New arrivals, Jouclary makeover, Loire frost newsletter May 2021

New this week

We unloaded pallets from Spain and France at Little Island this week. Here's news of the latest arrivals.

Two new reds from the Ribera del Duero have joined our Spanish selection, and some old favourites are back in stock from Bodegas Rejadorada in Toro and Bodegas Otero in the Valles de Benavente.

The wines of Château Jouclary have had a makeover, and their new look is a triumph. We've added four new lines from the estate, too, including a smooth and fruity no-added-sulphites red.

Finally, there's a summary of the weather.

Wishing you sunshine in your glass and elsewhere—

Billy, Julian, Ross and all at Bubble Brothers

NEW SPANISH REDS

You may have tried white wines from the Oro de Castilla label already. Now a robust, concentrated Tempranillo crianza joins our line-up from the winemakers at Bodegas Hermanos del Villar.

There's also Gaudeamus, which after five months in oak is a roble, with a little added spice and depth enhancing its generous Tempranillo fruit flavours.

(Also, as mentioned above, back in stock are Antona García from Toro, and both the Crianza and Reserva from Bodegas Otero.)

CHATEAU JOUCLARY PUTS ON THE RITZ

The wonderful wines that Pascal Gianesini makes at Château Jouclary near Carcassonne are Bubble Brothers favourites. The whole range now has new labels, and you'll see these on the cuvées Tradition, Les Amandiers (which is still on offer) and Guilhaume as our old stock is used up. However, we've added four eye-catching new wines, so you can try out the new livery right away.

CHERISH THE NEW GROWTH…

Late and severe frosts have done appalling damage to vines throughout France and elsewhere this year. The ups and downs of the seasons are part of the wine business, but 2021 has been exceptional.

Amélie Dugué-Couillaud wrote in the week to tell us that despite the best efforts of all hands at the Les Frères Couillaud estates, with fires lit and tended nightly in the vines during the most extreme spells, between seventy and eighty per cent of her vines will not fruit this year. The photo shows one of the few surviving buds.

It's an opportunity to remind you that we recently introduced four Muscadets, a Sauvignon and a Chardonnay from Les Frères Couillaud—they're all great wines.

If you try them, and like any of these fresh, mineral whites, you'll find @frerescouillaud on Facebook and Instagram, and it would cheer the family up no end to hear from their Irish fans!

Before the next newsletter, we'll have received top-ups and one or two new wines from Agostino Pavia & Figli in Piedmont in the north of Italy. All kinds of other irons are in the fire besides—watch this space. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.

Sláinte!