Cabernet Sauvignon Odfjell Armador, Maipo, Chile
Founded by Norwegian Dan Odfjell this pre-dominantly red wine producer creates wines of elegance and poise.
Odfjell are fully committed to biodynamics with cover crops and beehives populating the vineyards while small Fjord horses work the land. Odfjell produces wonderful wines that few in Chile can match, with their Carignans, which come from rescued 80 year old vines, proving to be of particular note.
Cotes du Rhone Nature, Domaine Roche-Audran, Southern Rhone, France
Vincent Rochette comes from a long line of grape growers rather than winemakers. In 1998, he bucked that trend by investing in a cellar and the necessary equipment to allow him to vinify his own grapes, which for five generations had been sold to other winemakers in the area. Vincent is an ardent believer in the benefits of biodynamics, fully converting his estate to follow that philosophy in 2006. He uses only natural products in the vineyard and carries out all his work in keeping with the cosmic cycles of the earth, not only among the vines but also in the cellar
Cotes du Rhone, Domaine Roche-Audran, Southern Rhone, France
Vincent Rochette comes from a long line of grape growers rather than winemakers. In 1998, he bucked that trend by investing in a cellar and the necessary equipment to allow him to vinify his own grapes, which for five generations had been sold to other winemakers in the area. Vincent is an ardent believer in the benefits of biodynamics, fully converting his estate to follow that philosophy in 2006. He uses only natural products in the vineyard and carries out all his work in keeping with the cosmic cycles of the earth, not only among the vines but also in the cellar
Enblanco de Altolandon, Manchuela, Spain
As the lands starts to rise, inland northwest of Valencia, you will find Roselia Molina heading up Bodegas Altolandon.
The property consists of 120 hectares with the winery resting right in the centre, not only making it aesthetically satisfying but also extremely practical. At 1,100 metres above sea level, the altitude serves to benefit the grapes with large diurnal variations which encourage even ripening and also helping retain their natural acidity. Organic methods are used to manage the vines utilising only natural fertilisers and some green pruning to further guarantee the quality of fruit prior to hand-harvesting. The grapes are vinified as naturally as possible with native yeasts and little other intervention. The wines are then aged in French oak and some in clay amphora to retain purity, but build complexity.
