Fine Wine

Outstanding Chianti Classico Riserva from the cooler north west of Chianti. Grown on soils very similar to Felsina's vineyards in Berardenga, this cooler terroir in Argiano helps produce a wine of great energy, elegance and inherent harmony. La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano is the personal project of Giampaolo Chiettini. Giampaolo spent a good number of years working alongside Paolo di Marchi at Isole e Olena where he fell deeply in love with Sangiovese and honed his skills and became a very highly regarded winemaker of the region. Antinori and Ca' del Bosco have also used Giampaolo's services over the years. He still consults and makes wine for the outstanding Castagnoli and brilliant newcomers Ejamu amongst others. This personal project comes from a beautiful, tiny (1ha!) vineyard in Argiano in the San Casciano Val di Pesa commune. Organic Sangiovese grapes are destemmed and gently crushed then undergo wild fermentation with natural yeasts. The wine is bred in used tonneaux. Giampaolo's trained, light hand in the cellar has helped produce a really rather wonderful Chianti Classico Riserva. This 2022 knocked us out. Immense energy and focus to the wonderful fruit and character. Only 2,000 bottles produced. This wine proves utterly marvellous drinking now, but shall age gracefully and beautifully for many years. We can't wait to follow the evolution! "The 2022 Chianti Classico Riserva is an intense, brooding wine. Super-ripe cherry, tobacco, new leather blood orange and cinnamon lend an exotic flair. This complex, dynamic Riserva has a ton to offer, starting with its considerable character. It's one of the most pleasant surprises of my tastings for this report. The Riserva is on the riper side of things, but its personality is so distinctive". Antonio Galloni July 2025 Drinking Window 2025 - 2034 91/100

Deep coloured, the wine exhibits dark ripe fruit characters as well as truffle, spice and subtle toasted oak on the palate. A fulsome, structured and well rounded Pinot Noir with a soft acidity and generous mouthfeel

Outstanding Chianti Classico Gran Selezione from the cooler north west of Chianti. Grown on soils very similar to Felsina's vineyards in Berardenga, this cooler terroir in Argiano helps produce a wine of great energy, elegance and inherent harmony. La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano is the personal project of Giampaolo Chiettini. Giampaolo spent a good number of years working alongside Paolo di Marchi at Isole e Olena where he fell deeply in love with Sangiovese and honed his skills and became a very highly regarded winemaker of the region. Antinori and Ca' del Bosco have also used Giampaolo's services over the years. He still consults and makes wine for the outstanding Castagnoli and brilliant newcomers Ejamu amongst others. ".... one of the most pleasant surprises of my tastings for this report". Antonio Galloni July 2025 "The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is laced with intensely spiced dark cherry, leather, menthol, licorice, dried herbs and incense. It's another powerhouse from this small estate in Barberino. I don't see the Gran Selezione as meaningfully more complex than the Riserva, but it is darker and more powerful in style, with a bit more of a slightly oxidative character as well". Antonio Galloni July 2025 Drinking Window 2025 - 2035 Score 92/100

Energy is a word used a lot by the finest Roussillon growers. We don't think there has been a finer example than this extraordinary wine from the freres Danjou. The 2019 is more 'Cote-Rotie' than the 'Crozes like' 2018. A thrilling wine.

A legendary vintage champagne with wonderful finesse and precision Champagne Salon is the creation of a man who loved champagne: Aimé Salon. Fascinated by the Mesnil terroir, this daring man created the champagne of his dreams, a Blanc de Blancs that is quite simply exceptional. "The champagne of one man, Aimé Salon, of one terroir, the Côte des Blancs, of one cru, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, of one grape variety, Chardonnay, of one year, that of a great vintage." In the words of the House, we understand that the story of this champagne has all the makings of an adventure novel. And with good reason: Champagne Salon came to life in 1905, but it wasn't until 1920 that this audacious character revealed his sublime and mysterious creation to the rest of the world. Today, Maison Salon has joined the Laurent-Perrier group and now shares its ambitions and resources with Maison Delamotte, both managed by Didier Depond. Only produced in the best years, this Blanc de Blancs Champagne is as confidential as it is exceptional. Demanding and precise, the wines are kept in the cellar for an average of ten years before revealing all their grandeur. Despite a cold winter and spring, the vines did not suffer any frosts in 2013. The budburst took place at the end of April under abundant rainfall, which lasted until full flowering at the beginning of July. Despite a hot summer, sporadic thunderstorms and slow ripening of the grapes in October, hail damage was minimal. Despite the bad weather, the 2013 harvest was excellent, at 13,000 kg/ha, with the Chardonnays standing out for their balance and acidity. This champagne comes from the one-hectare plot known as "Le Jardin Salon," and nineteen other small plots in Mesnil-sur-Oger, carefully selected by Aimé Salon at the beginning of the 20th century.

The nose of the Hautes Côtes de Beaun is quite extrovert, and the fruit is rich on the palate. Certainly ripe, a touch of liquorice, some warmth, but this works and has kept some Pernand-Vergelesses style character, as the vineyar sits just above the village border. Domaine Rollin Père et Fils works 14 hectares of vines in five different communes in the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy. The domaine, situated in Pernand-Vergelesses (a village behind the Hill of Corton), was founded in 1955 by Maurice Rollin, but it was his father who had started to assemble parcels of vines from which he produced his own wine outside work hours (like his father, he was employed as a vineyard worker by another winery in the village). Rémi, Maurice's son, has now been joined by his own son, Simon.

An Auslese from a vineyard as revered as the Bernkasteler Badstube, with almost a decade of ageing under its belt, is a vanishingly rare find at this price. The typical clarity of Riesling shines through, with lime marmalade accompanying a plethora of ripe fruit notes - pineapple, cantaloupe melon, physalis. A delight now, but this has a long life ahead of it.

As always, this is a vin de plaisir and a vin de soif. The new vintage is full of bright red fruit, with very appealing, pure Pinot aromas. The palate is sapid, fresh and clean as a whistle. The chalky, south-facing vineyard is a splendid advert for the value and pleasure to be found now in the Hautes-Côtes.

Wow what a treat, this is everything you ever wanted in a Tuscan red. Dense tarry core, silky and svelte, evolved and a tad tawny. All the markers of greatness are in place: autumn forest, leaf tea, cigar box, woodsmoke, all perked up with citrus and Christmas spice. Has such a sense of grandeur, so assured, so very, very Tuscan.

The core blend of Monte Bello 2022 was assembled by the production team over two days in February. Out of twenty-six candidate lots, fourteen were selected at this stage, with a few earmarked as potential additions at the next blending session. The team reconvened on May 3rd for the second and final assemblage of 2022 Monte Bello. The panel of eight determined that, of the three further lots being presented, just one had the qualities consistent with Monte Bello. The addition of this lot will result in a final blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The typically intense dark purple colour of a young Monte Bello belies the vivid aromatics: the nose opens with a wonderful floral aroma over the precise berry fruit. There is copious structure, but it is very fine-grained even at this early stage. Splendid balance and harmony already, with an ultra-long finish indicating the great potential of this wine.

Antonio Galloni recently declared that 2021 is one of the greatest young vintages he's tasted in his 25 years, declaring it“a vintage to buy deep.” Among the highlights are the two Gran Seleziones—San Leolino 2021 and Vigna del Sorbo 2021—along with the flagship Flaccianello della Pieve 2021. These wines have been praised as “utterly mesmerizing”, “exceptional” and “stunning elegance, complexity, and finesse,”.

In the mouth the rich, delicious fruitiness of this wine combines with grainy, beautifully integrated tannins to produce an unbridled eruption of texture and flavor. Similarly to the Fonseca Vintage Ports and the Guimaraens Vintage Ports, blended from the wines of its three estates, the company also offers rich, velvety Single Quinta Vintage Ports produced entirely from the produce of Quinta do Panascal. These are the pure expression of the estate's terroir. Like the Guimaraens Vintage Ports, these are made in years that produce smoother, more accessible wines that do not need to be stored for a long time before being enjoyed. Situated on the steep right bank of the river Távora, Quinta do Panascal is one of the most renowned vineyards in the Douro region. In the words of a saying, "From Roncão and Panascal come the best wines of Portugal".

The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Chardonnay really punches above its weight with a sophisticated, struck-match reduction on the nose, bright, succulent fruit in the middle and a fine, toasty mineral finish. Made from relatively young vines planted on limestone soils in the village of Meloisey, this is fermented and aged in oak barrels, giving a wonderful expression of fruit-focused Burgundian Chardonnay.

A fascinating interpretation of Gavi. Hand picked and fermented in amphorae creating a textural, intense and concentrated style. A touch of skin-contact, but not quite full orange wine! Tasting note from the winery: Straw yellow colour, aromas of citrus fruits and grapefruit, white melon, peach, almonds and white flowers, full body, intense flavour and long persistence. One for explorers and/or lovers of something a little different. Impressive and intriguing.

From vineyards that share the same Corton hillsides as many Grand Cru, this Pernand-Vergelesses epitomizes the great value still to be had from village-level Burgundy. The wine begins with aromas of high-toned cherry blossoms and raspberry preserves offset by hues of forest floor. The palate features a balance of savory red fruit, wild herbs, and tannins integrated with a vibrant and persistent acidity. Bottled unfiltered.

The Domaine Belleville Rully La Crée 2022 won the White Wine Trophy at the Wine Merchant Top 100 competition. The competition is judged by independent merchant judges who assess wines based on value and quality. Our buyer Hal Wilson is a senior judge for the competition. All wines are tasted blind. It's nice when one of our favourites comes out as the best white wine tastied at the competition. It has lovely minerality and creaminess combined iwith classic white Burgundy.Great concentration for a Rully, with spicy oak influence. The Wine Merchant Top 100 competition is an annual event where independent wine merchants select the top 100 wines based on their quality and value for money. The competition is seen as a trusted source for retailers looking for wines to recommend to their customers.

CWM Ranking First Class First Class Rich, dark red in colour. Intense aromas of forest & bramble fruits - ripe loganberry, blackberry and wild strawberry. The palate is brimming with sweet fruits, balanced by vanilla oak, savoury leather & tobacco, mocha with fresh herbs in the finish. Full bodied and voluptuous, mouth coating with deliciously silky, elegant tannins. Harmony in a bottle. Château Paveil de Luze is one of the oldest estates in the Margaux appellation, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Located on deep gravel soils near the Gironde estuary, the estate has been owned by the de Luze family since 1862. The 2018 vintage was one of the first to be released following the reinstatement of the prestigious Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel classification. The wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, matured for 12 months in French oak barrels.

Old vines, Amarone-style appassimento, tiny yields. Wonderfully extracted, deeply layered and complex. A year in French oak. V. classy. One of our biggest-selling wines. Old vines, Amarone-style appassimento, tiny yields. Wonderfully extracted, deeply layered and complex. A year in French oak. The 'Black Grape of Troy" another southern best. From Decanter "Left on the vine to partially dry, the grapes for this wine were not harvested until early November, giving it a powerful character and rich texture. Dark, liquorice-imbued fruits of the forest aromas alongside menthol and blueberry notes, almost medicinal. It is really rich on the palate with plummy, leathery flavours, macerated black cherries and even a hint of nectarine on the finish. Really gorgeous and complex..."

The 2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Vieilles Vignes is made from 50- to 85-year-old vines, giving sweet and gravelly tannins, generous fruit and a spicy, floral undertone. The Carrés protected the vineyard with candles to raise the temperature and ward off the frost. As a result, there is a decent-sized crop of this excellent Savigny which will offer delicious short- and medium-term drinking.

"I knew our terroirs very well, and knew that we could exploit them to the full. With Romain’s experience of vinifications all around the world, I was happy to launch the domaine". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots, Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here. Father Gérald took over the domaine in 1993, and concentrated on apricots and vines, the grape harvest sent to the Cave de Tain. Son Romain came on to the domaine in 2018; he had worked locally at Gigondas and in the Ventoux at Chêne Bleu, as well as in Virginia in the USA. The cellar was built in 2019. The domaine is HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) registered, a green credential, and the 2022 harvest will be officially organic. 100% Marsanne (1950s-late-1990s) from sandy-loess soils on Les Védias at Erôme & Gervans, hand harvested, whole bunch pressing, 3-4 day pre-fermentation maceration at 6°-8°C, vinification in steel vat until 1060-1050 specific gravity, then transferred to 3-10 year 228-litre oak casks, lees stirred at the end of fermentation, raised 9-10 months. 5,500 bottles produced". Wonderfully idiosyncratic. A lovely delicacy and intricacy, one is almost unsure the varietal is Marsanne, such is its elegance. The aftertaste is really delicious and where the wine really comes into its own - savoury, saline, nutty with a note of marzipan and, oddly, a touch of aromatic hops. Brilliant from the young star Romain!

This is a brilliant take on Mourvedre, which can be dense and chewy but here is almost ethereal. The extraction shows some sort of wizardry as the fruit lingers and the tannins are there but are somehow playful and certainly elegant. Well done winemaker Duncan Stuart for this wonderful wine. Because it has power and gracve you can pair it with many mediterranean style dishes. Tim Atkin "Made for the first time as a stand-alone wine in 2024, this is a small but very interesting release of just 1,200 bottles. Fermented with 40% whole bunches, it's a comparatively elegant expression of what can be a tannic grape, showing flavours of clove, pepper, plum and blood orange, a floral top note and savoury tannins." All grapes are handpicked during the early morning hours and then cooled overnight in a temperature - controlled room at 5°C. 40% of these grapes are then crushed and destemmed, whilst the remaining 60% is fermented as whole cluster. Natural fermentation takes place in open fermenters. Extraction is obtained by light punch - downs twice a day. After fermentation is completed, the wine is left on the skins for another seven days and then pressed to neutral oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is completed in the barrel. The wine is then racked from the lees and given a low dose of sulphur. The wine spends a total of 10 months in the barrel before it is bottled.

Produced using the Traditional Method, this Classic cuvee boasts aromas of red apple, conference pear and elderflower. You’ll find notes of ripe apricots, baked apple and roasted hazelnuts on the palate leading to a creamy, vibrant finish.

This is from a 0.75-hectare parcel of vines between 20-60 years old. Bordering Beaune and near Clos des Mouches, the soil is white and chalky. The effect is of a crisp, bouncing energy under a dark-cherry fruit profile. The tannic structure is pronounced but supportive. The French would describe this as digeste – a moreish wine for food.

"I knew our terroirs very well, and knew that we could exploit them to the full. With Romain’s experience of vinifications all around the world, I was happy to launch the domaine". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots, Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here". Father Gérald took over the domaine in 1993, and concentrated on apricots and vines, the grape harvest sent to the Cave de Tain. Son Romain came on to the domaine in 2018; he had worked locally at Gigondas and in the Ventoux at Chêne Bleu, as well as in Virginia in the USA. The cellar was built in 2019. The domaine is HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) registered, a green credential, and the 2022 harvest will be officially organic. 100% Roussanne planted (only 0.3ha) on the very special and unique white Kaolin soils of Chateau de Larnage. This is phenomenal wine from such a young vine (planted in 2018). When looking at the 2022 vintage of this wine our senior buyer Stewart Travers thought the vines need to come on a little to show the terroir a little more to stand up in the market. We were literally knocked straight off of our feet on tasting the 2023 vintage, the vines and the fruit from this wonderful terroir have come on LEAPS and BOUNDS. Deep golden yellow colour, full, rich nose of flowers, quince and a touch of warm spice. Juicy and impressively deep on the palate with the fine acid brilliantly and elegantly holding everything finely in tune on the utterly delightful finish. What a wine, and simply another reason why we so look forward to following Dom. Delhome. Young Romain is a star!