Press Mentions
See a list of the most recent articles about us or our producers from the press;
- Maison Chanzy: producer profile and six wines tasted - Decanter
Maison Chanzy is a relatively new name in the Bouzeron AOP, but it produces some of the appellation's most interesting wines. Andy Howard MW takes a closer look and rates six wines.
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- How sustainability was key to Alliance’s ‘In Our Nature’ tasting - The Buyer
Aiming to be fully sustainable as a business is all well and good but how do you do it in the wine business exactly? Alliance Wine drew its line in the sand in September 2021 and since then has aligned its business practices with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals from work in the vineyard through to how finished wines are delivered – even picking a ‘no waste’ restaurant in which to hold its ‘In Our Nature’ tasting. Robert Mason was suitably impressed with what he saw at the tasting and picks 10 wines that all have their art in the right place.
- Bodegas Manzanos: two brothers, pioneers of Rioja - The Drinks Business
Brothers Víctor and David Fernández de Manzanos have transformed their small family business into a successful operation capable of producing 10 million bottles of wine a year.
See Producer Profile - Q&A: Alliance Wine on-trade sales director Miriam Spires - The Drinks Business
The Drinks Business caught up with Miriam Spiers of Alliance Wine to see how the fine wine supplier has been faring after the challenges of the pandemic, what the secret to success is, and what the future holds.
- Perelada unveils new winery - Harpers
Perelada, one of the most prestigious and highly regarded wine and Cava producers in Catalunya, has unveiled a new state-of-the-art winery. The new Perelada winery is the first in Europe to earn LEED® Gold certification for high standards of energy eco-efficiency in its construction, operation and maintenance.
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- Harpers' 30 Under 30 winners announced
Plumeridge has ridden her love of all things wine and vine to a top-tier sales position within the trade. Of particular note is her work to identify alternative routes to market for Alliance, which then translated to sustainable growth opportunities for the off-trade. She has also helped to grow the conversation around diversity and communication within the industry by lending her considerable skills to initiatives such as Black Wine Professionals, Drinklusive, Be Inclusive Hospitality, and The Drinks Business Diversity Survey with Jancis Robinson, Mags Janjo and Gus Gluck, where she was responsible for data analysis.
- Iona's 21st vintage celebration
Iona Winery is known for having the coolest vineyards in the Cape of South Africa, sitting 420m above sea level, high above the picturesque Elgin Valley. This year they celebrate their 21 st vintage and db caught up with owner and founder, Andrew Gunn to learn more about the history and the future of this renowned South African producer.
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Marilu Marin has been chosen as the Businesswoman of the year
This is the fifteenth time that EY Chile and “El Mercurio” have come together to reward those who have stood out the most in recent times in the corporate, social, and business fields. On March 20, 2022, it was announced that the owner, founder and winemaker of Casa Marin, Marilu Marin, had been chosen as 2021 Businesswoman of the Year.
See Producer Profile -
Iona’s Andrew Gunn on cool climate wines from Elgin - The Buyer
Iona sits on the southernmost tip of South Africa and has developed to become one of the region of Elgin’s most prominent producers making elegant cool climate wines strongly influenced by the maritime winds. Peter McCombie MW talks to Iona’s founder Andrew Gunn and looks back at his wines from the 2021 vintage and also hears how sustainability, both in the farm and how he looks after his workers, is such a key part of Iona’s DNA.
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Unexpected Heroes - Vineyard Magazine
You see, or rather smell, that everything is not entirely as it seems when you put your nose into this glass. There is a bass note here that thuds metronomically, akin to The White Stripes Seven Nation Army’s intro, played through a great set of speakers. What is going on here?
All Angels, Sparkling Rosé, Enborne, West Berkshire, England, 2014 -
The nature of the numbers: Paul Hobbs on alcohol - Fine & Rare
With climate change and the influence of Robert Parker, it’s undeniable that we’ve seen a rising tide of alcohol levels. But there’s much more to the conversation than a simple number – as we discovered tasting and talking with Paul Hobbs, one of Napa’s leading names. -
Alliance Wine on how it is driving sustainability up & down its business - The Buyer
“We want to use sustainability to make all our business practices more effective: stop focusing on doing ‘less bad’ and rather aim to get things right from the start.” That in a nutshell sums up the sustainability strategy behind how Alliance Wine is going to run its business now and in the future -
Key Influences of Rioja by Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW - Decanter
On Abel Mendoza: 'Although great terroirs provide the conditions, the keys for success are deeply human: knowledge, respect for nature, experimentation and long-term vision. Abel and Maite’s wine – and their ethos – are a benchmark for all.'
See Producer Profile - The Diversity of Rioja in Six Wines by David Williams - Decanter
'If I were to pick one white Rioja to represent the theme of diversity, and its contemporary combination of modern winemaking know-how, tradition and a new-found obsession with terroir, it would be Abel Mendoza’s delightful take on Malvasia. Produced by a winemaker with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the vineyards of Rioja Alavesa, it is drawn from dozens of tiny plots, and expresses a local variety with the most subtle shading of barrel fermentation and five months’ maturation in new French oak.'
Abel Mendoza, Malvasia, DOCa Rioja, Spain, 2020 - Garnacha is on a roll in Rioja: 10 wines to try by Amaya Cervera - Decanter
92 points - 'A great example of how Garnacha can bring endless pleasure.'
See also: Bodegas Manzanos, Finca Manzanos Garnacha, Rioja, 2020
See wine information - Ageability in Rioja: 2001 & 2010 by Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW - Decanter
94 points – 'Intensely perfumed (cedar box, dry herbs, sous-bois). Tannic, solidly built, very serious, quite austere. Needs aeration; with time in glass it opens up to reveal a distinctive expression.'
Bodegas Manzanos, Finca Manzanos Gran Reserva, Rioja, 2001 - Viñedo Singular: panel tasting results
Outstanding with 95 points – ‘Amaren perhaps represents the concept of a village winery better than any other producer.’
Bodegas Amaren, Carraquintana, DOCa Rioja Alavesa, Spain, 201794 points - 'Cedar, eucalyptus, toast and dark fruit lift; sumptuous palate and a long finish with a saline edge.'
Bodegas Amaren, El Cristo De Samaniego, DOCa Rioja Alavesa, Spain, 2017
See wine (2018) - Roebuck Estates joins Alliance Wine portfolio
West Sussex-based Roebuck Estates has joined the Alliance Wine portfolio as part of a partnership that is hoped will establish it as one of the leading producers of premium English sparkling wines in the country.
Read more about Roebuck Estates - Alliance Wine expands portfolio with new sparkling wine agency - Harpers
West Sussex-based Roebuck Estates has become the latest producer to join the Alliance Wine collection of premium brands.
Read more about Roebuck Estates - Mike Turner’s interesting wines to look out for in 2022 - The Buyer
'I’m always very keen to try something out of the ordinary, and an Albariño from Rias Baixas with 10 years of vat/bottle age is not your everyday wine! Using the finest grapes of the harvest and intended for ageing, this wine had been aged on lees for nearly three years before being bottled and released. Without trying to sound to twee, you could still smell and taste the sea, but with a much fuller body, and a honeyed almond overlay to the tropical and citrus fruits and saline minerality. The 2011 recently got a Decanter Platinum Medal, so we can’t both be wrong!' (2010)
Stock up on the 2012 vintage: Pazo Señorans, Albariño, Selección de Añada, Rias Baixas, Spain, 2012
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Alliance targets on-trade expansion with new appointments - Harpers
Alliance Wine has recruited two new personnel into its on-trade division, with a renewed focus on growing the distributor’s customer base in the hospitality sector. -
The best Malbecs of 2021 - The Drinks Business
'The most exciting discovery from this year’s Masters. Called Le Calcifère – in reference to the limestone content of the vineyard soils where this Malbec is grown – it’s a Cahors produced under the Crocus JV brand from two great figures: top wine consultant Paul Hobbs and respected Cahors vintner Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux. The result is something ripe and juicy, while also structured and restrained. There’s prune and blackcurrant, along with cracked pepper and cedar, then dark chocolate and cigar box.' Patrick Schmitt
Crocus, Le Calcifère, AOC Cahors, France, 2015 -
Amanda Barnes: My top 10 South American wines of 2021 - Decanter
94 points - 'Paul Hobbs’ Mendoza winemaker Andrés Vignoni is showing a real flair for fine Chardonnay. This new wine Vinculum, meaning bond, represents their relationship with growers and comes from grapes selected from different plots in the Uco Valley. The blend is woven into a taut, mineral and mouthwatering wine which would give a Chablis premier cru a run for its money.'
Viña Cobos, Vinculum Chardonnay, Uco Valley, Mendoza, 2020 -
South Africa: 2021 New Releases from the Cape (Nov 2021) by Neal Martin
97 points - 'The 2018 MR de Compostella is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It presents a compelling bouquet of blackberry, charcoal, cedar and tobacco, all showing wonderful delineation and focus. But it is not the most flamboyant on the nose compared to other vintages; this takes its time to open at a stately pace. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfectly judged acidity, a silky-smooth texture and an utterly harmonious, complex finish. Residues of allspice and clove linger on the long aftertaste. Brilliant.'
Raats Family Wines, MR De Compostella, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2018 -
Emilio Moro - Producer profile and latest releases tasted - Decanter
Top Ribera del Duero winery Emilio Moro makes one of Spain’s most expensive wines. Sarah Jane Evans MW tastes and rates the latest vintages. Producer Profile -
Wines of the Year 2021: the top Value wines - Decanter by Stefan Neumann MS, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Matt Walls
95 points - 'Aromatic and fresh nose with olive notes, tomato tapenade, lavender, plums, camphor and violets over nuances of creamy oak and leather. Rich and full on the palate with plenty of smooth tannins.'
Château de Lancyre, Pic St Loup Rouge La Coste d'Aleyrac, Languedoc, France, 2019
Thank you Michael Denton for the nomination! -
Alliance Wine strengthens team with new appointments - Harpers
Alliance Wine has revealed it has strengthened its business with two new appointments -
How innovation lies at the heart of Bodegas Emilio Moro - The Buyer
José Moro, at Ribera del Duero’s Bodegas Emilio Moro, is the first winemaker to have been picked as one of the top 100 global business leaders in the field of innovation and creativity by Forbes Spain. His latest project, Sensing4Farming, developed hand-in-hand with Vodafone, is aimed at creating a high-quality sustainable vineyard that can be managed completely digitally.
Producer Profile