At Atlas, we get the chance to taste wines offered to us as a parcel and, frankly, they often do not pass muster.
A recent tasting of 1998 Viña Albina Rioja Gran Reserva, however, proves that you can strike it lucky. This unusual opportunity to access a parcel of mature Rioja at a great price was too good to miss, and so we are pleased to offer the 1998 Viña Albina Rioja Gran Reserva at £250 per twelve bottle case in bond. At the equivalent price of £27.50 on the table, it is something of a bargain. With delivery available from November, it will drink well over Christmas and will easily cellar for a few years.
Viña Albina Gran Reserva 1998 was made by Bodegas Riojanas, a longstanding estate in the heart of Rioja Alta. Founded by the Artacho family in 1890, it is now a very large publicly quoted company and, in recent years, it has become too focused on the volume-based market for our tastes. The quality of their wines from the 1980s and 1990s is, however, exceptional in terms of value. It is always fascinating to compare Rioja; the more modern fruit forward styles to the more traditional wines. The Viña Albina Gran Reserva 1998 certainly belongs in the latter camp. Aged 30 months in American oak, then bottled and aged for 36 months before release, it is a benchmark for the traditional style; it is open, rich aromas of spice and red fruits, with all the satisfying complexity that years of ageing in oak and bottle bring.
We tasted the 1998 in the office last month along with the 2001 vintage. It is interesting to note that on paper the latter should have the edge of the two vintages, rated as an ‘Excelent’ year by the regional authorities due to a near perfect growing season. The larger-yielding 1998 vintage (merely rated ‘Very Good’) was a little trickier, with many producers forced to harvest early due to September rain. Top producers had little pressure to rush, and estates like Bodegas Riojanas simply waited to take advantage of the dry, sunny conditions of an Indian Summer. Based on our recent tasting, it was certainly the 1998 that impressed. We include a note by Victoria Stephens-Clarkson MW, Atlas’ buyer, as well as Josh Reynolds of Vinous below. 1998 Viña Albina Rioja Gran Reserva at £250 per twelve bottle case in bond Victoria Stephens-Clarkson MW Viña Albina 1998 displays a dark ruby colour with the faintest touch of garnet that hints at the age this wine has already successfully achieved. Gentle notes of woodsmoke mix with red berries and mixed spice on the nose. With intense flavours of raspberry, truffles and cedar, the palate has integrated and mellowed over time, with tannins now firmly in the background and a rounded, fine feel to the finish. This has plenty of depth and richness to it… easy to drink, well-balanced and moreish. Drink now-2023 Josh Raynolds, Vinous, 92 points Medium red. Captivating aromas of redcurrant, candied cherry, rhubarb, vanilla bean, cured tobacco, cedar, mocha and dried flowers. An elegant, suave midweight with wonderfully sweet, mellow red fruit flavors and an array of exotic spice accents. The supple, persistent finish features lingering cherry and red berry flavours. Let us know at your earliest convenience of your interest.
Buy more Rhône - 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Clos du Mont Olivet
Buy more Rhône2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Clos du Mont OlivetThis estate has been crafting fine Châteauneuf for as long as I can remember. Even in the most powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages they deliver wines with balance and elegance at their core.Simon Larkin, November 20242023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Mont Olivet£165 per 6 bottle case in bond2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, La Cuvée du Papet, Clos du Mont Olivet£300 per 6 bottle case in bond
We should all buy more Rhône!There, I have said it. I remain a huge fan of Southern Rhône wines, even though demand has perhaps ebbed a little in recent years. I honestly think they offer exceptional value as release pricing has not increased appreciably in the last five years or so. And the quality of the 2023s I tasted this morning was exceptional…..the key to their success was the lack of excesses. These are beautifully-balanced Rhônes, with pure fruit and a more-ish ripeness. The 2023s aren’t as headstrong a vintage as you might expect from the climatic data. That’s all part of the Mont-Olivet magic.The 2023 vintage produced rich, powerful wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the wider Southern Rhône. The skill is achieving balance when you have a rich vintage on your hands. The approach employed by the team at Mont Olivet has delivered impressive results in 2023. They favour blends encompassing the full array of Châteauneuf varieties and have not been lured into producing numerous single parcel wines, instead continuing to recognise the value of a blend from across their terroir. The protracted harvest period in 2023 has benefitted varieties such as Mourvèdre and Counoise without a doubt, and the old vines that the domaine possesses were better placed to navigate the drier periods with their deep root systems. The 2023s come highly recommended.I have said it before, but I am a huge fan of the Mont Olivet style. This estate has been crafting fine Châteauneuf for as long as I can remember. Even in the most powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape vintages they deliver wines with balance and elegance at their core. This isn’t such an easy feat across some of the region’s terroirs, nor necessarily in recent vintages. It speaks volumes for the vineyards employed in their blends, but also the range of grape varieties grown. Clos du Mont Olivet is one of my favourite estates – it is run by three members of the Sabon family: Thierry, Celine and David.By way of background, Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a plethora of different styles; after all it is a very large appellation. From 2000 onwards, many estates started to experiment by creating micro-cuvées from old plots and employing new oak in an effort to chase reviews, yet all along the team at Mont Olivet stuck to their own style. There is something reassuringly classical at Clos du Mont Olivet. That is not to say that things have not evolved here, but rather that the estate and its wines have not lost their identity or typicity along the way.Today the estate extends over 21 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a further 14 hectares in Lirac, an appellation to the west of Châteauneuf, supplemented by 10 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône and 3 in the Vin de Pays du Gard. Their vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape are spread across the appellation and include some of the most famous lieux-dits (or named vineyards). But Châteauneuf-du-Pape is ultimately a blend, so the different locations and terroirs contribute to the complexity of the estate’s wines. Additionally, where many Châteauneuf-du-Pape have moved towards Grenache, with Syrah and perhaps Mourvèdre, or maybe even wines made from 100% Grenache, Mont Olivet has a terrific supporting cast comprising a whole host of lesser known yet historical southern Rhône varieties, such as Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Terret Noir and Picpoul Noir as well as Cinsault. Incorporating all these vines ties in beautifully with their philosophy of being true to their roots and, of course, making complex, age-worthy wines.Harvest time is a tricky period with so many different plots and varietals contributing to varied ripening times. Thierry is very careful with extraction – never wanting to push things too far by extracting too much from the skins; his preference is for elegance and, with fruit as rich as that in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, his approach regularly pays dividends, not least in the recent hot, dry vintages. Each variety is kept separate for the straight Clos du Mont Olivet, allowing them to assemble the blend once they have had the chance to evaluate the fruit from different parcels and varieties. The assembled wine is then aged in either old oak foudres, barrels or in vat. Making great Châteauneuf-du-Pape relies on a whole host of skills and, given the exercise of blending, there is added complexity to the tasks and the resultant wine. The consistency of the wines of Mont Olivet stands testament to the series of decisions taken and never ceases to fascinate me, just as it did on my very first visit to the estate’s cavernous cellars in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Mont Olivet£165 per 6 bottle case in bondAs soon as you nose this wine, you are sure to be impressed by the volume of fruit, as it shows a rare freshness to the scented, spiced raspberry and garrigue characters. It is hard to think the palate could be any more-ish; layered, with enough acidity to retain balance and direction. The fruit is so expressive, juicy, vibrant with cherry red fruits, raspberry ripple notes, some darker fruits too, as well as notes of provencal herb, black olive tapenade even. It is the juicy, round mouthfeel that really impresses. It would be no cardinal sin to broach this early, but it has the capacity to age. Such an impressively poised wine in the vintage, rendered all the more appealing by a slightly softer acidity. As ever, this is a bargain – count me in. Drink: 2025 – 2033 (SL)2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, La Cuvée du Papet, Clos du Mont Olivet£300 per 6 bottle case in bondA darker, more brooding nature is evident on both nose and palate. The nose suggests dark loganberry fruit, black cherry, kirsch as well as notes of garrigue, yet there is a scented, almost floral overlay. So luxuriant on the palate, fine intensity and richness offset by bright fruit characters, that echo those on the nose, with liquorice and black olive tapenade once more. Certainly, there is more heft here, but it doesn’t come across as overtly heady at all, such is the quality and purity of the fruit. That blue-black fruit quality is certainly moreish once more. On the finish, which is incredibly long and flowing, there is a suggestion of stoney minerals, that adds tautness and tension to this impressive Chateauneuf. This looks set to join the great examples of this cuvée. Drink: 2027 – 2035+ (SL)
’Your service in organising and shipping my wine from the UK to California was excellent - quick, efficient and stress free’’.Jack K.
Through our long-standing partnerships with trusted global shipping companies, Atlas Fine Wines provides comprehensive door-to-door services across the United States.
Whether by air or sea freight, we handle all aspects of the shipment process. Recognising that costs and terms differ by state, we offer detailed quotations that outline the costs involved, including insurance.
Additionally, we recommend temperature-controlled services for valuable and exceptionally rare fine wines. Our services cater to shipments of all sizes, ensuring a seamless experience for every client.
You would also be provided with a link allowing you to track your consignment once it has cleared customs.
For more information, or to discuss your requirements in more detail please send an email to: celine.larkin@atlasfinewines.com
Atlas Fine Wines' Simon Larkin MW reviews 12 Saint-Julien 2005 Châteaux
Learn about the wines of one of Bordeaux’s most consistent communes in our latest YouTube video.
Join Simon as he shares his insights following an extensive tasting of all 11 Classified Growth Châteaux of Bordeaux’s Saint Julien appellation, plus one outlier. All the wines tasted were from the 2005 vintage – "one of the greatest vintages Bordeaux has ever produced." As Simon suggests, Saint-Julien may lack a First Growth Château but, tasting wines such as Léoville-Las Cases and Ducru-Beaucaillou in such a great vintage, it is hard to argue that they are not of First Growth quality.
See below for Simon's tasting notes.
