Rich Whites
Rich Whites
Blank Bottle Luuks 2022
Regular price £39.95Luuks - it keeps getting better and better! Now in its third release, this is at first smoky and tense, coupled with just the right level of opulence - clotted cream, crunchy biscuits and chiffon cake, white flowers and buttered toast too. Very broad and long. So well-balanced, and with a long future ahead of it. The name comes from the barrel it was aged in: the first ever new barrel that Pieter bought. Luuks roughly translates from Afrikaans to 'lux' or 'luxury' in English and it became a bit of a nickname for this wine aged in their fancy new barrel.
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match:
Winemakers don't come much more creatively brilliant than the genius that is Pieter Walser. He's the sort of man that's had more fantastic ideas before breakfast than we manage in a whole week and that talent shines through in his wines. Each comes with a story often as captivating as they are mystifying so we've asked him to record a few to give you an insight into the magic behind the vino!
Viña Cobos Zingaretti Estate Chardonnay 2019
Regular price £61.00This property has historical importance, being farmed by a pioneering family of the wine industry in the Uco Valley. The Italian José Zingaretti immigrated to Argentina at the beginning of the 20 th century, bringing along his knowledge of vine growing and winemaking from his homeland. He was one of the first settlers of Tupungato, which at the time was a remote and nearly inaccessible area. This wine comes from vines of more than 80 years old. Aged for 18 months in a combination of new, second and third use French oak barrels. 50% of the wine underwent full malolactic and 50% partial. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 400 cases made. Drinking beautifully now or hold for up to 6 years.
Stunning old-vine chardonnay shows beautiful density and concentration Precise with a round, creamy texture. It’s full- bodied, refined, soft and fluffy. Fresh and bright. Intense, yet subtle with notes of pear and cherry blossom. Wonderful white with unique character.
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
After visiting Argentina in 1989, Californian trail-blazer Paul Hobbs became deeply interested in both the terroir and Argentine culture, noticing the unique potential for Malbec and other varietals in the region. After meeting two kindred spirits, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud, they founded Viña Cobos in 1997 and since then there has been no looking back. Utilising gnarly old vines, careful vineyard selection, very low yields and an unerring empathy for the raw materials, Viña Cobos craft intense yet balanced wines that showcase the elegance and beauty of this region. The wines from Cobos have branched into four different brands – Felino, Bramare appellation, Bramare Single Vineyard and the super premium Cobos. Binding all of the wines from Viña Cobos is the true identity of each variety and the unique terroir of Mendoza, truly world class wines from a world class producer.
RAAR Grenache Blanc 2022
Regular price £22.95Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland, Riebeek Valley
Grapes: Grenache Blanc
ABV: 14.5%
Elements Wind Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £15.95Straw yellow colour with golden hues. Aromatic nose with notes of ripe yellow fruits, mirabelle, peach, a touch of vanilla and white chocolate.
Country: Bulgaria
Region: Sofia
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13,5 %
Royal Tokaji Dry Furmint 2021
Regular price £15.95A fresh, crisp wine showing all the fine qualities of the unique Furmint grape. Aromas of blossom, apple, and pear combine with flavours of ripe apricot and peach to produce a
sleek, intense dry wine with a long, refreshing finish.
Country: Hungary
Region: Tokaji
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Furmint
Tokaji wines have enjoyed a long, glorious history. Louis XIV of France described them as “The wine of Kings and King of wines”, whilst Catherine the Great of Russia stationed a contingent of Cossack soldiers in the region to protect the vineyards and escort the wine on its journey to St. Petersburg. Many European monarchs are known to have enjoyed Tokaji wines over the centuries. Napoleon III ordered 30–40 barrels of Tokaji for the Imperial Court each year, while Emperor Franz Joseph sent Queen Victoria a gift of Tokaji every year on her birthday - a dozen bottles for each year of her age.
Korten Winery Natura Melnik Rosé 2022
Regular price £15.95Beautiful, delicate salmon colour. Exotic notes dominated by mature citrus, tropical fruits, gentle lemongrass and light spiciness. The palate is balanced and structured, with an abundance of light red fruits and flowers,
light spiciness and a fresh fruit lasting finish.
Country: Bulgaria
Region: Struma Valley
Grapes: Melnik
ABV: 13 %
Food Match: On its own or with Asian and Mexican cuisine, fish, seafood, white meats and
salads.
Iona Fynbos Chardonnay 2020
Regular price £47.50
93 points, Tim Atkin
The Fynbos Vineyard has well drained soils with north facing slopes that result in a rich, fleshy, generous wine. This wine was 100% wild fermented in a selection of 228L and 300L French oak barrels (25% new, the rest in 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels). It remained on the lees for a total of 12 months with no battonage. Nuanced and multi-layered – this vineyard produces wines with depth and weight, and great structure that allows for significant ageing potential. Sandstone is the dominant soil type in this north-facing vineyard on Iona's spectacular farm. More open and aromatic than its stablemate Kloof, it has top notes of fynbos and aniseed, flavours of honey and stone fruit and attractive patisserie spices from 25% new oak. TA
Country: South Africa
Region: Elgin
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Chardonnay
In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.
After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.
As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.
Maison Jaffelin Meursault 2022
Regular price £84.95Fruity nose often expressing notes of rhubarb. Full mouth with lots of fat on the finish and notes of toasted almonds.
Country: France
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
The grapes come from a plot called "Les Forges" located west of the village of Meursault. The soils are shallow.
Chanzy Mercurey Blanc 'Les Caraby' 2021
Regular price £36.95A much warmer site than ‘Clos Les Bussieres’, ‘Les Caraby’ is a small 1 hectare ‘clos’ tagged on to the end of Mercurey’s most famous premier cru, ‘Clos du Roy’. Almost always the first vineyard picked, this is a fast ripening site with its own little valley of both north and south facing vines. This vintage has produced a really well balanced wine with ripe tropical fruits jumping out of the apple and citrus background. Really good texture and weight. No new oak was used in this vineyard. Only one barrel produced. *Limited Availability*
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
Food Match: Wonderful with rich lobster linguini
Star investment wine - drinking 2024 to 2030
Viré Clessé Loron 2019 Magnum
Regular price £49.00The youngest of the Mâcon appellations, created in 1999. Its soils cover 4 communes and are partially made up of "cray”, a type of limestone soil with magnificent white pebbles... Clean, fleshy white fruit aroma with a subtle honeyed finish.
Country: France
Region: Mâcon, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13%
Food Match: white meat, seafood and soft goats cheese
Wildeberg White 2021 Magnum
Regular price £54.00Wonderfully rich and fleshy from hand harvested bushvine grown grapes in Franschhoek. Wild Yeast fermented. Beautifully poised and elegant. Excellent food wine.
Country: South Africa
Region: Franschhoek
Grapes: Field blend, but mostly Semillon
ABV: 13%
Chicken Biriyani or dishes with Cardamon.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Vieux Chemin Fargueirol 2023
Regular price £33.95Rich, round white Rhone Valley white, that benefits from a bit of bottle age or decanting if opening when young. A complex and aromatic nose with aromas and flavours of lime, apricot and peaches with hints of acacia flower.
Country: France
Region: Rhone Valley
Grapes: Clairette, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc
ABV: 13.5%
Pouilly Fuissé 'Terroir' Domaine Seve 2021
Regular price £29.95Round and elegant wine with classic, subtle buttery notes balanced by juicy acidity. A top quality white Burgundy with more than 10 year aging potential.
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 12.5%
Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2021
Regular price £49.95The nose is delicate, restrained and elegant with its grapefruit, greengage, chamomile and apple blossom aromas and whiffs of exotic spice. The floral character of the nose follows through onto a richly textured mid-palate, showing yellow peach, poached pear and nectarine against a backdrop of fresh mandarin and green fig flavours with integrated acidity and a full body. The ripe stone fruit character adds to the complexity on the palate and the spicy finish with hints of fenugreek, black cardamom and Cape fynbos complements a very balanced wine.
Country: South Africa
Region: Franschhoek Valley
Grapes: Semillon (97%), Muscat d'Alexandrie (3%)
ABV: 13.5%
Great with Cape Malay dishes such as beef baboti - a well-known South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping.
Tim Atkin MW
96 points. Boekenhoutskloof's world-class Semillon uses grapes from three distinct blocks in Franschhoek, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942, combining these with 3% Muscat d'Alexandrie. Showing more acidity and restraint than the stunning 2020, and less of the struck match character, it has notes of lemongrass, custard and beeswax and a core of chiselled acidity. Drinking 2024-32
Chanzy Rully 1er Cru 'Rabourcé' 2020 Magnum
Regular price £95.00Wow - This is beautiful, and a masterclass in balance. Rich stone fruit, apples, pears, and quince. Hints of spice, orange zest apple strudel, and a great backbone of acidity make this a very delicious wine indeed. Rabourcé is one of the warmest sites in Rully and lends itself very well to creating fruit forward wines with spice and texture. This wine was not produced in 2021 - so a good vintage to stock up and keep!
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
Food Match: Salmon En Croûte