Superstars

Remember what a great warm summer 2022 was in England? Well, the lovely sunshine helped to perfectly ripen Bolney's Pinot Noir crop and the result is just wonderful. A red wine vintage for us to be proud of for sure, this Pinot shows ripe strawberry and crushed raspberry characters and has a long and pure finish.

Country: England

Region: Sussex with grapes from Essex too

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 11.5%

Light, delicate and floral with notes of crushed wild strawberries. Delicious! 

Forest aromas and concentrated fruit aromas of blueberries and cherrys mark this red wine. Its elegant ruby colour is the feature of the filigree nature that one then finds on the palate. Lively fruit, ripe tannins and a long sophisticated finish are the strong characteristics of this delightful variety and the wine it produces.

Country: Germany

Region: Pfalz

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

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

Straw like colour with greenish hues. Attractive aromas of nectarine, hints of lemon zest and white flower notes. The pallet has great texture and depth and finishes with beautifully balanced acidity, long and flavoursome mid pallet with rich texture reflect conditions of the vintage.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13%

This is a Chardonnay of great purity, reflecting site and the season in which it was grown. Meticulous attention and care in the vineyard is most critical in allowing that expression. Elgin is one of the Cape’s coolest wine growing areas with favourable climatic, soil and topographic conditions.

Fresh red fruits, with a floral note immediately jumps out from the nose. Dark ripe raspberries, spices, lavender, hints of oak and cassis emerge after the initial blast of fruit. Beautifully balanced with nice acidity and ripe tannins.

Country: USA

Region: Oregon

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

6 bottles of one of the finest roses for a lucky recipient.

Whispering Angel Rosé

Please note that the wine will only be delivered in the pretty pink box if you live in the St Albans area. If we courier it to you, the packaging will be more robust and less attractive! :)

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.

Aromas and flavours of pure dark red berry and cherry fruit, with intriguing notes of nuts and spices, with a touch of forest floor. Lovely fine, dry tannin and a soft, long finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch, Helderberg

Grapes: Merlot

ABV: 14.5% 

Single vineyard 'Dardi le Rose' is on the hill of Bussia, one of the great Barolo crus. The vines are grown at 300-350 metres above sea level, with a south westerly exposure. A small percentage of the wine is aged in Slovinian and French oak. Tino Colla describes the 2016 as the most perfect vintage of his 50 year experience. This wine is just superb. Don't miss out on getting hold of some and drinking it this festive season.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmonte

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

A complex bouquet of crushed rose petals, wild jasmine and fresh French herbs. The palate shows beautiful purity with layered red fruits, cranberry, raspberry, silky tannins and a long, savoury finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Walker Bay and Elgin, Western Cape

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

70% of the grapes came from Stanford, Walker Bay and 30% from Elgin, both in the cool climate region Cape South Coast. The vines are all Burgundian, clone 115. The Stanford vineyard is close to the southernmost tip of Africa and is located in one of South Africa’s coolest wine producing regions. The maritime vineyard enjoys a long ripening season, because of the strong cooling winds that are prevalent in the summer. This microclimate is ideal for creating a long hang time, concentrating the flavours in the berries, while retaining natural acidity levels. Elgin is situated at 400
metres above sea level and ripens even later then the coastal vineyard. The vines
here, planted in shale and clay soils, produce fleshier fruit, adding weight to the final
blend.

Ripe red cherries, blue berries, bramble, pencil shavings, tobacco, spice and cedar on the nose and palate. Complex and rich, will age nicely for at least another 5 years. If drinking now, do decant.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux, Medoc

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

An elegant Pouilly Fuissé showing aromas of fresh mint, peach and citrus that carry through to a fresh and mineral palate. A rich, complex and well balanced wine with remarkable vivacity on the finish.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Grapes:  100% Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

Domaine Ferrand is situated in the village of Solutre ­Pouilly, in the heart of the Pouilly Fuisse appelation of Southern Burgundy. The domaine now comprises of just over 11 hectares of vineyards that have been passed down from Father to Son over 3 generations. Today the domaine is run by Madame Nadine Ferrand whose wines have been well reviewed by the Guide Hachette.

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 Piedmont.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

Food Match: A classic Piedmontese starter: vitello tonnato, which is thinly sliced, cold veal with a rich tuna sauce.

Elegant, with great complexity, with citrus aromas enveloped in layers of minerality and herbal hints. Full-flavoured with a creamy texture, powerful and long finish.

Country: France

Region: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone Valley

Grapes: Clairette 55%, Roussanne 20%, Bourboulenc 15%, Grenache Blanc 10%

ABV: 13%

Black cherries, earthy tones and hints of tanned leather. Soft, supple in texture with a ripe berries and savoury notes, juicy acidity, silky tannins. Dry, minerally, structured and very long finish . Gorgeous. Drinking window: 2023-2033.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Sangiovese

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

From the true masters of Cape Cabernet - the benchmark Stellenbosch Cab. 

Red rocks and warm sand. The palate is initially firm but relents to a wine of great purity and subtlety with notes of tomato, cocoa powder, hazelnut chocolate and star anise. Overall, a heady concoction somehow assembled into a seamless red of phenomenal quality.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Le Riche Wine

The backbone of the range, it’s a phenomenal expression of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon when it’s allowed a maritime influence, and it is this that sets it apart and marks it as truly Bordelaise. With carefully selected fruit from the cool gravelly slopes facing False Bay to the rich red granitic soils around Stellenbosch, the wine gains its complexity by expertly blending fruit from 4 specifically diverse terroirs. 

Bright, appealing deep cherry red colour  - youthful looking. Fresh and intense, with vanilla oak notes coming through- vanilla and pastry- that mix in with varietal aromas including black fruit and liquorice. Full bodied, elegant and well- balanced, with a long finish.

Pairs well with  roast meat and strong, mature cheese.

Country: Spain

Region: Ribera Del Duero

Grapes: Tinta del Pais (Tempranillo)

ABV: 14.5%

A very convincing, fresh, expressive bouquet with pure brambly, briary black fruit and freshly tilled earth. The palate is medium- bodied to full with crisp black cherry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are fine and edgy, while the finish is beautifully composed and contains Margaux- like femininity. This is extremely well-crafted Cabernet Franc, with a surfeit of personality.

 Country: Chile

Region: Maipo Valley

Grapes: Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

Canadian ex-ski coach, Derek Mossmann Knapp, is the enfant terrible of the Chilean wine scene. He set up Garage Wine Co. with his wife Pilar Miranda and Dr. Alvaro Pena in 2001 with the intention of being the polar opposite to the big, established companies that dominate the Chilean market.

Seductive, rich and enthralling - a brilliant northern Italian take on cool-climate Merlot.

Aromatic, spicy, mature forest fruits, notes of ripe plum and damson on the nose. Velvety and sumptuous on the palate - plum, rich vanilla and sour cherry give way to a fine, long, structured finish with ripe tannins. A full-bodied wine which exudes elegance.

Country: Italy

Region: Piemonte

ABV: 14%

Grapes: Merlot

Deep purple/red colour with an opaque core. On the nose it is rich with sweet red and black berry notes, some vanilla and sweet spice. On the palate it is much weightier than the nose suggests.  Very opulent, but elegant and balanced at the same time.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14%

Grape: Shiraz

A very special limited parcel wine from talented young South African winemaker Izele Van Blerk. Drinking window 2023 - 2028. Only 1300 bottles made!

The wine spent 36 months in 2nd and 3rd fill 500L French oak barrels and 24 months in bottle before release. The grapes are from 136 very old vines!

This full-bodied wine explodes with aromas of rose petals, red cherries and raspberries with hints of lavender. The palate is focused with an undertone of cloves, dried fruit and
leather. The grippy tannin structure and zippy acidity is well integrated and delivers an intense, lasting finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 14.5%

Food match: Beef Tenderloin,
braised duck, wild mushrooms and aged Gouda.

Supple, soft and juicy Pinotage that's just sooo easy drinking,,. Packed full of bright notes of red cherry, strawberry and ripe plums, with a subtle hint of spice and cedar on the finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Pinotage

ABV: 14%

It boasts an intense, dark ruby colour. The wine is made with wild yeast, undergoing spontaneous fermentation and aged for 12 months in barrels. A flagship blend of red varieties with an unexpectedly complex aroma of dried plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, and strawberry. This medium-bodied wine features a rich berry flavour and a lingering, warm aftertaste.

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir

Country: Ukraine

Region: Kyiv, Odesa

ABV: 14%

Food pairing: red meat dishes such as steaks, ribs, various types of ham, and smoked meats

"BIOLOGIST craft winery” from the Kyiv region creates unique and unmatched wines. They have rented vineyards in the Odesa region (the majority of nowadays wines are made from these grapes) and a 1.5-hectare vineyard in the Kyiv region, which is experimental and biodynamic.

One of the most unique and long-lived white wines in the world. A blend of indigenous grapes Obaideh and Merwah, with a deep golden colour and honeyed aromas, full of tropical fruits; pineapple, banana with warm, toasty creamy notes. Pale golden colour with aromas of pear, lemon zest and apple and vanilla on the nose. Hints  of lemon, orange with good body, concentration and mouthfeel , tangy acidity with ripe fruit. 

Country: Lebanon

Region: Bekaa Valley

Grapes: Obaideh and Merwah

ABV:12%

The very scarce 2015 vintage is clean and pure with a lovely vibrant energy. It is a stunning example of the indigenous Merwah grape with its origins in the mountains of Lebanon – it is a rare light skinned grape variety, closely related to Semillon in Bordeaux and gives wines of great ageing potential and elegance.

A wonderfully complex and textured barrel fermented white Douro with a long, fresh and minerally finish. Made from four different indigenous grape varieties from very high altitude vineyards.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: 46% Rabigato, 29% Viosinho, 24% Gouveio,1% Fernão Pires

ABV: 12.5%

Food Matches: Great with seafood or fleshy pan fried white fish dishes.

Jamie Goode in Wine Anorak: 12.5% alcohol. A blend of local white varieties from Pedra Alta’s highest plots. Complex and nicely restrained with taut lemony fruit and some notes of pear and white peach. Lively and precise with good acidity and nice purity, this has the potential to develop with time, and it’s almost Burgundian in style. 94/100