Potato/Potahto; Tomayto/Tomato; Syrah/Shiraz! No matter how you say it, it's all the same! Okay, I'm probably being simplistic here but the real difference between Syrah and Shiraz isn't the grape but the style.
Syrah is lean and light-bodied with fine tannins - it refers to an Old World approach in winemaking. Whilst Shiraz is generally richer, riper and more fruit-forward in style.
This week we are celebrating International Syrah Day. SAVE 15% discount on your Shiraz, Syrah, or Shiraz blends!
The offer expires on Monday 16th January at midnight so don't delay!
11 products
2025 Adobe Reserva Organic Rosé
Regular price £11.79Chile does Provence minus the £££'s!
Refreshing and delicious predominantly from Emiliana's organic vineyards in Colchagua and Cachoploal valleys.
Tasting Notes
A lovely pale and delicate rosé.
Colour
Pale almost Provencal-pink in colour.
Nose
Gentle strawberry and red cherry aromas.
Palate
The palate is medium in weight with fresh summer fruits and a silky yet refreshing finish. Delicate and easy to drink.
Production
The Rapel Valley lies with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, and the province of Curicó to the south. This area is particularly well suited for growing Carmenère, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a transversal valley of Chile’s central zone with unique climatic conditions, including four clearly defined seasons and a unique blend of maritime breezes and Andean winds. The hand-picked grapes were transported to the winery and selected from a conveyor belt to ensure maximum quality. Vinification took place in stainless steel tanks for 3 months with selected yeasts. The finished wine was fined using bentonite and cold stabilized to prevent the formation of tartrate crystals and 1 and 0.45 micron cartridge filters were used at the time of bottling.
Producers
Voted by Wines of Chile as "Winery of the Year 2016", Emiliana is one of Chile's most exciting producers and pioneers in organic and biodynamic winemaking. Since 1998, this Chilean winery has been producing award-winning wines from almost 1,000 hectares of vineyards in prime sites including Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua and Bio Bio.
Its spectacular biodynamic vineyard and winery at Los Robles is a model that attracts visiting viticulturalists and winemakers from across the world. Emiliana's innovative and natural-leaning wines are made with great care and attention and the results are inspiring.
Sustainability
Emiliana began its conversion to organic production in 1998, and today 100% of its properties are organically managed. It is the world’s largest organic winery. It holds organic certifications in accordance with the standards of the United States, Canada (NOP), Brazil, Chile, Japan, South Korea, China, and Europe. In 2006, Emiliana was the first winery in Latin America to produce a wine with biodynamic certification. Since then, the use of biodynamic practices at its farms and cellars has been accredited and today 100% of its properties are certified. Emiliana received its Fairtrade and Fair For Life certifications in 2011 and 2017, and has been selling fair trade wines since 2012.
Emiliana was a pioneer in the implementation of the Wine of Chile Sustainability Code certification in 2012. This standard was developed for the Chilean wine sector to support the implementation of sustainable practices at a national level, as well as social and environmental responsibility at Emiliana.
Emiliana is certified to use the Vegan Society trademark, which attests that its wines are produced without any animal-derived products.
Emiliana also produces an annual sustainability report.
Specifications
| Year | 2024 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | 40% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot |
| Country | Chile |
|
Alcohol content
|
12% alc vol
|
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9 units |
| Type | Rosè |
| Cellaring Potential | For immediate enjoyment |
| Features | Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable |
| Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
| Food Matches | Ideal as an aperitif or with sushi, creamy cheeses, and ethnic foods, among others. |
| Origin | Rapel Valley |
| Appellation | D.O. Valle Del Rapel |
2023 Salvaje Syrah
Regular price £16.99Salvaje is freedom. It's a strong tie to nature and the earth; it's about maintaining the pure and natural state. Salvaje is an organic wine made without added sulphur and is the result of meticulous vineyard management. It's a vivid, wild and untamed red from Casablanca.
Tasting Notes
Colour
Deep violet-red.
Nose
The nose is very fruity with a predominance of black fruits such as blackberries and blueberries on the forefront followed by light notes of blackcurrants and violets.
Palate
The fruity intensity is present at all times and pairs with the very velvety, elegant palate to make this wine very easy to drink.
Production
The Syrah and Rousanne grapes were picked into bins, transported to the winery and immediately chilled. The reception process begins with a double selection system on conveyor belts both before and after being destemmed. The grapes are then crushed and deposited into stainless steel tanks, where they undergo a 3-day cold maceration at 6º–8ºC. The temperature was then raised for the alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts at temperatures controlled to 24º–27ºC with a pump over program managed according to enological criteria. The new wine remained on its skins for an additional 6–7-day post-fermentation maceration and a total vinification of approximately 20 days. Malolactic fermentation took placed naturally in stainless steel tanks, where the wine was aged for 12 months. The wine was the stabilized naturally without treatments. It was filtered with a 1-micron cartridge filter prior to bottling. The wine is aged for 5 months in stainless steel tanks.
Producers
Voted by Wines of Chile as "Winery of the Year 2016", Emiliana is one of Chile's most exciting producers and pioneers in organic and biodynamic winemaking. Since 1998, this Chilean winery has been producing award-winning wines from almost 1,000 hectares of vineyards in prime sites including Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua and Bio Bio.
Its spectacular biodynamic vineyard and winery at Los Robles is a model that attracts visiting viticulturalists and winemakers from across the world. Emiliana's innovative and natural-leaning wines are made with great care and attention and the results are inspiring.
Awards
Specifications
| Year | 2023 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | 97% Syrah, 3% Roussanne |
| Country | Chile |
|
|
|
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.1 units |
| Type | Red Blend |
| Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
| Features | Vegetarian, Vegan, Organic, Sustainable |
| Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
| Food Matches | A great match with lamb, sirloin, or other red meats. |
| Origin | Casablanca Valley |
| Appellation | D.O. Valle De Casablanca |
2023 Domaine Boutinot Les Cerisiers Rosé, AOP Côtes du Rhône
Regular price £11.99Determined to craft the finest Côtes du Rhône Rosé, based on varieties naturally suited to this style: Grenache Noir for its body, Cinsault for its freshness, and a hint of spice from a touch of Syrah.
Tasting Notes
An elegant, truly gastronomic rosé from our home in the Rhône. A classic salmon pink rosé with delicate perfumed aromas of rosehip syrup, wild berry blossoms and cherries on the nose. Full flavoured, ripe and beautifully balanced with acidity, there’s elegant, textured, berry fruit on the palate with a twist of raspberry freshness to lift the finish. Deliciously balanced and moreish.
Producer
Boutinot’s love affair with the Southern Rhône spans thirty years of making wine in the region. In 2010, the relationship was sealed with the purchase of a winery and vineyards above the village of Cairanne. Domaine Boutinot’s seven vineyards are planted with classic southern Rhône grape varieties – old vine Grenache Noir and Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan Noir – and they all sit within the Cairanne Cru boundaries, sanctioned in 2016 when Cairanne was granted its own appellation status.
Working with our vigneron neighbours we are helping to revive traditional grape varieties such as Cinsault and Counoise, and in the cellar we prefer time-honoured winemaking methods such as a long cuvasion aided only by natural yeasts, gentle remontage, manual pigeage and patient maturation in a nursery of French oak barrels.
Production
Our hunt for specific plots that would deliver the best grapes with the right balance and flavour profile led us to the south of the Côtes du Rhône where we found ripeness and aroma to balance the freshness found in plots from northern villages of the Southern Rhône valley. As with previous vintages, Les Cerisiers is again made in the same way as the best rosés of Provence, uses the ‘rosé de presse’ method as soon as the grapes are picked. This very gentle pressing extracts as much aroma and flavour as possible with the least amount of tannins. The wine is both pressed and vinified at cool temperatures (of no more than 16Intent ) in stainless steel vats to preserve these delicate aroma, flavours and colour.
Sustainability
In July 2021 Domaine Boutinot Rhône achieved the Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE 3) certification This certification recognises a high level of commitment to protecting and enriching the environment with the focus on biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use and management of water.
Specifications
| Year | 2023 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | Grenache Noir 85%, Cinsault 10%, Syrah 5% |
| Country | France |
|
Alcohol content
|
13% alc vol
|
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 9.75 units |
| Type | Rose |
| Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
| Allergen Information | Contains Sulphites |
| Dietary Information |
Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable
|
| Food Matches | As with rosé from neighbouring Provence, Les Cerisiers should not be seen only as a delicious apéritif but a match for light dishes - a simple charcuterie plate or grilled salmon and prawns. It also pairs well with more complex dishes; Bouillabaisse, the classic southern French fish stew, or even Red Thai Chicken Curry, a spicy bean tagine or a mushroom and aubergine lasagne. |
| Origin | Rhône |
| Appellation | Côtes du Rhône Villages |
NV Nieto Senetiner Camila Rosé Aperitivo Syrah Bonarda
Regular price £10.49A wine cocktail made with Mendoza grapes and infused with natural botanicals, and a touch of fine bubbles. This refreshing low alcohol blend of Syrah and Bonarda is ideal served over ice with a slice of grapefruit.
Tasting Notes
Grapefruit, hibiscus and lime.
Production
This blend of Syrah and Bonarda is sweetened with white must and a dosage of natural flavouring. Lightly sparkling and low in alcohol.
Producer
Nieto Senetiner has grown to become one of the leading stars of Mendoza. Although the vineyards and winery were founded by Italian immigrants and date back to 1888, they were acquired by the Nieto and Senetiner families in 1969.
Nieto has some 400 hectares of vineyards in virtually all of the best sub-districts of Mendoza from which it produces classic and modern wines characterised by the uniquely appealing balance of power and finesse that defines the best wines of the region. The top wines come from very old vineyards in the famed sub-district of Agrelo, and are fully deserving of their status.
Since joining the estate, winemaker Santiago Mayorga has taken the wines to another level and was named 'Young Winemaker of the Year 2017' by Tim Atkin.
Sustainability
Nieto Senetiner have a deep commitment to regenerating the soil, reducing the use of pesticides and strengthening the communities at their facilities and vineyards. Their Don Nicanor brand is moving to Organic production and they have been audited and passed the Argentine Winery Sustainability Protocol with Villa Blanca, Vistalba Estate and Las Torcazas Estate now certified. The grapes grown here are used for the Nieto Senetiner Malbec DOC and Don Nicanor wines. They will continue this process and go on to certify 100% of their estates and wineries.
This protocol has been collaboratively developed and adapted for Argentinian winemaking from the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook. This provides educational and awareness tools to increase the application of sustainable practices in vineyards and wineries and consists of a self-evaluation of their vineyards – soils, canopy management, irrigation, study of climatic variables, etc. – to determine practices that can be improved upon. Water consumption (in cubic metres consumed per month) is also tracked and recorded in the winery's sustainability report. For Nieto Senetiner, sustainability isn’t just an environmental concept though, it’s sustained on four fundamental pillars: ethics and business transparency, economic development, the health and wellbeing of the community, and community development.
To fight vineyard pests and diseases Nieto Senetiner uses environmentally-friendly treatments, several of which are permitted in organic agriculture. It is registered in the ISCAMEN Agro-Clean Programme in which empty plastic agrochemical containers, previously washed and destroyed, are safely recycled. They have implemented practices such as vegetable coverage to conserve the microbiota and microfauna of the soil. The use of drip irrigation systems to preserve water is a key means of managing a scarce resource, especially in Mendoza.
For grapes supplied by contracted growers, each year Nieto Senetiner provides a manual of good agricultural practices listing the preferred agrochemicals to use to treat each pest and disease. This includes the time that these compounds take to break down so that grapes arrive at the winery without any chemical residue. Growers are also given sustainability guidelines to which they should adhere, and they are requested to document and record any treatments made during the growing season.
Bottle weights have been reduced to help lower the carbon footprint of the wine.
Specifications
| Year | NV |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | Syrah 50% Bonardo 50% |
| Country | Argentina |
|
Alcohol content
|
7% alc vol
|
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 5.2 units |
| Type | Rose Wine Sparkling |
| Cellaring Potential | Awaiting info |
| Allergen Information | Contains sulphites |
| Dietary Information | Vegan, Vegetarian, sustainable |
| Food Matches | Serve very cold with ice and add a slice of grapefruit and red berries. It can also be combined with mint leaves. |
| Origin |
Mendoza
|
2022 El Escocés Volante, Manga del Brujo Tinto
Regular price £18.99A really characterful, black-fruited blend, combining fresh acidity, savoury characters and lifted notes of mountain herbs.
Tasting Notes
Pronounced aromas of black fruits with hints of cracked pepper, thyme and lavender. The palate has a concentration of bright blackberry and black cherry characters alongside fresh acidity. It's full-bodied and complex with well-balanced tannins and a long, savoury, herbal finish
Production
This wine is born in the free-draining chalk and clay soils of the slopes of Monte Armantes in the Ribota Valley of Calatayud, at 600-800 metres altitude. It is a blend of predominantly old vine Garnacha (70%) along with Syrah, Provechón (aka Bobal) and Mazuelo.This wine lends to a more savoury style due to the inclusion of 10% Provechón, extended maceration and the fermentation of Garnacha over Syrah skins.
Producer
El Escocés Volante is a project in Aragón, the work of Norrel Robertson MW and his family. His wine journey began in Edinburgh three decades ago and led him part-way around the world, to Portugal, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and New Zealand - before settling in Spain in 2003.
Inspired by the terroir and the sheer quality of the Garnacha he found there - this grape became his initial focus and drive, seeking out and retrieving old Garnacha vineyards. This ‘mission’ has extended to other varieties, including an old Macabeo vineyard, planted in 1969.
As well as working closely with a select group of local growers who share his philosophy, Norrel today owns 40 hectares of mainly old vine Garnacha (between 50 and 115 years old) along with other indigenous varieties such as Mazuelo (Carignan), Moristel, Macabeo, Garnacha Gris and Provechón. El Escocés Volante have also undertaken a programme of new plantings - to create the old vines of the future. Their vineyards are based around the towns of Villarroya de la Sierra, Cervera de la Cañada, Torralba, Aniñon and Torrijo de la Cañada, 650 - 1,000 metres above sea level.
Sustainability
El Escocés Volante are members of the Regenerative Viticulture Association in Spain. They have been organic in practice since 2014, and have recently started the certification process. They don't use pesticides, they maintain a cover crop during winter months and create their own biochar from vine cuttings. All of their vineyards are dry grown. In the winery their bottles are 88% recycled glass and they have been moving to lighter-weight versions.
Alan's Personal Tasting Note
"Just incredible. I was expecting a lot from this wine and it certainly over delivers! Fresh and fruity up front with a herbal and savoury battle going on in the background. Complex, well balanced and full of beautiful flavours which belie the 14.5% alcohol. But I guess it needs that alcohol to hold all these flavours. With the herbs and savouriness it reminds me of a Southern French Garrigue Red - but the fresh fruit wouldn't be in a Garrigue Red" June 2026
Specifications
| Year | 2022 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | Garnacha 70%, Syrah 15%, Provechón 10% |
| Country | Spain |
|
Alcohol content |
14.5% alc vol |
| Units of alcohol per bottle | 10.9 units |
| Type | Red Wine |
| Food Matches | Delicious with slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, also with nutty hard cheeses. |
| Allergy Information | Contains sulfites |
| Origin | DO Calatayud |
|
Appellation
|
DO Calatayud |
