Where vineyards sweep up towards a medieval castle - and the night sky is so clear it's peppered with thousands of twinkling stars. Very Christmassy, in fact.
You don't need to imagine this, because it actually exists. It's the walled city of Estremoz in Alentejo, Portugal. The home of the latest release from luxury boxed wine specialists, Laylo.
Laylo Co-founders Laura Riches and Laura Rosenberger worked closely with a Master of Wine, Clem Yates, to find a big, fruity Portuguese red blend for customers to enjoy this Christmas and winter.
The Lot #12: Tinto de Estremoz is made by Donzilia Copeto, Head Winemaker at João Ramos Family Estates. Donzilia's passion project for over two decades has been experimenting with the region's local grape varietals to create the perfect Alentejo blend.
This 2021 vintage combines local varietals with a dash of Merlot and some Petit Verdot, aged briefly in French and Hungarian barrels. The result is a dark, inky red wine that's redolent of plump cherries, vanilla and a lick of spicy oak. With tannins that taste like liquid velvet.
With each of their designs, Laylo seeks inspiration from the stories of the wine, the winemaker and the region.
For centuries Estremoz locals have mined the region's marble, and none is more valuable than the pink Rosa Aurora that wraps the Lot #12: Tinto de Estremoz.
Explained Laura Rosenberger: “We're proud of all our wines, but Donzilia's bend is Portuguese perfection. The spicy oak, vanilla and juicy ripe fruit are an ideal antidote to the colder weather. If it's possible to find a better fireside red for the equivalent of £12.33 per bottle, we'd love to know where!”
Laura Riches says: “Telling the stories of our wines through design is one of the most exciting parts of the job. The romance of a city made entirely of marble really captured our imaginations. We believe the finished product wouldn't look out of place on the cover of a glossy interiors magazine.”
The Lot #12: Tinto de Estremoz is exclusively available at www.drinklaylo.com for £36.99 per 2.25l box. Each box = 3 bottles, equivalent to £12.33 per bottle.
UK-wide next day delivery is FREE on all orders of 2+ boxes or £2.99 on single box orders. Customers also have the option to add a gift note.
Forget what you thought you already knew about boxed wine! Laylo seek out small, limited-availability parcels of premium wine, then wrap them in boxes that consumers can feel proud to have on their countertop.
And they are greener, too, because each box generates 90% less carbon than glass bottles and is 100% recyclable. The boxes stay fresh for 6 weeks from opening, so customers can enjoy 'the odd glass' without needing to commit to a bottle.
Since launching in November 2020, Laylo's wines have earned a cult following of wine critics and wine lovers. Their wines score an average 4.8* (out of 5) on Trustpilot.
Laura Riches and Laura Rosenberger were named Startup Entrepreneurs of the Year 2022 at the Food & Drink Heroes awards and the business won Drinks Startup of the Year 2022 at the National Startup Awards Series.