Campsa Guide 2006

Another wine guide, another accolade......

If I´m honest I have to admit that our Casal Caeiro Vendimia Seleccionada Barrica is a wine that I often forget to promote - I put this down to the fact that I have never been a great aficionado of oak, and more especially in white wines. I´m an unoaked Chablis man.......

Having said that, when I taste it, I am always pleasantly surprised by our Barrica. Angela and I have worked very hard to produce a wine that is well balanced - the natural fruit of the Albariño being complimented by a hint of oak, and ensuring that the subtlety of this delicate grape is not overpowered.

In addition, we have also invested in some top quality oak to further enhance and refine the finished product. After visiting Bordeaux for a comparative tasting with the renowned barrel producers Seguin Moreau, we finally selected their fine grain Allier oak, with a medium toast.

Our Barrica wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, and only then is aged for an average of 5-6 months in 225 litre barrels (one third of the barrels are replaced each year). During the ageing period we taste regularly to chose the optimum moment to finally bottle the wine.

This year our efforts have been recognised by the Guia Campsa 2006, with our 2003 Barrica being awarded 90 points - don´t just take their word for it - you should buy some and have a taste for yourself!

Along side this in Campsa comes our (unoaked) Castro Martin 2004 which also emerges with 90 points. This does not mean to say that our two other wines are in any way inferior, it is simply that they were not reviewed in this year´s guide.

Spring is in the air

Bud break - 27th March

First leaves appear - 10th April

With pruning out of the way the vines are starting to show first signs of life, and it won't be too long before the rather barren, sad looking vineyards are transformed into the lush green colours of summer. Indeed, progress at the start of the growing cycle is quite dramatic, and within two weeks the first small leaves are beginning to appear.

Weather in Galicia continues to be quite changeable, with much needed rain continuing to fall on almost a daily basis (much more typical of the region than the last two years). The danger of spring frost has all but passed, so the next key moment in the cycle will be flowering - as always we will be keeping our fingers crossed.

Avian hits the streets!

Avian's striking new presentation

After months of deliberation, our new Avian label finally makes it's debut on both the Belgium and Spanish markets. As with it's predecessor, we have made a concious decision to continue the theme of original, eye catching design - a brand that stands out from the crowd, not only in style, but also in quality.

This quality claim is supported by the continued success of Avian in Spain's Guia Gourmets 2006. You may recall that it was in the top ten of the best young white wines of Spain, and also third overall in value for money.

So keep your sunglasses handy - you might just need them!