Red Wine

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

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 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.

"In this wine, fine and rich tannins partner with powerful black-plum and black-currant fruits. Densely textured while also having swathes of rich fruits, the wine shows both a firm side and one that offers total deliciousness. As it matures, both these aspects will come together. Drink from 2027."
Roger Voss - 97/100, Wine Enthusiast

The appellation is located on the left bank of the Rhone, between Orange and Avignon, in Chateauneuf du Pape at the highest point of the appellation, on the Fargueirol plateau.

The terroir is characterised by large rolled pebbles that store the generous sun of Provence during the day and restore it at night. The height of the pebbles is about 2 metres, underneath there is a clay bench where the roots of the vine draw their water needs – a truly exceptional terroir.

70% Grenache. 20% Syrah. 5% Mouvedre, 5% Cinsault.

Deep purple in colour with a violet rim. Nose – a perfectly clean nose with an explosion of aromas of black fruit, exotic spices, roasted coffee and hints of cocoa. One can also distinguish some liquorice and violet flavour that combines perfectly well. On the palate this wine is very generous. The tannins are there, silky and ample, ready for the palate but also promising a great future.

Chateau Fargueirol

Good fruit concentration and weight with an open quality. Complex notes of plums and black cherries with a hint of cocoa and cloves.

The wine has lots of warm black fruit and plum aromas, with cinnamon, spices, pepper and a hint of vanilla. The palate is concentrated with damsons, red fruit, spice and stony minerality with a very elegant and warm finish. The mouth is initially very silky but gives way to some mouth watering acidity and firm tannins.

Domaine Chante Cigale

It is at once full-bodied and sweet, a rather splendid marriage of generosity and finesse. Notes of plum and blackberry mingle with a whisper of tobacco and a courteous nod of clove, creating a harmony of fruit and spice that feels almost orchestral. The wine carries itself with a certain quiet authority—powerful, assured—and yet it closes with disarmingly soft, sweet murmurs that linger long after the last sip.

Classic Cotes du Rhone red. Punchy spicy palate with hints of red and cassis fruit. Especially good with rich meals.

Domaine de la Bastide

Aromas of intense ripe damson and black cherry with a hint of spice. Rich and generous on the palate - robust and full-flavoured with intense plum and sour cherry fruit, and notes of dark chocolate - balanced by tangy, juicy acidity.

Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone

A single vineyard Pinot Noir from the cool Elgin region near Grabouw. Elegant and light in style, with an abundance of ripe red berries, juicy strawberries and subtle spices on the nose which follow through on the palate where it marries perfectly with a savoury meatiness.

Longridge Wine Estate

Despacito Malbec (Despacito. Slowly) is from vineyards at the foot of the Andes Mountains, cooler temperatures at these higher altitudes provide the ideal conditions for a slower maturation and a perfect ripeness. The best things in life should be enjoyed SLOWLY…ensure you remember the elegance, fruit and flavour of the wine and savour the moment.

A rustic fruity red wine, full of character. A fruity nose with woodland fruits, sweet pepper mix with smoky aromas. Full and charming structure.

Single vineyard wine from the Helderberg region with notes of cinnamon and sweet spices. Barrel matured with ripe yet soft tannin.

Accolades.

4 * – John Platter Wine Guide 2017, South Africa; Top 100 SA Wine Awards; 93/100 Robert Parker – Wine Advocate 2017; Top 100 & Double Platinum Awards 2017

Longridge Wine Estate

The d'Annona vineyard is a fantastic single vineyard site with vines in excess of 60 years old. The grapes selected for this wine are grown on 2 small parcels totalling 3.5 ha. The grapes are hand-picked, destemmed and crushed, and innoculated with selected yeasts. The must undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel with pumping over four times per day. The wine is then racked to a mixture of new (two thirds) and one year old (one third) French oak barriques where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and is aged for 18-20 months. It spends a further 18 months in bottle before release.

Azienda Agricola Il Cascinone

Maison Roche de Bellene

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garncaha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.

Bright and aromatic with cherry and berry characters and a hint of liquorice. The palate is complex with layers of plum, bramble and forest fruits, all supported by fine tannins, and long and elegant on the finish.

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

• Nose. intensive, lasting and engaging, complex combination of fruit nuances and delicate oak.
• Mouth. powerful and complex. The taste impresses with its velvety softness and warmth.
• Tannins. woody tannins, very well structured.
• Aftertaste. Excellent with a long finish.

Domaine Bessa Valley