Wine
Wine
Belle Glos 2016 Las Alturas Vineyard Pinot Noir Magnum 1.5 L
American Red
Deep garnet colour appears with black cherry, marionberry, ripe plum and anise. Wild berries, caramelized oak and cacao nibs accompany vanilla, cedar, lavender and forest-floor notes. The profile is rich and unrestrained, with firm acidity and layers of red and black fruit. The vineyard sits on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands.
Champagne Charpentier Pinot Meunier Zéro Dosage NV
French Sparkling
A sustained yellow-gold colour and fine creamy bubbles accompany yellow-fleshed and stone fruit. The profile is dense and developed, with freshness and finesse. This Blanc de Noirs is made entirely from Pinot Meunier grown at Charly-sur-Marne. The parcel has been cultivated biodynamically for ten years. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel, and the wine received zero dosage.
Paolo Bea 2016 San Valentino Umbria Rosso IGT
Italian Red
Ripe cherry, blackberry, exotic spice, wild underbrush, old leather, woody notes and dried rocky earth appear in a dry, medium-tannic red. Sangiovese is joined by Montepulciano and Sagrantino. The wine spent twelve months in stainless steel, twenty-four months in large wooden barrels and a further year in bottle. Its vineyards were farmed without herbicides, fertilizers or chemical treatments.
Paolo Bea 2018 Arboreus Umbria Bianco IGT
Italian White
Amber-yellow colour appears with ripe apricot, orange peel, spice, dried flowers and honey. The profile is enveloping, savoury, fresh and intense. Trebbiano Spoletino underwent spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel without added sulphur and remained on the skins for more than twenty days. Maturation lasted twenty-four months in stainless-steel vessels, including more than two hundred days with fine lees. The wine carries 13.5 percent alcohol.
Domaine d’Hélène 2017 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Extra Brut Champagne
French Sparkling
Floral, fruit and mineral character accompany this sparkling Chardonnay from old vines in Oger, Avize and Cramant. The wine was fermented with native yeasts and vinified in both tank and barrel. Production totalled two thousand bottles. Its maker comes from a winegrowing family in Cramant that dates to 1891 and previously worked at estates in Burgundy and Corsica.
Naboso 2021 Ritual Magnum 1.5 L
Slovak Red
Raspberry and cherry fruit appear with floral character, balance and supple green, sappy hints. The wine is made from Blaufränkisch and spent two years in barrel. It is fresh, medium-bodied and medium-tannic, with fruit, spice and mineral character. This dry red comes from Svätý Jur in Slovakia, and the Magnum format contains 1.5 litres.
Naboso 2021 Doma Magnum 1.5 L
Slovak White
Ripe creamy yellow fruit, citrus, spice and dried herbs appear with honey and rose-petal nuances. The profile is dry, medium-bodied and lively, with freshness, juiciness, integrated acidity and fine tannins. Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Roter Traminer and Roter Sylvaner fermented separately on their skins with stems. After pressing, the wine spent one year on fine lees in neutral acacia and oak barrels.
Château Cabrières 1985 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge
French Red
A garnet-red colour carries a dark brick rim. Ripe, jammy red-berry fruit appears with fine woody and animal notes. The full, rich profile has warmth, macerated overripe red berries, gentle velvety tannins and bitter chocolate. This dry red spent twelve months in new oak. It comes from Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône and contains less than four grams of sugar.
G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Bricco delle Viole
Italian Red
Purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones appear in layered form, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins. This Nebbiolo comes from Bricco delle Viole, between four hundred and four hundred eighty metres above sea level. Fruit was harvested between October 14 and 23, manually sorted three times, and matured for around thirty to forty-two months in large Slavonian casks.
Warre’s 2016 Vintage Port
Portuguese Fortified
Old mixed vines from Cavadinha and Retiro account for nearly half of the blend, with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from Quinta da Telhada. The wine combines structure and complexity with acidity, freshness and floral aromatics. It carries balance, elegance, length and rich character. Harvesting at Cavadinha finished on October 10, after cold mornings gave the grapes a pre-fermentation cold soak.
Castello Romitorio 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Dark, bright ruby colour accompanies ripe cherry, milk chocolate and smoky notes, together with toasted almonds and mint. The palate is lively, with precise acidity and fresh, taut, juicy fruit. Fine-grained tannins have grip. The persistent, balanced finish includes iron tones. This red Sangiovese comes from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany and carries 14.5 percent alcohol.
Ramos Pinto 2020 Quinta de Ervamoira Vintage Port
Portuguese Fortified
Deep, opaque colour accompanies intense raspberry and wild-berry aromas, a light violet note and fresh mint. The palate is structured and complex, with silky, fresh tannins, layers of fruit and freshness. The finish is silky and aromatic. Touriga Nacional makes up seventy-four percent of the blend, with Touriga Franca, Sousão and Tinto Cão completing it. Fermentation lasts four to five days in granite lagares.
Nicolas Joly 2024 Clos de la Bergerie Savennières Roche-aux-Moines
French White
Tonic character, fine bitter notes, vibrant texture, ripe-fruit flavours and freshness are present in this Chenin. The seven-hectare parcel has moderately sloped, east-facing ground and schist soils, with vines around thirty years old. Biodynamically grown fruit is vinified without chaptalisation, temperature control or a second yeast addition. Ageing takes place in seasoned oak, with one or two rackings and batonnage, and the wine is unfiltered.
Osoyoos Larose 2010 Le Grand Vin Okanagan Valley
Canadian Red
Cassis and vanilla appear with bright blackcurrant, blueberry and cherry flavours. Fine tannins and a generous texture are present in an ample, rich palate. The blend is sixty-seven percent Merlot, twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon, six percent Petit Verdot, four percent Cabernet Franc and three percent Malbec. This red comes from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and carries 13.8 percent alcohol.
Le Vieux Pin 2011 Equinoxe Cabernet Franc Okanagan Valley
Canadian Red
Bell-pepper dolmatas, Bing cherry, spicy cigar and rawhide leather appear with complex aromas. The same flavours are present on the palate with focus and clarity, and the finish lasts for more than a minute. Lush fruit intensity, structure, natural acidity and complexity are also present. This Cabernet Franc from the South Okanagan spent twenty-six months in new French oak and carries 14.5 percent alcohol.
Barbacan 2022 Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Italian Red
Chiavennasca and Rossolini come from the Farasciöle, Sant'Antonio and Curnàl vineyards. The sandy parcels face south at an altitude of seven hundred metres. Grapes are harvested by hand into boxes, with spontaneous fermentation using indigenous yeasts and a ninety-day maceration. The wine is neither filtered nor clarified. Farming is certified organic. Barrel maturation lasts fifteen months, and bottle maturation lasts six months.
Christian Tschida 2011 Hommage
Austrian Red
Cabernet Franc and Syrah make up this dry red wine from Burgenland. It is unfiltered and carries 12.5 percent alcohol. The wine matured for six years in small barrels and was created as a tribute to Austrian painter Alfred Hrdlička. Its producer is based in Illmitz beside Lake Neusiedl and represents the fourth generation of a winemaking family.
Roland Lavantureux 2018 Vauprin Chablis Magnum 1.5 L
French White
Yellow flowers, mirabelle, crushed rock and light hazelnut form a harmonious aroma. The palate has fine acidity, tension and a persistent finish. Clarity, steely character and a mouth-watering quality appear with a textured profile and a light touch of oak. This Chardonnay comes from the high, south-southeast-facing Vauprin parcel in Lignorelles, within Chablis. The site has Kimmeridgian subsoil.
Tassi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino
Italian Red
Candied cherry accompanies potting soil, blue flowers, toasted nuts and balsamic herbs. Leather, violet and espresso are also present. The dense palate recalls prune, liquorice and coconut alongside dusty tannins. Red-fruit tones and ruby fruit appear with acidic freshness and natural structure. The wine is made from Sangiovese and comes from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany.
Battenfeld-Spanier 2019 Frauenberg GG Riesling
German White
Herbs, mineral notes and yellow fruit form a dense profile with additional spice. The palate is generous and complete, with balance among fruit, acidity and substance. Delicate acidity is closely woven into the structure, and the expression is clear. This dry Riesling comes from the Frauenberg site in Rheinhessen and carries 12.5 percent alcohol.
Remoissenet 1985 Santenay Premier Cru Clos de Tavannes
French Red
A ruby core sits within a broad tawny-brown rim. The powerful bouquet includes beef, blood and game, with raspberry, strawberry and dank undergrowth. The palate is sweet, with ripe strawberry and berry fruit alongside mellow coffee and tobacco oak. The tannins are surprisingly grippy. Pinot Noir is the stated grape, and the wine comes from Santenay Premier Cru in Burgundy.
Jean Foillard 2019 Fleurie Magnum 1.5 L
French Red
A deep, silky-smooth profile includes black cherry, violet, wet earth, smoky berry character and spice. The wine is concentrated and elegant, with medium-to-full body, velvety texture, fine depth, lively acidity and a sapid, fresh finish. A serious tannin structure, drive and energy are also present, together with loamy soil and potpourri. This is Gamay from Fleurie in Beaujolais.
Castagna 2018 La Chiave Sangiovese Beechworth
Australian Red
Medium-deep red-purple colour accompanies a smoky, spicy and nutty profile with smoked charcuterie. The palate is finely structured and penetrating, with fine, discreet tannins that add grip. Red berries, anise, fennel, salumi, cedar and white pepper also appear with fresh acidity. The wine is Sangiovese from Beechworth and is classified as biodynamic, vegan-friendly and sustainably made.
RAEN 2022 Lady Marjorie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
American White
White peach, crunchy nectarine, crushed wet gravel and white spring flowers appear in this Chardonnay. Zesty lime blossom, stone fruit and fresh apricot join mineral-laced acidity, subtle salinity and a long, bright finish. The fruit comes from five acres of rocky soils in Fort Ross-Seaview on the Sonoma Coast. Whole clusters are pressed, fermentation takes place natively in barrel, and alcohol is thirteen percent.
Penfolds 2006 RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz
Australian Red
Medium-deep crimson colour accompanies dark berry and dark chocolate aromas, together with meaty vanilla notes. Dense blackberry, praline and graphite flavours meet fine, grainy textures, persistent acidity and savoury mocha oak. Roasted chestnut and polished leather are also present in a balanced profile. The fruit is entirely Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, and maturation takes place only in French oak.
H. Billiot Fils Brut Reserve Grand Cru Champagne Magnum 1.5 L
French Sparkling
This Grand Cru Champagne is a blend of seventy-five percent Pinot Noir and twenty-five percent Chardonnay from Ambonnay. Vines are more than fifty years old on limestone, clay and chalk soils. Malolactic fermentation is avoided, while fermentation and ageing take place in stainless steel. Lees ageing lasts thirty-six months and dosage is 8.5 grams per litre. Pomegranate, red berries, flowers, brioche and grapefruit are present.
La Dame de Montrose 2010 Saint-Estephe
French Red
Dense black colour carries violet highlights, with morello cherry, raspberry, dark tobacco, Havana and a touch of vanilla. The palate has a clean entry and a broad, fresh middle. Precise tannins and a long finish are present. Raspberry, vanilla and mocha recur, while the oak remains discreet. Cabernet Sauvignon forms sixty-four percent of the blend and Merlot the remaining thirty-six percent.
Alice & Olivier De Moor 2023 Chablis L’Humeur du Temps
French White
Citrus, saline and flinty notes appear in a tense, mineral Chardonnay from several organically farmed parcels in Chablis. The blend draws on four sites: one hectare of north-west-facing brown clay, two smaller south-facing parcels on yellow clay, and a fourth small parcel on flat land. Biodynamic and vegan classifications are also stated, and alcohol is 12.5 percent by volume.
Bacio Divino 2000 Napa Valley Proprietary Red
American Red
Inky ruby-purple colour accompanies charcoal, toasted oak, espresso and blackcurrant. The proprietary red blend is dense, rich and full-bodied, with ripe tannins, low acidity and a plump, layered, concentrated profile. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for sixty-five percent, Sangiovese twenty-four percent and Petite Sirah eleven percent. A sweet character is also present. The wine comes from Napa Valley, California.
Maritana Vineyards 2018 Moonshine Ranch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
American Red
Bright ruby colour accompanies an elegant, perfumed Pinot Noir with a delicate profile, lively palate, creamy texture and structure. The fruit comes from Moonshine Ranch in the Russian River Valley, including Dijon 828 and UCD 04 Pommard clones. The vineyard supplied one of three single-vineyard releases from the harvest. Alcohol is 13.5 percent by volume.