Rose des Sables, Joel Courtault, Vin de Table, Loire*, NV £45

An unusual sparkling rose made from cabernet sauvignon. A natural wine with no sulphur added. Rich and full bodied with plenty of savoury characteristics.

Champagne, Veuve Cliquot, N.V., France £65

VC is a blend of two-thirds black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) for body, balanced with one-third Chardonnay for elegance.

Nyetimber classic cuvee, West Sussex, 2006 £10.5/£65

Award winning champagne method English sparkling wine. Ripe Chardonnay fruit and lots of refreshing acidity with the same finesse and structure you would expect to find in a great vintage Champagne.

 
Champagne, ‘D’ de Devaux, 2000, France £72

The ‘D’ range of wines from Devaux are made from the best parcels of fruit in the co-operative. This is really distinct, rich and delicious champagne at a great price.

Gros Plant du Pays Nantais, Pierre Luneau, Loire, 2009/£23

The grape is Gros Plant (aka Picpoul) a white maritime wine made by the master of Muscadet himself, Pierre Luneau. It has a salty tang and is ideal with shellfish.

Sauvignon de Touraine, Domaine Guy Allion, Loire 2010/£25

This domaine with its beautiful Touraine-style house made out of tufa produces first class Sauvignon from vines grown on sandy-clay soil. More grape than grass and utterly refreshing it’s the classic default from Sancerre.

Costieres des Nimes (Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc), Chateau la Tour de Beraud, Rhone, 2010/£26

Named after the 11^th Century fire tower, which was constructed to prevent invasions from the sea, this white Costieres des Nimes has lots of ripe stone fruit flavours. 

Chignin (Jacquere), Gilles Berlioz, Savoie, 2010 **/£8/£31

This comes from 50 year old Jacquere vines planted on the lower slopes of the first mountains in the Alps. Organically certified it has just 11% alcohol and is light and zesty with lots of minerality.

Saint Aubin Blanc ‘le ban’ (Chardonnay), Henri Prudhon, Burgundy/£35

Saint Aubin offers great value for money when you compare it to its neighbours: Puligny Montrachet and Mersualt. Three generations of the Prudhon family are involved with making this wine. The Le Ban vineyards are situated on the South-East facing steep slopes which offer the ideal conditions for obtaining excellent levels of maturity in the grapes for a wine which is comparable to a ‘premier cru’.  

St Joseph Blanc ‘le Clos’ (Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc),

Domaine Florentin, Rhone/£38

Domaine Florentin no longer exists, it’s vineyards have been bought by a much larger operator. Enjoy this fantastic example of Rhone white with some bottle age. Ripe stone fruit with poise and elegance.

 
Coyade (Macabeu, Grenache Blanc), Cotes Catalanes, France, 2006*/£39

Unusual Catalonian French white. A natural wine with both ripe pear fruit and developed spicey characteristics. An excellent wine to accompany rich fish dishes. 

Chablis (Chardonnay), Domaine Pattes Loup, Burgundy, 2009 **/£45

Thomas Pico is in charge of just 2.4 hectares of organically tended vines where you find wild geranium, scarlet pimpernel, groundsel, poppies, etc. There is only one other fully organically certified vigneron in Chablis! A rare treat.

Chablis Grand Cru Bougros (Chardonnay), Thierry Laffay,  Burgundy, 2002 /£75

Laffay’s wines define "tradition" in the best sense: thoroughly enlightened in their approach to viticulture, detailed in their vinification and preserving the unique identity of their fabulous vineyards. This wine is showing fantastically well after nearly ten years in bottle.

Roero Arneis ‘San Michele’, Deltetto, Piedmont, 2010 /£35

Since 1953 The Deltetto family has produced high quality wines in the areas of Langhe and Roero. The indigenous Arneis grape (literally translated as little rascal) from the San Michele commune makes a wonderfully mineral white with pear and apricot flavours.

Soave ‘Calvarino’ (Garganega), Pieropan, Veneto, 2009 / £36

The Calvarino vineyard is in the heart of the Soave Classico zone and represents the core of the ancient family estate. The soil here is rich in clay and tufaceous basalt which gives the wine an attractive savoury, mineral quality. 

The label was first released in 1971 and is one of Italy’s most iconic white wines.

Chardonnay Tercic, Friuli, 2007 /£38

Boutique 'Italianate' Chardonnay made without oak. A dry wine, with rich complex flavours and soft aromas - creamy on the palate.

Riesling Trocken ‘Tres Naris’, Axel Pauly, Mosel, Germany, 2010 /£34

‘Tres Naris’ means ‘Three Noses’; turn the label on its side and the hills of the Mosel become the noses of Axel, his father and his grandfather. This is great modern German Riesling: dry, crisp and lively on the palate.

Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc ‘Mangan’, Cullen, Margaret River, Western Australia, 2009** /£39                                

Vanya Cullen is an icon in winemaking circles. She is a founding member of the biodynamic movement in Australia and the complexity and character in this Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc blend shows why using wild yeasts and working in harmony with your specific terroir is the best way to make distinctive and characterful wines.

M3 Chardonnay, Shaw & Smith, Adelaide Hills, Australia /£45

An Aussie version of a top cru Meursault. Full bodied and rich with old & new French oak extremely well integrated. Without doubt one of Australia’s top Chardonnays.

Canon Fronsac (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot), Chateau du Pavillon, Bordeaux, 2006 /£35

Michel is the third generation of his family to run this estate and he has a simple philosophy when it comes to wine - “All you need is good terroir and grapes and the rest is attention to detail”. This approach along with a little bottle age results in wines that ensure the natural character of Merlot shines through in this claret.

Coteaux du Langeudoc ‘Basaltique’, (Carignan, Mouvedre, Grenache) Domaine Labranche Laffont, Langeudoc, 2007 /£35

50 year old organically tended vines (primarily Carignan) grown on  volcanic lava, give this spicy wine a notable mineral stamp similar to that of fine Etna reds.

Cotes du Marmandais (Cabernet sauvignon, Malbec), Chateau Lassolle, Bergerac, 2005 /£36

Stéphanie, originally from Normandy, purchased these old vines before before they were snapped up by other interested (bigger!) parties. Driven biodynamically, the vines give intense, deep wines with incredible texture and make a great alternative to Bordeaux.

Vacqueyras, Domaine Font Sarade, Rhone, 2007 /£38

A great cru Cotes du Rhone villages from a small producer. Lots of white pepper spice on the nose and in the glass. The few years bottle age have helped to soften the tanins and bring out some interesting smokey secondary flavours.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau Vadieu, Rhone, 2005 /£48

From one of the few Chateauneuf producers with an actual chateau. This is an extremely suave and sophisticated Chateauneuf; a powerful wine with all the elements in balance.

Chambolle Musigny ‘Les Fermières’ vielle vignes (Pinot Noir), Louis Remy, Burgundy, 2005 /£65

Louis Rémy in Burgundy has been managed by Chantal Rémy since 1988. The 3.5 hectare domaine can trace its antecedents back all the way to 1821. Chantal has continued the tradition of making gentle, not overtly powerful wines with an ethereal quality. This 2005 Chambolle Musigny has reached maturity and is drinking extremely well.

Haut Medoc (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Bordeaux, 1996 /£85

A classic Bordeaux from the Haut-Medoc. Aromas of plum, black tea, red fruits and worn leather. Chunky in the mouth with meaty dark fruit, and an earthy. This vintage is just reaching its peak for dinking.

 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo Col del Mondo, Sunnae, Abruzzo, 2010 /£26.5

From central Southern Italy; a pure version of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, aged one year in a cement vat. With lots of dark fruit, crunchy tannins and vibrant acidity. Fantastic with dishes that have a bit of fat in them.

Morellino di Scansano (Sangiovese), Poggio Trevalle, Tuscany, 2009 /£8.2/£33

Fantastic Tuscan Sangiovese from the Maremma coast. Warmer than Chianti these wines are slightly more full bodied (ideal for the colder months) yet retain a poised charm and classic Sangiovese perfume.

Langhe Nebbiolo, Cantina del Pino, Piemonte, 2008 /£40

A Nebbiolo with all the berry fruits and spicy character of a Barbaresco, but made to be drunk young - finely balanced. Delicious with game.

Chianti Classico (Sangiovese), Isole E Olena, Tuscany, 2008 /£40

Paulo di Marchi’s Isole E Olena estate has been producing benchmark Chianti for two decades. There is a grace and subtle poise to this wonderful wine that has lead to it being described as the feminine (as opposed to a more brooding masculine) expression of great Chianti Classico.

Palazzo della Torre (Corvina), Allegrini, Valpolicella, Veneto, 2009  /£45

Ripasso (made with half dried grapes and half fresh) Corvina is often called baby Amarone. Allegrini are one of the top producers in the region and this example is slick, generous and very well made. Not as overpowering as full blown Amarone but still big enough to stand up to cheese and more powerful dishes.

Barolo (nebbiolo) ‘Bricco delle Viole”’, G D Vajra, Piemonte, 2006 /£68

Another great wine from another fantastic vintage. Aldo Vajra, rather like Paulo di Marche in Tuscany, makes beautifully restrained examples of what can sometimes be over-extracted, over-oaked and over-powering wines. The ‘Bricco della Viole’ is one of the most prized vineyard sites in Barolo.

Brunello (Sangiovese), La Gerla Fattoria, Tuscany, 2004 /£70

A fantastic Brunello from arguably the decade’s finest vintage: 2004. La Gerla with its 11 ha of prime vineyard sites in the heart of Brunello di Montalcino makes classic full bodied & ripe expressions of Sangiovese with plenty of spicy complexity.

Passadouro Vinho Tinto (Touriga Nacional, Tinto Rouriz), Quinta do Passadouro, Douro, Portugal, 2008 /£38

A great winter warming red. This historic Quinta dates back to the 17^th century but has expanded considerably in the past 20 years. Winemaker & co-owner Jorges Borges has identified the parcels that are best suited for the production of red wine as opposed to Port. The vines are grown on classic Douro vertigo-inducing steep terraces.

Rioja Reserva Orben (Tempranillo), Rioja, Spain, 2006 /£45   

This Rioja is a joint venture amongst some Spain’s (and therefore the world’s) top restaurants including the recently closed El Bulli. Looking for something with less tired fruit and less sweet American oak than is often found they asked the Izadi family to create a Rioja Reserva which would show the opposite: ripe, clean dark fruit, firm grippy tannins and well integrated (mainly French) new & old oak.

Merlot, ‘L’ de Lyeth, Sonoma County, California, USA, 2008 /£32

A great expression of new world merlot with a leafy nose and ripe, but not too sweet, dark fruit flavours.

Estate Pinot Noir, Crittenden, Mornington Peninsula, Australia, 2009 /£38

A pioneering producer of cooler climate Aussie wines (which is obviously very important when it comes to pinot noir). Garry’s estate pinot has plenty of bright red fruit on the nose and palate and is backed up with some interesting savoury secondaries.

Pinot Noir, Ata Rangi, Martinborough, New Zealand, 2009 /£65

The Romanee-Conti of the Southern Hemisphere. Ata Rangi have been making benchmark New World Pinot Noir since the early eighties. 2009 was also a very good vintage. This is a great wine to pitch against top flight Burgundy in a new vs. old world taste off.