Christmas Tasting 2024

Dark almost black in colour, with an intense dark berry fruit aroma of blackberries. Powerful, concentrated and full bodied. Structured, but smooth and velvety on the palate, combining well the matured fruit and the oak from 3 months ageing in wood. Moreish, elegant and complex, a long finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grapes: Alicante Bouschet

ABV: 14.5%

Food: as an aperitif, with tapas, red meat, risotto, paella, spicy food and dry cheeses.

Full-bodied with intense cassis, red berry and fynbos notes. Cedar and spice from the oak maturation. Beautifully rounded, well integrated, tannins as a result of the extended ageing before release. 

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Handcrafted. Traditional. Unhurried. These three words epitomise Jeremy Walker’s
winemaking, with one notable omission - Delicious. By ‘Unhurried’, Jeremy is alluding to
the fact that he doesn’t release a wine until he believes it is ready to be enjoyed, which is
evident in the current vintages being 2008, 2009 and 2011!
Jeremy Walker founded Grangehurst in 1992, when he converted his fathers’ squash
court into a makeshift wine production cellar. He used the ‘squash court cellar’ to make
his first 6 vintages, only moving out after the 1998 vintage.
Jeremy was invited to join the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild in 1996 and was one
of the longest standing members when, in order to let a young winemaker take his
place in the sun, he elected to step down in 2021.

From a warm vintage, this wine displace beautiful aromatics with notes of guava and passion fruit paired with a wonderful freshness, which combined with its inherit intensity and complexity makes this a finely balanced, terroir focused, dry white.

Country: Italy

Region: Soave

Grapes: Garganega 70% and Chardonnay 30%

ABV: 12.5%

Food Match: Blue Cheese like Gonganzola or Dolcelatte

Biscuity brioche on the nose with delicate white flower and full fruit. Citrus, red apple and 'Leesy' characters add complexity to the palate. 10% of the wine is fermented in aged oak barrels and the wine is then aged for 36 months on it's lees. Gorgeous, toasty and rich.

Country: England

Region: Sussex

Grapes: 40% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, 

ABV: 12%

Owned and run by Lawrence Warr, Henners is the result of a long term dream to produce the finest English Sparkling Wine. Lawrence started his career as an automotive engineer in the exciting world of Formula One. Having left Formula One, to set up an engineering consultancy, the search for the perfect vineyard site began. The search  was a lengthy and dedicated one - as the ideal combination of soils, aspect, slope, altitude and microclimate was difficult to find. After two years he found the site at Herstmonceux, East Sussex. The vineyard was planted in May 2007, with the winery following in 2009.

Kaalvoet Meisie (‘barefoot girl’)  is a richer style of Sauvignon Blanc because it ferments and ages in both new and old oak for 12 months. Elegant aromas of exotic fruit like dragon fruit, passion fruit and pineapple as well as ripe yellow peach and apricot. The concentrated fruit profile is complimented by aromas and flavours of wild herbs. Vibrant acidity and a lingering, minerally finish gives this beauty of a wine at least 7 years of ageing potential.

Country: South Africa

Region: Sondagskloof, Walker Bay

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

ABV: 12.5%

Food Matching: Asparagus and and goat's cheese salad

You’ve probably 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’).

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 Provencal 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’).

An elegant Grenache from the Piekenierskloof hills showing aromas of raspberry,plumb, white pepper and red berries. The restrained use of oak holds the juicy ripe fruit flavours and powdery tannins together in a gentle and sumptuous glass of wine

Country: South Africa

Region: Piekenierskloof

Grapes: Grenache

ABV: 13.5%

Liquid golden honey in a tiny bottle - a very special, hard to make wine.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Black Sea Coast

Grapes: Riesling

ABV: 13%

Powerful, rich and full bodied with aromas and flavours of blackberries, baked plum and sweet spice. Concentrated, long finish. 

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla a Mancha, Jumilla

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Monastrell

Food Match: Barbequed lamb with rosemary

The Gil family have been major wine producers in Jumilla since the early 20th Century. Bodegas Juan Gil is dedicated to producing powerful, yet approachable and modern wines, mainly based on Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) which is grown on about 80% of the vineyard.

The winery has invested heavily in its Organic and Sustainability programmes in recent years.

Ruby coloured with soft crimson nuances. Intense nose with ripe blackcurrants, plums and cherries. The palate is smooth and harmonious with soft long finish.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Thracian Valley

Grapes: 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Rubin

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Red meat dishes, charcuterie and hard cheeses.

From the Yamantiev's Winery

Pale, lemon yellow colour, fresh and light with an aromatic and herbal note. Aromas and characters of apples, citrus and white flowers.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Thracian Valley

Grapes: Muscat, Chardonnay and Dimyat

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Salads, mussels, fish, olives.

From the Yamantiev's Winery

Kaiyo Whisky is a fasciating whisky, starting out as a teaspooned malt (with the bulk of the malt whisky coming from one distillery, along with a drop of malt whisky from another distillery, meaning it can't be called a single malt). Matured in mizunara oak which imparts a wonderful array of flavours to the whisky, though its notoriously difficult for coopers to work with. It  also spends a portion of its maturation at sea, this evolves its flavour profile even further.

This delicious traditional method (méthode traditionnelle) with ageing sur lie in bottles no less than 1,5 years. Bisser – Blanc de Blancs – is a classic style brut sparkling made from Chardonnay grapes from Kolonist vineyards.

Grapes: Chardonnay

Country: Ukraine

Region: Odesa, Bessarabia sub region

ABV: 11,5%

The estate winery "Kolonist" was founded by the Plachkov family in 2005 in Bessarabia,
Ukraine. Named in honour of Bulgarian colonists who came to these lands over 200 years ago. 

Soft, harmonious, with subtle mineral tones, which gradually turn into tropical fruits. Aroma: fresh, bright, with dominant notes of mango and white peach, elegant flowery notes.

Grapes: Riesling

Country: Ukraine

Region: Odesa, Bessarabia subregion

Food pairing: Excellent with beef and other red meats, and also grilled vegetables and chicken.

ABV: 11,7%

The estate winery "Kolonist" was founded by the Plachkov family in 2005 in Bessarabia,
Ukraine. Named in honour of Bulgarian colonists who came to these lands over 200 years ago. The winery started with 30,000 bottles of wine on the market, today it produces 350,000 bottles, which include classic aged reds and whites, Haut de Gamme wines, sparkling wine "Bisser" by classic method, semi-dry and sweet wines. In addition, Kolonist makes grape seed oil, two types of balsamic vinegar and some cosmetics.

Elegant and complex with touches of spice on the nose, full of flavour  palate with dried fruits, oak and honey balanced with an attractive freshness.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz

ABV: 20%

A vintage brandy matured in oak barrels for 10 years. With its deep amber colour, KWV 10 Year Old contains complex, dried-fruit and port-wine aroma, enhanced by subtle spicy and nutty flavours. A full-bodied brandy, with a lingering, fruity and slightly sweet finish.
KWV 10 Year Old Brandy is produced by pure copper pot still distillation from carefully selected wines derived from the recognized brandy grape cultivars grown in the best suited areas of the Cape Winelands in terms of soil, climate and location.

Country: South Africa

Potstill content 10 years

ABV: 38%

Grape Spirit: 50% Colombard, 50% Chenin Blanc

KWV The Mentors

KWV is one of South Africa's leading wine and spirit producers, with an impressive international reputation and history. Its new owners brought in a winemaking team led by Wim Truter. With its 72 growers in every region of the Western Cape, it has unrivalled access to all of South Africa's wine regions, and they champion both South African classics and off-beat varieties as well as employ innovative methods such as producing sulphur-free wines using honey bush and Rooibos tea bark. KWV is amongst the Top 50 World's Most admired wine brands as per the Drinks International 2019 report.

Light straw colour with green edges. A faintly aromatic wine with classic perfumed Pinot Gris characters of pear and honey with a hint of lemon zest. Refined textural palate, musk, gently aromatic, soft with balanced acidity.

Country: Australia

Region: Yarra Valley, Victoria

Grape: Pinot Gris 90%, Gewurtztraminer 5%, Pinot Blanc 3%, Riesling 2%

ABV: 13%

'Baby Chateauneuf Du Pape' A rich fruity wine that is made easy to drink with smooth tannins and an elegant finish. The harvest is hand-picked, meticulously sorted and 100% destemmed. It’s a traditional vinification with temperature control. No yeast added.

Country: France

Region: Rhone Valley

Grapes: Grenache, Syrah

ABV: 14 %

 Organic

Food: Best enjoyed with grilled red meat, especially lamb.

Aromas of white peach, citrus blossom and fresh green apple.  Fine lively bubbles, contributing to the elegant finish. To be enjoyed in its purest and natural form, without the restrictions of alcohol.

Country: South Africa

Region: Coastal Region, Western Cape

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 0.45%

Reg Holder started his career with vintages in France, Australia and the USA before
returning to South Africa. He then spent 11 years as the winemaker at both Neil Ellis and
Delheim. In 2015, while his wife was pregnant with their first child, he started experimenting with de-alcoholised wine for her. When they were expecting their second, in 2017, Reg decided that he was going to move full time into the Lautus de-alcoholised project.
He uses a state of the art piece of machinery that combines centrifugal force and a
vacuum in order to extract the alcohol while leaving the wines' volatile flavour and aromatic essence intact. Unquestionably the best de-alcoholised wine we have tried!

Medium to full bodied with a dark ruby colour and aromas of black cherries and berries, sweet spices and vanilla. The finish is soft and long with hints of black pepper and tobacco.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Struma Valley

Grapes: Melnik 55

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Red meat dishes especially roast lamb, charcuterie and hard cheeses.

Medium to full bodied with a dark ruby colour and aromas of black cherries and berries, sweet spices and vanilla. The finish is soft and long with hints of black pepper and tobacco.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Struma Valley

Grapes: Melnik 55

ABV: 14%

Food Match: Red meat dishes especially roast lamb, charcuterie and hard cheeses.

Wonderful, lively bubbly with fresh granny smith apple aromas and flavours.

Country: France

Region: Limoux, Languedoc

Grape: Mauzac, Chenin, Chardonnay

ABV: 12%

Traditional Method

The notes of quince and white flower with ripe yellow fruit and green spice on the nose. On the palate it starts with spiced ginger biscuit. The wine shows a bright acidity and fleshy fruit.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape – Franschhoek / Bot River / Durbanville

Grapes: 70% Semillon, 30% Chenin blanc

ABV: 12%

Food pairing: guanciale carbonara, lightly toasted hot cross bun, lashings of butter and a sliver of sharp cheddar.

Brilliant straw colour with greenish shades. On the nose the wine shows expressive notes of exotic fruit and notes of melon, lemon, green pepper and jasmine with orange. The mouth is delightfully rich with flavours of peach and green apple and a lemony fresh finish that lingers and evolves. This wine is made from a blend of Malagouzia and Assyrtiko planted on the plateau on the Scotini Mountain at 700m. By being planted at this height helps ensure the freshness and acidity that makes this wine so mouth-watering.

Country: Greece

Region: Peloponnese

ABV: 14%

Grapes: Assyrtiko (50%) Malagouzia (50%)

Food match: Pairs perfectly with Greek salads, shellfish and grilled white fish.

The Lantides Estate is situated in the Ancient site of Nemea, in the heart of the
Peloponnese, north of Argos and just west of Corinth on the coast of the Aegean. Panikos and his son Simon run 25 hectares of vineyards which are situated around the mountainous valley of Skoteini in altitude between 500 - 650 meters above sea level. This family business was started in 1993 by Panikos Landidis, who had previously studied in Montpellier and Bordeaux in oenology. Today this knowledge is used to make quality wines using local varieties that are native to Greece.

The Peloponnese Peninsula is a large landform on the southern edge of
continental Greece. Covered in mountains, rugged plateaus and valleys, the
area has an abundance of mesoclimates and terroirs suitable for premium
viticulture. Native grape varieties such as Agiorgitiko, Moschofilero and
Mavrodaphne are planted throughout the peninsula. The modern Peloponnese
wine industry began to grow following the end of World War II, and today the
region is one of the most viticulturally productive in Greece.