White Wine

Alain Geoffroy's estate produces this old vine premier cru from the Vau Ligneau vineyard in the cooler far west of Chablis, accepted as one of the region's best examples of this vineyard. The vines are on Kimmeridgian soils, rich in minerals and oyster fossils. Crunchy green apple on the palate. Plenty of acidity to keep the palate fresh with a stony character on the finish. Appealing and ready now, perhaps best to drink this over the next two to three years. Geoffroy recommends pairing the wine with cooked oysters, fine poultry, veal escalope or cheese.

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.

"I knew our terroirs very well, and knew that we could exploit them to the full. With Romain’s experience of vinifications all around the world, I was happy to launch the domaine". Gérald Delhome "This is an interesting newcomer to the ranks in the northern sector of Crozes-Hermitage, with vineyards in the communes of Crozes itself, Larnage, Gervans and Erôme. There are almost 11.5 hectares of Crozes across 20 plots, Romain is the fifth generation; his great-grandfather Flavien Delhome had vineyards, while, on his mother’s side there were vineyards under her family in the shape of Severin Habrard, so there are two old roots at play here. Father Gérald took over the domaine in 1993, and concentrated on apricots and vines, the grape harvest sent to the Cave de Tain. Son Romain came on to the domaine in 2018; he had worked locally at Gigondas and in the Ventoux at Chêne Bleu, as well as in Virginia in the USA. The cellar was built in 2019. The domaine is HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) registered, a green credential, and the 2022 harvest will be officially organic. A 100% Viognier from a south-facing granite hillside sheltered from the north wind, in the commune of Larnage to the north of the Crozes-Hermitage AOC. Grown organically, picked by hand, grapes directedly pressed in whole bunches. A slow and low temperature fermentation takes place at 14c. Afterwards, the wine is left to age on fine lees in stainless steel for 6 months. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. In the glass the wine shows a pale yellow colour with sparkly, pearly highlights. On the nose, we find fresh and bright stone fruit, citrus hints and fresh white flowers. The palate is fleshy, round, with a nice acidity, making for a delicious and true Viognier. A fresh style, but a serious one. A lovely wine.

Grown and made by David and Shirley Maudry at their dynamic young estate, Maison Lispaul. New to CWM, this is a modern, pure fruited expression of Pouilly-Fumé.

Clear, creamy, nutty, silky. Ripe pear, nutmeg. 4.4g/l sugar, but tastes much richer. Winemaker Fiona Turner really is a star.

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.

Rich and complex aromas with notes of toasted vanilla, rich ripe white fruits and a touch of hazelnut and brioche. Lovely rich and fresh primary flavours linger, supported by a natural acidity which extends the finish. The palate mirrors the aromas. A burgundy-style white to pair with salmon or poultry in cream sauce, pâté and hard-to-pair dishes like artichoke, asparagus, salty cheeses. Serve lightly chilled at 14°C.

Jancisrobinson.com of the 2016 Certified organic and HVE level 3. Roussanne (65%), Grenache Blanc (30%), Marsanne (5%), with a touch of Viognier. 15-year-old vines are planted north-facing at 550 m on stony clay-limestone soils. Barrel-fermented and aged eight months in demi-muids. pH 3.4. Pale to mid gold. Intense and fabulously complex aroma: hard to describe but there's honeyed pears, a touch of cedarwood, and a bready/yeasty sweetness like that of mature champagne. All those flavours on the palate and also a toasty, generous filling of the mouth yet with lovely – and quite surprising – freshness to balance, a tiny hint of resiny linseed oil. Complex and sustained. Although there are lots of tertiary flavours already, this should continue to age well (I've tasted older vintages that were quite remarkable). (JH)

Exemplary Sancerre which we import directly from the Loire Valley ourselves. Linear, mineral driven, citrussy, with a slight herbal edge, and a tangy finish. Everything you could possibly want in a glass. The Raimbault family hail from Sury-en-Vaux, a village encircled by vineyards on the hillsides north-west of Sancerre. In the past they had been coopers, producing oak barrels for the winemakers that surrounded them, tending to their flock of goats, from which they made the local cheese (Crottin de Chavignol), as well as a small parcel of vines. Cheese made more money than wine then, but with the proceeds of their business, they slowly began to expand these holdings. In time, the brothers Noël and Jean-Luc began commercially vinifying their grapes, the domaine’s vineyards currently stretching to 13 hectares and planted to the traditional varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. They have vines across the three major terroirs of Sancerre; Terres Blanche (clay-limestone Kimmeridgian marls), Caillotes (soil rich with Oxfordian limestone pebbles), and so-called Silex (soil rich in flint and chert nodules from the Cretaceous). Their viticulture is characterised by a growing sense of environmental responsibility, moving away from the use of chemical weedkillers, and trying to contain soil erosion through co-plantation and by encouraging local flora and hedgerows. They have been awarded HVE status in recognition of these systematic efforts. Raimbault produces two Pinot Noir bottlings and a Pinot Noir rosé, along with a single white Sancerre cuvee from a blend of the three terroirs. Balanced by these varying soil characters, this is a consummate, flinty and citrus edged Sancerre that was lauded by a Decanter panel tasting as the best value of the entire appellation! This is a wine that pairs extraordinarily well with the local goat’s cheese; it’s almost like it was the family heritage…

Some fizz (relatively modest), low (11%) alcohol and a bit of sugar (only 5 grams per litre– barely over the legal “dry” limit and rather low for this style). It is a blend of 40% Arinto, 20% Azal, 20% Avesso and 20% Loureiro. This is the winery’s entry-level wine and it offers amazing value. We've made the decision to offer the wine in both cork and screwcap. This is the cork closure version.

Form the marl and calcareous soils of Rorschwihr, the Terroir des Châteaux Forts is a blend of 20% Gewürztraminer, 40% Auxerrois and the rest Pinot Gris and Muscat. The wine has a clear, golden shimmering citrus color and offers a clear and delicate bouquet with flinty/earthy aromas. Round, fresh and piquant, this is a a refreshing, elegant and well-structured white from 20- to 40-year-old vines. There is a lovely finesse and piquancy, while the finish is firm, intense, salty and quite long. An excellent wine at a very reasonable price.. A must with asparagus!

Xavier Gerard's baby Condrieu made from Viognier from Vérin, above Condrieu. 80% steel vat, 20% 300-litre & 600-litre oak cask fermented at 15°C, raised 6-8 months away from its lees in 22 hl large barrel & steel vat, malo usually blocked, first wine 2006 (600-litre cask, the oaked part of it, malo not completed) yellow colour; pear, apricot feature in a bouquet that is nicely funnelled. There’s a good run of spiced fruits along the palate. That carries a nice bit of weight, nice detail.

Viognier (1984-85) from 1.1 hectare on Côte Châtillon at Condrieu, raised 50-60% 22 hl large oak barrel and 40-50% steel vat, malo completed. "fine yellow robe; the nose is very elegant, composed of peach, aniseed, white plum, has an excellent floating style, grace. This is top tack! It has much suavity of texture, with very assured persistence, is refined and gliding throughout. It’s real good Châtillon, bang on the money as it should be. It bears neat iron touches, has a pear-buttery flavour, and butter-floral late moments, a dab of petrol also. Much refinement here." Jonathan Livingstone-Learmonth

Produced by one of Alsace's most talented winemakers, the grapes for this pinot gris are sourced from various vineyards around Rorschwihr and neighbouring villages. There is a generosity and sweetness on the palate thanks to the wine's off dry style, yet balanced to perfection with crisp acidity. With quince, ginger and fresh and dried orange peel, this pairs well with pâte and curry. Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

Made from two lieu dits, high up on the slopes overlooking the majestic Rhone. The wine has classic Viognier nose of peach, apricot, toasted spice and honey. Medium-bodied with good fruit and texture and shows a more mineral character than the richer Le Chatillon Condrieu cuvee.

Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.

A classic Spanish white -100% Verdejo Temperature controlled fermentation preserves the fresh lemon and melon fruit; fruity but fresh great value. Great with seafood, and a lovely summer drinker.

Aromas of flaky pastry and apricot, then powerful on the palate, with rich, unctuous baked apricot fruit. There's good, deep-set acidity within and it finishes dry with a luxurious spread across the palate. Classic white Châteauneuf that has sufficient interest and flavour even without any oak. Drink young. Fermented then aged in stainless steel.

Well balanced off dry wine with lower alcohol preserving natural acidity and allowing the classic medium dry nature of good Loire Chenin Blanc to shine.

Lovely complex nose, with notes of exotic fruits (lychee, mango) and white pepper. The mouth is full and very long. This is a wine with good freshness from lingering acidity balanced with a touch of residual sugar on the finish.

Jancisrobinson.com 17/20 A cuvée made from several different parcels of vineyards located in Arbois and Montigny-lès-Arsures. The vineyards sit mostly on hilltops, over marly soils. Their elevation is the highest of the estate (close to 400 m). One vineyard is on the west-facing slope of the Revermont and is covered with limestone scree. Age of the vines is between 10 and 45 years. The grapes are lightly crushed and then immediately pressed. Fermentation takes place in barrels and foudre. Ageing is half in 500-litre barrels (of which 13% are new oak) and half in foudre. Rich first impression on the nose and just slightly toasty even though I wouldn't in any way describe it as an oaky wine. Stony, too. Very stony and tightly wound citrus and quince. Extremely tense and pure. On the palate, mouth-watering, crisp citrus rounded out just enough by the texture. Slightly sour finish increases the freshness. A little spicy on the aftertaste and even better on the day after opening – so it might be worth decanting while it is young? Excellent persistence. Salty aftertaste makes it very moreish. (JH)

Trophy and Best White in Show at the 2019 Wine Merchant Top 100 for the 2018 Vintage, followed up with 95 points in a panel tasting in Decanter for the 2019. This is bright and elegant, reminiscent of fresh and dried yellow fruit, flecks of citrus, vanilla and hazelnuts. Three months barrel ageing in oak contributes to its full body and rich finish.

High praise indeed for this genuine, superstar Burgundy domaine: "If I see his name on a wine list, I don’t give it a second thought and simply order his wine". Jean-François Coche, widely regarded as one of the best winemakers in the world.

Beautiful fruity wine from Sicily, great value for money with notes of grapefruits and citrus like lemon and pear. Bright and pleasing acidity. Notes of mineral enhance the refreshing taste. Nice pairing with fish and drink chill dishes.