Wine

"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 Bouyer family have been cultivating these vineyards for 8 generations but it is only in the past 60 or so years that they have steered away from the co-operative to whom they had been selling their grapes and started focussing on producing and marketing their own wines. This is slightly unusual insofar as it is 100% Merlot and consequently a slightly lighter, fresher style of Bordeaux. No namby-pamby lightweight but certainly a little more plush and fruit forward than some of its peers

Classic Provence rosé, expressive and aromatic, blending fresh cherries and floral notes alongside more exotic fruits then finishing with a soft round palate packed with peach and raspberry.

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

This is from a variety of parcels on the ‘Butte de Chaume’, predominantly from younger (10-12-year-old) vines and predominantly from schist soils. The depth and luxurious texture from these vines is absolutely astonishing and seems all the more remarkable when you know that the wine is fermented and aged only in stainless steel. Harvesting is in small boxes and the grapes are cooled before a long, slow (4.5hrs) pressing in the cool room. Wild yeast ferment, partial Malo. Even at this ‘entry level’ and despite all the richness on show, this wine is beautifully precise and has exciting, bright, engaging acidity at the finish. It’s probably about twice the price of ‘yer average’ Anjou Blanc… which makes it quite outstanding value!

Chateau de Plaisance

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 blend of 59% Chenin Blanc, 29% Sauvignon Blanc, and 12% Semillon.

The Sauvignon Blanc aromas are prominent on the nose, with beautiful lime and prickly pear notes. Intense flavours, with great balance. A tight mineral core and creamy mid palate from the Chenin Blanc allows for great complexity and a persistent finish. The Sauvignon Blanc lends lovely, fresh acidity to the wine.

Waterkloof

"A pure and nimble albillo, showing nuanced green fruit, flint and some grapefruit. Slightly neutral, but the creamy texture and the nice phenolic bite in the medium- bodied palate are impressive. There is a twist of mineral austerity in the finish, too. Imprressive. Drink Now." James Suckling 92 Points June 2022.

120 year old ungrafted Semillion vines from a single cineyard in the Itata Valley. Fermented in Large French oak barrels followed by 13 months aging in a both new and used oak barrels.

A wide range of aromas, such as honey, peach, green herbs, dried fruit and gunpowder. It is a structured Semilón, medium bodied with mineral and a saline touch on the palate. A balanced and complex wine with a long and elegant finish.

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.

Rich golden orange colour; the perfume on the nose offers fresh aromas of citrus pith, lemon and lime; medium-bodied with a lush, creamy palate of tropical and candied fruits.

Aged in concrete tanks for 6-8 months with skins on. The skins are periodically mixed with the wine to achieve the evolution of a more complex wine, with greater creaminess and freshness.

A blend of Cataratto, Grillo & Fiano, hand harvested and fermented on skins for 2 days before finishing in oak botti (large barrels). The wine then spends at least 7 months aging on its lees.

Intensely golden in colour, which comes from the skin contact and ageing in large oak botti. The prominent bouquet has notes of coconut and tropical fruit, with an undercurrent of gentle spices. On the palate, there is a richness, balanced by well-integrated acidity. Excellent structure and length.

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.

Monte Schiavo

Wonderfully aromatic and pungent Sauvignon Blanc. From just outside the Sancerre region. Crisp and dry with a distinctive flavour of gooseberries and asparagus.

Vignobles Bertier

An expressive wine with aromas of apricot, fennel and floral scents. The wines roundness is a perfect match for its freshness and the finish reveals subtle notes of aniseed.

One tends to think of Maison Etienne Guigal in the same breath as the legendary Rhone houses of Chapoutier and Jaboulet, both established in the early 19th century, and yet Guigal is a relatively new kid on the block by comparison, founded in 1946 but rapidly building a reputation for some of the greatest wines of the region – their single vineyard La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque are amongst the most sought after (and expensive) wines of Cote Rotie. Insofar as white wines are concerned, Viognier is very much the family passion and this Cotes du Rhone offers the perfect introduction - playing the leading role in a sextet of varieties this has classic apricot notes but without the intensity of the likes of Condrieu.

This dry rose, petal pink in colour, has aromas of red fruits and strawberry sweets with a lively palate to match.

Domaine de la Bastide

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

Domaine de la Bastide

Amongst the first Chilean blends to champion Carmenere. Rich sumptuous intense black cherries, mulberries and more berries! Vanilla, sweet spice with herbal and savoury tones together with a hint of mint. The palate contains the same berry intensity plus a wonderful warm dusty character, reminiscent of its location. It is a well-balanced and complex wine with soft, round tannins and a long finish that shows both character and personality.

Emiliana

The Chenin, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay are fermented separately. After blending refermentation takes place in the bottle and the wine is then aged on its lees for over a year.

Crisp and refreshing, vibrant and delicate, this sparkling wine is worth going out of your way to try. Light straw colour, minerally aromas with notes of apple and peach on the nose. Lemon, apple and pink grapefruit on the palate. The mousse is elegant and refined and there is plenty of crisp acidity. The finish is long and dry with attractive biscuity notes.

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

With a history of winemaking dating back to 1935, Cuatro Rayas are leaders in their field, producing almost 20% of all the white wine in DO Rueda. Now, the community of winemakers making up this co-operative boast over 300 members, with 2,400ha of land under vine, including 120-year-old pre-phylloxera ungrafted bush vines. With a modest amount of barrel-fermentation and lees ageing with battonage, this is quite textured and rich – really good with tapas.

Fiona and Niall Shiner had been living in Hong Kong for 18 years when they returned to Britain to take on Niall's parents' property at Amberley. Niall continued with his career, but mother-of-three Fiona decided to plant some vines at the property following a comment by her mother-in-law that the Romans could have grown vines there. The first acre was planted in 2007, with the acquisition of an old cattle farm on the (really quite steep) hill opposite and converting an old barn into a winery in 2016. A third vineyard side since been acquired taking the current area under vine (but not all producing grapes yet) to 58 acres (23ish hectares), still firmly in the ‘tiny’ bracket.

Enticing notes of crisp and refreshing citrus and green fruits are beautifully balanced with subtle peach and hints of minerality. The barrel fermented Ortega gives great texture and balance. A delicious, dry white with a clean and pleasing finish.

Picpoul Jim but not as we know it. Extended lees ageing blesses this with a disarming richness; it’s all honeysuckle and peach but just beautifully balanced with great acidity.

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

A spectacular blend of indigenous and international varieties. With a combination of Grasevina, Muller Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Gris this giant white pleases a multitude of palate types. A fresh and light white, fruit forward, with a touch of meadow flowers. Top-quality wine with protected geographical indication Zagorje – Medimurje. A real treat for the adventurous wine lover!

Straw green hues, expressive freshness & rich fruity tones. This citrus & peach bomb also has mingling notes of celery and pine trees. Thus adding a more savoury element to this tangy white. Bursting with minerality, a harmonious crisp acidity and a beautifully long length. A truly fascinating, happy white!

Bolfan Vinski Vrh

With high quality, 30 year old Pinot Noir, situated on the windy slopes, 300ft above the valley floor, it would be a surprise if Daniel Fries wasn’t producing something fizzy

Very good grapes, whole bunch, wild yeast fermentation in old wooden barrels; 10 months on the lees in those same barrels; a further 48 months in bottle on the lees before disgorgement; zero dosage. Super good wine with a beautifully precise shape, serious depth of flavour and considerable length. Very little to do with the ‘common’ view of Deutscher Sekt over the past 20 years or so … this is really serious sparkling wine.