There 103 products in this category
80
115
24
Domaine Rolly-Gassmann
Medium gold colour. Pronounced aroma intensity, yellow apple, ripe peach, apricot, mango, white flowers, orange and mineral notes. Dry, medium acidity, andl medium body. Orange, lemon, orange peel, apricot, peach marmalade, some mineral notes; long finish. Very good quality and value. 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.
80
505
24
Chateau de Tracy
A pale gold colour with green highlights, this Pouilly Fumé will seduce you with its aromas of ripe citrus fruits, oranges and lemons. The balanced palate reveals a certain freshness and superb material. A must for lovers of Sauvignon wines from the Loire, the aromatic complexity of this wine will win you over for sure!!!
80
475
90
Domaine des Trinités
Natural wine from Simon Coulshaw: no cultured yeast, enzymes, chemical tannins or fining product. 90% 130 yr old-vine Cinsault, 10% Syrah. I was instructed to chill this a bit before tasting. It was in the fridge for about 25 minutes and then left out for 10 minutes before tasting. Fresh red-berried nose. Hurrah! Here is another Languedoc producer who 'gets' Cinsault. Perky, bright, raspberries and with that lovely telltale Cinsault salty-sweet tang that always reminds me of the best prosciutto or jamon. A bit of white pepper and ground cumin tangled into feather-light sinews of tannin. This is absolutely YUM. Tapas/aperitivo wine, without a doubt. I could drink this all summer long. GV (TC) 17/20 Jancisrobinson.com
80
225
22
Alain Geoffroy
Lemony, bright fruit, with steely acidity. Pure and balanced.
80
225
24
Vignerons de Buxy
This excellent white Burgundy comes from the intermediate clay/limestone slopes in the commune of Montagny. Very complex aromas on the nose, with successive fruity, floral and mineral hints, with particular menthol and lemon overtones. A full-bodied and rich wine with amazing finesse and delicate aromas.
80
235
90
Champagne Pierre Bertrand
The vineyards of Cumieres are famous for their Pinot Noir, which is what makes this Rosé so tasty.
80
610
20
Domaine des Soulanes
100% old vine Carignan that was bred all in concrete tanks. Notes of leather, black cherries, plums and savoury herbs all emerge from this medium-bodied, fresh, lively wine. This is seamless and gorgeous stuff from Daniel Laffite. It would cost twice the price if it was from Priorat.
80
475
90
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.
80
475
90
Domaine des Trinités
It's here, the 'Coulsh-Rotie". Simon "The Coulsh'" Coulshaw's fabulous take on this iconic wine. "I put this glass of wine to my nose, and had I not been firmly anchored to a chair, would have taken five steps back. The aroma swept me off my feet. Indescribable. Wild. One Thousand and One Nights distilled into a glass. Heady and exotic and riddled with rose petals and spice and coiled with riddles and one sniff of this is poetry and myth and folklore and kitchen table and campfire and someone's cigarette stubbed out at 3 am in lonely finality. Garrigue-spiced aromatics spiral through rock, plant, seed, flower with dazzling complexity. One moment it's rose petals, so delicate you could brush a baby's lips with it; the next it's hot tar, underground angry, rocks shifting deep in the cracks of the earth. This is a velvety, cocoa-dusted, amped-up-then-restrained, dark-horse beauty. Vertical, dark, slub-silk fruit with overtones of tamari and dark chocolate, crushed coffee beans and sweet forest-floor earth. Long and the kind of wine that coils around you slowly, sinuously, sensuously. Worth every penny. You'd pay three times this for a Rhône of this stature". (TC) 18/20 jancisrobinson.com When to drink 2023 - 2035 Published on 29 Nov 2021 Date tasted 29 Nov 2021
80
610
20
Domaine Laguerre
Very rare, very low production. One of the legendary white wines of the Roussillon grown at elevation (500m) in a vineyard called 'Le Soula' (the name adopted by the neighbouring estate Eric Laguerre was once involved with) high in Saint-Martin-de-Fenouillet, on granite soils. Mineral, taught, fine and long with beautiful texture. A blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Rolle, Grenache Blanc and Maccabeu. Outstanding wine which can age gracefully for 25++ years. Beautiful vineyards that are beautifully worked by the master Eric Laguerre. After first visiting the vineyard back in September 2009, we are very happy to now be importing the wines from Domaine Laguerre exclusively to the UK market. The Rhône cannot make white wines like this, although they carry a far higher price which somehow, wrongly, implies that they are somehow better, more valuable. This wine. Spliced by acidity that is so laser focused yet so gentle that it feels like the fall of spring petals through sunlight and falls like a blade of obsidian leaving a cut so fine that only the air drew breath in its wake. This wine. Tastes of Reine Claude plums so sweet the flesh has turned liquid to honey inside the green-gold skin, of cardamom husk caught in the pot of cream coddling slowly on the stove; of pink grapefruit and sucking on a twist of aromatic peel. Exquisite freshness; nacreous beauty; and yet almost shockingly bare of winemaking tricks. It's beautiful. Complete. A lunar cycle in the glass; waxing crescent, waxing gibbous, waning gibbous, waning crescent. GV (TC)
80
235
24
Champagne Pierre Bertrand
A small family grower in the famous village of Cumieres in the Marne valley. Pinot-dominated (like most wines from this village), it shows a deep copper/gold colour and gorgeously aromatic. The palate is wonderfully peachy and lush whilst being bright and explosively juicy! The extended bottle-ageing of this wine (6-8 years) is rather longer most NV Champagnes and lends the wine its weight and character. But it's also fresh and lemony, making for a great combination. Judges on a Decanter tasting panel were particularly wowed by this Cuvée when tasting it blind with other Grower Champagnes in 2017, ALL giving it 98/100 points and the wine also went on to regarded as one of Decanter’s very favourite bottles of the year. We love it too and have been shipping it direct from the Bertrand family since 2008.
80
225
24
Vignerons de Buxy
100% Chardonnay grown on limestone slopes in the best areas of the Macon. Made by the excellent Buxy cooperative, in stainless steel tanks then bottled after several months on lees. Floral and citrus notes, mouthwatering acidity and lovely long flavour. A superb introduction to White Burgundy this overdelivers for its price.
80
615
20
Domaine Vendome
100% Viognier from Les Méjeans next to the winery on mix of kaolin white clay, argile calcaire and also decayed granite just above where the northern boundary of Crozes-Hermitage dips southward on the map, but the elevation remains high at 350m in between Gervans and Larnage, just a little to the north. Hand harvested in early morning, steel vat fermented at 18°C, raised 9 months, malo blocked. What a lovely wine from a unique, interesting terroir. A quite serious but relaxed and lovely, aromatic, floral, juicy but bright drinking Viognier with a gentle, gorgeous creaminess on the finish. Delicious as an apero or with semi hard goats cheese, peaches and charcuterie. A classy drop indeed.
80
195
34
Chateau Cadet Bon
A beautifully put-together claret, made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from vineyards located on cool limestone soils. The terrific Stephane Derenencourt consults here. Lovely extraction with lots of fruit, ripe tannin and acidity. Long and complex and able to age although beautiful now. Attractive, deep ruby. Delicate nose scented with wild strawberries, fig, dried plum and a smoke touch. The palate is full-bodied with silky tannins and displays wonderful harmony with pleasant, lingering fruit. An elegant, beautifully crafted wine.
80
195
26
Chateau Citran
Chateau Citran is one of the best performing Crus Bourgeois wines and this second wine is suave and sophisticated. Mint, blackcurrant and cigar box aromas lead to a velvety pallet. A second wine means that it's made from slightly younger vines than the Grand Vin, but with just as much care. An excellent freshness, balancing acidity, ripe fruit flavour and a great potential to improve with age. It has perfumed notes of raspberry, black cherry and strawberry, a great texture and a long finish
80
195
30
Clos Beauregard
70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc. Attractive, complex fruit nose. Black fruits and some toasty oak, cocoa. Ripe and juicy flashy, plump, well built but not OTT.
80
505
90
Chateau de Fesles
Classic, cool Cabernet Franc. Herbal aromas with blackcurrants, oak, cream and brambly fruit and lively acidity combine in a wine that is ready to drink. An emblematic property of Anjou, the Château de Fesles and its wine estate were built in the 11th century at the top of the 4th highest point in the Loire Valley. Its exceptional geographical position as well as its proximity to the Layon river allow it to produce wines with a distinguished and complex character.
80
475
90
Terres Falmet
Glorious old vine Mourvedre from the wonderful Yves Falmet (who is as vegan as his wines). Yves has a single, steep vineyard of old vine varieties planted in southern Saint-Chinian. Mourvedre cannot be used 100% and be called Saint Chinian, so this is a Vin de France. Silky, fine and long, with vibrant fruit, great balance and perfect ripeness. An amazing value wine.
80
335
24
Sichel
A blend of Cognac and juice from red grape varieties, aged for five years in oak casks. A fruity, full-flavoured aperitif to be enjoyed well chilled. Château d'Orignac has won accolades in France and throughout the world. It is made from two-thirds grape must (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) with one-third Cognac and takes almost 10 years to produce, which results in an intense, complex nose of peaches, apricots, honey, almonds and Cognac and an unforgettably smooth texture on the palate.
80
615
22
Cambridge Wine Merchants
Has to be one of the best-value most impressive French red wines on the UK market. Special edition made for us by famed Chateauneuf grower Roger Sabon, the wine-maker is esteemed Didier Negron. Charmingly honest, hearty (15%!), herbal, dense and punchy, juicy red from the classic southern varieties of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault & friends. What a beauty, what a bargain. Although full-bodied the wine has soft tannins and a silky texture - this is the beauty of Southern Rhone reds, ready to enjoy as soon as they're made, unlike Bordeaux or Burgundy. Grenache in this hot sunny heaven gives ripe raspberry and black cherry notes and depth, Syrah gives a classic black pepper spice and dark-chocolate grip. A cool fennel / mint edge and lift. 'Declassified' as Vin de France, but this is not a 'negoce' wine made from bought-in grapes: all the grapes come from Sabon estates, and winemaking is by Didier Negron, as per their top wines. About Roger Sabon: Domaine Roger Sabon came into being in 1952 when the family vineyards were split into three distinct entities (the other two being Domaine Chante-Cigale and Clos Mont Olivet). Robert Parker, who awarded their 1988 vintage a perfect 100 rating, the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape so honoured, has this to say about Domaine Roger Sabon: “This estate has been at the top of its game for many years and any partisan of Rhone Valley wines… who has not yet tried a wine from Domaine Roger Sabon should make every effort to do so... This estate has been making exceptionally high-quality wines for years, but recent vintages seem to have risen to a new level of quality.”
80
335
24
Chateau de Montifaud
Pineau - a fortified wine, made from either fresh, unfermented grape juice or a blend of lightly fermented grape must, to which a Cognac eau-de-vie is added and then matured.
80
475
90
Domaine des Trinités
Beautifully resolved and brilliant Faugeres in a handy lunch time 50cl format. A dreamy bin-end offer. Snap it up!
80
295
28
Cave Vinicole de Hunawihr
Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France (only 400-500mm per year) and is blessed with a semi-continental climate, sunny, hotand dry. These optimal weather conditions, along with a nice and cool fall season, allow the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop an amazing complexity of aromas. Overt Riesling character at once, with baked tertiary fruit. Evolving. A touch musky. Great balance at 90g/l RS. Not cloying, rather Tarte au Citron. Hugely persistent.
80
615
22
Roger Sabon
Authentic baby wine from Chateauneuf's 1st Parker-100 grower. Unfiltered/unfined, supple, herbal, warming, a cracking value quaffer.
80
295
42
Chateau Coutet
Ch Coutet is a wonderful dessert wine producer, where the sweetness and acidity are in perfect balance, allowing the wine to age as well as offer instnat pleasure. A very classy wine to complete the perfect dinner.
80
695
90
Chateau Vincens
Our house Malbec now for over 10 years. Simply nothing like it at this price. Great wine - juicy, characterful fruit and a lovely silky texture that holds nicely on the focussed finish.
80
475
90
Domaine les Yeuses
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.
80
195
36
Chateau Tronquoy
The wines of Château Tronquoy-Lalande know how to seduce from their youth and gain in elegance after several years in cellar. In their blends we find the particularity of the estate's grape varieties, atypical for a Saint-Estèphe wine, dominated by Merlot, which fruit combines with the power of the Cabernet Sauvignon. The hint of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc adds freshness, finesse and aromatic complexity.
80
225
20
Cave de Fleurie
Morgon is one of the ten 'Crus' of Beaujolais, the name for special wines allowed to carry the name of the viillage around which the vineyards are planted. Morgon offers a fuller expression of Beaujolais and takes on Pinot Noir-like maturity with a few years bottle age, even though it is made from 100% Gamay. A palate of juicy red fruit is introduced with floral aromas on the nose of rose and peony with flecks of cracked black peppercorns. The mouthfeel is fleshy with velvety tannins. Try with barbequed sausages or a fruity Moroccan tagine.
80
235
24
Autreau Roualet
Family firm since 1670 in Premier Cru village of Champillon just north of Epernay. 100% black grapes. Delicate and fresh, nutty, lively mousse. Perfect House Champagne.
80
615
22
Chateau Fargueirol
Cracking value Chateauneuf from Chateau Fargueirol, whose single varietal Chateauneufs are rightly praised as some of the most exciting wines from the region. Easy to drink young and made in a fruit forward, accessible Grenache-y style.
80
235
26
Champagne Joseph Perrier
Decanter Review: "Four Stars, 16.5 / 20. Ripe Pinot fruit, a hint of spice, incisive, Chardonnay-led freshness. More precise thanks to a lowered dosage of 8g/l. Exemplary." Michael Edwards July 2011. A classic Champagne with orchard fruits and spice aromas.
80
225
22
Domaine Fournillon
Pascal Fournillon is a sweet-natured man, always happy when people find him in the sleepy hamlet of Bernouil, some 10 miles north-east of Chablis town. His mum also makes the best gougeres if you need further incentive. Pascal's vineyards cover some 23 hectares of land in the appellations of Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Epineuil. He is bottling more and more of his own wine rather than selling in bulk and this means we have access to good allocations of Chablis that Pascal is happy to age for us for a few years till it is perfect to drink. This Bourgogne Chardonnay is from vineyards near Chablis and bears all the hallmarks of it; steely, lemony, fine and elegant.
80
195
22
Chateau La Louviere
Fermented in steel or concrete tanks. Aged 12 months in barrel, 20% new. Deep cherry red and an impression of freshness in the aroma. Still lots of pure dark fruit, stony cassis and a hint of oak. On the palate, this is refined in texture, fresh in a warm year, with a touch of chocolate sweetness on the finish that seems to be from the oak. Elegantly structured by the tannins, tightly wound even with that chocolate smoothness on the finish. Needs time and should age thanks to the balance between fruit and structure.
80
295
28
Chateau Haut-Mouleyre
A delicious sweet wine. Essences of pear and honey, with a long delicious finish. The perfect sauternes substitute. Dreamy with blue cheese. Château Haut-Mouleyre is located in the village of Escoussans, in the Entre-Deux-Mers winegrowing region, on the right bank of the Garonne. Near Cadillac, an ancient walled town populated since the XXth century by the monks who planted the vineyards, this beautiful traditional girondine house bears witness to the rich historic heritage of the region. A region famous for its La Sauve Majeure abbey, built in the XXIth century. The vineyard is crossed by the Mouleyre stream which is at the origin of the name of the Château : spread over the south and southwest-facing hillsides overlooking the Garonne riverbed, the vineyards have taken advantage of a privileged position which gives maximum exposure to sunlight, and a good soil drainage. Committed to the respect of the environment and its terroir, the property is certified HVE 3 (High Environmental Value level 3). The terroir and hillsides of Cadillac have always been known for their fruity, refined, delicate and lively sweet wines. The combination of these elements with the influence of the Garonne allow the Sémillon grapes to develop Botrytis Cinerea, the same "noble rot" as the more illustrious Sauternes region. Château Haut-Mouleyre Cadillac AOP is made from 100% Sémillon old vines.
80
715
30
Bailly Lapierre
Aged for 2 years this Pinot based Cremant has Berry fruit and toasty aromas. The palate shows yeasty biscuit, very champagne like. Fantastic value.
80
475
90
Domaine des Trinités
Simon Coulshaw makes natural wines: no cultured yeast, enzymes, chemical tannins or fining product and farming with respect to the environment, although the domaine isn't certified organic. jancisrobinson.com Review: Full bottle 1,126 g. 65% Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 15% Carignan, organically and biodynamically farmed. Out of the 22 ha that Simon Coulshaw has under vine, 16 are in Faugère and 6 in Pézenas. But, as Coulshaw points out, they are more than 30 km from Pézenas, so while vineyards for the appellation are typically on villafranchian and clay-limestone soils or on black, grey and blue schist, this vineyard is on golden schist. (Coulshaw at this point goes into a charming rhapsody about how beguilingly beautiful schist is...) Le Pech Mege is a single vineyard, the most isolated of all his Pézenas vineyards. Spontaneous fermentation, stainless steel, low sulphite additions, minimal interventions. Coulshaw recommends that this wine is drunk cooler than room temperature. I'd pop it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes to get it down to around 16 °C/61 °F. “It's rare that a Languedoc wine (or any wine, to be frank) can pull off the tightrope balance of pert, outright cheeky freshness and straightforward fruit whilst being pretty dense and concentrated at the same time. This wine defies the laws of gravity. At its heart, there is a deep tobacco-leaf wrapped, chocolate-streaked, umeboshi-plum and soy-umami savouriness, notes of reduced beef stock and game glimmering in the gloaming. But radiating out towards the edges of the wine is this confident, gregarious, sap-filled mulberry fruit and puppy-playful acidity that seems to roll around with gleeful abandon. Supple, lightly astringent but fully ripe tannins. A wine of the vineyard, of the vintage; a wine that shines with a sense of who and what it is”. GV (TC) Alcohol 14% Score 17/20 When to drink 2022 – 2026 Published on 29 Nov 2021 Date tasted 29 Nov 2021 Reviewer Tamlyn Currin
80
295
28
Château de Géraud
Owned by the Gerardin family since the beginning of the 20th Century this dessert wine comes from the Monbazillac region of South West France. Similar grapes varieties and conditions to Sauternes are experienced in Monbazillac, with the development of noble rot in late autumn. Old vines of 50+ years are used to make this golden aromatic dessert wine which shows botrytis aromas of smoke, marmalade, honey. A good but not very high level of residual sugar and bright acidity make for a delicious and easy to drink wine to match with fruit desserts, pastries and blue cheeses.
80
715
30
Haut-Mouleyre
Interestingly made from Merlot and Semillon grapes and made in the traditional method employed for all Cremants and Champagnes. A lovely pale lemon colour, with notes of lemon, melon and green apple, this has a fine streak of acidity and tangy citrus. With its lifted citrus flavours and its fresh aftertaste, it is ready to drink now.
80
615
22
Domaine Clavel
For several generations, the Clavels have run this estate, founded in 1934 on the right bank of the Rhône, whose vast area (80 ha) allows them to offer a wide range of wines. Today, it is Claire who has been at the helm of this organic estate since 2008. Very consistent in quality and best known for its Côtes-du-Rhône and its Saint-Gervais villages. Juicy, fruity and versatile Southern Rhone red from Claire Clavel whose vineyards lie in Saint Gervais, one of the 'Villages' of the Cotes du Rhone.