Orange Wine

Very rare indeed. A tiny amount for the UK. Ubuntu is organically grown 80% Grenache Gris and 20% Grenache Noir from schist soil over a bed of clay-limestone that sees skin macération and whole bunch fermentation for seven days. This fermenting juice is transferred and left to breed in amphora for five months. Bottled with a very low dose of sulphites, unfined and unfiltered. Amazing tension. This feels like a "light red wine" to us (albeit one with tension and real interest), so that's what we have called it. Amazing, and in limited quantities.

The Bel a Ciao name was taken from the name of a revolutionary song, Oliviers wine making can be quite 'revolutionary' and he doesn’t like sticking to the rule book! The wine has refreshing citrus aromas such as tangerine as well as wild flowers. The mouth is fresh, lively and complex with notes of fresh tropical and citrus fruits. A slightly spicy, long lemon finish. The lack of sulfites used in the vineyard and in production combined with careful winemaking, this wine has incredibly low sulfite levels in the finished wine.

90/100 decanter! Aged for 5-6 months in qvevri, this Rkatsiteli from Shilda Village of Kakheti has an exotic nose of pineapple, ginger and citrus blossom. Bruised yellow apple, quince and grapefruit on the creamy palate, textured with grippy tannins, balanced with elegant acidity. Spiced on the finish with lingering dried mango notes.

Point Triple 2023 is a blend of co-fermented whole bunch Macabeu (schist) and Grenache Blanc (clay) seeing seven days skin macération together. After breeding, a portion of Muscat a Petit Grain (clay-limestone) that sees skin macération and whole bunch fermentation for twenty days, is blended with the other portion one month before bottling. This delightful, wild fermented, textural, insanely bright but savoury maceration wine comes in at a digestible 12% abv. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a very low dose of sulphites.

Francois Xavier AKA 'FX'. FX worked with Tom Lubbe at Domaine Matassa for five years. He spent a further year with Domaine Danjou-Banessy. After such time this local lad set up in Espira to make his own wholly exciting wines which we are introducing the UK for the first time. Dom. des Lampyres Luminescence 2023 Vin de France 11% alc Skin macération Muscat Petit Grain 70% (on terroir clay limestone) and 30% Muscat d’Alexandrie (terroir clay) . The two parcels were fermented separately with their wild, indigenous yeasts. There was 15 days skin maceration whole bunch for the Muscat a Petit Grain and 20 days whole bunch for the Muscat d’Alexandrie. The Muscat a Petit Grain was aged in cuve for nine months and the Muscat d’Alexandrie was aged for seven months in 10hl Amphora. Juices blended one month before bottling. 2g/hl sulphites added prior to bottling. One of the finest maceration wines of the Roussillon. The 2022 slightly lusher than the 2021. Absolutely awesome wine.

What happens when you make an 'orange wine' with Pinot Gris. Watermelon pink in colour with pink rose petals, violets, fennel and hints of pickled ginger, rhubarb and red plums. Tangy red berries and Moroccan spice on the palate. Fresh and crunchy with just the right amount of tannin to clean the palate.

Rkatsiteli grapes, fermented and aged in Qvevri for 6 months with skin contact. Deep amber, wild and intense. Great food wine.

An expressive, slighlty mental example of Orange wine from Georgia. A hugley impressive and aromatic nose with notes of apricot jam, marmalade, spice and dried fruits which are mirrored on the textural and concentrated palate. A great intro to Orange wine, with no lack of the character and structure associated with the style. A must-try.

El Porvenir's march into the future continues with the 'Pequenas Fermentaciones' range of small, experimental wines. This being a tight and floral Torrentes and Moscatel blend.

This ‘Orange’ wine is bright yet slightly cloudy in colour thanks to the natural approach to winemaking; with no stabilisation, fining or filtration resulting in a wine with very low sulphur levels. The bouquet is a beautiful mix of citrus, grapefruit, apple and white flesh fruits that follows onto the palate. Complemented by Mediterranean herbs and a backbone of fresh acidity.

Dark straw colour with orange hints, the nose is a delicate mélange of quince, poire william and a hint of vanilla. A complex and structured wine, with elegant but discreet fruit flavours of stone fruits, backed up with a powerful tannin structure and long finish. A natural minimal intervention wine which is well balanced and structured yet pure and incredibly fresh.

100% Muscat d'Alexandre, fermented on skins (orange). Fermented dry, jasmine tea, crystallised fruit. A real one-off and hugely in-demand. 2024 is super thrilling stuff. A sensational SuperNova!

It's not exactly white wine, nor red - many call it Orange or Amber wine...but we like to call it Esoterico. Winemakers Notes.. "We've had a desire to create a wine like this for some time. In representation of a winemaking style that has existed for many millennia out of countries like Georgia, and influenced the styles of winemaking seen in Friuli, Sicily and Pantelleria. It's not exactly white wine, nor red - many call it Orange or Amber wine...but we like to call is Esoterico. It's a purposeful blend of three white wine varieties, left on their skins (much like red wine) - to develop rich aromatics and a lean, driven palate. Being very aware of how drying these wines could be - we specifically sought four varieties - Muscat d'Alessandria (for it’s sweeter aromatics and waxy/oily mouthfeel), Bianco d’Alessano (for it’s acidity) and Riesling (for it’s astringency). In varying amounts, we seek to achieve a synergistic orchestra between components. We make no additions of any kind - save for sulphur when we bottle the wine. There is no fining or filtration involved, with the wine allowed to clarify by gravity alone - resulting in a slight haze and sediment. This was one of the most enjoyable wines to craft, as there was no preconceived idea of what it must taste like - the chief driver was drinkability. We searched for a wine that gave you the thirst - a 'scrumptious' quality - mouthwatering acidity and 'say hello!' tannins. It's a Bohemian at heart".