SALE STARTS 9am Monday 25th January - Stone, Vine & Sun
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SALE STARTS
9am Monday 25th January
All our sale lists will be posted at once, but there may be local delays
due to shortages of post office staff as a result of Covid. Don’t worry if
your list arrives late – there’s lots of wine here.
We are currently working in two teams (so that if one person becomes ill we
don’t have to close our doors) so we can’t be quite as speedy and efficient in
taking and processing orders as usual. When you order, do please give us your
phone number and email address. If you have a complex order or are seeking
to buy wines available in small quantities we will only be able to take your order
and then confirm it later. We will attempt to process all orders fairly in the order
in which they are received, but as they arrive by phone, email, fax and online,
inevitably this is not easy. Also, do expect a brief delay in receiving your order.
Please do not call us earlier if your list happens to arrive before the 25th.
Finally please do not come to buy or collect at the shop without agreeing your
order by telephone or email beforehand, including a collection time, preferably
well after the 25th!
Only wines in good quantities will be available to buy on the website.
• Bin ends are in normal type
• Temporary discounts are in bold. These prices are valid until Sunday
28th February and quoted stocks may not last until then.
• Dramatic discounts at a minimum of 20% off are in red
(and bold if temporary)
Terms & Conditions of Sale
All wines are offered subject to availability
Delivery Charges* to one address are as follows:
1-5 bottles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.00
6-11 bottles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £8.50
1 case of 12 bottles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £5.95
13-24 bottles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £8.50
Please note: FREE delivery for orders of £100.00 or more (to one address),
or over £75 in the Winchester area.
(*Delivery prices vary for delivery to the highlands, islands and Northern Ireland – please ask us for a quote).
Telephone: 01962 712351 Email: sales@stonevine.co.uk Website: www.stonevine.co.uk2 DAILY DRINKING WHITE LES CHAPELIÈRES, IGP COMTÉ TOLOSAN, FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £7.95 NOW: £5.50 CODE: AGW318 Easy drinking blend of 70% fruity Colombard and 30% bright Ugni Blanc, with lowish alcohol and refreshing bite. Clean and lemony, ripe and grassy, with a juicy freshness. At best: Now Available 6 bottles LOS SEDURAS, SAUVIGNON BLANC, VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE, 2019 WAS: £7.50 NOW: £6.50 CODE: SED119 To be applauded for its typicity to the grape variety. Bright, crisp and fruity; a lightly tropical perfume and then a cheerful mouthful of grassy and pineapple flavours, with a refreshing finish. At best: Drink this year Available: 240 bottles FALSE BAY, WINDSWEPT SAUVIGNON BLANC, COASTAL REGION, SOUTH AFRICA, 2019 WAS: £7.95 NOW: £6.95 CODE: FAB319 Using fruit from coastal vineyards, a nettley Sauvignon Blanc with decent mouthfeel and finish. At best: Drink this year Available: 29 bottles THE LISTENING STATION, CHARDONNAY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, 2018 WAS: £7.95 NOW: £6.95 CODE: LIS118 Unadorned, uncomplicated, simple and light Chardonnay – unoaked and no malolactic fermentation. Scent of lime; then a bright and citrussy mouthful. At best: Now Available: 3 bottles APALTAGUA, RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC, SAN ANTONIO, CHILE, 2019 WAS: £9.50 NOW: £7.95 CODE: APA619 Cool climate SB, fruity, zippy and bright, with a hint of elderflower, from a coastal vineyard. At best: Drink this year Available: 120 bottles MES LIES MELON, VIN DE FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £9.75 NOW: £8.75 CODE: MEL119 A light Loire wine from halves of the Melon of Muscadet and Sauvignon Blanc, zippy and fresh. At best: Drink this year Available: 3 bottles ROSÉ Two really attractive examples – 20% off both! LA SALETTE, CÔTES DE GASCOGNE, ROSÉ, FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £9.25 NOW: £7.40 CODE: SAL519 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc: salmon pink. Light and easy-drinking, with a charming redcurrant character and a hint of peach. So well-made, such pretty fruit. At best: Drink this year Available: 144 bottles LA GRAVE, MINERVOIS ROSÉ, EXPRESSION, FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £10.75 NOW: £8.60 CODE: GRV419 From approximate halves of Syrah and Grenache, this unfailingly delivers splendid ripeness and intensity. Pale pink. An appealing and hugely generous gush of strawberries and raspberries. This is a perfect all rounder, fruity enough to enjoy on its own but also dry enough for food. At best: Drink this year Available: 240 bottles
3 RED BAJEL PIRATA, MONASTRELL, ALICANTE, SPAIN, 2018 WAS: £7.25 NOW: £5.95 CODE: PIR118 A simple, smooth, easy-drinking quaffer, strawberry-fruited Monastell, with a little substance and a hint of meatiness. We have moved to the 2019 vintage. At best: Drink this year Available: 23 bottles LOS SEDURAS, MERLOT, VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE, 2019 WAS: £7.50 NOW: £5.95 CODE SED619 Supple, pretty and very easy-drinking Chilean Merlot. What’s not to like? At best: Drink this year Available: 480 bottles GRAN VERANO CARMENÈRE, VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE, 2019 WAS: £7.95 NOW: £6.25 CODE: APA819 A juicy wine, a pleasant cocktail of redcurrant, blackberry and raspberry, with the merest hint of tobacco leaf. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 204 bottles GRAN VERANO CABERNET SAUVIGNON, VALLE CENTRAL, CHILE, 2019 WAS: £7.95 NOW: £6.50 CODE: APA319 True varietal character and balance, showing crisp red and blackcurrants, just a little minty, with an appealing unforced ease. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 180 bottles BELLAMICO, MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, ITALY, 2018 WAS: £8.50 NOW: £6.95 CODE: BEM618 A light (12.5%) Italian red to drink with pasta: red cherry and strawberry flavours backed by just a little tannin. At best: This year Available: 120 bottles GREAT EXPECTATIONS, CRANE RED MERLOT, ROBERTSON, SOUTH AFRICA, 2018 WAS: £8.95 NOW: £7.25 CODE: GDV418 Gutsy and lightly smokey, with oaky flavours coming from the suspension of staves in the tank for seven months; but also fresher and more lifted than in the past, without losing its heartiness and generous plum fruit with hints of coffee and spice. The 2019 arrives shortly. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 175 bottles VALLE FRIO, CARMENÈRE, MAULE, CHILE, 2018 WAS: £9.25 NOW: £7.25 CODE FRI218 As ever, this is so classy, velvety and smart - it tastes like a much more expensive Bordeaux! Lush and ripe, red and black-fruited, with the characteristic leafy edge of the grape - and excellent length. At best: Now-2022 Available: 360 bottles LA SALETTE, CÔTES DE GASCOGNE, FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £9.50 NOW: £7.60 CODE SAL619 This is a light, deliriously purple-hued wine: the French would call it frais, fresh. There’s a sense of fresh strawberries and raspberries, a gentle fragrance, plenty of flesh and minimal tannins. Very easy-drinking, a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. At best: Now- 2021 Available: 240 bottles 2018 TENUTA CASALI, BASSAMAREA ROSSO, SANGIOVESE RUBICONE, ITALY WAS: £9.95 NOW: £8.25 CODE: TEN618 Supple and bright country wine, pretty cherries and strawberries with a little fat. We have moved to the 2019. At best: Drink this year Available: 4 bottles
4 LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON – RED MAS CREMAT, LES SALES GOSSES, IGP CÔTES CATALANES, 2019 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £11.25 CODE: MCR319 No sulphur. Very bright and up-front, with a lively attack of crisp raspberry. Crunchy and perfumed. At best: Now-early 2021 Available: 16 bottles FONTANEL, CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON ROUGE, 2017 WAS: £14.50 NOW: £12.25 CODE: FON117 From Syrah, Grenache and Carignan grown on schist near Maury, unoaked, and a classic Roussillon red: youthful, vivid, brambly perfumes and flavours with a peck of spice. Vigorous but supple. At best: Now-2023 Available: 96 bottles MAS D’AGAMAS, TERRASSES DU LARZAC, NOSTRE MESCLADIS, 2016 WAS: £14.95 NOW: £12.50 CODE: AGA316 40% Grenache, and 20% of each of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan, all given a long maceration to develop great depth of flavour but entirely unoaked. Juicy strawberries but also poised and refined. At best: Now-2022 Available: 3 bottles MAS D’AMILE, LANGUEDOC-MONTPEYROUX, 2016 WAS: £17.95 NOW: £15.50 CODE: MDA316 Old vines, 60% Grenache with Carignan, Syrah and Mourvèdre, raised in a mix of old oak. Cherry and brambly notes, super ripe fruit with a hint of liquorice. Silky and fine. At best: Now-2022 Available: 22 bottles FONTANEL, CÔTES DU ROUSSILLON VILLAGES TAUTAVEL, CISTES, 2016, 14.5% WAS: £18.25 NOW: £15.50 CODE: FON216 Named after the Cistus, the spring-flowering rock roses growing wild in the scrub. 60% Syrah with 40% Grenache, the former oaked and the latter in tank. Smart, classy oak scents. Gorgeous black fruit, rich, fat and spicy. Lots of texture but velvet smooth, an iron hand in a velvet glove. At best: Now-2023 Available: 40 bottles MÉTÉORE, FAUGÈRES ROUGE, LES PERSÉIDES, 2016 WAS: £18.95 NOW: £15.95 CODE: MET416 One of the estate’s top wines, from old vine Syrah and Mourvèdre with some Grenache, aged 18 months in barriques. Overt oak touches (but not overdone) on the concentrated black fruit heart. Lovely pure blackcurrant note. Fine wine for roast or grilled beef; and should keep beautifully too. At best: Now-2023 Available: 96 bottles RHÔNE – RED ESPIERS, CÔTES DU RHÔNE, 2018 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £11.50 CODE ESP118 Philippe Cartoux’s excellent, organically certified Côtes du Rhône, 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah, all from large cement tanks. Red fruits with appealing freshness. Vivid, spicy and hearty and not in the least over-ripe. Only in the sale as this section seems thin! At best: Now-2023 Available: 96 bottles JONCIER, LIRAC, LE CLASSIQUE, 2015 WAS: £17.50 NOW: £14.95 CODE: JON115 Mostly Syrah with Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan; organic and bio-dynamic (certified). Big mouthful of blackberry. Good mass of very fine and ripe tannins. We move to 2016. At best: Now-2023 Available: 34 bottles
5 YANN CHAVE, CROZES-HERMITAGE, LE ROUVRE, 2016 WAS: £25.95 NOW: £21.95 CODE: CHA216 From Yann’s best parcels on very stony land to the south, this is one of the top wines of the appellation: succulent blackberry and cassis with a sprinkling of vanilla and dark chocolate, supple and silky tannins. At best: Now-2024 Available: 2 bottles JÉRÔME GRADASSI, CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, 2015 WAS: £26.95 NOW: £22.50 CODE: GRD115 75% old vine Grenache with a good slug of Mourvèdre and a little Syrah grown in the northern sector of the appellation: intense berry fruit coulis; very smooth and cultured - in the Clos des Papes idiom - but with plenty of concentration too. “Meaty nose with really jewelly richness. Very savoury and well balanced. Good lift and rosy sweetness. Long and very satisfying already. GV (Good Value). 16.5/20” Jancis Robinson. Now-2025 At best: Now-2024 Available: 84 bottles BURGUNDY – WHITE OLIVIER FICHET, MÂCON-BURGY, LES TROIS TERROIRS, 2018 WAS: £13.25 NOW: £11.50 CODE: FIC518 Unoaked Chardonnay from the excellent terroir of the northern Mâconnais near Viré. Open, generous French Chardonnay is nicely weighted, with hints of grapefruit and almonds – but without the on-trade we are carrying a lot of stock! At best: Drink this year Available: 180 bottles SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN, ST VÉRAN, 2017 WAS: £19.95 NOW: £17.75 CODE: SAU817 From two parcels, one on clay in Davayé and one on limestone near Vergisson, all fermented in barrel. Proper white Burgundy At best: Now-2022 Available: 18 bottles FOURREY, CHABLIS, 1ER CRU CÔTE DE LECHET, 2018 WAS: £20.95 NOW: £18.50 CODE: FRR518 Very accessible, creamy Chablis. We ship 2019 shortly. At best: Now-2023 Available: 10 bottles FOURREY, CHABLIS, 1ER CRU MONT DE MILIEU, 2018 WAS: £21.50 NOW: £18.95 CODE: FRR518 From two plots of 30+ year old vines: a wine with such finesse, combining ripe fruit with a taut mineral streak. At best: Now-2023 Available: 5 bottles MAGNUM FOURREY, CHABLIS, 1ER CRU CÔTE DE LECHET, 2017 WAS: £42.95 NOW: £36.50 CODE: FRR917 Creamy Chablis – such good value. We move to 2018. At best: Now-2023 Available: 2 Magnums AGNÈS PAQUET, AUXEY-DURESSES BLANC, 2016 WAS: £27.50 NOW: £25.00 CODE: PAQ216 From the old vines on the estate - superb for a village wine. At best: Now-2023 Available: 2 bottles SAUMAIZE-MICHELIN, POUILLY-FUISSÉ, CLOS SUR LA ROCHE, 2017 WAS: £30.95 NOW: £26.95 CODE: SAU417 From south facing old vines on the lower slopes of the Roche de Vergisson, concentrated and classy. At best: Now-2024 Available: 10 bottles
6 FRANÇOISE & DENIS CLAIR, ST. AUBIN 1ER CRU MURGERS DES DENTS DE CHIEN, 2016 WAS: £38.95 NOW: £31.95 CODE: CLB416 Sited on the rocky slopes above the Montrachets, this is rightly considered one of the top two Premier Crus in the village. Fragrant nose of citrus and toasty oak. Floral with citrus and oatmeal, textured and fat but not lacking freshness. At best: Now-2026 Available: 64 bottles LEQUIN-COLIN, CORTON CHARLEMAGNE, GRAND CRU, 2016 WAS: £80.00 NOW: £65.00 CODE: LEQ016 This wine always benefits from time in bottle; and it’s never a blockbuster, rather showing finesse and length. At best: Now-2025 Available: 7 bottles BEAUJOLAIS & BURGUNDY – RED LAGNEAU, BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES, CUVÉE JEANNINE, 2019 WAS: £12.50 NOW: £10.50 CODE: LAG118 This is from ancient (60-100 year old) vines on steep schist and granite slopes in Quincié- en-Beaujolais, in the line of the Crus and one of the best terroirs for Beaujolais-Villages. All black cherry and blueberry, juicy, but with remarkable substance too from the old vines. Crisp, alive and energetic. At best: Now-2023 Available: 96 bottles MONTANGERON, CHIROUBLES, LA GROSSE PIERRE, 2018 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £11.75 CODE: MON318 Chiroubles is the highest of the Cru Villages, and as such is known for a lighter expression of Gamay. Very ripe fruit - raspberries, redcurrants and fraises des bois, so deliciously summer puddingy. At best: Now-2022 Available: 14 bottles AGNÈS PAQUET, AUXEY-DURESSES ROUGE, 2016 WAS: £26.95 NOW: £22.50 CODE: PAQ616 Vinified and aged in oak, 15% new. Pure red and black fruit, supple, with a fine texture and just a little crunchy grip. Classic Côtes de Beaune from a top vintage at an excellent price. At best: Now-2022 Available: 48 bottles FRANÇOISE & DENIS CLAIR, ST-AUBIN 1ER CRU, SUR LE SENTIER DU CLOU, 2016 WAS: £25.95 NOW: £22.50 CODE: CLB816 From 45 years old vines on a south facing slope and a top red vintage, a very traditional example with ripe cherry fruit, and plenty of texture – always best after a few years in bottle. At best: Now-2023 Available: 25 bottles JOSEPH FAIVELEY, BLAGNY 1ER CRU, SOUS LE BOIS, 2015 WAS: £31.50 NOW: £26.50 CODE: FAJ615B Blagny is red wine produced within the Meursault appellation: this wrinkle means it’s less well-known, than, say, Volnay, and therefore offers excellent value – especially at this price. Attractive nose of ripe red fruits. Sweet cherries but also a hint of black fruit, crunchy but with a good structure. At best: Now-2025 Available: 37 bottles JEAN GUITON, SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE, 1ER CRU, LES HAUTS JARRONS, 2016 WAS: £32.50 NOW: £27.50 CODE: GUI316 From old vines first planted 60 years ago on an east-facing slope close to Beaune; about 25% new oak: fleshy, energetic, with appealing fat – and surprising length. At best: Now-2025 Available: 48 bottles
7 JEAN GUITON, BEAUNE, 1ER CRU, LES SIZIES, 2015 WAS: £35.50 NOW: £29.50 CODE GUI515 With splendid fruit concentration, this expands on the palate generously, almost flamboyantly. Bold, with red fruit lingering on the finish. We move to 2016. At best: Now-2025 Available: 37 bottles FAIVELEY, BEAUNE 1ER CRU CLOS DE L’ECU, 2016 WAS: £45.00 NOW: £38.50 CODE: FAJ716B Just odd bottles in a great Faiveley vintage from this monopole At best: Now-2027 Available: 11 bottles HUBER-VERDEREAU VOLNAY, LES ROBARDELLES, 2017 WAS: £45.00 NOW: £39.00 CODE: HUB717 “The dancing nature of a good village Volnay. Well done. 17/20”, Jancis Robinson MW, tasted 13th January 2018 At best: Now-2027 Available: 10 bottles FAIVELEY, GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN, 1ER CRU, LES CAZETIERS, 2014 WAS: £66.50 NOW: £55.50 CODE: FAJ714 The high, perfectly exposed site of Cazetiers is tucked in between Combe au Moine and Clos St Jacques. Sweet and intense nose, all red fruited. Ripe and succulent fruit, very attractive and forward but also complex. A real star amongst the varied Faiveley holdings. Now-2026 At best: Now-2026 Available: 12 bottles LOIRE & ALSACE WHITE PIERRE CHERRIER ET FILS, SANCERRE, GRAND PICOT, 2017 WAS: £17.50 NOW: £14.95 CODE: ROS517 Superb oaked Sancerre with drive and flavour At best: Now-2022 Available: 9 bottles FRANCIS BLANCHET, POUILLY-FUMÉ, LES SILICE, 2018 WAS: £16.95 NOW: £14.75 CODE: BLA218 From a small block on very flinty soils in the heart of the appellation, an intense and ageworthy wine, intensely grapefruity. We are shipping 2019. At best: Now-2024 Available: 47 bottles JEAN-LUC MEYER, GEWURZTRAMINER, GRAND CRU EICHBERG, ALSACE, 2017 WAS: £18.95 NOW: £15.95 CODE MEY517 This Grand Cru is always opulent - with about 40 grams of residual sugar - but also delivers remarkable concentration, stone fruit and hints of spice and roses. The 2018 follows. At best: Now-2023 Available: 24 bottles LOIRE & BORDEAUX – RED CHÂTEAU DE MARSAN, CADILLAC, CÔTES DE BORDEAUX, CUVÉE MOULIN PASQUIER, 2016 WAS: £11.50 NOW: £9.95 CODE: MAR116 From about 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, delivering a generous, bright and lightly spicy mouthful of red fruit. At best: Now-2022 Available: 59 bottles DOMAINE DE LA GUILLOTERIE, SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY, TRADITION, 2017 WAS: £12.95 NOW: £10.95 CODE GUL317 Unoaked, black-fruited, silky, with attractive chalky and leafy hints. At best: Now-2022 Available: 2 bottles
8 DOMAINE DE LA GUILLOTERIE, SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY, LES LOGES, 2016 WAS: £14.50 NOW: £12.95 CODE: GUL416 From a plot of 50-55 year old vines; attractively aromatic, offering archetypal Loire Cab. Franc flavours of black berries and cherries. We will ship the 2018 vintage. At best: Now-2024 Available: 16 bottles CHÂTEAU LES COMBES, LUSSAC-SAINT-EMILION, 2016 WAS: £14.95 NOW: £12.50 CODE: GRC416 From one 4.8 hectare plot with thin soils over limestone, 100% Merlot. Ripe and exuberant, delectably “confit”. This unoaked wine always shows pure red fruit - raspberries and cherries - with fine acid. Supple, aromatic and very winning. At best: Now-2023 Available: 120 bottles CHÂTEAU LA JUSTICE, FRONSAC, 2015 WAS: £14.95 NOW: £12.75 CODE: JUS115 Justice has the same ownership as the historic and famed Fronsac Château de la Dauphine and is also farmed organically (still rare in Bordeaux), with Michel Rolland as consultant. From 100% Merlot, this delivers generous black fruit with a hint of coffee, lots of energy and fine aromatics. At best: Now-2023 Available: 29 bottles PIERRE DE MONTIGNAC, MÉDOC, CRU BOURGEOIS, 2015 WAS: £15.95 NOW: £13.50 CODE: PDM115 This estate, with 25 hectares of vines, is owned and run by the Salette family - and has recently been accorded the rank of Cru Bourgeois Supérieur. Robust black fruit with mocha, and excellent concentration, tannic spine and ripeness - and all with a traditionally moderate 13% alcohol. The blend is usually around 45-50% of each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus about 5% Petit Verdot. Total bargain at this price. At best: Now-2024 Available: 144 bottles CHÂTEAU VIEUX CHANTECAILLE, SAINT-EMILION, 2016 BOTTLE WAS: £22.95 NOW: £18.95 CODE: VCH116 MAGNUM [2015 VINTAGE] WAS : £46.50 NOW: £39.50 CODE: VCH915 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, into 50% new oak. Mickael Moze-Berthon has only 1¼ hectares of land within the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru boundary, just across the road from the famed Pomerol property of Le Bon Pasteur, but as his cellar is outside the limits of the St Emilion Grand Cru appellation he can only sell it as Saint-Emilion – so he is delivering wine from a Grand Cru terroir at a modest price. Showy svelte red fruit, intense and harmonious. At best: Now-2026 Available: 144 bottles, 16 magnums CHÂTEAU DES PELERINS, POMEROL, 2014 WAS: £27.95 NOW: £23.50 CODE: PEL114 80% Merlot and 10% of each of the Cabernets: to be commended for true Pomerol power with only 12.5% alcohol. Lots of flavour and properly persistent. At best: Now-2024 Available: 48 bottles DEYREM-VALENTIN, MARGAUX, 2015 WAS: £31.50 NOW: £26.50 CODE DEY115 Halves of Merlot and Cab. Sauv. with about 35% new barrels: a splendid example from a small estate run by Jean Sorge with his two daughters. At best: Now-2026 Available: 7 bottles
9 ITALY AND SLOVENIA – WHITE TENUTA SANTA SERAFFA, GAVI DEL COMUNE DI GAVI, 2019 WAS: £12.95 NOW: £11.50 CODE: SER119 With no on-trade sales we are holding too much of this excellent Gavi: refreshing and lemony, with very good length. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 144 bottles ZANUT, ZAKAJ, GORISKA BRDA, SLOVENIA, 2016 WAS: £16.50 NOW: £14..50 CODE: ZAN216 Zakaj (pronounced Zakay), translated from Slovenian, means “why”. The grape is what used to be called Tocai Friulano (a name not permitted since Hungary joined the EU), now known as Friulano or Sauvignonasse. Mid weight, this delivers both diverse fruit flavours, peach and tangerine, alongside subtle hints of rose water and white flowers. Brilliant, complex white. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 51 bottles ZANUT, JAMA, GORISKA BRDA, SLOVENIA, 2012 WAS: £27.95 NOW: £22.00 CODE: ZAN515 A single vineyard wine only produced in the best vintages. Very late picked, the grapes were then left to ferment on their skins for twenty days hence “orange” wine. Satisfying density and complexity. Floral (blossom), fruity (exotic fruits, dried fruit and Seville oranges) and spice flavours are all present; and the wine is hugely aromatic, powerful and structured. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 13 bottles ITALY & SLOVENIA – RED IL PALAGIONE, CAELUM, CHIANTI COLLI SENESI, 2017 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £11.50 CODE: PAL117 100% Sangiovese aged in older barrels; a warming, ripe and spicy gush of black cherries and plums. At best: Now-2022 Available: 7 bottles TALOSA, ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO, 2016 WAS: £13.95 NOW: £11.50 CODE: TAK116 Sangiovese, with 15% Merlot, Canaiolo and Mammolo, in old barrels: a big red from a top Tuscan vintage, offering classic Sangiovese sour cherry and berry flavours; and there are ripe tannins there too, covered by the lush fruit. A no-brainer at this price. At best: Now-2023 Available: 74 bottles FIORANO, TERRE DI GIOBBE, ROSSO PICENO SUPERIORE DOC, 2017 WAS: £15.95 NOW: £12.95 CODE FIO317 80% Montepulciano and 20% Sangiovese, aged in old French oak barrels. A big wine, concentrated and robust; liqueur cherries cut by brisk acidity. At best: Now-2022 Available: 84 bottles BEGALI, TIGIOLO, IGT VERONESE, 2014 WAS: £22.50 NOW: £18.00 CODE: BEF314 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and Corvina with 5% of Merlot and Rondinella, made using some dried grapes. California Cab meets Amarone - pure, intensely black-fruited, with the bittersweet bite of sharp blackcurrants. Intriguingly different. At best: Now-2023 Available: 48 bottles FIORANO, SER BALDUZIO, IGT MARCHE ROSSO, 2013 WAS: £23.95 NOW: £20.00 CODE: FIO413 Late-picked Montepulciano grapes, aged in Slavonian oak barrels, 1/3 new: deeply coloured, huge wine; lush coulis of blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. At best: Now-2023 Available: 9 bottles
10 BOASSO, BAROLO, SERRALUNGA D’ALBA, 2012 WAS: £30.50 NOW: £25.50 CODE: BOA312 From several sites in the commune of Serralunga, this offers a delightfully open perfume of raspberries and roses, and a plush, concentrated but svelte palate of strawberries underpinned by crunchy acidity and good tannins. Textbook example, vital and with a long finish. 2016 follows. At best: Now-2025 Available: 56 bottles COL DI LAMO, BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO, 2013 WAS: £36.00 NOW: £29.95 CODE: CDL313 Power, and underlying structure, but very elegant this vintage. Svelte red fruit, subtly spiced with cinnamon. Builds beautifully on the palate: the real deal. The superb 2015 follows at £37.50. At best: Now-2024 Available: 38 bottles SPAIN – WHITE VIÑA LEIRIÑA, RIBEIRO BLANCO, 2019 WAS: £12.50 NOW: £10.00 CODE: LEJ118 The maritime-influenced vineyards of Ribeiro lie inland from Vigo in Galicia. This is a super-fresh, unoaked, 11.5% alcohol blend of Treixadura, Palomino and Torrontés; sappy, tangerine and stone fruit accented, lightly saline and refreshing. But we have a neglected stack of it, hence the 20% discount At best: Now- early 2022 Available: 180 bottles SPAIN – RED FINCA LA SOLANA, MONASTRELL, SELECCION ESPECIAL, 2017 WAS: £10.50 NOW: £8.95 CODE: LUZ317 Monastrell given about four months in old barrels, mainly American, giving distinctively Spanish oak accents of coconut, milk chocolate and coffee over ripe, jellied blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Delivers a lot of punch at the price. At best: Now-2021 Available: 84 bottles FINCA TOBELLA, NEGRE, PRIORAT, 2018 WAS: £17.50 NOW: £14.00 CODE: TOB118 From a recently founded estate in Priorat in Catalonia, a great Spanish terroir, on steep hillsides of slate and mica soils. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan, with 40% aged in new French barrels: very deeply coloured; overtly flavoured by the barrels, with expensive, clean, cedary accents, over plush black fruit; polished and smart, concentrated, but with excellent freshness and liquorice hints. At best: Now-2024 Available: 120 bottles
11 OUR WINES IN THE PRESS Some wines which received press attention in 2020. Discounts last only until Sunday 28th February – or whilst stocks last, as some of these will sell out. WHITE LA PURÍSIMA, CONSENTIDO MACABEO 2019, YECLA, SPAIN WAS: £9.25 NOW: £8.25 CODE: CON119 “A beautiful white made from the macabeo grape (known as viura in Rioja), this is highly deserving of a place in your fridge. From the relatively uncelebrated region of Yecla in eastern Spain, it tastes of juicy white peaches, greengages and Asian pear and has a refreshing salinity”, Victoria Moore, 50 best summer wines in The Daily Telegraph, 11th July 2020 Our best value discovery of recent years, a wine with such flavour and personality at the price. Macabeo (Macabeu in the Languedoc-Roussillon) is the same grape as Viura, the principal ingredient in most white Rioja. Here it’s picked early in September for freshness. We were knocked out by this example, from its open, stone-fruited scent to its excitingly ripe and weighty mid-palate of white peach and fresh grapes, all the way to a dry, savoury and stoney finish. A cool label too. At best: Now-2021 Available: 300 bottles LA COMBE ST-PAUL, VERMENTINO, IGP PAYS D’OC, FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £9.50 NOW: £8.50 CODE: CSP219 “It’s no surprise that this smartly packaged wine is one of Stone, Vine & Sun’s best-sellers. It’s whistle-clean and beautifully balanced on the high wire between fruit and acid but, just as importantly, its marine-influenced dried fruit mix of aromas strongly recall Vermentino in its Sardinian homeland in the most agreeable way. This would work beautifully as a house white, drinking well with and without food. GV. 16/20”, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 8th May 2020 The Maury’s Vermentino (a grape also known as Rolle in Provence) has become one of our benchmark wines, sold in splendid volumes to our private customers and Michelin starred restaurants alike. Open, stone fruited attack gives way to a more gentle, pine-scented, well- textured mid-palate. Fruity but finishes dry. This is a fine all-rounder, as good an aperitif as with mediterranean fish or vegetable dishes. At best: Drink this year Available: 300 bottles CORTE MAINENTE, SOAVE CLASSICO, PIGNO, ITALY, 2019 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £11.75 CODE: MAI319 “Davide Mainente’s Pigno is one of the official crus recognised in the Soave Classico classification of June 2019. It’s a hillside site with red and black volcanic soils. 100% Garganega. Rather handsome, simple lime green label. Almonds and lemon on the nose, with lemon dominant currently. This fairly complex wine is still pretty youthful. Great to be reminded of proper Soave but I’d wait a few months before tackling this ideally and suspect it will grow middle-aged gracefully. Classic Italian bite and tang. 16+/20”, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 8th May 2020 100% Garganega grown on red and black volcanic soils in a single vineyard in Pigno, known as one of the best terroirs in the hilly Classico zone. Stunningly open and delicious Soave: offering a delightful fruit-salad scent; consistent with upfront, ripe flavours of pears, fresh grapes and greengages. But a silky texture, a dry citrussy finish and great persistence indicate its pedigree too. At best: Now-2022 Available: 180 bottles
12 ZANUT, REBULA, GORISKA BRDA, SLOVENIA, 2017 WAS: £15.95 NOW: £13.75 CODE: ZAN117 “...a rugged, intriguing wine full of earthy, musky, orange-rind complexity. Rich, full and complex with underlying freshness and minerality. Voluminous and heart-warming: a white with the soul of a red. 91/100”, Peter Richards, MW, Decanter, September 2020 Rebula is the Slovenian name for the Italian Ribolla Gialla grape, but it’s more widely grown in Slovenia than in Friuli. This wine gains colour, texture and intensity from 12 hours skin contact: it’s light gold, well-weighted, dry, concentrated, and lightly savoury. Surprisingly full- bodied for a wine with moderate alcohol, it’s a wine to drink with food, especially chicken or white fish in a sauce. At best: Now-2021 Available: 54 bottles DOMAINE D’ELISE, PETIT CHABLIS, FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £15.50 NOW: £13.95 CODE: ELS118 “A firm, dry, flinty nose with elegantly stony fruit on the palate. There’s no great depth but it’s elegant and fresh. Frederic Prain, one of the rare outsiders in Chablis – he came from as far away as Paris – describes himself as the EasyJet of Chablis. He wants his wine to be accessible”, Rosemary George MW, Decanter, 9th August 2019 “Domaine d’Elise owns 13ha of vines just outside the town of Chablis, one big plot divided evenly into one half Chablis, one half Petit Chablis. The wines are made in a traditional style and this Petit Chablis shows classic notes of apple and creamy lees. One for fresh seafood and shellfish”, Peter Richards MW, Decanter, 1st June 2020 A benchmark, far better than most Chablis from the huge co-operatives: cool and oyster- shell fresh in the mouth, excellent concentration and correctly lactic. (By the way, the other stockist listed by Decanter retails this for £17.95). At best: Now-2021 Available: 96 bottles DOMAINE DES DIEUX, CHARDONNAY, HEMEL-EN-AARDE RIDGE, SOUTH AFRICA, 2016 WAS: £17.95 NOW: £16.15 CODE: DDD116 “A smart cool-climate Chardonnay. About 30 per cent new oak. A perfect, luxurious but keenly priced alternative to white burgundy with a little bit on the end. Ambitious and refined. Great texture. Delicate”, Jancis Robinson, FT Weekend Magazine, 5th December 2020 Lovely bright hue – does it have a hint of green? As ever, rich and opulent, showing lime and cream, whilst restrained by a chalky note. In short: a classy, full-flavoured, perfectly-ready-to- drink, barrel-fermented and aged (about 30% new oak) Chardonnay of concentration and length. At best: Now-2023 Available: 240 bottles LEQUIN-COLIN, BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY BACK TO THE ROOTS, FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £19.50 NOW: £17.95 CODE: LEQ518 “Aged in barrel, 10 per cent new, and crafted in an old-fashioned way, with lots of lees stirring. Organically certified (but not mentioned on the label as Francois Lequin wants the wine to sell on its own merits)”, Jancis Robinson, FT Weekend Magazine, 5th December 2020 Open, clean and delicately perfumed, with a palate of creamy, ripe citrus. Generous ripeness and body belies its modest alcohol level. Francois Lequin’s superior Bourgogne Chardonnay bottling is named Back to the Roots as he gives it a very traditional Burgundian treatment - usually accorded only to more expensive wines from superior appellations. So this is 100% barrel fermented, with 10% new oak; and given regular lees stirring to develop texture and breadth. At best: Now-2023 Available: 72 bottles
13 RED LES VIGNERONS D’ESTEZARGUES, ORGANIC CÔTES DU RHÔNE, FRANCE, 2019 WAS: £10.95 NOW: £9.95 CODE: ESZ219 “50:50 Grenache and Syrah. Certified organic. ‘Near natural’ winemaking and unfiltered. Fairly dark crimson. Very sweet fruit on the nose – almost a candy store. Good for those who want a really powerful blow between the eyes. I could imagine some hugging this bottle at a barbecue but I wouldn’t. Drink 2020-2023. GV though, if it’s up your street. 15.5/20” Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 11th November 2020 From halves of Grenache and Syrah. Tons of fruit: crunchy raspberry and black cherry with hints of liquorice and Kirsch. Surprisingly expansive for a wine at this price – and with all that gorgeous fruit and bright acidity it can stand up to any dishes on the robust to spicy spectrum. At best: Now-2023 Available: 96 bottles FIORANO, SANGIOVESE, IGT MARCHE, ITALY, 2018 WAS: £12.95 NOW: £11.75 CODE: FIO118 “Certified organic from just 5 ha. Hand-picked from an amphitheatre of a vineyard on sandy limestone at 250 to 350 m on the eastern Apennines only 15 km from the Adriatic. Minimal added sulphur, I am assured. Transparent garnet. Smells very healthy and lively – so much fruit and freshness that it rather reminded me on the nose of a cru beaujolais. But then the farmyard character of Sangiovese kicks in in a most welcome way. Lovely and natural. Pure Sangiovese fruit with good acidity but quite enough fruit. Without the structure and ambition of a Chianti Classico. Unlike so many Italian reds, you could easily enjoy this without food. No point in ageing it though. GV. 16/20”, Jancis Robinson The last of this delightful Sangiovese (we will move to 2019) which appeals to all who enjoy juicy reds. As ever, red cherries and raspberries to the fore, ripe, perfumed and gently savoury. Very supple; a fast-disappearing bottle, perfect with any lighter Italian dish. At best: Now-2021 Available: 48 bottles ROUSSEL, JONCIER, L’O, VIN DE FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £12.25 CODE: JON218 “Mainly 45 year old certified organic Grenache with one-third Syrah. Intense, nicely balanced, sweet and spicy nose. Very polished tannins and a hint of salty Syrah. Really rather luscious”, Jancis Robinson, A nose for a festive red, FT Weekend Magazine, 12h December 2020 The latest vintage of Marine Roussel’s L’O (O for purity, not water) from Domaine du Joncier includes some bought in fruit, also organically grown, from the Costières de Nîmes, hence it being labelled Vin de France. Raspberries on the nose lead to clean pure red fruit and soft tannins. Vibrant. At best: Now-2022 Available: 120 bottles LAGNEAU, RÉGNIÉ VIEILLES VIGNES, CUVÉE GÉRARD, FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £13.50 NOW: £12.25 CODE: LAG318 One of our long-term favourites, so concentrated and blackfruited: “…their beaujolais is a fine bargain. The vines of the ninth generation of the Lagneau family of Regnié are enviably old: 60 to 100 years old. Gérard is the father of Didier, who is taking over the domaine. Darker crimson than many a beaujolais. Rather agreeably splits the difference between sweetly fruity and freshly stony. Quite long with great balance. Good grainy texture on the finish. More luscious and very slightly less fresh than many. GV. 16.5/20”, Jancis Robinson. At best: Now-2022 Available: 30 bottles JEAN GUITON, BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, 2017 WAS: £18.95 NOW: £16.95 CODE: GUI117 “…full of tangy red fruit, fine grippy tannins and herbal complexity”, Peter Richards MW, Decanter, September 2020 Guillaume Guiton’s wines are always crafted in a light, pure, idiom. His Bourgogne Rouge is from four parcels, two in Bligny and two between Bligny and Pommard, given 12 months in older barrels. Pure red fruit backed by gentle tannins. Drinking beautifully now. At best: Now-2023 Available: 48 bottles
14 I FABBRI, CHIANTI CLASSICO, LAMOLE, 2018 WAS: £19.75 NOW: £17.95 CODE: IFA118 “Pale garnet. Beautiful purity! Just the fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. Not rich, not heavy but ethereal. The fruit is halfway between sour plums and prunes. Clean as a mountain stream. But probably best served with food that’s not too emphatic. Very fine persistence though. Drink 2020-2024, 17/20”, Jancis Robinson, jancisrobinson.com, 11th November 2020. This also won two other major accolades in Italy. Arguably the best known wine Italian guide is the Gambero Rosso, whose top award is Tre Bicchieri, three glasses. Lamole won this in the 2021 guide; and The Slowine Guide – which celebrates small-scale, artisanal (and often organic) producers - made Lamole a Top Wine. In our translation: “The goal is not to override the expression of the terroir, with a traditional vinification that enhances the pure aromatics and the peculiar delicacy of taste…It excited us and took us back in time. It has floral and earthy aromas with a mineral and fruity base. It’s expressive, breezy and intriguing, with a long, fresh and savoury finish”. Not a wine for those who seek density, power and oak. As the reviews above and our note below indicate, it’s unoaked, a light, pure and graceful wine with just 13% alcohol. Organic estate I Fabbri in Greve, run by 11th generation owner Susanna Grassi, is one of the highest in Chianti Classico: 630m. of altitude brings freshness and an old-fashioned moderate alcohol to Lamole. 100% Sangiovese from concrete tank. A lovely, gentle, classic style: pure cherry flavours with perfectly judged tannins. Ready, delicious. Now-2025 At best: Now-2023 Available: 120 bottles MAS DES BROUSSES, TERRASSES DU LARZAC, 2017 WAS: £19.95 NOW: £17.95 CODE: MAB217 “Dark purple. This really smells of Larzac with its stones and dried herbs. Really dense and serious with lots of potential for ageing, too. There’s also the rich spice of Mourvèdre. A beaker of the warm, scrubby south. Well structured. Drink 2020–2027. 16.5/20”, Jancis Robinson, MW, jancisrobinson.com, 8th May 2020 Seductive, warm Mediterranean perfume of garrigue, autumnal fruit and vanilla oak. Super- smooth palate of cassis and blackberry with a liquorice tinge. Already so sophisticated and will last for years. Given this is based on Mourvèdre (about half, with Syrah and Grenache), it’s so elegant - and consistently the most ageworthy wine in our entire Languedoc-Roussillon portfolio. At best: Now-2026 Available: 120 bottles SOUTH AFRICA Thanks to your support we have sold so much Cape wine since the summer. We had not planned a big sale but with South Africa under lockdown and the sale of alcohol (even online) again totally banned we are determined to keep sales going and recycle what we take back to our growers via further orders – so there’s plenty of wine here at a good discount. SOUTH AFRICA – WHITE SIX HATS, CHENIN BLANC, WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA, 2019 WAS: £9.25 NOW: £7.75 CODE: SIX119 Six Hats is Piekenierskloof’s second label, including fruit not just from the estate but from farmers near Malmesbury too. This is exemplifies why Chenin is the country’s distinctive white success story, fresh and bright, with some weight. Both the aromas and the palate show honeyed accents on tangerine and more tropical fruit. At best: Drink this year Available: 240 bottles
15 DORING BAY, SAUVIGNON BLANC, COASTAL REGION, 2019 WAS: £11.75 NOW: £9.50 CODE: FRY319 Doring Bay is the second line of Fryer’s Cove and based on fruit from their frigid coastal vineayrd. It’s an intense, green-fruited and zippy example, punchy and herbaceous. Plenty of concentration and weight. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 180 bottles DOMAINE DES DIEUX, SAUVIGNON BLANC, HEMEL-EN-AARDE RIDGE, 2013 NEVER LISTED BUT SHOULD BE £12.50 NOW: £9.95 CODE: DDD313 An odd dozen shipped in error. At Des Dieux they are unusual in making a barrel-fermented SB aged before release: it’s rich and complex. At best: Drink this year Available: 12 bottles PIEKENIERSKLOOF, GRENACHE BLANC, PIEKENIERSKLOOF, 2018 WAS: £12.50 NOW: £10.50 CODE: PIK118 From bush vines planted in 1987; and fermented in old oak vats. Forward and full-flavoured, with tangerine, ripe apple and lime – and a creamy meringue element. We will move to the 2019 vintage. At best: Now-2022 Available: 47 bottles CEDERBERG, BUKETTRAUBE, CEDERBERG, 2019 WAS: £12.95 NOW: £10.95 CODE: CED319 Bukettraube, barely grown outside South Africa, is a 19th century German cross between Silvaner and the obscure Schiva Grossa. A delicious medium dry wine (about 22 grams of residual sugar per litre in this vintage). Nectarine and white peach attack, delicate, but with a crisp spine. We move to 2020. At best: Now-2022 Available: 15 bottles KOELFONTEIN CHARDONNAY, CERES, 2017 WAS: £13.95 NOW: £11.50 CODE: KOE117 From the only cellar in Ceres and a hillside block planted in 1987; about 1/3 matured in new barrels, 2/3 second fill. Opulent, exotic, full-on example – an old-fashioned Cape Meursault. Ripe melon and a hint of pineapple, well-knit, with notes of cream, caramel and fat nuts. Delivers so much power and complexity for this low a price. At best: Now-2022 Available: 120 bottles FRYER’S COVE, SAUVIGNON BLANC, BAMBOES BAY, 2017 WAS: £17.50 NOW: £14.95 CODE: FRY117 From an isolated vineyard on calcareous soils, next to the cool Atlantic near Strandfontein, a remarkably intense and ageworthy SB, a Cape Pouilly-Fumé: gooseberry, lime and passion-fruit, checked by crisp minerality. At best: Now-early 2022 Available: 96 bottles GHOST CORNER, WILD FERMENT SAUVIGNON BLANC, ELIM, 2018 WAS: £22.95 NOW: £19.50 CODE: CED218 From vines on slate, koffieklip and gravel at cool Cape Agulhas. Complexity is achieved through 50% whole bunch pressing and then all the juice is barrel fermented in French oak (just 12% new) and then given 10 months in barrel. Amazingly exotic aromatics of mango and quince. Concentrated and opulent but also satiny. At best: Now-2022 Available: 17 bottles BLANKBOTTLE, EPILEPTIC INSPIRATION, WESTERN CAPE, 2018 WAS: £22.95 NOW: £19.95 CODE: BBO218 Semillon picked late for a fuller flavour and rich mouthfeel; and fermented and aged on lees in French oak and clay amphora. Citrus-based, accented with subtle but multiple flavours – chamomile, clotted cream, thai basil and white pepper. Rounded and intense; and with a very long finish. At best: Now-2022 Available: 10 bottles
16 CHAMONIX, RESERVE CHARDONNAY, FRANSCHHOEK, 2016 WAS: £25.50 NOW: £20.40 CODE: CHX716 Barrel fermented and aged for 14 months, with 20% matured in expensive Nomblot eggs. In its youth this appeared lighter - the actual alcohol is just 12.6% - than past vintages, but it has now opened up beautifully with flavours of cream, lime, stone fruit and buttery toast. Super stuff. At best: Now-2022 Available: 86 bottles SOUTH AFRICA – RED GREAT EXPECTATIONS SHIRAZ, ROBERTSON, 2017 WAS: £9.95 NOW: £8.25 CODE: GDV617 Gush of cherry and raspberry, nicely perfumed, ripe, spicy and youthful but also supple. Deservedly popular. We move to the 2018 vintage. At best: Now-2022 Available: 17 bottles VRIESENHOF, GRENACHE / SHIRAZ / MOURVÈDRE, STELLENBOSCH, 2017 WAS: £11.95 NOW: £10.50 CODE: VRI117 46% Grenache, 35% Shiraz and 19% Mourvèdre, given nine months in old oak. Raspberry and cherry flavours tinged with a mocha hint. At best: Now-2022 Available: 3 bottles SECATEURS RED, SWARTLAND, 2018 WAS: £12.75 NOW: £11.25 CODE: BAD618 82% Cinsault, with 10% Shiraz and 8% Grenache, just rounded by big old oak vats. Easy drinking, with pretty red fruit backed by savoury and spice notes. At best: Now-2022 Available: 6 bottles PIEKENIERSKLOOF, GRENACHE, PIEKENIERSKLOOF, 2018 WAS: £15.50 NOW: £12.40 CODE: PIK818 Piekenierskloof has more Grenache planted than any other estate in the Cape, including parcels going back to 1973. All goes into old, effectively neutral, oak. Stimulating aromatics – strawberries and spice. Wonderful purity. Mouthcoating texture. Lovely winegum flavours with notes of clove and pepper. A real Rhône challenger. At best: Now-2024 Available: 144 bottles DOMAINE DES DIEUX, SYRAH-MOURVÈDRE, HEMEL-EN-AARDE RIDGE, 2014 WAS: £15.95 NOW: £13.50 CODE: DDD814 About 95% Syrah in this vintage, full-flavoured and meaty, but also smooth, offering fresh blackberry, a lick of sweet oak and middle eastern spice. At best: Now-2023 Available: 120 bottles RUSTENBERG, JOHN X MERRIMAN, STELLENBOSCH, 2016 Bought in for a restaurant, never listed, so just a special price BOTTLE £13.50 CODE: RUS116 MAGNUM £29.00 CODE: RUS916 Benchmark Cape Bordeaux blend. At best: Now-2023 Available: 20 bottles, 6 magnums CEDERBERG, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CEDERBERG, 2017 WAS: £19.95 NOW: £17.50 CODE: CED717 Perfumed palate, with layers of black fruit, and fine tannins for keeping too. At best: Now-2024 Available: 2 bottles
17 CHILE AND ARGENTINA – RED CARINAE, MALBEC, HOMMAGE, MENDOZA, 2013 WAS: £22.50 NOW: £18.95 CODE: CAE413 Amazing old-vine Malbec from 93 year old vines in a high altitude vineyard just south of Mendoza. So concentrated, with fine-grained tannins, offering autumnal fruit – with a seductive, liqueur element - spiked with hints of mocha, nutmeg and tobacco. At best: Now-2023 Available: 12 bottles 2014 PANDOLFI PRICE, LOS PATRICIOS PINOT NOIR, VALLE DEL ITATA, CHILE WAS: £24.95, THEN £19.50, NOW £17.50 CODE: PAP914 Extravagantly flavoured - black fruited, showing hints of eucalyptus and spice – and wildly powerful (15.5%). Possibly not for Pinot purists but undeniably dramatic. At best: Now-2021 Available: 11 bottles NEW ZEALAND – WHITE THE EDGE, PINOT GRIS, MARTINBOROUGH, 2017 WAS: £12.50 NOW: £9.95 CODE: ESC717 Crafted in an off-dry style, making it a perfect accompaniment to spicy food. Attractive fruit, weight and texture. At best: Drink this year Available: 11 bottles ISABEL ESTATE, SAUVIGNON BLANC, MARLBOROUGH, 2018 WAS: £16.50 NOW: £14.50 CODE: ISA518 Penetrating, intensely green-fruited, this is restrained, silkily textured, and very long: a Kiwi Pouilly-Fumé and as such always shows better after a year or more in bottle. At best: Now- early 2022 Available: 14 bottles FELTON ROAD, BANNOCKBURN CHARDONNAY, CENTRAL OTAGO, 2016 WAS: £27.95 NOW: £23.95 CODE: FET116 Grown on schist gravels. Understated oak, classy volume, cut by lime. Mineral, classy Chardonnay, a match for the Côte de Beaune. At best: Now-2022 Available: 8 bottles FELTON ROAD, BLOCK 2 CHARDONNAY, CENTRAL OTAGO, 2017 WAS: £32.50 NOW: £27.50 CODE: FET417 One of the two top Chardonnays at FR – just that much more concentration At best: Now-2025 Available: 5 bottles NEW ZEALAND – RED FELTON ROAD, BANNOCKBURN PINOT NOIR, CENTRAL OTAGO, 2016 WAS: £37.50 NOW: £33.50 CODE: FET616 A benchmark wine among all New World Pinots: heated raspberries and strawberries with a hint of coffee; supple and perfumed, already delicious but also ageworthy. We move to 2017. At best: Now-2024 Available: 11 bottles FELTON ROAD, CALVERT PINOT NOIR, CENTRAL OTAGO, 2016 WAS: £46.50 NOW: £39.95 CODE: FET816 Usually the most precocious of the single vineyard wines: stunningly red-fruited and expansive. Splendid finish. At best: Now-2025 Available: 18 bottles
18 AUSTRALIA – WHITE Splendid barrel-fermented Chardonnays from cool regions here, all total bargains at these prices SILENT NOISE, CHARDONNAY, ADELAIDE HILLS, 2018 WAS: £14.50 NOW: £12.95 CODE: SIL118 From grapes sourced in the cool Adelaide Hills, this is very much in the fresh modern Aussie idiom; a streamlined, lightly creamy example, orchard fruited and bright. Now-2021 At best: Now-2022 Available: 9 bottles WICKHAM ROAD, CHARDONNAY, GIPPSLAND, 2017 WAS: £18.95 NOW: £14.50 CODE: WIC117 Gippsland is an up-and-coming coolish climate region east of Melbourne. Oak, cream and ripe apple aromas. Richly textured, plenty of flavour, generous heart. Full-flavoured - but not in the least old fashioned - barrel-fermented, new world Chardonny with plenty of heart. We have moved to the 2019 vintage. At best: Now-2022 Available: 42 bottles MAC FORBES, WOORI YALLOCK CHARDONNAY, YARRA VALLEY, 2016 WAS: £33.50 NOW: £26.50 CODE: MAC116 Panoply of scents: honeysuckle, marzipan and butter. There is a hint of that honeysuckle exoticism, plus stone fruit notes, in this classy Chardonnay. Some steeliness too – and just 12.5%. At best: Now-2023 Available: 37 bottles HODDLES CREEK, SYBERIA CHARDONNAY, YARRA VALLEY, 2016 WAS: £37.50 NOW: £30.00 CODE: HOD316 From a single vineyard, a high cool site in cleared forest in the Upper Yarra. Greater density and punch, and a terrifically complete mouthful of oak, fruit and acid. White peach and floral touches. The best Chardonnay at the estate in this vintage – and one customer reported this was the best new world Chardonnay he had ever tasted. We are moving to 2018, At best: Now-2023 Available: 24 bottles AUSTRALIA – RED PIZZINI, NONNA GISELLA SANGIOVESE, KING VALLEY, 2016 WAS: £14.95 NOW: £9.95 CODE: PIZ616 Nothing wrong with this but we are bored of looking at it - hence radical discount to near cost. Aroma of cooked strawberries; and then it’s deliciously ripe and charming, with real berry and cherry fruit concentration. Cries out for any Italian food from lasagne to tagliata. At best: Now-2021 Available: 32 bottles SILENT NOISE, SHIRAZ, MCLAREN VALE, 2016 WAS:£14.50 NOW: £156.60 CODE SIL816 A kick-ass Aussie Shiraz at the right price. Aged half in French and half in American oak barrels, 25% new, this delivers stacks of fresh black and blueberry fruit. Fine and silky. The 2017 follows. At best: Now-2023 Available: 46 bottles MAC FORBES, COLDSTREAM PINOT NOIR, YARRA VALLEY, 2016 WAS: £34.50 NOW: £28.50 CODE: MAC316 Coldstream is the best-known area of the warmer Lower Yarra; here the Pinot tends to be riper, more forward and opulent. Very seductive red fruit. At best: Now-2023 Available: 7 bottles
19 MAC FORBES, HEALESVILLE SYRAH, YARRA VALLEY, 2016 WAS: £35.50 NOW: £29.50 CODE: MAC516 Note the name – Syrah, indicating Mac’s wish to emulate a French model. Very intense, bittersweet, with crunchy blackcurrant flavours. Pepper and spice on the finish. Is this a look-alike for Hermitage? One of Matthew Jukes’ 100 best Australian Wines 2018/19. At best: Now-2024 Available: 16 bottles SPARKLING We enjoy the Exton Park wines but they lie so close to us that customers tend to buy direct: these tidy-up prices are well under cellar door cost. EXTON PARK, BRITAGNE, RESERVE BRUT, NV, 11.5% Made from a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% of Chardonnay, blended from several harvests. Lemony but nicely fruited. BOTTLE WAS: £28.95 NOW: £24.95 CODE: EXT1NV MAGNUM WAS: £62.50 NOW: £54.00 CODE: EXT9NV Available: 3 bottles, 4 Magnums EXTON PARK, BRITAGNE, BLANC DE NOIRS, NV, 11.5% WAS: £29.95 NOW: £25.95 CODE: EXT4NV 100% Pinot Noir – and no barrel ageing. Lightly sherberty scent; this barely shows its red grape character, being pure and refreshing, but also displaying plenty of volume. At best: Now-2022 Available: 11 bottles EXTON PARK, BRITAGNE, ROSE, NV WAS: £29.95 NOW: £25.50 CODE: EXT5NV From 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier. Very pale and slightly coppery. Light red fruit – cranberry and crisp red plum. At best: Drink this year Available: 4 bottles EXTON PARK, BRITAGNE, BLANC DE BLANCS, 2011, 11.5% WAS: £39.95 NOW: £33.95 CODE: EXT311 The first release of just 2500 bottles, from the oldest Chardonnay vines, given three years on the lees. Has a lovely key lime cheesecake quality, bright and complex. A top English fizz. At best: Now-2021 Available: 3 bottles SWEET BARRÉJAT, PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH, FRANCE, 2018 WAS: £13.95 NOW: £11.75 CODE: BAJ718 In the medium dry, “Moelleux” style, a gloriously exotic aperitif, or a rich accompaniment to foie gras. Bright cocktail of passion fruit, pineapple, and tangerines. At best: Now-2023 Available: 36 bottles ESCARPMENT, HINEMOA RIESLING, MARTINBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND, 2015 HALF BOTTLE WAS: £12.95 NOW: £11.25 CODE: ESC915 From the Te Muna road vineyard a luscious, super-concentrated, late harvest Riesling, all caramelised oranges and barley sugar, with the 200 grams of residual sugar cut by classic Riesling acidity. Now-2024 Limited stock At best: Now-2023 Available: 11 half bottles
20 CORTE MAINENTE, LUNA NOVA, RECIOTO DI SOAVE, ITALY, 2017 HALF BOTTLE WAS: £13.95 NOW: £11.75 CODE: MAI617 Recioto di Soave is from bunches of Garganega dried on racks in the autumn to concentrate the sweetness. Perfume of orange peel – and that bitter marmalade orange flavour permeates this concentrated and opulent sweet wine tasting of marmalade with around 135 gms of residual sugar. At best: Now-2023 Available: 8 half bottles Begali, Recioto della Valpolicella Classico, Italy, 2012 50 CL. BOTTLE WAS: £27.95 NOW: £23.50 CODE: BEF612 Morello cherries, intensely bittersweet. Wonderful stuff, we move to the 2015 vintage At best: Now-2024 Available: 1 50cl. bottles FORTIFIED KROHN, PORT, RIO TORTO RESERVA RUBY, PORTUGAL, NV WAS: £12.95 NOW: £10.95 CODE: KRO2NV Two years in large old barrels and bottled unfiltered (so there may be a small deposit), it’s correctly rich and plummy. Pure, vigorous red fruit with an attractive smoky nuance. Medium-bodied and lightly spicy. At best: Now-2022 Available: 36 bottles KROHN, PORT, LBV, PORTUGAL, 2012 WAS: £14.95 NOW: £12.50 CODE: KRO112 Traditionally made; with rich plum and fruitcake character. May throw a deposit, so decant. We move to 2013. At best: Now-2022 Available: 12 bottles PIGEADE, MUSCAT DE BEAUMES-DE-VENISE, FRANCE, 2018 HALF BOTTLE WAS: £9.95 NOW: £7.95 CODE: PIG918 No on-trade so fewer sales for this beauty. Gorgeously exotic palate of caramelised oranges, honey, and lychees. So light and aromatic for a fortified wine, all freshness, perfume and finesse. At best: Now-2024 Available: 48 half bottles LIQUEURS, SAKE AND SPIRITS We used to stock speciality spirits for a few on-trade accounts but we are now choosing to focus on what we do best - wine - so all are going into the sale at cost plus 10% AKASHI-TAE, HONJOZO GENSHU SAKE 70.2CL BOTTLE £15.14 Code: SAK2 Available: 2 bottles DOORLY’S, 3 YEAR OLD WHITE RUM 70CL. BOTTLE £18.13 Code: SPID003 Available: 4 bottles DOORLY’S BARBADOS GOLD 5 YEAR OLD RUM 70CL. BOTTLE £18.41 Code: SPID005Y Available: 1 bottle EVAN WILLIAMS, KENTUCKY BOURBON WHISKEY 70CL. BOTTLE £18.13 Code: SPIEVANBOURB Available: 2 bottles TOSOLINO, AMARO 70CL. BOTTLE £24.22 Code: SPITOS Available: 1 bottle SQUARE 1 CUCUMBER VODKA 70CL. BOTTLE £27.72 Code: SPISQU Available: 1 bottle
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