There 201 products in this category
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
100% Grenache from 130+ year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Natural, biodynamic and vegan. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre from 80 year old vines, Made without filtering or fining. Pale but gorgeous mid red colour. At first on the nose, you are like "What even is that?". Whatever it is, you know that you like it. Elegant, subtle fruit is intermixed with gentle herb, earth and savoury charachters. Deep and wonderful. On the palate the wine is elegant and deep again, but not heavy in the slightest. Ruffled fruit and savoury notes with minerality and real finesse. These wines are like no other from the Roussillon. Outstanding. Magnum sized.
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Domaines des Lampyres
Francois Xavier AKA 'FX' worked with Tom Lubbe at Domaine Matassa for five years. He spent a further year with Domaine Danjou-Banessy. After such time this local lad set up in Espira to make his own wholly exciting wines which we are introducing the UK for the first time. One hundred percent eighty year old vine Carignan Noir. Macerated for seven days then whole bunch fermentation took place. The wine was bred in aged in 6 hl barrels for eight months. Just 2g/hl sulphites added just before bottling.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
100% Grenache from 130+ year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine. 97/100 Matt Walls, Decanter Magazine March 2024
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Danjou-Banessy
A wine from an amazing single site with vines older than 90 years. Carignan on black schistous marl. Aged for 20 months in barrels. Possibly Roussillon's most elegant expression of the grape? Outstanding wine.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
100% Carignan from 80 year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
100% Carignan from 80 year old vines. Complex floral aromas. On the palate the fruits, such as raspberry and morello cherry, are crunchy and fresh. There is also a very strong stony/mineral feeling. The finish is long and pure. A vibrant wine.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Natural, biodynamic and vegan. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre from 80 year old vines, Made without filtering or fining. Pale but gorgeous mid red colour. At first on the nose, you are like "What even is that?". Whatever it is, you know that you like it. Elegant, subtle fruit is intermixed with gentle herb, earth and savoury charachters. Deep and wonderful. On the palate the wine is elegant and deep again, but not heavy in the slightest. Ruffled fruit and savoury notes with minerality and real finesse. These wines are like no other from the Roussillon. Outstanding. Magnum sized.
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Danjou-Banessy
This Roboul cuvée exudes lifted fruit aromas in abundance with blackberries, blueberries, pomegranates and also gentle garrigue notes. On the palate it is velvety with curious, beautiful interest. There is a perfect balance between alcohol and acidity and it ends with a striking freshness. It's a marvelous wee wine. Full bottle 1,341 g. Single vineyard. 60% Mourvèdre (20 years old), 40% Grenache (30 years old) on pudding stone, clay, sand and limestone tuffeau. Hand-picked; whole-bunch, spontaneous fermentation; minimal cap work; very gently pressed. Fermented separately because the Mourvèdre ripens so much later than the Grenache. 12 months in old oak barrels of 600, 500 and 400 litres. "If I’d not known what this wine was, and put it to my nose, my first guess would be Pinot Noir, Tasmania. Rosehips. Nectarine skin. Hibiscus tea. Morels. Then, after tasting it, I’d change my mind. I’d wonder if this was Cinsault, one of Alex Milner’s wraith-like beauties, perhaps: the bruised rose petals, the jasmine tea, the taste of prickly pears and dust and pungent-peppery-green at the back of my throat. Then I smell garrigue - cistus, broom heather, wild thyme, the smell of the wind blowing through holm oaks and twisted pines and I am in the south of France. This is the fey child of Roussillon. This is a wine that dances in the thin places". Very Good Value. Tamlyn Currin on jancisrobinson.com 18/20 jancisrobinson.com
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Energy is a word used a lot by the finest Roussillon growers. We don't think there has been a finer example than this extraordinary wine from the freres Danjou. The 2020 is more 'Cote-Rotie' than the 'Crozes like' 2018. A thrilling wine.
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Dom. Gramiller
A pure fruited, natural wine without additional sulphites. Shimmering fruit backed up by gorgeous savouriness and delightful floral notes - this is a real star for those who like a little restraint and class in their glass (only 13.5% abv). This is an utterly delicious take on Côtes du Rhône with Grenache leading the way backed up by Carignan and then Syrah. Beautiful balance and real elegance. Vigneron Frederic Julien has some talent!
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Terres Falmet
From Yves Falmet: My ‘Aramon’ label is made entirely from this grape variety. Among my Carignan vines, the oldest in my vineyard at over 80 years old, there are still a few Aramon vines. This is because the custom at the time was to mix a few grape varieties within the same plot. Aramon used to be one of the most ubiquitous grape varieties in Languedoc, but it has been almost eradicated in recent decades. Like Cinsault, is has been completely discarded in favour of other grape varieties regionally. However, in a quality site such as the Terres Falmet vineyard, when carefully grown, harvested at the peak of ripeness and skilfully vinted, it produces a beautiful, subtly tannic red wine that is fresh and fruity.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
A blend of Genache Blanc, Gris and Noir, from ancient 90 year old vines, this is beautiful, racy, elegant wine that is softly textured and very ‘modern’ in its freshness and balance.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
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.
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Domaine La Loyane
Laure Dubois runs this excellent estate with her husband Romain and has fully converted to Organic farming. The wines they produce are consistently good and elegant, mainly from the Lirac appellation, north West of Chateauneuf-du-Pape but also this Cotes du Rhone from just outside. The 2022 is the third year in five vintages that the wine has won a coveted Coup de Coeur top award in the Guide Hachette, the 'bible' of French wine. Charming, 'irresistible' and ready to drink it also offers outstanding value for money. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has converted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!
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Domaine des Trinités
Pech Mege is a silky, focussed wine showing deep red fruits and the fresh minerality which is a characteristic of the schist soil of their vineyards.
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Domaine Combe Blanche
Expert winemaking from Ambrose Vanlancker produces this fantastic Tempranillo from the the exceptional fresh terroir of his La Liviiniere vineyard in Minervois. Aromatic, medium-bodied, rounded red fruits and subtle savoury nuances.
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Chêne Bleu
The 2022 is an even more serious and dialled-back incarnation than usual; a crisp, racy but intense blend of 88% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 2% Grenache Blanc. Mourvèdre provides a salinity, which counteracts the juicy peach and red berry fruit of the Grenache beautifully; a light touch of smoke and herb atop some clear, fresh raspberry and strawberry characteristics, make for a wine of allure, vitality and grip. This exquisite Rosé makes a perfect summer aperitif, although it is also robust enough to partner a variety of summer fare.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
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.
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Domaine Vendome
From a breathtaking 0.5 hectare site on Chaban at 400+ metres altitude that was passed on to the Roudier family by the retiring Jean-Marie Teysseire, a legendary figure in Cornas and Saint-Peray. The Syrah vines are 80++ yrs of age on granitic soils including a portion of the mineral baryte, a clear crystal/quartz looking mark that gives the wine its mysterious sounding name. The vines are deeply established on this steep hillside, cut into terraces and oriented East/South-East. An utterly beautiful, natural granite amphitheatre that protects the vines from the cold winds. Beautiful Syrah expresses all its power and finesse on this wonderful Cornas terroir. The debut vintage of this full-bodied terroir wine - which doesn't initially appear to be representative of the "Northern Rhone 2021" vintage - spring frost, harvest rain affected. But from what we have tasted, Cornas in general appears little affected, likely due to the elevation of the vineyards and the gradients of the slopes. So watch out for sleeping Cornas bargains like this from 2021. The wine has a fairly classic Cornas nose, on the palate it is voluminous, lush and suave but fresh and balanced with real tension and energy. The wine is pure and very long. All the fruit destemmed, no oak breeding (all in stainless steel) with a four week maceration. A true terroir wine from a great Cornas site. This 2021 is very impressive now and shall reveal its elegance and finesse over the coming years. What a wine!
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Dom. Gramiller
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!
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Domaines des Lampyres
This beautiful Margot 2022 (named after FX's little girl, Margot) is utterly divine modern, natural Roussillon Rose. The make up in this organic wine is 50% old vine Grenache Noir (grown on schist) seeing whole bunch and maceration on skins for 7 days and 50% direct press Carignan Noir (grown on clay). The naturally fermented juices are blended after malolactic fermentation. Tank aged for five months. A very low dose of sulphites at bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Coming in at a delightful 11.5% alcohol. A beautiful label drawn in school by young Margot also!
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Domaine Vendome
From a breathtaking 0.5 hectare site on Chaban at 400+ metres altitude that was passed on to the Roudier family by the retiring Jean-Marie Teysseire, a legendary figure in Cornas and Saint-Peray. The Syrah vines are 80++ yrs of age on granitic soils including a portion of the mineral baryte, a clear crystal/quartz looking mark that gives the wine its mysterious sounding name. The vines are deeply established on this steep hillside, cut into terraces and oriented East/South-East. An utterly beautiful, natural granite amphitheatre that protects the vines from the cold winds. Wow, if the 2021 showed some of the extraordinary potential of this incredible Cornas site, this 2022 shows it a good deal more - it is without doubt, an outstanding wine. This time the wine has been aged in 500l. demi-muids, with 25% new. Beautiful floral aromatics on the nose with glorious lifted fruit. on the nose. Dense and multi-layered fruit on the palate that finishes with mineral and iron notes. Beautifully knit tannins wrap all this up wonderfully. Huge potemtial here.
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Domaine Gayda
Winemaker Vincent Chansault is particularly happy with this release of Gayda's top, single vineyard Syrah from a beautiful site high up in La Liviniere. Extrememly limited. One for Cote-Rotie lovers. The 'Dream House' in question was built by the owner in the vineyards for his ailing wife to spend her last days. She miraculously recovered and her story inspired Vincent to make his dream wine from Syrah in La Liviniere.
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Charles Heidsieck
An opulent Champagne with the perfect balance of freshness and generosity, from the smallest and arguably the best of the Grande Marques. The Brut Réserve NV is a radiant pale gold colour with fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is characterised by complex pastry aromas, with an opulent combination of ripe apricot, mango, greengages, dried fruits, pistachio and almond. The palate begins with a silky-smooth sensation, developing into ripe fleshy apricot, melon and enticing plum pastry notes and delicate spice. There is perfect balance of freshness and generosity.
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Danjou-Banessy
A wine from an amazing single site with vines older than 90 years. Carignan on black schistous marl. Aged for 20 months in barrels. Possibly Roussillon's most elegant expression of the grape? Outstanding wine.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Old vine Grenache grown on decomposed black schist with a limestone sub soil with some quartz, that produces something amazing. Ethereal, sublime and fresh, this achieves a level of finesse akin to fine red Burgundy. Remarkable, special, very good indeed.
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Domaine Vendome
100% Marsanne from loess soils at Larnage that abut Hermitage. Vendome's name for plot is "Chapelle". Grapes are hand-harvested then destemmed, pressed, steel vat fermented until specific gravity 1040, then new 228-litre oak (steamed not toasted) cask fermented, raised 10 months, malo blocked, first year 2023, wide bottle, organic wine, 2,500 bottles produced. "Yellow robe; the nose has a walnut aroma up front, a peach, infused herbal tea backdrop, discreet cooked lemon. The palate opens with elegance, holds attractive gras, is a little locked away for now, but the quality of the gras - its relaxed nature - bodes well for the future. The length works well, is refined and sure. This is classy, serene. Decant it. 13°. 100% Marsanne. 2030-31 Oct 2024 ****(*) on Drink Rhone, John Livingstone-Learmonth "Pure Marsanne grown on loess next to the Hermitage Hill. Fermented in 500 litre new French oak, but this is steamed, not toasted. Bold pear and peach fruit with lovely density, showing richness but also freshness. Has a fine spicy dimension with beautiful weight and balance. Amazing texture to this wine". 95/100 Jamie Goode on wineanorak.com
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Domaine Vendome
There are many delightul Northern Rhone whites from 2023 and this is very much one of them. Performing very well in Crozes-Hermitage tastings in both Terres des Vins and La Revue du vin de France, well up amongst the big boys and girls of the appellation. 70% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne - half from loess soils on l'Homme at Larnage, half from loess soils on Les Pinets at Crozes-Hermitage. 90% steel vat, 10% new 600-litre oak cask fermented, raised 9 months, assembled just before bottling, malo completed. "fine yellow robe; the bouquet has a neat aroma of cooked citrus fruit, is graceful, appealing, carries a light nuttiness. The palate links well, is fresh and continuous, bears lightly salted, delicate content of white fruits with jasmin, white flower trembles through it. It’s elegant, well made, a bel ensemble, is precise, accurate, ends with soft gras, a bonny exit. 13°. 70% Mars, 30% Rouss. 2029-30 Oct 2024" **** John Livingstone-Learmonth on Drink Rhone "13% alcohol. 70% Marsanne, 30% Roussanne. Organic. This is textured, lively and vital with a fine lime and spice finish after a big flow of pear, melon and ripe apple fruit. Good concentration of flavour, interleaving subtly saline, mineral notes with ripe fruit to good effect". 94/100 Jamie Goode wineanorak.com
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Domaine Delhome
"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.
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Charles Heidsieck
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs is a pale, crystalline gold colour. The nose is characterised by aromas of mature Chardonnay; white peach, candied citrus with notes of lime, honeysuckle and fresh hazelnuts giving way to subtle hints of tangerine and lemon. On the palate, the Blanc de Blancs bears all the hallmarks of a Charles Heidsieck Champagne: boldness, generosity and elegance. Embracing yet light, it displays appealing mineral, slightly salty, iodine notes, and has a silky, creamy texture – unexpected from a Chardonnay – that leaves a lasting impression.
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Terres Falmet
From Yves Falmet: My ‘A Contre Courant’ label is made from grapes from the oldest Carignan and Grenache plots in my vineyard. But what makes this wine outstanding is its maturation under a veil of yeast for four years. Wines matured under a veil of yeast are characterised by the spontaneous development of yeasts which form a veil on the surface of the wine in contact with the ambient air (during its barrel ageing phase). This technique, which is uncommon for wine because of the risk of acetic souring when stored in containers with ullage, gives it specific aroma and flavour characters of fig, tobacco and candied cherry and a substantial finish on the palate. Of the very few wines matured this way, Vin Jaune from Jura is particularly renowned, but there are no red wines. By maturing a red wine using this technique, I am actually going counter to modern standardised winemaking, hence the name of the wine, which means "flying in the face" of established standards and the "tastefully correct". This is a wine I have created for true wine enthusiasts, those who do not resign themselves to the standardisation of taste, to stereotyped and uniform wines, in short, to the prevailing trend for ultra-conformism.
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La Loyane
This full-bodied, cedar and richly tannic wine finishes with flourishes of cherry and vanilla. It's a bit modern and ripe but frankly delicious. Dom. La Lôyane: The Winemaker Established at the foot of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce sanctuary in Rochefort-du-Gard, not far from the ancient marshes drained by monks in the Middle Ages, this estate, founded in 1994 from the merger of three small holdings, has demonstrated great consistency in quality. Succeeding his parents, Jean-Pierre and Dominique, Romain Dubois and his wife, Laure, now sole proprietors of the estate, have created a new cellar and converted the 20 hectares of vines to organic farming. A (very) reliable asset.
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Old vine Grenache grown on decomposed black schist with a limestone sub soil with some quartz, that produces something amazing. Ethereal, sublime and fresh, this achieves a level of finesse akin to fine red Burgundy. Remarkable, special, very good indeed.
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Montesquiou Freres
The Montesquiou family have been a source of Jurancon wines for generations, today it is run by brothers Sébastien and Fabrice who have raised the quality of the estate to a new level. The brothers employ many of the techniques of biodynamic viticulture so that no insecticides and herbicides are used. Superb value dessert wine. The vineayrds of Jurancon are blessed with a very dry autumn allowing grapes to be left on the vine well into November, by which time they have begun to dry, concentrating the sugars and the flavours, whilst retaining all of the bracing acidity which is the hallmark of Petit Manseng. The palate hits you with a mouthful of rich apricot and peach flavours, as well as significant sweetness from 120grams+ residual sugar. Still you have great acidity, length and richness. A joy and terrific value.
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Domaine Delhome
"I like wines that are direct, with tension, a vertebral column, for both the reds and the whites". Romain 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. 100% Syrah (average age 40 years) from south-facing sanded granite soils on Les Sourdets at 300 metres at Larnage next to the cellars, granite fragments on flat ground at bottom of Le Caire at Gervans, hand harvested, destemmed, pre-fermentation cold maceration at 8°-10°C "to seek red fruits, especially from Gervans", 20-25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pumping overs, part vat emptying/refilling, raised 75% 3-10 year 228-litre & 600-litre oak casks (85% 228-litres, 15% 600-litres), 25% steel vat 11-12 months". This is excellent Crozes Hermitage with good structure with what feels like perfect extraction - wonderful texture and depth. But the Boreal is ultimately all about the fruit, though, which is charmingly wild in character and quite dark. Blackberry, the beginnings of mulberry and a bit of liquorice in there too. A wonderful offering.
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Chateau Vincens
Made without sulphites, this is a unique and bewitching malbec from the Vincens family.
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Domaine Gayda
Deep purple, almost opaque in colour with an expressive nose of black fruits, pepper, cinnamon, spice and violets. A seductive palate of dark hedgerow fruits, very open and welcoming with an explosion of fruit and spice. Mineral undertones.
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Domaines des Lampyres
Point Triple 2023 is a blend of co-fermented whole bunch Macabeu (schist) and Grenache Blanc (clay) seeing seven days skin macération together. After breeding, a portion of Muscat a Petit Grain (clay-limestone) that sees skin macération and whole bunch fermentation for twenty days, is blended with the other portion one month before bottling. This delightful, wild fermented, textural, insanely bright but savoury maceration wine comes in at a digestible 12% abv. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a very low dose of sulphites.
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Domaine des Soulanes
New cuvee from Soulanes. 100% younger vine Grenache Gris in 100% new oak barrel. Reductive, classy, Burgundian and wonderful, A measly 24 bottles available for the UK in this debut.