Wines £15 - £30

Charming and sophisticated Rose Prosecco from one of the region's most quality-minded producers. Zucchetto have made this delicious glass of summer berry joy in a crisp Extra Brut style to ensure maximum refreshment.

Zucchetto

Manually harvested, the grapes are then pressed in a pneumatic press and then transferred to refrigerated vats overnight to allow the sediment to settle. The fermentation starts naturally in the vat and is allowed to continue until the alcohol reaches about 6% . After a light filtration, the wine is bottled and the fermentation goes on, generating the C02 that forms the bubbles until the yeasts are actually killed by the pressure in the bottle (4 bars).

The bottles are then disgorged to remove yeast.

Nice pink color, subtle red fruit aromas. Nice attack, with a slight foam and bubbles. Its sweetness and its delicate aromas make it the perfect aperitif or dessert wine.

Manoir du Carra

From the eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee comes this beautifully botrytised blend of Welschriesling and Chardonnay. By affording the grapes an autumnal stay of execution whilst the early morning mists roll in off the lake to meander, untrammelled through the vineyard, growers are rewarded by the sight of their previously ripe, healthy grapes shrinking and shrivelling on the vine as the moisture is drained from them and they end up resembling a cross between a sun-dried tomato and Keith Richards. The trade-off of this risky procedure is to concentrate the sugars within the grape resulting in naturally sweet wines that combine a honeyed sweetness with refreshing acidity. Trust me, you are going to adore this.

A Bordeaux inspired blend, ripe blackberry fruit, damson and warming spice with subtle flavours of pencil lead, dark chocolate, cardamom and black pepper.

The final blend is 20% of each grape variety taken from 3 different vintages, it is then aged in French oak for 12 months

Barbadillo in Singular is a small part of Bodegas Barbadillo, the renowned Sherry producer whose name is inseparable from its home in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. For 200 years the winery has stood at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, where its biological process came into being with the first Manzanilla it produced in its cellars. The "Singular" is a new project from Barbadillo show casing specific organic sites to showcase the micro-climate and help preserve the surraiounding ecosystems. This is named after the Patinegro, or Kentish plover, a bird whose population is in decline due to human encroachment into their coastal habitats.

Gloriously intense colour. A bone-dry organic white wine with a rich nose of flor, dry grass and fresh brine characters. Incredibly complex, powerful in the mouth, with yeasty, bread flavours, saline and vibrant ozone notes on the finish. Uniquely brilliant.

Jancis Robinson 17 Points

"Palomino from two certified-organic vineyards: Balbaína and Burujena. Fermented and aged in sherry botas, but without the influence of flor as the botas are always kept full. In cask for 10 months. Less perfumed than Sábalo. But more structured and more serious. Lime marmalade flavours! Very long. 17 Points, November 2023."

The Symington family may be better known for their Port houses and Douro vineyards (Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s are perhaps their most recognised labels) but latterly they have expanded their interests south of the Douro and this gorgeous white from Alentejo offers all the evidence one needs that they have not been wasting their time. Arinto has the reputation of being the country’s finest white grape and it forms 75% of the blend here alongside Verdelho. Barrel fermented before ageing for 7 months in cask this is a pretty serious style of white with a real richness and intensity.

Aromas of honeyed, ripe stone fruit with citrus and lightly spicy notes. The palate is complex with lime, citrus characters balanced by a spicy minerality, structure and length. Showing some development, but with the potential to age for 5 years or more.

Cavit

Domaine de la Motte is a 25 hectare, family-run winery handed down from father to son since 1950. Now under the stewardship of Bernard Michaut, an ex-chef, who works with his son Adrien. Their winemaking is meticulous and the wines are benchmarks for the region. They are fastidious about producing concentrated, mineral and very precise wines which reflect the particular terroirs of Chablis, with vines on both Portlandian and Kimmeridgian soils. Motte's wines are regularly chosen for the Tastevinage label, a rigorous selection by the Confrérie des Chevaliers de Tastevin of wines they regard as offering the best of the region in terms of quality and style.

Aromatic fruit with the tiniest hint of sandalwood smoke on the nose. The palate has lovely weight with ripe, fleshy cooked lemons, a touch of stone fruit and a good mineral backbone. Far superior than the name "Petit" might suggest.

With the grapes harvested at the end of Ocotber the long ripening season ensures a brilliant, luminous, deep golden colour with flashes of gold and green. An outstanding, elegant and balanced wine with captivating fragrances of white flowers, minerals, citrus, white fruit, pear and apple overlaid by subtle honey. The fine acidity melds well in the richness of the body and in the long aftertaste of mineral and fruit.

Terredora di Paolo

Chenin vines grown on sandy clay and limestone soils. Natural fermentation lasts 2-3 months. Aged in used oak for 4 months.

Green apple with sherbert citrus notes and tight, clean acidity.

Francois et Julien Pinon

The white Santenay Clos de Malte is a rich and structured wine. It is elegant and fresh, with fruity, citrusy aromas and a hint of woody notes.

It opens fresh, mineral, deep, with fragrant field flower notes (camomile, elderflower, iris). On the palate is rich, complex and multidimensional with a finish of almond. With time, these notes transform into more complex notes of pollens, dried flowers.

Azienda Agricola Inama

Château Dauzac is a 5th growth Grand Cru Classé wine with 49 hectares of vineyard in a single continuous block. Labastide Dauzac is their second wine and is produced on clayey gravel conducive to the best expression of Merlot and the intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon, Labastide Dauzac is characterized by its great suppleness and fruitiness. True to the Margaux terroir, Labastide Dauzac is a well-balanced wine.

The 2016 vintage is extremely rich and precise without being excessive, revealing bright fruit and a dense and complex raw material. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon gives it an exceptional acidity/alcohol balance that is an indication of a great vintage.

Appearance: purplish red with purple tints.

Nose: the fruity nose is underlined by spices.

Palate: the attack is full, immediately conveying the pedigree of this balanced, complex wine. A precise Margaux with a fresh finish.

Château Dauzac

Maison Roche de Bellene

Juicy bright flamboyant Montepulciano with a quickening beetroot tang. This has a really more-ish acidity with a bitter cherry attack crying out for fatty carpaccio.

Alpha Box & Dice

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

E.Guigal

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.

With grapes sourced from the cooler, Pacific coast region, this is a bright, fresh, smashable style of Pinot; 8 months of partial oak ageing adds a soft, toasty quality on the finish.

Rich smoky black fruit aromas, with star anise, clove and a touch of spicy oak, lead on to a complex palate. Ripe bramble fruit and plum flavours are backed by well-structured tannins and a touch of dark chocolate - all lifted by balancing acidity.

Not your usual Muscadet, Francois Menard has crafted this single vineyard cuvee as part of his expressions series- somewhat experimental one-off wines from vary small parcels of vines showcasing how varied Muscadet can be. Coming from a Gneiss terroir on the Févrie plot in Maisdon, this single-vineyard cuvée of Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie has benefited from a short skin maceration before pressing the grapes in order to give this wine the aromatics, complexity and structure that characterize it. Wild yeast fermentation and with 8 months lees aging in glass lined concrete tanks. Overt and very ripe apricot notes make up a rich full bodies wine with a generous texture and incredibly long finish.

Very impressive Cabernet dominated Bordeaux, packed full of black plum fruit, rich tannins and excellent potential.

Chateau Cissac

Sometimes on our travels we taste wines made from near extinct varieties and frankly begin to understand why natural selection is a thing. However, the Albillo variety which Bodegas Arrayan are known for is the real deal. This is a genuinely interesting grape and can make wines with a proper ‘spark’. Style wise it’s akin to a rich Albarino, perhaps an Albarino/Pinot Gris cross, delicious stuff. Interestingly (to me anyway) the grapes are hand harvested before being foot trodden with the juice remaining in contact with the skins for a couple of days before spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks. It’s then given 7 months in old 500 litre French oak barrels to add some texture but very little in the way of oak character. Jancis Robinson MW had this to say of the 2018 vintage: Bright stone-fruit nose, with some attractive fennel character. There’s a little touch of honey which I’m reliably told will increase with time. The palate is pretty exciting with chalky texture and bright acidity. It’s not racy, but very persistent with a fresh mineral finish.

Situated in the Haut Medoc, sandwiched between Margaux and St Julien, Chateau Beaumont has long been a favourite of ours, producing classic Bordeaux from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with just a dash of Petit Verdot. It’s a property with a long history dating back to the 1770s whilst the Chateau itself was built in 1854. Over the years ownership has passed between some of Europe’s wealthiest families but it now rests with Grands Millesimes de France, falling ultimately under the control of Suntory and Castel.

Chateau Beaumont

One of Croatia’s most popular white grapes Graševina (known as Welschriesling in Austria) ripens late to produce wonderful acidity in its gently aromatic wines. very pronounced aromas of coriander, fresh petals & lemon sherbet. Dry, yet with prominent freshness & long in length with harmoniously balanced acidity. A wine with strong personality- elegant, dynamic, with expressed citric warm fruitiness. A distinctly different wine with an easy drinking nature, perfect for a first exploration of Croatian varietals!

Very food friendly due to the strong character but is fantastic with pork chops, grilled pork loin, sushi, fish carpaccios or hard cheeses.

This light red wine has plentiful red fruit aromas, cherries and raspberries. Its is fleshy and soft with juicy fruit and a lively acidity. The supple tannins are ripe and light, the finish is silky and persistent.

Domaine de Colette

Alex Zahel makes Gemischter Satz (a field blend from the hills surrounding Vienna), in fact he makes quite a few and he makes some of the very best available. Ein Kleines Fass translates as "a small barrell" and is a prper Gemischter Satz being a blend of Gruner, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Furmin t& Orangetraube. It is distinctly orange both in colour and style having seen more than a few hours of skin contact so it’s got quite a tannic edge to it but perfect with pork or maybe some soft cheese.

70% Frankovka (Blaufränkisch) & 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.

A full bodied red with bags of character. Expressed in a seductive ruby colour, with dominant notes of spice, herbs & a liveliness from fresh blueberries. Some discrete aromas of dark chocolate & cocao nibs. Tied together with a freshness on the palate that develops to a warm & long finish with a blast of ripe fruit

Great with venison or beef in stews, pâté. Red & white cabbage meals, schnitzel & goulash

Tradition is hardly sufficient a word to sum up the Perrier family who have lived and worked in the Alps for more than seven generations. Their wine style and dedication to local varieties such as Jacquère has not wavered and like their mountains, they remain resolute. And all the better for it. These are wines are stunning, different and enthralling creating flavour and palates that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Jacquère is a grape variety native to Savoie and is THE wine to have with fondue or raclette.

White gold colour with hints of green. Fresh almond, hawthorn and citrus fruit on the nose. A lively attack on the palate but rounds out with lovely mineral notes and orange zest. Excellent balance between fruit and acidity.

• 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

"This wine marks Ricky Ponting's milestone innings of 127 vs. England at Headingley, Leeds UK in 1997. This was Ricky's first Ashes Test and his maiden test century".....still lost 3 Ashes series though grumbles Ed...

Full flavoured and elegant, bursting with nuances of dark red fruits and spice. Mouthcoating tannins are apparent but well integrated, a wine that will reward a longer cellaring of up to ten years.

Founded in 1987 but with a pedigree extending back 100 years, Emilio Moro was one of the first bodegas to put the region of Ribera del Duero on the map, so to speak. As their reputation grew, so did their vineyard holdings both in Ribera del Duero and elsewhere and we were delighted to encounter this gem towards the end of last year. El Zarzal is a real treat - 100% Godello from their Bierzo estate it has all the hallmarks of the house with notes of ripe stone fruit and dry flowers, harnessing varietal typicity and harmonious balance with 8 months in French oak foudre adding a beautifully integrated oak influence.

Dating back to 1714, Quinta dos Murças is located in the Cima-Corgo sub-region of the Douro Valley. As of 2021, all Quinta dos Murças wines will be certified organic.

Complex, fresh and elegant aroma of dark berry fruits, with balsamic notes and integrated spicy notes from oak barrel ageing. Firm and concentrated palate with balancing and present acidity, well-integrated mature tannins. Long and persistent finish, balanced and elegant, with fruit notes.

Created in 2017, Bourgogne Cote d'Or is a Burgundy classification intended to bridge the (ever growing) gap between straight Bourgogne Rouge (or Chardonnay) and Village wines (Nuits St Georges, Santenay, etc). Grapes can be blended from across the 40 villages of the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits but can only be Chardonnay or Pinot Noir (Gamay and Aligote are excluded)

Harmonious and balanced, with a plump fruitiness and silky texture offset by round, gentle tannins in a wine of medium body and elegant structure.

Maison Roche de Bellene

Golden yellow of great intensity with orange tones typical of its production. It is a wine that stands out for its floral aromas. It presents aromas of tropical white fruits, closes with aromas of orange peel. Its acidity is refreshing and bold, medium intensity, long and good acidity and freshness.

Sulfites are not added. Natural yeasts are used and the wine is bottled unfiltered. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts and in contact with their skins, post-fermentation maceration for 45 days.

Aromas of violet, ripe black fruits, smoky spice and savoury characters. Dark plum and blueberry characters on the palate, with notes of cedar and liquorice, and well-integrated oak giving structure and weight - all balanced by bright acidity.

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.

ucked away on a tributary of the Mosel, Andreas Adam’s immaculate south-western facing vineyards owe a certain amount to the inhospitality of the region. The steep slopes antd harsh working conditions encouraged many younger folk to abandon their family estates in the 1970s and 80s and seek an easier life in the cities – Andreas’s parents included. By the time Andreas had graduated from Geisenheim, prices had dropped to a level which allowed him to assemble 5 ha of prime vineyard on which to work his magic. This is classic “off-dry” German Riesling, beautifully aromatic with notes of lime and grapefruit. Serve with light starters or, personally, I’d have it just on its own as an aperitif.