Red Wine

An intense ruby red colour. Vinous and clean aromas with hints of red berry fruits. Round in the mouth and medium bodied. A well-rounded finish with mellow tannin.

We're very excited about this stunning new release from our friends at Il Palazzone. Please see below notes from their site: "2020 sees the release of a small bottling of 2000 liters of Brunello made from fruit exclusively from this special vineyard. Vintage 2015 is the first Le Due Porte Brunello. 2000 liters represents under half of the wine made from these 1.24 hectares (3 acres). Le Due Porte is 540 metres above sea level. Budbreak is later here, often avoiding issues with late frosts and snow. Ripening is slow and constant. The soil profile preserves humidity; important when making a wine such as Brunello that does not contemplate irrigation. Alberese has high levels of calcium carbonate which favors acidity, aided and abetted by the slower ripening and later harvest due to the exposition and altitude. We generally pick Le Due Porte as much as two weeks after our vineyards in Castelnuovo dell’Abate and are often amongst the last in Montalcino to harvest. The grapes develop organoleptic complexity from that extra hang-time and from the pronounced difference between day and night temperatures. In fact the altitude guarantees extreme thermal excursion even in hotter years which is wonderful for aromatic development. Over the last two decades we have seen, year after year, a pronounced character emerge in the fruit from this vineyard, a wine that maintains the typical structure of a Brunello vecchio stampo and epitomises finesse and elegance."

71 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 % Merlot, 3 % Petit Verdot, 2 % Cabernet Franc. On the gravel hills of St Estephe, this estate is owned by the Casteja family who own Ch Batailley and Ch Lynch Moussas in Pauillac. Heady aromatics, berry fruit, liquorice, blackcurrant. A touch floral and plummy. Quite dense with plenty of flavour, quite firm tannins, with the possibility of good ageing.

Grippy structured tannin supporting fat, plump black fruit. Should mature well.

Château Haut Boutisse, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, is a family property that has existed since the middle of the 19th century. Located on the foothills of Saint Emilion, the soil (Graves, clay-limestone and sandy loam) is similar to the greatest properties in Saint-Emilion.. A beautiful garnet colour. The complex nose presents a beautiful synergy between aromas of jammy strawberry and rose accompanied by fine smoky notes and dried figs. The mouth has a very nice balance between volume and freshness. The harvest is done manually. Vinification is a cold pre-fermentation maceration followed by alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats with pumping over/punching down. The wine is aged for 15 months in new barrels (90%) and concrete vats (10%).

This Claret is fresh and balanced. The blend is Merlot-based and the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, giving a nice aroma of spice and wood smoke. The palate is fleshy with a hint of plum, the tannins fine and firm, leading to a generous finish. Drink now to 2036 Château Laroque, one of the oldest estates in Saint-Émilion, traces its origins to the 12th century. A steadfast witness to the passing ages, the château stands high above the landscape, with its fortified tower—a relic of its medieval past—surveying the land. Positioned on an extraordinary limestone plateau, Laroque enjoys a unique terroir at the intersection of Saint-Émilion's finest soils. To the west, limestone outcrops similar to those at Clos Fourtet lend the wines finesse and a distinct minerality. Further east, layers of red clay intermingle with hard limestone, evoking the characteristic terroirs of Pavie-Macquin and Troplong-Mondot. And along the sunset-facing slopes, rich in Fronsadais molasses, one is reminded of the hallowed grounds of Ausone and Tertre-Roteboeuf. After lying dormant for several decades, Laroque was brought back to life in the 1960s by the Beaumartin family. Today, under the stewardship of Stanislas Droin and David Suire, the estate shines once more, crafting wines of remarkable intensity and authenticity, steeped in history and shaped by the profound character of this exceptional terroir.

A selection of 3 reds we know you will love, all discounted by 15% 2 x Homiga Negra Malbec 2023, Mendoza 2 x Chateau Saint Paulin 2022 Bordeaux Rouge 2 x Finca Besaya Rioja Crianza 2021 Contents may vary from image

Intense dark red with a hint of violet. The bouquet gives an impression of sweet earthiness and lifted florals, blueberries, fresh tobacco, white pepper and spice. Pure florals, red berries and a silky texture.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot. Ageing: 16 months in barriques. Bright, dense crimson. Rich and lively no doubt this is on the warm coast rather than inland and uphill but it does taste Tuscan. There’s a light mintiness, but lots of interest too. A complete wine with a beginning, middle and end. 17/20 Drinking Window 2022-2032 Jancis Robinson MW

Ruby red colour. Aromas of raspberry, cherry and spice. Very good balance in the palate. Fruity and supple.

Authentic baby wine from Chateauneuf's 1st Parker-100 grower. Unfiltered/unfined, supple, herbal, warming, a cracking value quaffer.

Le Finage, which means territory, is the name given to this wine from different Marsannay plots. The vines grow on several clay-limestone soils, producing a fully rounded wine, in which you will find energetic tannins, fruity aromas (raspberry), and spices. Consistency and freshness mark the finish of this perfect ambassador for the appellation. We recommend drinking this wine during its dynamic first 5 years, but it can be kept for longer. It may be necessary to decant certain vintages in their first few years. Depending on the vintage, we use 50% whole-bunch fermentation. The wine is aged for about 12 months in barrels (with 15% of new barrels) and 6 months in stainless steel tanks.

Pessac-Leognan, just south of the city of Bordeaux, features gravel-rich soils that produce wines with excellent clarity and definition. Odyssée is a cuvée by Château Haut Nouchet, and its vines are some of the highest elevation in the appellation. The blend is about 60/40 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, with a splash of Petit Verdot. We found this wine impressive in its combination of intensity and restraint. The nose is dark and polished with plum and wild cherries, and notes of liquorice and spice. The mouth is inky and dark but the fruit is laid over a beautifully clean structure of fine gravely tannin. This is a classy, sleek Bordeaux with a beautifully balanced mouthfeel, that tastes a lot more expensive than it is.

Pineau - a fortified wine, made from either fresh, unfermented grape juice or a blend of lightly fermented grape must, to which a Cognac eau-de-vie is added and then matured.

Pinot Noir - the classic grape of Burgundy. It's not only the place it shines but it's the place that most growers want to measure their wines against and we start this selection with a terrific wine from the famed Cotes de Nuits village of Morey-Saint-Denis. Remi Jeanniard is a 5th generation vigneron who has 20 acres of prime land, including Grand Cru Clos de la Roche, 1er Cru and village wines in Morey, Chambolle and Gevrey. He's a class act as his old vine Morey 2024 attests. We've matched it up with another non-Burgundian Pinot Noir, Danbury Ridge, from a bit closer to home. As in being from Essex, England. Our third wine comes from the a bit further south. South Africa, to be precise. It's the lovely Idun Crepuscule Pinot Noir 2022. This case contains: Morey Saint Denis Vieilles Vignes 2024 Dom. Remi Jeanniard Danbury Ridge Pinot Noir, 2023 Essex Idun Crepuscule Pinot Noir 2022, Elgin (Contents may vary from image - the list here is correct.)

Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch. Young, bright, natural, vibrantly juicy quaffer from Pittnauer, one of Austria's most exciting Natural/Biodynamic small family growers.

Organic and Fairtrade. This wine has a rich dark colour with a smoky and vanilla nose. Dark fruit on the palate gives the wine an all-round juiciness. Oaky tannins impart a spicy finish with good structure.

Tasting note: Deep ruby color. Ripe mountain blackberry and cassis, anise, lavender, violets, sweet toasted oak and earthy, mineral components. Bold fruit at entry coupled with fine-grained tannins and firm acidity. Layered and complex mid-palate with a long, intense finish. Vintage Notes: Warm weather in August, especially at the higher elevations, expedited ripeness. For the first time, we harvested from the top vineyard at Perrone to the bottom at Klein. The drought reduced yields by more than a third, resulting in small berries with exceptional tannin and color concentration. This year, instead of all parcels finishing malolactic in barrel as in the past, sixty percent finished in tank. This classic Monte Bello will develop over the next twenty to twenty-five years. Winemaking: 100% new oak barrels: 92% American oak, 8% French oak; nineteen months in barrel. Hand-harvested; estate grown Monte Bello Vineyard grapes, destemmed and sorted; fermented on the native yeasts; full malolactic on the naturally occurring bacteria; oak from barrel aging; minimum effective sulfur 35 ppm at crush, 108 ppm during aging; depth filtered at bottling. In keeping with our philosophy of minimal intervention, this is the sum of our actions.

Classic, cool Cabernet Franc. Herbal aromas with blackcurrants, oak, cream and brambly fruit and lively acidity combine in a wine that is ready to drink. An emblematic property of Anjou, the Château de Fesles and its wine estate were built in the 11th century at the top of the 4th highest point in the Loire Valley. Its exceptional geographical position as well as its proximity to the Layon river allow it to produce wines with a distinguished and complex character.

A wonderfully fresh and juicy Chinon, perfect for summer drinking. Chill it and enjoy in the sun! From the website of UK agents Thorman Hunt: Domaine Grosbois is a 9h Domaine run by two brothers, Nicolas and Sylvain. Their family vineyard is located at a place called “The Pressoir” Panzoult in the Chinon appellation in the heart of the Loire Valley. Nicolas arrived at the family estate in 2008, after spending 10 years as a “flying winemaker” and having spent time in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Oregon. After his time abroad, Nicolas strongly believes in not vinifying and ageing in wood, choosing concrete instead to preserve the freshness and vitality. No old oak has been used since 2015. Sylvain similarly spent time abroad in Chile, Oregon working for Domaine Drouhin and Australia. The brothers are passionate about organic viticulture and show their wines at The Raw Wine Fair. The Cuisine de ma mère comes from their young vines from clay and sand and is designed for early drinking. The grapes are destemmed and undergo a 5-day skin maceration, fermented in concrete and then aged in concrete.

Las Condes Merlot has clean and intense aromas of ripe red fruits especially plums, cherries and strawberries accompanied with cinnamon notes. The palate offers these same flavours and confirms a well-balanced wine with soft tannins and a pleasant finish

Delicious, pure, pale and elegant Garnacha from old vines close to Valencia on the family-owned estate run by Lucia Serratosa and her team. Pale ruby, floral and fruity nose, juicy soft tannins and ripe berry fruit. Very moreish.

First planted in 1860, the ‘Hill of Grace’ vineyard has been in the Henschke family since 1891, with Cyril Henschke producing its first single-vineyard Shiraz in 1958. Planted at 400 metres above sea level, this 4-hectare vineyard is named after the Gnandenberg Lutheran Church opposite (‘Gnadenberg’ translates to ‘Hill of Grace’ in German). The site’s original ‘Ancestors’ vines are now approximately 160 years old and remain at the heart of the ‘Hill of Grace’ vineyard, alongside a small selection of ungrafted ‘Centenarians’ (vines over 100 years old), ‘Survivors’ (vines over 70 years old) and ‘Old Vines’ (over 35 years old). The 2019 vintage was aged for 18 months in oak hogsheads, of which 20% was new and 80% seasoned (90% French and 10% American). 19.5+ points – Matthew Jukes, March 2024,MatthewJukes.com 97 points – Sarah Ahmed, March 2024,Decanter.com 19.5 points – Jancis Robinson MW, March 2024,JancisRobinson.com 97 points – Erin Larkin, April 2024,WineAdvocate.com 99 points – Dave Brookes, April 2024,WineCompanion.com.au 97 points – Huon Hooke, February 2024,The Real Review

An excellent example of the high-quality viticulture of Maipú, Mendoza, this Baudrón Hormiga Negra Malbec comes from one of the most fascinating wine regions in the world. Located to the east of the Andes, Maipú is a privileged terroir with a desert climate ideal for growing grapes. The marked temperature variations between day and night, together with the well-drained, mineral-rich soils, give the wines a unique concentration and complexity. Made from 100% Malbec grapes, this vine is known for its ability to produce deep, full-bodied wines with intense aromas and a robust tannic structure. After the grapes are crushed and destemmed, the must undergoes controlled fermentation at temperatures between 25º and 29ºC, which preserves and enhances the fruity aromas without compromising the structure. Periodic pumping over during fermentation ensures optimal extraction of polyphenols and tannins, contributing to the smoothness and complexity of the wine. The result is a dark red wine with ruby highlights. The nose reveals a complex bouquet of red fruits, such as cherries and currants, with delicate notes of spices and vanilla. In the mouth, it is soft and velvety, with well-integrated tannins and a balanced acidity that supports the wine's freshness and structure. Although it is rich and structured, it maintains a balance that makes it enjoyable even when young. Perfect with cold cuts and red meat dishes, it is a wine that enhances rich and intense flavours. Its fruity notes and velvety structure go well with the fattiness of cured meats and red meats.