Wines £20 - £30

Our third release from Whitlands, and undoubtedly the best to date. Whitlands is a regional departure for us but unfortunately our Henty vineyard source Barratt’s vineyard was pulled out so that Rod and his wife could sell up and retire. A shame for us but a well-earned rest for them. Its replacement is much further afield, but shares the very cold climate character I think Riesling needs. I was told about an old Brown Brothers contract site next door to their Whitlands vineyard that had some pretty smart Riesling, so went to investigate. The Croucher Vineyard is set at close spacing on red volcanic soils, up at around 800m above sea level, and was planted in the mid-1980s. It seemed to have the right credentials. 2017 was a very cold, long season that enabled a full flavour spectrum to develop yet retained considerable acidity. The abundance of flavour and structure led me to ferment half of the wine in 1000lt oak foudre to soften the wine, without losing precision. Talc, ripe lime, orange blossom, tonic water, alpine herbs and pine needles are all there, and this year’s sugar sits at 9g/l. Intense, delicious, and will age admirably.

The Story Wines

A stunning, deep red colour with aromas of ripe, black fruits such as blueberries blackberry and cassis. The weight and texture of the wine are testament to the quality of fruit and well managed oak. It is voluminous and rich with silky tannins and a refreshing acidity.

The grapes from the Helderberg region stem from an old vine block dating back to 1974. Aromatic on the nose, yet soft and smooth on the palate. Lightly tinted and medium bodied, this wine greets you on the nose with aromatic floral notes which follow through onto the palate with ripe strawberries, cherries, sweet spices and soft tannins on the mid palate.

Accolades.

NEW RELEASE 92/100 Tim Atkin MW 2017; 4 ½ * – Platter Wine Guide 2018

Longridge Wine Estate

Following in the footsteps of the previous vintages, the 2016 is a beautiful deep ruby red colour with deep purple tints. Its expressive, intense bouquet is one of ripe fruits, vanilla and spices with just the right degree of toastiness. The fatty, fruity tannins on attack fill out on the mid-palate, displaying balance and great length - another triumph for this cru, which confirms its status as one of the elites of the appellation.

White flowers and apricots aromas. Juicy and fresh, on the palate. Lively finish with dry apricots notes.

Caves Yves Cuilleron

Nose: Powerful nose dominated by red berries and delicate oak aromas.
Palate: Powerful attack. Round and supple tannins.

E.Guigal

Comprised of varietals that flourish in Paso Robles’ distinct growing region, Troublemaker consists of Syrah, Grenache, Mourve'dre Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. Syrah is the backbone of the wine, setting the stage for a fruit-forward style and a full body. Sweet and bright red fruit flavors of Grenache blend with the rustic and lively flavors of the Mourve'dre. The Zinfandel adds its signature zing to round out the blend and Petite Sirah contributes to the deep ruby color.

This intensely rich wine is deep purple in color and radiates aromas of black fruit, cherry and spicy black pepper. On the palate, loads of vanilla, caramel and black current gracefully evolve into soft supple tannins and a signature zing that balances the wine.

Hope Family Wines

One of Australia's best sparkling red wines. Full flavoured with a subtle balance of fruit and vanilla wood, hints of spice cinnamon and pepper with a presence of yeasty bread characteristics with soft acid balance to finish the palate.

Majella Wines

Nose: Powerful nose dominated by red berries and delicate oak aromas.
Palate: Powerful attack. Round and supple tannins.

E.Guigal

Red fruits, cherry and strawberry with delicate oak aromas on the nose. In the mouth a structured tannic wine with flavours of blackcurrant buds and vanilla. Remarkable freshness with notable and refined tannins.

E.Guigal

A nose full of the aromas of blackberries, raspberries and liquorice. The palate serves up ripe fruit, spice and pepper alongside a healthy measure of soft ripe tannins.

Gigondas LaCave

Ruby red with earthy colour notes. Elegant and complex in the nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. It is polished and rounded, making it pleasant and easy to drink. Fleshy with both elegance and power. It has touches of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

Blazing red and insanely steep, the Ürziger Würzgarten (ERTS-ih-ger VERTS-gar-ten) vineyard fills the picturesque amphitheater formed by this dramatic bend in the river. It produces wines with exotic, spicy aromas that are bursting with tropical fruit flavors. The estate’s oldest vines are found here.

Intensely fruity, floral nectar hits the palate, there's vibrant acidity set against sweet tangy flavours of tangerine, peach and honey.

Dr. Loosen

Free draining soils and steep slopes results in our Chardonnay vineyard producing low yields of intensely concentrated fruit. The Cave Block saw a relatively calm growing season, with warm and dry conditions from early October to mid-May. Infrequent rain events during this time gave the vines a welcome drink. Flowering occurred during the mild spring producing an above average crop which was allowed to ripen fully through the warm summer and autumn.

The fruit was meticulously picked by hand, before whole bunch pressing to a mix of new and older French oak barriques. Winemaking included a parcel of wild fermentation, light lees contact and partial malolactic fermentation to naturally adjust acidity for balance and structure.

Initial savoury notes lift to reveal peach, nectarine, nougat and roasted cashews. Stonefruit on the palate is beautifully contained within the framework of natural acidity that has a saline edge due to the coastal location of the vineyard. Fine French oak and lees contact adds further texture and length that persists with lingering freshness typical of the Cave Block terroir.

Dalrymple Vineyards

Beautiful, brilliant garnet colour. The nose is fine and delicate with aromas of black fruit, tobacco and vanilla. The palate is generous and smooth, with velvety tannins imparting outstanding balance. The finish is rich yet gentle at the same time, with more oaky flavours on the back of palate. A very fine wine, with all the signs of beautifully ripened grapes and perfectly mastered ageing.

‘What's that?’ I hear you ask (or ‘Qu'es aquo?’ as they say in Occitan)

What is is is stunning old vine Carignan (mostly 80 years old) which produce tiny yields (20hl/ha) of utterly delicious wine

Warm and honest on the nose, packed with tannins that manage, somehow, to be both fleshy and silky all at the same time. Velvety on the palate with lush kirsch cherry infused fruit yet still fresh and revivifying.

Chateau d'Or et de Gueules

A wine of great distinction with a cellaring potential of a decade or more. The use of super ripe Verdicchio grapes combined with a long maturation give a remarkably aromatic nose paired with a palate of astounding richness and suppleness.

Monacesca

Medium yellow, silver reflections. Delicate smoky herbs and spices. Fine yellow fruit flavours. Nuances of cape gooseberries and honey. Light to medium bodied, fine fruit sweetness, pleasant acidity, and exuberant wealth, good length, promising potential.

Andreas Gsellmann

After hand-harvesting the grapes were crushed and left in a stainless steel tank with the skins for 7 days. Fermentation was spontaneous using indigenous yeast which was followed by a malolactic fermentation, and then battonage. The finished wine stayed on the fine lees in 500lt tonneaux for 9 months to get enough energy for the time in the bottle. No filtration and a one-time addition of sulfur promise natural drinking pleasure. Today and tomorrow. Now and later.

Andreas Gsellmann

Floral nose of linden and verbena, and fresh apricot with a hint minerality. The palate is smooth, the liveliness of aromatic acid fruit creating a refreshing balance on the finish.

The delicate perfume of strawberry, red berries and spice is matched by crushed wild berries and black fruit on the palate. Abundant raspberry fruit with fresh acidity, smoky notes and rounded tannins - all combine to create this classic youthful style of Nebbiolo.

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.

Grus is named after a constellation visible above the Elqui Valley, whose clear skies are prized by stargazers. It’s a blend of Syrah, Garnacha, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, grown at over 1700 metres altitude, where the grapes become fully ripe without losing their refreshing acidity.

Vineyard: The Elqui Valley forms a corridor between the cool Pacific of northern Chile and the Andean mountains in the east of the country. The vineyards are at altitudes between 1700 and 2200 metres. Up here summers are hot and sunny, winters cold, and the daily diurnal temperature range is extreme. Rainfall can be as low as 100mm per year. Soils are decomposed granite from the Andes with a high mineral content. All of these factors combined lead to thick skinned grapes.

Viticulture: Whilst uncertified the farming of the grapes was both organic and biodynamic

Winemaking: The grapes are foot trodden in stone lagares prior to vinification. Reta feels this is necessary to gently extract the flavours, and tannins from the thick skinned grapes. Fermentation is with wild yeast and the wines are then aged in concrete eggs for 12months. Made naturally with no other additives.

Tasting Notes: Fresh red fruit, violets, pepper, granite and a whole lot of minerality. Vibrant and expressive on both the nose and palate. Silky smooth finish, which Reta attributes to ageing in concrete egg.

Vinedos de Alcohuaz

Domaine de Bellene

This wine is made with grapes coming from two different plots, Les Longeroies and the En la Poulotte. Les Longeroies, located on a hill side facing south-east at an altitude between 268 and 312 meters, is very steep at the top of the vineyard and then gradually gets flatter in the lower part. This plot is one of the best in Marsannay. En la Poulotte is located in the village of Couchey, just South of Marsannay