Wines £15 - £30

This is high altitude Chardonnay grown in the Tunuyan vineyards in Mendoza’s Uco Valley – 50% isfermented and aged in French oak barriques which lends a hefty creaminess to the citrus and stoneyminerality. It’s flipping good Chardonnay frankly

Richly textured and intense white with citrus and stone fruit aromas, fennel and white pepper notes. Bright balancing acidity with a tight structure.

100% País, from dry farmed vines which are estimated to be over 150 years old. Grapes are hand picked and destemmed and put in to open top wooden tanks where slow alcoholic fermentation takes place over 18 days with soft pump overs to avoid extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place and the wine is aged in concrete eggs and old French oak barrels for 18 months. Red fruit aromas such as cherries and wild herbs, with an earthy hint. The palate shows firm and gentle tannins, structured and balanced, an elegant and complex wine that is reminiscent of Chile´s native forest.

A deeply personal project from Elena Pacheco and Isio Ramos, Bruma is an exciting interpretation of Jumilla and brings lightness, complexity and elegance to this hot, arid, and often monolithic region.

The idea behind making a white wine from the region’s traditional Airén grape variety falls in line with their objective of paying tribute to and enhancing the value of Jumilla’s native strains. Currently undervalued, Airén had its heyday some 50 years ago when it was prized for its notable yield. Owing to its long growth cycle, this variety is able to withstand the intense heat and scarce rainfall that characterise the DOs southern region. However, in present-day Jumilla the variety is in danger of extinction with only a few old vineyards still producing – one of which, with its 37-year old vines, gives rise to this wine.

Pale, orange in colour. Citrus fruit, spicy notes and Mediterranean herbs on the nose, crisp, sharp and mineral. This is not your usual Airén but the skin-contact maceration and biological ageing in demijohns have created a beautiful orange wine with immense character and expression.

Medium intensity yellow colour with a coppery rim. It presents a slight cloudiness due to the fact that it is unfiltered in order to give the most natural expression of the blend. Fruity notes reminiscent of quince, pear and apricot as well as an intense presence of mandarin and orange zest nuanced with aromas of beeswax and a pleasant floral bouquet. Complex on the palate, textured and with structure enhanced by the contribution of the skins, which provide chewy tannins, all supported by good acidity and volume on the palate.

Natural fermentation with prolonged skin contact maceration (30% whole cluster and the rest from destemmed grapes). Fermentation takes place in large 600L French oak barrels of over 5 years of age. These are open and positioned vertically for regular treading during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the barrels are closed and refilled for storage for 8 months of further maceration. After this period, the wine is separated from its skins and preserved for one month in clay and ceramic amphorae.

100% Chenin with vines grown on clay and limestone. 3 year secondary fermentation in bottle. 10-15 years ageing potential.

A vinous toffee apple - clever use of residual sugar never feels ‘sweet’ and racy acidity is present in abundance.

Francois et Julien Pinon

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

A very fine, pale pink hue, the nose is enticing, full of peachy fresh fruit, nuanced with early tinges of honeycomb, and some red fruits sprinkled with mint. Absolutely packed with vivacious fruits held up by a lively acidity. Delicious hints of strawberry and cream, sprinkled with notes of black pepper on the palate. Harmonious and polished, this beautifully crafted sparkling wine has a vibrant, lively mousse.

A Musacadet for ageing produced from the very best plots on the hillside of Moulin de la Miniere. Vinified in underground concrete tanks, matured on lees for 36 months. Rich pineapple and mango notes or complemented with a saline finish.

Beautiful purple color, bright and clear; the nose is rich and intense underlined by hints of black fruit, pepper and floral aromas; the palate is smooth rounded with supple tannins and very silky for an easy drinking red Ventoux.

Domaine de la Font-Sane

Bacchus is rapidly gaining recognition as the UK’s “signature” grape variety, producing aromatic and frequently quite intense styles of white which have been compared to Sauvignon Blanc. Blended here with 25% Chardonnay it has been both toned down and fattened up to give a really well balanced, lightish white, ideal for summer drinking.

The Mellot family’s wine trade pedigree extends as far back as 1513 and their name has been associated with Sancerre since Cesar Mellot was appointed Louis XIV’s “wine counsellor, presumably a pretty good gig to have back in the 17th century – probably less so 100 years later. Suffice to say that the family survived the wrath of Madame Guillotine and are now one of the Loire Valley’s most respected players. Some 50 miles to the west of Sancerre, Reuilly is classic Loire Sauvignon country, its wines mineral and mouthwatering and providing the perfect foil to seafood or goat’s cheese.

Fruity with hints fo ripe cherry and red fruit on the nose. On the palate this is full-bodied and round with more red fruit and a poised acidity

Is this a slightly blush orange wine, a rose made using orange wine methods or a bit of both? Who knows and, frankly who cares - when a wine is this deliciously drinkable who cares what label we bup on it.

Made from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, fermented on skins and aged in 1000L Amphorae, this is an orange wine with a definate pink hue (OK, so maybe we do care what label we put on it). Seriously cool and refreshing and packed with stone fruits, mineral rocks and a hint of anise.

Altolandon

Weingut Oliver Zeter

100% Friulano. Fresh aromas of lime and herbs on the nose with nut kernel; a creamy and textural palate which shows lovely refreshment and complexity and a touch of oak on the finish.

Stajerska is a hilly, predominantly white wine area in north-eastern Slovenia, bordering Austria and Hungary. Befitting its location it has a rich and varied history, with styles and varieties both of itself and of its neighbours. It is here that Matija Žerjav - known as Matic to his friends - farms nine hectares of old, organic family vineyards and makes wine in a cellar dating back to 1852. “We work only with what nature gives us,” says Matic, “so no chemicals in our wines.”

Fully organic and now certified Carbon Neutral, this is a vineyard blend of Riesling and the Alpine variety Kerner, famed for tasting very much of oranges. The wine spends 3 weeks maceration on skins and with no fining or filtration is very hazy and throws a sediment. Big pithy oranges on nose, this has a light, resatrained palate (much welcome post orange-ness) and a long lingering finish.

Rich and smooth, vibrant berry aromas packed with cherry and redcurrant flavous, touch of cassis.

Domaine de la Bastide

SARDÓN is outstanding for intense fruitiness from the very outset, revealing notes of red berries, blueberries, red cherry, very fresh fruit and hints of thyme imbuing it with a markedly youthful character. On the palate, the fine balance among the red berries, acidity and smooth, mature tannins is outstanding. The time in the barrel has smoothed yet has not marked this wine, so we can enjoy a long, silky drink.

Quinta Sardonia

Harvested several weeks before its bigger, richer sibling Villaia, this is leaner and more taut with poise and elegance. Same vineyard, totally different style.

Bright cherry red in colour, with fresh black fruit aromas, with spice, balsamic, underbrush and cedar notes. A full bodied crianza that is well structured, elegant with a long mineral like finish.

Bodegas Manzanos

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

Aged in used barrels so as to impart less characteristics of the oak, yet keeping its softening effects on the wine. No ageing in bottle is necessary due to its natural occurring oxidation, meaning this wine will (if kept properly) last many months after opening, with no change in profile.

In the glass you can really see the beautiful colour of this amber nectar, with citrus, orange peel and ripe apricots on the nose. Followed on the palate by cinnamon, hints of dried fruit, a smooth roasted hazelnut, with a surprisingly persistent finish.

José Maria da Fonseca

Powerful passion fruit and stone fruit aromas. The palate has flavours of ripe citrus, fresh nectarine and peach. Textural with a subtle bitter twist on the bright and long finish.

Bodegas Naia

A full bodied, rich wine with ripe black fruits flavours supported by rich cherries and juicy plums, there are also hints of violets and vanilla, great texture and long finish.

Falasco Wines

Te Mata is amongst New Zealand’s oldest wineries, founded in 1896 and enjoying a reputation for producing some of the country’s most iconic wines. This Estate Syrah from Hawkes Bay has a fabulous intensity and depth whilst retaining a grippy structure that steers it clear of any hint of flabbiness

Notes of baked apple, peach, citrus and honey are to the fore whilst on the palate it is dry with a mouthfilling richness. Following fermentation the wine is left on its lees for a period of 9 months to add concentration and depth and you can really feel this additional texture in the mouth.

"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.

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.

Parker Estate

Dark scarlet with purple hues in colour. Aromas of dried herbs, wisps of sage. Bramble and blackcurrant, with some red fruit notes of pomegranate and cranberry. Hints of nutmeg and clove. Balanced and complex. On the palate it is intense and vibrant up front, leading with black fruits, sarsaparilla and clove. Mid-palate is full and balanced with fine silky tannins and notes of of mocha and umami.

Parker Estate

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

Maison Roche de Bellene

An extraordinary barrel-fermented wine from ancient, pre-phylloxera vines.

Intense aromatics of ripe melon and pears balanced by leesy, yeasty notes. The palate is broad, textural and intense with well-integrated, toasty oak characters, kiwi and grapefruit acidity and impeccable balance. A deliciously bitter twist on the finish maintains the complexity of this fine Spanish white.

Vines grown on limestone and clay soils, vinified and aged in concrete.

Deep, earthy, incredibly tight in its youth this will certainly benefit from a few hours in a decanter. Upon opening up the herbaceous, spicy notes and elegant shapes come to the fore.

Simon of Domaine Capmartin has dusted off the historic traditions of Madiran and Pacherenc de Vic-Bil into a new, more progressive age.

He has set about significant changes amongst the vines and in the winery leading to his own unique versions of these truly exceptional AOP wines. Certified organic for the best part of a decade, Simon is now striving further with his sights firmly set on Biodynamic certification. Natural, low intervention winemaking are the watchwords. No added sulphur, all wild ferments and aiming for light tannins makes for previously unknown modern, fresh and delicious Madiran Tannat.

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