Some of the wines we think are....
Superstars
Superstars
Amarone della Valpolicella Centenero DOCG 2019
Regular price £32.95Gorgeous garnet colour. Aromas of roasted beetroot, rosemary, sun dried tomato, and ripe figs with a round, vibrant, fruity palate. Flavours of pomegranate reduction, chocolate and fresh coffee. Savoury, black olive finish. A balanced, complex Amarone with a rustic charm.
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella
ABV: 14.5%
Amarone also known as Amarone della Valpolicella - a powerful red wine from Italy's Veneto region. It is made from the same grapes as Valpolicella: with Corvina and Rondinella as the main varieties, other grapes used are Molinara, Corvinone and Dindarella.
62 Anniversario Primitivo di Manduria 2018
Regular price £31.95One of our favourite wines ever! If you are after something a little special then this is one of the wines we recommend in store whenever we have stock!
Intense ruby red colour, deep and complex nose; fruity with a prune and cherry jam aroma, notes of tobacco, slightly spicy. A full bodied wine, soft and rich in fine tannin, with notes of cocoa, coffee and vanilla on the finish
Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Primitivo
Very old vineyards selected in San Marzano and Sava. The soil is mainly red with a fine texture and a generally calcareous underground with few emerging rocks. The well known redness of these soils is due to the presence of ironoxides. The climate is characterised by high temperatures all year round, very little rainfall and a wide temperature range between night and day, which has a positive influence on the quality of the grapes. This is the central area of d.o.p. “Primitivo di Manduria”.
Jaffelin Rully Blanc 2022
Regular price £34.95Wonderfully approachable white Burgundy with lovely tropical, marzipan notes.
Country: France
Region: Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%]
Negrar Amarone Classico 2020
Regular price £33.00A beautifully concentrated wine with layers of flavour and character. Classico in every sense of the word.
So many flavours - along side the deep black fruits, plums and floral notes there is a spicy backbone with spices, herbs and chocolate.
Country: Italy
Region: Valpolicella
ABV: 15%
Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella
Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2020/22
Regular price £27.95Astonishingly good Riesling from an outstanding New Zealand producer. Concentrated, explosive in the mouth! Dry, flavoursome Riesling with honeysuckle notes, aromatic nectarine, baked peach, apricot, lime and preserved lemon. One glass will not be enough!
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
ABV: 15.5%
Grapes: Riesling
Read Wine Advocate Erin Larkin’s wonderful review of Pegasus from latest trip to the South Island
'From there, I went to Pegasus Bay, and it was here that I was so impacted. This is an iconic Riesling producer—Rieslings worth crossing the ocean for. They age slowly and gracefully, employ botrytis as a textural aid and are thundering examples of Riesling from New Zealand. I can’t overstate that. These are collectors’ wines. I have seen older examples in Australia over the years, served blind, that have taken the room by storm. My thanks to Winemaker Matt Donaldson for the afternoon; it took us in directions I think neither of us expected.'
Pegasus Bay Riesling Bel Canto 2022 – 94 points.
The 2022 Bel Canto Dry Riesling leads with loquat, kumquat and orange rind. In the mouth, the wine is floral, detailed and full—it is actually quite wide, spreading to all corners of the mouth, leaving a trail of fine chalky texture in its wake. Really good. Textural. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Erin Larkin Wine Advocate
Margaux Chateau La Galiane 2014
Regular price £36.95Velvety smooth, rich, concentrated and supple. Flavours of cassis, bramble and black cherry with a sheen of vanilla from the oak ageing.
Country: France
Region: Margaux
ABV:13.5%
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Charmes de Kirwan Margaux 2019
Regular price £39.95Top class Bordeaux from the iconic village of Margaux the 2nd wine of 3rd growth Chateau Kirwan.
Velvety smooth, rich and supple. Flavours of cassis, bramble and black cherry with a sheen of vanilla from the oak ageing.
Country: France
Region: Margaux
ABV:12.5%
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
3 cru Amarone Classico DOCG Rizzardi 2018
Regular price £38.95Luciously rich and decadent red made from selected grapes from three top class vineyards.
Aromatic with ripe dark berried fruit alongside sweet spice, a ripe, rich style. The texture is rich and round with abundant, ripe, dark berried fruit supported by fine oak.
Country: Italy
Region: Valpolicella
ABV: 15%
Grapes: 80% Corvina & Corvinone, 10% Rondinella and 10% Molinara
The grapes come from the 5 hectare, steep, rocky, terraced hillside vineyard of Calcarole as well as the gently sloping clay vineyards of Rovereti and Pojega in the heart of Negrar, the most celebrated of the communes in Valpolicella.
Lismore Greyton Estate Reserve Viognier 2021
Regular price £49.00Now this is something very special! Dried apricot and fresh ginger with hints of honeysuckle through to a concentrated palate with fresh, clean acidity which supports the extravagance of the palate. Astonishingly good.
Country: South Africa
Region: Greyton, Western Cape
Grapes: Viognier
ABV: 14%
Californian wine pioneer, Samantha O'Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir in Greyton, Western Cape, South Africa. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range in Southern Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by cold winters and nourished by the African sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and hand crafted with care.
Lismore 'The Age of Grace' Cape South Coast Viognier 2021
Regular price £28.95This expressive, barrel-fermented Viognier seduces you with the beautiful perfume of honeysuckle and orange blossom and a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple.
Country: South Africa
Region: Western Cape
Grapes: Viognier
ABV: 13.5%
Andreas Syrah 2019
Regular price £23.95Aromatic, medium to full bodied and powerful, with good extraction of the sweet flavours of black ripe fruits. Elegant with good texture and firm tannins, giving wine great ageing potential. A touch of mint, with lavender notes. Firm, well balanced oak and long finish with fresh, spicy, integrated mouthfeel.
Country: South Africa
Region: Wellington
ABV: 14%
Grape: Shiraz
Andreas only produce this wine - and they are good at it. The wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak and bottle matured for another year. Winemaker Shaun Meyeridricks' first first vintage was in 2018, since joining Andreas from Boekenhoutskloof where he was previously making exemplary Shiraz.
Truchard Chardonnay 2019
Regular price £36.95Delicious top-notch California Chardonnay. All the requisite hallmarks with pineapple, peach and fig notes with a touch of creamy spice.
Country: USA
Region: Napa Valley
ABV: 14.1%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Today, there are many physicians who have become winery owners, winemakers and winegrowers, but Dr. Tony Truchard was one of the first in California. He bought his first 20 acres on the Napa side of the Carneros region in 1973 when he was still practicing internal medicine in Reno. He continued to acquire parcels until he now farms 270 acres of mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Carneros district. Francis Mahoney, of nearby Carneros Creek Winery, helped with the initial plantings. A winery was built in 1989 and caves were added later.
Domaine des Baumard Côteaux du Layon 2021 375ml
Regular price £13.95A very attractive honeyed nose, with lifted yellow fruits and more golden tropical elements such as mango, guava and pineapple. It has a particularly tropical character and a very fresh feel on the palate, with steely minerality and a zippy background acidity giving invigorating tartness to keep the wine luscious and buoyant. The rounded, approachable finish has good length.
Country: France
Region: Loire Valley
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
ABV: 12%
VEGAN
Food Match: Rich starters like foie gras or sweetbreads and will see you through to dessert or cheese.
Pouilly Fuissé 'Terroir' Domaine Seve 2020
Regular price £28.95Round 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%
Grace Winery Private Reserve Koshu Yamanashi 2022
Regular price £27.95Pure, sublimely crisp and mineral in style, this wine is fresh and elegant with subtle notes of citrus, grapefruit, Golden Delicious apple and white pear. Dry, with a lively palate of crisp, ripe fruits and a charming acidity. A lovely expression of the delicate elegance of the Koshu grapes.
Country: Japan
Region: Yamanashi Province
Grapes: Koshu
ABV: 12%
Sublimely crisp, floral and mineral in style with an almost. Chablis type razor sharp saltiness on the finish.
Grace Winery was established in 1923, in the Katsunuma province, the birthplace of
the Japanese wine industry. Committed to the belief that great wine is made in the
vineyard, they were the first to research and introduce European training and
pruning methods introducing such as using long cordon training and Vertical Shoot
Positioning in 1990. The wines are made in a modern way to retain the delicate
characteristics of this individual and exciting grape variety.
Secastilla Old Vine Garnacha 2017
Regular price £34.95Rich, ripe, dense and complex. Notes of tobacco, dark chocolate and blackberries. Abundant flavours of dark berries are released alongside earthy and creamy notes that warm the mouth. Stunning wine.
Country: Spain
Region: Aragon
Grapes: Garnacha
ABV: 14%
Chateau La Tour de By Medoc 2014
Regular price £26.95Classic, smooth, dry claret with a bit of bottle age. Notes of cassis at the front leading onto subtle hints of leather and tobacco.
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux, Medoc
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
ABV: 13.5%
Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir 2019/2020
Regular price £39.95Rich, ripe, but savoury Pinot from Canterbury. We love this wine!
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Travaglini Gattinara Riserva 2017
Regular price £49.95You can't miss this bottle on the shelf with it's distinct tactile, voluptuos shape. Deep garnet ruby-red colour, it is a full and rich wine, the bouquet verges on dried fruit, violet, blackberry, raspberry with hints of spices coming form the barrels. Deep, dry and full bodied finish, long and lingering.
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont
Grapes: Nebbiolo
ABV: 13.5%
Gattinara Riserva is a characterful red wine from Piedmont, a region in Northern Italy. With great ageing potential Gattinara rivals Barolo and Barbaresco. The Riserva Gattinara is made only in the best vintages. The wine spends at least three years in oak barrels and 1 year in the bottle.
Abel Mendoza Garnacha Blanco 2020
Regular price £37.95This viscous, mouth-filling wine offers notes of toast, red and green apples, caramel and almond.
Fermentation in new French barrels and 5 months battonage until bottling.
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Garnacha Blanco
ABV: 14%
The grand master of white Rioja, Abel Mendoza never fails to impress with his uniquely complex, old vine wines from small plots planted high up in the Alavesa. Tim Atkin MW often scores between 94-95 for this wine and past vintages received 95 points from Robert Parker. Sublime and a must for anyone serious about their wine.
Pizzorno Select Blend Reserve 2019
Regular price £24.95Black fruits, sweet spice and cedar. Beautifully balanced.
Country: Uruguay
Region: Canelones
ABV: 14%
Grapes: 50%Tannat 30% Malbec 20% Cab. Sauvignon
Food match: Fillet steak
Iona Elgin Pinot Noir 2020/2021
Regular price £29.00Succulent black cherry aroma, bright but delicate and hints of forest floor, with underlying floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, with silk-textured length.
Country: South Africa
Region: Elgin
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Food match
Beef Bourginon with mushroom or braised lamb shanks.
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.
Bodegas Luis Cañas Selección de la Familia Rioja Reserva 2018
Regular price £31.95Elegant and complex nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. Hints of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja
Grapes: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV: 14.5%
Pegasus Bay Semillon/Sauvignon 2019
Regular price £26.95A good dash of Semillon into this Sauvignon Blanc gives additional layers of complexity.
This traditional French blend has aromas and flavours of citrus fruit, passion-fruit and greengages, cut grass with a hint of dried herbs. The low crop levels have particularly emphasised the Semillon component in the wine, filling out the palate and giving good concentration as well as structure. It has a crisp, dry finish and a lingering after-taste on the palate.
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
ABV: 15%
Grapes: 70% Sauvignon, 30% Semillon
Food Match: We love this wine for its complexity of aromatics and concentration of flavours on the palate. White fish with fresh asparagus or Samphire is a great pairing.
Quinta da Pedra Alta Tinto Reserva 2019
Regular price £27.95Concentrated, complex and rich, oak matured Douro red, made from a blend of selected parcels from the best vineyards on the estate.
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro Valley
Grapes: 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousão, 12% Touriga Franca, 1% Fernão Pires
ABV: 13.5%