There 194 products in this category
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Domaine des Schistes
Produced from beautiful organic Muscat grapes grown on a great schist terroir with a top-soil of schistous marl in the commune of Tautavel, facing south-east. The grapes are composed of 80% Muscat Petits Grains and 20% Muscat d'Alexandrie. Yields are very low at around 20 hl/ha. A manual harvest takes place in the morning, when the grapes have an alcoholic potential of 14.5°/15°. Very long direct pressing, at low pressure, followed by coarse settling overnight in the open air. Fermentation takes place in vat, at a temperature of 20-23°C. It is stopped by mutage with certified organic neutral alcohol (representing a maximum of 10% of the final volume). Aging takes place on fine lees, in closed stainless steel vats, sheltered from oxidation. This is the finest and freshest Muscat de Rivesaltes we've found. We are very happy to be shipping this great example from the finest of growers to the UK.
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Domaine Billard Pere et Fils
Jerome Billard is 5th generation winemaker at the family domaine in Le Rochepot, a village in the Hautes Cotes above Beaune. The vineyards cover 17 hectares and spans four AOCs, (Aligoté, Hautes Côtes de Beaune Blanc and Rouge and Crémant) five AOC-villages and three Premier Cru sites, (Saint Aubin Blanc and Rouge and Beaune). Domaine Billard follow biodynamic techniques during winegrowing; using the lunar calendar and restricting machinery on the vineyards Their lovely Percheron horse Raphael ploughs in between rows in none other than Domaine de la Romanee Conti. The house style is for expressive yet gently extracted wines. Aromatic, cassis, raspberry, flowerbeds, wild strawberries, and delicate sweet spices of oak. Fresh acidity, persistent fruit, fragrant and spicy.
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Dom. d'Ourea
From a vineyard located on the sandy banks deposited by the river Ouvèze. A beautiful mix of the indigenous, rare and quite wonderful old vine Aramon (a grape that makes great rose) with some beautiful old vine Cinsault. Vinified whole-bunch with a short maceration and then 6 months breeding in concrete vat produce a beautifully bright-fruited, floral, vigorous but supple, savoury and very classy drinking and tapas wine. A GREAT introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas.
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Domaine Gayda
A very special wine. Winemaker Vincent comes from the Loire Valley so knows about Chenin from there and time making wine in South Africa. Chenin originated in the Languedoc so bringing it back is exciting. The wine is fermented in egg shaped concrete fermenting tanks, which allows better movement of liquid during and after fermentation than in stainless steel. Some barrel ageing too for texture. Well balanced with a purity of fruit enhanced by its roundness and length.. Highly recommended.
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Domaine des Soulanes
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.
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Antech
Sixth generation Francoise Antech has taken this excellent producer to even greater heights, championing the Limoux region and Mauzac grape variety around the globe. The UK is the family's largest market , now looked after by seventh generation Baptiste. This is the first priced wine in a range of their Blanquettes and Cremants that we recommend. Blanquette de Limoux has a claim to being one of the world's oldest sparkling wines, with legend dating its creation to 1531.
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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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Domaine Gayda
Certified organic grapes from Roussillon. Long with light bitterness with some saltiness. Nice tension, medium body and real structure.
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Zuccardi
A port style wine, red purple colour of medium intensity, with light brown hues due to its ageing. Immensely concentrated, ripe plums, black fruits, marmalade, dried figs and nuts with final spicy notes like cinnamon, toasted almonds and leather.
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La Croix Gratiot
Bright yellow in colour with vibrant citrus, pear and spice notes on the nose. The palate is full but extremely well balanced, with fresh Picpoul acidity and pure fruit flavours.
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Felton Road
Under Bond Orders When you buy wines Under Bond they can either be transferred, Under Bond, to an account in a Bonded Warehouse or delivered Duty Paid. We will enquire by email whether you wish the wine to remain under bond or be delivered duty paid. For Under Bond deliveries. We will ask you to provide the details of the bonded warehouse address and the account you would like it held under. Excise and VAT taxes are not payable for wines transferred under bond. A charge for the transfer will be made at the time of delivery, and varies from Bond to Bond. We will let you know what that charge is in advance, when you confirm the address, and issue an invoice for the transfer charge. For Duty Paid Deliveries. We will ask for the delivery address by email. All Under Bond prices exclude HM Excise, Customs and VAT. Current Excise rates are £16.02 per 4.5 litre case (equivalent to 6x75cl), Customs are Zero and VAT is currently charged at 20%. These taxes are liable to change, and will be charged at the prevailing rate when the goods are removed from Bond. At that time, a new VAT invoice will be issued, including a charge for onward delivery. The balance between what has already been charge Under Bond and the new VAT invoice will be payable. N.B. Our website currently does not automatically charge for these additional costs and may even suggest that the wines qualify for Free National Delivery. We apologise that is not the case with Under Bond and En Primeur purchases. Please contact orders@cambridgewine.com if you have any further questions about buying under bond.
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Domaine Odyssee
Natural, organic Macabeu from a beautiful vineyard in Calce, Roussillon blended 50/50 with Chenin Blanc from Aveyron in central France! The Chenin Blanc is from Vincent's friends at Coultades du Coustoubi. The '78' moniker comes from both postcodes being added together - 66 for Roussillon and 12 for Aveyron. The blend makes for a wine of great character with a precise, floral nose, a good body that has great tension with fine acidity. Really interesting and ultimately, hugely satisfying wine. Vincent Carreras has been working in wine industry for 13 years. For nine years he worked for a winery in the south of the Roussillon, Andy Cook’s Mas Cristine and Coume del Mas. Working in the vineyard, cellar and commercial activities - the whole shebang! For four years now he has been employed by a family winery based in Maury - Clos des Vins d'Amour. Who work 25 hectares organically in the west of Roussillon. Mostly in commercial activities, but also working in the cellar. Alongside this, in 2016, Vincent started a new project - Domaine Odyssée. The 3.5ha of vineyards are in Calce and Baixas, in a heart of Roussillon. The sites are small, but unquestionably some of the most beautiful we have seen. Vincent draws on the experiences mentioned above and his time in New Zealand (2011), Argentina (2012) and Bordeaux 2011 to help fully realise what he has there in his exceptional terroir. Vincent works organically, using no weedkillers, no chemical products. He works by hand and with organic fertilizer (he is in conversion right now). He harvests his parcels by himself with friends and family. In the cellar, Vincent’s philosophy is a minimum of intervention "To keep the fruit and the terroir.". The wines are extracted gently with just a little pump over. No filtration, no fining. The only preservative is a little dose of sulphites in very low quantities at bottling "It is important for me the stabilise the wine in respect of the future customers".
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Rivetto
Only 24 bottles available from this small and prestigious vineyard in 2018. Briccolina is the pioneer vineyard for Rivetto's biodynamic approach, introduced in 2015. It is the only Barolo Cru granted the Demeter certification. It is a vineyard-garden, a poly-culture entirely worked by hand. Situated in Serralunga d’Alba at 340 meters with west/south-west exposure. The soil is clay-limestone, with an abundant presence of marl at a depth of two meters. Soil with sub-alkaline reaction. Scaled selection, carried out three times during the 45 days before the grape harvest. Manually harvested as late as possible. Stalk and grape seeds removal/pressing and maceration for sixty days, half of which with submerged-cap and the other half with a floating cap. No controlling of temperature during the fermentation that occurs naturally on the wild yeasts of this special garden in large, open-topped wooden vats. Malolactic completed. Aged in 15-hl oak barrels for 36 months, then aged in bottle for a further 16 months before release. Sometimes the bottles are held back a further five years. "This Barolo opens with darker fruit notes of black cherry and warmed raspberry. Wild herbs, dried leaf and cedar notes waft from the glass as it opens. The palate is brooding with roasted wild berries, black tea and savory spices giving way to an earthy finish and fine and firm tannins. Drink 2028 - 2045". Jeff Porter in Wine Enthusiast 94/100
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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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La Vigna si San Martino di Argiano
Outstanding Chianti Classico Riserva from the cooler north west of Chianti. Grown on soils very similar to Felsina's vineyards in Berardenga, this cooler terroir in Argiano helps produce a wine of great energy, elegance and inherent harmony. La Vigna di San Martino ad Argiano is the personal project of Giampaolo Chiettini. Giampaolo spent a good number of years working alongside Paolo di Marchi at Isole e Olena where he fell deeply in love with Sangiovese and honed his skills and became a very highly regarded winemaker of the region. Antinori and Ca' del Bosco have also used Giampaolo's services over the years. He still consults and makes wine for the outstanding Castagnoli and brilliant newcomers Ejamu amongst others. This personal project comes from a beautiful, tiny (1ha!) vineyard in Argiano in the San Casciano Val di Pesa commune. Organic Sangiovese grapes are destemmed and gently crushed then undergo wild fermentation with natural yeasts. The wine is bred in used tonneaux. Giampaolo's trained, light hand in the cellar has helped produce a really rather wonderful Chianti Classico Riserva. This 2020 knocked us out. Immense energy and focus to the wonderful fruit and character. Only 2,000 bottles produced. This wine proves utterly marvellous drinking now, but shall age gracefully and beautifully for many years. We can't wait to follow the evolution! This Chianti Classico Riserva 2020 was one of only four wines to scoop the top score of 17.5/20 from Walter Speller on jancisrobinson.com in the "Chianti Classico Riserva 2020" section of his full report on the 2019 and 2020 vintages published earlier in 2023. Our Senior Buyer, Stewart Travers, had met and tasted with Giampaolo the month before the reports were published and similarly benchmarked the wine and then realised we were on to something very exciting indeed. Make sure you get on the allocation list early! And also make sure you grab a bottle of his immense Vin Santo 2017, here in tiny quantities!
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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.
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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% Muscat d'Alexandre, fermented on skins (orange). Fermented dry, jasmine tea, crystallised fruit. A real one-off and hugely in-demand. 2023 is super thrilling stuff. A sensational SuperNova!
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Domaine Danjou-Banessy
Natural, Organic, Biodynamic Macabeu, fermented and aged in barrels, racy and minerally with soft texture and generous fruit.
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Dom. Gramiller
Wonderful Rose made from a direct pressing of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Frederic Julien seeks a balance between the aromatic purity of the fruit and freshness. The grapes come from a place named "La Giraude" in Sainte Cécile les Vignes. The soils can be likened to "nourishing" garrigues. The wine shows pink grapefruit, red fruits and flowers, gorgeous texture and perfect weight and freshness. Fine length. Unique and wonderful. Can be drunk on its own or will match well at the table with grilled vegetables, fish and light meat dishes.
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Le Mesnil
Star Grand Cru village of the Cotes des Blancs. Green apple fresh with plenty of golden toasty nutty richness. Every Champagne trade insider knows that many posh Luxury Cuvee Champagnes buy grapes or wine from this Grand Cru village co-operative. So if you MUST drink a Champagne that sponsors a yacht race or polo match go ahead and spend £100+. Or buy a few of these! Tastes like? Tastes like the archetype of Grand Cru Cotes des Blancs (the chalky downs of Champagne) Chardonnay.
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Domaine Gayda
Figure Libre Freestyle is the name given to an ambitious range of wines designed to shake up conventions and break new ground for expressing the inherent style of Languedoc and Roussillon. Ruby red with some purple highlights. Vibrant, expressive nose of red and black fruits, pepper, spice and "garrigue."
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Domaine des Soulanes
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 in an organic way. Glorious Grenache and Carignan deliver so much pleasure with beautiful fruit, great minerality and supple, savoury tannins. DELICIOUS.
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Domaine Gayda
Certified organic grapes from Roussillon. Long with light bitterness with some saltiness. Nice tension, medium body and real structure.
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Felton Road
Under Bond Orders When you buy wines Under Bond they can either be transferred, Under Bond, to an account in a Bonded Warehouse or delivered Duty Paid. We will enquire by email whether you wish the wine to remain under bond or be delivered duty paid. For Under Bond deliveries. We will ask you to provide the details of the bonded warehouse address and the account you would like it held under. Excise and VAT taxes are not payable for wines transferred under bond. A charge for the transfer will be made at the time of delivery, and varies from Bond to Bond. We will let you know what that charge is in advance, when you confirm the address, and issue an invoice for the transfer charge. For Duty Paid Deliveries. We will ask for the delivery address by email. All Under Bond prices exclude HM Excise, Customs and VAT. Current Excise rates are £16.02 per 4.5 litre case (equivalent to 6x75cl), Customs are Zero and VAT is currently charged at 20%. These taxes are liable to change, and will be charged at the prevailing rate when the goods are removed from Bond. At that time, a new VAT invoice will be issued, including a charge for onward delivery. The balance between what has already been charge Under Bond and the new VAT invoice will be payable. N.B. Our website currently does not automatically charge for these additional costs and may even suggest that the wines qualify for Free National Delivery. We apologise that is not the case with Under Bond and En Primeur purchases. Please contact orders@cambridgewine.com if you have any further questions about buying under bond.
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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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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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Paul Dethune
Mt de Reims, 70% Pinot, vines border Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay (£2k a bot). Wine Advocate “broad shoulders and expansive personality… totally delicious”. Janics loves it.
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E Jamu
Great entry-level Chianti Superiore with wonderful character. Carefully farmed organically and also certified. Fermented with only indigenous, wild yeasts. An intense red colour with violet reflections. The nose is nicely full and Intense - persistent, with marked notes of violets and sour cherries, wild berries and blossom. The palate is medium-bodied, very pure and direct with great Sangiovese character. Persistent, long and silky with a kick of classic Sangiovese tannin. Serving cool, with a half hour in the fridge beforehand is recommended here. Great Chianti is hard to find under £20 these days - this is a real find. The organic fruit (100% Sangiovese) is destemmed and softly crushed. During fermentation there is just a little pump over daily. After fermentation, the wine stays on skins for 15 days in steel tank. The wine is racked off and sees 9 months in cuve.
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Chateau Rives-Blanques
This domaine's showpiece wine is made using the best Chardonnay grapes, fermented and matured in French oak. Burgundian and silky in style, "Lemon zest and lemon juice to the fore here, a bright, zesty expression, with pear and apple too, lightly on its feet....it has lovely freshness". Natalie Earl, Decanter Magazine From jancisrobinson.com Certified organic. From four plots of 26 to 46-year old vines grown amongst oak trees at 350m and on rolled pebbles and limestone. Hand-picked and hand-sorted, low-pressure pressing, free-run juice only. Malolactic fermentation is in 225-litre oak barrels, which is where the wines are aged. Gentle lees stirring for the first four months. Unfined. Château Rive-Blanques now belongs to Pierre Bories’ Artisans & Partisans group of estates. "Rich, nutty (even a little caramelised) and streaked with fresh garrigue. As with their Dédicace Chenin, the acidity feels softer and more muted than I’ve come to expect with R-B wines, but there is a firm hazelnut and walnut framework around the fruit, so the texture and structure is there. Touch of liquorice on the finish gives it a nice twist". 16.5/20
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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. 100% Marsanne (1950s-late-1990s) from sandy-loess soils on Les Védias at Erôme & Gervans, hand harvested, whole bunch pressing, 3-4 day pre-fermentation maceration at 6°-8°C, vinification in steel vat until 1060-1050 specific gravity, then transferred to 3-10 year 228-litre oak casks, lees stirred at the end of fermentation, raised 9-10 months. 5,500 bottles produced". Wonderfully idiosyncratic. A lovely delicacy and intricacy, one is almost unsure the varietal is Marsanne, such is its elegance. The aftertaste is really delicious and where the wine really comes into its own - savoury, saline, nutty with a note of marzipan and, oddly, a touch of aromatic hops. Brilliant from the young star Romain!
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La Loyane
Chocolate with pretty notes of cherry and blackberry jam! Very round in the mouth, the length develops intensely. A wine with an assertive, gourmet and round character, centered on red fruits and spices, supported by a beautiful tannic frame. 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!
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Dom. d'Ourea
From a vineyard located on the sandy banks deposited by the river Ouvèze. A beautiful mix of indigenous, rare and wonderful cepages (25% Grenache Noir, 25% Aramon, 25% Counoise and 25% Oeillade) vinified whole-bunch with a short maceration and then 6 months breeding in concrete vat produce a beautifully bright-fruited, floral, vigorous but supple, savoury and very classy drinking and tapas wine. A GREAT introduction to this most exciting of estates based in Vacqueyras and Gigondas. SERVE COOL (14-16c).
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Terres Falmet
"Stellar old vine Carignan that is supple, savoury and deeply gorgeous. Yves Falmet's varietal selections from his extraordinary single bank of vines in Creissan, Saint-Chinian go from strength to strength. Make sure you check them all out". Stewart Travers, Senior Buyer
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Domaine Odyssee
Natural, organic Syrah from a beautiful vineyard in Baixas, Roussillon. Grown with great care and wildly fermented and aged in old oak barrels for 12 months. Lifted, expressive Syrah with pretty floral notes and minerally fresh red and black fruits with some spicy, meaty notes and soft texture but with some matter and with a welcome, silky fruit character. Charming Syrah. The name 'Chimichurri' is a nod to Vincent's beloved Argentina (see below) because of the wines spicy, meaty character. Vincent Carreras has been working in wine industry for 13 years. For nine years he worked for a winery in the south of the Roussillon, Andy Cook’s Mas Cristine and Coume del Mas. Working in the vineyard, cellar and commercial activities - the whole shebang! For four years now he has been employed by a family winery based in Maury - Clos des Vins d'Amour. Who work 25 hectares organically in the west of Roussillon. Mostly in commercial activities, but also working in the cellar. Alongside this, in 2016, Vincent started a new project - Domaine Odyssée. The 3.5ha of vineyards are in Calce and Baixas, in a heart of Roussillon. The sites are small, but unquestionably some of the most beautiful we have seen. Vincent draws on the experiences mentioned above and his time in New Zealand (2011), Argentina (2012) and Bordeaux 2011 to help fully realise what he has there in his exceptional terroir. Vincent works organically, using no weedkillers, no chemical products. He works by hand and with organic fertilizer (he is in conversion right now). He harvests his parcels by himself with friends and family. In the cellar, Vincent’s philosophy is a minimum of intervention "To keep the fruit and the terroir.". The wines are extracted gently with just a little pump over. No filtration, no fining. The only preservative is a little dose of sulphites in very low quantities at bottling "It is important for me the stabilise the wine in respect of the future customers".
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Terres Falmet
Another outstanding Mourvedre-led Languedoc Rose. Yves Falmet has spent time selecting the best plots on his single slope of vines in Creyssian Saint-Chinian for the production of a fresh (12.5% abv) Rose. Pale pink colour, with classic, deep and full Mourvedre aromatics leading to a medium bodied, fresh palate that is citrus led with tangy tamarind, stony deliciousness and good minerality. This is an utterly outstanding bargain. A very serious, utterly drinkable Rose.
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Terres Falmet
Cinsault is one of Languedoc’s ancient grape varieties, on the verge of extinction and which, wrongly, has been much maligned. When grown in a quality vineyard site and deftly crafted in the winery, it produces very compelling, refined red wines. This is a crisp, fresh, silky wine, underscored by very fine tannins.
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Dom. d'Ourea
Wow. A literal "Wow". We were completely knocked out with this cuvee upon discovery back in January, at an organic wine fair in Southern France. Across from d'Ourea's stand was the stand of one of our longest standing and most successful producers who also makes a similar style of lifted, elegant Grenache. I passed him a glass of d'Ourea's Vacqueyras 2021 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 wholebunch". "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 2021 is 85% Grenache Noir, 5% Cinsault, 5% Carignan Noir and 5% 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". John Livingstone-Learnmouth of Drink Rhone on the 2022: 4/5 stars "Red robe, pale top; the bouquet has a herbal tone, smoke and red cherries, almost a cordite aspect. The palate gives red cherry, redcurrant fruit, stands out of the loop with its quiet, pure fruiting and lightweight presence. The finish brings in some Grenache floral notes with a green pepper manner on the aftertaste. It’s a hands-off, spiced Vacqueyras, drinks fluidly now, carries a little late tannic depth, has subtle appeal. Drink until 2027-28". (Feb 2023) "There is marked promise here, a name to note".
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Domaine Delhome
"Of all our vineyards, the kaolin on Château de Larnage is the top site - it’s a unique terroir, maybe 20 hectares of it, giving wines with real style, breeding, powerful and good finesse for both red and white, the whites there more recently planted. Our neighbours there are Desmeure (Remizières), Belle, Olivier Dumaine, Dard & Ribo, Sorrel, the Cave de Tain". 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". 100% Syrah (1950s) from kaolin, white clay soils on Château de Larnage at Larnage, hand harvested, destemmed, 25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pre-fermentation cold maceration at 8°-10°C "to seek red fruits", 20-25 day steel vat vinification at 24°-28°C, pumping overs, part vat emptying/refilling, raised 5% new, 95% 3-10 year 228-litre oak casks 11-12 months, wide bottle, 4,700 bottles produced". John Livingstone-Learmonth, Drink Rhone Outstanding Crozes Hermitage from a wonderful site on kaolin (bright white clay) at 330m elevation on Château de Larnage at Larnage. A beautiful, elegant nose but with plenty of concentration - quite a dark style with a gorgeous floral lift. The fruit is pure and direct, and the balsamic note gives the wine real character which is quite unexpected in a wine so young. This 2022 shall do really well a few years down the line, but it is undoubtedly utterly delightful right now. Again, outstanding.
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Chateau Franc Baudron
The Guimberteau family has owned the Château Franc-Baudron estate since 1923. This is a vineyard on a human scale where each generation has left its footprint on the family heritage. Since 2010, the new generation of Château Franc-Baudron has embarked on an environmental approach by converting the entire vineyard to organic farming. The area hosts bee-hives, uses plants for treatments (horsetail, nettle and ferns) and seeds flowers to encourage biodiversity of wildlife in the vines. They have begun implementing new winemaking techniques by using minimal inputs to express at its best the nature of the grapes and the type of soil. Most of the family’s plots of Montagne Saint-Emilion are located on a clay-limestone plateau. Bright and intense in colour with aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and oak notes.Well balanced, powerful and velvety.