Henry of Pelham Old Vines Baco Noir 2020
Regular price £21.95Wild berry and smokey notes are deftly handled at Henry of Pelham, where this variety has become their recognised flagship red wine. A deep ruby colour with hints of dark purple; blackberry and plum aromas with coffee, cedar wood and smoky notes. Dry and full-bodied with pronounced black cherry flavours lingering on a smoky finish.
Country: Canada
Region: Niagara Peninsula
Grapes: Baco Noir
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match: Great with roast lamb and all the trimmings
http://swahilicoastfoodie.com/wine-and-roast-lamb-pairings/
Baco Noir's origins go back to 1894, when French grape creator François Baco crossed Folle Blanche with an unknown member of the American Vitis riparia family.
His intention was to create phylloxera-resistant vines that retained their Old World French character. At one time Baco Noir was grown in Burgundy and the Loire, but it was gradually phased out of the Old World and has since become one of North America's more successful hybrids.
Domaine du Pré Semelé Sancerre 2022
Regular price £26.95A classic Sancerre with crisp, crunchy grapefruit and lime citrus flavours and a gently herbaceous element adding complexity. There is a mouthwatering, saline minerality to the long finish. Just brilliant.
Country: France
Region: Sancerre
ABV: 12.5%
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Food match: Great with grilled fish, seafood or even as an aperitif.
Domaine du Pre Semele is located in Maimbray in the town of Sury-en-Vaux 5 km north of Sancerre. The vineyard has been passed on for four generations now and we want to remain a family structure. We are currently 2 brothers on the estate, Julien and Clément Raimbault, where we grow 20 ha on the Sancerre appellation in the greatest respect of our terroirs.
Domaine Besson Chablis 2021
Regular price £23.95With four generations of the same family making fine Chablis wines, you are sure to enjoy an authentic, high quality and delicious wine from this domaine.
Delicate and softly perfumed aromas of citrus tree blossom and fresh cut green apple. Tight, mineral and zippy flavours, with that lovely richness of mouthfeel only found with great quality Chablis.
Country: France
Region: Chablis
ABV: 12.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Domaine Besson makes a Chablis style that is a little more accessible than some other domaines. These wines therefore can be enjoyed from an early age, unlike some Chablis where to get the best from the wine it is necessary to cellar the wine to allow it to develop.
Blank Bottle Moment of Silence 2022
Regular price £24.95Superb blend of Chenin , white Grenache and Viognier. All three are fermented separately in old oak, amphora and clay vats. This as well as some skin contact gives lovely texture and body to the wine. Slightly saline finish. A Cellar Door team favourite.
Country: South Africa
Region: Wellington
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match: Poultry or fish dishes with rich, creamy sauce such as mushroom.
Sughere Di Frassinello 2020
Regular price £27.95One of the top 10 most sought after Tuscan wines.
An intense red - floral and dark fruit notes, well-balanced with a ripe and explosive finish. Stunning.
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
The winemaker from Baron Rothschild-Lafite, Christian Le Somme, visits once a month and, by working closely with Alessandro Cellai (from Castellare di Castellina) they are able to maintain the essential Italian character of Tuscany, through the plantings of Sangiovese combined with the power and mid-palate weight of Cabernet and Merlot.
Situated between Gavorrano and Ribolla in the rossetto province in Maremma, the soils have similar characteristics to those of Chianti and Montalcino, but with slightly higher temperatures, so are able to reach maturation earlier compared to those territories further north. The winery was designed by the Shard's architect, Renzo Piano, one of the most admired architects in the world, and named in Time Magazine’s Top 10 most influential people working in the Arts.
It has the biggest barrel room in the world, with only 20% of the winery above ground. The winery runs completely on environmental principles: electricity powered by solar panels and gravity-led production, and the underground barrel cellar allows natural air conditioning and saves energy.
Domaine de la Motte Chablis 2022
Regular price £21.95From a warmer vintage, this shows riper yet still mineral fruit with added depth from a small (around 10%) addition of oak-aged wine into the blend. This is very typical of the Motte style and gives richness and balance to the wine. A deliciously precise expression of classic chalky Chablis terroir.
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, Chablis
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13%
A classic Chablis from vines grown on the famous Kimmeridgian clay.
Babylonstoren Chardonnay 2023
Regular price £25.95If you're a rich white Burgundy fan - then this is the wine for you. A rich nose of lemon curd and freshly baked butter biscuits. The beautifully fruity core is perfectly balanced by layers of oak spice, vanilla and roasted almonds. Supple with fresh acidity and an underlying minerality, which adds focus and length to the finish.
Country: South Africa
Region: Paarl, Western Cape
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 14%
Food Match: The elegance and substance of the wine will
complement mushroom risotto, rich fish dishes and also steak béarnaise.
Ready to be enjoyed within the year of production, but will
mature well for the next four to six years.
Ultimate Provence AOP Cotes de Provence Rosé 2023
Regular price £21.95The beauty of this wine extends from the bottle to the liquid contents. Layers of raspberries, strawberries and fresh melon on the nose. A fresh, clean wine with great acidity for food pairing, but roundness to enjoy on its own. Star bright in colour, vibrant pale pink that has flecks of copper.
The spice notes from the Syrah provides a dry, white pepper characteristic across the entire palate. A touch of Rolle gives great acidity and brightness that lends notes of winter citrus, spice with a warming finish.
Country: France
Region: Provence
ABV: 12.5%
Grapes: Grenache Noir (30%) Cinsault (30%) Syrah (30%) Rolle (10%)
Food Match: Excellent with grilled tuna steak and crunchy green beans with olive oil and sea salt.
Four Acres Estate Rosé Brut Sparkling
Regular price £29.95By carefully blending Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir grapes, all grown in Hertfordshire's Little Hadham, this is a handcrafted, delicate Rosé version of English Sparkling Wine.
Country: England
Region: Hertfordshire
Grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
ABV: 12.5%
The Four Acres Estate is a small family run vineyard and orchard set on a hillside above the Ash Valley in Little Hadham, Hertfordshire.
After a lifetime spent in the travel industry, Platon Loizou decided that he wanted to get back to his Cypriot roots and fulfil a long-term dream of making wine. Since 2010 he has been out in all weathers, getting closer to nature tending his precious vines, nurturing them from saplings to maturity, bolstering his knowledge by consulting at every step with some of the best vintners in the country.
Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles Bandol Rosé Organic
Regular price £23.95A serious Rose with a strong personality.
Beautiful pale salmon colour with an appealing lemon & herb nose followed by flavours of warm southern herbs & rich, rounded fruit. Very much a food wine with a powerful character & a delicious dry finish.
Country: France
Region: Provence
Grapes: 65% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault
ABV: 14%
Organic
Vegan/Vegetarian
Domaine Lafran Veyrolles is an estate with a superb terroir and is widely recognised as one of the top three producers in the appellation. Jean-Marie Castell runs this small, traditional estate with just 10 ha of vines on the famous red clay soil of Bandol. The estate nestles in and is protected by the hills of the Cadière d'Azur and benefits from a maritime climate. The estate works organically and the yields are kept extremely low. Domaine Lafran Veyrolles reds have made it one of the star performers of the appellation … but don’t overlook the rosé wines as they deserve attention too!
Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2022
Regular price £29.95Astonishingly 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
Ferghettina Franciacorta Brut NV
Regular price £26.95Forget Prosecco...the best sparkling from Italy comes from Franciacorta. Traditional method sparkling wine from Champagne grapes as well!
An exuberant, confident and bright style with lovely notes of toasted brioche– lively and very approachable with citrus fruits – a golden apple character which is, at the same time, both incisive yet quite gentle.
Country: Italy
Region: Lombardia
ABV: 11.5%
Grapes: 95% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir
One of the emerging estates in Italy's booming sparkling wine sector. Roberto Gatti spent 20 years as cellarmaster and viticulturalist at Bellavista, one of the early pioneers of the Franciacorta region, before creating Ferghettina in 1990. A new winery and cellars, started in 2002, were completed in 2005 and sit in a magnificent location overlooking the beautiful Lake Iseo. Roberto is assisted by his daughter Laura, also an oenologist, shortly to be joined by his son Matteo. The Gatti's control production of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using only half of the grapes available for their production of 300,000 bottles. Meticulous attention to detail, skillful blending and long bottle maturation give wines of great finesse and individuality. The 'Italy's answer to Champagne' tag is unavoidable but these wines are much more than that.
Wimbushes Vineyard St Albans 2022 Rondo Red
Regular price £21.00This is very exciting!!! Red wine from Rondo Grapes grown in Chiswell Green, so this is as local as it gets guys! Gorgeous, deep ruby colour. Elegant aromas of Morello cherry, violets and cloves. Juicy, fresh acidity, with flavours of bitter cherry and raspberries on the palate with silky tannins. Only 400 bottles produced, so grab it while you can.
Country: England
Region: St Albans, Hertfordshire
Grapes: Rondo
ABV: 12%
Food Match: Great with hard cheese such as pecorino or parmesan and cured meats.
Estate grown by Wimbushes Vineyard, St Albans
Produced by the winery at Thurston Place, Suffolk
Wimbushes Vineyard St Albans
Andy and Karina Harrison decided to plant an acre of vines on their beautiful Chiswell Green property about 9 years ago, as a hobby. In 2018 they appointed Suffolk winemaker (and ex-surgeon) Michael Rhodes to turn their Solaris and Rondo grapes into wine. In recent years, due to careful vineyard management by David Savage and the vines maturing healthily, the fruit and their talented winemaker, they have produced some seriously good English wine. These wines are produced in very small quantities, so we do tend to limit the amount of bottles purchased by any one household.
Hochar Pere et Fils Red 2019
Regular price £26.95Cinsault (50%), Grenache (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). Bright ruby colour with red fruit, plum, sloe berry and cherries on the aromas and flavours.
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache
ABV: 13.5%
Ânfora de Baco 2022 Quinta do Montalto
Regular price £22.95Hand harvested and completely destemmed, the wine was fermented and aged in the amphoras in contact with skins and lees. The inside of our amphoras is coated with natural tree resin according to the ancient process used by the Romans 2000 years ago. The wine has not been filtered or stabilised.
Rich, ripe and full of mulberry fruit character with a silky round tannic structure. Beautifully made low intervention wine.
Country: Portugal
Region: Lisboa
Grapes: 50% Aragonez and 50% Trincadeira
ABV: 14%
Sancerre Domaine Andre Neveu 'Calcaire‘ 2023
Regular price £23.95A fantastic example of classic French Sauvignon Blanc. Intense and flowery on the nose with hints of acacia and lime blossom with notes of tropical fruit. The palate follows through from the bouquet and offers a great balance of freshness and flavour, finishing with great length and minerality.
Country: France
Region: Loire Valley
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
ABV: 13%
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%
Rioja Manoso Gran Reserva 2015
Regular price £22.45Ripe, soft, elegant dried berry fruit and toasty oak flavours. 2014 was a great vintage with plenty of oak and bottle ageing, this is a classic style Gran Reserva.
Country: Spain
Region: Rioja Alavesa
Grapes: Tempranillo
ABV: 14%
Andreas Syrah 2021
Regular price £24.95Aromatic, 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.
Hartenberg Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Regular price £23.95The King of Red Wines, consistently a show stopper and delivers even better with some ageing to it. Vineyards are planted on deep red Hutton and Avalon soils.
Cigar box, lead pencil nose with cassis and cherry flavours. Juicy fruit with an elegant finish.
Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV: 14.5%
Felino Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £21.50Perfumed and aromatic style of Chardonnay from the Mendoza valley in Argentina.
A clean wine, with plenty of aromatic intensity, fresh and mineral. On the nose it is floral and citrus-like. Notes of white flowers and fruits, lemon blossom and peaches. On the palate, it has a soft start, a good persistence, unctuous with balanced acidity, round with good concentration.
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.
De Grendel Merlot 2020
Regular price £21.00Deep ruby velvet in colour with an opulent nose combining red plums, cassis, walnuts and bramble boosted by a distinctive waft of violets. The fruit follows through onto the palate offering a red plum profile with an understated savoury and herbal element on the back palate. A finely tuned acid and wood tannin balance, together with a purity of fruit, distinguish this seamless wine as a great ambassador for Merlot.
Country: South Africa
Region: Paarl and Firgrove, Western Cape
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Merlot
Food Match: Sunday roast lamb
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.
Château La Tour de By Médoc 2014
Regular price £27.95Classic, 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%
Quinta da Pedra Alta Tinto Reserva 2020
Regular price £28.95Concentrated, 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%