Wine Reviews

Chivite is one of the most iconic old bodegas in Spain, with eleven successive generations of winemaking tradition to its name.  A notarial deed dated August 1647 shows that the family already possessed its own winery and vineyards at that time.   Today the company has two wineries, independent of each other.  One is its traditional bodega in...
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Can Rafols dels Caus is the name of the estate in Avinyonet del Penedès belonging to Carlos Esteva.  Set in a farmhouse dating from 1630, it is one of the most distinctive, bold and individualistic bodegas in Spain, like the personality of its owner, Carlos Esteva.  He was one of the first wine producers in Spain to use the trellis system in the...
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Gorka Izaguierre is a winery founded in 1994 in the Bizkaia D.O.  Today, it is the finest example of modern Txacolis from the area. It owns 31 hectares of vines planted on trellises on clay soils with some marl.  Here they grow the Basque grape varieties of Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabia Zerratia, over 14 estates with slopes as steep as 30...
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Founded by Theodore Vander Veken in 1757, the Maison Henri Abelé is the third oldest in Champagne.  Its 250 year history, marked by prestige and innovation, is intertwined with the history of champagne itself. The history of Henri Abelé is full of interesting stories.. It was the first champagne house to use the process of disgorging by freezing,...
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Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard is located in Préhy, a village of 140 inhabitants, 7 km from Chablis. From 0.3 hectares planted in 1973, the Jean-Marc Brocard domaine today operates 150 hectares of vineyards located in all the Chablis denominations, with 60 hectares surrounding the domaine.  Today Jean-Marc Brocard’s second son, Julien, with...
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Lanson was founded, as Delamotte Père & Fils in 1760, by Francois Delamotte, and is one of the oldest maisons de champagne. The champagne house only gained its Lanson Père & Fils name in 1837. Lanson is supplied from 800 hectares of vineyards growing the three main Champagne grape varieties. The basis of their champagne style lies in the art of...
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Founded in 1914, this family wine group has become the undisputed leader in the cava industry and the world’s biggest producer of sparkling wines made by the traditional method, with 18 wineries in the most prestigious wine regions in the world. Freixenet takes its name from Freixeneda, a 13th century property located in the Alt Penedes. It owns...
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Gramona is a fine example of how a family winery should be run. Jaume and Xavier Gramona, with their deep seated roots in the cava world, have clearly defined views. They have managed to grow the company and position it as a major reference among the "author's cavas" of today.  Their cavas undergo the longest average ageing in the industry and...
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There are two key dates in the history of Jacquesson. One is 1798, when Memmie Jacquesson founded the champagne house in Chalons. And the other is 1974, when the Chiquet family acquired the company, setting up in the village of Dizy, where many of their vineyards are located.  The company then took a new direction – reducing production and seeking...
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