In 2012 Theo Coles discovered the Limestone Hills vineyard in Canterbury in the north of New Zealand’s South Island. Owned by Gareth Renowdon, Theo agreed to make some wine with him from his 1000 or so Pinot Noir vines. Limestone Hills vineyard is naturally farmed, and the first vintage (2012) was that way too — no additions and matured in old oak. Since then Theo has expanded the range to include the skin fermented Sauvignon Blanc and Müller-Thurgau, a field blend rosé and another Pinot Noir. The fruit comes from tiny vineyards throughout the Canterbury region, all naturally farmed without chemicals and Theo is keen to stress that every wine has its own story to tell. We agree and would add that this is some of the most exciting wine to come out of New Zealand for a long time; a turning point for authentic, artisan winemakers in a country so often associated with mass-produced wine. These are wines with personality, depth, complexity and most importantly, drinkability. This Pinot Noir comes from a small close planted vineyard on the Omihi slopes. The soil is predominantly clay with bands of limestone and iron oxide. As the clay is the dominating force through the soil, it brings a richness and flesh to this wine. The use of whole bunches helps to add floral aromatics and length to balance out this richness. The structural elements and aroma gained from using whole bunches in Pinot Noir from North Canterbury also serves to promote longevity in the wine. It’ll make for fascinating drinking over the coming years. This wine has approximately 75% whole bunches in the ferment. It was fermented with indigenous yeasts. It underwent a natural malolactic fermentation. It has no sulphur added until bottling. It is unfined and unfiltered.

Classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc from a declassified 3ha plot in Pouilly-Fumé. Fragrant, with pure juicy fruit and a slight grassy edge. Grown and made by David and Shirley Maudry at their dynamic young estate, Maison Lispaul.

This zero alcohol sparkling displays typical Glera grape characteristics, with accents of apple, peach and pear fruit flavours combined with lovely floral notes. Vegan friendly and gluten free. 2021 People’s Choice Drinks Mindful Drinking Winner

Aromatic guava and orange blossom jump from the glass – this Chenin Blanc is off dry with ripe apples, peaches and a hint of orange peel on the palate. The elegant crisp finish makes this a fantastic wine for all occasions. 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. Chenin blanc is well adapted for various soil types, but our premium grapes are grown on medium to lower potential soils. Yield levels are limited by winter pruning and by removing shoots and leaving two or three shoots per spur during early spring. Canopy management is required as it plays a major role in yield and quality to ensure an optimum microclimate within the canopy. With its vigorous growth, medium-sized trellises are required and shoot positioning are done to maximize canopy surface. Grapes are harvested at a minimum of 21.5°Brix, but we aim for 22°Brix. Once the Chenin Blanc grapes are harvested, they arrive at the winery where the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes cold fermentation at 14 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks before lying on the lees for 3 months.

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.

Crisp white fruit and apricot nose with a light nutty element and a Meursault-esque butteriness. Dry, soft but fresh acidity. A lovely depth of mineral laced, grassy white fruit with hints of apricot and nuts. Xarel-lo 100% Producer Profile In the little town of Vilafranca del Penedes in Cataluña, Irene and Laurent are challenging the traditional perception of DO Penedes wine. Converting their vineyards from the typical Penedes high yields and abandoning all forms of chemical treatment and fertilisers, they follow basic organic practices. Much of the construction and equipping of their cellar was modest and homemade, including building their own tanks. Production remains small, yet as they identify further small vineyard sites their range has extended to include distinctive wines from the indigenous varietal Xarel-lo, which they choose to do extended fermentation with, using indigenous yeast and it is then left on its lees to increase the richness and compexity. Viticulture With vines trained gobelet style, the vineyards are approximately 45 years old, on clay and limestone soils, yielding approximately 4000 kg / Ha. Practicing lutte raisonnée. Winemaking Vinification in 228l and 700l french oak barrels, fermented with wild yeast, after fermentation 2/3 parts are aged in 700 litre French oak barrels and 1/3 parts in stainless steel.

JancisRobinson.com: “Dry-farmed at 480 m in Alagni, central Crete. Skin contact for 10 hours for 5% of the grapes that are harvested early and fermented separately. Fermented in tank at 17–19 °C and aged 4 months on lees. TA 5 g/l, pH 3.33, RS 2.18 g/l. Intense aroma of bayleaf and rosemary, dramatically herbal without being green or unripe. The small percentage that had skin contact has given this a brilliantly judged texture, just a very slight grip, so it is not just about the aromatics. Moderate acidity, but freshened by that grip and the low pH. Wonderfully aromatic and so true to the variety, without being a caricature. (Julia Harding). Drink now-2021.” 16.5 points

5 stars (95 points) Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide - "Cape classic released a year later than Paul Sauer, needing time to show its best. Dark & brooding 2016 has aristocratically austere edge to its cassis & cigarbox notes & full-flavoured generosity. Absorbs 50% new oak easily; big tannins not even formidable in youth."

The soils of Goldert Grand Cru and Jurassic limestone marl, the same as in southern Jura. This is a stunning wine. Floral, pretty, aromas at first, then a hint of peach yoghurt, and a final menthol, eucalyptus whiff. On the palate alongside these explosive flavours there is some charming toastiness and salinity. This salinity goes hand in hand with the acidity to create a wine of precision and balance. The Goldert Muscat has remarkable ageing potential. We were lucky enough to taste the 1964 at the winery. An intriguing, dry, salty wine, but charming all the same. The nose was complex with petrol-like characters, wormwood, orange pith, polish, camphor, and sweet spice. The palate was bone dry, and though the fruit had faded, the wine still had great persistence with a gentle acidity swathe of acidity running all the way through. Tasted at the Domaine March 2020, AA

Tasted at the Domaine March 2020 "Slight rosiness to the colour. A very different wine. Meaty, savoury aromas. A broad, fleshy palate, yet precise with no oiliness. It’s almost beyond any Pinot Gris I’ve ever tasted. A touch of florality on the finish brings the wine back in to line. Refreshing and foody." AA

Outstanding value cuvée made from grapes from Clos Jebsal, Clos Windsbuhl, and Heimbourg. Pinot Gris grows particularly well on limestone soils. The palate it rich and creamy with a velvety texture, yet the wine is fully dry.

Rangen de Thann is one of the most Southerly vineyards of Alsace. Volcanic soils, and vertiginous slopes. This site is so difficult to work it requires that estate to employ four full time staff for just 5.5ha! This wine fermented to full dryness in just 3 weeks. No MLF. Elegant, floral, charming. Savoury, smoky, bright. Hot, and dormant.

As the name indicates, all the vineyards are located on the poor granitic soils of the Brand hillside. It is in fact the second wine of the Grand Cru Brand. These precocious and warm granitic soils produce wines that have a vertical structure, always expressive at a young age and never shy on their aromatic potential. Tasted at the Domaine March 2020: "Fruit from Brand Grand Cru. Pretty much a declassified second wine. Soils here are biotype pink granite. This wine comes from seven parcels: two planted 1947-49, three planted in the early 1980s, and two planted about 20yrs ago under biodynamics. New release. It seems like there’s a bit of bottle shock here. It’s rather muted at the moment. There is some fleshier fruit on the palate, and it is absolutely bone dry. Bitter fruits. Pithy. Smoky finish. ." AA

Racy passion fruit, tangerine and gooseberry flavours are graceful and elegant, with a lovely, alive mouth feel and a medium body. A zingy acidity adds to the elegance, and the flavours echo on the finish.

Super-concentrated, rich, raisiny and fruity braced with orange zest. Winner of loads of medals. Cracking value.

This baby wine of SA's most famed grand Bordeaux-blend Rubicon is on astonishing form. 50% new Nevers oak, 27% Cab Franc. Dense but taut with cab franc lift, pencil lead, capsicum, the whole spectrum of Cabernet class at a crazy good price.

This wine is ruby red in colour with violet hues. On the nose, there are intense aromas of black and red fruits, with a touch of mint. This wine is concentrated and complex, with soft, round tannins and a great freshness on the finish.

A classically elegant Coonawarra Cabernet vinified using carefully selected oak barrels. Blackcurrant fruit, liquorice and mineral characters are enhanced by cedary French oak. Beautifully balanced with a long, textured finish. Deep rich red in colour, the nose is very perfumed with aromas of blackberry, violets, cassis and graphite combined with fine mocha-coffee notes from the use of French oak. The palate is structured and elegant with ripe cassis fruit and a fine tannin finish.

An off-dry Riesling, this is a virtual fruit salad of mandarin, white peaches, crisp apples, lemon blossom, a hint of sherbet and a dollop of honey. Bright, natural acidity balances the subliminal touch of sweetness. This wine has intense aromas of cirtus blossom, apple, white-fleshed nectarine, mandarin and a wild-yeast derived gunflint and lanolin-like savouriness. An invigorating off-dry style that delivers a great balance of natural acidity with a subliminal touch of sweetness.

An opulent sweet wine made from Botrytis affected grapes evoking dates, sun-dried figs, orange zest and quince paste intermingled with rosehip syrup and Middle-Eastern spices. Mouth-watering acidity balances the luscious sweetness (110g/l RS). A patisserie-like mélange conjuring notions of dark orange marmalade, tarte tatin and honey crème brûlée infused with hints of lapsang souchong. A decadent and voluptuous interpretation of Pinot Gris that is richly flavoured with poached quince and dried fruits – a luscious sweet wine with elegant structure and a clean lingering finish.

This wine is deep gold in colour having been exposed to oxygen at the beginning of the winemaking process. On the nose, it reveals aromas of yellow plum, kumquat, brioche and bay leaf, with saline undertones. The palate is broad and supple and finishes with a clean line of acidity. Thorne & Daughters was started in 2013 by John and Tasha Seccombe with the aim of producing authentic wines from the Western Cape. It is widely acknowledged to be one of the forerunners of the ‘New Wave’ wine movement in South Africa. Thorne & Daughters is mainly focused on producing Cape white blends, from 15 different growers in Bot River, Stellenbosch, Voor Paardeberg, Swartland, Citrusdal, Franschhoek and Overberg. Fruit sourcing has relied on a network of close winemaking friends and knocking on doors to gather the various parcels with which they work. John and Tasha did not want to be limited geographically, so the net was cast wide and has been driven by “a happy synergy of people, place, soil and vines”.

Possibly the last Rosé to be produced at Trinités? The wine has always been produced for the home market, for the restaurants and bars, in all the major cities. But since the market for such in the last few years has dried up/been somewhat difficult, vigneron Simon Coulshaw has decided to take a break for a while. This 2020 is unlike any previous effort, mostly explained below in Tamlyn Currin's note for jancisrobinson.com. It really is truly wonderful Rosé with real minerality, precision and class. an absolute stunner. 40% Cinsault, 40% Grenache Noir, 20% Mourvèdre. Hand-picked, organically and biodynamically farmed grapes. 100% saignée ie no pressing, just bleeding from the tanks. Winemaker Simon Coulshaw points out that the distinct difference in colour between the 2019 and 2020 (the latter being distinctly lighter in colour) is purely down to the maturity of the anthocynanins in the grapes. In 2019 he left the grapes for an hour and the colour was already dark; in 2020 it spent three or four hours and still didn't throw much colour. Bone dry (less than 0.5 g RS). "This is an outstanding rosé. If only Languedoc producers would sit up and take notice – this is what you can do with rosé. Real wine. Real depth, real texture, acidity so full and exciting and ripe that it made me want to helter skelter, go boogie on Brighton Pier, lick seashells dipped in raspberry sherbet, make cherry bombs filled with lime sorbet and eat them sitting fully clothed in the sea with salt on my tongue and fingers and toes. All of which sounds like fun fun fun, but don't be deceived. This is a serious wine, framed in spice and pink-grapefruit-peel bitterness. Very Good Value (TC)". Score 17/20 jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2021 - 2023 Published on 29 Nov 2021 Date tasted 29 Nov 2021

Debuting in 2020, Dom. des Trinités La Lumière is a full maceration wine made from beautiful fruit from and outstanding single vineyard. It is intense, mineral thrilling and utterly satisfying. Grab this limited production wine before all the plaudits start flooding in. Soil and climate: The vines are planted on the highest vineyards of the steep north facing slopes in the beautiful foothills of the Cevennes mountains in an isolated position surrounded by nothing other than herbaceous shrub and woodland. The soil is a combination of schist and basalt boulders keeping a freshness and bright acidity in these deep rooting vines. Harvest and vinification: All the grapes are handpicked 2 weeks after the grapes used in the Imaginaire from the highest point in the vineyard (350M) and provide a yield of between 15 and 20 hl/ha and undergo a rigorous triage both at the vineyard and the winery. The small 15kg crates of fruit are taken straight to the winery where they are put in to tanks and left on their skins for 21 days under a nap of Carbon Dioxide at 8°C before being gently pressed. After 48 hours of cold settling the juice is racked-off the grape solids, then allowed to ferment at low temperatures (12 - 14 degrees centigrade). A carbon dioxide nap is also used throughout the entire fermentation process to avoid excess oxidation. Wild ferment, no use of enzymes or any other fining products. Tasting notes: A delicate white blossom, tangerine skin nose gives way to a rich, textured and multi-layered mouth feel, providing lush fruit with hints of lychee and grapefruit developing in to some green olive and almond on the finish.

On the nose, notes of dark berries and plum supported by hints of licorice and a floral lift. Dark and brooding on the palate, with tightly wound layers of rich, black and blue fruits with hints of dark chocolate and spice, finishing long with savoury tannins