Red Wine

Smells like LUXURY! Super-low yield Barbera from the best sunny spots, some serious winemaking and a lick of posh new oak. What a beauty. What a bargain. Dark, silky, last time I had a Barbera this rich and lush was in California, and it cost 3 tines as much! Nizza is a new top-end DOCG created to separate the best plots of Barbera - great success.

Jerome Billard is 5th generation winemaker at the family domaine in Le Rochepot, a village in the Hautes Cotes above Beaune. The vineyards cover 17 hectares and spans four AOCs, (Aligoté, Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc and Rouge and Crémant) five AOC-villages and three Premier Cru sites, (Saint Aubin Blanc and Rouge and Beaune). Domaine Billard follow biodynamic techniques during winegrowing; using the lunar calendar and restricting machinery on the vineyards Their lovely Percheron horse Raphael ploughs in between rows in none other than Domaine de la Romanee Conti. The house style is for expressive yet gently extracted wines Aromatic, cassis, raspberry, flowerbeds, wild strawberries, and delicate sweet spices of oak. Fresh acidity, persistent fruit, fragrant and spicy. Quite easy and delicious young.

Damien Pagès is the grandson of Marc Pagès (who took on Château la Tour de By in 1966). Château Noaillac is situated 15 kilometres north of Château la Tour de By. Planted to approximately 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 55% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, with an average age of 40 years. Damien is a qualified oenologue and a brilliant winemaker. He describes his 2021 as follows: Charming and complex on the nose, with an elegant balance of fruit and oak aromas. Nice, intense claret colour, rich and full bodied with a long finish. An elegant, silky and luscious wine. Super value, almost too good!

A cherry-packed joy. Lovely to let the sun shine on Sangiovese of Chianti fame, bringing plump ripe fruit with the classic bite. Multi-award winning grower. Great fun for the price Previous International Wine Challenge Abbruzzo Trophy and Gold Medal winner "Vibrant red fruit, crushed morello cherries with herbal undertones; raspberry vanilla oak with spice, lively acidity and firm tannins. Lovely drink"

Chocolate with pretty notes of cherry and blackberry jam! Very round in the mouth, the length develops intensely. A wine with an assertive, gourmet and round character, centered on red fruits and spices, supported by a beautiful tannic frame. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

Attractive, fruit-driven Shiraz. Cherry red with hints of dark plum and chocolate on the nose. The wine is seamlessly balanced with sweet lifted fruit, subtle oak and soft tannins, a delicious wine made to enjoy now.

Strawberries and blackberries aromas slowly rise out of the glass. Overtime, more of the anise and clove will mix with these other aromas. Currently, the wine is young with mouth filling intensity and suppleness. Complexity will increase as the wine ages, but this wine should stay “fresh” for 6 or 7 years. In its youth, match this wine with lamb or dried meats. After a few years, as the flavors coalesce, it will pair better with salmon or mild red sauce with pasta.

Cracking value Chateauneuf from Chateau Fargueirol, whose single varietal Chateauneufs are rightly praised as some of the most exciting wines from the region. Easy to drink young and made in a fruit forward, accessible Grenache-y style.

Made from the native Sicilian grape Nero d'Avola around 30% of which are 'Passito' (ie dried virtually to raisins before pressing) this is lush, juicy and very moreish with a hint of bitter chocolate and sweet black cherry character.

Jérôme and Elisabeth Billard are the 4th generation of his family to have managed Domaine Billard Pere & Fils. Their winery is located in La Rochepot, a village just west of Saint-Aubin. Jérôme has built up the estate's vineyard holdings to an impressive 18.5 hectares, with the largest area in Hautes Cotes de Beaune, as well as Beaune, St Romain, St Aubin, Auxey Duresses and Pommard. Jérôme’s philosophy is "expressing the typicity of the terroir.". Yields are low and grapes are concentrated because of organic farming techniques, extensive pruning and cover crops between vines. His trusty Percheron steed, Raphael, ploughs the vineyards at the estate and for Domaine de la Romanee Conti. Grapes are hand harvested and sorted on a vibrating table to ensure only the best are selected. Winemaking is low intervention. Pinot Noir is foot trodden to gently extract tannins, only natural yeasts are used and wines are left on lees in oak barrels before bottling at the estate. As a consequence of these meticulous efforts, Billard offers high quality wines with layers of complexity and concentration at surprisingly low prices. Flattering wine, offering beautiful ripe red fruits, vanilla notes and fine and moderate tannins. 13% ABV Drink 2027-2032

The 2021 Syrah (Santa Barbara County) is a terrific introduction to the range and the vintage. Bright and floral, with striking depth, the 2021 bristles with energy. Lavender, spice, menthol and licorice abound in this vibrant, beautifully delineated Syrah from Joey Tensley.

The Kerruick family bought this small 5 hectare farm near Bendigo at the beginning of the century, originally planting only Pinot Noir. The Estate Pinot Noir has consisitently won plaudits from wine critics since the 2008 vintage, only their second release. The Ballasalla is made for earlier drinking. 100% destemmed Pinot Noir, aged in oak barriques for 6 months. 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

Cracking value Chateauneuf from Chateau Fargueirol, whose single varietal Chateauneufs are rightly priased as some of the most exciting wines from the region. Easy to drink young and made in a fruit forward, accessible Grenachey style.

Chateau Fargueirol is on great form and offers traditional Chateauneuf du Pape at a superb price. Ripe and garriguey nose with impressive concnetration but a nice easy going texture and ripe tannins that means it can be enjoyed young or after 3-10 years of cellaring.

A very well regarded wine from a great producer. Slightly old-school style but lovley purity with a savoury fruit quality. A relative bargain.

Juliénas is a terroir of schist and blue stone. The same type of soil as on the Côtes de Brouilly and Côtes de Py. In general, these characteristics call for intense and robust wines. At the domaine, I prefer to emphasise the finesse and elegance of the terroirs. My style of vinification with short vatting periods, no punching down and just a few pump-overs, goes very well with this masculine appellation.

Maranges has got to be one of the best value wines in Burgundy, and one of her best secrets. In the hands of a great producer as Bertrand Bachelet it only goes to extend these opinions. A striking nose, with an aroma of red fruit, blackcurrant. Lovely tannic structure, peppery notes and hint of florality.

Huge-Seller, old vines, so natural, purple and juicy. Matthew Jukes of a previous vintage: "mind-blowing, fine-value red... might be one of the finest-value red wines of the year... You must taste this wine..." Most of the grapes come from ancient low-yielding bush vines (not trained on wires) grown around Maduria - the zone 'inside the heel' of Italy, recognised as the best for Primitivo. Wine-making in this region is also ancient: long-predating the Roman era. As we know, Primitivo is Zinfandel of Californian fame. Except that you'd never find a Zinfandel this delicious at the price! This might be one of the finest-value red wines of the year

The black grape of Troy brings a smooth and quaffable texture, great for larger parties as it’s a great all-rounder. Concentrated black fruit flavours and a touch of sweet spice. Organically farmed.

Bright and fruity Merlot that delivers lots of enjoyment at an affordable price.

Patrick Javillier is a perfectionist. He vinifies parcel by parcel giving the wine its concentration and richness. Raspberry and vanilla go hand-in-hand on the nose. Supple, fresh, this wine is discreet and accessible in its youth. Les Grands Liards is located at the foot of the hillside with a clay and limestone soil rich in pebbles. Asian style beef will be enhanced by this Red Savigny-Lès-Beaune.

The Crusher Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a vibrant bouquet of black cherry, toasted oak and captivating pepperiness. Graceful in the mouth, with a silky texture and lively dark berry fruit, flavors of plum and dark chocolate expand on the palate.

Expert winemaking from Guy Vanlancker produces this fantastic Tempranillo from the the exceptional fresh terroir of his La Liviiniere vineyard in Minervois. Aromatic, medium-bodied, rounded red fruits and subtle savoury nuances.

The complete epitome of this iconic wine. Dark fruits, crushed herbs, silky but palpable texture, weightless power, chocolate tannins with wafts of smoky mocha, followed by the length that defines its reputation. When a wine is this true to its hallmarks, one is left with very little to say. Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "Felton Road...consistently reviewed by this publication since the 1997 vintage... pacesetting biodynamic producer." "I almost feel like Felton Road should need no introduction by now. If two decades of excellence isn't enough to convince you to try these wines, what more can I say?" The Wine Society "...legendary status for making some of New Zealand's, and the world's finest pinot noir" Berry Brothers and Rudd "Superb Pinot Noir wine, one of the best examples from outside Burgundy..." Jamessuckling.com Felton Road: The Handsome Prince of New Zealand Pinot. “If Central Otago was the Cote de Nuits, then Bannockburn would be likely be the Vosne Romanee, and I’m ging to hang it right out and say that Felton Road would be the top gun, the DRC.” Decanter Top Scoring Wines of 2021 Felton Road the only NZ 100/100. Wine Spectator Felton Rd no. 12 in the Top 100 Wines of the Word 2018. Drinks International 2023 19/100 World’s most-admired wine brands. Felton Road was the second New Zealand company to join International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) and is a Gold Member.