Sold out
Arboretum, Botanica Wines
£24.95
A great Bordeaux blend from star winemaker Ginny Povall. Again, what I like about her wines is that she looks to achieve balance and drinkability rather than just power and intensity. It has lots of juicy dark fruit flavours and layers of spice; a perfect match for roast beef!
Out of stock
Related products
Nine Popes, Charles Melton
Charlie Melton was one of the first to recognise the value and tradition of the Barossa Valley’s old-vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre (Mataro). While others were grubbing up Shiraz to plant more fashionable varieties, Charlie and a small band of Barossa winemakers were convincing farmers to keep their historic vineyards. These wines were initially styled on those from the Rhône, but are now considered leading examples in their own right.Since 1984, Charlie has produced premium Barossa red wines which have wonderful balance and freshness, with the use of French oak giving them a supple texture and poise. The grapes are dry-grown, chemical free and harvested from the winery’s own vineyards in Tanunda and Lyndoch. The estate vineyards now comprise 32 hectares, the oldest planted in 1947 and the balance planted from the late 1960s onwards. The estate vineyards are supplemented by other growers with whom Charlie has worked for a number of years. The oldest grower block dates from the 1880s, with numerous vines ranging between 70 and 100 years old.This wine is deep red in colour with a hint of an amber edge. The nose is intense with ripe red fruit flavours intermingled with sweet spice and salted caramel. Beautifully balanced with a plump mouthfeel and soft tannins, it culminates in a long savoury finish.One of Australia's most iconic wines, this has a quality that really makes it stand out from the crowd. One of my all-time favourites.
A big wine that can stand up to big flavours as well as being perfect with big meat dishes.
Farrside Geelong Pinot Noir by Farr
From their base in Geelong, around 80 kilometres southwest of Melbourne, Gary Farr and his son Nick make small quantities of single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that rank with Australia’s best. Gary has been making wine since the early 1980s in both Australia (at Bannockburn) and Burgundy (for 10 vintages at Domaine Dujac). Not only following in his father’s footsteps, Nick has carved out a reputation all his own and was named Winemaker of the Year by Gourmet Traveller Wine in 2020.This Pinot has a balanced array of red and black fruit and is both fresh and edgy. Deep meaty, spicy and mineral notes continue to evolve thanks to the character of the vineyards. This is a firm yet delicate wine with a long, textured finish. A beautiful wine.Perfect with roast lamb. Also roast turkey (I've had this with Christmas dinner and it is amazing) and chicken.
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.
Cotes du Rhone ‘Bout d’Zan’, Mas de Libian
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
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.
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!
‘Hecula’ Monastrell, Castano, Yecla
Based in Yecla, Familia Castaño is known for its huge efforts to promote one of Spain’s native varieties: Monastrell. Castaño embodies the best of what southern Spain has to offer, producing rich, warm-climate wines, with almost Syrah-like complexity, which overdeliver in terms of value year after year. Castaño began bottling characterful, single-varietal Monastrell in the 1980s, when the variety was used exclusively for bulk wines and blending. Today, in the expert hands of Daniel Castaño and his family, the variety maintains high quality even at moderate to generous yields. 80% of the family’s 600 hectares of vineyards are dedicated to Monastrell, with smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Macabeo and Chardonnay among others.This is a big, rich, full-bodied wine made from the Monastrell grape in the Yecla region of south west Spain. Really over-delivers for the price; so tasty! Has always been one of our favourites, and now it's certified organic! Win WinA great steak wine, but also just one of the best all-round wines on the market. Seriously good.