Organic Chilled Wines Box

1. Val de Pret 'Luet' Arneis '17

Cascina Val del Prete (translates to "the valley of the priest") takes its name from the exiled Bishop of Asti who lived there in 1850. In 1977 the fabulously-named Bartolomeo Roagna and his wife Carolina bought the farm “Val del Prete” where they had worked as farm interns. The first thing they did was replace some grain and fruit with vines. The grapes are planted on south facing slopes in a splendid natural amphitheater. Their son, Mario, has entered the family business and now takes care of the vineyards. The wines of Val del Prete are slowly making their mark on the world, thanks to Carolina's guiding hand in the winery and Mario’s commitment to great vineyards and wine. Farming is done biodynamically and fermentation in the cellars is spontaneous with nothing added except a small amount of preservatives. The Luet vineyard is nearly 3.7 acres in size, and is managed biodynamically, with all fruit harvested by hand. The Arneis that comes from this vineyard is atypical, with much more richness and texture than normal. It is a floral wine; soft with a persistent finish. Luet is made in a rich, creamy style that brings out the grape's texture. It macerates for 3 days on the lees, but sees no oak. Unique and individual, just like the winery itself.

2. Tellurian Rosé 19

The concept of Tellurian (whose name tellingly mean ‘of the land’) was born when founder Ian Hopkins was offered the chance to explore his passion for Heathcote Shiraz and put his lifelong love affair with this wine style to good use. After looking high and low for the perfect plot of land, he settled on a vineyard on Mount Camel Range. Here, the 550 million-year-old Cambrian soils provide loads of distinct character and impart plenty of unique features to the grapes which grow so well in this corner of the country. It was a chance to figure out the flavours of a real slab of ancient Australia, and the results, frankly, couldn’t have been better. Each harvest brings plenty to crow about, as the Old World grapes take on plenty of Aussie character and a set of flavours - helped by Hopkin’s land-oriented method - which has allowed Tellurian to carve out a unique voice in the industry. The vineyards for this wine were recently certified organic, the result of years of hard work to shift the viticulture in these parts. A great result. The wine is inspired by the light, dry, savoury roses from Provence, in the south of France. The 2019 combines Grenache and Shiraz for soft texture and light red fruit flavour, with Mouvèrdre and Nero d’Avola for juicy acidity and a long, tangy finish.

3. Liger Belair 'Les Charmes' Chard. '16

Burgundy winemaker Thibault Liger-Belair owns some fine vineyards on the Côte d’Or and in Beaujolais. Starting in 2001, he has grown his holdings to now encompass some of Burgundy's finest vineyards, plus some great plots in neighbouring Beaujolais. “I’m a lazy winemaker,” he says, “but I’m a very hard vineyard worker. Because you cannot make good wine if the grapes aren’t good." His vines are tended organically and look prime and healthy. His wines are complex and solidly built, providing easy pleasure and long cellaring potential. Opens up straight away, with hints of popcorn and peach, backed by some nice savoury smoky notes. There's little sparks of flint rock and grilled almond, but the main driving factor is that rich peach fruit, interlaced with lemony acidity. A classically built wine, with plenty of charm.