Some of the wines we think are....
Superstars
Superstars
Boa-Vista Reserva Tinto 2017
Regular price £49.00A bold and grand red from 2017. Rich, smooth, velvety and appealing, this is a wine from old vines (Vinhas Velhas) grown in the heart of the Douro.
Country: Portugal
Region: Douro
Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão
LABV: 13%
Located near Pinhão, on the right bank of the Douro river, Quinta da Boavista has an extraordinary view over the river. It is one of the most iconic estates in the demarcated region, known not only for its historical connection with the Baron of Forrester, but also for its 36 hectares of high-quality vines.
The grapes for the Reserva wines come from vines of different ages, altitudes and exposure to sun and reflect the diversity of this Quinta.
Biologist Intriga Red 2021
Regular price £39.00It 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
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.
Vilafonte Seriously Old Dirt 2020
Regular price £29.95Seriously delicious Bordeaux blend from SA. Full of black cherry, and blackberry along with warm notes of baking spice and vanilla pod. Subtle liquorice and seductive tobacco and hazelnut add a luxurious dimension. Long, silky finish.
Country: South Africa
Region: Paarl
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc
ABV: 14%
Ascesa Valtellina Superiore 2019
Regular price £39.95An extra degree of alcohol compared to it's younger sibling, and a bit richer too. Complex and ripe with a hint of carefully judged touch of new oak. Mineral soaked, thoroughly delicious and a properly serious red wine.
Country: Italy
Region: Valtellina, Lombardia
Grape: Nebbiolo
ABV: 13.5%
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Les Quatre Climats 2021
Regular price £98.00A complex wine with lovely toasty notes and aromas of hazelnuts and savoury buttery characters. The palate has more lovely toasty complexity, hazelnuts and cooking apples. This wine is still fresh balanced with tight, nutty acidic structure and good length.
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 14%
Vegan/ Vegetarian
Porseleinberg 2021
Regular price £69.95Porseleinberg is the result of Marc Kent’s search for the best Syrah grapes, a journey
that inevitably took him to the Swartland. It was here that Kent found an isolated and
windswept wine farm perched atop the Porseleinberg mountain.
The site is now recognised as one of the greatest Syrah vineyards in the world.
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland
ABV: 13.9%
Grape: Syrah
Organic
The 4th vintage of applying the submerged cap technique, which continues to emphasise Porseleinberg's unique tannin profile. A reserved start is noticeable, after which the wine opens to red and black fruit, with a mineral and savoury spice. A crunchy, dry and grippy, yet fine tannin soundly carries the fruit to cover ones palate. The finish is long and fresh with good fruit concentration and some salty minerality. Drink from 2031-35. Winemaker Callie Louw
Patina Chenin Blanc 2019
Regular price £24.95The nose is initially shy, yet very complex, offering subtle layers of citrus and stone fruit aromas, and whiffs of angelica, acacia flower and allspice. Flavours of lemon, yellow apple and nectarine follow through onto an elegant, balanced palate with delicate notes of greengage, papaya, yellow apple and passion fruit. The wine is light to medium bodied, with a smooth, fleshy texture and vibrant, integrated acidity. Lime zest, green apple and lemongrass linger on a clean, refreshing finish with hints of orange blossom, ginger and saffron.
Country: South Africa
Region: Goldmine Vineyard, Swartland
ABV: 14%
Grapes: Chenin
Linked with Boekenhoutskloof
Korde by Pinea 2020
Regular price £49.95 Sale price £45.00Visibly clean with aromas of raspberries, currants and black plums. And delicate citrus notes and subtle floral aromas. A full-bodied rosé wine. Its light red colour denotes brightness and subtle accents of yellow and orange highlights, achieved during the aged in oak.
KORDE is a unique rosé, made with 100% red grapes of the Tempranillo varietal, from a careful selection of clusters from our “La Encina” vineyards. These 40-year-old vines are planted at 3,050 feet above sea level in white sandy limestone soils, and a special bio-climate environment that gives KORDE grapes a super balance of acidity and flavour.
KORDE is fermented in ceramic eggs with extreme controls of temperature and careful maceration to maintain its rosé structure and minerality. It is then aged in French oak barrels from the famous tronçais and bertranges forests, made with staves of extra fine grain and medium toasting. The time of construction in barrel enriches our wine with delicate toast notes that, when combined with the freshness of the fruit, make Korde an expressive and elegant rosé of great depth.
Country: Spain
Region: Ribeira Del Duero
Grapes: Tempranillo
ABV: 15%
Blank Bottle Luuks 2022
Regular price £39.95Luuks - it keeps getting better and better! Now in its third release, this is at first smoky and tense, coupled with just the right level of opulence - clotted cream, crunchy biscuits and chiffon cake, white flowers and buttered toast too. Very broad and long. So well-balanced, and with a long future ahead of it. The name comes from the barrel it was aged in: the first ever new barrel that Pieter bought. Luuks roughly translates from Afrikaans to 'lux' or 'luxury' in English and it became a bit of a nickname for this wine aged in their fancy new barrel.
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
Food Match:
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!
Viña Cobos Zingaretti Estate Chardonnay 2019
Regular price £61.00This property has historical importance, being farmed by a pioneering family of the wine industry in the Uco Valley. The Italian José Zingaretti immigrated to Argentina at the beginning of the 20 th century, bringing along his knowledge of vine growing and winemaking from his homeland. He was one of the first settlers of Tupungato, which at the time was a remote and nearly inaccessible area. This wine comes from vines of more than 80 years old. Aged for 18 months in a combination of new, second and third use French oak barrels. 50% of the wine underwent full malolactic and 50% partial. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Only 400 cases made. Drinking beautifully now or hold for up to 6 years.
Stunning old-vine chardonnay shows beautiful density and concentration Precise with a round, creamy texture. It’s full- bodied, refined, soft and fluffy. Fresh and bright. Intense, yet subtle with notes of pear and cherry blossom. Wonderful white with unique character.
Country: Argentina
Region: Mendoza
ABV: 14.5%
Grapes: Chardonnay
After visiting Argentina in 1989, Californian trail-blazer Paul Hobbs became deeply interested in both the terroir and Argentine culture, noticing the unique potential for Malbec and other varietals in the region. After meeting two kindred spirits, Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud, they founded Viña Cobos in 1997 and since then there has been no looking back. Utilising gnarly old vines, careful vineyard selection, very low yields and an unerring empathy for the raw materials, Viña Cobos craft intense yet balanced wines that showcase the elegance and beauty of this region. The wines from Cobos have branched into four different brands – Felino, Bramare appellation, Bramare Single Vineyard and the super premium Cobos. Binding all of the wines from Viña Cobos is the true identity of each variety and the unique terroir of Mendoza, truly world class wines from a world class producer.
Haiku Toscana Rosso CASTELLO di AMA 2018
Regular price £59.00Forest fruits such as raspberry and blackcurrant, followed by spice, pepper, wild herbs, and tobacco. An elegant, well-integrated wine, which is complex, harmonious, and persistent.
Drinking window 2023 - 2030
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Grapes: Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
ABV: 13.5%
Food match: Meat stews, pasta alla ragù and aged cheeses
One of Tuscany’s leading, most historically important estates, Castello di Ama is responsible for some of the regions key innovations and has an extensive reputation for the production of premium quality wine. Located in Gaiole, in the sub region of Chianti Classico, the estate consists of 76 hectares under vine. Today it is run and owned by Lorenza Sebasti, descendant of one of the original four families and Marco Pallanti, one of Italy’s top winemakers. Together they have reinvested in the property, replanting old vineyards and built a state-of-the-art winery.
Ferrando Carema Etichetta Bianca 2018
Regular price £79.00Carema is high on the northern border of the alpine region Aosta in northern Piedmont. It is made of Nebbiolo grown on glacial soil in this high altitude region which creates powerful, perfumed wines with delicate fruit.
Luigi Ferrando's Carema white label, the Nebbiolo is fermented in steel tanks with a 10 day maceration. The wine then spends 30 months in oak barrels.
Elegant, spicy, fruity notes with fine aromas of dried flowers and roses. On the palate it has a round, tannic mouthfeel with warmth and minerals on the finish.
Country: Italy
Region: Alto Piedmont
Grapes: Nebbiolo
ABV: 13.5%
Paul Wallace Black Dog Malbec 2019
Regular price £27.95A delicious, concentrated blend of berries and plums, subtle liquorice aromas a flavours with a hint of cherry tobacco aromas followed by lively and finely structured tannin.
On a picturesque hillside overlooking a dam, where Golden Delicious and Granny Smith
Orchards once stood, 12 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Malbec and Pinot Noir can now be found.
Paul Wallace, who has worked as a viticultural consultant to many of South Africa’s top
estates, finally had his dream come true in 2003 - he purchased his family farm in Elgin
and, alongside his wife Nicky, put his life’s work to the test. Based on his belief that Elgin
would become one of South Africa’s premium cool climate regions, he threw caution
to the wind and pulled out groves of apple and pear trees, replacing them with vines.
As always, his advice proved sage, and Paul Wallace is now producing some incredibly
exciting wines that show exceptional finesse and clarity.
Country: South Africa
Region: Elgin
Grapes: Malbec
ABV: 14%
La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2022
Regular price £36.00A nose of raspberry, cranberry, black liquorice, and exotic tea notes. The palate has red cherry, plum, and boysenberry, subtle hints of espresso and cocoa nib underpin notes
of spice and toast. Firm yet integrated tannins and bright acidity drives a long finish.
Country: USA
Region: Sonoma County, California
ABV: 13.5%
Grapes: Pinot Noir
Adelsheim Breaking Ground Pinot Noir 2021
Regular price £59.95Deliciously layered aromas of black cherry and raspberry lift out of the glass, followed by exotic spice notes and a dark, rich loamy quality. This wine is like satin in the mouth—so supple. It toes the line between ethereal and ponderous in the most delightful way.
Country: USA
Region: Chehalem Mountains, Oregon
Grapes: Pinot Noir
ABV: 13%
De Trafford Elevation 393 2014
Regular price £59.95Deep red colour. Lifted aromas of fruitcake and tomato paste, cinnamon, cloves and smoky blackberry emerging too. Syrah spice complimenting the Bordeaux varietals and new oak component nicely integrated. Elegant dry tannin running with the complex spicy fruit from beginning to end of a long fine finish. Best 2023 to 2030.
Country: South Africa
Region: Stellenbosch, Helderberg
Grapes:Cabernet Sauvignon 31%, Merlot 19%, Shiraz 32%, Cabernet Franc 18%
ABV: 14.5%
Gulfi Cerasuolo NeroBaronj ORGANIC 2015
Regular price £38.95Rich and warm with beautiful ripe dark berry fruit characters. A great example of top quality aged Nero D'avola from Sicily's top producer Gulfi.
Country: Italy
Region: Pachino, Sicily
Grapes: Nero D’Avola
ABV: 14%
Food match: Red meat, game and mature cheese
Teliani Valley Winery 97 Kakhuri No8 Orange Wine 2020
Regular price £15.75From Teliani’s more experimental ‘Winery 97’ project, this amber wine is a blend of four varieties that you can’t pronounce – luckily the rich dried fruit and nutty flavours and long dry refreshing finish are much easier to get your mouth around! Don't chill it, you'll just bring the tannins forward at the expense of the lovely flavours - serve cool, not cold!
Country: Georgia
Region: Kakheti
Grapes: Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi
ABV: 12.5%
Food Pairing: Kakhuri N8 is a The wine pairs especially well with fish dishes and cheeses. Serve cool, not cold.
A blend of 4 Georgian indigenous grape varieties – Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi, harvested in Kakheti, east Georgia. Grapes are exclusively hand selected and only the highest quality, fully ripe grapes are used for production. The wine is made using old Kakhetian traditional winemaking method with skin contact. Fermentation on skins takes place for 7-10 days, once the fermentation is finished the grape skin remain with the wine for 6 months.
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2021
Regular price £49.95Subtle, lifted, fragrant black pepper, blueberry and rose petal nose with ripe cherry and plum fruit characters. The palate has a beautiful silky texture with fresh red berry fruit and a fine savoury tannin finish. Drinking well now and for the next 10-15 years.
Country: South Africa
Region: Swartland,
ABV: 14%
Grapes: Syrah
The Syrah grapes come mainly from the Porseleinberg vineyard - one of the best sites in the world to grow the variety. Renowned winemaker and viticulturalist Callie Louw farms the land. The 'brutal' soils (according to winemaker Marc Kent) are made up of Mica and Schist. 10% of the grapes are from the Goldmine vineyard which has brown schist soil.
Tim Atkin MW
97 points. Given that 90% of its raw material comes from Porseleinberg - the other 10% comes from Boekenhoutskloof's Roundstone property - it's no surprise that this is such an impressive Syrah. Fermented with 65% whole bunches, it combines fynbos, lavender and Asian spice aromas with a palate of white pepper, barbecued meat, oregano and blackberry framed by sappy, granular tannins. World class. 2025-35.
James Suckling
94 points. Lovely fragrance with thyme, cracked pepper, iron, coriander and black berry fruit. Medium-bodied, peppery and compact, with vibrant acidity and a focused finish. Long and persistent. Drink or hold.
Neal Martin – Vinous.
93+ The 2021 Syrah was picked later than the 2020. It contains more whole bunches than prior vintages (65%) and matured for 18 months, 90% in Stockinger foudre and Stockinger demi-muids. This is quite concentrated on the nose with dark berry fruit, bay leaf and white pepper, perhaps less floral than some of its peers. The aromatics feel tightly coiled at the moment. The palate is smooth and harmonious on the entry, with a fine structure. It is compact at the moment with cracked black and white pepper and garrigues notes flourishing toward the persistent finish. Much more backward than expected. I would cellar this for three to five years before cracking open as it’s a serious Syrah.
Iona Fynbos Chardonnay 2020
Regular price £47.50
93 points, Tim Atkin
The Fynbos Vineyard has well drained soils with north facing slopes that result in a rich, fleshy, generous wine. This wine was 100% wild fermented in a selection of 228L and 300L French oak barrels (25% new, the rest in 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels). It remained on the lees for a total of 12 months with no battonage. Nuanced and multi-layered – this vineyard produces wines with depth and weight, and great structure that allows for significant ageing potential. Sandstone is the dominant soil type in this north-facing vineyard on Iona's spectacular farm. More open and aromatic than its stablemate Kloof, it has top notes of fynbos and aniseed, flavours of honey and stone fruit and attractive patisserie spices from 25% new oak. TA
Country: South Africa
Region: Elgin
ABV: 13%
Grapes: Chardonnay
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.
Maison Jaffelin Meursault 2022
Regular price £84.95Fruity nose often expressing notes of rhubarb. Full mouth with lots of fat on the finish and notes of toasted almonds.
Country: France
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
Grapes: Chardonnay
ABV: 13.5%
The grapes come from a plot called "Les Forges" located west of the village of Meursault. The soils are shallow.
Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Regular price £49.00From the true masters of Cape Cabernet - the benchmark Stellenbosch Cab. 2015 was the winner of platter 5* best Cabernet Sauvignon in South Africa.
With a nose of the Cabernet family’s typical tomato leafiness over nuances of crushed 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
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.
Wildeberg White 2021 Magnum
Regular price £54.00Wonderfully 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: Field blend, but mostly Semillon
ABV: 13%
Chicken Biriyani or dishes with Cardamon.
Chateau Lamothe Bergeron Cru Bourgeois Haut Medoc 2016
Regular price £29.95Concentrated cassis with a hint of liquorice. Bright and elegant Bordeaux red.
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux, Haut Medoc
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
ABV: 12.5%
Chateau Caronne St Gemme 2015
Regular price £26.95Concentrated cassis with a hint of liquorice. Bright and elegant Bordeaux red.
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux, Haut Medoc
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
ABV: 12.5%