Ramey is a genus winemaker. "attractive, mid-weight... Bright red cherry, game and spice notes open up... plenty to look forward to. " Vinous (Galloni) 88-90/100
Stephen George is an expert on Pinot Noir clones. He's been working with 25 different clones for the last 40 years, but it's just fruit from four favoured ones for the Estate wine: 57% from D5V12, 23% from Martini, 13% from 777, and 7% from MV6. This makes for a powerful Pinot Noir, with enticingly aromatic fruit perfectly supported by high quality French oak. A very fine wine indeed.
A blend of both estate fruit and some fruit purchased from their good friends and neighbours, this is designed as a medium bodied, juicy, earlier drinking style, but still with the silky texture and fine tannins typcial of the Ashton Hills estate.
Seductive aromas of ripe red berries, rosewood and dried cherry that add to the notes of gun powder, smoke and tobacco (from the barrel) to create a deliciously delicate assortment of aromas. Fragile and unpretentious yet firm texture.
This organic estate with a thriving, wildly diverse ecosystem is situated in the extreme eastern end of Chile’s Casablanca Valley. The Pinot Noir is generous and fruity, packed with red cherries and raspberries.
Kate McIntyre is the queen of Mornington, consistently turning out the most critically acclaimed wines from this famous area near Melbourne. "A real treat of a wine, with rhubarb, beetroot, strawberry and spice flavours. A showboater, and while the stemmy character is a strong influence, I think it works brilliantly." 17.5 jancisrobinson.com
Black fruits on the nose. Blackberry and blueberry are followed by liquorice and cocoa. On the palate, one find sices on an elegant an refined toast. The supple and dense tannins go along with the fruits.
A 100% whole-bunch fermented wine, the pale to medium ruby-purple colored 2013 Garden Vineyard Pinot Noir has a lovely red cherry and black raspberry nose accented by tree bark, violets and lavender nuances. Restrained and elegant, the concentrated palate is framed by firm, grainy tannins and fresh acidity through the very earthy, long finish.93+ Wine Advocate
Lightly purple. Bright fresh fruit, good concentration. Red cherry, raspberry, herbs, baking spices. Creamy, toasty oak. Well structured, moderately rich dark tannins, clear acidity. Good potential to evolve.
Cool climate coastal wines. Quite a serious Pinot Noir for the price point with charming wild strawberry and dark cherry fruit leading on to a savoury finish.
Jancis Robinson.com:
17 +
Superbly fragrant – that red fruit is superbly pure, and really advertises the sheer pleasure of the variety. Redcurrant and raspberry with a touch of herbal character in backup. Exemplary varietal character. (RH)
Drink 2020-2029
A smooth, fruity Pinot Noir from the Casablanca Valley. Red cherry flavours with a sweet, ripe fruit finish. A portion of the wine is matured in French oak barrels which adds a roundness and a hint of spice to the finished wine.
One of the top 4 wines in the Decanter Pinot Noir tasting November 2019 with 95 points. Moorooduc Estate is a family-run wine business, established in 1982 by Richard and Jill McIntyre. The McIntyre vineyard sits on a gentle north to north-westerly facing slope, around 80 metres above sea level, where the vines are planted on clay soils with sandy topsoils. With the oldest vines in the vineyard planted in 1983, the winery has used a grafting program to introduce Pinot Noir clones, some onto the original vines. The wine is produced from entirely destemmed grapes, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered after 17 months in 25% new French oak.
94 points Decanter Magazine "La Comme sits at around 250 metres of altitude, right up against the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet on a a clay-limestone plateau. It's a plush, layered, concentrated wine that is more Côte de Nuits than Côte de Beaune, with ample concentration and intensity, a patina of toasty 30% new wood and the tannic structure to age further in bottle."
Remi Jeanniard is a new find and makes delicate and scintillating wines from 8 hectares of prime 'dirt' in the Cotes de Nuits. His Morey St Denis Villages red is just great, and you can enjoy it straight away.
Ripe, bright fruit; almost confected, but in a good way. Concentrated blue and red fruits on the palate, a touch of liquorice and tapenade, spicy tannin, and creamy oak (overt at the moment, but will certainly settle). Balanced, long, textured and supple. Tasted at the Domaine, January 2020
Remi Jeanniard is the 'real deal' and a treasure for the Burgundy lover. An undeer-the-radar producer making fantastic wines in the heart of Burgundy's greatest vineyards. And they are affordable. We found a bit more in the cellar to offer as most of it is snapped up by private clients before it is bottled.
Remi Jeanniard is a hands on grower working just over 7 hectares of vines in and around Morey-St Denis. When asked who helps him at harvest time, the answer is simple: he does. The vines are much older than average, with all of his Vieilles Vignes village bottlings being at least 50 years old. This gives a natural concentration to the wines which are both well structured and elegant. Remi is a firm believer that wines are made in the vineyard and this shows through in the pure, concentrated style of the wines and the cautious use of new oak. Remi practices partial whole bunch fermentation, keeping 20% of the stems for Villages wines, 30% for 1er Cru wines, and 50% for Grand Cru.
Red fruits and undergrowth. Less dense than Les Ruchots, but well formed nevertheless with some attractive spicy tannins, and clean fresh acidity. Tasted at the Domaine, January 2020
The Premier Cru wines from this estate normally retail around £40, see the link below. Our price is £25.99. We also offer 10% off a case of 6. No other discounts apply.
Auxey-Duresses is oddly undervalued at the best of times, the vines being only a few hundred metres from Volnay. It is a sleepy village, with no Grands Crus, surrounded by more famous neighbours.
This single vineyard Premier Cru is a perfect south-facing slope, the 5th generation family grower, based in Meursault, is well-respected and famed for delivering great value wines.
An archetype of good village Burgundy, the pleasure is all up front, no need to decant, starting with a sweet wild strawberry nose, all sorts of Asian spices like a Christmas cake with orange peel, some lovely woody notes like a Provence forest in summer. Best of all the texture, so silky, as smooth as milk chocolate. An utter joy. No need to cellar it any further.
https://www.davywine.co.uk/product/auxey-duresses-1er-cru-prunier-bonheur/
Grape growing is in essence a prolonged process of gambling with nature. No matter how good one gets at it, misfortune is sometimes unavoidable. Hamilton Russell estate suffered a devastating fire in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on January 11th, 2019, fanned by winds of up to 94 kilometres per hour. Their most important Pinot noir vineyards were directly in the path of the blaze. Although only around 10% of the crop was last completely to scorching of the canopies and bunches, they were forced to reject the majority of the Pinot Noir made from the remaining 90%, due to levels of smoke taint they were not comfortable with.
This is a wine which for the first time ever, reflects the different personalities of the 3 Hemel-en-Aarde appellations in a single blend. Friends came together and the Hamilton Russels were able to purcashe good fruit from elsewhere in the valley. The elegant, softer, more open red fruit profile of the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde, combines with the lifted, darker blue fruit of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge to create unusually complex fruit aromas, while the more muscular, structured, dark spice and tension of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley adds an additional layer of complexity to the wine. This is a wine of great personality and interest.
95 pts, Tim Atkin (September 2020)
Made with 84% purchased fruit because of the fire in Hamilton Russell's own vineyards, this is a cuvée of the three Hemel-en-Aarde Valley sub-regions, and all the better for it. A one-off it may be, but it's less earthy and backward than the estate's normal style, combining fragrance elegance with racy red berry fruit, some clove spice, supporting tannins and stylish oak. 2021-29
4.5 stars, Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide - "A first for HRV: as precaution to avoid smoke taint after wildfires, only 16% of estate grapes used in 2019; merger of the 3 Hemel-en-Aarfe appellations (WO Walker Bay) gives softer tannins & fruit weight than usual but a broad appeal & charming personality."
Without doubt one of the most-respected family estates in Burgundy. Super-Rare to find mature examples at these bargain prices. Silky, fine, gorgeous.
Normally £47
Without doubt one of the most-respected family estates in Burgundy. Super-Rare to find mature examples at these bargain prices. Silky, fine, gorgeous.
Normally over £50
Without doubt one of the most-respected family estates in Burgundy. Super-Rare to find mature examples at these bargain prices. Silky, fine, gorgeous.
Normally over £50
Without doubt one of the most-respected family estates in Burgundy. Super-Rare to find mature examples at these bargain prices. Silky, fine, gorgeous.
Normally over £50
Without doubt one of the most-respected family estates in Burgundy. Super-Rare to find mature examples at these bargain prices. Silky, fine, gorgeous.
Normally over £50
This first rate grower long-established grower had a great year in 2013. Big-boned, serious and luxurious wines.
Organic
Domaine Christophe Vaudoisey
200-year old 8th generation estate in Volnay, with small but impressively high quality land holdings in Volnay's Premier Crus plus in Pommard, Meursault and Monthélie.
Jancis Robinson MW 16.5/20
"Bright cherry red. Very pretty development on the nose. Nice breadth of sweet fruit on the palate. Already deep flavoured and giving pleasure. Very pure. Very Good Value" (and that observation was based on the original price!).
Deep ruby, jammy red fruits on nose. Medium+ body, good weight. Quite low acidity, though ripe and fleshy. Enjoyable, to drink young.
Stephane Ponsard has wine in his blood. His father also has an estate in Santenay, but he and his wife now look after his father-in-law’s estate, Claude Nouveau. With a large vineyard holding in Santenay 1er Cru Grand Clos Rousseau, old vine plots in Maranges 1er Cru, and plenty of villages vines from both, Stephane has crafted hefty, rich, hedonistic wines in 2018.
Pretty, plummy nose. Ripe red fruit, oak, and baking spices. Very fruity on the palate, with great acidity, more robust tannin, and a lingering mineral finish.
Stephane Ponsard has wine in his blood. His father also has an estate in Santenay, but he and his wife now look after his father-in-law’s estate, Claude Nouveau. With a large vineyard holding in Santenay 1er Cru Grand Clos Rousseau, old vine plots in Maranges 1er Cru, and plenty of villages vines from both, Stephane has crafted hefty, rich, hedonistic wines in 2018.
new oak evident. Well structured with weight, body, and integrated oak. Vanilla, cherries, currants. Intense. Spicy acidity, charming silky tannin, persistent finish.
Stephane Ponsard has wine in his blood. His father also has an estate in Santenay, but he and his wife now look after his father-in-law’s estate, Claude Nouveau. With a large vineyard holding in Santenay 1er Cru Grand Clos Rousseau, old vine plots in Maranges 1er Cru, and plenty of villages vines from both, Stephane has crafted hefty, rich, hedonistic wines in 2018.
The vines, which average 40 years old, are situated half in the commune of Puligny and half in Premeaux.
One of the most exceptional, exciting (yet reliable) rising stars of Burgundy. Allocations are tight, as ever. The 2018s are beautiful, as ever.
Yet the wines are still remarkably affordable, and for the same old reason: he's based in the Côte Chalonnaise. As one local vigneron put is "you'd think these vines were on another planet, not 8km from those of Puligny". The vineyards of the Chalonnaise will always suffer, reputationally, from being in the 'wrong' department: Saone-et-Loire rather than Cote d'Or (the border is 2.5km south of Puligny)
Anyhow, neither nature nor winemaking genius respect political boundaries - good news for us.
