White Wine

Berene Sauls has a very unique story. Growing up in a small village in the Overberg, Berene admits that she came from a beer-drinking community, and wine was never really on her radar. Her first exposure was at the age of 19, when she began working for the trailblazing Hamilton Russell family as an au pair. Lasting only a month, her talents at childcare aside, Anthony Hamilton Russell recognised her drive and thought a job working in the winery office would better suit her. Thrown in at the deep end knowing really nothing about wine, she was soon exposed to every side of the business - assisting with exports, bottling and labelling, driving forklifts and picking during harvest too, as well as on the side, "growing and developing a palate that wasn't there!" Her curiosity kept her rising through the ranks, and fifteen years after starting her career, Anthony offered her the opportunity to make her first wine, aided by proficient head winemaker Emul Ross. She leapt at the opportunity, and the rest is history. She named her business Tesselaarsdal for the small village that she grew up in, and if you look closely at the label, you can make out two people walking across the mountain. This is Berene and her grandmother. From unirrigated vineyards on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, and this is just her third release! Crisp acidity and lean minerality underpin notes of melon and tangerine fruit and accents of lime blossom. A triumphant expression of terroir, this medium-bodied, cool climate wine is both silky and fresh and boasts a long, elegant finish.

Max Von Kunow represents a new generation ? and an exhilarating new force in Germany’s Saar region. Expect delicate floral notes with hints of blackcurrant and lovely freshness and with the concentration of this fine vintage.

Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne and Roussanne. Lovely lifted floral fruit, gorgeous texture and lovely freshness. We loved this.

Fresh notes of citrus fruits and pear with light hints of white blossom. Cantina Bortolato Emanuela is one of the leading family-owned wineries in Italy. Established in 1986 by the Pizzolo Family; Giorgio (Managing Director) and his three brothers, Augusto, Giuliano and Floriano. The main production facility is based in Calmasino near Lake Garda and boasts one of the most modern facilities in Europe.

On our hunt for decent alcohol-free wines this came out as a winner. A light yellow with green tint in colour, aromas of ripe tropical fruit, flavours of yellow peaches and gooseberries complimented by a fresh acidity. This wine will pair well with most seafood, and of course drinks well on its own. Alcohol Free wines have just natural ingredients but techniques to ensure it is alcohol free vary. This includes removing sugar pre fermentation to more sophisticated techniques of spinning the alcohol out through cones. In the UK drinks that are between 0.05% and 0.5% ABV are classed as non-alcoholic.

White peach, apricot compôte and plentiful floral notes add to the juicy texture, and lovely acidity balanced with a hint of residual sugar.

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.

Wonderfully fresh and floral, tastes of elderflower and cool grapes. Very soft, not too acidic like many NZ SBs at this price.

The Mol-B Vinho Branco Frisante shows gentle, floral and fruity aromas, whilst the palate is soft with a sparkle and bright grapey fruit with a touch of fresh mango and citrus to the fresh, delightful finish. Excellent as an aperitif and also pairs well with fish, shellfish, salads and grilled vegetables.

Natural, Organic, Biodynamic Macabeu, fermented and aged in barrels, racy and minerally with soft texture and generous fruit.

Straw colour with youthful green hues. Guava and stone fruit aromas with a touch of ripe melon, rose petal and lychee notes. Wonderful mouth-filling flavours, an excellent fine acid structure and crispness and a lingering, stylish dry finish. A cracking wine from this very under-rated grape variety.

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.

Deep, juicy, weighty but fresh and textural 100% old vine Clairette fermented and bred in clay amphora with no additional sulphites at any stage. Really pure and elegant - pears, honey and white flowers on this full bodied Southern Rhone white wine. A triumph. A future classic. Bravo Frederic Julien!

Water-white. Very introvert nose. Still extremely youthful but with hints of a complex cocktail of passion fruit and minerals to come. Grainy texture on the finish. This is a baby! Super-clean finish. 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson MW

In such a hot vintage such a spaetlese is of Auslese intensity. Impossibly succulent, like an over-ripe pear, with mint and mineral notes, cool and bright with tight lime acidity. Impossible ancient family grower, exceptional best-in-a-generation vintage.

Made by Simon Coulshaw of the minimal-intervention school. Biodynamic farming although not certified. 100% Roussanne planted on their highest vineyards, a steep north-facing slope in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains. Isolated vineyards surrounded by herbaceous shrub and woodland on schist and basalt boulders. Hand-picked at 20-25 hl/ha, Five days' on skins then 48 hours of cold settling before racking. Spontaneous fermentation, no enzymes, no fining, minimal sulphur and sulphites. Carbon dioxide nap used to avoid oxidation.

A blend of Genache Blanc, Gris and Noir, from ancient 90 year old vines in the ancient and quite amazing 'C|os des Escounils' that the brothers are developing and working on re-establishing it's other potential vineyard areas. This is beautiful, racy, elegant wine that is softly textured and very ‘modern’ in its freshness and balance.

Pale lemon in colour, this Sauvignon Blanc combines aromas of fresh grapefruit and lime, followed by green gooseberry and melon on the palate. Herbaceous flavours marry exquisitely with fresh tingling acidity creating a crisp lively finish.

Bright and crisp with refreshing notes of citrus, apple, ripe pineapple and tropical fruits and a creamy mouthfeel. And it has the Hoopes family beloved dog Dante on the label. How adorable!

Like Chablis, but want to branch out a bit? That's why we are introducing our '2 to try' cases. One wine you're probably familiar with - here, Chablis - and 2 that we are pretty sure you'll also like. This case includes: Chablis 2023 Dom. Alain Geoffroy Lanzerac Chardonnay 2023 - same great grape, but from South Africa, and done a bit differently. La Croix Gratiot Picpoul de Pinet 2024 - aka Chablis of the South. Same country, different group. Still a great wine! SAVE 15% (Contents may vary from image - the list here is correct.)

Ripplingly good value. Candied fruits and honeyed richness. Impossibly ancient family grower.

A seasonal white that reflects the character of the vintage in a delicious, textural style. Aromas of quince, preserved lemon and barley lead through to a zesty palate of citrus, elderflower, stone fruits and almond.

Three of our favourite European Rieslings, from classic Riesling-growing countries. Estate Riesling 2024, Max Ferd. Richter, Mosel, Germany. Quite simply a perfect essence of young, ready to enjoy Mosel style. From younger parcels in premier and grand crus including Brauneberger Juffer, Himmelreich and Treppchen. Riesling Classic 2023 Famille Hugel, Alsace. Fruity and floral on the nose with crispiness and medium+ acidity as a contrast on the palate. Outstanding Riesling that is several steps ahead of any other regular/basic house Riesling. Citrus, grapefruit, hints of honey and minerals. Riesling Niederosterreich 2022 Funkstille, Austria White peach, apricot compôte and plentiful floral notes add to the juicy texture, and lovely acidity balanced with a hint of residual sugar. Austria may not be as famous for Riesling as Germany or Alsace, but it should be!

Another winner from indigenous varieties; Portugal's great vinous inheritance. Demonstrates the skill and style of Portuguese winemaking these days, and the value of their offering. No oak, no over-extraction, not nonsense, just a beautiful limpid, light, lifted, bracing white so light it has not sign of gold in the colour, if anything a slight green hue. Not wishy-washy, it has plenty of character, but neutral in a good way, like Switzerland.