White Wine

Lazio may not be the first region to spring to mind when considering sources of top Italian white wines but they’ve been making wine for 2,000 years so they must have learned something over time. On hillsides half an hour south of Rome, Imperatori have just 8ha on which to work their magic. They make a really wonderful Cesanese, a cracking Frascati and this Trebbiano Verde, all nuts and minerality with a fabulous texture and richness on the finish.

Maybe it’s just me but I can’t help thinking that when you’re given a name like Clay Shannon you have a certain responsibility to take on the mantle of a western hero and line up alongside Doc Holliday and co at the OK Corral. But that wasn’t really an option for Clay so instead, he holstered his pistols and went into battle for the planet, setting up a regenerative organic vineyard in Lake County, north California back in 1996. His property now extends to 2,000 acres up in the mountains, 1,000 of which is left untouched as a wildlife wilderness whilst the rest is one of the country’s largest regenerative farming systems. I’m sure Doc and the boys would be proud There’s ripe orchard fruit, a little cream, a touch of vanilla and a bright, citrus-edged finish that keeps everything honest.

A serious wine of real complexity that balances fine tropical fruit with lively citrus in a pure and precise whole. Delicious now but easily capable of developing and improving further over then next decade, possibly even more

Maison Roche de Bellene

Wood aged muscat from Australia, delightfully smooth and nutty with huge helpings of ripe plums and damsons fruit. A good alternative to Tawny Port.

Stanton & Killeen

Pioneers of the Waipara Valley the Sherwood family have been working this land for over 30 years.

Waipara is a region with great potential that is still to be realised fully, with greater extremes of frost and warmth than its close neighbours, Marlborough and Nelson. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris are a special focus here with a fresh regional style of their own. Perfect counterpoints to some of the more famous regions of NZ.

Careful fruit selection, cool fermentation and extended lees contact has produced a Pinot Gris with intense pear and peach aromas with hints of elegant florals. The wine has a smooth mouth-feel with refreshing length and finish.

Sherwood Estate

It’s called Austrian Pepper as you’ll find plenty of peppery spice in it. Perhaps the hottest thing from Austria. It’s not just wine. It is just the most peppery-fruity Grüner Veltliner on the block. Spice up your life!

Ripe stone fruit aromas leading to a textured palate with citrus and apricot characters alongside nutty, mineral notes and bright acidity. The finish is long, savoury and lightly saline.

A nose of honey, apricots and marmalade extends to a luscious yet well balanced palate. There is some acidity here which adds freshness and keeps the wine very clean. Warm stone fruits, orange citrus and nectarine linger on the pleasing finish.

Viña Requingua

Thick-skinned and wild, Gros Manseng is relatively unknown. For years, it was held in lower regard than its equally obscure parent, Petit Manseng, and blended away anonymously. We've captured its winemaking potential in one of the fruitiest and fun wines you're likely to taste.

Aromas of ripe white peach, pineapple, and light citrus notes. The palate has stone fruit and nutty characters and a silky texture, which is balanced by fresh acidity and leads to a long and creamy finish. Richly textured yet with bright acidity so a dream to partner with food or drink on its own. Roast Chicken on a Sunday afternoon before nodding off and waking up during Antiques Roadshow.

This has full ripe Pinot Gris spiciness on the nose, with a lovely lemon lift, it is medium weight but with a full stony impact on the palate where it is long and satisfying with good acidity.

Villa Wolf

A stylish and concentrated Verdicchio with fresh intense aromas of grapefruit and lime, as well as honeyed stonefruit. The palate is fresh and fruity; very approachable, with apple, pear and ripe stone fruit. A mouthfilling minerality adds to the complexity and palate weight.

Classic Albariño aromas predominate with herbal notes intertwined with stone fruits and citrus; textural and rounded on the palate with a little grip on the finish and rich, flavoursome fruit cut through with refreshing acidity

Malvasia Nera di Brindisi (not to be confused with Malvasia Nera di Basilicata. obviously..) is another of these lesser known varieties that apparently have been knocking around Puglia for centuries and are only now emerging into the daylight of single varietal bottlings

Intense ruby red colour with purple tinges; pronounced aromas of red fruits, with hints of plum and spices. Full-bodied and well balanced, with a lively tannin and a pleasantly lingering finish of ripe red fruits.

The 2023 Butler’s Grant Old Vines Riesling is a stunning showcase of the estate’s oldest Riesling vines, planted in 1980 at Butler’s Grant Vineyard. Crafted with wild fermentation and aged six months on lees, this Riesling undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation, resulting in a wine of exceptional depth and complexity.

Westcott Vineyards

Classic ancient vine Semillon selected from 2 small plots, the oldest planted in 1905. The fruit for the Wildeberg wines comes from the Franschhoek Valley only, hand-harvested, naturally-fermented and gently matured in the mountain barrel hall on the farm. Restrained, delicate aromas with bright citrus fruit offset by savoury, waxy notes. The palate has an impactful attack of taut, stony, highly textural citrus tang and terrific mouthfeel. A subtle, beautifully balanced wine with layers of expression.

Taking grapes from Magaret River and Pemberton this is classic Aussie Chard- bold fresh fruit, toasty notes and and long fine acidity at the finish