Monteleccio, Sesti
The Sesti family are one of the best producers of Brunello di Montalcino. Based at the beautiful Castello di Argiano, they have the most beautiful property imaginable and they make wines in a thoughtful and balanced style; traditional in the best sense of the word. The grapes for this wine are selected because they are felt to be best for drinking young; so they could become Brunello but they are aged for less time. More character than many actual Brunello and for half the price, this is one of Montalcino’s best buys. Great with hard cheeses (Cornish Kern or Old Winchester?), as well as roast lamb with lots of garlic and rosemary, pasta with meat sauces and stews.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Panizzi
Situated in the picturesque medieval town of San Gimignano in Tuscany, Panizzi produce lovely organic certified, Vernaccia di San Gimignano wines of typicity and excellent value.
Vernaccia diSan Gimignano is a historically important Italian DOC, Italy’s first DOC in fact, and home to Tuscany's
leading white wines. Typically dry, fresh, crisp, and mineral, with a slightly bitter after note, these wines
are predominantly made from Vernaccia, but also permit small portions of other white varietals to be
included in the blend.
Established in 1989 Panizzi work with 60 hectares of vines spread across four vineyard sites in the San
Gimignano area; Lazzaretto, Santa Margherita, Montagnana, and Larniano. Born from research
undertaken by Giovanni Panizzi, into Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the terroir, ageing techniques and
sustainable agriculture, the company is run today by Simone Niccolai, who continues Giovanni’s legacy
and research. Sustainability is a principal focus for Panizzi. No pesticides, herbicides, or chemical
fertilizers are used during the production of their wines, from the 2020 vintage onwards they are
certified organic, though they have farmed using organic practices for many years, they also do as much
as possible by hand to limit the use of machinery and their environmental impact. All their wines are
vegan and vegetarian friendly.
Driven by identity, typicity, and quality, these wines show real focus, terroir expression, and varietal
purity.
This is the perfect, elegant wine to accompany simple grilled fish with really good olive oil.
St. Chinian ‘La Laouzil’, Thierry Navarre
Carignan/Grenache/Syrah
Thierry 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.
Pinot Noir, Heirloom Vineyards
Heirloom Vineyards make wines from various regions, carefully selecting grapes from organically farmed vineyards. This Pinot Noir from Adelaide Hills, is a great example of really well-made Australian Pinot. It has the perfect balance between rich, red fruit flavours and more serious savoury characteristics. It has a long, juicy finish and exudes quality that would put many a more expensive Pinot to shame.
If you are a Pinot Noir fan, you can drink this with just about anything (I do), but it goes particularly well with Baron Bigod!
Merlot 006, Aniello
A beautifully ripe and pure Merlot from Patagonia in the south of Argentina.
Aniello are one of the rising stars of Argentinian wine and are showing that Patagonia can produce World class wines. This has all the rich, ripe, plummy fruit you would want from a good Merlot, with a long smooth finish.
Really well-made; a good all-rounder and a safe bet for a gift.
Three Lions Pinot Noir, Plantagenet
Dehesa La Granja, Castilla y Leon
Zinfandel ‘Heritage’, De Loach
De Loach was founded in 1973 by San Francisco Firefighter Cecil De Loach. The estate was later taken over by Burgundian Jean-Charles Boisset, who has converted all their vineyards to organic and bodynamic practices.
This wine is unusual in that it presents great Californian wine at a sensible price, usually there is the mass-produced stuff at the bottom end of the market and then a big jump to the premium £30+ end. This is a great wine at a great price. Medium/full-bodied with loads of juicy bramble fruit and smooth, velvety tannins. A crowd-pleaser and a great pizza or BBQ wine.
Three Lions Chardonnay, Plantagenet
Soave Classico, Monte Tondo
Monte Tondo is a family estate located in the beautiful hillside vineyards of Soave. Here the soils range from volcanic to chalky, which alongside the varying microclimates, gives the wines distinct flavour characteristics and individualistic style.
Alongside his family, winemaker Gino Magnabosco is part of the third generation to run the estate. They believe that hard work, drive, and determination are key to obtaining the best results from their land. Maintaining, nourishing, and cherishing the land of their ancestors is of utmost importance. And although not certified, they farm using organic practices and an environmentally friendly approach to both viticulture and vinification. No chemicals are used in their production and they recycle everything excess coming from the vineyard (stems as fertilizers, skins for grappa, pruned branches for heating and fertilizer).
Small proportions of other varieties are allowed in the production of Soave, but Monte Tondo focus their concentration purely on Garganega. Garganega is a variety so versatile and easily culinary matched but also with the ability to produce complex wines with age-ability.
A very good example of Soave at a very good price. This over-delivers.. Perfect with salads and light fish and shellfish dishes.
Fantasia Malbec, Mauricio Lorca
Mauricio's high density, high altitude vineyards are in his beloved Vista Flores in the Uco Valley; and his ever expanding, though still relatively small, winery is situated in Luján de Cuyo. It's a no-frills operation with the energy and solid work ethic of every employee channelled into getting the job done.
100% Malbec from Mauricio Lorca's own vineyards in Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, 30% of which is lightly oaked. High density, high vertical vine training, just under 7,000 vines per hectare, approximately 2 bottles of wine per plant, this is the Fantasia philosophy.
A really expressive, dark and rather serious Malbec for the money with masses of plush black fruit on the nose and the all freshness on the palate that the Uco Valley will give to the right winemaker. Superb, great value Malbec.
A great wine for BBQ's or any grilled meat!
Herdade Sao Miguel Tinto
This is a family run winery, in the heart of Redondo, in the Alentejo region, with a deep love and understanding of the viticultural heritage of their region. Alexandre Relvas started in 1997, and his two sons Alexandre Jr and António now run the show, ably supported by Head Winemaker Nuno Franco.
Herdade São Miguel is the original, flagship estate which comprises 35 Ha of vineyard as well as Cork forest and olive groves and a heathy flock of Merino sheep.
A blend that changes slightly each year, the last few vintages of this wine have been on fire. Beautifully defined dark fruit (there always seems to be a generous lick of cassis in this wine, even when the Cabernet component is actually quite modest), just a frame of toasty oak (although that roasted Alentejo character amalgamates with that too), and just enough Alicante crunch to keep it all fresh and energetic.
Older vintages are still drinking well, and with the improvements in this great value wine, there's no reason more recent vintages won't last even longer.
A great wine for a hearty roast or BBQ.
Lavradores de Feitoria Tinto
Grapes - Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca
Lavradores de Feitoria is a unique project, created in 2000. Resulting from the union of owners of 18 Quintas spread throughout the best terroirs in the 3 sub-regions of the Douro region (Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior). Together, they have a total area of vineyard of more than 600 ha.
The aim was to show the best of what the Douro can offer and to offer great value; this wine really sums up the Douro for me.
A typical Douro blend of grapes offers real character, and the modern winemaking creates a smooth rich wine. Together, we have a wine of great balance and finesse.
Goes well with grilled meats and vegetables and can handle a bit of spice!
‘La Magendia’ Jurancon Moelleux (37.5cl), Clos Lapeyre
Jean-Bernard Larrieu makes some of the best wines in Jurancon at Clos Lapeyre. This isolated area lies inland in the foothills of the Pyranees and is home to some of the best sweet wines France has to offer (without paying Sauternes prices). Petit Manseng is the main grape for producing these delicious, honeyed wines and it's bright acidity is what makes it so successful; no matter how rich and unctuous the wine, it still feels fresh and mouth-watering on the finish. In case you were wondering, La Magendia means 'the best' in the local Occitane dialect; very fitting, as this is truly stunning.
Perfect with fruit desserts (rhubarb or apple crumble...?) and is a star with blue and rind-washed cheeses.
Soave Classico, Monte Tondo, Veneto, Italy
Beautiful, elegant Soave from a great, family-run, organic estate in the volcanic hills of Veneto. The grape variety here is Garganega, and this is an expression with great precision of flavour. Unoaked, light and elegant, it is a very versatile food wine; a great match for all light pasta dishes, salads or simply grilled fish.
Niepoort LBV Port (Half bottle)
Dirk Niepoort is often lauded as Portugal’s best winemaker, making some of Portugal’s best table wines. However, Port is always at the heart of what he does and year after year, this LBV is one of the very best. Despite it’s power and richness, it stands out from the crowd with it’s real drinkability!
...and these half bottles look cute.
Papa Figos, Ferreirinha
35% Tinta Roriz , 30% Tinta Barroca, 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Touriga Nacional
This historic producer, founded 1952, was the first in the Douro dedicated to producing light wines rather than Fortified wines. They make some great examples of the Douro at prices that are truly great value.
A modern example of Douro light wine showcasing the fresh, vibrant fruit and fine, balanced structure that can be achieved with careful grape selection from some of the finest vineyards in the region. A great wine to have in the house; everyone will love it and great to open any time you just fancy a 'nice glass of red'.
Gran Passione Rosso, Veneto, Italy
Made from partially dried Corvina and Merlot grapes in the Veneto region of North-East Italy, this wine certainly delivers a lot of ‘bang for your buck’! Like a baby Amarone, this has buckets of rich, intense dark fruit flavours with a long, lingering. Very smooth and very comforting… great with hearty dishes, especially game and perfect with strong cheeses such as Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher and Stilton from Cropwell Bishop.
Valencay, Sebastien Vaillant
This has long been one of our most popular wines, a delicious blend of Sauvignon Blanc with a dash of Chardonnay. The Chardonnay adds a lovely texture and a tiny bit of weight to the wine but it still retains that classic Loire Sauvignon character. Sebastian Vaillant is a great winemaker and this is a great value alternative to the neighbouring wines of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.
Sauvignon de Touraine, Guy Allion, Loire
This domaine with its beautiful Touraine-style house made out of tufa produces first class Sauvignon from vines grown on
perruche (sandy-clay) soil.
The estate is managed according to the Terra Vitis programme, a codified system which posits
not only respect for the environment but knowledge of the land, parcel by parcel. This sensitivity to the environment
means that natural rather than chemical solutions can be pursued in the vineyard.
The grapes are picked at maximum ripeness and immediately transported to the winery to prevent oxidation.
This Sauvignon de Touraine, which in previousyears has garnered high praise from the Guide Hachette, has lifted aromas of elderflower cordial, Victoria plums and hints of grass. The palate is filled with gooseberry fool infused with elderflower and hints of summer fruit.
A great budget alternative to Sancerre & Pouilly-Fume; perfect with light fish and salad dishes.
Falerio ‘Oris’, Ciu Ciu, Marche, Italy
Ciù Ciù winery was established in 1970 by husband and wife Natalino and Anna Bartolomei. It is located right out of Offida a medieval tiny little village full of events and traditions. The hills near Offida and its surrounding villages between the rivers Tesino and Tronto allow for the production of top quality wines thanks to their beautiful location. Seabreezes coming from the east blow on the vines to create conditions for even ripening fruit. Ciu Ciu‘s organic wines are the pure expression of care and tradition. They are the result of research and quality both in vineyards and cellar.
This wine is produced in the hilly territories of the Ascoli Piceno province, approximately 300 metres above sea level. The autochthon vines, Pecorino and Passerina, blended with Trebbiano, create a characterful wine that can be enjoyed soon after the vintage is released.
Perfect with light fish dishes and spring risottos
Valpolicella, Alpha-Zeta
Alpha Zeta was started in 1999 to produce a range of modern, fruit-driven wines from the hills outside Verona. Leading New Zealand winemaker Matt Thomson works with growers (rather than buy bulk wine, which is standard among most wines from Verona at this price) to obtain ripe grapes (by reducing yields and picking later) and then, using Matt’s expertise, preserve these flavours in the finished wines. This has resulted in wines that offer great value, quality, balance and typicity.
The Valpolicella has bright, black cherry fruit and velvety tannins; a delicious wine that is perfect with pizza and light pasta dishes.
Ditcheat Hill
