Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV
Charles Heidsieck is one of the great names of Champagne and produces some of the finest of all champagnes. Founded in 1851 by Charles-Camille Heidsieck, the original 'Champagne Charlie', the foundation of its modern fame rests on the unrivalled quality of its wines, which receive countless awards and accolades year after year.
The grapes for the Brut Réserve are sourced from 60 different ‘crus’ across the region; fermentation and ageing of the base wines takes place primarily in stainless steel to preserve freshness; it is a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Meunier, including at least 40% reserve wines, the average age of which is 10 years; and finally, the Brut Réserve is aged in bottle on its lees for at least three years prior to release.This really is one of the best NV wines coming out of Champagne! Beautiful.
Chateau Larose Perganson
‘Carte Noire’ NV, Champagne Jean-Paul Deville
Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montmain’, Gerard Tremblay
Gerard Tremblay is one of Chablis' most admired winemakers and this 1er Cru shows just why.
Much richer than his (already delicious) village level wine, this has real depth and complexity and the finish is much longer. Gerard's wines go into some of the World's top restaurants, and you can see why when you taste this; there is nothing showy or modern (oaky) here, just pure elegance and class.
Perfect for shellfish dishes (I seem to remember first having one of Gerard's 1er Cru wines with Langoustines in a creamy sauce at La Gavroche mmmm) as well as making simple grilled fish into a special occasion.
Chateau Grand Pey Lescours, St. Emilion Grand Cru
Acquired in 1924 by the Escure family, the Château Grand-Pey-Lescours is located at the foot of the slopes of Saint-Emilion itself. They also own the renowned Chateau Bellegrave in Pomerol. The vineyards are planted with 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon – on gravelly and sandy soils and cover nearly 26 hectares.A classic example of St.Emilion; medium-bodied, wood-scented with notes of plum and the perfect accompaniment to roast lamb!
‘Lo Vielh’ Old Vine Carignan, Clos de Gravillas
Clos de Gravillas is an organic estate based in the tiny hamlet of St Jean de Minervois, deepin the Languedoc countryside. Here, John and Nicole Bojanowski make some of the region's most interesting wines. The Carignan vines that make this wine are from a high gravelly vineyard and are over 100 years old. This gives the wine real character, as if the vines have soaked up the minerals of the earth and the flavours of the surrounding Garrigue.
This is a dark, powerful wine that is a perfect match for slow roasted, herby meats. Unique and beautiful, this is Southern French wine at it's best.
Sancerre, Gerard Fiou
This small domaine was one of the first to modernise in the region of Sancerre. The vines are planted on the rocky
silex soils and the resultant wine takes a little time to show its true colours. But when it does, it is impressively pure
and expressive of the flint from which it was born. Give it time to open up in the glass.Very pungent elderflower and gooseberry fruit, but there’s an edge of ripe pear and pear-drop, with a little suggestion
of a more tropical fruit character. Very crisp, clean and racy on the palate with a core of orchard fruits that is very
pure and focused through the mid-palate, with melon and a tangy apple acidity on the finishA great example of Sancerre from a great organic producer.
A perfect partner for British goat's cheese such as Sinodun Hill and Driftwood. Also great with light fish dishes and smoked salmon.
Cotes du Rhone ‘Blanc de Viognier’, Domaine Grand Veneur, Rhone Valley
The Jaume family have been making wine here since 1826 and still own the same vineyards; some of the vines are now over 100 years old.Christophe Jaume is the sixth generation of his family to make wine at this domaine. Covering nearly 50 hectares, the domaine has plots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du-Rhône Villages, Côtes-du-Rhône and Lirac. Their vineyards are planted with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre for the reds and Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, and Viognier for the excellent white Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc de Viognier. The family believe in maintaining the harmony between the grape and the soil and so they farm organically; their vineyards achieved organic certification in 2012.This is regarded as one of the best Viogniers to come from the Southern Rhone and a relative bargain compared to similar quality wines from Condrieu in the North.The wine has real depth of flavour, with creamy stone fruit notes balanced by a lively freshness. Very delicious with pork belly with fennel and apple
Chablis, Gerard Tremblay
Gérard Tremblay and his wife, Hélène, oversee a domain that they inherited in a line of five generations, but which they have mostly built themselves. With 80 acres of vines under production, most of them in the best Premier Cru and Grand Cru appellations, their list of Chablis is among the most prestigious in the region.
Their wines are mostly sold direct from the winery, or are snapped up by top restaurants, they don't often appear for retail.
This wine has all the hallmarks of great Chablis, clean and minerally but with a depth and length of flavour that lets you know you're dealing with serious a winemaker here.
Perfect with shellfish..how about a lobster salad? Or big garlicy prawns? Oh yes please!
JCB No21 Cremant de Bourgogne, J.C.Boisset
40% Pinot Noir , 35% Chardonnay, 20% Gamay, 5% AligotéJean-Charles Boisset was born into a winemaking family in Burgundy and now makes wine all over the World.
Pale and vibrant in colour, this Crémant boasts aromas of citrus fruits, almonds and white flowers on the nose. The palate has refreshing and lifted acidity, coupled with a lovely, rich texture from the lees ageing.
A great value alternative to Champagne, showing
St. Chinian ‘La Laouzil’, Thierry Navarre
Carignan/Grenache/SyrahThierry Navarre has a dozen hectares of vines planted on dark brown schist terraces around Roquebrun. The achingly beautiful countryside is an amphitheatre of small mountains clad in a sea of green, a forest of small trees and bushes and the familiar clumps of fragrant rosemary and thyme which captures the scented spirit of the high Languedoc. The culture in the vines revolves around the respect for the soil, the cycles, the seasons. No chemical products are used, simply composting, natural preparation, plant infusions and working the soil. The harvest is manual and carried out by a small team.
This wine is full of red fruits, liquorice tones and plenty of herbs and spice, yet is unforced, supple and fresh.A proper southern French wine to accompany roast lamb or great with some good sausages or a hearty stew.
Fleurie, Didier Desvignes
Didier Desvignes is a winemaker who really epitomises the spirit of Beaujolais; he believes in treating the land with respect and nurturing each vineyard parcel to express its full potential. Everything is done by hand and farmed using organic treatments. The Gamay vines he has in Fleurie are on unique pink granite soils and make a wine of great purity and vibrancy. There are vivid aromas of violets and flavours of crushed wild strawberries and a herbal, savoury edge which makes it so good with charcuterie. You could be in a Paris wine bar, sipping natural wine and enjoying fine charcuterie, or you could be doing exactly the same at No2 Pound Street!
