From €6.75 and £9.95
This is the first vintage of surely one of the better priced biodynamic wines. The Laderas de Montejurra project was inspired by an environmental prosecutor (interesting job title) Emilio Valerio, who is
based in Madrid but comes from the village of Dicastillo, in the middle of the Tierra Estella region in the north west of Navarra, northern Spain. The fruit of as many as 50 small parcels of vines goes into this wine, whose aim is to protect the fertile local countryside and its biodiversity.
The blend is certainly relatively biodiverse – 34% Garnacha, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Tempranillo – with vines just 10 years old and grown on clay and limestone at altitudes of up to 1,000 m. The winemaker, Olivier Rivère, has his own biodynamic project in Rioja to the west. The wine sees only cement and old wood and the chief emphasis is on the freshness of fruit. Here's my tasting note:
Emilio Valerio, Laderas de Montejurra 2009 Navarra 16.5 Drink 2010-13
Dark crimson. Very fresh and bursting with mulberry fruit. Nervy and lively. Transparent and already giving lots of pleasure though there is some structure. VGV (JR.com speak for Very Good Value) 13.5%
I think you can taste that this was grown in a relatively cool climate and of course this corner of Navarra is not so far from the Atlantic – and the food heaven that is San Sebastian.
It is currently on special offer in Belgium – practically given away – and in the UK is available from Robersons, The Sampler, Ballantynes Direct of Cardiff and Cambridge Wine Merchants according to wine-searcher.com, although UK importers Indigo Wines claim it is also available from Artisan & Vine of Clapham, Bottle Apostle of London, No 2 Pound Street of Wendover and The Vineking of Reigate.