In the early 1950’s, the rising demand for Vintage ports led Fonseca to create a second vintage port under the ‘Guimaraens’ label. Blended from slightly less powerful components, Guimaraens Vintage Ports are made in years when the wines are more supple and early maturing though they are drawn from the same three estates. They differ only in that they are more approachable, ready to drink earlier and for their quality and rarity offer exceptional value. “Caramelised black cherry, liquorice, tea leaves. Pruny. A bite of grippy tannins.” IWC 2019 Silver

Winemaker Duncan Stuart has a great feel for these Mediterranean grape varieties and the quality of the wines oustrips their price by some margin, making it a delight to present his wines to our UK clients. Tim Atkin "The entry-point Syrah from Duncan Stuart is a stunner at the price, made with grapes from three comparatively young blocks on schist soils. Inky and intensely perfumed, it has violet and mountain herb aromas, rosemary, black olive and blackberry flavours and polished tannins. Hard to beat for value. 2026-32." All grapes are handpicked during the early morning hours. 85% of these grapes are then crushed and destemmed, whilst the remaining 15% is fermented as whole cluster. Natural fermentation takes place in both open fermenters and closed stainless steel tanks. Extraction is obtained by regular pump overs and punch downs. After fermentation is completed, the wine is pressed to neutral barrels. Malolactic bacteria are inoculated and malolactic fermentation is completed in the barrel. The wine is then racked from the lees and given a low dose of sulphur. The wine spends a total of 10 months in the barrel before it is blended and bottled.

A new cuvée for 2020 from our favourite Champagne House, and created by new MD Benjamin Fourmon who says, 'from the start I set out to create an extra-pure, sugar-free and very expressive champagne. We chose the exceptionally fresh 2013 vintage and aged it for 72 months to produce roundness, power and perfect balance. 35% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier. Reserve wines constitute 24% of the blend, Dosage 0 g/l. Disgorged '2020'.

A stylish baby 'Super Tuscan' from Parri. For the style, a faily classical blend of equal parts Sangiovese and Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon also. Deep, silky, seamless and satistying. For those who like a nice glossy, rich wine but one that still has good tension and bite. Very satisfying indeed. Fattorie Parri is a family winery, started when Novello Parri bought the first estate, called Tenuta Corfecciano in 1950. In the following two decades, the family successively bought Tenuta Ribaldaccio, Tenuta Il Monte and finally in 1971 Il Urbana, where the winery is now located. Of the total of 180 hectares of estate, 60 are planted with vineyards, 35 with olive trees, grain is produced and the rest is planted with forest. All in all, a classic Italian company whose roots literally lie deep in the soil of the Tuscan landscape. The daily management of the 3 companies is in the hands of Luigi Parri, together with his nephew Andrea and niece Paola Cantini. Oenologist Giorgio Tarzariol has been responsible for making the wines since 1972.

A perfect tawny combining great complexity and harmony. This is the master blender’s quest for perfection, capturing the perfect balance between young and aged port wines being matured for over 20 years in seasoned oak casks that contain 543 litres of port, only being released once they have reached perfection.

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.

50% Muscat d'Alexandre and 50% Muscat a Petit Grains fermented on skins. "Light orange in colour, this blend of two Muscats (Petit Grains and Alexandria macerated for 14 days) is fragrant and perfectly pitched, with gorgeous notes of orange peel, dried leaves, apricot and mango. It's so well balanced, being both floral and a little rusty and leafy. The palate is concentrated, with really good presence and a long, spicy, cumin-infused finish. It's still fruity enough not to be overtly savoury, but also not massively flowery and exotic. It's so spicy! This has good tension, no flab, it's all tucked in, with a good solid chalky grip". 95/100 Natalie Earl in Decanter Magazine Drinking Window: 2025 - 2029

This Syrah blend with soft black fruits and spice has been shaped by the sunbaked rocky soils of the unmistakable and very definite Faugeres terroir. A herbal, spicy bouquet is followed by youthful red cherries and supple mineral character derived from the schist rich soils. One of our greatest value wines.

Order this case of more adventurous reds, made from some less familiar grape varieties which are guaranteed to be fun, interesting and delicious. This case contains one bottle each of Dom. des Soulanes Patchwork Rouge 2023 IGP Cotes Catalanes, Cert. Organic £14.99 Wonderful new cuvee from the brilliant Daniel and Cathy Laffite based in Tautavel. These guys have some of the most beautiful vineyards we have ever seen, and they are worked with utmost care and respect. Glorious Grenache and Carignan deliver so much pleasure DELICIOUS. Zweigelt Niederosterreich 2023 Funkstille £13.99 Abundant red cherry, plum and vibrant berry fruits combine in this joyful, bright and incredibly juicy red that's medium-bodied with beautifully ripe and light tannins and touch of spice on the finish. Terres Falmet Cuvée Cinsault 2024 Vin de France £14.99 Diomede Lama di Pietra Nero di Troia 2024 £13.99 Sensale Nero d'Avola 2024 Sicilia, Sibiliana, Cert. Organic £11.95 Tire Bouchon Rouge 2023 Dom. d'Ourea Vin de France, Cert. Organic £16.99 Blend of Aramon, Oeillades, Counoise and Grenache from the southern Rhône. Hand-picked. Contents and image may vary.

A blend of Clairette 70% and Grenache 30%. 80 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of red sand, clay and round pebbles. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinification takes place in 100% old wooden casks. The wine is matured in large ‘demi-muid’ barrels for 6 months on the lees. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. 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 cnverted 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!

The desire to nurture the Estate’s exceptional qualities has shaped Ornellaia’s philosophy since the beginning. Ornellaia is a cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot and the faithful expression of unique terroir developed in harmony with nature. ““With its usual deep ruby red colour, Ornellaia 2020 stands out on the nose with ripe red fruits and delicate vanilla and gentle tobacco notes. Upon tasting, the wine reveals itself to be rounded and velvety, making an enjoyable and engaging first impression that entices for a second sip. The tannins are dense yet elegant and the finish proves to be savoury and enduring.” Olga Fusari – Winemaker Press “This is a beauty, so generous and opulent with fully seamless transitions. The wine’s traditional blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with tiny percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, although this warm vintage makes due with a pinch less of the Cabernet Sauvignon. […] This broad and generous expression has a beautiful quality of fruit and oak that speaks to the very best of Italian winemaking.” 95-97 Points – Wine Advocate, Monica Larner

Created in 1988 as a tribute to one of the House’s founders, Elisabeth Salmon, this cuvée distinguishes itself through its refined purity of grandeur and unique character. This great, rare and sought-after wine subtly offers the signature of our top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay terroirs. Elisabeth Salmon 2012 highlights the full breadth of the savoir-faire required to blend the House’s rosé in an exceptional year. The aroma dispalys a refreshing, sensual expression of the senses, redolent of red and black berries. The exquisite feel of a rich and complex aromatic amplitude (bilberry, gooseberry, peony). Beautifully refined, mature olfactory notes, respectfully running the gamut of the inimitable scent of fragrant roses and crystallised violets. On the palate, a tactile impact of restrained yet bewitching power and, at the same time, finesse. The harmonious fulfilment of delicious flavours and pastries (panettone, cherry clafoutis). A delicate mouthfeel progressing towards a hint of chalkiness in a long finish redolent of cedarwood and blood orange jelly. A wine of remarkable refinement that signals its personality with an immense delicacy of texture and flavours. An aromatic charm of a rare mineral kind to accompany lovely poultry with crayfish or a few royal langoustines.

From Yves Falmet: My ‘L'ivresse des Cimes’ label is made from grapes grown on the steepest plots in my vineyard, located right at the top of the hillside. My best expression each year of 'Saint-Chinian'.

This is a ‘hands on’ Domaine that firmly believes good wine is made in the vineyard. Serge’s daughter, Valèrie, looks after their 15 hectares of vineyards and makes the wine with a view to preserving as much terroir in the wines as possible. Their vines are planted on a unique concoction of clay/limestone ‘Terres Blanches’ over kimmeridgean clay and crushed oyster shells. Moreover the vineyard slopes are all fully exposed to every second of sun each day has to offer being south and south-west facing. Such exceptional terroir as this resounds throughout the wines which practically sing with flavours of gunflint, flowers and cut grass.

A testament to the ancestral terroir of Minervois La Livinière. This blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache highlights the characteristics of the appellation and the biodiversity of the terroir. Whilst respecting tradition, it is also in tune with the times. ‘La Petite Villa’ starts us off on the road to ‘Villa Mon Rêve’. On the nose, a bouquet of black fruit and spices reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry and clove. This initial nose is supported by fresh aromas of peppermint and sweet cocoa bean notes. On the palate, a fine structure emerges with a supple, intense attack, offering a pleasant velvety texture and a spicy finish with young but promising tannins. Aromas of black fruit, garrigue, cocoa, pink pepper and fresh tobacco unfold fully, offering a rich, complex taste experience.

A great value offer. A superb 'Classico' Barolo wine in the superb 2019 vintgage that is still under £40. A LOT of wine for the money. You really cannot go wrong here. "The 2019 Barolo has a pretty bouquet that is laced with light fruit, licorice and lots of blue flower. On the palate, the wine is mid-weight and lively. This is a nice expression of classic Nebbiolo that shows depth and elegance. It ferments with ambient yeasts and sees 40 days of extended maceration with submerged cap. This 29,400-bottle production represents a blend of fruit from seven sites: Altenasso and Solanotto in Castiglione Falletto, a part of Cerretta, the younger part of Bricco Voghera where the vines are from 55 to 60 years old, part of San Rocco, and Cerrati and Broglio in Serralunga d'Alba". Wine Advocate 93/100 "From 5.5 hectares in Castiglione Falletto, including a selection from Bricco Voghera - from which Luigi and Lorenzo Scavino usually pick the grapes for their Riserva. Here is a Barolo full of details: intense sweet violet and cinnamon aromas with smoky minerality, pomegranate and red currants. The freshness on the nose is allied to a lot of sucrosity on the palate, with lifted acidity and firm, dusty and even slightly rustic tannins. Good concentration for a village Barolo, and one of the greatest price-quality ratios". Decanter 92/100

A blend of Clairette 70% and Grenache 30%. 80 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of red sand, clay and round pebbles. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinification takes place in 100% old wooden casks. The wine is matured in large ‘demi-muid’ barrels for 6 months on the lees. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. 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 cnverted 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!

A blend of Clairette 70% and Grenache 30%. 80 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of red sand, clay and round pebbles. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinification takes place in 100% old wooden casks. The wine is matured in large ‘demi-muid’ barrels for 6 months on the lees. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. 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 cnverted 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!

CWM Ranking: High 2:1 Big and bold, this is concentrated and powerful with opulence and plushness. Tannis are ripe and chewy and moutfilling, the wood and the alcohol just present, full of sunkissed blackcurrants and black cherries, a little bit stewed in their ripeness but this also has a lovely fresh mint and liquorice tang to it and lifted finish which counteracts the fruit. Nicely complete and I love the density and the texture, the tannins have a lovely feel to them, it's mouth coating and so full. Would pair well with a nice steak. Classy and confident. From a single tract of vineyards extending 100ha and adjoining St-Estèphe and Pauillac on soils that are mainly sandy gravel on top of clay and limestone. Blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, aged 16 months in 25% new oak barrels.

The folks at our King's Parade Branch have put together a Perfect Christmas Case for you. It includes one bottle of each of the following: Jansz Premium Rosé NV Brut Tasmania: Seriously up there with the best of Champagne: yeasty and buttery. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and is aged on yeast lees for as long as possible. Honeysuckle and citrus scents are immediately apparent, slight aromas of nougat, roasted nuts and a hint of strawberry from the Pinot Noir. Delicate fruits and creaminess fills the mouth with a lingering finish of citrus and nougat. Lanzerac Chardonnay 2023 Stellenbosch The wine has a bright hue with a golden straw colour. It displays a refreshing nose of bright pear and peach blossoms with subtle lemon meringue and notes of freshly rolled oats. A full-bodied wine with great palate tension. Crisp apple and chalky citrus are infused with mild layers of Crème Brulé, spun sugar and floral potpourri. The flavours are vibrant, and the finish refined Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Maison Lispaul Slightly richer than a normal Sauvignon Blanc but keeps its sharpness and purity of fruit. Citrus flavours blend well with the tartness of green apples and pear. Zweigelt Niederosterreich 2023 Funkstille: Abundant red cherry, plum and vibrant berry fruits combine in this joyful, bright and incredibly juicy red; medium-bodied with beautifully ripe and light tannins and touch of spice on the finish. Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme 2020 Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux Smells like LUXURY! Wonderful old school claret from one of our best friends in Bordeaux, Francois Nony. Graham's LBV 2019 Port: Graham’s consistently produces some of the best LBV’s and this is no exception. Loads of black and red fruit, touches of spice and cedar smoke, and of course plenty of sweetness.

UKAN is the new project of the youngest generation of the famous Eguren family. We highly recommended them and they are freshly arrived in the UK. UKAN is a small winery that follows the Bordeaux model and is focused in producing a great wine in very limited quantities. Founded by Koldo Eguren, fifth generation of the family, with the winemaking collaboration of his cousin Eduardo. Together, they seek to reflect the Rioja Alavesa landscape into a unique wine using knowledge acquired from previous generations and adding a younger, more contemporary vision that both have learned in their international experience. The foundation of the project is in the vineyard, where a sustainable and ecological viticulture is practiced. This care for detail is spread into the winemaking process, fully hand-crafted, that takes place in the winery located in Laguardia. Senderos de UKAN is the result of a careful selection of Tempranillo vineyards from different villages in Rioja Alavesa, mainly planted on limestone soil. There is great energy, freshness and character here, moreish yet impressive with every taste.

An absolute classic Roussillon 'house' blend from the master Daniel Laffite (the hardest working man with the hands to prove it!). The classic Soulanes recipe of richness, purity of beautiful fruit, freshness and seamlessness. Delicious and underpriced. This wine never lets you down.

A great introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Instead of producing a younger vine, cheaper Vacqueyras like many other top Domaines, Adrien's choice is to use such fruit in his Cotes du Rhone. In 2022 we have mostly Syrah (70%) and the remainder of Grenache Noir ALL from the Vacqueyras vineyards 100% destemmed (not usual for the estate) crushed and seeing a short infusion. 100% naturally fermented and bred in concrete for 10 months. This makes for a wonderful wine of fruit and terroir, the link to the classic Vacqueyras and Gigondas of the Domaine. An utterly delightful wine - vibrant Syrah - lifted red and black fruit, a subtle blend of sweet spices and beautiful violet blossom. Delightful and digestible,

Lovely, opulent aromas of grapefruit and peach follow through to a lithe body, with loads of fruit as well as abundant melon and apple character and citrusy acidity. Producer Profile The Cramele Recas Estate, owned by Englishman, Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, have put in a huge amount of work into transforming their slice of grape growing history into a contemporary winemaking haven. The immaculate vineyards are a combination of evolved plantings from 1447 and much more recent plantings too. With recent investments into modernising and improving their winery, they regularly host world class flying winemakers, vintage to vintage, to work with their team. This enables them to create top quality wines and constantly challenge themselves push innovations and approach winemaking with an open mind. Viticulture The winery has been fully fitted out with stainless steel, automatic temperature controlled tanks for fermenting and storing the wine. The primary vinification facility has been completely renewed with the best possible equipment for gently crushing, de stemming, pressing the grapes- in order to be able to maintain all the quality in the grapes. Winemaking Grapes are night harvested, to arrive cool at the winery. Crushed and de stemmed then pumped through a must chiller on the way to the press. Pressings and free-run fractions are separated for fermentation. Juice clarified by flotation then racked to stainless steel for fermentation at 10-15 deg C over 2 to 3 weeks. Centrifuged and cold stabilized prior to blending, filtering and bottling.

A very Alsatian-styled Chardonnay, and really racy, clean and pure in 2022. The Clos Windsbuhl vineyard was acquired by Domaine Zind-Humbrecht at the end of 1987. They realized quickly that some parts needed to be replanted in order to choose either a better suited grape variety/root stock combination and/or change the density of plantation. The part of the Clos the nearest to the forest had to be replanted. While considering the options, they decided to choose slightly earlier ripening cultivars to compensate for the cooling effect of the nearby forest. Instead of planting the classic combination of Auxerrois/Pinot-Blanc, they replaced the latter with Chardonnay. Unfortunately, Chardonnay isn’t permitted for still wines in Alsace, so we have to declassify this wine to Vin de France every year. Chardonnay is part of the Pinot family, but compared to Pinot-Blanc can produce lower yields and retain beautiful acidity on limestone geology of the Windsbuhl. In 2019, production was actually quite small, so we also added a small percentage of Pinot-Gris in the blend that fermented bone dry. Pale yellow colour. The nose shows the strong limestone influence: mineral, stone driven, citrus fruits and some white fruits (peach) after some aeration. The wine fermented in a large recent oak cask (foudre) and was on full lees until bottling. The palate is quite strict, bone dry, with a racy sapid acidity that gives a juicy texture on the finish. The wine has a nice concentration, but because it is bone dry with a ripe acidity, it feels elegant and delicate.

A blend of Viognier 40%, Roussanne 40% and White Grenache 20%. 20 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of clay, limestone and round pebbles. Peachy aromas, with a fresh and expressive palate that's juicy and very pleasing. More peach flavour from the Viognier and a weighty mid-palate from the Roussanne. Excellent value for money. Grapes are mechanically harvested and vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks, with regular stirring of the lees. This preserves the freshness and fruitiness of the wine. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. 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 cnverted 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!

Sangiovese 80%, Canaiolo 15%, Malvasia Nera 5%. Manually harvested in mid-September from all the company's organic vineyards, the Sangiovese from Rabizza and the Lago, the Canaiolo from Vertigne and the Malvasia Nera from Tombolo. The grapes are carefully destemmed and wild fermentation takes place with the grapes natural yeasts. Fermentation takes place In thermo-conditioned steel tanks with maceration on the skins for two weeks with gentle pumping over The wine is then bred in older French oak tonneaux (large barrels) until the spring following the harvest. The wine is put to bottle and rests for a further nine months. This is a real, authentic Tuscan bargain with wonderfully characterful fruit from beautiful established vineyards blended beautifully by the master Giampaolo Chiettini. Floral, earthy, brilliant and vibrant wine. The legendary and completely wonderful Giampaolo Chiettini helps the young (very young!) Rocco (24!) and his sister Meca (25!) on their beautiful estate in DOC Valdarno di Sopra. A very exciting estate to watch at this embryonic stage.

Fantastic length. Nothing in excess, there's oak, there's spice, there's richness, stone fruit, citrus fruit, all in balance and all building up. Will age. Sumptuous on second look. Jancis Robinson 17/20 "Mid to deep greenish gold. Toasty and glamorous on the nose. They aim to make a Chablis style because it's all limestone so very lively and tense. I'd say the acidity isn't as pronounced as a typical Chablis. Real grip on the palate. Very long with lots of tension. (JR)

Another great but unsung white wine of the Roussillon. A blend of Grenache Blanc and Maccabeu. Outstanding wine that is intense and tangy from the high elevation vineyards. This cuvee ages gracefully for 10++ years. A bargain bottle from breath-taking vineyards that are beautifully worked by the master Eric Laguerre.

A blend of Viognier 40%, Roussanne 40% and White Grenache 20%. 20 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of clay, limestone and round pebbles. Peachy aromas, with a fresh and expressive palate that's juicy and very pleasing. More peach flavour from the Viognier and a weighty mid-palate from the Roussanne. Excellent value for money. Grapes are mechanically harvested and vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks, with regular stirring of the lees. This preserves the freshness and fruitiness of the wine. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. 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 cnverted 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!

This beautiful Margot 2023 (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 12% alcohol. A beautiful label drawn in school by young Margot also!

A very special wine from ancient plants of two of the rarest and very best vines for Soualnes terroir, Grenache Gris and Carignan Gris. This really does have everything. It's floral, honeyed orchard and citrus fruits added to its sumptuousness, its layers of texture and bright but not too spiky acidity. Very long with great balance and so much interest. Divine stuff that is here in tiny quantities.

97/100 Decanter "Over the past decade, Bodega Hacienda López de Haro has become one of Rioja’s rising stars, a producer capable of making both consistently high-quality, high-volume brands and smaller-scale ‘artisanal’ bottlings such as this Gran Reserva Rosado. It’s a blend of 60% Viura and 40% Garnacha, macerated for 24-48 hours before fermentation in stainless steel. The wine was then matured for four years in French and Eastern European oak barriques, mostly new. It spent a further five years in bottle before release. David Williams: Complex interplay of polished wood, cherry and rosehip, and macadamia nuts, a touch of sweet green olive and fennel, baked strawberry: just fascinating. Very savoury and satisfying, with lovely glide and a silky texture. Matthew Forster MW: Brick red, attenuated colour, firm savoury oak aromas. Concentrated stewed plum fruit, with rose petal and caramel on the finish. Very complete. Diana Rollan: Intense and complex, oxidative style. Notes of dried cranberry, orange zest and sandalwood. Textured, elegant and vibrant, with a subtle saline finish. Superb." Julia Harding on jancisrobinson.com 17.5/20 "Deep coppery pink. Aromas as dramatic as the colour: rich notes of orange-skinned plums and spiced apricots (though no impression of sweetness). A touch of dried grasses. In the mouth, this is fabulous, especially for the price. Mouth-wateringly fresh, layers and layers of flavour and just the right amount of tannic structure (more than I expected, perhaps more from the oak than from the maceration) for the wine to continue to age well, though it is delicious now. Firm, persistent and a style it is hard to find outside Rioja. Great length. A wine to savour at the table. VGV".

Enrico Rivetto is one of the pioneers of the Nascetta grape in these times, and a seeker of truth for the varietal expression in his clay-limestone soils on Sinio at 400 metres altitude with northern exposure. The soils have a sub-alkaline reaction, low in nitrogen. Nascetta is a semi-aromatic grape native to Lange with excellent aging potential. Historical texts liken this varietal to the great wines of Rhein. Manually harvested, sometimes at different stages depending on the vintage conditions. Nascetta sees wild, spontaneous fermentation. 80% of the wine is macerated on skins for three days then sees spontaneous fermentation and then breeds in concrete tank. The other 20% is vinified in Amphora with post ferment maceration lasting for several months. These two portions are then blended just before bottling. The 2021 shows gorgeous yellow plum, honeysuckle and herbs on the nose. The wine is citrus-juicy, yet with good minerality and a lean and waxy structure that shows good tension. Quite wonderful and delightfully curious. "Macerated on the skins for 72 hours, this golden Nascetta lifts from the glass with aromas of baked apples, roast lemon and dried yellow flowers. The sublime texture is highlighted by dried orange, dried wild herbs and crunchy acidity" Jeff Porter in Wine Enthusiast 92/100 "Deep, almost golden yellow. Enticing, distinctive nose of dried quince, orange blossom, lemon and the merest suggestion of curry powder, pressed orange and bruised apple. Very subtle and long and unfolding only slowly on the finish with the perfect dose of ripe acidity. Super-fine but noticeable texture. Still not at its peak". 17++/20 Walter Speller on jancisrobinson.com July 2025

A True Blouge has arrived. In our opinion, the very best of the light red/mixed grapes/blouge style. It’s sappy, herbal and aromatic, the fruit is lythe, alive, long and lifted. Colour is extraordinary, but with the interest and complexity in the wine - it’s not just pretty coloured glou glou - it’s really vinous and interesting. Serve cool. It's made by Vincent Chansault who's day job is to make the brilliant Domaine Gayda wines. This is from his personal project in Minervois La Liviniere. It's a co-ferment of a single, 70yo co-planted vineyard in La Liviniere Minervois of Cinsault (red), Bourboulenc (white) and Grenache Gris (pink). Fermented wild in whole-bunches. 2,000 bottles produced. We have a nice chunk, but it won't last forever. One of the wines of 2025. Definitely the wine of the summer!

From a pebbly vineyard located on the sandy banks deposited by the river Ouvèze. A beautiful mix of indigenous, rare and wonderful grapes (Grenache Noir, Aramon, Counoise and Oeillade) vinified whole-bunch with a short maceration and then 6 months breeding in concrete vat produce a relaxed, supple, savoury and classy drinking and tapas wine. A great introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Serve cool (16c).

Wow. A literal "Wow". We were completely knocked out with this cuvee upon discovery back in January 2023, at an organic wine fair in Southern France. Across from d'Ourea's stand was the stand of one of our longest and most successful producers who too makes a similar style of lifted, elegant Grenache. I passed him a glass of d'Ourea's Vacqueyras to which the winemaker put under his nose, "Wow". He continued "This is beautiful, the perfect balance in the aromatics of Grenache, a lovely use of whole-bunch". "The stems (of the grape bunches) are the most beautiful part of the grape - they bring freshness and aromas of garrigue, herbs, and complexity to the wine". Adrien Roustan, Vigneron at d'Ourea The selection in 2023 is 85% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, Carignan and Mourvèdre. An outstanding Vacqueyras from a selection of Adrien's finest terroir. Being a blend of "Hautes Garrigues" (a red clay gravel) and "Pendants" (a blue and yellow marl). Each terroir brings its original personality. The "Garrigues" finesse and minerality. The "Pendants" the power and depth. Vineyards planted in 1950. "The Grenache here is at the northern end of its ripening range, and that means its wines have finesse and elegance". We could not agree more. A truly charming wine and a real "Wow".

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…

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!

2012 Vintage Report 2012 was rated as a ‘very good’ vintage in Rioja. The year was defined by the lack of rain which was 25% lower than normal for the region with over a third of the rainfall falling after the harvest. High spring and summer temperatures resulted in picking starting early. The rain finally began to fall on 11th October, extending the harvest by an extra week but all grapes were in by 18th October, which is still early for Haro. Given the dry conditions, yields were down as grapes were small. However, they were also very healthy and López de Heredia are very happy with the quality of the vintage, saying that the wines, ‘continue to develop favourably in terms of freshness and fineness’ and that they have a long ageing potential. The 2012 is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacho with the remaining 10% a mix of Graciano and Mazuelo. The wine was aged in barrel for 6 years, being racked twice per year and fined with fresh egg whites. Overall, the wine has spent 10 years maturing in the perfect, cool conditions of López de Heredia’s incredible underground cellars and was bottled in January 2022. Tasting Notes The nose of the 2012 Tondonia Tinto Reserva is gloriously open, perfumed and fine. Gentle aromas of jamón and cured leather mingle with subtle notes of raspberry tea and a touch of musky, cedar spice. A sweet red cherry compote top note comes through but, above all, this is remarkably scented, floral and mineral-pure Tondonia. The palate is incredibly fresh with well-defined red fruit and a vibrating hint of orange zest at the back. This is a more accessible and less dense style than the previous two vintages but that is more than compensated for by its superb poise and sense of energy. Reminiscent of the lovely 2009 in its charm, the wine dances on the palate towards the focused, pure finish. Delicious. Drink 2024 (decanted) to 2042. Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer BBR “2012 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Tinto Reserva (13%)