1997 moulin touchais, coteaux du layon

Chenin Blanc

History documents that the first sweet wines were produced along the banks of the Layon in 1579, with Dutch merchants encouraging their production, since they appeared to have the stamina to survive the journey by boat back to the Low Countries. Whilst the family Touchais cannot claim to have pioneered the production of moelleux, their ancestors were certainly making wine as far back as 1787. That’s eight generations so far, and counting… The first six were situated not within the town, but in Tigné, the location of the original Moulin and it was from here that the original vineyard holding was built up, mostly to support the requirements for Cuisse de Bergère, a hugely successful inexpensive branded rosé that was developed by Joseph Touchais in the late 1940s and around the same period the business was transferred to the cellars in Doué-La-Fontaine. One of the best vintages of the decade there are some wonderfully tropical elements as well as plenty of Botrytis evident. Pairs perfectly with Crème Brulee, Pate or strong cheeses.

£50.00

2008 colheita tawny, niepoort, douro valley

Douro Blend

A brick-red appearance with some light orange tinges leads into a fine slightly smokey aroma with hints of dried fruits. The palate is refreshing, with wonderful acidity and hints of dried apricots and crystallised fruit, leading to a lengthy mellow spirit driven finish.

£45.00

2010 sauternes, chateau lamourette

Semillon/Sauvignon

Lamourette is a tiny domaine which lies within a kilometre of the mighty Ch d'Yquem, and covers a mere 10 ha, making it a truly artisan estate. The soil, which is largely sandy/clay with a sub-soil of limestone, gives the Semillon a freshness and a fruitiness. Hand-harvested over 2-4 ‘tries’ (passages through the vineyard), to ensure the ripest berries are selected.  Fermentation takes place in small stainless steel vats, and partially in oak, depending on the age of the vines, terroir and ripeness of the grapes.  This is a beautifully balanced Sauternes with dried fruits, honeycomb and quince with perfectly poised acidity which freshens the wine.  Already showing nicely with a bit of time in bottle, this will continue to evolve for years to come.

£29.95

2012 quarts de chaume, baumard, half bottle

Chenin Blanc

We have a soft spot for the incredible Chenin Blancs from Baumard and gems such as this truly spectacular wine highlight the quality of winemaking at this Domaine.  Baumard eschew traditional trellising methods for this part of the Loire and have also flown in the face of tradition by switching excluisively to screwcaps for their range.  The Quarts de Chaume vineyard enjoys a superb terroir and a unique situation producing wines of rare elegance.  This remarkable wine is wonderfuly textured and manages to comine power and clarity alongside richness and precision. Complex with floral bouquets and notes of citrus and orchard fruit with impeccable acidity, this is a wine to savour.

£32.00

2013 sobremesa tonel, mouchao licoroso, alentejo

Alicante Bouschet

This fortified wine has been produced at Mouchao since the winery was built in 1901.  The best Alicante Bouschet fruit is hand harvested and foot-trodden in traditional open Lagares. The crushed grapes are gently macerated prior to and throughout the fermentation process.  When the desired alcohol content is reached and once the aromatic and extractive objectives have been achieved, neutral spirit is added to halt the fermentation, thereby maintaining a certain level of sweetness whilst boosting the alcohol content to around 20% Vol. This fortified dessert wine is matured for a total of five years in an old 2.200 litre tonels.

£30.00

2015 banyuls traditionnel, gerard bertrand

Grenache/Garnacha

Crimson red in colour with delicate purple tints, this wine reveals aromas of very ripe red fruits and wild berries on the nose. The full and rounded palate shows beautifully balanced sweetness, with jammy blackcurrant and blackberry fruit underpinned by distinctive oaky notes through to a long, elegant finish.

£24.95

2015 coupes cuvee pinot noir, seven of hearts, half bottle

Pinot Noir

The first vintage of this unusual dessert wine came out in 2008 and the wine has gone from strength to strength ever since.  This is fortified with brandy made from Pinot Noir grapes and whilst the production method draws similarities with Port, the style is certainly different, with the intention of retaining the Pinot Noir character first and foremost, and then making a dessert wine second.  Lush Pinot fruit, beautifully integrated alcohol and well-balanced freshness on the finish.  There's enough fruit and weight for the Coupes Couer to pair with heavier chocolate desserts but also enough freshness to go with pastries and cheesecakes as well. 

£22.00

2015 late bottled vintage eirados, qta eufemia

Douro Blend

The 2015 Late Bottled Vintage Eirados is a very approachable, traditional style of LBV (Late Bottled Vintage), with the hand picked grapes fermented in granite lagares before resting in stainless steel for 6 months prior to ageing in Portuguese oak casks for 3 years.

£18.95

2016 recioto della valpolicella 75cl

Corvina

The production area for this wine is located in northern part of Verona and it is crossed by hills that slope towards Adige river. Rich soils provide the perfect conditions for a balanced mix of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and Negrara grapes.

£29.99

2017 mad late harvest tokaji, half bottle

White Blend

The village of MAD is one of the most prestigious in the region and the talented, energetic team behind the Szent Tamas winery are determined to put it back on the map in viticultural terms.  This truly delicious dessert wine is nectar in a glass, aromatic, grapey and wonderfully pure.

£18.99

2017 noble one botrytis semillon, de bortoli, new south wales

Semillon

The 2017 Noble One Botrytis Semillon is a light golden colour, with a captivating nose of cumquat and marmalade with a hint of almond and vanillin oak. On the palate there are layers of intense botrytis fruit including citrus, marmalade, a touch of butterscotch in harmony with attractive vanillin oak and a deftly balanced finish of sweetness and acidity.

£19.95

2017 sauternes, clos le comtes, half bottle

White Blend

The Clos le Comte is a tiny 1.3 hectare of vines in Sauternes that average 50 years of age.  Like its big sister the Cuvee Celine, this organic wine posesses the same elegant and exotic edge that we love in the top cuvee.  Wonderfully pure and simply delicious.

£14.99

2017 vin de constance, klein constantia

Muscat

The 2017 Vin De Constance, Klein Constantia presents delicate aromas of white flowers, ripe citrus and touch of rosewater & almonds on the nose. Flavours of creamy stone fruit, litchi, citrus zest and a lively spice abound creating an ideal balance.

£58.95

2018 carte d’or, baumard, coteaux du layon

Chenin Blanc

We are big fans of the wines from Baumard and with some of them ranking as some of the very best available from this part of the Loire they are priced accordingly!  Thankfully, the terrific Carte d'Or is extremely well-priced and offers a wonderful introduction into both the wines of the region and the Baumard style in general. 

£11.99

2018 clos le comte cuvee celine, sauternes

White Blend

The Clos le Comte is a tiny, organically farmed vineyard that produces wonderfully elegant Sauternes.  The grapes are harvested after several passages through the vineyard ensuring that only the very ripest grapes are selected.  Wonderfully ripe, concentrated and complex fruit aromas. The rich bouquet shows notes of dried fruits, almonds, apricots, fresh citrus and peach blossom. Well structured on the palate with a viscous density resulting from the high levels of botrytis. Beautiful acidity gives excellent lively freshness to the spicy notes on the long finish.

£35.00

2018 elyssium black muscat, quady winery

Muscat

Andrew Quady's change of career from making fireworks to making wine produced an explosion of its own kind when he created Essensia from the Orange Muscat grape. It was an instant success and until 1985 he could not make enough to satisfy demand. Now Quady is the foremost American winery specialising entirely in dessert wines and continues to win medals worldwide.The grapes were crushed, chilled and allowed to macerate, in order to extract the desired aromas and flavours. Fermentation was arrested with a neutral grape brandy. This arrested fermentation preserved the delicate aromas of the fresh, ripe grapes. The wine was then aged for three months in small French oak barrels. Elysium is a brilliant crimson purple colour with aromas of ripe berries, rose petals,strawberries and lychees. The vibrant acidity balances beautifully with the sweetness of this wine, making it very refreshing.

£13.99

2018 ice cider claim, brannland, sweden

Brannland started in 2010 in the university town of Umea, roughly 600km's south of Stockholm.  Across the range, the quality of Brannlands Ice Ciders, made according to the Qubecois laws, is unmissable.  The claim is made from 100% Swedish apple juice (not from concentrate), and shows a wonderful balance between intense, honeyed sweet apple with aromas of honeysuckle and a touch of herbs, marrying perfectly with a more mellow edge to the fresh finish.

£13.95

2018 ice princess riesling, seven of hearts, willamette valley

Riesling

The grapes from 44 year old Riesling vines are frozen post harvest to produce a dessert wine that balances fresh fruit and beautiful acidity with 15.7% residual sugar.

£21.00

2018 jurancon clos uroulat, charles hours

Petit Manseng

Situated in the foothills of the Pyrénées, near the lovely town of Pau, this 16-hectare estate produces two very different styles of Jurançon in a region which is steeped in history. All of the Hours' vines are trellised high at 2.5 metres to prevent damage from the spring frosts, and on average, the vines are over 20 years old.

£14.95

2018 late harvest riesling, del bosque, casablanca, half bottle

Riesling

Light golden in colour this complex wine reveals a seductive nose of mandarin rind, crème brulee and apricot. In the mouth lush notes of walnut, toasted almond and honey combine effortlessly with a bright, zesty acidity to give excellent structure and length.

£14.95

2018 moscatel de setubal doc, sivipa 75cl

Muscat

For sheer value for money, this Moscatel is one of our favourite Dessert wines, despite it being the 'entry-level' offering from Sivipa. 

£14.99

2019 essensia orange blossom muscat

Muscat

It combines the traditionally intense and sweet aromatics of Orange Muscat with soft spiciness. The perfect accompaniment to dessert.

£13.99

2019 monbazillac ‘jour de fruit’ domaine de l’ancienne cure

Semillon

£19.95

2019 monbazillac domaine de l’ancienne cure

Semillon

£11.95