£20 to 30

Such an attractive, appealing nose of mixed red fruits, very bright and clean. The palate is soft and mouth-filling. Red fruits follow through with a touch of minerality. Great finesse, with a gentle and seamless finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

Grapes: Nebbiolo: 90%
Cabernet Sauvignon: 5%
Vespolina: 5%

ABV: 13%

Food Match: A wonderfully versatile red that is great just with simple antipasti or with roast lamb with all of the trimmings.

Orbello is a small village very close to the Tenuta Sella vineyard where this wine is produced from. A traditional blend that Tenute Sella has been producing for more than 50 years. Nebbiolo, Vespolina and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, all the grapes are hand-harvested. Once picked a cold maceration is carried out. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in stainless steel tank. Aging for 1 year in barriques, and 6 months refinement in bottle.

A 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.

Wonderfully 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: 100% Semillon

ABV: 13%

Ideal with white fish dishes, fresh oysters and prawns.

https://www.wildeberg.co.za/

Certified Heritage Vineyards planted in 1905.

Succulent 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.

The sweet wine of Valpolicella - red nectar in a bottle.

Deliciously decadent dessert wine with rich winter red berry flavours, notes of chocolate, spiced prunes and Christmas cake. Delicious.

Country: Italy

Region: Valpolicella

ABV:12.5%

Grapes: Corvina 60%, Corvinone 15%, Rondinella 15%, others 10%.

Food Match: Chocolate based desserts or cakes or just simply with a good chunk of good quality dark chocolate.

Brick red appearance, with a very rich aroma of very ripe fruit (grapes and overripe figs) as well as dried fruits (nuts and almonds),caramel and coffee. On the palate fresh and elegant with good acidity. The long finish is dominated by dried fruits.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: Tinta Roriz,Touriga Franca,Touriga Nacional,Tinto Cão,Tinta Francisca,Tinta Amarela,Sousão

ABV: 20%

With the colour of arterial blood, the nose reveals wild berries, rhubarb and custard. The palate is dense, concentrated and brooding opening to a rich mid-palate with cherry-stone fruit and bitter plum and a long finish with a gentle brick-like texture.

Country: Australia

Region: Adelaide Hills

Grape: Barbera

ABV: 14.5%

Food Match: Gamey meats or delicious on its own.

Ruby red with violet reflections. Fragrant with red berries, cherries and plum. Very fresh, easy drinking and harmonious.

Country: Italy

Region: Sicily

Grapes: Nero D'Avola

ABV: 13.5%

Food match: Great with pizza, tomato based pasta and antipasto.

Aromatic intensity, with ageing notes (vanilla, roast, spices), very ripe fruit, caramel and subtle hints of leather and fallen leaves, characteristic of a prolonged period in bottle. Long and silky on the palate.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja Alavesa

Grapes: Tempranillo

ABV: 14%

Tempranillo grapes grown in the Elciego area known for its poor clay-loam texture of calcerous soils. Aged for 24months in American and French barrels, then matured for 3 years in bottle

https://www.murielwines.com/en/our-brands/rioja-collection/vina-muriel

The Proposal Hill Cap Classique Brut Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir grown on the western slope of the Tygerberg hill on De Grendel, overlooked by the original homestead built by the first baronet Graaff, the vines enjoying the same view that Sir De Villiers and Lady Graaff treasured all those years ago.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Durbanville Hills, Tygerberg

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food Match: Oysters, fresh from the sea or antipasti.

De Grendel Wine

De Grendel Brut Rosé has all the hallmarks of a traditional, meticulously constructed Cap Classique, with the added allure of being playful and exciting, Hopkins said. Complex and with a weightier palate than the average sparkling wine, this bone-dry rosé has a fine and persistent mousse introducing hints of oyster shell and fresh lavender on the nose. Intense strawberry coulis and black cherry flavours are well-balanced by firm acidity and linger in the exceptionally long finish.

Powerful aromatics are redolent of ripe citrus fruits. While the palate has concentrated lychee, honeysuckle, nectarines and pineapple.

Country: USA

Region: Oregon

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Pinot Gris

A deliciously complex Chardonnay from the iconic Springfield Estate in South Africa. 

This fresh white wine has flavours of pineapple and pear drops. Deliciously complex in style.

Country: South Africa

Region: Robertson

ABV:13%

Variety: Chardonnay

Springfield Estate goes against the grain in order to make sure the drinking experience is perfect at the consumer end and sustainable at its end. The wines are all about the rocky, unforgiving terroir of Robertson, and stand head and shoulders above most producers for sheer quality.

Springfield Estate

A top notch wild and organic Bandol!

Mourvèdre at its best! Wild flavours of fresh earth, black pepper, cinnamon, bay, cloves and blackberry. The finish is fresh and quite dry. A great way to discover Mourvèdre-dominant wine.

Country: France

Region: Bandol

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Mourvèdre 70%, Grenache 20%, Cinsault 10%

Organic

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 10ha of vines on the famous red clay soil of Bandol. The estate is nestled in the protective hillsides of the Cadière d'Azur and benefits from a maritime climate. The domaine works with minimal intervention: extremely low yields, organic viticulture and and natural winemaking including very limited sulphur dioxide.

Vibrant notes of ripe black fruits, combine with earthy hints, nut, spice and fine herbal notes that are characteristic of Valle del Maule . Elegant and complex on the palate with supple tannins and a savoury finish.

Country: Chile

Region: Valle del Maule

Grapes: Carmenère

ABV:13.5%

Dark, ruby red in colour. A pervasive bouquet, which is very generous and varied, with hints of violet, raspberry and pomegranate. On the palate the wine is warm, dry, generous, well-balanced.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Sangiovese

Food Matches: Red meat, minestrone soup

As seen in the movie 'Letters to Juliet' starring Amanda Seyfried, Gael García Bernal and Vanessa Redgrave. The Carpazo vineyard is the real deal!

Kleinboet (‘little brother’) is a Cellar Door all time favourite.  Bright red and purple fruit such as raspberries and blueberries on the nose, savoury notes of dried herbs too. A delicious, rich, bold, earthy, but fruity Bordeaux blend.

Country: South Africa

Region: Sondagskloof, Hemel en Aarde

Grapes: Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec

ABV: 12.5%

You might have heard of the quaint beach town of Hermanus, situated on South Africa’s
famous Whale Coast. Between 1855 and 1902, it was called Hermanuspietersfontein. In
1902, the local postmaster decided to shorten the name of the town to make addressing
letters to the locals easier.

150 years later, the wine farm Hermanuspietersfontein, or HPF for short, craft outstanding wines with a serious sense of place. Their grapes come from Sondagskloof (they produce 90% of WO Sondagskloof wine), which competes with Elgin and the Ceres Plateau for South Africa’s coolest wine growing region. This area is perfectly suited to Bordeaux varietals and, with the exception of Shiraz, is exclusively planted with them.
The Afrikaans wine names might look like a bit of a mouthful, but they are good fun;
Bloos (‘blush’), Kaalvoet Meisie (‘barefoot girl’), Kat Met Die Houtbeen (‘cat with the
wooden leg’), Posmeester (‘postmaster’), Kleinboet (‘little brother’) and Swartskaap
(‘black sheep’).

Gorgeous, deep golden colour. Rich, sweet and nutty nose. Softly sweet and wonderfully balanced palate. Perfect chilled as an aperitif.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: Malvasia

ABV: 20%

Deep ruby red. On the nose, aromas of forest fruits are complemented by spicy notes. The flavours on the palate are round and concentrated, supported by firm tannins that indicate maturity and balance.

Food matching : Lighter meat dishes and soft cheeses.

Country: Argentina

Region: Valle de Uco

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon 100%

A very classy Nebbiolo from Alba with an affordable price tag.

Delicious lifted aromatics of liquorice, redcurrant and ripe red fruit on the nose, mingling with sour cherry, blossom and notes of leather on the palate. A richly flavoured and multi-layered wine combining vibrant acidity, perfectly poised tannins and rich spicy fruit. 

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

ABV: 14% 

Grape: Nebbiolo

Food Match: Serve with grilled steak and red meat, or alternatively robust pasta dishes with wild boar or rabbit ragu

Perfectly balanced, toasty yeast aromas, apricot and red apple. Intense toasty, creamy palate and a vibrant, long finish. This is just sooooo yummy!

Country: France

Region: Loire

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 12.5%

Concentration, power and elegance sum up this wine. Attractive leafy notes, dark fruits giving a fresher style.

Country: France

Region: Cahors

Grapes: Malbec

ABV: 13.5%

Cahors - the birthplace of Malbec has been an established winemaking area for centuries and a Latin manuscript from 1456 shows that the Burc family were already land owners around Cahors at that time. 5th generation vigneron Jean-Luc Burc now shares the running of this 50 hectare estate near Puy-L'Évèque with his daughters, Anne and Emmanuelle. They produce individual and characterful wines from their various vineyard parcels which encompass all of the classic terroirs of the region, both on the renowned terraces of the Lot and upon the limestone plateau above. The estate's old vines are carefully managed according to the principles of lutte raisonneé.

An all time staff favourite! This is the wine that will spark a lifelong interest in Nebbiolo and lead you to discover the beautiful wines of Piedmonte.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmonte

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

Walker Bay in South Africa is becoming a shining example of how Stellenbosch no longer holds the mantle of 'best region' in South Africa - there are now other contenders.

Abundantly fruity on the nose with fragrant white peach aromas mingling with a rich, creamy character. These follow well onto the palate and combine seamlessly with crisp minerality and natural acidity.

Country: South Africa

Region: Walker Bay

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Viognier

Since founding Creation in 2002, Jean-Claude and Carolyn have led conservation efforts for the area, becoming one of only nine wineries in South Africa to receive EnviroWines accreditation. It’s not simply an audit, but scientific measurement of every management practice.

Aromas and flavours of cassis, violets and freshly ground black pepper. An intense, complex, red wine with fine tannins and a lingering finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Expressive fresh red fruit. Round, juicy, fruit-driven palate. This is almost silky with perfectly wrapped up tannins.

Country: Spain

Region: Ribera del Duero, Castilla Y Leon

Grapes: Tempranillo

ABV: 14%

Cillar De Silos Wine