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

1999 serciall, d’oliveiras, madeira

Sercial

The aged Madeiras from this fine property are an utter delight and always offer a degree of complexity and elegance that puts them firmly in fine wine territory.  Bottled after 19 years in cask, this is complex and nutty with a fresh, zingy vein of acidity running through it, sharpening the richness of the fruit on the amazingly long finish.

£75.00

2000 malvasia d’oliveiras, madeira

Malvasia

2000 Malvasia D'Oliveiras has an intensely rich nose and a full rich mouthful of raisins and caramel, a powerful long finish and finely balanced acidity belying its relative youth.

£75.00

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

2011 chateau grandis, cru bourgeois medoc

Bordeaux Blend

Grandis has been a Cru Bourgeois property since the 1930's and has maintained it's status ever since by producing fabulous quality, classic wines.  Beautifully balanced cigar box and spice alongside dark fruits and finely balanced tannins.

£18.95

2014 blanc de blancs extra brut, champagne germar breton

Chardonnay

Germar Breton are a relatively young Champagne House that started in 2005.  Based in the southerly Aube region, they make approachable, terrific value wines solely from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, eschewing the use of Pinot Meunier as they believe that it brings a harshness ot the final wine. 

£45.00

2014 chateau saint-pierre, 4ieme cru classe st.julien

Bordeaux Blend

The 2014 vintage of this 'under the radar' Chateau is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc.  Chateau Saint-Pierre is the smallest classed growth in Saint Julien but has a growing reputation for producing excellent, deeply coloured reds.  It is part of the Chateau Gloria stable and often eclipses it's more illustrious stablemate in blind tastings.  Prices are creeping up as their reputation grows but these beautifully made wines still represent good value.

£60.00

2014 taltarni brut tache, methode traditionelle, victoria

Champagne Blend

A true Aussie classic and one of our best-selling sparkling wines, the Taltarni Brut Tache never fails to hit the spot.

£18.99

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 crozes hermitage ‘nouvelere’, philippe jaboulet

Syrah/Shiraz

The Crozes Hermitage Nouvelere is made from 100% Syrah from old vines that is fermented and aged in oak. This is wonderfuly complex and concentrated, showing brooding dark fruits, liquorice, herbs and spice.  An absolute joy and a terrific example of Crozes Hermitage.

£23.95

2015 sancerre la pente, emile balland, magnum

Sauvignon Blanc

This tiny 6.5 hectare domaine in the Loire was started by Emile Balland in 1999. The Ballands have been making wines in the Loire since 1650 and his father was instrumental in achieving recognition for the young AOC Coteaux du Giennois in the 1980s.The La Pente is a first class Sancerre and the pinnacle of Emile' production.  It comes from vines are grown on Emile's finest sites in teh limestone soil of Beauregard, and he only uses the first juice from the pressing is used. After a careful fermentation, the wine is matured for large barrels for 18 months to develop complexityWonderful, textured Sancerre showing restrained tropical fruits, fine minerality and a wonderful length on the finish.  We are thrilled to have got our hands on a few magnums of this stunning wine.

£85.00

2015 valpolicella ripasso classico superiore, ca dei maghi

Corvina

This 2015 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore 'Canova' is part of the 'Gold Label' range from Ca dei Maghi, representing the finest wines of this remarkable property.  This is a luscious, ethereal red based on Corvina and shows a wealth of silky red fruits, raisined undertones and perfect balance - pure class!  Hand harvested in October, the wine is fermented in stainless steel and then spends 4 years in oak resting on the Amarone marc, giving a wonderful depth and concentration.

£36.00

2016 5 finques reserva, perelada, emporda do

Red Blend

The 2016 5 Finques Reserva, Perelada is deep cherry red in the glass, with a nose brimming with red fruits and spices, some balsamic notes and a toasted background.  In the mouth it is fresh, well structured and balanced with prominent but well integrated tannins. Characterful and a pure pleasure to drink.

£17.95

2016 ch. lynch-moussas, 5eme cru classe pauillac

Bordeaux Blend

83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot with 60% new oak used during maturation, the 2016 Chateau Lynch-Moussas is just begining to hit it's drinking window but is defintiely set to improve.

£55.00

2016 chateau fontestau, cru bourgeois medoc

Bordeaux Blend

Located in the centre of the Médoc peninsula, the superb Cru Bourgeois wine estate of Chateau Fontesteau stretches over a remarkable natural landscape. The thirteenth century castle nestles like a precious jewel encased in a magical landscape, with its forest boasting one-hundred-year-old oak trees surrounded by pines with a charming little lake. The Fontesteau vineyards, a large proportion of which are situated in Pauillac, has been using integrated agricultural methods for the last 30 years, exploiting the plants’ natural defence system and avoiding where possible the use of synthetic products to protect the vineyard. It's now certified as a Sustainable Vineyard.This 2016 vintage provided Fontestau with a perfectly healthy crop and there wasn't any need to add sulphur treatments in the vineyard or the winery.  It boasts a very rich garnet colour with an expressive nose showing jammy aromas of red fruit such as cherry and strawberry. The palate is ample and full-bodied with a tense, fresh structure. The tannins are rich and tasty, conferring flavour and length to the wine. This is a remarkably balanced vintage with a real force of character.

£22.99

2016 madiran ‘constance’, domaine berthoumieu

Tannat

This cuvée is a modern interpretation of Madiran designed for immediate pleasure and a far cry from the old fashioned examples which seemed to take years before they became approachable.

£13.99

2016 oldenburg syrah, stellenbosch

Syrah/Shiraz

The 2016 wonderful Oldenburg Syrah is a medium purple colour and whilst quite closed initially it opens up with delightful aromas of brambles, black wine gums and mulberries. A light, earthy hint of mushrooms as well as white pepper appears alongside a herbal edge and appealing hints of vanilla and liquorice. The tannins are fine but well structured and interact with the acidity to produce a slightly spicy finish.

£17.95

2016 rioja blanco las planas, real agrado, rioja doca

Viura

The 2016 Rioja Blanco Las Planas, Real Agrado is a pale golden colour, with the aromas of aniseed tinged oak, balsamic and honey notes. The palate is complex with flavours of peach compote and silky oak notes courtesy of 24 months in a mixture of American and French oak. The velvety palate is soft yet retains plenty of freshness with a fine, elegant and very long finish.

£55.00

2017 barbaresco ‘batu’ docg, cantine povero

Nebbiolo

Cantine Povero are a fabulous, sustainably minded property located in the heart of Piedmont, where Langhe meets Roero and Monferrato, with 35 hectares of vines under conversion to organic status.  We stock a range of wines which represent excellent value examples of their type, whether it's the delicately floral Moscato d'Asti or award winning Barbaresco and Barolo, the wines always hit the spot for authenticity and pure drinking pleasure.

£24.95

2017 chablis, domaine alexandre, double magnum

Chardonnay

Domaine Alexandre is a family business handed down over three generations. Brothers Guy and Olivier run the estate today, which is set over 13 hectares of vineyards in the heart of Chablis. The vineyards are worked with great care and yields are kept low to produce expressive wines with concentrated fruit that are classic examples of their type.

£100.00

2017 charmes de kirwan, ac margaux (2nd wine of chateau kirwan)

Bordeaux Blend

Chateau Kirwan has enjoyed extensive investment in both the winery and vineyard over recent years and the results are starting to show, not only in their amazing classed growth Kirwan, but also the second wine labelled as Charmes de Kirwan.  Usually made from the younger vines, this wine receives the same meticulous care and attention in the winery as the top wine.

£34.95

2017 chateau grand david de mauvinon, ac saint-emilion

Merlot

Grand David de Mauvinon is a small estate on the Right Bank of the Bordeaux region, only 5 km from the town of Saint-Emilion.  It shares the same terroir as Chateau Monbousquet, bing planted on a silica/clay gravel plateau. The vineyards cover 10 hectares and are certified organic, and have been in the same family for 4 generations and have an average age of 38 years old which give a lovely concentration to the wine.

£17.95

2017 gigondas le seigneur du raveil, cave de gigondas

Rhone Blend

A powerful and concentrated nose of black fruits and spice lead to a more supple palate of more black fruits with a hint of freshness.  This impressive and very drinkable Rhone red is perfect for game dishes and other roasted red meats.

£21.95