Meandro Tinto, Quinta do Vale Maeo
Quinta do Vale Maeo is perhaps the most famous and important vineyard in all of Portugal. For many years the grapes went into Casa Fereirrinha's Barca Velha, Portugal's most renowned wine but since 1999, the Olazabal family have bottled and released the wine under their own label.
From these same old vineyards, they also produced a 'second wine' called Meandro, which is more approachable in it's youth (and more affordaable!). Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and Tinta Roriz account for 85% of the blend of this wine, which also includes Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, and Tinto Cão (typical mixture of Douro grapes).
This is one of my favourite Douro reds; it's so rich and complex and to me, sums up what the Douro is all about.
It is full-bodied with fairly robust tannins, so does need food - grilled meats or strong, hard cheeses work well - but the perfume is what sets it apart form the herd. Full of herbs and dark, brooding black fruits, it is completely beguiling. A real wine and one that is utterly satisfying. This benefits from a bit of time in a decanter or would improve further if cellared for up to 10 years. Great value for such an amazing wine.
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!
Big Flower Merlot, Botanica Wines
Really good Merlot from Ginny Povall at Botanica Wines, one of South Africa’s most respected boutique wineries. Plummy and smooth (as you would expect) but with an extra juicy dimension (called ‘deliciousness’?) that makes it stand out and makes you want to drink more of it!
A really good all-rounder, and like all Ginny’s wines, it has a lovely pretty label, so great for gifts.
Alvarinho ‘Granit’, Soalheiro, Vinho Verde
100% Alvarinho (same as Albarino over the border in Spain)
Qunita do Soalheiro are the benchmark producer of Alvarinho. Based in the Vinho Verde region, their wines are a league above other producers; more elegant and complex. This particular bottling, named 'Granit' after the soils in this vineyard, is my favourite; a rich, complex expression of the grape with a lovely mineral texture and a very long, pure finish.
A little bit similar to really good 1er Cru Chablis, this is perfect with things like grilled white fish with lemon and olive oil or shellfish (lobster salad would be sublime).
Something a bit different but truly World class. You won't be disappointed.
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.
Vallisto Criolla
Vallisto is one of the most exciting projects to come out of Argentina in recent years. Pancho Lavaque is on a mission to show the world what makes the remote and beautiful Cafayate Valley in Salta in the far north of Argentina, so special. Discovering long-forgotten vineyards with very old vines and often rare grape varieties.Criolla is a variety you don't see much of! Thought to be related to the Pais variety found in Chile, it is capable of producing really interesting wines, especially when coming from old vines (this vineyard was planted in 1898!)This is something different but really worth trying; it's bursting with rich juicy red fruit flavours with a slight savoury spice edge to it. A food-friendly wine that would suit a grilled rib-eye steak perfectly.
Impress your friends with your hipster wine choice!
Southend Chardonnay, Newton Johnson
This family farm was founded in the mid-1990s by Cape Wine Master, Dave Johnson and his wife, Felicity (Née Newton) and within the past twenty years has built a reputation for producing some of the Cape’s best Pinot Noir. Dave’s CWM thesis was on the variety. Right from the outset, Dave and Felicity’s offspring were involved and today it is very much Gordon, partnered by his wife, Nadia, who are responsible for the winemaking, with brother Bevan looking after the commercial side.Southend is a single vineyard that is owned and farmed by Newton Johnson's neighbours, the Pringle
family. It is a notably cooler slope, a stone’s throw across the river from NJ, with less sunshine
and consequently slower ripening. It produces wines with sparkling clarity, high-toned fruit
flavours, compact structure, and vibrant acidity. They preserve these features by fermenting in
larger format casks that often ferment slowly in to the winter.The oak is barely noticeable here, the wine is just fresh and juicy; such an elegant style of Chardonnay by one of the New World's best Chardonnay producers. If you know people who are adamant that they do not like Chardonnay, get them to taste this!
A great all-rounder, suiting simple fish and shellfish dishes as well as salads and grilled vegetables.
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.
Niepoort ‘White Rabbit’ White Port
One of the best white Ports available. Like all of Dirk Niepoort's wines, this is at the top of the tree in terms of quality. Drier than most and with real depth of flavour; rich and nutty with a long lingering finish.Great to drink chilled on it's own, or with olives and salted almonds, or mix with tonic and ice for Portugal's answer to the G&T! A great aperitif.
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!