The Week Wines

This month we’ve partnered with an Italian specialist to bring you an exclusive offer usually only available to the trade

Liberty Wines is renowned for its unrivalled range of Italian wines, from the very best Barolos in Piedmont to Nero D’avola in Sicily. I recently travelled through Puglia and Sicily and was knocked out by the quality and variety of wines available. (It is amazing how generous restaurateurs are with their mark ups, so it is possible to have exquisite bottles for around £20 each.) Despite its leading role in importing Italian wines, Liberty has a far wider brief. As founder David Gleave MW points out, 75% of its wine list is made up of non-italian wines. It imports from 320 producers in 20 different countries, though 40% of its sales are from Italy. Accordingly, half of the wines in our current offer are from Italy, and the remainder are from Portugal, Spain and Australia.

Alma Atlántica Mara Martin Godello 2015 The name means Atlantic Soul, due to the vineyards proximity to the Atlantic, although they are actually located 450 metres above the Támega River in Galicia. This was my first ever taste of the Godello grape, which was rescued from near extinction in northwest Spain only 30 years ago. An exciting, vibrant wine with bold flavours of apple and pear, with an underlying lime citrus note which keeps it focused. The depth of flavour and finesse and its long finish suggest a wine costing twice as much.

Pieropan Soave Classico 2016 Pieropan is one of the greatest Soave producers, producing the first ever bottling of wine under that label back in the 1930s. This Classico comes from the stony hills of the region rather than the plains below, which produce a less exciting product. Pieropan’s estate covers 40 hectares of vineyard, and no pesticides are used. This vintage is immensely refreshing, with its white flower/blossom flavours and just a hint of citrus at the end. Perfect for an early summer drink.

Livio Felluga “Sharis” 2016 This intriguing wine is a blend of 40% Chardonnay and 60% Ribolla Gialla, a relatively rare grape variety found in the Friuli region of northeast Italy. There is great depth of flavour here, with hints of white cherries and yellow plums along with a honeyed backbone. As a mark of their obsession with quality, they have divided their 200 hectares of vines into 300 parcels to give them more individual control. This is completely ready to drink now, and again would be a perfect aperitif.

G.D. Vajra Dolcetto d’alba 2015 This wine is made to be drunk shortly after its release due to its fresh and fruity structure. It is the complete opposite of the neighbouring Nebbiolo grape, which is used in longlasting Barolo and Barbaresco – instead, Dolcetto (“little sweet one”) is made for instant gratification. Its nearest French

equivalent would be Beaujolais-villages. These wines are remarkably elegant and are perfect for drinking now with anything from pasta to pizza.

Casa Ferreirinha Papa Figos Douro Tinto 2015 This producer has been around for more than two-and-a-half centuries making Port, but while this wine is composed of four different Port varietal grapes, it is a dry table wine of exceptional character. I was particularly impressed by its freshness and balance, yet it possesses plenty of vigour and structure. Many dry Portuguese reds are too dense to really enjoy but this is definitely not an issue here.this would be ideal now with any rich meat dish, but will continue to improve for the next few years. A bargain.

Willunga 100 Mclaren Vale Grenache 2014 Willunga 100 is the creation of Liberty’s David Gleave MW – and some other wine notables – more than a decade ago. It has all of the spiciness and bold tannins you would expect of this popular Southern Rhône grape, some of which are from 80-year-old vines. There is none of the “fruit bomb” characteristics of many South Australian wines, as the whole point was to make a wine that fully expressed the potential of Grenache and the region. It will last another few years but I suggest it would be best to drink now, especially out of doors at a summer barbeque.