LOCATIONS Wine - looking to break the rules: 13 May 2022.
LOCATIONS Wine was founded by David Phinney: At the end of a trip to France, and as Dave was saying his final goodbyes to friends, a taxi pulled up to take him to the airport and he noticed the very distinctive ‘F’ sticker on the license plate. As it does quite regularly - Dave’s mind exploded with thoughts and possibilities. “What if I could take this idea and do this not only in France, but also in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. What if I could produce a range of wines across all of the major wine regions of the world? What if this could be done having a whole lot of fun and by creating a team of some of the best people in each of these countries to produce a wine that pays homage to their homeland without compromise and without boundaries”. So the concept of Locations Wine was born.
This international ambition with Locations Wine has led Dave to Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Corsica, Argentina and other locations around the globe. With a vision to create the best possible wine that represents its Location across wine regions of the world. The intent is to make wine less complicated and remove restrictions that limit freedom and sense of expression. As such Locations purposefully blends across appellations to produce wine removing restrictions held within traditional winemaking circles.
In the world of wine there are compelling Locations that exist where soil, climate and vines interact to produce grapes that uniquely express their Location through wine. These Locations exist individually within appellations of the new and old world, but are seldom combined across appellation, in the art of blending due to wine laws and restrictions that make it difficult to express true winemaking freedom.
So ask David asked out loud - what if it could be done, what if one could blend across all of the major appellations, to produce a wine that represented a country of origin? What if one could do this across all of the major wine producing regions of the world. What if there were no rules? What if one had complete freedom to express whatever one believed. Could it be done? The question was - do you break the rules, and thousands of years of history and tradition, in pursuit of expressing freedom?
Dave thought why not - so welcome to LOCATIONS Wine.
I recently had the opportunity to open the following wines, now available in New Zealand - short notes to tempt your taste buds.
Locations ‘E’ Spanish Red Wine
Grape Varietals: A blend of Grenache/Garnacha, Tempranillo, Monastrell & Carignan/Cariñena
Growing Regions: Sourced from 5 regions in Spain
Founder / Winemaker: David Phinney
4½ Stars ★★★★☆
The first thing you notice about the Locations ‘E’ Spanish Red Wine - is that the bottle does not bear a traditional vintage. Instead, they carry a number on the back label, in this case E-7, indicating which release of the wine you are drinking. Fermented in large oak vats and then barrel aged for 10 months before release.
• This wine has an enticing aroma of red plums, black cherries, spice, pepper, violets and vanilla. The first taste presents those delicious dark berries and plum flavours, and just the right amount of pepper, spice, hints of tobacco and vanilla from its time in oak. The wine is nicely wrapped in balanced rustic tannins, and bright fruit acidity giving good length to this dynamic dry wine.
• No Decanting & serve between 16°- 18°C : 15% Alc. - Classic Dry Style : Cellar 3 - 4 years : *Retail ~ NZ$39.99
Locations ‘F’ French Red Wine
Grape Varietals: A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and assorted Bordeaux varietals
Growing Regions: Sourced from the Rhône, Roussillon & Bordeaux in France
Founder / Winemaker: David Phinney
4 Stars ★★★★
This is the 7th release of the ‘F’ red blend. The team in France have again incorporated some of the best regions in France, drawing upon their network of growers from the Rhône, Roussillon and Bordeaux. Fermented in large oak vats and then barrel aged for 10 months before release. (F-7 release)
• This wine has a wonderfully enticing aroma of red plums, blackcurrants, dark cherries, violets, dried spice with a hint of tobacco. On the palate you have those broad berry fruit flavours, balanced by good acidity giving a smooth texture. Supporting all that bright fruit you have infused tannins and dovetailed oak along with hints of black tea, cacao and tobacco that lead onto a lingering dry finish.
• No Decanting & serve between 16°- 18°C : 15.5% Alc. - Classic Dry Style : Cellar 3 - 4 years : *Retail ~ NZ$39.99
Locations ‘IT’ Italian Red Wine
Grape Varietals: A blend of Negroamaro, Nero d’Avola & Barbera
Growing Regions: Sourced from Puglia & Piedmont in Italy
Founder / Winemaker: David Phinney
4 Stars ★★★★
Forward and ripe fruit from the southern region of Puglia (Torricella & Manduria) serves as the base with a lively seam of acidity from Barbera (in the northern region of Piedmont) that stabilises the wine in just the right way. Fermented in large oak vats and then barrel aged for 10 months before release. (IT-8 release)
• This Italian red wine has a wonderful aroma of black cherries, dried spice and a note of tobacco leaf. On the palate the wine unfolds to reveal different flavours intertwining beautifully, showcasing ripe blackberries, dark cherries, liquorice, black olives, dried herbs and elevated dried spices lead the way on this medium to fuller-bodied wine with good acidity and a well-balanced classic dry finish.
• Mild Decanting & serve between 16°- 18°C : 14.5% Alc. - Classic Dry Style : Cellar 4 - 5 years : *Retail ~ NZ$39.99
*(prices, vintages & availability will vary by outlet & country)