 We are thrilled to introduce a new, exclusive agency, with origins from the beautiful foothills of the Andes, Argentina.The group’s founder, Ricardo Fernández Núñez, an Argentinian of Galician descent, embraced viticulture as the best way to honour his ancestors, who settled in the Uco Valley in the early 20th century. It was in this same corner of Mendoza that Fernández Núñez established himself as one of the most successful Malbec producers. His work was rightfully recognised at the 2022 Decanter Wine World Awards, where his Callejón del Crimen wines shone. We have never seen such magnificent results, regardless of their price. Fernández has amassed a personal collection of vineyards in four of Mendoza’s most prestigious regions – Paraje Altamira, Gualtallary, Pampa El Cepillo and Vista Flores, Fernández explains: “We own 150 hectares of vineyards in the most renowned terroirs of the Uco Valley. The land here allows us to produce wine consistently and sustainably, reflecting the DNA of a winemaking region that is impressing drinkers the world over.” The experts behind Callejón del Crimen are oenologist Pablo Navarrete and María Hilen Pareja, a specialist in organic viticulture. Together they have created a portfolio of wines that express, especially in the Single Vineyard collection, the identity of the micro terroirs of the Uco Valley.  “The Callejón del Crimen Single Vineyard collection is the result of our commitment to studiously explore the different terroirs found in the Uco Valley and its micro-regions,” says Pablo. Today, all that hard work has produced four Malbecs that embody the best of Paraje Altamira, Vista Flores, Pampa El Cepillo and Gualtallary. Callejón del Crimen Single Vineyard Gualtallary Malbec 2019 won a Platinum Medal (97 points) at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. The work behind the collection further inspired the team to create Callejón del Crimen Blend de Terroirs Malbec 2019, which also won a Platinum Medal (97 points). “Our Blend de Terroirs is a combination of the four micro-regions where we have vineyards, and allows us to capture and enhance the quality of the land and virtues that the Uco Valley so generously makes available to us,” says Pablo. In addition to Callejón del Crimen’s excellent performance at the last edition of the DWWA, the Iluminado Vinos de La Luz Single Vineyard Malbec 2015, a wine made with grapes from Paraje Altamira, was named Best in Show (97 points) in the 2019 edition of the awards. Irrefutable proof of the fact that Callejón del Crimen produce some of Argentina’s very best Malbec. We were blown away when we first sampled the wine. Quality versus value is exceptional and the reason why we were happy to bring our first, non-Aussie agency to you all. A further set of samples have arrived this week, which we will tackle and revert with our own, detailed tasting notes. Stu plans to share these next Friday. The DWWA Judging Process Bronze, Silver & Gold MedalsIn the first round of judging, Regional Chairs oversee their respective panels, settle any score discrepancies, and re-taste all Silver and Gold winners for consistency. Co-Chairs then re-taste all Gold winners for final endorsement. Silver winners are therefore tasted twice and Gold winners three times. This rigorous process ensures that each wine is reviewed thoroughly.  Platinum97-100 PointsIn the second round of judging, a panel consisting of Co-Chairs and Regional Chairs re-taste all the Gold winners and award Platinum medals to the best wines.  Best in Show97-100 PointsThe competition culminates in a final tasting of Platinum winners by the Co-Chairs where the ultimate accolade of ‘Best in Show’ is given to the finest wines of the DWWA. Availability / Delivery / Paying for DeliveryI bet ‘paying for delivery’ raised many of your blood pressures! Nonetheless, we are trialling a new way of working for some releases. Except for the 2015 Iluminado Vinos de La Luz Single Vineyard Malbec which is available by-the-bottle and by-the-case (under bond) – the remainder of the collection is only available by-the-case of six bottles. It may seem extreme to write an entire section centred around delivery charges however, customers simply loathe paying for it. You would be surprised by the sheer number of orders which are received above the £150 free delivery threshold yet fall under £152. Shopping dynamics are truly fascinating. The cost-of-living crisis adds another layer of complexity and we are fully respectful of the situation.
Is ‘free’ delivery really free of charge?The Vinorium absorbs the burden of many of the costs - £130,564.18 to be exact (2020 to end of Oct 2022). This covers just the cost of tape, biodegradable packaging and DPD’s delivery charges. We also build-in costs too and pass these to you. That cost being getting the wine from Australia to our bonded warehouse, which currently runs over £1.00 to £1.30 per bottle. Circa 40 pence pre-pandemic. With these wines we are trialing something new…We have deducted £9 per case of six bottles from our set-up costs. Essentially, we continue to absorb the full UK cost of delivery which is an important factor for many online customers however, we need to streamline the operation which provides you with amazing wines and unbeatable value whilst maintaining our profit margins. Without profit, there is no Vinorium… You will see a delivery charge.You will see the delivery charge separately at checkout, but we must emphasise this is a built-in operational function of our e-commerce website for all wines delivered by our bonded partner. For example, most mainland postcodes equate to £1.45 per bottle (12 bottle order) dropping to £0.81 per bottle for an order of 36 bottles. The Highlands and Islands remain expensive however, we are working on changing this. This trial is different as you are paying a separate delivery charge however, please remember that we have already deducted £9.00 per six-pack…. When will I receive my order?Our opening order of 3,000 bottles will be arriving early-to-mid-December. With all the will in the world, we do not expect LCB to land them in time for Christmas. We believe January is more likely. We are currently displaying a delivery date of week commencing 9 January 2023, but we remain optimistic. Like our new Zalto arrival – we shipped them a week earlier than planned. As ever, we will keep you informed. When does this offer come to an end?As you can appreciate, demand for these wines is super-high with many UK merchants wishing to buy the collection for onward retail sales. We have pre-promised 1,500 bottles to several of our trade partners, which is, “not adequate” to quote one response! Charming, don’t you think? Essentially, we have sold-out which is a great start. The caveat being that our ‘private customers’ receive first dibs, and rightly so. We are not allocating everything to you as it is important to support our trade customers however, the numbers are generous. 9:00am Monday 28th November, all wines will be removed from our website and will no longer be available to purchase. You may find other merchants offering these wines – the source of the wines being The Vinorium. Can I purchase more after the 28th November cut-off?Currently, no. We have requested more, and we await the wineries response. The Wines 2015 Iluminado Vinos de la Luz Single Vineyard Malbec97 Points – Best in Show – Decanter “This year's Argentinian representative in our Best in Show collection is an energetic, perfumed and vital Malbec which almost seems to combine European-style freshness while retaining all of its Andean generosity and solar brightness. A dark, saturated black-red in colour, you'll find refined, intricate aromas of forest flowers, blueberries and blackberries with sweet tobacco leaf. The wine is intensely perfumed on the palate, too; remarkably so given that it is already over three years old. Its sumptuous plum, damson and sloe fruits are bright and fresh, while lively acidity and generous though chiselled tannins make for an exceptionally well-proportioned red that will age with ease. Drink 2019-2030.” £270.00 in bond per case (6x75cl) Only 15 cases available Also available by the bottle Only 30 bottles available  2019 Callejón del Crimen Blend de Terroirs Malbec97 Points – Platinum award – Decanter “Seductive and beautifully perfumed with notes of lifted violet, blueberry, blackberry, liquorice and perfectly integrated oak spice. The sumptuous palate is graced with deep red fruit, graceful, fine grained tannins, plush plum, spice, herb and a gorgeous, bright acidity.” £115.00 in bond per case (6x75cl) Only 35 cases available 2019 Callejón del Crimen Single Vineyard
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