Raymond Reynolds Ltd

Born Of Wine

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 15:10:00 +0000

By Max Driscoll

Sometimes, the best things come out of nowhere!

In November 2023, the Raymond Reynolds Ltd team visited the Alentejo to spend time with XXVI (26) Talhas around the Dia de São Martinho celebrations (St Martin’s Day, Nov 11^th), to learn more about them as a producer and immerse ourselves in the local scene and culture.

We didn’t know it beforehand, but over the 3 days we spent in Vidigueira, we ended up meeting Hamilton Reis each day and tasting his wines in several circumstances; at a winemaker gathering at 26 Talhas, at the Rocim Amphora day, and even at Hamilton’s own winery.

As it turns out, Hamilton is a long-established winemaker with big credentials.

After many years as a winemaker, though while still working at Cortes de Cima, Hamilton and his wife, Susana, originally both from Porto, decided to put down roots in Vidigueira, Alentejo.

Hamilton had a clear vision for his own project.

When talking to Hamilton about his wines, it’s clear he has such a huge amount of knowledge and experience.

That’s not to say he does nothing in the winery, but it’s so evident that so much thought goes into the whole process.

There are organic practices in the vineyard too, only a tiny amount of sulphites used in the winery, and no filtration before bottling.

We haven’t even mentioned Vidigueira’s micro-climate and its impact on seasonal temperatures and diurnal range yet, and that impact on ripening and acidity levels… Maybe that’s for another blog!

That brings us to the final product.

By Raymond Reynolds

Fossils and molluscs - Slow movement!

In the early days of Raymond Reynolds Ltd I had this hunch that great whites could come again from this tiny old enclave of a DO.

Bouncing around the rugged roads and leaning into the hairpin bends, we eventually found a grower who’d recently planted Arinto and Esgana Cão, as if it were an older mixed vineyard.

So begun a long and successful relationship that made Bucelas our top selling white wine.

So, we began again, the long, slow search for another quality-focussed grower/winemaker from Bucelas.

Provenance, terroir, and authenticity were key factors.

A few years later I was introduced to winemaker; Bernardo Cabral.

He’d just begun to help João França who was regenerating an old family vineyard in the heart of the Bucelas DO.

Over the next 3 years Bernardo kept sending me bottlings of what he’d crafted.

I visited the estate (Quinta das Murgas) on a wet, showery day in January 2024.

We’re super happy and enthusiastic about adding the Murgas 2021 to our Portfolio, and commend it to you, our customers.

João told us that this year they had a plague of snails feasting on the sweet young shoots.

A bizarre emergence, or maybe those fossils in the vineyards came alive again?

Or a sign that Murgas is Portugal’s 'Real Slow' wine?

Try it and let us know how slow.

BTW - The Bucelas DO is older than Chablis…

For more information on Murgas and their wines click

The non-fortified winemaking scene in the magnificent and rugged landscape of the Douro Valley has developed enormously in the last 30 years, a path we at Raymond Reynolds Ltd have witnessed first hand.

It’s inspiring and we are just at the “beginning of time” here.

Pedro Coelho at Pormenor knows and feels this.

We know and feel that his wines are significant in the context of the Douro.

That’s why we’re delighted to have his wines in our Portfolio.

Tucked away within the vast region of valleys and hills are a few special vineyard sites that have very particular characteristics.

The grapes reach perfect ripeness but with the healthy balance of acidity and zip.

The Pormenor Branco is sourced from higher-altitude vineyards in the village of Pombal, in the Northern Tua Valley.

The Pormenor Tinto grapes come from a high altitude, north-west facing area near Sao Joao de Pesqueira in the southern Cima Corgo.

The grapes for the Pormenor Reserva Branco are sourced from old vines at over 600m altitude in the Tua Valley, Northern Cima Corgo.

The Trilho is a real expression of terroir, suited to Pedro's own tastes.

Pormenor….

Exploring the Minho

Tue, 16 May 2023 16:02:13 +0000

By Rob Haynes

A few weeks ago, Max and I visited the Minho.

We began our adventure in the very north, in the town of Melgaço, right on the border between Portugal and Spain (Galicia).

The Minho is a mountainous region that, due to high rainfall and sunlight hours is also lush and green, with vineyards ranging up to 600m in altitude.

A tasting line-up of 15 Alvarinho’s, ranging from sparkling to barrel fermented, and not once were we bored.

After a lovely lunch in the sun overlooking Spain, we headed a couple of hours south to the sub-region of Basto.

Quinta da Raza are a family producer who have been making wine on their estate for centuries.

An evening tasting on the winery roof top terrace with views of chapels on top of mountains and vineyards tucked into hillsides was the perfect way to explore the Basto’s hidden charms, and to remind me that Quinta da Raza are just as boutique and artisan in the way they go about their work as Soalheiro.

This trip was eye-opening for me.

Some wine highlights from the trip:

Quinta da Raza Orange Nat 2021 – Foot trodden Avesso in the original lagares.

Quinta da Raza “Cuvée Ray” Padeiro 2022 – A delightful rosé made from the Padeiro variety and inspired by our very own Raymond!

Quinta do Soalheiro Alvarinho Granit 2022 – From granite soils and higher altitude plots, this brings out the mineral side of Alvarinho, but still bursting with freshness.

Quinta do Soalheiro Terramatter 2021 – An organic, unfined, and unfiltered Alvarinho.

Wine on the Wind - An Adventure at Sea

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:34:53 +0000

By Raymond Reynolds

Sails on the horizon.

Plying the North Atlantic in traditional sailing vessels in the winter months carrying cargo, is an endeavour for the brave and the adventurous.

Sail power and bravery seems to us the only routes left to move away from the dependency of shipping on fossils fuels and attempt to halt future climate catastrophe.

Our own adventurous contribution to this change began back in 2017 when we shipped Port and Wine from Porto to the UK.

This time our ship is Avontuur (an appropriate name) and the cargo is a pallet of precious wines from the Island of Pico in the Azores.

Land ahoy!

They land at the port of Shoreham (Sussex) on 5^th of February (current ETA), from where they will continue their journey to our bonded warehouse in Tilbury.

The wines are Rola Pipa (new), Arinto dos Açores, Terrantez do Pico and Licoroso do Pico 10 Years Old.

Take your Pico?

Sip the Trade Winds of change.

Join us by listing these adventurous wines, brought to the shores of this sceptred isle by wind, wave and courage.

Further reading for understanding the benefits of shipping by sail:

Trade Winds by Christiaan de Beukelaer

The Guardian Long Read (14^th July 2022) by Wendell Steavenson

Photo credits:

Banner – Avontuur at Sea, Voyage 4 ©Verena Bruning

At Horta ©Timbercoast

At Sea ©Jorg Pfeifer

XXVI Talhas - On the trail of Talhas

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

On the trail of Talhas, by Raymond Reynolds

In the Portuguese lexicon the word talha has varied definitions, which is another conversation that would need the eponymous wine to help and deviate too far off message.

Actually, it’s about wine made in clay pots, an ancient tradition at the heart of Alentejo region.

In 2019 I was blown away by XXVI Talhas Mestre Daniel Branco Lote X recommended by the genial Leopoldo Calhau at his fantastic restaurant in Lisboa – Taberna do Calhau.

The idea was born and later the journey began……

T’was a sunny morning in early March 2022 and we set off south across the plain from Évora towards Viana do Alentejo.

In Vila Alva, Ricardo Santos (Local, winemaker and founder of the XXVI Talhas project) met us at the local café where we downed milky coffee and sweet chick pea pasties.

The winery needs describing - high roof barn, Talhas around the edges, earth floor, whitewashed walls, trestle table in the middle, stools, ladders, long paddles, a pump, a few hoses, huge glass fronted antique cupboard of varied homeware, all spotless.

Tasting finished (not hurried) we went in search of the vineyards.

They pop up unexpectedly amidst ancient olive groves and cork trees.

As if on cue, Ricardo’s dad also pops out of the vegetation equipped with pruning scissors and skitty mongrel.

The memorable day was capped by a hearty lunch and bonhomie at the Café do Meco, in Vila Ruiva.

Até já,

Over to you!

By Rob Haynes

Tucked away on a quiet hill side in the Sierra de Salamanca in Spain (not far from Portugal) are some old vineyards planted with indigenous varieties.

This group of friends knew they had amazing grapes from wonderful plots of old vines, but they needed someone to help transform these grapes into wine.

We have chosen two wines that best represent this project and we are very excited to be bringing these wines into the UK.

Vina Padre

A blend of 50% Rufete from Sierra de Salamanca, 20% Garnacha from the Gredos Mountains and other ancient varieties including some white grapes, all from small plots and old vines with a minimum age of 80 years.

The result is a wine that is medium bodied with a lovely core of bramble and hedgerow fruits, woodland spices and wonderful aromas of fresh herbs.

Santon

Santon is a single vineyard wine made from 100% old vine Rufete.

It smells and tastes wild and mountainous!

By Max Driscoll

Going back to the late 2000’s, Raymond became aware of a new Spanish winery being talked about for their approach to making a new wave of wines in Toro, near Zamora in Castilla y Leon.

Moving forward to 2018, I heard that one of our young, upcoming producers; José Benitez of El Hato y El Garabato, had worked at DdB, had become good friends with Antony, and thoroughly recommended his wines.

So, after some research, Raymond and I re-tasted the 2005 and found it to have aged remarkably well in our cellar.

At the time, Antony’s winery was situated right in the heart of the little town of Toro.

The story goes that, after years of searching, Antony found and bought what he considers the best and most typical vineyards of Toro; old-vine Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo), on very sandy soils, with an historical, alluvial influence of lots of small, round stones.

He manages all his little plots in the same, minimalistic, but very labour-intensive way.

We spent about 2 hours in the vineyards, which shows how much importance Antony bestows upon them.

Antony admits he is still learning, even with nearly 20 vintages under his belt.

Briefly coming back to my previous mention of his old winery, Antony has just finished building a brand new ‘eco’ winery, in amongst his vineyards.

This brings me to the present day.

All of these wines are true to the traditional style of Toro, being big, bold, and structured wines, with vast cellaring potential.

Our Wonderful Wine Women

Mon, 21 Mar 2022 13:55:20 +0000

International Women’s Day gives us the opportunity to celebrate the amazing women in wine.

Rita Marques – Conceito Vinhos, Douro, Portugal

Rita trained as a mechanical engineer, but soon became disillusioned and opted for a life of wine instead.

Susana Esteban – Susana Esteban Wines, Alentejo, Portugal

Originally from Galicia, she trained as a winemaker in Rioja.

Maria João Pato – Duckman Wines, Bairrada, Portugal

Daughter of Luis Pato, the ‘King of Bairrada’, Maria João has forged her own path creating the Duckman wines.

Monica Peñas Lopez – Velvety Wines, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Monica leapt at the chance to make wines from her husband’s family’s vineyards.

Maria João Cerdeira – Quinta do Soalheiro, Minho, Portugal

Soalheiro was established in 1974 in the very northern reaches of the Minho region, overlooking the Minho River on granite soils.

Marta Soares – Casal Figuiera, Lisboa, Portugal

Marta is an artist and art teacher who, along with her late husband Antonio, discovered amazing vineyards in the Montejunto hills, north-West of Lisbon.

Liliana Fernandez Perez – El Hato y El Garabato, Arribes, Spain

Liliana owns El Hato y El Garabato with her husband, José.

Mafalda Teixeira – Quinta da Raza, Minho, Portugal

Mafalda has been instrumental in helping her husband, and winemaker, Diogo, develop Quinta da Raza from humble beginnings to being a leading light in the region.

Olga – Lavradores de Feitoria, Douro, Portugal

Lavradores de Feitoria is a collective of 15 growers and quintas that was established in 2000.

Enjoy drinking these wonderful wines!

Reframing the Douro - Part 2

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 15:54:00 +0000

Rui Madeira: A leading winemaker in the Douro Valley and Northern Portugal

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

A Trip to Pico

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 14:00:00 +0000

by Raymond Reynolds

From Madeira with the Love of Sail

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 14:20:00 +0000