Highlights: two from RAW Wine – Gut Oggau and La Pièce
Raw Wine is known for its natural wine fairs, which started off in London back in 2012 but have since spread more globally. Now, in the UK at least, they are now selling some of these wines from their shop: https://www.rawwine.com/shop
Here are a couple I tried, and they are both part of the special RAW Wine Christmas Box.
Gut Oggau Theodora (Weiss) 2020 Austria
11.5% alcohol
£29 Raw Wine https://www.rawwine.com/wine/gut-oggau-theodora-weiss-2020
This is a blend of Gruner Veltliner and Welchriesling, made naturally. Grapes come from Burgenland. Slightly cloudy in colour, this is bright and focused with keen lemony acidity under some riper melon and pear notes. There’s a hint of tinned pear on the nose as well as some apple and lemon peel, but the palate is brisker and more focused. It is really textural and finishes with a spicy flourish, showing a touch of sweet and sour acidity (but there’s no volatility evident on the nose) and a lovely mineral dimension. Textural and inviting, with so many layers of flavour. 94/100
Parlange & Illouz La Pièce 2018 Sud Ouest, Vin de France
13% alcohol
£24 Raw Wine https://www.rawwine.com/wine/parlange-illouz-la-piece-2018
This is a blend of 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot, naturally made in Cahors. Jérémie Illouz fell in love with natural wine in Paris and works with his business partner Paul Parlange. In 2008 he moved to Cahors and has 5.5 hectares of hand tended vines split over 10 plots. This deeply coloured wine is fantastic, offering pure, sweet black cherry and plum fruit on the nose with a spicy, gravelly edge. The palate shows a blend of sweet fruit, some subtle green leafy hints, and a lovely grainy, chalky structure, with intensity, freshness but also approachability. This is a beautiful wine: vivid, pure, exotic, concentrated but always very fresh. 94/100
