Fleurie, Didier Desvignes

£19.95
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!

Barbeito Malvasia Reserva Madeira 50cl

£18.95
One of the smallest of all Madeira producers, and only founded in 1946 by Ricardo's grandfather, and yet with an extraordinary reputation. Ricardo Diogo de Freitas took over the winemaking at the family firm in 1993, and hasn't looked back. He possesses energy in spades - eRobertParker calls him the Island's "Gamechanger" and its easy to see why, but risks overlooking his commitment to tradition, or at least the reinvention of it.Certainly a sweet wine, but with great balancing acidity. If serving as a dessert wine, partners very well with dishes which contain caramel, dried fruits, toffee and other similar flavours. Also a great wine for cheese, especially strong hard cheeses (Old Winchester, Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher etc)

Cotes du Rhone ‘Bout d’Zan’, Mas de Libian

£18.95
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.

Merlot 006, Aniello

£18.50
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.

Friuli Colli Orientali Chardonnay, Fondo Indizeno

£17.95
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.
The Chardonnay grapes come from their vineyards in Buttrio and Prepotto, the vines have an average age of more than 30 years and rigorously cultivated using the guyot method, with yields maintained at around 40 hl per hectare. Vinified entirely in stainless steel tanks and aged on its own yeasts until March, the wine is bottled with a light filtration.
Classic tones delicately exotic, but typically salty thanks to the fresh, well-integrated acidity that suggests immediate drinkability, but promises a pleasant evolution over the next five years. Think Chablis but better than anything from that region at this price.
Works beautifully with a classic Veal Piccata, vegetable or seafood tempura and fresh salads.

‘La Magendia’ Jurancon Moelleux (37.5cl), Clos Lapeyre

£17.95
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.

Te Whare Ra Sauvignon Blanc

£17.95
Te Whare Ra (TWR), pronounced Te Faré Rha (House of the Sun), is the oldest little winery & vineyard in Marlborough, being first established in 1979 in the sub-region of Renwick. Since 2003 it has been owned and operated by Anna & Jason Flowerday. She’s an Aussie from South Australia and he’s a Kiwi from Marlborough. Anna and Jason firmly believe that biodiversity is the key to maintaining a good vineyard. They plant between the vines and plough alternate rows. To combat pests, they use natural methods such as buckwheat, and fertilize the vineyard using their own home-made composts and manure. In the cellar they practice a hands-off approach as they seek to express the nature of their individual vineyards and sites. The TWR wines are truly hand-made. Everything is hand-picked, hand-sorted and the attention to detail is meticulous. Anna and Jason are dedicated to making delicious authentic wines that showcase the very best of Marlborough not the mass-produced version.A food-friendly Kiwi Sauvignon - great with grilled fish with olive oil and herbs

Opposites Attract, The Liberator

£17.50
An unusual blend of Syrah, Merlot & Cabernet Franc from the excellent Eagle's Nest winery in Constantia.Rich & juicy, this is full of dark, brambly fruit with a long, smooth finish.An excellent steak wine