Tim Adams Longview Howard Vineyard Carlos Serres Wine List

Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.

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The most refined and profound of the Carlos Serres wines - a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, entirely sourced from the Finca El Estanque vineyard. Only 2% of Rioja wines are released as Gran Reserva, with the best fruit treated to at least a couple of years in oak, generally more, before being bottled at anywhere between 5 and 10 years of age. Carlos Serres choose to release the wine when it is ready to drink.... and this, the 2016 vintage is excellent, offering mature and ripe black fruits, cinnamon, minerality and more. The palate is rich and smooth, tannins plentiful but resolving, the finish long and satisfying. Beautiful now and will cellar for another 5+ as well.

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Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos, actually named Charles, was a French Winemaker who, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, left Bordeaux and wound up in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Young and fresh but nonetheless intense, owing to the very low yields from the 2022 vintage. Fresh red and black fruits here, along with liquorice and a hint of vanilla. Zippy fruit and relatively high tannins make this a great match for protein.

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A stunning Reserve Rioja from Carlos Serres, one of the few century old Rioja producers. This is a blend of 90% Tempranillo with 10% Graciano sourced from the winery's 'Finca El Estanque' vineyard and aged for 2 years in French and American Oak. There is vivid freshness here, in spite of the wines age, and flavours of blackcurrant blackberries, shaved truffle, chocolate, cola, spice and lavender. Delicious by itself or with a plate or nine of Tapas. Brilliant with crispy pork belly too, or a cone of Jamon Iberico, or... Learn More

Lifted citrus, white peach and crème brûlée on the nose lead to green apple and grapefruit spread across the palate, only interrupted momentarily by the melting toasty mouthfeel. From an exceptional vineyard in Charleston which sits at about 500m above sea level. Learn More

A tightly coiled Cab that needs a little coaxing by way of an hour or 2 in the decanter. While that's happening, turn your thoughts to lamb and what you might be eating in an hour or 2 when the wine is cherry ripe. Funnily enough, we found cherries here, along with blackcurrant, cocoa, tomato leaf and a plushness emerging from an intense baseline once the wine had gulped a little air. You can see the promise on opening, but post decanting, the Trophy and gold medals this wine has won make a great deal of sense. Learn More

A lovely Pinot Grigio, well named, as it takes after the lean racy styles which come out of Italy. Fresh, crunchy Nashi pear, pear tannins, a little pepper and a hint of citrus here. Perfect with seafood, or as an aperitif. Learn More

Classic Sauv Blanc here; the nose an explosion of passionfruit, snow pea tendrils and gooseberry; the palate, light and fruit intense. A lovely wine. Learn More

Classic high-end, Adelaide Hills Shiraz this, offering bold fruit, firm structure, graphite laden oak and fine but firm tannins. Cherries, pepper and spice here, best coaxed out with a decant an hour or 2 before drinking. While you are waiting, fire up a charcoal grill. Learn More

Purity of fruit is the number priority for this Riesling from Tim Adams. From a vineyard planted in 1994 with an easterly aspect on clay and loam. Left on lees for 9 months to add texture and richness to the palate and prodcue a wine of fine structure and grace. Enjoyable now or let it get better and better over the next decade or more. Learn More