£15.60
The Basque country is to classic Spain as chalk is to cheese. The lettering is different, and the names make you wonder if you've suddenly and accidentally wandered into Greece. Like many parts of Spain, vineyards in the Basque Country have been tended since Ancient Roman times. The region is bounded by the Bay of Biscay to the north and to match the resulting cuisine, the wines are piercingly acidic and refreshing.
Rezebal have 20 hectares of high-trained vines on the green, humid coastal outskirts of Zarautz in the small Chacolí de Guetaria DO. The Rezabals (Mireya and Anders) were folk singers in their youth, but their family history lay in wine and in 1996 they decided that wine was where their future lay too. They now have some 20 hectares of high trained vines on the green, humid coastal outskirts of Zarautz in the small DO of Txacolí Getariako, about halfway between the important Basque towns of Bilbao (Bilbo) and San Sebastián (Donostia).
Their entry wine is pure Hondarrabi Zuri, the most important indigenous grape of the region, with an exuberant lemony punch, a refreshing buoyancy and the hallmark, bracing acidity found nowhere else in the peninsula and just 11% alcohol. This is classic, coastal Txacolí with just the rightamount of spritz, typical of the style.
£18.99
The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.
Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garncaha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.
Bright and aromatic with cherry and berry characters and a hint of liquorice. The palate is complex with layers of plum, bramble and forest fruits, all supported by fine tannins, and long and elegant on the finish.
£17.95
Beautiful rose-pink colour. The nose is truly inviting, packed as it is with red fruits like strawberry and cherry. The exuberant fruit continues on the palate, highlighted by a creamy mousse. Fresh and flavoursome with an intense mid-palate and moreish finish.
£17.19
Light straw yellow with hues of green. Fresh apricots and honey dew on the nose with lifts of lime. The palate is bright and fresh with vivid acid and juicy fruits. The balance of fruit and acid give the wine depth with matched vibrancy. It is a wine to be served well chilled and enjoyed on any occasion.
£15.95
Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.
Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.
£16.25
The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.
£15.95
Made following organic pricciples but not certified, this is a lovely wild yeast fermented Negroamaro. Ruby red, with a nose of flowers and berries. This is full-flavoured with youthful fruits, distinctive acidity with a nice persistence through the palate.
£15.75
£17.79
An absolutely classic Soave - from one of the region's master producers, and dedicated to the memory of Graziano Prà‘s beloved Border Collie. Fresh and subtly peachy nose with elegant honeysuckle and pear aromas. The palate is attractively textured and juicy, lightly honeyed, with vibrant citrus and stone fruit, appealing pithy notes and a hint of almonds. Fine, linear and concentrated with a crisp, incisive and mineral finish.
£17.95
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
£17.15
£17.15
£18.79
The wine shows great balance between weight and freshness, with elegance derived from seamless minerality. Layers of subtle fruit notes combine stone fruits, acacia flowers and spiced hazelnut butter. The finish is long, intense and spicy. A wine whose balance permits it to age gracefully.
£16.90
Supple, medium-bodied Pinot Noir showing delicious lifted fruit, made from fine outlying vineyards, together with fruit sourced from the villages of Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Savigny, Chorey les Beaune and Ladoix.
£18.95
The Ca N'Estruc estate dates back to 1548. Here on the slopes of the holy mountain of Montserrat in Esparreguera - half an hour away from Barcelona - Francisco Marti cultivates 22 hectares planted at 165m on alluvial soil.The estate has a unique microclimate with the vineyards planted to protect vines from the cold north winds whilst optimising sunshine to ensure full ripening. They experience cool summers, mild winters and an average annual temperature of 14ºC.
Produced predominantly from the Xarel-lo grape (55%), along with a portion of Garnacha Blanca (17%), Chardonnay (15%) and Macabeu/Viura (13%). The grapes are hand-harvested and undergo selection in the vineyard. They're then destemmed, gently pressed and the must is allowed to settle at 15ºC for 24 hoursAfter racking natural yeasts from the vineyard are introduced to begin the fermentation. Each variety is initially fermented seperately in 25hl stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature for 2 weeks, then the fermentation is completed in 500 litre French oak barrels. The wine matures for 5 months in Allier oak barrels - some new, and some 1-2 years old, with medium toast.
Complex and layered with aromas of tropical fruit and brioche . The palate is opulent with savoury, nutty characters balanced by apricot and a touch of vanilla. Weighty with mineral complexity and bright citrus acidity on the finish.
£18.50
A complex nose showing notes of black cherry, plum, violets, coffee and raisins. The palate is smooth and rounded, with a richly-textured mid-palate and a medley of spice, dried fruit characters and supple tannins. The wine remains elegant, being so beautifully integrated and sweetly rich, but with a long and complex, dry finish.
£18.80
This is a bit special - a blend of Albillo and Maccabeo, produced following biodynamic principles and fermented and aged in old, French "demi-muids" (500-600 litre barrels). Beautifully pure, balanced and expressive.
£16.55
£16.57
£15.05
Wood aged muscat from Australia, delightfully smooth and nutty with huge helpings of ripe plums and damsons fruit. A good alternative to Tawny Port.
£18.30
£16.29
The 2021 marks the second vintage for Esk Valley for this grape variety, a relative newcomer to the Kiwi wine scene.
This wine reveals classic Albarino notes of lime, peach and an assortment of tropical fruits. It is full and rich with mouthwatering acidity providing length and delicousness with the palate weight enhanced by ageing on yeast lees. It is delicious as a young wine but will gain some complexity with time in the bottle.
£19.29
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.
£16.05
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.
£16.83
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.
£15.30
£15.30
Blend. 88% Petit Verdot & 12% Cabernet Sauvignon
Location. Curico Valley
Tasting Note. Showing a deep garnet colour and intense notes of spices, black fruit, berries, minty chocolate and a smooth touch of vanilla. In the mouth it's lush and silky, with a spicy character and a juicy palate that leaves a long finish
Vinification. Following a 4 day cold soak with wine is macerated for 25 days. Fermentation is at warm temperatures with daily remontage. The wine is aged for 12 months in both French and American oak barriques
Food Match. Roasted meats, such as Beef and Lamb
£20.75
Despite being a relatively ‘young’ producer, Bibo Runge are an outfit that's going somewhere, and in a hurry. 2016 saw Stuart Pigott award them ‘Discovery of the Year’, after only a year or two in operation
Typical of this producer this is a sharp and clean wine expressing the perfect harmony of bright fruit and linear acidity. A great aperitif and delicious with fusion cuisine.
Bibo Runge£20.09
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.
£21.25
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.
£27.99
£22.75
Pinot Gris & Traminac are vinified serparately on their skins in stainless steel before being blended together and matured for 10 months in large Slavonian Oak barrels. Intense notes of apricot and spice are followed by a full bodied palate with smooth tannins.
Pairs well with turkey dishes, smoked cheeses, bacon in a creamy sauce, garlic shrimp & many spicy Asian dishes.
£26.30
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. This Nussberg contains Weissburgunder, Chardonnay & Neuburger and feels quite Burgundian in style. Cracking with Belly Pork and fennel seeds
£25.80
£22.75
£23.20
A generous vintage dominated by stone fruit, apple and melon with citrus and delicate apple blossom. Savoury minerality hovers in the background and supports the wine nicely, with long lasting acidity offering a bright finish and a food friendly profile.
£25.75
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.
£27.75
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.
£22.10
£21.30
£25.30
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.
£24.49
Made with grapes coming from the warmer southern end of Burgundy in the Maconnais this Bourgogne Chardonnay offers more in the way of richness than you might expect.
Aged in 25% new oak for about 10 months there's an attractive vanilla and toast edge to the nose, along with more floral aromas, white peacha dn almond. The palate is rich and round, echoing the flavours evident on the palate.
£27.80
Chenin vines grown on black flinty clay. Spontaneous 3 month fermentation, aged on fine lees in used barrels for 5 months.
Green apple, toffee, honey and incredible salinity.
£21.75
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.
£27.66
Unevolved and intense with light purple rim. Pronounced cassis and cigar box nose with lifted floral perfume and violets. Full and unctuous on the palate with intense black fruit characters, well integrated oak and a long glyceric finish.
£29.16
£27.50
£29.29
A fine, pure and elegant nose, with Morello cherry, blackberries aromas and a hint of spice. Subtle oak emerges on a layered savoury palate balancing the liquorice flavours and juicy dark fruit notes, all surrounded by a silky structure with round and fine tannins, leading to a long finish.