Wine
Wine
Domaine des Escaravailles 2022 Argilla ad Argillam Rasteau
French Red
Purple-red colour accompanies wild blackberry, star anise, rosemary, graphite, mineral notes and salinity. The palate is ample and includes wild fruit. Grenache and Syrah come from the Sambiches site at 340 metres, on red clay and limestone. Grapes are hand harvested and fully destemmed, then fermented separately in concrete. Maturation lasts nine months in amphorae. Serve at 16°C.
Château Eugénie Ratafia
French Fortified
Deep amber in colour, this aperitif shows fig, Agen prune and fresh walnut. Sweetness is balanced by freshness in the walnut and prune aromas. Fresh grape juice is combined with spirit distilled from marc, then aged in barrels for 24 to 36 months. It is a traditional aperitif from Quercy. Serve at 10°C. Suggested pairings include foie gras and chocolate desserts.
Legras & Haas Intuition Brut Champagne NV 375 mL
French Sparkling
White fruit, citrus, almond and pastry notes accompany a fresh, creamy palate with a long mineral finish. Chardonnay brings finesse and white-fruit character, Pinot Meunier adds a generous exotic note, and Pinot Noir provides structure and intensity. Lees maturation lasts at least thirty-six months. Suggested pairings include an aperitif, fresh cheese, risotto and fish. Drink within two to three years to retain freshness.
Domaine Juliette Avril 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
French Red
Black raspberry, cassis, violet and blood-orange notes are present in a perfumed, lifted profile. The palate is medium-bodied, with ripe fruit and integrated tannins. The blend is 65 percent Grenache, 25 percent Syrah and 10 percent Mourvèdre. Maturation lasts six months, with 20 percent in foudre and the balance in concrete. Production is approximately 3,300 cases.
Jules Métras 2023 Chica Vin de France Rouge
French Red
Smoky notes accompany tart, juicy red fruit, and the finish is salivating and lightly peppered. The Gamay undergoes cold carbonic maceration as whole bunches. No oenological inputs or added sulphites are used, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Total sulphites remain below 20 mg/L. Serve at 14°C and decant for thirty minutes. Suggested pairings include charcuterie and cheese.
Domaine Rolet 2023 Arbois Savagnin Ouillé
French White
Peach, pear, citrus and floral notes accompany a fresh, clean profile with saline minerality, volume and a long finish. Savagnin is hand harvested, gently pressed and cold settled. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentations take place in oak casks, with maturation conducted by the ouillé method. The selected vineyards lie in Montigny-lès-Arsures on grey Lias marl. Suggested service is 9 to 11°C.
Maison Philippe Pacalet 2015 Moulin-à-Vent
French Red
Cherry, violet, rose and mineral notes sit within a rich, fresh and structured profile. The Gamay comes from 55-year-old bush vines on southeast-facing granitic soils with manganese and pink coarse sand. Whole bunches ferment with wild yeasts and no sulphites, with daily pigeage for eighteen days. Maturation lasts ten months on the lees in used oak foudres.
Domaine Marcel Deiss 2012 Engelgarten Alsace
French White
Dry, mineral, warm and stony, the wine has a cold, vertical texture with breadth, strength and a salivating quality. Noble bitterness appears on the sharp finish. The field planting combines Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Beurot, Muscat and Pinot Noir. The gravelly white soil has a marked water deficit, while the older vineyard is managed with very short pruning, ploughing and composting. Serve at 10°C.
Clos des Centenaires 2023 Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Costières de Nîmes
French White
Lime blossom and citrus appear with a light toasted note. The palate is ample, vivid and mineral, and freshness is also present. The fruit comes from old Roussanne vines in Costières de Nîmes. Suggested service is 11 to 12°C. Pairings include lobster salad, grilled sea bass and veal with morels. Cellaring potential is three to five years.
Domaine des Lises 2020 Crozes-Hermitage
French Red
Black fruit, earth, tobacco leaf, toasted alder and smoke appear with ripeness and density. The tannins are fine and chalky. The hand-harvested Syrah is 70 to 100 percent destemmed. Primary-fruit freshness is retained. Blackberry, pepper, plum and damson add further detail. The wine is certified Organic, contains thirteen percent alcohol and comes from France's Rhône Valley.
Domaine Chevrot 2019 Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc
French White
Pear, apple and lemon appear with white flower, almond, fennel and stony mineral notes. The palate is fresh and medium-bodied, with citrus, orchard fruit, acidity and a saline finish. Chardonnay comes from four vineyards on sand, clay and gravel. The grapes are hand harvested, gently pressed, naturally fermented, aged mostly in older oak, then matured further in steel.
Domaine de l’Écu 2018 Rex
French Red
Fresh strawberry, cherry and raspberry notes are present with supple tannins, and the finish is spicy. Cabernet Franc and Gamay form the blend. The wine is classified as 100 percent Natural and made without added sulphites. Total sulphites are 15 mg/L. This red comes from France's Loire Valley and carries the Vin de France designation.
Brendan Stater-West 2022 Saumur Rouge
French Red
Cabernet Franc from young vines in the La Ripaille parcel shows redcurrant, pomegranate and earth, with mushroom, spice and humus also present. The fruit is fresh, the texture silky and the tannins fine. The vines grow on clay-limestone soils, and the wine has medium structure; suggested serving temperature is 16°C. Pairings include red meat, white meat, veal, sausage and cheese.
Domaine Chevrot 2016 Maranges Sur le Chêne
French Red
Redcurrant, cherry, cassis and wild strawberry sit beside a faint spicy note. The palate is big and round, with mouth-filling fresh red fruit; minerality and tannins are also present. The Pinot Noir comes from hand-harvested vines. Maturation includes twelve months in barrels and three months in wooden vats. Suggested pairings include duck, pork, game, mushrooms and medium-aged cheeses.
Château Les Grands Chênes 2003 Médoc
French Red
Deep, intense and bright in colour, the wine shows red fruit and oak in the aromas. Tight tannins, concentrated structure and a solid, generous profile are present. The wine was aged in barrel, and 45,000 bottles were produced. Suggested serving temperature is 17 to 18°C, with pairings including lamb, quail, oxtail, game pie and classic tartare.
Domaine Billaud-Simon 2014 Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre
French White
White-gold in colour with green reflections, this Chardonnay is aromatic and marked by mineral and spice notes. The palate is taut, rich and oily. Freshness, minerality, fruit and ripeness are present. Apple, plum, lemon and floral details appear together with apple blossom and gooseberry. The finish is delicate, harmonious and long, with salinity and a steely character.
Olivier Rivière 2022 Les Jardins d’Édina Côtes de Bourg
French Red
Fresh cherry and raspberry notes sit above a delicate texture, with acidity and gentle sweetness in balance. The Merlot comes from vines more than twenty-five years old on silty soils with clay, gravel and clay-limestone around Bourg and Lansac. Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and macerated for three weeks, with indigenous fermentation in concrete. Maturation combines concrete and 300-litre barrels.
Famille Quiot Les Combes d’Arnevels 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
French White
The vines occupy a single islet of plots on a hilly limestone plateau covered with white Urgonian rocks. The site lies in the northwest of the appellation, on a high plateau overlooking the Rhône. Winemaking includes pneumatic pressing, static cold settling, four months on the lees and no malolactic fermentation. Roussanne is vinified and matured separately in barrel before final blending.
Suvla 2020 Sır
Turkish Red
Deep purple in colour, with ripe blueberry, dark forest berries, liquorice and black cherry. The palate has refined, well-integrated tannins, vibrant acidity and a long, fresh fruit finish. Part of the wine matures for fifteen months in oak barrels. The red is dry and contains fourteen percent alcohol. It is suitable for bottle ageing, and decanting is suggested to enhance the aromas.
Castellare di Castellina 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Italian Red
Ruby red in colour, with red fruit, liquorice, currant and a slight touch of vanilla. The palate is round, soft and savoury, with tannins that become more velvety over time, while acidity and persistence shape the aftertaste. The blend is ninety-five percent Sangioveto and five percent Canaiolo. Vinification takes place in steel, followed by fifteen months in French oak and fifteen months in bottle.
Castello di Volpaia 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG
Italian Red
Medium ruby with light garnet reflections, the Sangiovese shows spice integrated with fruit. The palate has good structure, evident tannins and a persistent finish. Grapes are harvested by hand from vineyards between four hundred and six hundred metres. The wine matures for twenty-four months in French and Slovenian oak and three months in bottle. The grapes are Organic.
La Chapelle de Potensac 2018 Médoc
French Red
Blackcurrant, redcurrant, green tobacco, cedar and spring flowers form the aromatic profile. The palate is medium-bodied, supple and harmonious, with light tannins, a round, balanced texture and a fresh finish. The blend is seventy percent Merlot, twenty-five percent Cabernet Sauvignon and five percent Cabernet Franc. Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, liquorice, nutmeg and dried almond provide further detail.
Kopke 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Portuguese Fortified
Delicate orange-green colour introduces dried fruit, spice and fine wood. The palate is rich and concentrated, with a long, velvety finish. Grapes are harvested by hand, destemmed and crushed before fermentation in temperature-controlled lagares. Grape brandy fortifies the wine, and components from different harvests mature in oak casks for varying periods. The age on the label represents the blend’s average.
Domaine Dupré Goujon 2020 La 6.3.1 Côte de Brouilly
French Red
Sweet-berry, spice and loamy-soil aromas introduce a medium-bodied, fleshy and lively red with sweet, powdery tannins. The cuvée combines the L’Héronde, Le Pavé and Brulhiés terroirs. Whole-bunch semi-carbonic maceration with indigenous yeast lasts ten to twenty-one days, followed by twelve months in barrels and demi-muids and twelve months in tank. The wine is bottled unfiltered.
Lariana Cellars 2023 Carménère
Canadian Red
White pepper and savoury spice accompany blackcurrant and concentrated blueberry aromas. Well-integrated oak, gentle tannins and juicy fruit shape the palate. Made entirely from estate-grown Carménère, the wine matures for fifteen months in oak. The oak programme is seventy-five percent French, with twenty-five percent new barrels. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered and can develop for another five to ten years. Roast duck breast is a suggested pairing.
Giovanni Ederle 2022 Valpolicella Superiore DOP
Italian Red
Ruby red in colour, with ripe cherry, graphite, violet petals, red rose, spice and balsamic notes. The palate is warm, balanced, savoury and fresh. The blend is fifty percent Corvina, thirty percent Corvinone and twenty percent Rondinella. The vines grow at 220 metres on clay and limestone, and the grapes are selected by hand. Maturation includes twelve months in large French oak barrels.
Marziano Abbona 2021 Papà Celso Dogliani
Italian Red
Rich and well structured, the Dolcetto offers red and black fruit on a balanced, harmonious palate. Light acidity and subtle tannins accompany pulpy fruit, and the wine can continue to develop in bottle for many years. It is made entirely from Dolcetto and carries Organic classification. Suggested pairings include pasta with ragù, white meat and medium-aged cheeses.
Javi Revert 2023 Sensal
Spanish Red
Monastrell, Bonicaire, Arcos and Garnacha come from old and young plots in Els Juncarejos. Each plot ferments separately with indigenous yeasts and a high proportion of whole clusters. Maturation lasts ten months in concrete and 300-litre French oak barrels. The red wine contains thirteen percent alcohol, with a pH of 3.56 and 5.1 grams of acidity; 6,500 bottles were produced.
Lariana Cellars 2022 Carménère
Canadian Red
Dried rose petals, wild berries and cherries shape the aromatic profile. Blackberry, grilled herbs and white pepper appear on the palate, supported by finely textured tannins that build toward the finish. The wine is made entirely from estate-grown Carménère. Harvest took place over October thirteenth and fourteenth. Three barrels were selected for bottling the following April.
Cyprien Arlaud 2023 Scritch Bourgogne Aligoté
French White
White fruit, pear and fresh vegetal notes meet delicate oak and mineral character. The palate is round and full, with freshness, mineral tension and a long, spicy, saline finish. Aligoté comes from 45-year-old vines on calcareous soils and is harvested by hand. Whole clusters are pressed slowly, fermentation occurs spontaneously in stainless steel, and the wine remains in steel for maturation.