Bodegas Verum from La Mancha, Spain
We always say we like an underdog here at H2G Wines and Bodegas Verum certainly qualify under this term. In recent years winemaker at Verum, Elias Lopez Montero has developed a line called Ulterior which is a range of indigenous varietal wines that is taking the wine world by storm.
No less an authority than Jancis Robinson has been giving the wines rave reviews and she has mentioned them as one of the top 10 wineries globally to watch in the coming years.
This is all within the context of producing wine in Castilla La Mancha, a torridly hot, arid area south of Madrid that up until now has produced mostly dull bulk wines.
What to expect from the wines?
All the wines come from organically certified vineyards and most are made partially in old Tinaja’s (Clay Amphorae) in very small quantities. All the wines have complex flavours with great energy and drive.
We are importing one white made from Albillo Real an old noble indigenous grape variety. Extremely fresh and aromatic with lots of minerality and development with quince and orchard fruit flavours – if you like Chenin Blanc from the Loire then this is for you.
On the red front there’s a Graciano packed full of personality and dark cherry fruit withtrademark earthy and herbal notes. Also a Garnacha, light in style and similar to Garnacha from Mentrida or Gredos with Pinot like development.
The crowd pleaser amongst the reds is the Mazuelo, usually seen in Spain used as a blender in Rioja or under an alternative name in Catalonia – Carinena or Samso. We’ve loved this grape at H2G for years and we’re delighted to have found a wine that reaches its great potential. This is probably the most full bodied and most fruit filled wine of the range with dark fruit flavours, oodles of spice, leather and other secondary flavours.
All in all there’s something in the range for everyone – although these wines are not cheap they represent great value for wines of this quality at their price points.
