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Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, NZ

Today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day is the 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc from Martinborough, New Zealand, a standout wine with harmonious aromas of tropical fruits, including pineapple, grapefruit, kiwi, melon, and nectarine, all balanced by floral and herbal notes. Its vibrant, textured palette makes it a refreshing alternative to Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, perfect for various occasions and pairings.

In the world of Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand has carved out a prestigious niche, with Marlborough often stealing the spotlight. However, a delightful surprise awaits those who venture south to Martinborough. The 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc is a testament to the region’s ability to produce wines that can compete with and complement their more famous northern counterparts.


Upon the first encounter, the 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc greets you with harmonious, lifted aromas brimming with tropical fruits, melon, and nectarine. This bouquet is elegantly balanced with floral and herbal notes, creating an olfactory experience that is both inviting and intriguing.


The palate of this wine is where the magic truly unfolds. Each sip brings a burst of fresh, fragrant herbs, and nettle intertwined with the exotic sweetness of gooseberry fruits. This vibrant concoction is not just a play of flavors but also a dance of textures. The wine has a certain weight and texture, adding depth to its bright and refreshing finish.


What sets the 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc apart is its ability to offer a fantastic alternative to the typical Marlborough flavor profile. While it shares the crisp, vibrant character that New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are renowned for (i.e gooseberry and Cats Pee), it also brings its unique twist to the table – a testament to the terroir of Martinborough.


This wine is ideally suited for a wide range of occasions, whether having a casual gathering with friends or a more formal dinner setting. Its versatility makes it an excellent choice for pairing with a wide range of dishes, particularly seafood and light summer salads.


The 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc is more than just a wine; it’s a journey through the flavors and aromas that make New Zealand wines globally celebrated. Its ability to offer a refreshing twist on a familiar favorite makes it a must-try for any wine enthusiast. With its unique climate and soil, Martinborough has indeed produced a Sauvignon Blanc that stands tall and proud alongside its Marlborough cousins. And that’s why the 2021 Te Kairanga Sauvignon Blanc is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day!!!

 

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2022 Ole de Aromas

The 2022 Ole de Aromas Bobal is a testament to the rich tapestry of Spanish winemaking, hailing from Manchuela, a region gaining recognition for its quality vintages. Bodega la Cepa de Pelayo is the winery behind this expressive bottle. There, the winemaking team practices organic and sustainable viticulture, ensuring that each sip carries the unadulterated essence of the terroir.

The wine is made from 100% Bobal grapes, a varietal native to the southeast of Spain. It is cherished for its ability to produce deeply colored, aromatic wines that retain a delightful freshness. The 2022 Ole de Aromas Bobal captures this balance, presenting a medium-bodied experience that is both complex and accessible.


A look at the wine in the glass reveals a raspberry hue with a hint of violet, characteristic of Bobal wines, whose tears stain the glass, indicating its body and depth. The wine offers remarkable intensity on the nose, exuding aromas of fresh red and black fruits like sour strawberry, raspberry, cherry, plum, currant, and blueberry. These fruity notes are complemented by herbaceous hints and the enchanting aroma of floral violets, a signature of the varietal’s typicity.

The wine’s palate is a harmony of sweet fruit flavors with a rugged structure, a testament to its 7-month aging in concrete tanks. With lees contact, this method intensifies the wine’s aromatic profile while softening its texture. Its low 13.5% alcohol level, acidity, and depleted sugar content all contribute to the wine’s dry profile and pleasant mouthfeel.

The 2022 Ole de Aromas Bobal is a vibrant and soulful expression from Manchuela. Its combination of organic farming, indigenous grape variety, and thoughtful winemaking techniques yields a wine that speaks of its origin and the passion behind its creation. It’s a bottle that promises to offer a unique experience to both the seasoned oenophile and the curious novice eager to explore the rich diversity of Spain’s viticultural offerings. And that’s why the 2022 Ole de Aromas Bobal is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day!!

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2020 El Hombre Bala

In the heart of Spain’s diverse viticultural landscape, there emerges a wine that encapsulates both the raw spirit of Madrid’s vinous offerings and the soulful artistry of its makers: El Hombre Bala. The 2020 vintage stands as a testament to the storied terroir of the Sierra de Gredos, where ancient Grenache vines dig deep into the granitic sands to draw out a mineral complexity that is as enchanting as the region’s rugged hills.

“El Hombre Bala,” translating to “The Human Bullet,” hurtles into the senses with an explosive profile. It is sourced from vines aged between 40 to 90 years, perched at lofty altitudes where the air is as pure as the intentions behind the craft. These mature vines yield fruit that expresses the full gamut of Garnacha’s capabilities, from bright, vivacious red fruit notes to deeper, more introspective hints of earth and herb.

On the label, one finds an illustration that is as whimsical and intriguing as the wine itself—a playful, almost mischievous character that serves as the perfect prelude to the wine’s character. It’s a bottle that stands out on the shelf, not just for its label, but for the promise of an authentic Madrid D.O. experience contained within.

Turn the bottle, and the back label reveals essential details with a straightforward elegance. Here we learn of the limited production—only 7383 bottles and 684 magnums—underscoring the exclusivity of this cuvée. This is a wine that invites not just tasting, but collecting, promising evolution and depth with each passing year in the cellar.

At 14.5% ABV, El Hombre Bala is robust yet balanced, a wine that carries its strength with grace. It’s a reminder that the Spanish wine scene is as dynamic and diverse as its landscape, with each region, each village, and indeed each vineyard offering a unique narrative. This wine speaks of the Sierra de Gredos with an authentic voice—one that resonates with the rugged beauty of its origins and the passionate commitment of its makers.

El Hombre Bala 2020 is not just a beverage; it’s a journey through Spain’s viticultural heritage, a celebration of Garnacha, and an artwork that proudly wears its origins on its sleeve—or in this case, on its label. And that’s why the 2020 El Hombre Bala is todays WineSiders Wine of The Day!!!

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2023 La Maldición Malvar

This wine is a toast to Madrid’s Agrarian roots.

Marc Isart’s 2022 La Maldición Malvar is an incarnation of his vision at Bodegas Cinco Leguas, is a homage to Madrid’s agrarian past, and is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

Crafted from vines within a stone’s throw of the city, once the providence of royal decree, this wine is a celebration of history and thirst-quenching pleasure.

La Maldición Malvar de Valdilecha, a white wine born from the Malvar grape—a regional sibling to Palomino Fino—is a testament to the winemaking heritage of Arganda del Rey.

With a winemaking process that embraces both tradition and innovation, it offers a sensory narrative that encapsulates the spirit of Vinos de Madrid.

That’s why the 2022 La Maldición Malvar is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2020 Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce Bobal

2020 Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce Bobal

At Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce, nestled in the heart of Manchuela, a dedication to the craft of winemaking and an embrace of biodynamic principles give rise to extraordinary Bobal wines. The Ponce family, deeply rooted in the semi-arid landscapes of Castilla-La Mancha, meticulously tends to venerable vines, some with a storied age of eighty years, and notably, ungrafted strains that carry the legacy of a pre-phylloxera era. As the 15th-anniversary label from 2020 adorns their bottles, it’s a toast to the confluence of tradition and terroir.

Their wines, born from the hands of artisans and the wisdom of nature’s cycles, reflect the soul of Manchuela—its sandy-calcareous and volcanic soils offering refuge from phylloxera and nurturing grapes that express the profound identity of their origin. It’s a story of resilience and purity, where every sip is a journey through time and terrain.

That’s why the 2020 Bodegas y Viñedos Ponce Bobal from the Manchuela region of Spain is today’s WineSiders wine of the Day.

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2018 Saint Amant Le Borry

The 2018 Saint Amant Le Borry is one of those jewel like wines that comes from a mountaintop vineyard overlooking Beaume-de-Venise in the Rhone Valley. 

Liquified gold in color, the blend of 95 percent Viognier and five percent Roussanne is not your typical Viognier, as it’s anything but in the style of a Condrieu from the Northern Rhone. Here the influence of the mountains in the south, and the warm breezes from the Med give the Saint Amant flagship white a flavor profile all of its own. Limestone drives the tropical flavors while the delicate flavors of peach and pear come through elegantly.

That’s why the 2018 Saint Amant Le Borry   is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day.

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2016 Domaine Jaume Vinosobres Reference

The 2016 Domain Jaume Vinosobres Reference red wine is from a lesser known region in the Rhone that proves all great wines don’t have to only come from the more established AOCs. Wines from Vinosobres, Rasteau, Cairanne, Seguret and Sablet like those from the Ventoux are hidden gems, and offer great finds at great prices.

The Jaume Vinosobres Reference red is half Syrah, with the balance being Grenache and Mourvedre. It’s the Mourvedre that gives the wine the kind of standout character that offers a striking difference from so many southern Rhone wines that tend to taste the same. Here the Jaume winemakers artfully blend the three grapes and the result is a dizzying medley of tarry cherries, leather, jammy blueberries and rich engulfing black raspberry.

That’s why the 2016 Domain Jaume Vinosobres Reference is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day.

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2018 Domaine Jaume Cotes du Rhone Blanc

The 2018 Domaine Jaume Cotes du Rhone Blanc is just sheer delight in a bottle. It’s a wine that is loaded with lemon and lime citrus that carries through just like fruit cocktail.

Offering up a gorgeous bouquet the white southern Rhone blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier, delivers ripe melons-honeydew and cantaloupe as well as sweet pears, all with crisp acidity that blends in with the fruit for a very long, lingering finish. 

That’s why the 2018 Domaine Jaume Cotes du Rhone Blanc is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2017 Jean Royer Le Petit Roy

The 2017 Le Petit Roy from Domaine Jean Royer is a great example of a “baby” Chateauneuf du Pape. At age five the blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre is both charming and enjoyable all by itself or with food. 

The Le Petit Roy is often overlooked by wine snobs due to it being Vin de France and not an AOC wine, but that’s a huge mistake. This sub 20 dollar red is a big over-performer. The wine has a nice spicy and herbal bouquet, with gobs of blueberry, strawberry, black raspberry and black cherry  flavors.

That’s why the 2017 Domaine Jean Royer Le Petit Roy is today’s WineSiders Wine of the Day.

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2015 Blachon Saint Joseph

As a long time lover of the Northern Rhone, the region of Saint Joseph is often overlooked for the more famous AOCs like Hermitage, Cornas and Cote-Rotie.

The Blachon Saint Joseph is one of the best examples of the Saint Joseph AOC. It got everything you like about Syrah, with that brambly style of fruit, black pepper and gobs of pie filling blueberry flavors.

That’s why the 2015 Blachon Saint Joseph is today’s WineSiders Wine of The Day