The Marselan grape was created in 1961 by Paul Truel, a leading ‘Ampleographer’ (Ampleography is the science of identifying, naming and classifying vines and grape varieties). Nowadays this is all done through DNA, but in Truel's time, it was a highly skilled and scientific process. He was described as man of rigor, an insatiable researcher, untiring worker, endowed with a breath-taking memory and an unparalleled observer. The idea of him working away in the lab, combined with the test tubes, flasks and pipettes often seen at wineries gave us the idea of Le Professeur. We then contacted an artist based in Carcassonne – Sylvain Rouaud who came up with the label as a tribute to Paul Truel.

The Clunia vineyards are located in the province of Burgos, Castilla y León at an altitude of between 900 and 1,100 metres above the sea level. Historically they have grown two grape varieties; three hectares of Syrah, and 10 hectares of Tempranillo, however, they have now added Malbec to their repertoire. The organic composition of this land is very poor, these are limestone, clay and sandy soils with pebbles and limestone loames which allow for an optimal drainage, thus limiting production considerably –between 3,000 and 4,000Kg/hectare. The singular character of this terroir results in wines with a unique personality, only changing slightly according to the subtle variations determined by the soil of each vineyard.

In mid August when the grapes reach perfect maturity, the grapes are slightly dried. The grapes are left to dry for about 12 days and thus ensuring a natural drying process. They lose about 25-30% of their weight. Such a process allows the concentration of flavours and a natural sweetness of the grapes. After destemming, the grapes are gently pressed, allowing the skin to remain intact and optimizing colour extraction. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 22-25°C for 8-10 days. Frequent remontage and delestage are carried out in the early stages of fermentation in order to achieve soft extraction of aromas and gentle tannins. After racking, malolactic bacteria are added to induce malolactic fermentation.

Georgia is the cradle of wine, arguably the greatest viticultural region of the world, and following our Buying Trip to Georgia last year, we are delighted to bring you these superlative wines from one of Georgia’s finest winemakers – Giorgi Solomnishvili. His winery is situated in Telavi in the Khaketi wine region, where he produces outstanding small batch wines. His production is small, between 20000-25000 bottles per year. His wines are produced from the Saperavi grape, one of the most versatile of noble varietals that can grow in both hot and cool conditions, with the ability to produce a huge array of different styles – a teinturier varietal that can be described as the ‘Malbec of the Caucasus’. A deep thinking family man, philosophy runs not only through Giorgi’s veins but also his wines, each one a dedication to someone or something close to his heart. He understands his land, it’s terroir and the Saperavi like no other, and the results are truly astonishing. He teases and caresses the most astonishing flavours that dance along your tongue in perfect harmony. Drinking his wines creates thought, contemplation and satisfaction. “Wine is the way I choose to communicate with the world, it's the way I express my unconditional love. It's a silent prayer, an unwritten word. It's an unspoken communication” – Giorgi Solomnishvili