Red Wine

Elegant, fresh cherry and red berry nose with undergrowth melange. The palate is pure with lovely texture and sweet cherry fruit dominates with spicy undertones. The wine is fresh and intense with real vibrancy.

Corvinone, Corvina, and cab sauv blend from the Veneto region. Nose of rose petal, black fruit, bit jammy with some pepper there. Palate is full bodied, full tannin, medium acid with a grippy Velcro style tannin. Lots of black fruit namely blackberry and berry compote, leather, subtle cocoa, red apple skin giving acidity and structure and a nice minerality strewn throughout. Dry with a medium+ finish. Great value for a baby Amarone.

Intense, almost black, red colour. Aromas of red and black wild berries, truffle, paprika, pepper and clove. The round and silky body so characteristic of ripe Carménère offers a pleasant, persistent and full experience

Bursting with dark berry flavours of blackberry, dark cherry and plums, this Shiraz has soft and supple tannins and a white pepper finish. The fruit for Aloe Tree hails from the increasingly fashionable west coast of the Cape. Cool nights and sea breezes combine to extend the growing season, resulting in perfectly balanced, ripe grapes. The iconic Aloe Tree image is sure to be familiar to anyone who has travelled widely through the Cape and is an important part of the biodiversity which South Africa is famous for. The characteristic silhouette provides a backdrop to one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world where wines grow in harmony with the thousands of plant species that make up the Cape Floral Kingdom. The grapes come from selected vineyard blocks on the west coast. The extra warmth in this area helps develop the full body and ripe flavours of this variety. The vines are planted on Karoo clay soils that add body and texture to the wine. The vines ages vary from 10 to 25 years old. Once the grapes arrive at the winery, the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes fermentation at between 18-22 degrees Celsius for 5 days. Because of the depth of flavour, it requires less oak treatment compared to other grape varieties and matures on French oak for 3 months to improve body and texture. During fermentation the wine is pumped over 3 times a day for colour extraction.

Francois Xavier AKA '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. Syrah 85% Muscat d'Alexandrie 15%

Fairly simple cherry and redcurrant aromas lead to blackcurrants and plums in the mouth, with refreshing acidity and a line of bitterness on the back palate. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed, which perhaps adds that greeness underneath the ripe fruit. A more structured, tannic wine than initially expected, but with lovely fruit - delicious wine.

A deep cherry colour with violet tints. Nose is intense with aromas of ripe red seasonal fruit, subtle hints of violets, rosemary and a touch of black pepper. This Bobal shows distinctive power, vibrant fruit, freshness with soft and ripe tannin. Bobal, ancient and native to the parched plains inland from Valencia grows in gnarled bush-vines like the Shiraz of Barossa. Yields are small and concentration epic. This slinky number is dark and dense but wonderfully juicy, with a coconut spice from oak barrels. A forgotten corner of the wine world, but gosh what a bargain. Certified Organic. Bobal is Spain's second most widely planted red grape but is far less familiar to most wine lovers than the most widely planted, Tempranillo. This good-value, unoaked example is grown at high altitude on north- and south-facing slopes by the Altolandon estate, 90 minutes north of Valencia. Deeply coloured, it has some of the rusticity that is associated with the grape, with attractive, slightly spicy blue- and blackberry fruit. Fairly simple, with lightly grippy tannins and good acidity - try it with lamb chops.

The latest vintage from the legend of Lebanon.

First-growth intensity on the nose. Very sweet – maybe not quite the freshness of some vintages – but definitely first growth in terms of build. Great stuff! Pure pleasure.

The Crusher Pinot Noir is powerfully aromatic, with notes of pomegranate, rose petal and nutmeg. Juicy and spicy on the palate, this wine exudes flavours of plum, glazed strawberry and cinnamon bread from 12 months of French oak aging.

Ancient vine grown in the ancient Taranto region - the inside of the heel. Inky dark, packed with plum and spice. Very natural winemaking, very lush endearing wine.

The idea of this ??wine came out during a curious meeting between “wine experts”: Valentino Sciotti, today CEO of the “Farnese Group”, Filippo Baccalaro, chief winemaker of the same group and third generation of Piedmontese winemakers, Hugh Johnson, the most famous wine journalist in the world, and Jean Marc Sauboua of the third generation of Bordeaux winemakers. During that particular meeting, 18 years ago, Hugh Johnson launched a challenge to the two young winemakers: that of creating a “great wine” with the character of “Southern Italy”, forged with the best varietals of that territory; a wine with the modest name of “table wine”, but with the soul of “a great wine”, that stands out for its ability to be unique and extraordinarily superior to what the market offers. Montepulciano, Primitivo, Negroamaro, Sangiovese & Malvasia Nera. Astonishing 3-time winner of 99/100 Luca Maroni "Best Italian Red 2018". Previous IWC Abruzzo Trophy. Grower voted best in Italy 3 times. Massive, Epic wine. 100% new oak (60% American 40% French)

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"

It's here, the 'Coulsh-Rotie". Simon "The Coulsh'" Coulshaw's fabulous take on this iconic wine. "I put this glass of wine to my nose, and had I not been firmly anchored to a chair, would have taken five steps back. The aroma swept me off my feet. Indescribable. Wild. One Thousand and One Nights distilled into a glass. Heady and exotic and riddled with rose petals and spice and coiled with riddles and one sniff of this is poetry and myth and folklore and kitchen table and campfire and someone's cigarette stubbed out at 3 am in lonely finality. Garrigue-spiced aromatics spiral through rock, plant, seed, flower with dazzling complexity. One moment it's rose petals, so delicate you could brush a baby's lips with it; the next it's hot tar, underground angry, rocks shifting deep in the cracks of the earth. This is a velvety, cocoa-dusted, amped-up-then-restrained, dark-horse beauty. Vertical, dark, slub-silk fruit with overtones of tamari and dark chocolate, crushed coffee beans and sweet forest-floor earth. Long and the kind of wine that coils around you slowly, sinuously, sensuously. Worth every penny. You'd pay three times this for a Rhône of this stature". (TC) 18/20 jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2023 - 2035 Published on 29 Nov 2021 Date tasted 29 Nov 2021

2012 Vintage Report 2012 was rated as a ‘very good’ vintage in Rioja. The year was defined by the lack of rain which was 25% lower than normal for the region with over a third of the rainfall falling after the harvest. High spring and summer temperatures resulted in picking starting early. The rain finally began to fall on 11th October, extending the harvest by an extra week but all grapes were in by 18th October, which is still early for Haro. Given the dry conditions, yields were down as grapes were small. However, they were also very healthy and López de Heredia are very happy with the quality of the vintage, saying that the wines, ‘continue to develop favourably in terms of freshness and fineness’ and that they have a long ageing potential. The 2012 is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacho with the remaining 10% a mix of Graciano and Mazuelo. The wine was aged in barrel for 6 years, being racked twice per year and fined with fresh egg whites. Overall, the wine has spent 10 years maturing in the perfect, cool conditions of López de Heredia’s incredible underground cellars and was bottled in January 2022. Tasting Notes The nose of the 2012 Tondonia Tinto Reserva is gloriously open, perfumed and fine. Gentle aromas of jamón and cured leather mingle with subtle notes of raspberry tea and a touch of musky, cedar spice. A sweet red cherry compote top note comes through but, above all, this is remarkably scented, floral and mineral-pure Tondonia. The palate is incredibly fresh with well-defined red fruit and a vibrating hint of orange zest at the back. This is a more accessible and less dense style than the previous two vintages but that is more than compensated for by its superb poise and sense of energy. Reminiscent of the lovely 2009 in its charm, the wine dances on the palate towards the focused, pure finish. Delicious. Drink 2024 (decanted) to 2042. Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer BBR “2012 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva (13%)

Simon Coulshaw makes natural wines: no cultured yeast, enzymes, chemical tannins or fining product and farming with respect to the environment, although the domaine isn't certified organic. jancisrobinson.com Review: Full bottle 1,126 g. 65% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan, organically and biodynamically farmed. Out of the 22 ha that Simon Coulshaw has under vine, 16 are in Faugère and 6 in Pézenas. But, as Coulshaw points out, they are more than 30 km from Pézenas, so while vineyards for the appellation are typically on villafranchian and clay-limestone soils or on black, grey and blue schist, this vineyard is on golden schist. (Coulshaw at this point goes into a charming rhapsody about how beguilingly beautiful schist is...) Le Pech Mege is a single vineyard, the most isolated of all his Pézenas vineyards. Spontaneous fermentation, stainless steel, low sulphite additions, minimal interventions. Coulshaw recommends that this wine is drunk cooler than room temperature. I'd pop it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to get it down to around 16 °C/61 °F. “It's rare that a Languedoc wine (or any wine, to be frank) can pull off the tightrope balance of pert, outright cheeky freshness and straightforward fruit whilst being pretty dense and concentrated at the same time. This wine defies the laws of gravity. At its heart, there is a deep tobacco-leaf wrapped, chocolate-streaked, umeboshi-plum and soy-umami savouriness, notes of reduced beef stock and game glimmering in the gloaming. But radiating out towards the edges of the wine is this confident, gregarious, sap-filled mulberry fruit and puppy-playful acidity that seems to roll around with gleeful abandon. Supple, lightly astringent but fully ripe tannins. A wine of the vineyard, of the vintage; a wine that shines with a sense of who and what it is”. GV (TC) Alcohol 14% Score 17/20 When to drink 2022 – 2026 Published on 29 Nov 2021 Date tasted 29 Nov 2021 Reviewer Tamlyn Currin

2012 Vintage Report 2012 was rated as a ‘very good’ vintage in Rioja. The year was defined by the lack of rain which was 25% lower than normal for the region with over a third of the rainfall falling after the harvest. High spring and summer temperatures resulted in picking starting early. The rain finally began to fall on 11th October, extending the harvest by an extra week but all grapes were in by 18th October, which is still early for Haro. Given the dry conditions, yields were down as grapes were small. However, they were also very healthy and López de Heredia are very happy with the quality of the vintage, saying that the wines, ‘continue to develop favourably in terms of freshness and fineness’ and that they have a long ageing potential. The 2012 is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacho with the remaining 10% a mix of Graciano and Mazuelo. The wine was aged in barrel for 6 years, being racked twice per year and fined with fresh egg whites. Overall, the wine has spent 10 years maturing in the perfect, cool conditions of López de Heredia’s incredible underground cellars and was bottled in January 2022. Tasting Notes The nose of the 2012 Tondonia Tinto Reserva is gloriously open, perfumed and fine. Gentle aromas of jamón and cured leather mingle with subtle notes of raspberry tea and a touch of musky, cedar spice. A sweet red cherry compote top note comes through but, above all, this is remarkably scented, floral and mineral-pure Tondonia. The palate is incredibly fresh with well-defined red fruit and a vibrating hint of orange zest at the back. This is a more accessible and less dense style than the previous two vintages but that is more than compensated for by its superb poise and sense of energy. Reminiscent of the lovely 2009 in its charm, the wine dances on the palate towards the focused, pure finish. Delicious. Drink 2024 (decanted) to 2042. Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer BBR “2012 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva (13%)

From Yves Falmet: My ‘L'ivresse des Cimes’ label is made from grapes grown on the steepest plots in my vineyard, located right at the top of the hillside. My best expression each year of 'Saint-Chinian'.

Utterly charming and gluggable Beaujolais, brimming with raspberry flavour, with smooth tannins and bright acidity. You can chill this a little or just knock it back with some charcuterie, cheese or olives.

From Yves Falmet: My ‘A Contre Courant’ label is made from grapes from the oldest Carignan and Grenache plots in my vineyard. But what makes this wine outstanding is its maturation under a veil of yeast for four years. Wines matured under a veil of yeast are characterised by the spontaneous development of yeasts which form a veil on the surface of the wine in contact with the ambient air (during its barrel ageing phase). This technique, which is uncommon for wine because of the risk of acetic souring when stored in containers with ullage, gives it specific aroma and flavour characters of fig, tobacco and candied cherry and a substantial finish on the palate. Of the very few wines matured this way, Vin Jaune from Jura is particularly renowned, but there are no red wines. By maturing a red wine using this technique, I am actually going counter to modern standardised winemaking, hence the name of the wine, which means "flying in the face" of established standards and the "tastefully correct". This is a wine I have created for true wine enthusiasts, those who do not resign themselves to the standardisation of taste, to stereotyped and uniform wines, in short, to the prevailing trend for ultra-conformism.

Bright ruby red with nose of violets and red fruits, this dry red wine from the Beaujolais region of Burgundy is bursting with ripe red berry fruit flavours. It is soft and fresh, with delicate light tannins. Good acidity with medium body, 13.5% abv and fine tannins. Flavours of bright blackberry and plum with a good length spicy finish. Very versatile food wine that can be enjoyed with meat, plant-based dishes and even fish like tuna.

From Yves Falmet: My ‘Aramon’ label is made entirely from this grape variety. Among my Carignan vines, the oldest in my vineyard at over 80 years old, there are still a few Aramon vines. This is because the custom at the time was to mix a few grape varieties within the same plot. Aramon used to be one of the most ubiquitous grape varieties in Languedoc, but it has been almost eradicated in recent decades. Like Cinsault, is has been completely discarded in favour of other grape varieties regionally. However, in a quality site such as the Terres Falmet vineyard, when carefully grown, harvested at the peak of ripeness and skilfully vinted, it produces a beautiful, subtly tannic red wine that is fresh and fruity.

Opens with bold aromas of boysenberry, black cherry and a bevy of vanilla nuances. On the palate, this wine is fruit-driven with flavours of pomegranate, black cherry, fresh cranberry and nutmeg.

Wonderful. The best value Pinot Noir we have found from the Languedoc. Fine, fruity and elegant. Simply delicious.