgstadt

Paul Fürst took over the family estate aged 21 in 1975. A few years later, he built a modern new cellar outside the town of Bürgstadt, overlooking the renowned Centgrafenberg vineyard. The estate has since grown to 37 acres, of which 27 acres are in the Centgrafenberg vineyard and are planted with a variety of Riesling, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Weissburgunder and Frühburgunder. The soils here are based on red sandstone and have a high iron content – they echo similar soils in Alsace and the great Heilegenstein in Austria.

The wines are remarkably elegant for a region renowned for rusticity. Furst is meticulous with vineyard work and prefers to work with ripe (but not overripe) fruit in the winery and preserve freshness. This means he is often the last to harvest Riesling, but the first to pick the Pinot. The soils don’t produce grapes with high sugars and consequently high alcohol levels are never an issue.

Stylistically, the Spätburgunders are different to those from further South in Pfalz – there is more minerality, with incredible concentration and layered depth of flavour. The wines reflect their red sandstone terroir wonderfully – from vineyards planted at a density of 10,000 vines per hectare, and yielding on average only 1/2 a kilo of fruit per vine. Only about 8,000 cases are produced annually split pretty evenly between red and white. The wines sell out immediately.

2014 Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder Tradition €29.00

2010 Riesling Centgrafenberg (reserve stock) €33.00

2010 Pinot Noir/Spätburgunder Schlossberg Grosses Gewächs €85.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 32

GREECE

Greece……. why Greece?

Everything was going nice and smoothly… France, Italy, Spain – then a bit of Germany and Austria, some Slovenia…… but why on earth Greece? Well, because the wines are pretty bloody good – that’s why!

The Greeks have had something of a mountain to climb in terms of getting their wines known. To quote Jancis Robinson: “Greece started the modern era of wine with several disadvantages. The first was language – Greek script is illegible to most wine drinkers. The second was unfamiliarity; the only Greek wine name in circulation was Retsina – Greek grapes and terroirs alike were unknown. The third, and most important, was her geography: as complex and mountainous as Italy’s, with drought and stormy weather as constant threats.”

So these will be an easy sell then…..!

But seriously – and the Greeks are very serious now about their wine exports particularly since the economic crisis of 2008 – there is real momentum in the wine industry there. An influx of funds from the EU, along with some ambitious winemaking talent returning from training in Bordeaux, Italy and California has allowed the “industry” to evolve rapidly with modern wineries and winemaking techniques that are very, very different from the dirty, oxidised wines of the past. Today Greece celebrates diversity with an array of delicious tasting and totally unpronounceable indigenous varieties – and you should too. You will be very impressed!

Kir-Yianni, Náoussa

The Kir-Yianni Estate in Naoussa (Northern Greece) is located in the area of Yiannakohori, at the highest point of the viticultural zone. The Estate was bought by the Boutari family in the late ’60’s. The creation of this vineyard by Yiannis Boutaris gave the signal for the replanting of the Naoussa zone, just when it was at its worst point, paving the way for the creation of “terroir” wines, on the model of the French vineyard. The Estate has gone through three distinct stages of development: During the first stage, in the early ’70’s, it was planted with 50 ha of Xinomavro, trained in vertical shoot positioning, a technique used for the first time then in the Naoussa zone. During the period 1985-1990, in the second phase of the vineyard replanting, a big part was uprooted and selected parcels were planted with the Merlot and Syrah varieties, which were believed to be able to adapt well to the microclimate of the area, and to give great results when mixed with Xinomavro. All these interventions were based on rigorous technical and scientific criteria, with the aim of acquiring full knowledge of the Estate’s terroir, in order to achieve the best possible wine production. During the third stage, in the years 2004-2006, 15 ha were replanted with Xinomavro and other Greek and international varieties.

The vineyard’s soil is representative of the different soil types of the Naoussa zone, dominated by sandy clay to sandy clay loam soils. The climate of the region is characterised by abundant rain and snow during winter and spring, and dry conditions in summer. The winery is a modern unit fully equipped for making, ageing in barrels and bottling all the products of the Estate. It has stainless steel fermentation tanks of 1-180HL, with temperature control systems and a total capacity of 350 tons. The underground cellar has 800 American and French barrels of 225L and 500 L used for ageing and fermentation.

2017 Paranga White (Roditis / Malagousia) €16.00

2016 Paranga Red (Merlot, Syrah & Xinomavro) €16.00

2014 Ramnista (Xinomavro) €24.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 33

BULGARIA

If the previous page states “Greece….. why Greece?”, then the same question must surely be asked about Bulgaria. That is, of course, assuming you have got this far in the List….

Bulgaria lays claim to a winemaking history that stretches back over 3,000 years. You would think that with that amount of time to practise, that a few more of the wines would have made it out to the western reaches of Europe and onto our little Island of Ireland. Yet we are hard pushed to find many examples here.

This is all the more surprising since back in the 1980’s Bulgaria was the second largest producer of wine in the World!

Of course, prior to 1989, pretty much all of this production was internalised and consumed behind the “Iron Curtain”. 1989 saw a significant political change in the country and by the end of the 1990’s the state monopolisation of the wine industry had ended and all the wineries were back in private ownership. With 3,000 years of practice and quite clearly the right natural environment suited to the cultivation of vines, investment in quality was ratcheted up quickly. By the year 2,000 they had introduced a new French-style Wine Law that identified specific wine regions and enshrined detailed regulations for each of them. Remarkable, given that it seems to take about a million years to change a wine law anywhere else. This pro-active attitude in turn attracted outside interest and investment and the “industry” really began to thrive.

Today Bulgaria exports top quality wines all over the World (including Ireland) with the UK taking 25% of their entire export output. There are a myriad of interesting international and indigenous varieties to explore – from the dark and spicy Mavrud to fresh, crisp and zingy Sauvignon Blanc.

Edoardo Miroglio, Thracian Valley

“An Italian vigneron in Bulgaria”

Edoardo Miroglio was already a well-known Italian wine producer when he discovered in the perfect soil and climatic conditions for production of quality wines in the village of Elenovo in the Thracian region of Bulgaria in 2002. He decided to establish there one of the most modern wineries in Bulgaria.

With the idea to combine the Italian know-how in the development of vineyards and oenology with the excellent Piedmontese tradition, the winery conducted its first production in October 2005. The overall process for the production of wines is controlled by a group of Italian and Bulgarian oenologists led by the world's famous oenologist Marco Monchiero.

Nothing has been spared to create a hugely impressive operation – backed up by quality wines at very reasonable prices. The €22 million invested so far has clearly been well spent!

Alongside the international varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc there are also outstanding plantings of local varieties such as Mavrud and Rubin.

If you want to try something different – and more importantly something impressive, these will do the job!

“The Best Value Pinot Noir in the World” - The Sunday Times and many others!

2016 Soli White (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewurz) €15.50

2015 Soli Pinot Noir €16.00

2015 Soli Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon €16.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 34

Terra Tangra, Sakar Mountain

Terra Tangra winery was established in early 2000s. Its vineyards are located on the south-western slopes of the Sakar Mountain and along the Basin of Maritsa River in the Thracian valley. The winery produces a wide selection of red, white and rose wines, single varieties and blends, including a limited boutique series. Terra Tangra is widely recognised for its unique and prize-winning wines.

Terra Tangra’s vineyards sprawling over 400 hectares of land are certified for the production of organic grapes and wine production. The numerous sunny days during the year, the constant wind and scarce rainfall in combination with the southern exposure conspire to produce outstanding grapes.

The grapes are picked by hand, sorted and placed in crates. Only the best grapes are used. After de-stemming, each lot is vinified separately using traditional techniques, controlling temperature and duration of the fermentation.

Fermentation is achieved in the classic manner – with attention to every detail and carefully preserving and extracting the natural phenols from the grapes. The wines mature in Barrique French oak barrels for a period of 10 to 24 months, while sediments are removed periodically.

Terra Tangra were the first Bulgarian producer to embrace Organics and their wines hold an impressively large number of prizes – gold, silver and bronze medals from different expositions and prestigious competitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, China, Japan, Canada, Belgium, Russia and the UK.

2016 Organic Cabernet Merlot Winemakers Selection €13.50

2016 Organic Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot €14.50

2015 Malbec €17.00

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d P a g e | 35

The placement of an order confirms acceptance of the following Terms and Conditions

Availability: All wines are offered subject to remaining unsold.

Prices: Prices are per 75cl bottle except where otherwise indicated. Prices are nett and inclusive of VAT. This price list is effective from March 1st

2018 until further notice, errors and omissions excluded.

Payment: Payment is by Cheque or Bank Transfer. Unfortunately, we do not

accept Credit Cards.

Volume: Minimum order is 12 x 75cl bottles or equivalent – which can be mixed.

Delivery: Nationwide delivery is €12.50 per case, or free per case if the value exceeds €200. Please contact us for International rates.

Vintages: Vintages as described are subject to stock availability and may change without notice.

Cabot and Co. Fine Wines, 4 Cloghan, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland Tel: +353 98 37000 Fax: +353 98 30005 Email: [email protected]

Appletree Enterprises Ltd., t/a Cabot and Co. Fine Wines Directors: Liam Cabot / Sinead Cabot Vat: IE6364531R Company Registered in Ireland: 344531 Company Registered in Ireland No. 344531 Vat: IE6364531R

[email protected] @cabotandco +353 98 37000

C a b o t & C o., 4 C l o g h a n, W e s t p o r t, C o. M a y o, I r e l a n d