Selection
Selection
Château La Création 2016 Pomerol
French Red
Black fruit, perfume and spice sit within a rich profile, with the oak ageing kept in balance. The blend is 61 percent Merlot, 28 percent Cabernet Franc and 11 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes are harvested by hand, followed by a cold maceration and vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Maturation lasts fifteen to eighteen months in French oak barrels.
Seguin-Manuel 2015 Savigny-lès-Beaune Vieilles Vignes
French Red
Deep ruby colour accompanies ripe red fruit, blackcurrant and liquorice. The wine combines aromatic purity with silky, rounded tannins and a generous texture. Fruit from three Savigny-lès-Beaune parcels more than fifty years old is harvested by hand, fermented in wooden vats for sixteen days and matured in oak barrels for twelve months. Pinot Noir provides the sole grape variety.
Gratavinum 2022 2πr Priorat
Spanish Red
Deep purple colour with ruby tinges accompanies preserved red fruit and toasty oak detail. The entry is soft, with ripe tannins, good volume and acidity. Fruit and a mineral character are also present, together with a long, fresh aftertaste. Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon form the blend, with grapes grown organically and biodynamically in Priorat.
Mateus Nicolau de Almeida 2022 Curral Teles Mu
Portuguese Red
Bright ruby colour accompanies raspberry, cherry and a restrained note of black plum. The wine is juicy and light, with a fruit-driven character, silky texture and freshness. The grapes are destemmed but not crushed, then ferment spontaneously in a 500-litre barrel. Maceration continues there for eighteen months. Alcohol is thirteen percent, and the wine carries the Douro DOC designation.
Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot 2020 DD Arbois Rouge
French Red
Cherry, raspberry and crunchy plum accompany an iron-like mineral note. The texture is tender, with broad tannins. The blend is 40 percent Poulsard, 30 percent Trousseau and 30 percent Pinot Noir. Spontaneous fermentation and a long maceration are followed by three months in very old barrels. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, and no sulphur is added.
Champagne Forget-Brimont Brut Premier Cru
French Sparkling
Pale gold colour and fine, persistent bubbles accompany a delicate, fresh bouquet. Green apple, white flowers and hazelnut appear in a balanced palate with good length. The blend is 40 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Meunier and 20 percent Chardonnay, with reserve wines included. Hand harvesting and whole-bunch pressing precede stainless-steel fermentation, bottle fermentation and about three years in the cellar.
Gut Oggau 2015 Josephine
Austrian Red
Wild berries, earth and peppery spice sit alongside blackberry and cassis, while a further spice note is also present. Roesler and Blaufrankisch each account for half of the blend. Vinification takes place in barrel, followed by eight months of oak ageing. Based in Burgenland, the small-production estate farms biodynamically and was founded early in the twenty-first century.
Domaine des Sarradels 2016 Bandolino Magnum 1.5 L
French Red
A Grenache and Mourvedre blend from Côtes Catalanes in Roussillon, this red is listed at 13.5 percent alcohol. The estate farms 9.5 hectares at Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, using certified organic and biodynamic viticulture. Dry farming, hand harvesting and no added sulphur form part of the domaine's approach. Its total production is around 16,000 bottles a year.
Domaine des Marnes Blanches 2023 Macération En Quatre Vis
French White
Dried fruit, candied citrus and floral notes accompany a textured, almost tannic palate, mineral freshness and a long, vibrant finish. The blend combines 80 percent Savagnin with 20 percent Chardonnay. Whole bunches macerate for twenty-one days, while fermentation begins naturally. Ageing takes place first in amphorae and then in foudres for a total of twenty-two months.
Sylvain Pataille 2022 Bourgogne Rouge
French Red
Brambly red fruit, forest floor, dark plum and black spice accompany a precise profile with silky tannins and a long, elegant finish. The wine is made entirely from Pinot Noir. Thirty percent whole bunches are used during a twelve-day cuvaison, followed by a long élevage in old barriques. The vines are old and lie within the Bourgogne appellation.
Roagna 2017 Langhe Rosso
Italian Red
Tart cherry, leather and tar meet zesty acidity and solid structure, with dried red cherry, kirsch, mint, cinnamon and orange peel adding further detail. Fruit is hand harvested from vines between twenty and twenty-five years old. Fermentation lasts about ten days in wooden vats, followed by at least two months of submerged-cap maceration and roughly five years in neutral oak and cement.
Parés Baltà 2017 Rosa Cusiné Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature
Spanish Sparkling
A subtle rose colour with a salmon rim frames tiny bubbles, dried and jammy fruit, an energetic creamy palate, ripe fruit and a lengthy finish. Made entirely from Grenache, the grapes are hand harvested and gently pressed. Fermentation in stainless steel is followed by three months on fine lees with daily bâtonnage, then traditional-method bottle fermentation and at least forty-eight months of ageing.
Château Coufran 1995 Haut-Médoc
French Red
Dark colour accompanies a powerful red with pronounced Merlot character, substantial weight and a velvety, silky texture. The estate's first wine is usually 85 percent Merlot and 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Its 76-hectare vineyard forms a single block on gravel-and-clay soils near Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne in the Haut-Médoc, with an average vine age of around fifty years.
Poderi Colla 2021 Pietro Colla Alta Langa Extra Brut
Italian Sparkling
A complex, rich and persistent bouquet brings bread crust, white flowers and aromatic herbs. The palate is dry and vinous, with substantial, elegant structure, full body and acidity. The blend is 90 percent Pinot Noir and 10 percent Nebbiolo. Fermentation and ageing take place in bottle for at least two years. Refilling uses the same wine without liqueur d'expédition.
Bella 2016 Reserve Brut Nature Oliver Eastside Chardonnay
Canadian Sparkling
Broken stones, lemon pith and green apple accompany a saline palate. A brisk, stony finish includes almond detail. Made by the traditional method, this Chardonnay comes from Cerqueira Vineyard in Oliver, where the soils are laced with limestone. The site lies in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, and the wine belongs to the producer's black-label series.
Borja Pérez 2020 Ignios Orígenes Listán Negro
Spanish Red
Textural, deep and complex, this red is made from old-vine, ungrafted Listán Negro grown in the Bellavista Norte parcel. Whole stems ferment in concrete before twelve months in a four-year-old foudre. The wine comes from Tenerife's Ycoden-Daute-Isora appellation. Its northern Tenerife setting includes volcanic soils, Atlantic conditions and Alisios winds. Production totals 2,584 bottles.
Lo Sparviere 2016 Franciacorta Brut Millesimato
Italian Sparkling
Green-yellow colour with silver highlights accompanies hazelnut, candied fruit and apple peel. The palate is creamy, direct and linear, while the finish highlights acidity and fruit. Made from Chardonnay and farmed organically, the wine is Brut. The estate's vineyards lie in Monticelli Brusati and Provaglio d'Iseo, on calcareous marl with mineral-rich sedimentary clay for Franciacorta.
D’Angelo 2017 Valle del Noce Aglianico del Vulture
Italian Red
Dark and brooding, musty blackcurrant, dried cherry, cinnamon, clove and cocoa meet ripe red-berry fruit in a racy, sleek profile. Saline mineral notes accompany grippy tension, while the wine is not aggressively tannic. The finish is dramatically long, with mocha and liquorice. Made from Aglianico, this red comes from Basilicata's Aglianico del Vulture appellation in southern Italy.
Halos de Jupiter 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
French Red
Game, leather and dried herbs accompany mulberry, plum and dried strawberry. The wine is opulent and full-bodied, with a rounded, voluminous texture, a warming finish and ripe, grippy tannins. The blend is 85 percent Grenache, 10 percent Syrah and 5 percent Mourvedre from sandy parcels in the appellation, with maturation in once- and twice-used demi-muids.
Giovanni Valentini 2019 Crebesco Toscana Rosso
Italian Red
Raspberry, blackcurrant, wild strawberry and guarana accompany a medium-to-full body, mature tannins and a warm, enveloping finish. Mineral and spice notes sit beside ripe red fruit, chocolate, leather and tobacco. The blend is 40 percent Sangiovese, 40 percent Merlot and 20 percent Syrah. Grapes are hand harvested, while Sangiovese and Syrah are partially dried before fermentation.
E. Guigal 2014 Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde
French Red
Kirsch, blackberry, toasted nuts and spice meet a medium-to-full body and a seamless, elegant texture. Black pepper, liquorice and game add further detail. The blend is 96 percent Syrah and 4 percent Viognier. Plots lie on steep slopes: Côte Blonde has siliceous limestone, while Côte Brune is rich in iron oxide. Oak ageing lasts 36 months.
Javi Revert 2023 Micalet Blanco
Spanish White
Light yellow colour accompanies mineral chalk, white stone fruit, delicate flowers and green herbs. The blend combines Tortosí, Trepadell, Malvasia, Merseguera and Verdil from a 2.5-hectare vineyard at 730 metres. Sandy soil is rich in chalk. The wine is fresh, with volume, length and acidity. Harvesting takes place in two passes, and production totals 2,000 bottles.
Champagne Gaston Révolte Tradition Brut Premier Cru NV
French Sparkling
Vivid gold colour and abundant mousse accompany active effervescence and a fine bead. Dried fruit and biscuit notes meet yellow fruit led by apricot, with sour lemon candy and sour cherry in brandy. The palate is supple and lively, balancing maturity with residual freshness. The non-vintage blend is equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and the wine is Brut.
Broadbent 10 Year Old Verdelho Madeira
Portuguese Fortified
Brilliant golden-amber colour shows an apple-green rim, with delicate, refreshing fruit and floral aromas. The wine is medium dry, full-bodied, concentrated and fresh, with apricot and mandarin. A tangy, salty and creamy finish carries exotic fruit. Verdelho grapes are hand harvested, fermented in stainless steel and fortified after six to seven days, then aged in French and American oak under the Canteiro system.
Broadbent 10 Year Old Sercial Madeira
Portuguese Fortified
Aromas bring dried fruit, orange peel, old wood, tangy minerality and roasted nuts. Candied orange, toffee and buttered pecans accompany lively acidity and a crisp finish. Sercial makes one of the driest styles of fortified wine. Grapes are hand harvested, fermented in stainless steel and fortified after eight to ten days, then aged in French and American oak under the Canteiro system.
Smith Woodhouse 2013 Madalena Vintage Port
Portuguese Fortified
Floral perfume, fresh cassis and berry aromas accompany dark spice, chocolate and mint. The palate is fresh and ripe, with crunchy, fine and elegant tannins and a very long finish. This single-estate Vintage Port comes from Portugal's Douro Valley. The blend includes Touriga Franca, Sousão, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Cão, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional. Alcohol is 20 percent, and the wine is vegan.
El Maestro Sierra 12 Year Old Amontillado
Spanish Fortified
Old-gold colour accompanies yeast, floral notes and dried almonds. The palate is very dry, gentle and silky, while the finish is balanced and savoury with smoky ageing notes. Palomino grows on albariza chalk around Jerez. Ageing begins under flor for six years, followed by fortification and an oxidative stage. The average age is twelve years.
I Vigneri 2018 Vinupetra Etna Rosso
Italian Red
Pale ruby colour accompanies Mediterranean herbs, peonies, rosehip, barberry, red and black cherries. The wine is concentrated, with fine-grained, slightly drying tannins, high complexity, refreshing acidity and bright fruit. Pine tar, resin and red tea add further detail. The finish is very long. The vineyard is farmed biodynamically by hand and planted mainly to Nerello Mascalese.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label NV
French Sparkling
Brilliant golden-yellow colour and fine, persistent bubbles are joined by pear, apple, peach, mandarin, grapefruit and brioche. Pastry and dried fruit add further detail. The blend contains 50 percent Pinot Noir, 30 percent Chardonnay and 20 percent Meunier, with up to 45 percent reserve wines. Dosage is nine grams per litre, and the wine is Brut.
Domaine du Comte Armand 2016 Auxey-Duresses Premier Cru
French Red
A clean, fresh bouquet brings black plum, red cherry and undergrowth. The medium-bodied palate shows cranberry and raspberry preserve with a light soy tang, while black pepper appears on the aftertaste. Earth, dark berry fruit, light mineral notes and a sappy mouthfeel add further detail. Fruit from Les Bréterins and Bas des Duresses was vinified with ten percent whole clusters, and one of eight barrels was new.