An evening from the archive
Mark Bedford (Caviste) — Madmen and Dreamers
- Date
- Wednesday, 21 May 2025
- Time
- 20:30
- Host
- Mark Bedford, Caviste
- Theme
- Maverick winemakers — Madmen and Dreamers
Mark Bedford of Caviste, with 35 years in the wine trade, brought a carefully curated selection of wines made by producers willing to colour outside the lines. The evening moved from a Catalan Cava through wines of Lebanon, South Africa, Germany and Chile, concluding with a rare old Niepoort Moscatel from the Douro.
The wines
What we tasted
- 1
Mas Beltram Balma Cava Brut
Mas Beltram Balma· Penedès, Catalonia, Spain· 2021· % abv
£18.95. Pale yellow, fine bubbles; citrus, apple and baked bread aromas; honeyed citrus finish.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 2
Marco Abella Olbieta Blanco
Marco Abella· Priorat, Catalonia, Spain· 2023· % abv
£16.95. Pear, lychee, white flowers, fennel and citrus. Complex, fresh and mineral with great length.
Tonight £0RRP £0
- 3
Rusden Christian Chenin Blanc
Rusden· Chenin Blanc· Barossa Valley, South Australia· 2023· % abv
£23.00. Pear, citrus, tropicals and wet stone on nose; pear, passionfruit, lemon drops, honey and chamomile on palate.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 4
Massaya Rosé
Massaya· Beqaa Valley, Lebanon· 2022· % abv
£19.95. Strawberry colour, red berry fruits and subtle spice. Fresh thanks to vineyard altitude.
Tonight £0RRP £0
- 5
Skipskop Sangiovese
Skipskop· Sangiovese· Klein Karoo, South Africa· 2022· % abv
£13.95. Cherry fruit on nose and palate, light refreshing red with soft tannins from 12 months in French oak.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 6
Villa Wolf Pinot Noir
Villa Wolf· Pinot Noir· Pfalz, Germany· 2022· % abv
£15.00. Burgundian elegance and silkiness. Long ageing partly in small oak barrels.
Tonight £0RRP £0
Vivino 3.7/5 · 922 ratings
Vivino avg £13.99 · our RRP £0
Pairs with beef, veal, game (deer, venison), poultry
View on Vivino - 7
Tumunan Syrah Libra
Tumunan· Syrah· Colchagua, Chile· 2021· % abv
£20.00. Red and black fruits, spicy touch, notes of vanilla. Rich and complex with ripe fruit and spices.
Tonight £0RRP £0 - 8
Holden Manz Visionaire
Holden Manz· Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec· Franschhoek, South Africa· 2019· % abv
£24.00. Red and black fruits with graphite steeliness. Soft refined tannins, spice and fresh plum.
Tonight £0RRP £0
Vivino 4.1/5 · 98 ratings
Vivino avg £24.99 · our RRP £0
Pairs with beef, lamb, game (deer, venison), mushrooms
View on Vivino - 9
Niepoort Old Fortified Moscatel
Niepoort· Moscatel· Douro, Portugal· % abv
£22.00. Super-sweet dessert wine with excellent balancing acidity. Very few half-bottles remaining at time of tasting.
Tonight £0RRP £0
That's a wrap on this one.
Missed it? There's always another evening around the corner.