The Sauce Subscription - March '25
March signals the first days of Spring and as we’ve all spent the winter in Manchester, we welcome this with open arms.
To keep in this fresh, springing frame of mind - we are focusing on all things aromatic with this month’s Whole Bunch Wines Sauce Subscription.
We wanted to highlight wines which display fragrant notes, such as spices, herbs and flowers.
Many of these wines aren't regulars on our shelves, so if you'd like to see some of these in the future, please let us know!
Red Wine
Familia Millán Perro Callejero [£26]
- The fermentation takes place in French oak barrels and concrete tanks, at low temperatures, with indigenous yeasts, therefore achieving a great expression and complexity of aromas. It is aged in French and American oak barrels for 6 to 8 months and the best barrels selected to make the final blend. Look for notes of mint and damson, as well as red and black fruit. Buy Now
San Polo Rubio Sangiovese [£27.50]
- San Polo Rubio has seen no oak. Instead, it spends 10 months in stainless steel tanks, before moving into the bottle for a further 4 months. This really lets the lively fragrant and floral notes shine, without the interference of oak ageing. It shows off notes of violet, sour cherry, lavender, strawberry, cherry and plum. Buy Now
Mitolo Jester Shiraz [£27]
- A Shiraz which is firmly committed to letting the fresh, fruity and fragrant notes of the Shiraz grape variety shine through, rather than letting them be completely outweighed by the presence of oak. Although, there are subtle signs of oak ageing on the nose and palate. Buy Now
Maison Les Alexandrins Le Cabanon [£27]
- Top-tier Rhône red, for a near unbeatable price. The wine undergoes cold pre-fermentation maceration to extract complex fruit characteristics. The fermentation lasts for two weeks. Finally, the wine is aged in stainless steel vats to preserve the vibrant primary fruit aromas and let those delicate floral and peppery notes.
S.C. Pannell Basso Grenache [£27.50]
- Hand-picked grapes are fermented in open top fermenters and then it spends 10 days on skins before pressing. After undergoing malolactic fermentation is spends 10 months in old French oak, to add texture but not impart flavour. Finally, it is racked twice and bottled without filtration. Rich raspberry liqueur mixes with dark spice and cinnamon. Wow, just wow! Buy Now
Hospice de Beaujeu Cuvée Pierre Delafond [£25]
- Cold-maceration occurs and vinification occurs in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for 3 weeks. The wine is then matured in a mixture of oak barrels and stainless steel vats, (30% oak and 70% stainless steel), from 8 to 16 months. 25% of the oak is new so you will get a bit of that spicy character to the final wine. Bourgogne giving Beaujolais a run for their money with this Gamay. Buy Now
White Wine
Protero Aromatico [£30]
- The Gewürztraminer has fermented until it was dry, whereas the Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are both left with some residual sugar which can be felt on the palate. Both these parcels are then blended together on their lees and left to settle in a stainless steel tank. Intensely fragrant and floral, with sweet spices and tropical fruit notes. Buy Now
Jericho Wines Fiano [£27]
- The Jericho Wines Fiano has been aged on fine lees for 5 months. Here, the dead yeast cells are ‘stirred through’ the wine at regular intervals to provide the wine with a creamy texture as well as a nutty, brioche quality. The wine is then aged in stainless steel to preserve the delicate flavours of this wonderful wine which balances floral and nutty aromas, with rich fruit flavours and a mineral edge. Buy Now
Bodegas Vallemayor Rioja Blanco [£16.50]
- This is very much on the young, crisp and vibrant side of white Rioja, which is perfect for us as it allows those delicate floral notes to shine in honour of aromatic month! The Sauvignon is picked slightly earlier, but both grapes are soft pressed when they arrive at the winery. They are also fermented separately at around 12-16 degrees, before being clarified with pea protein.
Gabriëlskloof Bot River Sauvignon Blanc [£22]
- 15% of this wine was whole bunch fermented, with the remainder being traditionally destemmed and crushed. Fermentation then takes place is stainless steel tanks using indigenous yeast, before being aged on lees for seven months for a rounded mouthfeel. Look for touches of blackcurrant leaf, flint, orange blossom, lychee and pineapple.
Molino Real Mountain Blanco [£33]
- Molino Real was established in 1995 with the goal of reviving the region’s ‘Mountain Wine’. For this dry Muscat, the hand-picked grapes are placed between two straw mats and crushed using an olive oil press. This method is very traditional for the area of Malaga. The wine then spends 9 to 12 months being aged in the bottle before being released. It displays powerful notes of green grapes, wild herbs, orange blossom and rose petals, as well as touches of peach, greengage, mandarin and melon.
Cave de Hunawihr Gewürztraminer Reserve [£25.50]
- This wine is made up from a blend of micro-parcels from the Hunawihr vineyards which were all picked at the absolute optimal level of ripeness. Fermentation is temperature controlled and followed by time in stainless steel before careful filtration. No malolactic fermentation occurs as Gewürztraminer contains very little acidity, so they want to retain what they can. Classic Alsace Gewürz!
Don't Miss Out!
Make sure to check out our wine tastings and monthly wine club, if you want to try great wines like the ones mentioned in this blog post. Links below:
- Manchester Wine Tastings & Events
-
Sauce Subscription (Monthly Wine Club)
- 50% Off Your First Box