The Bar Tini wine list is set out a little differently from the other MoVida lists, in fact it’s different from most other wine lists in general. MoVida has been running for nearly fourteen years now and over this time we’ve learnt that the most logical way of breaking Spanish wine into meaningful categories is geographically. It’s how we teach our new staff and it’s how we think about the Spanish wine world, so it made sense to us to use this as the guiding principle for this wine list. What this means is that we have three broad chapters; Atlantic, Continental, and Mediterranean, with red and white wines from each region thrown in together. We’ve also realised that while we’re obsessed with Spanish wine not everyone is and it’s boring to be a zealot, so we’ve got wine from Australia and the rest of the world at the back of the book but to make it onto the list they had to be wines that we felt needed to fill a particular gap that the we just couldn’t nail with a Spaniard.

By Atlantic we mean the North and North Western corner of Spain, starting with the Txakoli’s of the Basque Country near San Sebastian and ending in the Albariño territory of Rías Baixas above the Portuguese border, it’s generally a wet, cool climate area. Whites from this area tend to have more acidity than the rest of Spain, there’s plenty to love here for Riesling or Pinot Gris fans while the most inland climes of Galicia, like Ribeiro or Valdeorras, are capable of producing wines of weight and texture underpinned by crunchy acidity that recall the palate weight of Chablis. Atlantic reds tend towards bright acidity, lower alcohol and delicacy, they should be the first port of call for Pinot and Nebbiolo fans. (Pg 2-5)

Continental for us basically covers everything that rests on the central plateau of Spain. Generally it’s Tempranillo country although there’s some other stuff around that is stonkingly good too if you know where to look. Continental Spain mixes the warmth and sunlight of the day with bitter winters and freezing nights, resulting in red wines that have weight, texture, and depth yet retain freshness and structure. There’s a lot to like here if you’re a fan of Victorian Shiraz or Cabernet. All the Spanish classics, like old school Rioja or seriously deep and meaty Ribera del Duero Tempranillo are Continental wines, but there’s fascinating things happening in obscure corners here too. In the last few years the Sierra de Gredos area has become Spain’s most exciting region by producing amazingly pure, ethereal Garnachas. Whites here are rarer, there’s only really one region that is famous for white in Continental Spain and it’s Rueda – a troubling area that produces both beautiful, complex Verdejo, and bright but simple faux Sauvignon Blanc. Rueda aside, Continental whites tend to be textural, ranging from Albillo which recalls the whites of the Rhone through to complex age worthy whites of Rioja. (Pg. 6 – 10)

2

The Mediterranean side of Spain has the oldest viticultural history of the entire country, Romans and Greeks planted vines the whole way along the coast before moving inland. It’s the warmest region and without the altitude of the Continental shelf the wines here tend to be fuller, rounder and offer plenty of stuff for fans of South Australian regions like McLaren Vale or Barossa. The best stuff from Mediterranean Spain comes from grapes which naturally cope with the warm climate – like Garnacha, Monastrell, or Carignan. Mediterranean Spain, with the exception of Priorat, has never received the critical acclaim or attention of some of the Continental regions, which means there’s heaps of really good value booze to be found here. There’s also some fascinating old, almost extinct, varietals that pop up along the coast here providing a glimpse into historical drinking habits and that add diversity to the Mediterranean wine scene. (Pg. 11 – 15)

Eventually we’d like to have a takeaway license here as well so we’ve structured the pricing like a wine bar and takeaway place. When/If the VCGLR gives us a new license you’ll be able to take a bottle home for $15.00 less than the price listed here.

WINE REGIONS OF SPAIN

3

CONTENTS DRINK NOW SELECTION

A synopsis of staff favourites and highlights of the list ...... Pg. 4

SHERRY

Dry and Sweet Sherries and Other Curios ........................ Pg. 6

BUBBLES

Cava and Other Sparkling Wines ................................. Pg. 7

ATLANTIC WHITE WINES

Albariño, Godello et. al ....................................... Pg. 8

ATLANTIC RED WINES

Mencía, Bastarda, Trousseau ................................... Pg. 10

The Wines of Dominio del Urogallo .............................. Pg. 12

Canary Islands ................................................. Pg. 14

CONTINENTAL WHITE WINES

Albillo, Verdejo, White Rioja .................................. Pg. 15

CONTINENTAL RED WINES

The Wines of the Sierra de Gredos .............................. Pg. 18

Tempranillo .................................................... Pg. 20

MEDITERRANEAN WHITE WINES

Garnacha Blanca, Verdil, Albilla ............................... Pg. 22

MEDITERRANEAN RED WINES

Catalonia ...................................................... Pg. 23

Southern Mediterranean ......................................... Pg. 24

The Wines of Partida Creus...................................... Pg. 25

REST OF THE WORLD

Bubbles ........................................................ Pg. 26

White .......................................................... Pg. 26

Pink and Orange ................................................ Pg. 27

Red ............................................................ Pg. 28

Burgundy ....................................................... Pg. 28

Rhone Valley ................................................... Pg. 29

Cascina Ebreo .................................................. Pg. 29

Two Metre Tall ................................................. Pg. 30

4

DRINK THIS NOW As much as we love our wine list, we realise that settling into a corner and flicking through a 30 page wine tome isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. These two pages offer a snap shot of what the rest of the list goes into in more detail. These two pages are a ‘quick pick’ of what we are drinking now.

SHERRY

NV

Bodegas Alonso ‘Velo Flor’ Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda

95

BUBBLES

2016

Raventos i Blanc ‘Blanc de Blanc’ Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada

Conca Del Rui Anoia

80

2008

Colet Navazos ‘Reserva Extra Brut’

Penedes, Calalunya

100

2016 Partida Creus ‘C.V’ Ancestral Pet Nat Catrioxa Vermell

Bonastre, Catalunya

95

WHITE

2016

Bengoetxe Hondarabbi Zuri Getariko Txakolina

50

2017

Disznoko ‘Tokaji Dry’ Furmint

Tokaji, Hungary

60

2014 Dominio del Urogallo ‘Pesico’ Albarin Cangas del Narcea

75

2013

Zarate ‘Tras de Vinya’ Albarino Val do Salnes, Rias Baixas

120

2015 Bodegas Maranones ‘Picarana’ Albillo Real Sierra de Gredos

60

2015 Chateau Yvonne Chenin Blanc Saumur Blanc 100

5

PINK

2017

Antidoto ‘Roselito’ Tinto Fino, Albillo Ribera del Duero, Spain

75

ORANGE

2016

Forjas del Salnes ‘Cos Pes’ Albarino Val do Salnes, Spain

90

2015 Menti Giovanni Monte de Cuca Garganega Gambellara, Italy

75

2017 Petracavallo Fiano Puglia, Italy 70

2015

Antadze Rkatsiteli Kakheti, Georgia 90

2008

Gravner ‘Ribolla Anfora’ Ribolla Gialla

Fruili, Italy

180

RED

2016

Comando G ‘La Bruja De Rozas’ Garnacha Sierra de Gredos, Spain

75

2016 Envinate ‘Taganan Margalagua’ Listan Negro predomínate field blend

Tenerife, Spain 100

2015

Girlan Lagrein Alto Adige, Italy

55

2015 Mount Majura Mondeuse

Canberra, ACT

65

2012 Cellar Communica Garnacha, Samso, Syrah

Montsant, Spain 55

2013 Alvaro Palacios ‘Finca Dofi’Garnacha, Carinyena 375ml Half Bottle

Gratallops, Priorat

95

2013 Cellar del Roure ‘Safra’ Mando Garnacha Tintorera

Valencia, Spain 75

2014 Casa Castillo ‘Pie Franco’ Monastrell

Jumilla, Spain 150

6

SHERRY

Oxidative and marvellously complex wines of Jerez are some of our favourite things to drink. Manzanilla and Fino go well with summer days and cricket matches. Amontillado on the other hand is full of complex aged characters yet remains gloriously fine and delicate. Oloroso is more robust and finally Pedro Ximénez is the full blown, dark and sweet gear. But like a lot of wine categorization methods, much of the interesting stuff happens in the grey areas in between the official laws, be it Manzanilla Pasada, unfortified Palomino or En Rama single cask bottlings. Like the rest of our wine list we’ve divided sherries first by location, then by style.

SANLÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA

6y.o

Sanchez Ayala ‘Gabriela’ Manzanilla (375ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

30

4y.o

Equipo Navazos ‘I Think’ Manzanilla (375ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

10/40

10+

Bodegas Alonso ‘Velo Flor’ Manzanilla (750ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

95

10y.o Delgado Zuleta ‘Goya XL’ Manzanilla (500ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

130

20+

Sanchez Ayala ‘Galeon’ Oloroso (500ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

160

??!!

Equipo Navazos ‘La Bota 47’ Palo Cortado Viejisimo ‘Bota NO’ a la Gaspar Florido (500ml)

Sanlúcar de Barrameda

250

JEREZ

4y.o

El Maestro Sierra Fino (750ml)

Jerez

10/55

15y.o

Romate ‘N.P.U’ Amontillado

Jerez

15/80

5+

El Maestro Sierra Pedro Ximénez

Jerez

12/75

NOT SHERRY

2015

Equipo Navazos ‘La Bota 77’ Palomino Blanco

Sanlucar de Barrameda

115

7

BUBBLES CAVA

Cava is a non-geographic D.O. Meaning that provided the secondary fermentation happens in bottle and a couple of other technical boxes are ticked then the term Cava can be used for sparkling from all over Spain. Despite that fact 95% of Cava comes from the Catalan region of Penedès. Our selection below focuses on ‘grower’ producers, some organic, some biodynamic, but above all else people who make wine that’s interesting to drink.

2014

Suriol Brut Nature Cava

Penedès

60

2015

Raventos i Blanc Blanc de Blanc

Penedès

75

2001

Suriol ‘Grabuac’ Brut Nature

Penedès

80

ANCESTRAL METHOD SPARKLING

2015

Vinedos Culturales ‘Acequion’ Moscatel

Alicante

70

2017 Little Things ‘Flo’s Fizz’ Sauvignon Blanc

Adelaide Hills 75

2016 Partida Creus ‘V.N’ Pet Nat field blend Bonastre, Catalunya

95

2016 Partida Creus ‘C.V’ Pet Nat Catrioxa Vermell

Bonastre, Catalunya

95

CHAMPAGNE

Cava is interesting, unique, and delicious. Champagne is interesting, unique and delicious in some overlapping but very distinct ways. Here is a small selection of some really cool, especially delicious growers Champagnes (meaning the producer grows their own grapes unlike a majority of the more well know large scale houses).

NV

Bereche & Fils Brut Reserve Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier

Montagne de Reims

160

NV Bereche & Fils ‘Reflet d’Antan’ Pinot

Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay Montagne de Reims

350

2011 Chartogne-Taillet ‘Les Beaux Sens’ Pinot

Meunier Montagne de Reims

215

8

ATLANTIC WHITE PAIS VASCO

Basque Country means Txakoli. Super bright, high acid whites that should be smashed with salted things. Think dry Clare Valley Riesling with a pinch of salt and an unpronounceable name.

2016

Bengoetxe Hondarrabi Zuri, Izkiriota

Getariako

50

RÍAS BAIXAS

2016

Castro Martin ‘Sobre Lias’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

65

2016 Forjas del Salnés ‘Leirana’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

65

2013

Forjas del Salnés ‘Genoveva’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

75

2016 Forjas del Salnés ‘Cos Pes’ Albariño Val do Salnés 90 2016

Zarate Albariño

Val do Salnés

70

2013

Zarate ‘Tras de Vinya’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

115

2016

Zarate ‘El Balado’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

115

2015

Zarate ‘El Palomar’ Albariño

Val do Salnés

115

2012

Palacio de Fefinanes III Ano Albarino

Val do Salnés

150

9

RIBEIRA SACRA

2016

Fedellos do Couto ‘Conasbrancas’ Godello, Doña Blanca et al

Ribeiras do Sil

70

VALDEORRAS

2016

Telmo Rodriguez ‘Gaba do Xil’ Godello

Valdeorras

45

MONTERREI

2015

Quinta da Murradella ‘Alanda Blanco’ Doña Blanca, Treixadura, Verdello, Monstruosa

Monterrei

80

10

ATLANTIC REDS The easiest way to navigate the Atlantic red wines from Galicia is to follow the Sil River. In Rías Baixas, where the river meets the sea the reds are extremely light, sappy, and have crazy acid lines. The further inland you go, heading up towards the Continental shelf, the more fruit and body can be found in the wines. So something like a Ribeira Sacra Bastarda is cracking for old world Pinot or Jura drinkers, while a Bierzo Mencía is probably closer in weight to Central Otago Pinot. Outside of Galicia we’ve basically only got red from Asturias, an obscure, forgotten corner of the viticultural world that is really unique and worth trying for yourself.

RÍAS BAIXAS

2010

Forjas del Salnes ‘Goliardo’ Caiño

A Telleria

95

Produced from 100 year old vines on a bed of Granite, Goliardo is a reflection of what was possible for Rías Baixas reds before the success of Albariño convinced local growers to rip out their reds en masse. It’s a beautiful, delicate, and precise wine. Light bodied and age worthy.

VALDEORRAS

2016

Telmo Rodriguez ‘Gaba do Xil’ Mencía

Valdeorras

45

2012 Telmo Rodriguez ‘As Carborcas’ Mencía Valdeorras 90 2012 Telmo Rodriguez ‘Falcoeira’ Mencía Valdeorras 100

RIBEIRA SACRA

One of the most dramatically beautiful regions of the world, Ribeira Sacra is a network of canyons split by the River Sil and it’s tributaries. It’s most famous vineyards lie along a south facing bank in the Amandi region known as the Golden Mile where Mencía dominant reds are grown on incredibly steep slate terraces. There is much to love here for crunchy, pure fruited and mineral wines. There’s also some incredibly elegant wines made from Bastardo, the local name for Trousseau, which was brought to Galicia from the Jura by French monks’ centuries ago and has found a home in the wilder, cooler sites of Ribeira Sacra.

11

2015

Alberto Nanclares ‘Penapedre’ Mencía

Chantada

75

2015

Fedellos do Couto Bastarda

Ribeiras do Sil

80

2016 Fedellos do Couto ‘Cortezada’ Mencia Ribeiras do Sil 80 2015

Envinate ‘Lousas Parcela Seoane’ Mencía Amandi

95

2015

Envinate ‘Lousas Parcela Camino Novo’ Mencía

Amandi

95

2013

Guimaro ‘Pombeiras’ Mencía

Amandi

155

BIERZO

Bierzo is technically part of Castile y León, not Galicia. It sits to the north east of Ribeira Sacra like a little bowl nestled into the mountains that divide Galicia from the rest of Spain. Viticulturally however it makes much more sense to think of Bierzo as the final stop on the Galician wine trial than to lump it in with the Garnachas and Tempranillos of Continental Spain. It’s also Bierzo that was home to the first big international breakthrough for the Mencía grape variety, thanks to the stunning wines of Descendientes de J. Palacios (DJP) of Corullón. The Mencía’s of Bierzo tend to be richer, more opulent and luscious than those found further west. For those whose taste in Pinot leads them to the more muscular Pinot styles of Victoria or New Zealand should find plenty to like here, in the top wines there’s also enough structure to keep the tannin thirsty Barolo or Cornas fan interested.

2016

Altos de San Esteban ‘La Perra Gorda’ Mencía

Bibembre

40

2016 Mengoba ‘Brezo Tinto’ Mencía Valtuille and Villafranca del Bierzo

45

2013

DJP ‘Corullón’ Mencía

Corullón

120

2008

DJP ‘Moncerbal’ Mencía

Corullón

300

2005

DJP ‘Las Lamas’ Mencía

Corullón

350

12

DOMINIO DEL UROGALLO

CANGAS DEL NARCEA, ASTURIAS

Cangas is a town in the Province of Asturias, directly North of Bierzo, nestled into the steep mountains that fall down towards the Cantabrian sea. To be honest we stumbled across the region by accident when taking the scenic route on a road trip between Galicia and San Sebastian. We’d never heard of Asturian wine until then, there’s hardly anything written about it and as far as we know no one had ever imported it to Australia. Monks had brought vines to the monastery in Cangas del Narcea some five hundred years ago, so the town has an amazing array of unknown varieties, an incredible set of vineyards and a long viticultural history but it had sort of disappeared into obscurity. Vineyards in Cangas can be as steep and dramatic as Ribeira Sacra, yet with the rainfall more typical of Rías Baixas or the Basque Country. The result is a completely unique set of flavours unlike anything else we’ve stumbled across. On our first research trip back to Cangas del Narcea we tried wines from every producer we could find, which was only three. Of those two were unremarkable, industrially made wines, the third was a terroir obsessed, natural winemaker who had cut his teeth in the Northern Rhone with the man himself, Alain Graillot. His name is Nicholas Marcos and his winery is called Dominio del Urogallo. Nico’s wines were an eclectic mix of fresh, cool climate acidity, intense minerality, wavering tannin lines and elegant, subtle fruit. The very top single vineyard wines reminded us of the sort of cult wines of Jean Foillard or Thierry Allemande or even, if we’re being completely self-indulgent, the great Jean-Francois Ganevat. These will definitely not be wines that appeal to everyone, but the fun of a big wine list is that we get to include the weird and wonderful and that’s exactly what we think these are.

WHITE

2016

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Fanfarria’ Albarin, Albillo

Cangas del Narcea

45

2014

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Pesico’ Albarin

Cangas del Narcea

80

2015

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Las Yolas’ Albillo

Cangas del Narcea

120

13

RED

2015

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Fanfarria’ Mencía, Albarin Tinto

Cangas del Narcea

45

2014

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Pesico’ Carrasquin, Mencía, Albarin Tinto, Verdejo Negro

Cangas del Narcea

75

2013

Dominio del Urogallo ‘La Zorrina’ Carrasquin

Cangas del Narcea

150

La Zorrina is a 125 year old vineyard on incredibly steep, slate terraces - as spectacular as anything found in Ribeira Sacra or Priorat. Planted over 120 years ago mostly to the native varietal Carrasquin. It’s somewhere between Trousseau and Pinot in weight, long, high toned, elegant, and precise. It was this vineyard and the potential it had that first convinced Nico to leave the coveted position at Domaine Alain Graillot.

2013

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Retortorio’ Verdejo Negro (aka Trousseau)

Cangas del Narcea

130

2012

Dominio del Urogallo ‘Cadario’ Mencía, Verdejo Negro

Cangas del Narcea

120

14

CANARY ISLANDS The Canary Islands are a very peculiar place. This chain of jagged volcanic islands are on the same latitude as southern Morocco and have every microclimate imaginable. Jungles, rainforests, desserts, beaches, and stark mountains all on islands that take at most an hour to drive across. Geographically Africa. Politically Spain. Culturally some sort of Portuguese / South American hybrid. A very peculiar place indeed.

Tenerife (Tenner-reef-ey) is the largest island in the chain and the most important viticulturally. With some of the highest vineyard sites in Europe and many vineyards literally touching the Atlantic Ocean, wines from indigenous grapes are made with a quite frankly startling amount of freshness and acidity given their geographical position. Wines tend to have a characteristic tyre rubber/pencil eraser smokiness and an extreme pronounced minerality from the black volcanic soils.

Envinate (which means ‘Wine Yourself’) is one producer we are particularly fond of. Envinate was formed by four friends that met at Oenological College in Alicante in 2005. They bonded over shared principles, namely making wine with maximum freshness with minimal intervention from organically farmed fruit. They make their own wine from 4 regions all over Spain under the label, bound by those guiding principles. Roberto Santana is the Tenerife custodian. Below is Roberto’s whole Tenerife offering from the 2016 vintage. These wines are very much at the beginning of their life, showing the extreme freshness and puckering acidity possible from the incredible altitude and steepness of vineyards that are licked by the Atlantic Ocean.

2016 Envinate ‘Tàganan Blanco’ Listan Blanco et al

Taganana 85

2016

Envinate ‘Tàganan Tinto’ Listan Negro et al

Taganana

85

2016

Envinate ‘Tàganan Margalagua’ Listan Negro et al

Taganana

100

2016

Envinate ‘Palo Blanco’ Listan Blanco

Valle de la Orotava

95

2016

Envinate ‘Migan’ Listan Negro

Valle de la Orotava

95

2016

Envinate ‘Benje Blanco’ Listan Blanco

Ycoden-Daute-Isora

75

2016 Envinate ‘Benje Tinto’ Listan Negro Ycoden-Daute-Isora

75

15

CONTINENTAL WHITE

Continental Spain has been so successful in producing powerful red wine that it’s easy to overlook the whites and rose that have traditionally been produced here as well. Aside from Rueda almost all of the Denominación de Origen here are dominated by red wine production and in some the making of whites has even been banned in the D.O. despite historical precedent, Toro and Ribera del Duero being prime amongst these. Most of the wines produced here are textural and show the warmth of the sunlight hours of Continental Spain, but there’s plenty of individual spots where cold weather, altitude or specific soils help to build acidity and make age worthy, driven wines.

RIOJA

2015

Valenciso Viura, Garnacha Blanca

Haro, Villalba

75

16

SIERRA DE GREDOS

The Gredos is one of our favourite parts of Spain, it’s a magnificent mountain range to the West of Madrid might just be one of the most exciting area in the country right now. Whites produced here are mostly from the low acid, short cycle varietal called Albillo, that produces surprisingly fresh wines reminiscent of the Marsanne and Rousanne of the Northern Rhone. Paradoxically Albillo produces fresher wine in warmer places so it tends to be planted on the lower and more Mediterranean sites of the Gredos, leaving the extreme heights and cooler parcels free for Garnacha.

2016

Marañones ‘Picarana’ Albillo

Madrid

50

2015

Marañones ‘Piesdeszcalzos’ Albillo

Madrid

85

RUEDA

Rueda is a strange appellation, it’s wedged between a heap of famous Big Red Wine areas like Toro, Cigales, and Ribera del Duero yet it’s almost 100% white here. Likewise the small amounts of white planted in the neighbouring areas is a broad collection of varieties – Garnacha Blanca, Albillo, Palomino etc in Rueda it’s only Verdejo, although Sauvignon Blanc appeared later. Until the late 80s or early 90s Rueda was completely obscure, it’s wines were oxidative, flabby, and flat but with the arrival of modern technical winemaking it burst onto the world scene with high acid, vibrant wines that immediately appealed to the craze of Sauv Blanc. Now it’s almost overtaken Albariño as Spain’s most important white grape. There’s some lovely old vine wines made here, in a textural savoury style, there’s also a heap of faux-Marlborough Sauv produced for foreign markets. The governing body also allows Sauvignon Blanc to be blended into Rueda wines without mentioning it on the label which is the equivalent of the government condoning the ‘Marlborough-ization’ of Rueda. We’ve tried to pick wines here that we think reflect their soils and their origins as we have the whole way through this list, but in Rueda that can be a difficult task.

2015

Barco del Corneta ‘Cucu’ Verdejo

La Seca

40

2016

Telmo Rodriguez ‘Basa’ Verdejo

Rueda

55

2014

Barco del Corneta Verdejo

La Seca

80

17

Ismael Gozalo is a nth generation vine grower turned wine maker in the eastern corner of Rueda, the village of Nieva. From some stunning, pre-phylloxera vineyard sights he makes some seriously lo-fi funky little numbers, saving them from their previous destiny ending up in an average quality co-op. With little to no sulphur and a lot of experimentation Ismael shows what can be achieved from this much maligned area with a bit of imagination and balls.

2016 MicroBio ‘La Banda del Argilico’ Verdejo Nieva 85

2016 MicroBio ‘Issé Vinador Solador’ Verdejo Nieva 100

RIBERA DEL DUERO CLARETE

Despite being famous as a powerful, Parker Pointer, Red area Ribera del Duero has a very long and rich history of making and drinking Rose. Go to an old restaurant in town and you’ll probably see some old dudes smashing the pink stuff at the bar, it’s part of the region and we love it. Traditionally these wines would be Clarete, meaning a blend of white and red wine making a more savoury and structure rose than the typical Australian but there’s some classic Rose kicking around now too that’s bloody delicious.

2016

Antídoto ‘Roselito’ Tinta Fino, Albillo

Ribera del Duero

75

2014

Dominio del Aguila ‘Picaro’ Tempranillo, Albillo, Garnacha, Bobal

La Aguilera

90

18

CONTINENTAL RED SIERRA DE GREDOS

Officially the Gredos isn’t even a Denominación de Origen, its split haphazardly between the Madrid DO to the East, Castile y León to the North and Mentrida to the South, but the Gredos makes up only a tiny part of each of these official D.O.S. Because of this, it makes much more sense to think of the Gredos as the Gredos. Within these mountains there’s three distinct zones, the Alberche Valley, around the town of San Martín where the wines are slightly more generous and the climate more Mediterranean, then there’s the higher areas of Alto Alberche which are seriously cold and wild, Garnacha here produces the most ‘extreme’ examples of the Gredos style – intense minerality - like licking rock and really firm linear structure. To the south, the third zone is the Valle de Tietar, at its apex the wines can be wonderfully elegant, floral and expressive, Las Umbrías from Comando G being the best example. Further down the valley the wines get more powerful and broadly structured culminating in the muscular Cantos del Diablo grown near El Real de San Vicente.

2016 Comando G ‘La Bruja de Rozas’ Garnacha Rozas 75 2015 Comando G ‘1er Rozas’ Garnacha Rozas 100 2013

Bernabeleva ‘Arroyo del Tortolas’ Garnacha

San Martín de Valdeglesias

115

2014 Comando G ‘Las Umbrias’ Garnacha Rozas 180

19

RIOJA

Undeniably Spain’s most famous wine region. There’s so much to know and learn about Rioja that it’s almost impossible to write about without feeling like you’re leaving out more than you are putting in, we’d probably need twenty pages of just Rioja booze to do it justice… The way we’ve tried to work it is to split it first between the traditional, super old school producers who make oxidatively aged medium bodied, savoury styles and the modernists who are more interested in terroir, soil, place and whose wines generally show cleaner fruit flavours and less oak influence.

MODERN RIOJA

The fun news of modern Rioja is the rediscovery of wine villages. By this we mean producers who show that each village in Rioja makes wine that has a slightly different personality, this philosophy isn’t enshrined in Rioja DOC law and it’s still a minority of small producers who think this way but for us they’re the people making the most interesting booze in this classic old area. Like we did for the Gredos above we’ve listed the wines with village names where possible.

2016 Voladora ‘La Bicicleta’ Tempranillo Viura Rioja 45 2016

Sierra de Toloño Tempranillo

Rivas de Tereso

55

2010

Telmo Rodriguez ‘Lanzaga’ Tempranillo

Lanciego

105

2014

Artuke ‘La Condenada’ Tempranillo

Banos de Ebro

135

2015

Olivier Riviere ‘Pozo Alto’ Graciano, Tempranillo

Leza

350

20

TRADITIONAL RIOJA

By traditional Rioja we are referring to the old school producers who cut their teeth when phylloxera hit Bordeaux and the French started sneaking Spanish wine north to fill their bottles… these bodegas learnt their racking and oak aging techniques from the French and then carved out their own style, blending various subzones of Rioja and aging for long periods, usually in American oak. Traditional Rioja gets a bad rap because there’s a heap of average wine that’s passed off under the ‘Reserva’ or ‘Gran Reserva’ classification as if putting average wine in a barrel for a long time will suddenly make it good wine, unfortunately that’s not how it works. But good Trad’ Rioja is really tasty and it would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater to pass off all traditional producers because of the ones that use the style as an excuse for average wine. Below are a few wines from our favourite two producers, La Rioja Alta and López de Heredia. There’s a couple of other good old school producers kicking around, but those two are our favourites and we had to draw a line somewhere… López de Heredia tend to be a bit funkier, more mushrooms and forest floor, La Rioja Alta wines tend to be brighter and more elegantly fruited. Best enjoyed while wearing tweed.

2006

La Rioja Alta ‘Viña Arana’ Tempranillo, Mazuelo (375ml Bottles)

Rioja

53

2011 La Rioja Alta ‘Viña Alberdi’ Tempranillo

Rioja 75

2009 La Rioja Alta ‘Viña Arana’ Tempranillo, Mazuelo

Rioja 105

2010 Valenciso ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo

Rioja 90

2007

La Rioja Alta ‘Viña Ardanza’ Tempranillo, Garnacha

Rioja

110

2004 Urbina ‘Reserva Especial’ Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano

Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón

120

2001 Urbina ‘Reserva Especial’ Tempranillo,

Mazuelo, Graciano Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón

120

1995 Urbina ‘Gran Reserva’ Tempranillo,

Mazuelo, Graciano Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón

140

2005

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo

Rioja

140

2005

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia ‘Bosconia’ Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo

Rioja

150

1998

López de Heredia Viña Tondonia ‘Reserva’ Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo

Rioja

160

21

2007 La Rioja Alta ‘Gran Reserva 904’ Tempranillo, Graciano

Rioja 135

2005

La Rioja Alta ‘Gran Reserva 890’ Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano

Rioja

250

RIBERA DEL DUERO

Ribera del Duero is the second most famous Tempranillo growing area in Spain. It’s south west of Rioja, separated by the Sierra de la Demanda. Ribera del Duero is both ferociously hot and miserably cold, often on the same day, the locals only eat lamb, constantly, lamb, lamb, lamb, lamb. Over time the local clone of Tempranillo has adapted to this harsh environment and monotonous lamb consumption, the result are wines with higher alcohol, richer fruit pattern, more decadent palates and more concentration than those produced in Rioja. These are big powerful wines that appeal to certain American wine critics and consequently can cost an absolute bomb. The best balance freshness through the density of old vine Tinto del Pais.

2016

Quinta Milu ‘Milu’ Tinto Fino

La Aguilera

45

2007 Alejandro Fernandez ‘Dehesa La Granja’ Tinto Fino

Zamora 70

2013

Dominio del Águila ‘Pícaro’ Tinto Fino blend

La Aguilera

80

2013

Dominio del Águila ‘Reserva’ Tinto Fino blend

La Aguilera

150

TORO

As you travel down the Duero River, to the west of Ribera del Duero, you hit Toro, another Tempranillo predominate region. It’s version of the infamous variety is even bigger again than those found in Ribera. It’s a region that’s famous for HUGE red wines but these can be tricky to work with in a wine bar where our chefs don’t have room to roast whole ribeyes, so we’ve included some wine from Alvar de Dios – a lovely young man who makes bright and vibrant wines in the sea of extraction that is Toro.

2016

Alvar de Dios ‘Tio Uco’ Tinto del Toro

Toro

50

22

MEDITERRANEAN WHITE

Modern transport methods have not been kind to the white varietals of the Mediterranean. Once upon a time local producers would produce all kinds of wine to suit the local consumption, but the wine regions of the Mediterranean have tended to specialize in red over the last few decades and trying to find a local bottle of white plonk when drinking in Valencia can be surprisingly difficult. There’s heaps of Albariño or Verdejo from the other side of Spain on offer but white production here has really suffered. We’ve included wines from a heap of different DO’s in the cluster below, they’re all delicious examples of what can be grown in warmer Mediterranean climates, textural, lush, stony wines that deserve their place in the world.

2016

Bodegas Ponce ‘Reto’ Albilla

Manchuela

60

2016

Celler Comunica ‘La Pua’ Garnacha Blanca, Garnacha Negra

Montsant

65

2016

Celler del Roure ‘Cullerot’ Verdil, Pedro Ximénez, Chardonnay, Malvasia

Valencia

70

2015 Mendall ‘Abeurador’ Macabeo

Vilalba 80

2016 Terroir Históric Blanco Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo

Priorat 85

23

2015 Terroir al Límit ‘Terra de Cuques’ Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel de Alejandría

Priorat 120

2012

Terroir al Límit ‘Pedra De Guix’ Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez

Priorat

175

MEDITERRANEAN RED

The Mediterranean produces some insanely good value booze, the Southern appellations; Manchuela, Jumilla, Alicante are so dry and warm that disease pressure is almost non-existent, making farming organically or biodynamically a much easier proposition than in the wetter and colder regions of Galicia or Castile. The result for people drinking in a laneway in Melbourne is that there’s some amazing, old vine wine from really good growers available at a fraction of the price they’d be if they came from Rioja. The wines will tend to have more generosity of fruit, more thyme, bay, and lavender notes, maybe more rustic tannins but there’s a lot to love here. The Northern areas, basically the Catalan country, like Empordà, Montsant, Priorat, and Penedès have a much more developed wine scene. Probably thanks to the parochialism of the drinkers of Barcelona. There’s some wonderful old indigenous varieties here like Sumoll and Garrut, a fantastic super expensive, world class region that is Priorat, and a massive and thriving natural wine movement.

THE CATALANS

2012

Celler Comunica Garnacha, Carinyena, Syrah

Falset, Montsant

55

2014

Celler Comunica ‘La Peluda’ Garnacha Peluda

Falset, Montsant

70

2015

Alvaro Palacios ‘Camins’ Carinyena, Garnacha

Priorat

85

2013 Alvaro Palacios ‘Finca Dofi’ Garnacha, Carinyena 375ml Half Bottle

Gratallops, Priorat

95

24

SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN

Monastrell trumps the southern parts of the Mediterranean, both in terms of finesse, and also in terms of sheer bulk of vines planted. There’s also some wonderful wines to be drunk from little known local varieties like Bobal or Moravia Agria. Bobal is powerful, dark, and firmly tannic, Moravia somehow manages to produce elegant, light, and delicate wines even in the most harsh sun baked terrain. The wines we’re attracted to here manage to balance the natural depth of fruit and power of this hot growing area with a freshness to keep them in check.

2015

Bodegas Ponce ‘Clos Lojen’ Bobal

Manchuela

40

2013 Bodegas Ponce ‘Depaula’ Monastrell

Jumilla 45

2015

Casa Castillo Monastrell

Jumilla

55

2015 Casa Castillo ‘El Molar’ Garnacha

Jumilla 95

2012

Vinedos Culturales ‘Ramblis’ Fourcayet

Alicante

60

2014

Bodegas Ponce ‘P.F.’ Bobal

Manchuela

60

2014

Bodegas Ponce ‘Buena Pinta’ Moravia Agria

Manchuela

60

2016

Cellar del Roure ‘Safrá’ Mando, Garnacha Tintorera

Valencia

75

2014

Casa Castillo ‘Las Gravas’ Monastrell, Garnacha, Syrah

Jumilla

90

2014

Casa Castillo ‘Pie Franco’ Monastrell

Jumilla

150

2012

Viñedos Culturales ‘Cuvee Juan Padilla’ Monastrell (1500ml Magnum)

Alicante

175

Made from old vine Monastrell by maverick natural wine producer Rafa Bernabe. Cuvee Jaun Padilla is a seductive, floral and open Monastrell that smells of violets, baked red clay and brambly fruit.

25

PARTIDA CREUS

Partida Creus is somewhat of a zeitgeist for what’s happening in the Catalan wine scene right now. There’s a swath of natural winemakers championing indigenous Catalan grape varietals who are making incredibly exciting wine in almost unknown appellations. These producers are fully supported by a string of small bars and restaurants dotted throughout Barcelona. Partida Creus, the work of husband and wife team Massimo and Antonella are amongst our favourite of this band of rogues. Their wines are eminently drinkable, brightly fruited and precise. They are wines that we loved discovering in the depths of Barcelona’s infamous Bar Brutal and we are super excited to share them with you here!

2016

Partida Creus ‘V.N. Vinel.lo’ Ancestral Pet Nat Blanco

Bonastre

95

A blend of the major varieties of Bonastre, slight skin contact and light spritzy pet natty deliciousness.

2016 Partida Creus ‘C.V’ Cartoixá Vermell

Ancestral Pet Nat Bonastre 95

2016 Partida Creus ‘V.N’ Blanco Field Blend Bonastre 80 2015

Partida Creus ‘S.P.’ Subirat Parent

Bonastre

95

Subirat Parent is the Catalan name for Malvasia. A widespread grape that retains acid well and can gives almost pineapple like exotic fruit flavours.

2016 Partida Creus ‘X.L’ Xarel-lo Bonastre 95 2016 Partida Creus ‘S.M’ Sumoll Bonastre 95 2016

Partida Creus ‘V.N.’ Tinto

Bonastre

75

Bobal, Trepat, Ull de Perdiu. There’s more power here than in the V.N. but still within the Partida Creus motif of drinkability above all else.

26

REST OF THE WORLD

We love Spanish plonk. We feel that Spanish wine deserves at least a 25 page wine list. That being said we don’t want you to miss out on the rest of the world's rich tapestry of banging booze.

This part of the list is a little less encyclopaedic and comprehensive with the criteria for inclusion being that a wine is;

a)Delicious

b)Fun or interesting

c)Offering something unique that we couldn’t find a ready alternative to in Spain

BUBBLES 2011

Gembrook Hill Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay

Yarra Valley, VIC

95

Andrew Marks of Gembrook Hill makes some of the most delicate, flinty, and outright delicious Blanc de Blanc in Australia. This one has had a couple of extra years on its lees so has developed serious brioche complexity.

2017

Little Things ‘Flo’s Fizz’ Pet Nat Sauvignon Blanc

Adelaide Hills, SA

65

2016 Dal Zotto ‘Col Fondo’ Prosecco

King Valley, VIC 70

2017 Shobbrook Wines ‘Making Space’ Pet Nat Shiraz Mourverde

Seppeltsfield, SA

75

2017

Shobbrook Wines ‘Rose’ Pet Nat Grenache Barossa Valley, SA

75

WHITES 2017

Disznoko ‘Tokaji Dry’ Furmint

Tokaji, Hungary

60

2016 Hahndorf Hill ‘Gru’ Gruner Veltliner

Adelaide Hills 75

2015 Domaine de Pas Saint Martin ‘La Pierre Frite’ Chenin Blanc

Saumur, Loire Valley

65

2014 Franz Saumon ‘Mineral +’ Chenin Blanc

Montlouis Sur Loire

85

2016 Domaine Bobinet ‘Les Gruches’ Chenin Blanc

Saumur, Loire Valley

100

27

2016 Jean Gerlinger Gewurtztraminer

Alsace 80

2015

Vie di Romans ‘Dessimus’ Pinot Grigio

Alto Adige, Italy

100

2017 Brash Higgins ‘ZBO’ Zibbibo Ricca Terra, Riverland

85

2014 Philippe Tessier ‘Les Sables’ Romorantin Cour Cheverny, France

85

2014 Michel Gahier ‘Les Crêts’ Chardonnay

Arbois, France 90

2015 Bongiraud ‘Poema’ Riesling

Rojljevo, Serbia 85

2015 Chateau Yvonne Chenin Blanc Saumur, Loire, France

110

2014 Domaine Berthet-Bondet ‘Savangier’ Savagnin

Côtes-du-Jura, France

110

PINK AND ORANGE 2017 Petracavallo Fiano

Puglia, Italy 70

2017 Shobbrook Wines ‘Giallo’ Riesling and Muscat de petit grains

Vine Vale and High Eden

75

2016

Antadze Rkatsiteli

Kakheti, Georgia

90

2016

COS Pithos Bianco Grecanico

Vittoria, Sicily

105

2015 Menti Giovanni ‘Monte del Cuca’ Gargenega Gambellara, Italy

90

2017 Shobbrook Wines ‘Tommy Ruff Poolside’Syrah

Seppeltsfield, SA

75

2016 Radikon ‘Sivi’ Pinot Grigio

Venezia Giulia 110

2016 Radikon ‘Slatnik’ Chardonnay Fruilano

Venezia Giulia 110

2011 Radikon ‘Oslavje’ Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay (500ml)

Venezia Giulia 130

2011 Radikon ‘Jakot’ Fruilano (500ml)

Venezia Giulia 130

2011 Radikon ‘Ribolla’ Ribolla Gialla (500ml)

Venezia Giulia 140

2008

Gravner ‘Ribolla Anfora’ Ribolla Gialla

Venezia Giulia

180

28

RED 2017 ‘PiMo’, MoVida/Bar Tini/Bill Downie

Collaboration Pinot Noir

Gippsland, VIC 75

2015

Girlan Lagrein

Alto Adige, Italy

55

2016 Mount Majura Mondeuse

Canberra, ACT 65

2013 Casale Della Ioria Olivella

Lazio, Italy 75

2015

Damion Ciolii ‘Silene’ Cesanse

Lazio, Italy

60

2017 Approach to Relaxation ‘Sucette’ Grenache

Barossa, Italy 75

2016

Sandrone Dolcetto Alba, Piemonte 70

2014 Theirry Germain ‘Terres Chaudes’ Cabernet Franc

Saumur Champigny 98

2015 Cascina delle Rose Langhe Nebbiolo Barberesco, Piemonte

85

2015

COS Nero di Lupo Nero d’Avola

Vittoria, Sicily

80

2016 Izway ‘Angelo’ Aglianico Barossa Valley, SA

90

BURGUNDY 2015 Domaine Montanet-Thoden ‘Vézelay’

Chardonnay

Bourgogne 90

2015 J.J Morel ‘Les Genouvrées’ Chardonnay

Bourgogne 120

2015

J.J Morel Puligny Montrachet Chardonnay

Bourgogne

240

2013

J.J Morel Saint-Aubin ‘Le Ban’ Pinot Noir

Bourgogne 155

RHONE VALLEY 2014 Domaine du Tunnel Saint Péray Marsanne

Roussanne

Northern Rhone 100

2014 Domaine du Tunnel Saint Joseph Syrah

Northern Rhone 100

2014 Domaine du Tunnel Cornas Syrah Northern Rhone 135

29

CASCINA EBREO We love Cascina Ebreo’s booze. We had a big night at the winery in 2016, opening back vintages with Pete and Romy and we’ve been obsessed with their wines ever since.

Made with all the love and dedication of the finest Barolo, their first vintage in 1997 was rejected by the tasting panel of the DOGC as being of excellent quality but ‘too cloudy’ to meet with the typicity for Barolo. Thus ‘Torbido’ was born - torbido meaning ‘cloudy’ in the local Piemontese dialect.

From an area famed for its dense structure, dynamic complexity and tannin, these wines have all that and more but with drinkability through the roof!

2000

Cascina Ebreo ‘Segretto’ Barbera

Piemonte, Italy

140

2005

Cascina Ebreo ‘Torbido’ Nebbiolo

Piemonte, Italy

180

2000

Cascina Ebreo ‘Torbido’ Nebbiolo

Piemonte, Italy

225

1999

Cascina Ebreo ‘Torbido’ Nebbiolo

Piemonte, Italy

280

BELLA RIDGE ESTATE We are also big fans of these guys; Alon and Jodi Arbel, who are making wines of exceptional depth, quality, and finesse, from their family run winery in Swan Valley, Western Australia. It is not often that we taste wines from a single producer in a line up and want them all on the list, but here they are.

2011

Bella Ridge Chenin Blanc

W.A.

60

2008 Bella Ridge ‘Belle Mere’ Chenin Blend

W.A. 75

2012 Bella Ridge Estate ‘Bella Rose’ Tempranillo

W.A. 65

2012 Bella Ridge Estate Tempranillo W.A. 80

30

TWO METRE TALL The only entry in the wine list that isn’t wine, Two Metre Tall produces beers of outrageous complexity and interest. They are wildly aromatic, develop in bottle, have acidity, and are supremely food friendly; it’s beer that thinks it’s wine.

Ashley Huntingdon is the man behind these amazing beers and whose height is where the name is taken from. Ashley brews his beers in true farmhouse style, wild yeast, barrel ferments, local grains and hops, and he lets them do their thing. Whereas in Belgium they wait 3 years until these lambic styles of beers settle into stability, Ashley bottles many of them in the first year - meaning they develop in bottle and can cellar like a wine. He thinks being able to see this development and variation as part of the fun and we couldn’t agree more.

Two Metre Tall ‘Cleansing Ale’ 375ml 15

The stalwart entry level of range and designed as what it says on the tin, a cleansing farmhouse ale, souring and evolving with age

Two Metre Tall ‘Derwent Spelt Ale’ 500ml 25

Made to highlight Spelt (the ancient precursor to wheat) from the Derwent Valley this brew is super aromatic and bright

Two Metre Tall ‘Forester Bitter Amber Ale’ 500ml 25

Richly flavoured amber ale using bittering hops from the last working hop farm in the Forester River region of N.W Tassie.

Two Metre Tall ‘Lacto-Black’ 375ml 25

A naturally soured black wort beer aged in barrel for 12 months. Preserved red fruits, umami, bone dry.

Two Metre Tall ‘Sour Cherry Ale’ 750ml 80

A sour ale brewed with fresh whole Morello cherries for 18 months in bottle. Crimson red, sour and fffing delicious.

Two Metre Tall ‘Foragers Ale’ 750ml 85

The product of a whole season of foraging in the Derwent Valley and 4 years in barrel. No tasting note for this one. I couldn’t do it justice.

Two Metre Tall ‘Salty Sea Stout’ 330ml 18

A batshit crazy stout brewed with sea water, fresh oysters, and mussels. Rich, dark, and bitter, and a serious salty sea dog.

Two Metre Tall ‘Seven Years at Sea’ 750ml 80

A precursor for the above beer. An experimental brew with oysters Ashley made in 2010 that he re-discovered in 2017 (hence the name) - seriously weird and even more wonderful.