Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc, Astrolabe
Primitivo, Cantele
Vina Ilusion Rioja, Plaza Medina
Ilusion is a project brought to life by Martín Alonso and Gloria Plaza in the Rioja Baja sub-zone of the region.
Here, in their chalky, iron laced clay soils at around 700m of altitude, the two organically farm their 5 hectares with the utmost care
according to the Fukuoka (author of “One Straw Revolution”) method. While it has been called “do nothing farming” for the
lack of additions (neither chemical nor organic fertilizer) and general outlook that healthy cultivation is more about long-term
planning and careful observation than it is about attempting to micromanage and control agriculture, Fukuoka farming has
become trendy with some very respectable vignerons.
Way before this came to pass, and before current luminaries such as Michael Pollan namechecked him, Alonso travelled to Japan nearly 30 years ago to learn from Fukuoka himself. Farming ideology aside, we should mention that this wine is a delicious, gulpable expression of Rioja: full of mixed berries and red fruits, juicy, delightful to drink.A great party red, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
Verdeca, Cantele, Puglia
Cantele make some of the best value wines in Southern Italy; World class wines.Verdeca is a grape variety indigenous to Puglia, making wines of great freshness and purity. This is a great example and if you're a bit tired of Sauvignon, this is really worth a try.Perfect garden wine, or with salads or light fish dishes.
Poire Authentique, Eric Bordelet
It was Didier Dagueneau who convinced Eric Bordelet, former sommelier at Paris’s three-star Arpège restaurant, to
develop a new, artisan style of cider, a natural product of character and thirst-quenching ability, which would also work
with a wide range of different food. And so Eric refurbished his family’s ancestral orchards and ciderworks and would
use his knowledge of viticulture to push for the highest level of quality.
The biodynamically farmed orchards – covering roughly nineteen hectares – are situated in southern Normandy where
the Domfrontais extends between the boundaries of the Mayenne and the Orne.Treat this Pear cider/perry as you would a wine, it's delicate yet complex flavours, complement shellfish dishes such as grilled prawns or scallops wonderfully. Of course, it is also utterly delicious on it's own!
‘Le Merlettaie’ Pecorino, Ciu Ciu
100% PecorinoThis organic farm in the Offida region of Le Marche, was established in 1970 and is owned by brothers, Massimiliano and Walter Bartolomei.
Pecorino is the grape variety here, named after the fact that the bunches look like sheep's heads (or because sheep like to eat the grapes, depending on who you listen to...). It is a great variety that, in the right hands, can have real personality and quality. This wine sees a little bit of barrel ageing which gives some richness and a hint of vanilla to compliment the fresh orchard fruit flavours.
This is great with pork and apple dishes as well as simple grilled fish, or with a nice risotto. It also goes well with sheep's cheese...English Pecorino!
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.
Hacienda Grimon, Rioja Blanco Sauvignon Blanc
Hacienda Grimón is run by the Oliváns, a family with a long winemaking tradition in Rioja. Grimón was established by Paco
Grimón who runs the bodega and his brother Eliseo who takes care of the viticulture. Their 25 hectares of vineyards are
based in the Valle de Jubera, a secluded and little-known corner of Rioja Alta with a great viticultural history. Viticulture is
organic – “always has been here, why do I need certification?” – with no use of herbicides and pesticides, sheep manure is
used as fertilizer. Hand harvesting is employed for all their vineyards. Great care is taken to provide the healthiest grapes of
the highest quality.This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is aged in old 225-litre barrels following fermentation for a short period before bottling, giving up a floral and aromatic white with a lovely texture on the palate.Goes particularly well with grilled shellfish.
Ditcheat Hill
Reasons to Be Cheerful
Fino del Puerto, Lustau 37.5cl
The Lustau family began bottling their own sherries and exporting by 1950. Bodegas Lustau is considered a world-class benchmark for top-quality wines. Lustau produces all styles of sherry, from Manzanilla through to Pedro Ximénez, as well as special bottlings, single cask, VOS and VORS sherries. The En Rama range, produced from select barrels from each of the three towns, is a highly anticipated release each spring. Lustau has, over the years, won multiple medals and trophies, including 'Best Spanish Winery' and 'Best Sherry Producer' at the IWSC and the Len Evans Trophy for consistency (won in 2011 and 2016) at the IWC.This Fino is a textbook example, dry, tangy and fresh yet complex and lingering; a perfect aperitif with olives and salted almonds.
