Drinking High Quality Wines from Independent Wine *

*This is a collaborative post containing PR samples.

As you all know, Mike and I are big fans of a good bottle of wine so when we come across a company like Independent Wine we jump straight into finding out more and getting a few new bottles for the wine rack.

Independent Wines do the hard work in finding the best wines Italy has to offer, as they understand Italian wineries really well, and work directly with wine producers to secure the best bottles to offer on the website. To also make it even more personable, there is no middle-man, the Independent Wine team travel to Italy and visit each winery and vineyard and taste all of the wine to make sure they’re up to the high standards they have become well known for before they choose to share it with their customers. They also use reputable awards as well as high rankings from top experts, such as James Suckling, to ensure the wines are highly sought of.

Not only do they offer the best Italian wines, but they also offer some of the best wines from around the world too, so we grabbed ourselves a bottle of the Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2016. We are big fans of Spanish wines, but we may have grabbed ourselves a little something Italian too, but you’ll have to check back for that one!

This delicious Rioja has received glowing reviews all round and has won multiple awards including the Gold Medal, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2018, Double Gold Medal at China Wine & Spirits Awards.

The 13.5% ABV Montecillo is a delicious blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, and 5% Graciano, and grapes from each of those varieties are ferment in small-capacity stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 26°C. After the fermentation, the wine is aged in American Oak barrels for 18 months, this gives a dry, full-bodied finish that paired very well with our vegetarian roast dinner we made. It would also pair perfectly with grilled meats, stews and of course, a cheeseboard.

On the nose, we got a variety of dark fruits including cherries, blackcurrants and blackberries, with a hint of vanilla and a small amount of liquorice. On the palate, the wine was smooth, and velvety with a hint of tannin. The wine was slightly acidic which is why it works so well with cheese!

As with most red wines, this Montecillo improved the longer we had it open. The last few sips even complimented the vegan Magnum that I had after dinner!

For under £10, this wine is excellent value for money as it’s so filled with flavour, paired perfectly with our meal and really impressed the both of us. It’s a wine we will most certainly be purchasing to take to our parents when we next go for dinner as they’re bound to be impressed too!

Jumping back to the Italian wines quickly, if you don’t know your Barolo from your Barbaresco, don’t worry, they’re Knowledge Base has you totally covered for everything you need to know.