Some of the wines we think are....
Superstars
Superstars
Horst Sauer Escherndorfer Lump Riesling S. Trocken 2020
Regular price £23.95Sandra Sauer is incapable of making a wine less than superb and is thoroughly and demonstrably capable of making wines which sit comfortably amongst the world’s finest...
Country: Germany
Region: Franken
Grapes: Riesling
ABV: 13%
Lyme Bay Pinot Noir 2021
Regular price £35.00From young Pinot Noir vines showing great potential. Lovely and ripe from the 2020 sunshine, showing notes of crunchy red fruits like cranberries and currants. Wonderful English red!
Country: England
Region: Devon
Grapes: Pinot Noir
ABV: 12%
2020 gave us a long summer which enabled the fruit to ripen to its potential and produces a wine busting with fruit character. Deeply coloured and concentrated this wine has great potential to develop over the next few years. Drinking now the wine really comes to life in a large glass which gives the wine every opportunity to release all its aromas.
Brokenwood Semillon 2022
Regular price £25.95Hunter Semillon at its very best!
This wine possesses intensely flavoured, pristine fruit with a clean and zippy palate and fresh fruit flavours of sherbet, lemon, passion fruit and pineapple. Fresh cut grass notes too.
Country: Australia
Region: Hunter Valley
ABV: 12.5%
Grapes: Semillon
Neil Ellis Piekenierskloof Grenache 2016
Regular price £33.00Bright ruby colour. Vibrant red fruit with spicy peppery aromas which flows on to the palate. The palate has a lovely freshness, great length and fine grippy tannins. The wine is ever evolving in the glass.
Country: South Africa
Region: Piekenierskloof
Grapes: Grenache
ABV: 14%
This limited release wine demonstrate the distinctiveness of specific vineyard sites
and represents Neil Ellis's finest quality. The mountain vineyards of Piekenierskloof are
known to produce outstanding Grenache.
The Chocolate Block 2022 Boekenhoutskloof
Regular price £23.952022 5 star platter!!!
Iconic South African wine by South African Winemaker of the year 2020 Gottfried Mocke, one of the most innovative winemakers in South Africa. Tim Atkin has rated this vintage 92 points in his latest South African report The 2022 wine is bigger and better than ever!
The nose is dark, intense and brooding with aromas of black cherries, cardamom, sweet tobacco, espresso and subtle whiffs of perfume. The dark fruit character of the nose follows through onto an exceptionally complex, juicy palate with gentle nuances of ripe plums, violets, black olives, cloves, and liquorice. The mid-palate is focused, lithe and elegant with very fine, cocoa powdery tannins. The wine is medium to full bodied, very balanced with an earthy, layered character, covering the entire spectrum of berry fruit - from tart red plums to rich blue and black berries. The finish is svelte, clean and dry, peppery and lingering, with hints of dried cranberry, tar, graphite and smoke.
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Syrah 71%; Grenache 11%; Cinsault 9%; Cabernet Sauvignon 8%; Viognier 1%
Wirra Wirra 'Catapult' Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2019/20
Regular price £18.95Soft,fruity and supple with blueberries and raspberries on the nose and palate. Full, rich and ripe with delicious black fruit flavours. A hint of sweet spice and licorice with dark chocolate on the finish.
Country: Australia
Region: Mclaren Vale
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Shiraz
Food Match: Barbequed lamb chops
Royal Tokaji Betsek Dry Harslevelu 2019
Regular price £24.95Co-founded in 1990 by wine writer Hugh Johnson, Royal Tokaji has quickly become one of the most important wineries in Tokaj, producing sweet and dry wines. This crisp, dry white is made from 100% Harslevelu grapes and is part of the limited edition "By Appointment" portfolio. It's intensely dry with a citrus acidity, minerality and lovely length.
Country: Hungary
Region: Tokaji
Grapes: Harslevelu
ABV: 14%
Les Heritiers Bourgogne 2020
Regular price £34.00Stunning, white Burgundy at its best!
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
Burgundy is renowned for a jigsaw of small plots, fitting side by across the rolling cotes and cru with many different owners - the result of equal inheritance. While some heirs want to make wine, others prefer to live their lives elsewhere, meaning their plots go unloved. Enter Patrice du Jeu, a Parisian restaurateur with the dynamism and energy to revive such plots. Together with family and friends, he managed to buy several parcels in excellent terroirs of the Côte de Beaune including Santenay, Chassagne Montrachet and Mercurey. Joining with white Burgundy expert Jean-Baptise Alinc the wines of these heirs - Les Héritiers - are both technically competent and beautifully crafted.
Pegasus Bay Finale Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2019 375ml
Regular price £24.95Amaaaaaazing sweet wine from one of New Zealand's top producers. Rich, concentrated botrytis Sauvignon from heaven...
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2021
Regular price £26.95Crisp, vibrant, lemon citrus with intense buttery, toasted vanilla notes. Fermentation was carried out using a mix of wild and Burgundy yeasts in 2 year old French oak and stainless steel, adding a rich mouthfeel, excellent body and notes of ripe stone fruit, brioche and honey. Wonderful lingering finish.
Country: England
Region: Devon
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 12%
Chateau Musar Red 2010
Regular price £97.95One of the best ever vintages of Chateau Musar in our opinion! The 2010 is a savoury, herby wine with delicate spices and the raisiny, figgy aromas follow through to the palate. This is an elegant vintage with fresh acidity and a long, dry finish.
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvèdre
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match: Roast chicken with herb crust or lamb cutlets with rosemary.
2010 was a year to remember in Lebanese wine-making history. Even from January it was obvious that this year would be lacking in water as snow fell only once on the 17th January (it was the shortest ski season ever!) and rainfall stopped on the 23rd February. March was so hot that the vines began to blossom in early April and in May and June the vines were so vigorous and green following successful flowering, that we thought we would have the biggest harvest ever. However in mid-July things began to change and the temperature rose dramatically. A heat-wave hit Lebanon which lasted for about 23 days with an average daily temperature of 40 °C and the highest ever temperature in the Bekaa Valley was recorded at 48.5° C. The grapes didn’t mature, they dried, as water disappeared from the grapes causing high sugar concentration.
Domaine Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin 2021
Regular price £98.00Powerful and concentrated on the nose. This may only be a village wine, but it has has the opulence and stature of a 1er Cru.
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Pinot Noir
ABV: 13.5%
Quinta Pedra Alta ‘Rio’ Douro Tinto 2018
Regular price £46.95Blue and black fruits, with meaty, spice notes and smoky oak complexity. Intense, savoury wine, with a dense ferrous palate, and sustained finish. Drink now or keep for up to 20 years.
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro Valley
Grapes: Touriga Franca (99%)
Tinta Roriz (1%)
ABV: 14.5%
Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Rio' Tinto is an intense, savoury Douro red, made from parcels from the Quinta's lowest elevations close to the river (Rio).
Chateau De Cruzeau Pessac Léognan Blanc 2021
Regular price £24.95Bercher Jechtinger Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) 2022
Regular price £24.95One of the most delicious wines in the shop! Bold aromas of white peach and lemon zest with subtle spice and honeycomb notes. Absolutely wonderful.
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Grapes: Pinot Gris
ABV: 13%
The perfect match with Turkish chicken shish, taboulet and warm crushed potatoes with spring onions.
Located between the Rhine River and the Black Forest, Burkheim produces lush and mineralic wines that are ideal companions to a wide range of modern cuisine. Bercher
produces Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Weißburgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris). All the wines go through extended lees-aging and have a wonderful aging potential.
Pegasus Bay Riesling Aged Release 2013
Regular price £34.95Decanter 94/100
A deeply golden colour leads onto a wonderfully serene nose that shows its evolution in an expression of chamomile tincture with a lifted, ethereal scent that will thrill Riesling lovers. Around all this is an edge of candle wax. The palate is super-smooth, brimming with Mirabelle plum compote and a mouthwatering element of noble bitterness, expressed as candied orange peel. Wonderfully balanced, rich, yet not tooth-breakingly sweet at all. A lovely feat of rich, bold, yet elegant balance. The finish spells orange zest all over again.
Country: New Zealand
Region: North Canterbury
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Riesling
Produced from low yields of optimally ripened, high quality, flavourful grapes: fully expressive of the free draining, low-fertility, glacially formed soils.
Extended “hang time” and picking the grapes where possible with a small proportion of noble botrytis results in a bouquet packed full of citrus, particularly orange zest that so defines North Canterbury Rieslings. Hints of stone-fruit, lychees, pineapple and tropical spices makes for a satisfyingly concentrated wine, which is off-set by a core of minerality and tangy acidity.
Quinta Pedra Alta ‘Alto’ Douro Tinto 2018
Regular price £46.95Quinta da Pedra Alta 'Alto' Tinto is a perfumed, hedonistic Douro red, made from parcels from our highest (Alto) elevations on the Quinta.
Aromas of red and blue fruits, with lifted bergamot and exotic spice notes. This is a rich, hedonistic wine, with an Indian ink mid-palate, and an Earl Grey finish.
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro Valley
Grapes: Touriga Nacional (92%), Sousão (7%), Fernão Pires (1%)
ABV: 15%
Boekenhoutskloof Franschhoek Cabernet 2021
Regular price £49.95Stunning wine as always! A very elegant, floral nose of violets, menthol and blueberry aromas and hints of cigar box and tobacco spiciness. The palate is exceptionally full and round, yet precise with a crème de cassis, black currant and Cedar wood of the nose following through with notes of pencil shavings, red capsicum, tea leaf and notes of clove. Grainy tannins and a perfect acidity balance the dark berry fruit on a rich mid-palate, suggesting significant ageing protentional. The finish is smooth and complex with its offering of red liquorice, fennel and exotic spice and an impressive length.
Country: South Africa
Region: Franschoek
Grapes: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc
ABV: 14.5%
Tim Atkin MW
96 points. Boekenhoutskloof's Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon is picked two weeks later than its Stellenbosch stable mate and is a fresher, more refined wine. Benefitting from the inclusion of 12% Cabernet Franc from the vines around the winery, it has aromas of graphite, violet and eucalyptus, palate-caressing, granular tannins and red berry and blackcurrant leaf flavours. 2024-35
James Suckling
94 points. Lovely spicy fragrance of thyme, licorice and clove to the dark berry fruit. Full-bodied, deep and polished, with sturdy tannins. Spicy and muscular. Cabernet sauvignon with 14% cabernet franc. Try from 2024.
Neal Martin-Vinous.
89 points. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek, blended with 12% Cabernet France, is naturally fermented and aged over 22 months, 95% French barriques. It has a more fruit forward bouquet than its Stellenbosch counterpart; brambly red fruit, blood orange, hints of marmalade and tobacco. Quite exuberant with touches of menthol developing. The medium bodied palate has succulent tannins, juicy and generous with black pepper-infused black fruit. Oddly, this is quite Syrah-like in style a “fun” Cabernet leaving the seriousness to the Stellenbosch Cabernet.
Kopke Wine Makers Collection White Folgazao / Rabigato 2018
Regular price £34.95Elegant and refined, with stone fruit and toasted brioche notes. On the palate , it is oily and voluptuous, balanced by fresh acidity. Persistent finish.
Limited quantity, individually numbered and signed by the winemaker: only 2,202 bottles made.
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro
Grapes: Folgazao and Rabigato
ABV: 13%
Tyrrell's Hunter Valley Semillon 2023
Regular price £23.95A stunning example of Hunter Semillon.
Cut grass and lime zest nose with a clean and zippy palate and fresh fruit flavours of sherbet, lemon, passion fruit and lemon. Lovely long finish.
Country: Australia
Region: Hunter Valley
ABV: 11%
Grapes: Semillon
Horst Escherndorfer Muller Thurgau Trocken 2021
Regular price £20.95Sandra Sauer is incapable of making a wine less than superb and is thoroughly and demonstrably capable of making wines which sit comfortably amongst the world’s finest...
There’s a passing nod to Gewurztraminer for the briefest of moments, then quickly on to spices, earthiness, fragrant peach skins, ripe pear and always something darker, deeper, earthier, stonier in the core. Crackling acidity suddenly provides the lightning and drama and the finish ‘shimmers’ as it slowly fades.
Country: Germany
Region: Franken
Grapes: Muller Thurgau
ABV: 13%
Blank Bottle Kortpad Kaaptoe 2021
Regular price £26.00One of two releases of Kortpad Kaaptoe in 2021! One of Pieter's most unusual cuvees, so-named for the Kortpad Kaaptoe, or cut through road close to the vineyard that Pieter took when having to rush back to Cape Town one day. With its bling ACDC style label, this wine is as stand out as its label. Ripe pineapple, tangerine, stem ginger and spice with a pithy, lightly grippy palate and slivers of bitter sweet orange peel, apricot and long stoney finish. Great acidity keeps it all in check. Great example of skin contact wine!
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland
Grapes: Fernao-Pires
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match: Drink with coronation chicken (trust us), tandoori dishes or a Persian feast of spiced lamb, stuffed aubergine and jewelled tahdig.
Winemakers don't come much more creatively brilliant than the genius that is Pieter Walser. He's the sort of man that's had more fantastic ideas before breakfast than we manage in a whole week and that talent shines through in his wines. Each comes with a story often as captivating as they are mystifying so we've asked him to record a few to give you an insight into the magic behind the vino!
Tenuta di Trinoro "Le Cupole"2017/2020
Regular price £44.95Intense nose, full of beautiful ripe fruit. Bold, mature and elegant, with excellent tannin structure and length. Very complex.
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Grapes: Merlot: 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 17%, Cabernet Franc: 16%, Petit Verdot: 7%
ABV: 14.5%
Food match: Game meat and wild mushrooms
BRDA Orange Wine by Kristian Keber 2018
Regular price £39.95“Brda” by Kristian Keber is an intense, articulated and deep orange wine that represents the traditions and the typical grape type from the homonyn area in Slovenia. It is born from a maceration on the skins for 12 days, a spontaneous fermentation and an aging for 2 years in big oak barrels. Mediterranean scents of herbs, fruits and flowers are enriched by mineral and salty notes, with a long persistence. A Deep and brooding wine with marmalade and saffron notes.
Country: Slovenia
Region: Brda
Grapes: Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, Malvasia Istriana
ABV: 13%
Dr Heger Ihringer Winklerberg Chardonnay Erste Lage (1er Cru) 2017
Regular price £35.00Dry, clean and minerally with lemony cream richness. Perfectly balanced and poised.
Country: Germany
Region: Baden
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV:13%
Troken
Wonderful accompaniment to shellfish or Tuna steak.