A little over a year since Wineandtech got going and, with more than 70 wines tasted in 2023 (all right, we started a bit before that…), it’s time to take stock! It was very, very hard to narrow it down to just a few references. Every wine that inspired us last year could have been in this round-up. But we’ve tried to keep the favourites, and above all the wines that produced a “Wooow, what is this wine?”
2023 was a real wine odyssey, in which we had the pleasure of tasting and discovering a plethora of captivating wines, each offering a unique sensory story. Among the many gems tasted, here are a few of the wines that particularly marked our palates and our minds during this memorable year:
- Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde – E. Guigal
A true treasure of the Rhône Valley, the Côte-Rôtie by E. Guigal embodies the elegance and finesse of this iconic region’s wines. It was impossible not to include this estate’s wines in the selection. With its bewitching aromas of red fruit, spice and violet, this captivating red reveals a delicate structure and silky tannins on the palate. Every sip is an invitation to explore the richness and complexity of the Côte-Rôtie terroirs, while savouring the exceptional craftsmanship of the Guigal house.
Guigal’s Brune et Blonde is an emblematic Côte-Rôtie cuvée, coming from two distinct areas of the appellation: the Côte Brune and the Côte Blonde. The Côte Brune is renowned for its soils rich in iron and manganese, which yield powerful, tannic, structured wines. The Côte Blonde is characterised by its lighter, sandier soils, which produce finer, more elegant and aromatic wines.
At a price approaching €50, this wine is pricier than the ones we usually want to introduce you to, but if you can, don’t hesitate to keep a few bottles in your cellar — you won’t regret it.
We simply had to include the Guigal house in this first selection, so much did this estate amaze us with such high-quality production; we could also have mentioned their famous Côtes du Rhône red, a wine under €10 with EXCEPTIONAL value for money! The Guigal house is a benchmark, and it won’t be hard to find at your favourite wine merchant.
- Marqués de Riscal, Reserva – Rioja
Rioja wines are renowned for their distinctive character and remarkable quality, and the Marqués de Riscal Rioja is no exception. This emblematic red, made from Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, offers an unforgettable sensory experience, with its notes of ripe fruit, vanilla and subtle oak. It reflects the region’s unique terroir and the centuries-old expertise of the Marqués de Riscal cellar, which has been producing wines since 1858.
This wine perfectly embodies the wines we look for: “characterful on the palate and light on the wallet”. At under €20, it will find its place on your table. It surprised us with the strength of its tannins and its incredible value for money. A Rioja, by definition, will be tannic and fruity, but also balanced and persistent. By heading here, you’ll find it easily.
- Château de Vaux – Molozay
The Château de Vaux – Molozay, “les Hautes-Bassières”, is a Pinot Noir that dazzled us with its quality and originality. This wine from the French Moselle is one of the great discoveries of 2023, and we’re delighted to have unearthed it right at the start of our Wineandtech adventure. It’s this wine that inspired us for this story, because it defies convention. It’s powerful, tannic, complex, and it reveals all the richness and diversity of Pinot Noir, at an affordable price. It’s a wine that enchants us, all the more so as it comes from a region little known for its red wines. Don’t hesitate to go to their website to order online here; the shipping costs are reasonable.
- Domaine Georges Constantin Buzea – Frizzant d’Été
Just before summer, we tested a multitude of wines — whites, rosés, reds, sparklings. We were looking for a “go-anywhere” wine to open at the start of an aperitif and that could also go with grilled food and salads. We’d already discovered a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with refreshing citrus, which I’ll tell you about later, but we wanted something else, a wine out of the ordinary. Once again, the Moselle surprised us with this 8-9° wine (you read that right!), fruity, fresh and lightly sparkling. It’s smooth and pleasant on the palate, and always at a small price. This pretty blue bottle adds charm to the wine, ideal for a refreshing, summery experience: the Frizzant d’Été! You’ll have to go through the Moselle to find it, or through here.
- Rimapere Marlborough
Rimapere is a wine estate in New Zealand, in the Marlborough region, the result of a collaboration between Benjamin de Rothschild and Terry Peabody, owner of Craggy Range. The name Rimapere means “five arrows” in Maori, a nod to the Rothschild family emblem and to New Zealand culture. Rimapere is an exquisite white wine that expresses all the typicity of the New Zealand terroir. It gives off bewitching aromas of tropical fruit, lime and white flowers, which charm from the very first glass. Its vibrant freshness and lively palate make it an ideal partner for fresh seafood and summer salads. We were won over by its freshness and its exoticism, heightened by citrus notes. Even though we’ve known it for a few years, it felt essential to place it in the first WineandTech selection. At around €20, you’ll find it mainly on specialist sites such as Twil.
- Domaine Père Benoit – Brouilly
The Domaine Père Benoit – Brouilly is a red wine that illustrates the authenticity and tradition of Beaujolais, an emblematic wine region. This Brouilly gives off seductive aromas of cherry, blackberry and sweet spices, heralding an elegant, fine palate, with supple tannins and a persistent, slightly vanilla-tinged finish.
This wine is one of those incredible discoveries we made over the course of our visits and encounters. We wandered, we crossed paths, we chatted, and the magic happened. Located in Saint-Lager, this property has belonged to the Brunier family for six generations; the estate produces red, white and rosé wines from varieties such as Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, on clay-limestone and granitic soils. The Brouilly is a red wine made from Gamay, from vines more than 90 years old, on the foothills of Mont Brouilly.
What we loved at this estate was meeting a family of passionate winemakers offering an exceptional wine at a reduced price. Made from century-old vines, this Beaujolais, at under €20 a bottle, is one of our “must-haves”. Don’t hesitate to order from their online shop here; other interesting references are available.
2023 was a remarkable year for wine exploration, letting us discover exceptional wines from the four corners of the globe. We travelled through the iconic wines of Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, but also through the more surprising wines of Beaujolais, such as Brouilly, or of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. We also explored the wines of the world, with New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, and our little-known treasures from the Moselle, like the Frizzant d’Été. Every tasting was an enriching experience that made us appreciate the diversity and richness of the world of wine.
In 2024, WineandTech has other surprises in store for you, to help you discover even more flavours and terroirs.
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