- Aglianico
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carignan
- Catarratto
- Chardonnay
- Chenin Blanc
- Corvina
- Friulano
- Gewürtztraminer
- Glera
- Grenache / Garnacha
- Grillo
- Grüner Veltliner
- Merlot
- Molinara
- Mourvèdre / Mataró / Monastrell
- Muscat
- Palomino
- Pinot Bianco/ Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Rondinella
- Sangiovese
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Semillon
- Shiraz / Syrah
- Tempranillo
- Zweigelt
- Aglianico
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carignan
- Catarratto
- Chardonnay
- Chenin Blanc
- Corvina
- Friulano
- Gewürtztraminer
- Glera
- Grenache / Garnacha
- Grillo
- Grüner Veltliner
- Merlot
- Molinara
- Mourvèdre / Mataró / Monastrell
- Muscat
- Palomino
- Pinot Bianco/ Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Rondinella
- Sangiovese
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Semillon
- Shiraz / Syrah
- Tempranillo
- Zweigelt
NV Louis de Grenelle Platine Cremant de Loire Brut
Regular price £16.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Vibrant, crisp and delicate
Tasting Notes
Colour
The colour is a lovely canary yellow with hints of light straw and is flecked with a stream of persistent bubbles.
Nose
The nose is clean with dominant aromas of lemon, pear and lime tree.
Palate
The structure of the palate is enhanced by the fullness of the quince, the fragrant acacia and the sweetness of the strawberry. A highly sensual wine.
Producer
Over 150 years of History! Founded in 1859, this independent and family run Maison Louis de Grenelle has passed down its expertise through the generations. It continues the tradition of making sparkling wines in the depths of its cellars burrowed underneath Saumur in the heart of the Valley of Kings, the Val de Loire.
Specifications
Year | NV |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 70% Chenin Blanc, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Cabernet Franc |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 12% |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9 units |
Type | Fizz |
Food matches | An aperitif wine par excellence that also pairs well with full menus: shellfish, smoked fish, pièces montées patisserie. Serve between 6-8C. |
Dosage | Brut |
Ageing | 18-24 months on racks |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Appellation | AOC Crémant de Loire |
Origin | Saumur, Loire Valley |
2018 Polz Klassik Sauvignon Blanc
Regular price £17.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%This is exactly how a classic Sauvignon Blanc from southern Styria should taste.
Tasting Notes
Expressive nose of elderflower, gooseberry and Granny Smith apple. Racy and bold on palate, with menthol and white fruit. Good length and a fresh finish.
The crisp acidity gives it a bite and represents the region exactly. Fresh in the reverberation, very dry and yet with a delicate touch of blossom honey.
Producer
Since this year this region and this wine are classified as Südsteiermark DAC. Harvested from different locations, expanded in a steel tank and always ready to be enjoyed.
Specifications
Year | 201 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Sauvignon Blanc |
Country | Austria |
|
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.4 units |
Type | White Wine |
Food matches | Apéro pastries, Goat's cheese, light appetizers and salad. |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Dietary Information |
|
Origin | Styria, Südsteiermark DAC |
2020 Weingut Weszeli Grüner Veltliner Langenlois
Regular price £19.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Grüner Veltliner 'Langenlois', named for the winery’s home village, where the vineyard parcels for this wine are located.
Tasting Notes
Juicy, straightforward, fruity and well structured. Has a bit more acidity but also a little more body than in the previous year.
Nose
Inviting creamy nose with aromas of orange zest, fresh meadow notes and apples extremely crisp.
Palate
Juicy with lively fruit, light to medium body, aromas of citrus and quince, filigree in the finish, stimulating and charming.
Producer
Weingut Weszeli, in Langenlois, a now-famous wine village located on the river Kamp where it wends its way down to the Danube at Krems. There is a crazy patchwork of Burgundy-like Cru vineyards which have helped put Austria on the map as a source of world-class whites. The story of this winery echoes that of many others. A former city-slicker, Davis Weszeli struck out in search of something new, with one clear goal: to feel closer to nature. He discovered his calling in the form of a traditional Kamptal winery in 2011, and from then on he has been on a mission to create authentic, unique wines whilst always prioritising sustainability in organic viticulture, and a principle coined by Davis himself: Terrafactum, the importance of the unique nature of the earth and terroir of Kamptal.
Davis makes charming and impressive Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, the two grapes he feels best suits the climate and soils of Kamptal.
There are three levels of Grüner Veltliner - Felix, Langenlois & Käferberg ÖTW, offering a fascinating journey into a grape oft-overlooked for its more famous stablemate, Riesling.
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Grüner Veltliner |
Country | Austria |
|
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.38 units |
Type | White Wine |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Dietary Information |
|
Origin | Kamptal |
2020 Weingut Hajszan Neumann Nussberg Grüner Veltliner
Regular price £19.75 Sale price £15.99 Save 19%The Nussberg Grüner Veltliner comes from the single vineyard 'Weisleiten', which brings by its cooler location very much freshness in the wine.
A racy and mineral Veltliner.
Tasting Notes
The Nussberg Grüner Veltliner offers a lovely precise, fresh and aromatic yet elegant bouquet of white pip fruits and chalk. Fresh, pure and elegant on the palate, this is a rather lean but tension-filled Grüner Veltliner with clearly defined white fruit and lots of ripe phenols and minerals.
The Producer
Vintage
Soil
Vineyards and cellar
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Grüner Veltliner |
Country | Austria |
Alcohol content
|
13% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.75 units |
Type | White Wine |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Dietary Information |
Biodynamic, Vegan
|
Food Matches | Complex salads, Baked white fish, Vegetables, Aperitif |
Origin | Vienna |
2021 Château Tirecul La Gravière, AOP Monbazillac (50cl) [Organic]
Regular price £16.25 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Make no mistake, we are in world class territory. Robert Parker compared the sweet wines of Tirecul as the most notable sweet wines from anywhere in the world.
Tasting Notes
Intense richness and bright acidity. Driven by orange peel marmalade and saffron aromatics.
Production
No one’s really sure why concentration comes from older vines, but here it is in evidence. 175g/l
Producer
Robert Parker compared the sweet wines of Tirecul as the most notable sweet wines from anywhere in the world. A lot is written about terroir, soil and microclimates. You often question how much of it is true, how do people know exactly why the wines work out the way they do? At Tirecul however, you can really see it in front of you. There aren’t many estates where you can see all the vineyard in one block. At the bottom of the hill it is too open, and the top of the hill it is too windy. It’s only in two little pockets that the fog sits to create the conditions for some truly phenomenal botrytis wines. It’s a bit of a Goldilocks site, all the quirks of nature are ‘just right’ (I haven’t tried any Tirecul in my porridge, but I am going to now).
90% of the 9ha vineyard is planted with an even split between Semillon and Muscadelle, the latter is a fascinating variety, often in the background but it can be the real star of the show. The balance is Sauvignon Blanc and the recently allowed Chenin. The exact blend of the sweet wines is unknown because the grapes are picked when they are showing the best elements of botrytis and fermented together. Bruno Bilancini has run the estate since the early 1990s, in the last few years has also produced very good dry white and red which are showing real promise.
Sustainability
Bruno Bilancini took over the estate in 1992, and has treated the environment with utmost respect since then. It was in 2009 that Chateau Tirecul started to convert to organics, with all wines beyond 2012 being certified as well as vegan.
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 500ml |
Cultivar | 60% Semillon, 40% Muscadelle |
Country | France |
|
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 6.25units |
Type | Dessert Wine |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Dietary Information | Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable farming |
Food Matches |
Foie Gras and a clear conscience!
|
Origin |
|
Appellation | Monbazillac AOC |
2021 Cortese Vanedda Bianco Organic
Regular price £18.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Pure class! Amazingly refined and almost Southern Chablis in style. Limited in production.
Tasting Notes
Colour
Intensely golden in colour.
Nose
Prominent notes of coconut and tropical fruit with an undercurrent of gentle spices.
Palate
Richly textured with well-integrated acidity and a long length.
Viticulture
The 100% organic grapes come only from the Cortese’s own vineyards grown near Contrada Sabuci, in the Vittoria area of South East Sicily. The grapes are carefully hand-harvested into small baskets and only the best quality are selected to make Vanedda. The baskets of grapes are refrigerated at 10°C for around 24 hours.
Winemaking
After this is completed the wine is carefully de-stemmed and fermented on the skins for at least 2 days, after which we separate the wine from the skins and finish the fermentation in 30 hl oak botti. Following fermentation, the wine stays on the lees for at least 7 months and remains in bottle for a further 6 months before being released on to the market.
Producer
Azienda Agricola Cortese is Stefano Girelli’s new estate in Sicily, in the South East near Ragusa. Cortese has a rich history in winemaking, and under Stefano’s guiding hand, has been brought back to life.
Cortese farms in a traditional way, using organic farming techniques from a time where organic was not a choice, but the only option. The dry, sun drenched Sicilian climate provides perfect conditions for organic farming. No chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used. Biodiversity is encouraged.
Traditional winemaking techniques are also adopted, such as fermentation in terracotta.
Cortese brings together respect for biodiversity, exclusively organic cultivation, the meeting of traditional techniques & contemporary technology and the vibrancy and colour of Sicilian life.
La Selezione is the top tier from Cortese. Distinguished by their excellent terroir, these are wines in a class of their own, without any obvious comparisons.
Specifications
Year | 2021 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 50% Grillo & 50% Catarratto |
Country | Italy |
Alcohol content
|
13.5% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.1 units |
Type | White Wine |
Food Matching | Goes perfectly with seafood and rich roasts a-like. |
Features | Vegan and Vegetarian, certified Organic |
Origin | Italy |
Appellation |
Terre Siciliane IGP |
2016 Rivera 'Cappellaccio' Aglianico Castel del Monte Riserva
Regular price £18.49 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Tasting Notes
Garnet red, this wine has an intense bouquet typical for the variety, with notes of ripe red fruit, leather and spices.
Complex and structured in the glass, it has an imposing body and intense and elegant aromas of sour cherry and tobacco, with a long and persistent finish. In the mouth it is warm and full. A wine of great structure, it has a long finish with a balanced tannic finish.
Background
Vinification
The grapes are harvested in mid-October. Maceration lasts 12-14 days in steel vats, with frequent pumping over to obtain a better extraction of aromatic and colouring substances and, at the same time, to soften the tannic mass.
Alan's Personal Tasting Notes
"As good as I remember it - this is proper wine - with gorgeous attractive fruit with some spice & leather notes interspersed. It’s got a really long and persistent flavour - as you would expect from Italy’s southern noble grape variety. Not cheap but delivers real value for real wine drinkers. Delicious! Not a big, full bodied fruity wine - a more lighter, fine style with great complexity, persistence and class!" Tasted 2 January 2024
Specifications
Year | 2016 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Aglianico |
Country | Italy |
Alcohol content | 14.5% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.9 units |
Type | Red Wine |
Food & Serving Information |
Perfect with very tasty red meat dishes. Store in a cool place, away from light, bottle lying down. Do not refrigerate. Open at least 15 minutes before serving |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Origin | Andria (BT) Apulia (Puglia) |
Appellation | Castel del Monte |
2020 Brotte Creation Grosset Cairanne
Regular price £17.50 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Only 7 miles along the road from Châteauneuf-du-Pape but not as well known globally so represents much better value!
Tasting Notes
Colour
Intense ruby colour with garnet glints.
Nose
The nose offers a combination of fresh fruits such as raspberry and redcurrant. Spicy notes of cinnamon and garrigue stand out. The wine will gain in suppleness over time, and in jammy aromas of raspberry and plum as well as undergrowth.
Palate
The wine is generous and spicy with notes of wild strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants. Touches of toast and sweet spices add complexity. The mouth is full and the finish is persistent.
Vinification
Sustainable viticulture, de-budding, de-leafing and green harvest to limit the yield and increase the quality. Hand-picking into small cases and fast transportation to the winery to avoid berries’ crushing and oxidation. Destemming, gentle crushing. Fermentation at 28°C, followed by a 3 week maceration. The wines are matured in concrete vats to develop the fruit and 100 year old large oak barrels to develop the unctuosity and length during 9 months.
History
Since 1880, five generations of the Brotte family have been making wines with passion and authenticity. The fruit for this wine comes from selected small wine producers in the Rhône Valley, all of whom have been partners of Maison Brotte for several decades. The vines are planted on a very beautiful clay-silt terroir and which benefit from a lot of sunshine. The hot and dry climate therefore favours the ripening of the grapes and the good health of the vineyard.
Critics
- 90 points Wine Spectator | Offers a stream of juicy cassis, fresh red currant and dried herbs that race alongside smoked sandalwood and pencil lead shavings, with incense and floral notes adding lift. Well-built, with a firming frame of tannins bringing shape and a salty mesquite note at the close. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan. Drink now through 2025. 6,000 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.
- 89 points James Suckling | A weighty Southern Rhone red that’s got plenty of ripe plum and blackberry character with a touch of violet. In spite of the obvious dry tannins on the full-bodied palate, this remains rather mellow.
Alan's Personal Tasting Note
"Another delight from Brotte - all the intriguing garrique characteristics as the other reds in the range. If anything the fruit is even more generous here - verging more to the red than the black - and it’s very drinkable, soft and moreish but with enough. Backbone to go on for a while yet." September 2024
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Cairanne |
Country | France |
Alcohol Content | 14% alc vol |
Units of alcohol per bottle | 10.5 units |
Type | Red Wine |
Food Matches |
Enjoy with Serrano ham, wild mushroom risotto, grilled beef, goat cheeses. |
Origin |
Southern Rhône |
2021 Domaine de la Pigeade Muscat de Beaumes de Venise (500ml)
Regular price £16.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The Muscat from La Pigeade is characterized by its freshness and finesse and is to be found in many of the leading restaurants of the Rhone Valley.
Tasting Notes
Colour
A light gold wine, shiny with golden reflections.
Palate
The complex aromatic palette combines pear with rose water and exotic fruits.
Soil cultivation
Sustainable cultivation for over 30 years; grassing controlled mechanically (hoeing). Scribbling is practiced several times a year at different depths depending on the case.
Vinification
Hand harvested and sorted before 100% de-stemming and maceration on skins for 10 hours at 3°C before pressing. Cool-fermented to reach a natural alcohol of 5 % before the ferment is arrested by the addition of grape spirit to reach a minimum of 15 % alcohol, with a minimum of 110 g/l residual sugar. Matured on fine lees in tank for two months prior to bottling.
History
Very little sweet Muscat was made before 1945 when Muscat de Beaumes de Venise was classified an AOC for its vin doux naturel, but by the 1970’s and 1980’s its popularity in northern Europe was probably greater than Sauternes or sweet German wines. The wines, by law, must have an ABV of 15% and at least 110g/L residual sugar. Domaine de la Pigeade was purchased by the Vaute family in 1960 who came from wine families but this domaine was the first generation of winemakers. Up until 1996 all fruit from the 25ha estate was sent to the cooperative but with the succession of the second generation, Thierry and his wife Marina, a cellar was built and the wine-making was brought in house. The domaine sits outside the village of Beaumes, which is sandwiched in between the Dantelles de Montmirail and Mount Ventoux. Of the 25ha around 20 are Muscat blanc à petits grains averaging 35 years of age. The vines are planted on a argilo-calcaire and all weed control is manual. The fruit is harvested at a very low 30hl/ha.
Specifications
Year | 2021 |
Bottle Size | 500ml |
Cultivar | 100% Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 16% |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle
|
11.3 units |
Type | Dessert Wine / natural sweet wine |
Food Matches |
It is an ideal aperitif and also goes well with many desserts, especially ones with chocolate, or a fruit salad, or strawberries where some is also poured over the fruit. It is also a perfect companion for many blue cheeses. Drink young and always very fresh (around 7°) |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Appellation | Muscat de Beaumes de Venise |
Origin | Southern Rhône Valley |
2021 Cave de Turckheim Baron D’Alsace Gewurztraminer
Regular price £15.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%A great introduction to the heady delights of Gewurztraminer.
Tasting Notes
Intensly perfumed Gewurztraminer with a rich palate of honeyed and rose-scented flavours.
Production
Produced in the traditional manner by winemaker Jean Michel Lihrmann in Cave de Turckheim's gravity fed cellar - pneumatic pressing, temperature controlled fermentation, no finings and light filtration before bottling - all to preserve fruit and aromatic qualities and elegance. His philosophy is to make wines with good acidity and fruit balance, based on the belief that all the qualities of the wine are already present in the grapes.
Producer
Widely regarded as one of the best co-operatives in the world, Cave de Turckheim lies at the mouth of the Munster Valley. Working closely with 180 partners, its vineyards span the full breadth of Alsatian terroir and grape varieties. Cave de Turckheim only produces wine from the grapes of its member growers, it is a récoltant not a négociant.
Substantial investment in the winery has enabled the team to vinify many parcels of grapes separately, offering Michel Lihrmann (senior winemaker for 25 years) the chance to highlight each wine's nuances in his signature dry, yet fruit forward, style.
Committed to producing the highest quality wines, growers are encouraged to keep yields low - for example, Cave de Turckheim voluntarily caps yields for its Grands Crus vineyards at 45hl/ha rather than the permitted 55hl/ha - and to pick the grapes by hand. This is part of a long term and innovative strategy of sustainability that includes developing the largest holdings of organic vineyards in Alsace, using natural alternatives to chemical treatments, and a green overview of all vineyard practices. Alongside some great organic wines, the extensive range runs from the excellent value Tradition wines right through to individual Grand Cru bottlings, plus fantastic Crémants d’Alsace and Vendange Tardive dessert wines.
Sustainability
An awareness of social and environmental concerns has always been high on the agenda for the Cave de Turckheim’s growers. They were among the first in France to practice integrated agriculture, an approach that combines the best of modern tools and technologies with traditional practices, lowering the consumption of energy and other resources, reducing environmental pollution, conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainability. In 2014, all the members of the co-operative obtained Agri Confiance Volet Vert (Green Section) certification and in 2015, they all obtained High Environmental Value Level 2 certification. The growers are aiming for HVE Level 3 certification in late 2019.
In 2008, a number of growers decided to commit to the rigorous standards of organic viticulture. As part of Alliance Alsace, approximately 70 hectares of vines are now cultivated organically, having obtained organic certification in 2011, with a further 30 hectares in transition. These vignerons have revived ancestral practices, tilling the soil and undertaking work that facilitates the elimination of weeds and the combat against the two major diseases: powdery mildew which is tackled with sulphur and mildew which is treated with copper sulphate. Natural fertilisers are also used (nettle, horsetail, comfrey, and dandelion), fortifying the vines and increasing their natural resistance. Organic winegrowers meticulously observe their vines, enabling them to intervene in the right place and at the right time, rather than treating the plants systematically.
Turckheim’s commitment to the environment extends to the winery where it strives to conserve natural resources. Sorting waste for recycling, reducing its carbon footprint, using solar panels, and preventing pollution are just some examples of how environmental considerations are present in every aspect of its daily work. Committed to both the environment and its customers, Cave de Turckheim also plays an important role in the local economy.
Specifications
Year | 2021 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Gewürztraminer |
Country | France |
Alcohol content
|
13% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.75 units |
Type | White Wine |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Dietary Information | Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable farming |
Food Matches | A classic match for spicy dishes (especially Thai) but can also be served as an alternative to red wine with strong cheeses. |
Origin |
Alsace, France
|
2020 Louis de Grenelle Crémant de Loire
Regular price £19.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Vibrant, crisp & delicate | Complex and honeyed, to be enjoyed with close friends
Tasting Notes
Colour
The pale golden yellow colour is flecked with a stream of persistent bubbles with a creamy foam developing on the surface.
Nose
Clean and fresh, the nose is distinguished by its delicate aromas of warm brioche which give way to a generous fruit basket with mingling peach and pear.
Palate
The smoothness of the foam gives a lovely mouthfeel. The pure freshness of the attack is a lovely contrast to a full, vinous and generous finish of gingerbread, brioche and hazelnut. On the mid-palate, a silky, full body delicately coats the taste buds. Superb harmony.
Producer
Over 150 years of History! Founded in 1859, this independent and family run Maison Louis de Grenelle has passed down its expertise through the generations. It continues the tradition of making sparkling wines in the depths of its cellars burrowed underneath Saumur in the heart of the Valley of Kings, the Val de Loire.
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Chenin Blanc & Chardonnay |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 12.5% |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle
|
9.4 units |
Type | Fizz |
Food matches | An excellent sparkling wine for sharing, making this the perfect accompaniment to your evenings with friends. It compliments crayfish mousseline or prawn salad with lime as well as subtle vanilla and gingerbread desserts. Also try Foie gras club sandwich with caramelised apples & Cuban chicken fajitas! Serve between 5-6C. |
Dosage | Brut |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Appellation | AOC Crémant de Loire |
Origin | Saumur, Loire Valley |
NV Louis de Grenelle 'Perle' Cremant de Loire Rose Brut
Regular price £17.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Radiant, Unctous and Fruity! Sublime Expression of Cabernet Franc
Finesse oblige! If it doesn't "have" to be champagne, then the best alternative is Crémant: a pure-bred rosé made from 100% of the noble red Cabernet Franc grape.
Tasting Notes
Colour
The soft pink marble colour combines with a swirling stream of fine bubbles, evoking a light sensation.
Nose
The fresh and subtle nose is characterised by its strawberry notes.
Palate
The smoothness of the foam gives this wine a lovely mouthfeel. The pleasant attack leads into the strawberry nose, giving way to aromas of English sweets to end on a subtle and lingering finish marked by red berries.
Producer
Over 150 years of History! Founded in 1859, this independent and family run Maison Louis de Grenelle has passed down its expertise through the generations. It continues the tradition of making sparkling wines in the depths of its cellars burrowed underneath Saumur in the heart of the Valley of Kings, the Val de Loire.
Specifications
Year | NV |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | Cabernet Franc |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 12% |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9 units |
Type | Fizz |
Food matches | This sparkling wine is a marvellous match for mousseline desserts and red fruit sorbets. It also goes well with white chocolate desserts or mascarpone mousse with red fruits. Serve between 6-8C. |
Ageing | 15/18 months on racks |
Dosage | Brut |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Appellation | AOC Crémant de Loire |
Origin | Saumur, Loire Valley |
2018 Lurton Chateau Bonnet Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
Regular price £16.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
Thanks to expressive fruit – but without excessive concentration – Château Bonnet's red wine is unquestionably charming. In fact, it is a benchmark in Bordeaux. The wine is best enjoyed on the young side, although the quality tannin ensures good ageing for several year. With its fresh red cherry notes, this wine makes a great pairing for grilled meats and cheese platters.
Tasting Notes
Colour
Deep ruby-red color scattered with purple highlights.
Nose
The nose is very attractive and fruity, revealing a delicious array of fresh fruit notes (cherry), underpinned by subtle hints of spice.
Palate
This beautiful Bonnet starts out straightforward on the palate, becoming very round, delicious and sweet. Fresh red fruit aromas (cherry) follow through to the palate.
Production
Grapes come from clay-limestone hilltop vineyards of Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers. Aged 12 months in 20% new oak barrels.
Rating
- 91 points from Decanter Magazine
Specifications
Year | 2018 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon |
Country | France |
Alcohol content
|
14% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.9 units |
Type | Red Blend |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Food Matches |
Nuanced and developed wines go well with rustic meat dishes. You can also pair them with cheese or enjoy them on their own. Try with reindeer steak, entrecôte or hard, aged cheeses, such as Gouda, Parmesan or Manchego. |
Origin | Grézillac in the Entre-deux-Mers |
Appellation |
Bordeaux
|
2020 Alphonse Dolly Pouilly-Fume
Regular price £19.99 Sale price £15.99 Save 20%Alphonse Dolly is from the right-bank of the Loire Valley, this wine is a perfect example of what Sauvignon Blanc can achieve.
Tasting Notes
Citrus notes harmonise with an underlying minerality which makes for a delicious accompaniment to dishes such as salmon and shellfish.
Producer
This family-owned estate in the Loire riverside village of Thauvenay in the Sancerre appellation has been producing exceptionally bright, fresh clean Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs for several generations. Old sea bottom vineyards with clay-limestone soils, some combined with flint outcroppings, provide perfectly balanced fruit for the Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, and Menetou-Salon appellations.
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Sauvignon Blanc |
Country | France |
Alcohol content | 13.5% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.1 units |
Type | White Wine |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites & no other allergens |
Serving Suggestion | Serve between 10°C and 12°C |
Food Matches |
Delicate fish, soft rind cheese, salads, shellfish, goat’s cheese, asparagus, oyster |
Features | Vegan & Vegetarian approved |
Appellation | Pouilly-Fumé |
Origin | Loire |
2023 Malat 'Crazy Creatures' Gruner Veltliner
Regular price £18.49 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Located a mere one-hour drive outside Vienna, the Weingut Malat wine estate has been mastering its art and building its strong reputation for over three centuries. A pioneer in the Kremstal region, this domain is among Austria's most respected. With four different labels featuring strange insects, this Grüner Veltliner-based white is from its Crazy Creatures range!
Beautifully biting, it offers charming minerality, citrus and spice notes.
This wine has four different labels. Illustrations will therefore vary.
Tasting Notes
This is gorgeous, fresh, vibrant and broad Grüner Veltliner that comes from the Kremstal region in Austria. It is a fresh and bright, mouth-watering style of Grüner that begins to show more culinary herbal characteristics so associated with this variety. It's a superb all-rounder of a white that is delicious with a very wide range of cuisine.
History
The brainchild of Michael Malat, the grapes for "Crazy Creatures" are grown in the small Austrian village of Palt, in the wine-growing region of Kremstal. The traditional Malat winery has been making wines in the region since 1722.
Varietal
The flagship grape of Austria, Grüner Veltliner is a natural cross of Traminer and St. Georgen. Grüner accounts for almost 30% of all grapes planted with around 13,500 hectares under vine in the country. The Austrian native has become an international sensation amongst sommeliers worldwide as the perfect food wine due to its high acidity. In Austria it is prized for the easy drinking wine it produces but can also wow the palate with complexity in the right winemaker’s hands. The typical flavor profile is often described as displaying elements of green apple with an unmistakable white pepper spiciness.
Alan's Personal Tasting Note:
This is very interesting. Zesty citric lime fruit, a gravelly minerality, some white pepper spice with a hint of sage intermingle beautifully to give a really interesting complex and flavoursome long lasting white. Definitely a food wine that sommeliers would have a great time matching up!
What 3 words? - Zesty, Prancing, complex
Specifications
Vintage | 2023 |
Bottle Size | 75cl |
Cultivar | 100% Grüner Veltliner |
Country | Austria |
Alcohol content | 12% alcohol |
Units of Alcohol per bottle | 9.4 units of alcohol |
Type | White Wine |
Food Matching |
A favourite among sommeliers and wine enthusiasts alike. A white wint that goes remarkably well with a great many dishes. |
Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
Origin |
Niederösterreich
|
Appellation |
Districtus Austriae Controllatus (DAC), Kremstal |
2022 Rainer Wess Ried Sandgrube Grüner Veltliner
Regular price £17.60 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Rainer Wess wines have been synonymous with high-quality wines from the Kremstal. He started studying wine in the 1980's and working in Bordeaux. He moved back to Austria in the 90's and worked with some of the top wineries in the area before setting up his own winery in 2003.
Tasting Notes
Herbs, stone fruit, multi-layered aroma, papaya, full-bodied wine, harmonious drinking flow, slightly peppery notes in the finish, long reverberation
Producer
Loibenberg is a famed vineyard site in Austria’s Wachau region, located in Niederösterreich or “Lower Austria” along the Danube, west of Vienna and Krems an der Donau.
Rainer Wess founded his own winery in 2003 after many years of diverse experience in the wine trade in both his native Austria and internationally. Rainer’s goal was to produce Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines that would not only be among the best of the region, but also express his very personal style and philosophy.
He aims to produce the purest, freshest and most elegant wines possible, with clear expressions of the varietal and site. In 2010, Wess moved his operations to Krems where he renovated a 300-year-old building that once was the wine cellar of a monastery. His 2010 vintage was the first to be vinified in the new gravity-feed winery. With the 2011 and 2012 vintages, Wess has expanded his collection by introducing new single-vineyard wines from the Kremstal vineyards near his winery.
Throughout the growing season, cool air descends from the top of the slopes. This moderates the warmth at the bottom of the slope which is further enhanced by sunlight reflecting off the Danube. The interplay of temperatures adds complexity and freshness to the wines. Wess farms his vineyards sustainably, to create a healthy natural ambiance for the vines. The soils are all worked mechanically. Rainer Wess is a member of the Certified Sustainable Austria Winegrowers Association. As Rainer explains, “my main goal is ripe and healthy fruit which can have extended hang-time on the vine.”
Specifications
Year | 2022 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Grüner Veltliner |
Country | Austria |
Alcohol content | 12% alc vol |
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9 units |
Type | White Wine |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Dietary Information | Sustainable practices |
Food Matches | Enjoy with Pork, Lean fish, mild and soft cheeses (including goats cheese) and vegetarian dishes |
Appellation | Wachau |
2018 Sepp Moser Pinot Blanc
Regular price £18.50 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 117): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Characterful and appealing organic and biodynamic Pinot Blanc.
Tasting Notes
Aromas of light citrus with notes of biscuit and hazelnut. The palate is fresh, yet rounded and creamy with stone fruit and mineral characters.
Production
The Pinot Blanc vines are cultivated in the Fuchsloch vineyard with gravel soils. The grapes are typically harvested in late August / early September - and are de-stemmed and crushed followed by immediate pressing. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in 2,500L oak casks, and ageing is both in barrel and stainless steel.
Producer
The Sepp Moser Estate was founded by the famous Austrian wine producing pioneer, Lenz Moser. Lenz Moser's son, Sepp Moser, began operating under his own name in 1987 and handed over the direction of this family-owned estate to his own son Nikolaus in the year 2000.
The Sepp Moser Estate comprises of 50 acres of vineyards in two prominent wine regions; Kremstal (22 ha) and Neusiedlersee (28 ha). In the Kremstal, Nikolaus produces an international range of varieties as well as the ever more important local varieties of Gruner Veltliner and Riesling. The reds are produced on the gravelly soils of the warm southern Neusiederslee village of Apetlon. All Sepp Moser wines have been organic (and all estate wines biodynamic) since 2007.
Sustainability
The Sepp Moser estate produces a wide range of wines every year thanks to its vineyards in two diverse regions. There is one main aim in the cellar: the quality of the grapes shall be brought with as little influence as possible to the bottle. The grapes in the Sepp Moser vineyards are harvested by hand and at the cellar of the Atrium House Nikolaus Moser emphasizes gentle vinification and tries to interfere as little as possible with the process so that each wine can develop its own individual style. The fermentation starts spontaneously, and the maturing of the wine takes place on its own.
In 2006, Nikolaus officially moved the estate to biodynamic viticulture – one of the first to do so in Austria – and became Demeter certified. 2009 saw the release of Sepp Moser’s first certified organic wines. Nikolaus is very keen to reduce the amount of copper and sulphur used in the vineyards, and this year saw a reduction of two thirds over what was sprayed previously. He composts all the estates' pomace and vine trimmings, and there is an ongoing effort to plant trees around the vineyards.
Specifications
Year | 2020 |
Bottle Size | 750ml |
Cultivar | 100% Pinot Blanc |
Country | Austria |
Alcohol content
|
13% alc vol
|
Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.8 units |
Type | White Wine |
Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
Features | Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable |
Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
Food Matches | Drinks well with white meats including pork and fried chicken! |
Origin | Burgenland |
Appellation | Burgenland, Austria |