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.
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.
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
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.
‘La Gloire de mon Pere’ Bergerac Rouge, Chateau Tours des Gendres
Bergerac is often overlooked in favour of it's more famous cousin Bordeaux but there is great wine being made there, and you pay a fraction of the price!
Chateau Tour des Gendres is one of the best producers, making wines of real class.
Owner and winemaker Luc de Contoi is a true Vinarchiste, looking for purity and intensity, the maximum expression of the potential of the grapes. In the vineyard the soil is nourished with seaweed and silica treatments to encourage microbial activity.
This vigneron even riddles the grapes on the vine, giving them a quarter turn (at least that’s what he tells us – difficult
to know when you’ve been hoaxed by Luc).
A great wine for roast beef of lamb and perfect with strong hard cheeses; Montgomery Cheddar springs to mind..
Domaine Mapliers Rose ‘Preferences’
A blend of Grenache and Cinsault, this wine delivers a simple yet precise bouquet of fresh raspberries and vine peach. Superbly refreshing and delicate, the palate is charming and ethereal. Fermented in stainless steel from a direct and light pressing, a classic Provencal style that everybody will enjoy… day and night.
Delicious! Sun's out, salads in the garden, you know what to do...
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!
Three Lions Pinot Noir, Plantagenet
Friuli Sauvignon, Fondo Indizeno
Fondo Indizeno is a new project from renowned winemaker Christian Patat, one of Friuli’s most faithful advocates and a man who has done so much to promote this area. Fondo Indizeno's vineyards are spread over three villages in the Colli Orientali del Friuli, which were chosen due to their excellent quality terroir; Buttrio, Prepotto and Premariacco. They works with 15 hectares of very old vines, between 30-40 years, planted on marl based soils (locally known as “Ponca”). The vines benefit from a Mediterranean climate, with continental influences, hot summers, cold winters and dry autumns. The vineyards are planted with Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Bianco and Malvasia.
The idea of this project is an introduction to Friuli’s best wines, to showcase the quality achievable and the area's potential. Each wine is dedicated to a producer whose wines have brought prestige to a particular grape variety, for example Ribolla Gialla is named after Stanko Radikon, who spent his life promoting this variety. While Chardonnay is dedicated to Nicola Manferrari who is one of the best interpreters of this grape. As with all Christians wines, they are impeccably executed, expressive styles, which are exemplary of Friulian wine and really showcase this areas potential.
This is a food-friendly example of Sauvignon Blanc, less of the intense nettle and gooseberry flavour and more subtle, herbal notes.
A really refreshing take on the grape; here it's all about balance and creating a wine that will enhance your meal, not stamp all over it!
Delicious with sushi, or simple grilled white fish. It would also work well with seared tuna steak.
