Saint-Joseph, Thomas Farge, Northern Rhone
Made from a selection of old Syrah vines ranging from 40 to 70 years old. Partial oak aging in 400L barrels for 12 months completed by 2 months in tank.
This Saint Joseph is offering bright aromas of dark fruits, black olive tapenade, balsam, and a touch of leather. The palate is supple and well balanced, offering a long finish of dark fruits laced with licorice and minerals.
Big & powerful, this wine needs a bit of time to open up, so do decant for an hour if possible. Deliciously complex, the flavours are perfect for charred but bloody red meat!
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 finish
A 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.
Pouilly-Fume ‘Pierre-Louis’, Domaine Landrat-Guyollot
Saint-Veran ‘Tradition’, Domaine des Deux Roches
This domaine is based in the village of Davayé, in the Mâconnais, and is jointly owned by Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray. Their 50 hectares of vineyards largely lie between the twin escarpments of Solutré and Vergisson and showcase the diverse terroirs of this region. The wines of Deux Roches are known for their drinkability and offer great value for money; the domaine is particularly known for its excellent Saint-Véran.
The cuvée Tradition emits a floral scent reminiscent of honeysuckle and acacia flowers. Pear, green apple, peach and apricot, are all well-integrated on the palate and reinforced by creamy notes, and a long floral finish.
Versatile with food but particularly good with roast chicken.
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!
Chateau Macquin, Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion
Wines have been made at Château Macquin since 1885, when the first cellar was developed by François-Albert Macquin. François was the first person to re-plant vines in the Saint-Émilion region following the phylloxera outbreak in the 19th century. Today, the Château is run by his grandson Denis and his wife Christine Corre-Macquin, who own 27 hectares of vines in both Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. They are involved in every vine-growing and winemaking decision to ensure the quality of their wine every vintage.
Château Macquin is located just three kilometres north of Saint-Émilion, in the small village of Saint-Georges, the smallest of all Bordeaux appellations (180 hectares). However, at its peak of 89 metres above sea level, Saint-Georges enjoys one of the best elevations on the right bank, giving the wines freshness and concentration. The south-facing vines are planted on clay and limestone soils and range from 15 to 60 years old. The vines are sustainably farmed, without the use of herbicides, fertilisers, or other harmful chemicals.
The wine is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is a deep ruby red with alluring aromas of ripe red cherry, cassis and a hint of liquorice. The palate is full bodied with silky, ripe tannins and concentrated flavours of ripe red fruits, tobacco and graphite are balanced by a lifted acidity.
Chateau Grand Village
This Chateau, situated in the Fronsac region of Bordeaux offers exceptional value for money.
It is owned by the Guinadeau family, who also happen to own Chateau Lafleur just down the road in Pomerol - one of THE great Right-Bank Bordeaux estate!
While Fronsac doesn't have quite the same cachet as Pomerol, and hence, can't command the same prices, the attention to detail and love that goes into this wine, is just the same as at Lafleur.
The soils are different here, more clay and limestone than gravel and the proportion of Cabernet Franc differs but it still gives you a snapshot of great Right-Bank Claret at an every-day price.
A perfect, posh dinner party wine; one that is bound to impress your friends and is a great accompaniment to classic roast meat dishes.
Chateau Lucas
Lussac is an up and coming satellite appellation of the renowned Saint Emilion region on the the Right Bank of Bordeaux. There is no doubt that one of Lussac's most prized properties is Château Lucas, owned by the Vauthier family of Château Ausone fame. From just 18 hectares of vines, three cuvée are produced. The top wine, aptly called Château Lucas, is produced from a 12-hectare vineyard, comprising equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. While so much of the Right Bank focuses on Merlot, the high percentage of Cabernet Franc brings a polished lift to the cuvée, vintage in and vintage out.
A classic partner for roast lamb.
JCB No21 Cremant de Bourgogne, J.C.Boisset
40% Pinot Noir , 35% Chardonnay, 20% Gamay, 5% Aligoté
Jean-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
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!
Cotes du Rhone ‘Bout d’Zan’, Mas de Libian
Mas de Libian, a working farm (cereals, fruits and vines) since 1670, has remained in the hands of famille Thibon for its entire history. Hélène a remarkably energetic member of the family took over the viticulture and winemaking in 1995, and convinced her family to bottle their own wine rather than sell to local négociants. Her farming is entirely biodynamic since the 1960’s when her grandfather ran the farm, and the vines (averaging 40-45 years-old) are pruned for low yields and concentration. The terraced vineyards, composed mostly of galets rouges, in St-Marcel d’Ardèche (the west bank of the Rhône) provide stunning views of Mont Ventoux, the Alpilles, and the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Hélène is in her late 20s and in June this year she was selected by the French Wine Review as one of its Young Winemakers of the Year. She makes her wines in a traditional fashion following organic principles, and the vineyards have ‘pudding-stone’ soil like that found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The stones reflect sunlight during the day and retain heat during the cold nights, thus making the vines work harder to extract water and minerals from the soil.
A great wine for the price, full of real character.
Perfect with roasts, stews, bbq...you get the idea.