White Wine

Floral. Violet. Bright and almost tropical. Minerals galore. LOTS going on. Possibly THE GREATEST white wine value in the Roussillon. This is a rich white, but with a real linear focus and immense freshness (but never to crispy). Ideal with chicken and meaty fish. You really need to explore this cuvee if you’re getting bored with the classics and want a flavour shift. Its like a brilliant cross of the most elegant Rhone whites with a fine Riesling with great tension. But really, what you have here is a very special cuvee that is equal parts Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris (rare), Carignan Blanc (super rare) and Carignan Gris (off the scale rare!) from a single, co-planted site in one of the most beautiful vineyards in the world in the greatest and hardest working hands in the Roussillon, the hands of Daniel Laffite, DO NOT MISS.

Mineral, taught. Fine and long. One of the unsung whites of the Roussilloin. A blend of Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Carignan Gris and Carignan Blanc. Outstanding wine. Ages gracefully for 10++ years. Beautiful vineyards that are beautifully worked.

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. Smells of mimosa and cold pebbles. So tight it's as if the fruit has been hot-waxed onto the palate. Wild, wild fruit and flowers, all hedgerow and fields. Iodine and salt, dust and dry bricks, saffron and yuzu. So much texture it's like licking chalk-dusted rose petals. Fascinating wine, that changes as you sit with it, like sunset dropped into a kaleidoscope, like light on water. Masses of undertow, savoury and sweet. GV (TC) jancisrobinson.com 17/20

Another cracking vintage of this fresh and aromatic - easy drinking - white from the Languedoc-Roussillon with delicate fruit and a bright finish. The Vermentino is concentrated and characterful with delicate aromatics.

Very attractive nose of white orchard fruit, pears even a hint of quince and a floral note. The same on the palate but with a sweet citrus note giving added juiciness. Subtle red apple fruit, full, perfectly balanced oak. Youthful but approachable right away. Fresh and vibrant, this is delicious, and great value!

Sourced from selected premium vineyards this classic Australian Chardonnay combines sumptuous aromas of peach and pineapple with complementing ripe tropical fruit flavours on the palate, all perfectly balanced with a subtle citrus zing.

Pale lemon in colour, Dry River Pinot Grigio displays a powerful bouquet of citrus blossom, lime and grapefruit aromas. On the palate, classic Pinot Grigio flavours of green apple, pear and tropical fruits helping to give balance to the wine’s crisp, crunchy acidity prior to a surprisingly long finish untypical of this grape variety.

2-vineyard. Rabigato, Viosinho, Arinto. 10% barrel ferment. Classic Douro white - such freshness but such richness with cool white peach fruit and a grapefruit lift.

Bright and fruity Chardonnay from a switched on producer, making flavourful wines for instant enjoyment at a great price.Really great value. White peach, overtly fruity, nice balancing acidity with a touch of residualm sugar.

Bright and fruity Sauvignon from a switched in producer, making flavourful wines for instant enjoyment at a great price.Really great vlaue.

92-94 Wine Advocate "dense, cool, very precise and flinty-mineral on the nose, which is still reductive but exciting. Coming from a coolish side valley that was picked at roughly 84° to 85° Oechsle at the end of September, this is a gorgeously lush and mouth-filling Riesling with the mineral piquancy of quartzite soils. There is no aggressive acidity here, there is nice tartaric acidity that makes this a seductive Kabinett you can't resist. This is a fabulous, very long and enchanting Riesling. The wine has slightly more than 50 grams of residual sugar and comes in at 8.5% alcohol."

Parker 94-96 "deep and flinty bouquet, this is a lush, elegant, highly refined and stimulating Spaetlese with a salty-piquant finish."

A great partner to a wide variety of dishes, whether full or mild in flavour. Unbeatable for its reliability and consistently high quality. Herdade do Esporão is Portugal's largest privately-owned wine company, and proof that big can be beautiful.

Forward apricot and orange blossom notes on a generous palate balanced by brisk acidity, with a marmalade finish and gentle spicing from french and US oak.

Beautifully clear with green reflections. Intense nose of apricot, vine peach and rose. Very aromatic and floral. Powerful and generous on the palate with a remarkable finish, persistent, fresh and fruity. The soil, composed of chalky ‘terres blanches’, is ideal for the Viognier grape. Control of yields via optimal management of nutrition and de-budding. It spends 4 months in stainless steel vats. Batonnage on the lees to accentuate the plumpness on the palate.