Working in a wine shop has lots of benefits. One of them – especially at Cambridge Wine Merchants – is that you get to try a phenomenal range of wines, beers and spirits. Some of these we want to introduce to you as ‘Staff Secrets’ – stuff we think deserves to be better known and appreciated. Each month we’ll bring you a rotating selection, along with a bit of info on whose secret it is, and why.
Without further ado:
I’m such a big fan of this female winemaker! Andrea Mullineux and her team has taken the South African wine scene by storm and collecting awards and rave reviews the world over. This Chenin Blanc driven white blend is a beautiful example of the expressive character of the Swartland region. Loads of fruit: ripe pear, peach and pineapple with a hint of lime zing, some minerality and spices. Bold, yet elegant with a rich texture and layers of complexity. This wine has character! It would pair nicely with grilled, fatty fish or maybe a cheese board.
Why on earth I’m telling you this is beyond me as I frankly want our entire allocation to myself. I bought the last vintage by the case. The name of the domaine comes from the nickname given by the people of Rasteau to a priest in 17th century who wore a long black coat and owned the farm at the time. Escaravaille means beetle. It’s full bodied, high in acid, complex from both the fruit perspective and wine making too. Not many wines I would genuinely call ‘delicious’ this is one of them.
I have not and never will share this wine, not a bloody chance. This is all mine.
Now… you’re going to think I’m a posh tw*t or I’m pushing you to buy an expensive bottle of champagne just to get a commission. NOT AT ALL. Billecart Salmon is very well known, and they probably have the best rosé champagne out there.. so why would that be a “staff secret”.. WELL, let me tell you why.
1st, the label. I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, but visually and texturally speaking, everything about it is brilliant.
2nd, how it’s made. This champagne has been vinified in Oak Barrels, and the grapes (blend of the main 3 champagne varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) come from Premier and Grand Cru villages.
3rd, the most important thing, the taste. This champagne is just DIVINE. For you, customer, who does not like champagne because it has too much acidity or it’s harsh. This is meant for you. The oak ageing softens the wine a lot, bringing roundness, richness and balance.
If you don’t like oak? Well do not worry. Everything about this cuvée is in balance. It’s not like an over-oaked Chardonnay or Napa Cab, it is amazingly balanced.
It smells like a mix of dried fruits, butter and citrus fruits. It tastes like heaven.
Are you looking for a special occasion bottle of wine? Grab a bottle of Billecart Salmon Sous Bois NV.
Are you looking for an everyday bottle of wine to have in front of the telly while rewatching the 8 seasons of Game of Thrones? Grab a bottle of Billecart Salmon Sous Bois NV.
What if you don’t like it? Don’t worry.. bring it back and I will drink it for you. (FYI: NO I am not getting paid by Billecart Salmon to promote their products. But Billecart Salmon… if you see this, I would not be against a free case 😉)
Have you ever had the good fortune to sit at a heurigen in Vienna, drinking wine from one of those little mugs? If so, then this will bring back memories. If not, this will give you an idea of what you are missing.
Don’t mistake it for a serious wine. It isn’t, and it isn’t meant to be. Rather, it’s a wonderfully crisp, refreshing white wine. It doesn’t mind being drunk out of a tumbler, rather than a proper wine glass. Have it with some cheese, or charcuterie. Or sauerkraut, if that’s your sort of thing.
Heurigen, for those reading this far, are ‘wine taverns,’ most famously associated with Vienna, associated with a particular wine producer. They traditionally serve their own, young wine, with a range of foods. They’re family-friendly, relaxed places, well worth seeking out, particularly the more traditional ones.
I like to think of this gin as one that slips under the radar. Effortless packaging and subtle colours keep it muted on the shelf, but the liquid inside is bursting with the fresh outdoor fragrances that we are all hoping will eventually arrive once the summer rolls in. Florality in abundance, beautiful images conjured of timber framed greenhouses of days gone. It really transported me back in time. One of the best aspects of this gin is that it is still well and truly a gin, juniper driven, heady and oh so quenching in an ice cold glass with tonic. It even puts on a little flourish of colour to invite you in. A spirit that really ticks all of the boxes that i hold dear. Sustainable, honest, ethical, delicious and affordable.
Take me back a few years and I wouldn’t have even heard of the grape variety Vidiano, let alone become a fan, nor did we list any wines from Crete. That all changed when I was judging The Wine Merchant Top 100 wine competition in April 2019. We tasted all the wines ‘blind’, so didn’t know what they were. It’s a great way to taste, particularly wines you wouldn’t normally try. We all absolutely raved about this gorgeous white wine, and it eventually won the Trophy as Best White wine in show. It turned out to be Diamantopetra 2018, a wine made by the Diamatakis family from their vineyards in Northern Crete. What did we like about it? This blend of two varieties native to the Greek islands work very well together. Vidiano gives ripe tree fruit flavours reminiscent of peach and apricot, while Assyrtiko gives citrus aromas and great acid structure. Combined and aged in oak barrels for 4 months the result is beautiful. A refined, well balanced and classy wine. The 2019 is every bit as good as the Trophy winning 2018, scoring 95 points in Decanter magazine. Crete is still under the radar and on the basis of this wine, deserves to be much better known.
Bourgueil, pronounced ‘Bor-Gay’, is my go to region for delicious red wines that are particularly suited to being slightly chilled and enjoyed in summertime. The appellation covers vineyards on the northern bank of the Loire river, just east of Saumur, and must be made from at least 90% Cabernet Franc. The dry, fairly warm micro-climate there allows good ripeness without a loss of acidity resulting in delightful crisp wines smelling of raspberry and pencil shavings. Slightly chilled this wine is a gorgeous picnic wine, really moreish, easy to drink yet satisfying and different. Brilliant value and a bit of hidden treasure.
I don’t know about you but the I find that the texture of wine is very important to the appreciation, and I like wines that have a certain richness to them, especially when they are being enjoyed with food. A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to taste a range of wines made by the Lyrarakis Winery which is based on the island of Crete (which is the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean and the 88th largest in the world!). Lyrarakis’ vineyards are found mostly in the hills at altitudes of around 400m – 500m above sea level, an important consideration where the cooling effects of altitude temper the hot sun that shines on this beautiful island allowing the grapes to ripen at their own pace, developing flavours and components to make finely balanced wines. The grape varieties grown by Lyrarakis tend to indigenous to Crete, and some have been saved from extinction by this forward thinking winery. The Thrapsathiri grape is one of these varieties and the juice is fermented in oak and matured on the lees for lees for 4 months which helps to build that texture, producing a rich, nutty wine with a fresh but gentle acidity, round, ripe stone fruit and lemon citrus notes and a finish that goes on forever. A really good food wine for those occasions where you need a fuller-bodied white.
The 2020 En Passant Blanc sees an exciting new blend debuting after a few vintages showing a similar blend. The 2020 is Muscat from altitude in the Roussillon on clay limestone soil and Roussanne from high in the Minervois grown on schist soil. The Muscat is bred in a mixture of stainless steel vat and clay amphora and the Roussanne in stainless steel vat. Grapes are pressed slowly in whole bunches – very gentle racking – vinification without sulfur, at low temperature – ageing on lees.
And what a lovely wine it is – light and clean but with added weight from the Roussanne. The wine shows fresh apricot with a floral and honeyed nose. A lovely length with some spritz that leaves a mouthwatering shimmer that really charms. The wine is still in the mold of a gorgeous, refreshing style – but is now a little more versatile at the table. Slatey and delicious. Classy and incredible value. Dreamy stuff. Bravo Vincent Chansault!
