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A delicate nose of ripe stone fruit and a hint of creamy oak. The complex palate is well-balanced with ripe peach characters, a broad mouthfeel and some toasty oak in the background.

Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone

From the desk of the boss himself:-

Trawling round wine trade tastings can, on occasion, be a somewhat dispiriting experience. Kissing frog after frog in search of the odd princess does start to wear you down after a while so catching up with Gabriel and Alberto Sanchis Mestre was a welcome relief last week after I’d had my fill of very average Rioja., transforming their family wine business to one focused on bottling their own wines from the local, traditional varieties. Situated near Ontinyent – a town mid-way between Valencia and Murcia, and 50km from the coast - they craft authentic wines with a modern profile from old Monastrell, Merseguera and Bonicaire vineyards that they have rejuvenated. 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre), this is packed with dark plum and blueberry fruit flavours together with well-integrated oak. I’m thinking properly hearty casseroles or game…

A delicous and complex blend of indigenous old vine varieties, mostly Merseguera with a bit of Mavasia & Tortosi, showing a new side to modern Spain - with freshness and vibrancy at the core. A nose of fresh lemon peel, white flowers and white peach. On the palate the fruit competes with the saline, flinty characters. Medium bodied with good weight and texture. The wine has a vibrancy driven by fresheness of acidity.

Fresh black cherries and cassis notes of the nose. With a juicy palate showing soft tannins with more red fruit flavours, and a touch of spice on the finish.

Aged 10 years | Highland | Sherry Hogshead | 54.3% ABV | 226 Bottles

A cask strength single cask bottling. Rich and umami in its style, with well-integrated peat smoke and an underlying sweetness of dried fruits

An 8 year old matured in first fill Sherry Butt this is beautifully rich with milk chocolate raisins and marzipan fruits.

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

Aged 11 years |Highland | Bourbon Hogshead | 52.1% ABV | 286 Bottles

The key malt component of Johnnie Walker, Clynleish in single malt form is highly sought after. With only 286 bottles this is a single cask bottling. Bright and vibrant. Rich with tropical fruits and vanilla, with subtle notes of honeyed beeswax.

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

First-fill Bourbon cask with juicy pear drops and sweet green apples with lingering sweet vanilla on the finish.

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

An integral part of some of the world’s best-loved blends, although built in 1971 it didn't release a single malt until 1992. and even now distillery bottlings are rare. Bottled in a run of 794 bottles, the wisky has spent 12 years in Bourbon Hogsheads give fruity notes of honeyed granola, dried pineapple, papaya, and toasted almonds

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

Lifted, sweet bramble and raspberry aromas with a hint of dried herbs on the nose followed by more crunchy flavours. The palate is generous, with slightly savoury red cherry flavours and a good structure balanced by a pleasant freshness.

Aromas of honeyed, ripe stone fruit with citrus and lightly spicy notes. The palate is complex with lime, citrus characters balanced by a spicy minerality, structure and length. Showing some development, but with the potential to age for 5 years or more.

Cavit

Bottled from a single Sherry Butt at cask strength after 27 years for a run of 197 bottles. A warming, aromatic nose of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, with soft brown sugar on the palate

Morrison Scotch Whisky Distillers

Skilfully crafted Abrahall’s AD 6% cider is a well-rounded, easy to drink, dry cider, made from 100% cider apples grown on the family’s farm in Bishops Frome. Made from a blend of bitter sweet and sharp cider apples – Dabinett, Michelin and a smattering of Kingston Black the old cidermaker’s favourite.

After a career in major cider manufacturing and a break to bring up her young family, Susan Vaughan decided to join her brother Robert Hancock’s back on the family farm in Bishops Frome Herefordshire. The family has been growing fruit and hops on the farm for over 100 years. Their farming roots go back deep into Mid Wales and the Welsh borders where many of their family still farm today. They are now drawing on that heritage and the abilities acquired from a history in the cider and brewing industry to produce quality ciders on the family farm.

Celtic Marches

Beautiful to the core, this palate pleasing medium cider is far from mediocre. Molly is a meticulously balanced cider with a golden glow. This scrumptious sip is smooth, well rounded and has a wonderful apple nose; a signature quality of Celtic Marches homegrown Herefordshire Cider apples. Molly’s bittersweet and bittersharp mash includes Dabinett, Harry Masters, Ashton Bitters and Three Counties.

After a career in major cider manufacturing and a break to bring up her young family, Susan Vaughan decided to join her brother Robert Hancock’s back on the family farm in Bishops Frome Herefordshire. The family has been growing fruit and hops on the farm for over 100 years. Their farming roots go back deep into Mid Wales and the Welsh borders where many of their family still farm today. They are now drawing on that heritage and the abilities acquired from a history in the cider and brewing industry to produce quality ciders on the family farm.

Celtic Marches

Produced from the estate's young vines (average age 10 years) growing in vineyards overlooking the Camargue and strewn with smooth pebbles from the Durance river valley. After harvesting, the grapes are chilled for 3 days before a natural ferment at controlled temperatures. Unoaked and ‘croquant’. Aromas of red bramble fruits and woodland herbs The palate has mature raspberry, blackberry and redcurrant fruit, juicy acidity and supple tannins.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is located on Bordeaux’s Left Bank, in the world-renowned Pauillac appellation. Under the 1855 Classification, which Napoleon III requested for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, Pichon-Lalande falls under the Deuxièmes Grands Crus Classés, or Second Classified Growth category.

Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Pichon Longueville Baron were once one large property. At the time of Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville’s death in 1850, his estate was split between his two children: his daughter Virginie who married the Comte de Lalande (Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande) and his son Raoul who inherited the title of Baron (Château Pichon Longueville Baron).

Edouard and Louis Miailhe, descendants of an old Bordeaux family of vineyard owners and wine brokers, purchased Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in 1925. May Eliane de Lencquesaing, Edouard’s daughter, inherited it in 1978 and ran it until 2007. It was under her ownership that Pichon Comtesse’s reputation as a prized Pauillac wine flourished and earned its “super second” reputation (referring to its Second Growth classification). The consistent quality, year after year, was simply indisputable. The château's seminal 1982 vintage even garnered the perfect score of 100 points by wine critic Robert Parker.

These 6 bottles were acquired upon release by Chris for his personal cellar and have spent their lives in bond before being transferred to our cellars in November ‘24. On intial inspection the bottles have a uniformed fill level at base neck, with good capsules and clean labels.

A generous vintage dominated by stone fruit, apple and melon with citrus and delicate apple blossom. Savoury minerality hovers in the background and supports the wine nicely, with long lasting acidity offering a bright finish and a food friendly profile.

Chanzy is a 80 hectare Estate, divided between Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits with their base in Bouzeron. They are one of the few Burgundy producers to achieve Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3; the most highly regarded certification for agriculture in France. Their farming regime demands a holistic outlook that goes beyond organics: ensuring biodiversity, reusable energy and reduced water usage. The vineyards are in conversion to organics and will be certified from 2024 vintage onwards.

This wine has slightly straw colour undertones with pale gold reflections. Its aromas of white flowers combine with honey and are reminiscent of gingerbread. On the palate, its elegance is sure, pleasant while retaining the freshness of the grape variety without giving in to excess mellowness.

Chanzy

A pioneer in the Uco Valley, Bodega Piedra Negra was established in 1996; François Lurton was the first person to plant vines in the foothills of the Andes Cordillera, at an altitude of 1100 m.a.sl., in semi-desert conditions in the middle of what would become the Geographical Indication of Los Chacayes (the poor, gravelly, alluvial soil is reminiscent of Pessac-Léognan in Bordeaux!). Drawing on expertise acquired all over the world, he immediately introduced environmentally friendly growing methods, and his 99 hectares of vines are managed organically and in adherence to biodynamic principles. In addition to Argentine selections of Malbec, the estate also grows French selections of the grape (known as Cot)

The malbec was fully fermented in 225-litre French oak barrels with a revolving system & post-fermentation maceration for one month in the barrel before Malolactic fermentation with weekly bâtonnage. The Cot was fermented in concrete tank before transfer to French first use oak barrels for the Malolactic fermentation and ageing. Aged 24 months in new French oak.

Deep red-garnet colour. Intense red fruit notes, balanced with complex coffee notes from the aging in oak. Complex & full bodied with ripe tannins highlighting the red and black fruits with floral notes showing great length, with mocha nuances on the finish.

Produced from a small (0.49 ha) plot of 50 to 68 year old vines, this is classic Chambolle. Hand harvested and fermented using only indigenous yeast it then underwent maturation in 35% new oak barrels.

Maison Roche de Bellene

Maison Roche de Bellene

An unusual blend of Viognier (30%), Picpoul Blanc (30%) and Grenache Blanc (40%). Sourced from clay limestone soils in Richerenes in the Vaucluse for the Grenache Blanc and Picpoul, with the Viognier sourced in the Northern Rhône (so legally the wine is classified as Vin de France). Easy-drinking, unoaked and a classic french-style table wine. Citrus and pear on the nose with citrus flesh. There is nice weight on the palate, more ripe pear and some silky minerality on the finish. Great with coconut heavy Thai and Vietnamese dishes

A man of conviction but by no means a zealot, Eric Texier likes to push the boundaries. Despite having no experience or contacts in wine, Eric decided to give up his career as a nuclear engineer and study winemaking in 1992, interning with Jean-Marie Guffens at Verget in Mâcon. Lacking the network to buy his own vineyard, Eric did his time with established winemakers then made négoce wines with the fruit of like-minded purists. Although he considers his approach to viticulture to be that of an old-fashioned paysan, don’t be fooled. Eric is more of a pioneer than he would have you believe. His fresh take on an old terroir has been instrumental in reviving appellations of the Northern Rhône that would otherwise have been lost. The estate consists of two very distinct terroirs - Brézème in the Drôme (left bank of the Rhône) and the Ouvèze valley in the Ardèche (right bank). Brézème is a limestone hillside facing south, the last ridge of the Vercors Massif at the mouth of the Drôme river, whilst the Ouvèze valley, on the Ardèche side, marks the geological separation between the Massif Central and the Cévennes, where the vineyards facing south, are granitic with a mixture of schist and gneiss on its surface and islands of limestone.

Declassified to Vin de France, as opposed to the more usual Côtes-du-Rhône due to its production method, a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 15% Clairette (a white grape).

All fruit is organic, harvested by hand, partly de-stemmed and co-fermented with native yeasts in open-top concrete tanks. As with all Texier wines, no extraction techniques are employed, aged in concrete for 12-18 months, unfined, unfiltered and bottled with only the smallest amount of sulphur. The blend of red and white grapes producing a joyfully bright wine, with crunchy red fruit, beautiful texture from the concrete fermentation, and incredible purity and drinking pleasure.

Just before Christmas we managed to procure/nab/acquire 5 cases of the absolutely stunning Ch Bard Haut St Emilion Grand Cru Classe 2016 at a quite frankly stupidly good price. Obviously they all disappeared rather quickly and we definitely wished we'd bought more (Considering an article appeared in the drinks press in early January talking about absolutely wonderful the 2016 right banks were we weren't the only ones). We can't manage anymore of the superlative 2016 but we do have a small amount of the only marginally lesser 2015, a mere 93pts from wine spectator this time round....

Chateau Barde Haut

Situated in the Haut Medoc, sandwiched between Margaux and St Julien, Chateau Beaumont has long been a favourite of ours, producing classic Bordeaux from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with just a dash of Petit Verdot. It’s a property with a long history dating back to the 1770s whilst the Chateau itself was built in 1854. Over the years ownership has passed between some of Europe’s wealthiest families but it now rests with Grands Millesimes de France, falling ultimately under the control of Suntory and Castel.

Chateau Beaumont

Very impressive Cabernet dominated Bordeaux, packed full of black plum fruit, rich tannins and excellent potential.

Chateau Cissac

Owned by siblings Louis and Marie Farbre who were early pioneers of organic viticulture in the Languedoc, Château Coulon sits on a hill near the village of Cruscades close to the Via Aquitania, a Roman road which links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. The vineyard extends over smooth, rounded pebbles deposited by the river Orbieu and refreshing winds assist in the organic management of the estate..

A concentrated and savoury red from the deep south of France. This Corbières shows intriguing savoury and herbal aromas of bitters and thyme. The palate is full of morello cherry fruit and carries through savoury flavours to the finish. Fantastic with charcoal-grilled lamb, rosemary potatoes and a green salad.

Famille Fabre Ch. Coulon

Chateau de L’Escarelle of one of the most prestigious wine estates in the heart of Provence, with 100 hectares of organically certified vineyards set in 1,000 hectares of beautiful woodland.

In the past year this property has made impressive steps to establish itself as a major player of sustainable agriculture in France. In 2016 the estate achieved Haute Valeur Environnementale certification (France’s most stringent environmental certification scheme, level 3), demonstrating their deep-rooted commitment to protecting the natural world. Their vines are planted at up to 500 metres above sea level, hugging the slopes of the Montagne de La Loube and adapting to the estates' clay and limestone soil profile. The terroir’s distinctive character is perfect for creating highly-expressive, elegant Rosé wines.

Chateau de L'Escarelle

Chateau Ksara is Lebanon's oldest winery, founded by Jesuit monks in as a 27 hectare plot 1857 and claims to have produced the first dry red from Lebandon. Now with 440 hectares the vines are farmed almost organically, with no pesticides or herbicides allowed.

Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and a bit of Petit Verdot with 12 months barrel ageing. Up front there are bold raspberry and blackcurrant flavours that give way to leathery, spicy notes. There is a touch of vanilla from the oak and the rich, mellow tannins are complemented by a refreshing acidity on the finish.