Great Wine Under £12

Fresh lime, lemon and tropical fruit aromas on the nose. The palate is light, crisp, dry and  super easy drinking with a ripe peachy roundness. 

Country: France

Region: Côtes de Gascogne, Armagnac

Grapes: Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Gros Manseng

ABV: 11.5%

Food match: Salads, grilled white fish or on it's own with salted crisps on a warm day.

Deeply varietal nose of dark cherry-chocolate over crushed minerals with a leafy note. The palate is generously laden with dark plum and chocolate notes on a long, velveteen finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Merlot

ABV: 12.5%

Food match: Baked mushroom stuffed with sundried tomato cous cous.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where picking early is crucial to finesse this tricky cultivar’s essential notes of blueberry, bramble and natural leafiness. An accomplished Merlot, correct yet moreish in the glass.

Fresh red berries on the nose, the palate has delicate wild strawberry and zesty redcurrant fruit, off-dry with a soft and appealing finish.

Country: Portugal

Region: Vinho Verde

Grape: Espadeiro

ABV: 11.5%

Food matches: pasta dishes, salads and white meats.

Produced from the red Espadeiro grape which is cultivated in Vinho Verde (also found in Galicia, northern Spain). The must undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel.

Clean and bright, with a pale yellow colour with green hues. Good intensity on the nose, with tropical fruit and citrus flavours. On the palate, fresh and round, balanced with a good acidity, and fresh fruit aromas.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Viura

ABV: 13%

Refreshing and crisp with characteristic aromas of citrus and apple, typical of this variety. Light, fresh and dry with a crisp acidity giving freshness to the finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla

ABV: 11%

Grapes: Pardina and Chardonnay

This is superb value for money, a  Merlot dominant Bordeaux blend from the slopes of Stellenbosch's Simonsberg Mountain.

Country: South Africa

Region: Bankhoek, Stellenbosch

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

This blend from the Bordelaise specialists of Banghoek Valley is brim full of ripe, bramble and plummy fruit with dark curranty corners. Bright, fresh and gently leafy on the finish.

A classic varietal nose of jasmine, white peach and fruit blossom, with a whiff of white pepper. The palate is generous, and richly flavoured balanced by bright, zimgy acidity and with a gingery, textural finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 13%

 Food match: Thai green curry, Cape Malay curries, goats cheese and roast veg.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where timing of harvest is crucial to the varietal balance of aromatics, generosity of palate and freshness. Kleine Oranjerie Viognier does exactly that and is a hugely welcome, judiciously finessed addition to our South African portfolio.

Soils rich in limestone and broken mountain rock on De Wetshof’s site-specific vineyards allow this wine to emit optimum varietal expression. An unwooded wine, Bon Vallon has a brisk and clean freshness leading into a wide spectrum of classic flavours including citrus, wild flowers and grilled nuts, with a nuanced minerality on the aftertaste.

Country: South Africa

Region: Robertson

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

Half Bottle

Abundant bubbles of medium size forming crown. Pale yellow colour with green reflections. On the nose fresh, clean and pleasant with great aromatic intensity, floral aromas with green apple notes.

Country: Spain

Region: Catalonia

Grapes: 

ABV: 0%

The nose is complex and inviting, offering Morello cherry, cranberry, raspberry and whiffs of candyfloss, rose petal and acacia blossom. The palate shows red apple and nectarine flavours with hints of green plum, citrus and rosewater following through. The wine is focused and balanced with a well-rounded, smooth mid-palate and integrated natural acidity. It ends clean and fresh with an attractive cherry finish and hints of exotic spices and cling peach. Great mouthfeel and complexity for a wine made in this style and a very versatile partner to everything from seafood to hot Thai dishes..to braais!

Country: South Africa

Region: Swartland

Grapes: Cinsault 69%; Syrah 21%; Grenache Noir 10%

ABV: 12%

Old bush vine Cinsault forms the backbone of this 'proper' rosé. A pale, spicy and textural Rosé mostly sourced from bush-vine Cinsault with summer fruits on the palate and a lovely clean, savoury, dry finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cinsault, Mourvedre

ABV: 12%

There is almost no food that fails to work with this wine. Perfect with Mediterranean dishes especially juicy pan-fried garlic prawns... or drink chilled on its own.

Delicious, juicy red with a beautiful cherry red colour. The nose shows an abundance of intense red berry fruit and hints of vanilla flavours. The palate is soft, full flavoured with a smooth, super easy drinking finish.

Country: France

Region: 

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Carignan

Notes of  bay leaf, citrus zest, and grapefruit on the nose followed by a gentle, textural palate with bright citrus acidity and green apple.

Country: Chile

Region: Wine of Chile

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV:12.5%

Food Match: Shellfish and seafood dishes

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!

Pale straw in colour, aromas of summer fruit and citrus – leaning more towards Kumquat and orange. There are spicy undertones from light oaking. Fine tannins underpin fresh acidity. To be enjoyed in its purest 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!

Cherry, vanilla, clove, tobacco on the palate. Smooth tannins, full-bodied, high in acidity, oaked.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

Food match: veal, beef, poultry, deer, venison

Pale lemon-yellow with hints of green, it has intense aromas of pineapple, green grass, white flowers and a flinty touch. It is dry and refreshing on the palate with a long citrussy finish and concentrated flavours.

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes:  Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc

Food match: Ideal for pairing with seafood, rice based dishes such as Paella, or Risotto, or to accompany an aperitif.

Pale yellow wine. It is floral on the nose and shows citrus notes. It is very fresh in the mouth, with fruity character, tasty and with a balanced acidity.

Country: Spain

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

ABV: 0.%

Food Match: Tapas, appetizers and starters, soft cheeses, and nuts. Its particular flavour is a good pairing to fish and seafood, smoked salads, rice and vegetables.

The grapes are immediately separated from the stalk. After light pressing, the must is racked and clarified to proceed with fermentation for 15/20 days at a
controlled temperature between 10 and 16°C. This will allow us to maintain the fruity character of the wine. Subsequently, the alcohol has been extracted using an innovative procedure that preserves the organoleptic properties of the wine.

Pinot Noir is one of Romania’s greatest hidden secrets. Probably the only place in the world that can do this grape variety justice at such brilliant value. The nose is full of summer fruit aroma’s, strawberry, blueberry, and the palate is light and crisp and refreshing with notes of raspberry and cranberry. Serve well chilled at a summer bbq.

Country: Romania

Region: Recas and Minis

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food match: Greek salad, grilled fish, potato salad

As you walk through the rolling vineyards of the 700 hectare Cramele Recas estate, two things are inescapable. The first is the scale of the transformation that Englishman Philip Cox and his wife Elvira have managed to achieve, replanting 700 hectares of decrepit vineyards and replacing them with immaculately tended sites the equal of anywhere else in the world. The second is that if you didn't know where you were, you'd be convinced you were in Tuscany or any other "Classic" wine producing region. And, to a certain extent you are, Romania has a history of wine making stretching back millennia and it was this potential that has driven this dynamic duo to dedicate their lives to driving forward Romanian wine making to it's current state of rude health. A 20 million euro investment in the vineyards and brand new winery.

Tangy, zesty flavours of green apple and citrus followed with the classic yeasty, bready and saline notes of Manzanilla. Enjoy it as a refreshing aperitif on a hot day, or as the locals do along side some mixed tapas such as prawns, jamon, garlic clams and padron peppers.

Country: Spain

Region: Jerez

ABV: 15%

Grapes: Palomino Fino

Manzanilla is a style of Fino sherry originating from the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda where the close proximitiy to the sea and the high humidity contribute to a stronger growth of flor. Made from 100% Palomino, this Manzanillia spent 8 years going through the criaderas and solera system under flor. A lovely pale straw colour, this wine has a pronounced nose of almonds with hints of white peach and distinctive aromas of flor. The palate is light and dry with salty, nutty flavours which are perfectly balanced by a restrained citrus acidity and a pleasant bitterness that lingers on the finish.

Gently aromatic, crisp and delicate with subtle fresh red berry flavours and a clean, refreshing finish.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

ABV: 10.5%

Grapes: Glera and Pinot Noir

Food match: Serve chilled - with appetisers, or perfect on its own too.

A delicate pink colour. Floral and raspberry aromas on the nose, citrus and zest with a clean, refreshing finish on the palate.

Country: Spain

Region: Catalunya

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes:  Garnacha Tinto (Grenache) 

Food match: perfect for summer sipping with savoury snacks such as green olives, Spanish omelette and salted crisps.

Fresh rose. Sweet nose of strawberry and candy notes. Flavours of juicy cranberry and cherry.

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla

ABV: 11%

Grapes: Tempranillo

Food Match: grilled chicken and fish