France
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Laurent Perrier
The house of Laurent-Perrier is one of the very few Champagne houses to be situated right in the heart of the Marne Vineyards. From its privileged site of Tours-sur-Marne, it lives in phase with the vineyards, keeping in touch, all the year round, with the vines.
The style of Laurent-Perrier’s wines favours balance and freshness, with a full expression of strong fruit flavours. The range of Champagne can satisfy every palate, and every desire.
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Domaine Faiveley
This is one of the biggest domaines (115ha) in Burgundy and, many would argue, one of the best. Francois Faiveley (in charge since 1978), produces great wines by taking great pains over every aspect of wine production. Rather than a widespread use of clones, Faiveley reproduces vines predominantly from it’s own stocks.
Many of Faiveley's top wines are hand bottled with no filtration. This in turn results in clean, opulent wines that often show Pinot Noir at its best. Their concentration and richness are rarely equaled.
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Pierre Ferraud
A family owned company for over five generations, who continue its close links with the Beaujolais market. Brothers Jean-Michel & Yves-Dominique Ferraud now presides over the company by following the family philosophy. This philosophy is to bring each of their wines to full maturity, paying special attention to the characteristics of each wine.
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M. Chapoutier
Founded in 1808, 7 generations have followed to build up one of the most magnificient domains in the Rhone Valley. Under the guidance of Michel Chapoutier, M. Chapoutier is now the largest property owner in Hermitage.
Their philosophy and working methods of its wines is a systematic research of complexity & finesse. That the length in the mouth is greater than the palate. That the wine contains unique minerality, flavours & textures.
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Michel Redde
Born from a determination to deliver quality while respecting vines, soil and nature itself, the wines of Michel Redde is admired and renown the world over.
The wines may be tasted at some of the most beautiful and prestigious venues of French gastronomy, including Alain Ducasse & Paul Bocusse in Paris.
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Sauvion et Fils
Château du Cléray-Sauvion in Eolie is an exceptional source of great Muscadet wines whose reputation is internationally known. The wines of Eolie are characterised by their finesse, richness and elegance. Their flovours give a good balance between their specific "terroir" and racy characteristics, accompanied by the natural richness of fruit typical of this region.
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Sylvie Spielmann
The domaine has been bottling its own wines since 1958, starting with Sylvie's grandparents. Since the mid nineties, Sylvie has been in the realms and after a few years of a more and more biological approach to vineyard management they made the full transition to biodynamic practice in 2002.
The domaine produces a large range of grape varieties at the highest possible level. The Kanzlerberg wines expresses signs of uniqueness; concentrated and very individual and in particular the rieslings which show the terroir to best effect.
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Italy |
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Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari
Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari's philosophy is to produce distinctive, small-production wines from a portfolio of estates, exclusively from owned grapes, which reflect their individual terroirs. Their focus is to create “a necklace of pearls, of individual estate and single-vineyard terroir-specific wines.
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Ruffino
The battleship from Pontassieve. Luigi & Aldolfo Folonari, are the new generation of the Brescian family that has owned Ruffino since the 1920’s. Ruffino wines have been growing steadily in stature and their vast vineyards are in a constant state of renewal.
Their reds are powerful and concentrated, with tannins of rare finesse and a dense, well-sustained texture. Their whites are light, fragrant and have a simple, easy to drink style.
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Castello di Ama
Four families who fell in love with Chianti and its traditions founded Castello di Ama in 1972. After thirty years it is now guided by Lorenza Sebasti, managing director and daughter of one of the founders and Marco Pallanti, winemaker and husband to Lorenza. The partnership has proven to be an immense success, with Marco winning the Gambero Rosso Oenologist of the Year award in 2002.
The wines show harmony, finesse, great personality & effortless drinkability.
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Brancaia
Podere La Brancaia has been owned by the Swiss couple Brigitte and Bruno Widmer since 1981. It is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico area. It saw a vertical take-off when its vintage 83 won first place at a major Chianti Classico tasting. In 1999, Barbara Kronenberg-Widmer, the owners' daughter, took over as management of the estate - since March 2002 together with her husband Martin Kronenberg.
They enjoy the support of the brilliant winemaker Dr. Carlo Ferrini as consultant. In recent years La Brancaia has won many international awards. It is today one of Tuscany's top wine-growing estates.
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Icardi
Icardi was born in 1914 in Castiglione Tinella, a borderland between two famous viticultural “terroir”: Langa and Monferrato. The Icardis were farmers ever since; in the early 60s Cav. Pierino started making wine from his own grapes, instead of selling them to the industry. That was the beginning of a constant commitment and inclination towards quality.
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Spain
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Miguel Torres
Old established companies seldom lead revolutions but this one did, thanks to the inspiration and energy of a member of the fifth generation of the family, Miguel Torres Jr. Today Torres is the most famous table wine bodega and biggest wine exporters in Spain. The wines can be found on the lists of two-thirds of the Michelin two star restaurants in France.
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Jean Leon
Jean León was born in Santander, Spain in. At the age of 19, with just a small suitcase for luggage, he embarked on a long and arduous journey that would take him to Paris, New York and finally to Hollywood.
Years later, fortune would lead him to set up in partnership with James Dean to create a world-unique restaurant: ”La Scala” in Beverly Hills. Known and respected in gastronomic and oenological circles, in 1963 he decided to embark on the adventure of creating the wine that would carry his name, Jean León. The winery, situated at the heart of the Penedés region, combines tradition with the most modern winemaking techniques. It is acknowledged as having been one of the first wineries in Spain to have fermented white wines in oak casks.
The “Jean Leon Pago” consists of 150 ha of land (of which 100 are arable), and right from the very start the varieties on it planted were Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Chardonnay, all originating from acclaimed prestigious French wineries including Lafite-Rothschild, La Lagune and Corton Carlemagne. The quality of Jean Leon wines has merited prizes at numerous international competitions and tastings, the highlight being the prize awarded in 1993 by the international WINE magazine, which selected the Jean Leon Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva 83 as one of the world’s best eight wines.
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Portugal
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Niepoort
Still owned and operated by the same family (now the 5th generation) since its establishment at Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal in 1842, Niepoort produces some of the world’s best Tawny Ports that show their vibrant freshness and at the same time their age.
The grapes for Niepoort Vintage Ports come from four vineyards around Pinhào, at the very heart of the best vineyard area. Without exception, the vineyards are over 85 years old and the yields are extremely low at around 5 to 6 hectolitres per Ha.
The wines are made in the traditional manner, foot trodden in largares with the grapes still on their stems. Today, Niepoort is probably the only Port House making and ageing Port this way.
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