• The following 2019 Bodegas Castaño Monastrell is 100% monastrell—aka mourvèdre—sourced and carefully selected from bush vines in the tiny DO of Yecla. It was cold fermented in stainless steel for eight to ten days then underwent malolactic fermentation then settled for four to six months in concrete vats before bottled.

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Bodegas Castaño Monastrell 2019
DO Yecla, Spain $8.95 (635771) 14.0% alcohol
Exotic spice, earthy notes and black currant aromas waft easily from this monastrell—aka mourvèdre. A nicely balanced stream of ripe, sweet black plum, racy red cherry and hints of passion fruit coat the palate framed with lip-smacking tang and underpinned by fine-grained tannin—aerate/decant a couple of hours. It finishes dry and lengthy with palate replays. It’s exceptionally well priced and pours well with roasted or grilled beef, lamb or pork. (Vic Harradine)

• The following 2019 Bodegas Callia ‘Alta’ Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from hand-harvested fruit sent immediately to the winery to be crushed and macerated for 48 hours at 12 °C then fermented for 11 days at temperatures between 24 and 26 °C. Thirty percent of the wine was oak aged for three months in an even split of French and American oak.

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Bodegas Callia ‘Alta’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Tulum Valley – San Juan, Argentina $10.00 (12454) 13.5% alcohol
Inky-black hued in the glass, aromas of charred wood smoke, gamy notes and Ribena © dominate the lifted nose. It captures the palate with a tsunami wave of fruit-filled flavours with oodles of pizzazz—dark ripe cherry and dark bramble berry fruit intertwine with notions of black plum and excellent tang and acidity. This is drinking well now and pours well with barbecued or grilled-in-the-oven cuisine—burgers, gourmet sausage, spiced chicken breasts. (Vic Harradine)