Staff Picks
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Country: France, Languedoc-RoussillonGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13.5%Style: Juicy Lively RedThe husband-and-wife team behind A23’s wines, Thomas and Gunhild, have a unique approach to winemaking. Above all else, they aim to produce wines that capture the essence of the grape they are using. While many winemakers are all about terroir and a taste of place, for Thomas and Gunhild, the grape’s the star. Taking this approach with Pinot Noir makes a lot of sense. Pinot’s innate complexity and style means it needs no augmentation or assistance. The A23 Pinot Noir is full of fresh strawberry, -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedSourced from some of the best sites in California, Sourced, Rancho Real, Annapolis, Del Rio, Laguna to name a few, the 2022 Slander is an example of great winemaking and the sum being greater than its parts. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Jul 2024) Taste The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that’ -
Country: New Zealand, MarlboroughGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14%Style: Smooth Fruity Red96 Points - New Zealand Wine Rater. A wonderful Burgundian style Pinot Noir from a producer who carefully select fruit from Marlborough's top organic single vineyards to produce wines of great elegance and complexity. An aromatic, savoury nose with notes of damson plum, dark berry, forest floor, nori, peppercorns, salami and salted, black liquorice. Medium-bodied, with plush fruit but still a seriously structured wine with layered tannins. Wine Press Ratings 96 Points - New Zealand Wine Rater (2 -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedGivry is known as one of the best value wines in Burgundy, but few – if any – can match Domaine Masse for quality and value. Produced from the family’s old vine Pinot Noir in the exceptional 2022 vintage the this is a red Burgundy lover's dream. The Domaine’s policy of rigorous pruning meant yields were low and the tiny amount of Givry Premier Cru they made is concentrated, complex and well-structured. It is wines like this that have seen demand for Domaine Masse’s wines soar in recent years. Ta
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Country: France, Languedoc-RoussillonGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13.5%Style: Juicy Lively RedThe husband-and-wife team behind A23’s wines, Thomas and Gunhild, have a unique approach to winemaking. Above all else, they aim to produce wines that capture the essence of the grape they are using. While many winemakers are all about terroir and a taste of place, for Thomas and Gunhild, the grape’s the star. Taking this approach with Pinot Noir makes a lot of sense. Pinot’s innate complexity and style means it needs no augmentation or assistance. The A23 Pinot Noir is full of fresh strawberry, -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Crisp Classic SparklingThis Award Winning Rose, the Gallimard Père et Fils Rosé Brut is an absolute treat - It is a delicious blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay with fresh, bright raspberry and strawberry flavours. Beautifully matched with duck or poultry with a cream sauce, or sublime with a red fruit dessert, think Panna Cotta with a raspberry coulis. Beautiful freshness blended with some subtle notes of red and black fruits. A lively and rich mouthful, dominated by flavours of strawberry and cherry jam. The -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14.3%Style: Rich Full Red92 Points - James Suckling. Located in the heart of Los Carneros, Napa Valley, summer temperatures are tempered by the cooling fog rolling in off the nearby San Pablo Bay, providing perfect conditions for producing beautifully balanced and complex wines that showcase the vineyard-driven character of this cool-climate estate. 10 months in French oak barrels (33% new) gives this Pinot Noir a spectrum of bright red and black fruits, notes of lilac and ginger weave into the fresh berry, cherry and p -
Country: USA, CaliforniaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 15.5%Style: Rich Full RedSourced from some of the best sites in California, Sourced, Rancho Real, Annapolis, Del Rio, Laguna to name a few, the 2022 Slander is an example of great winemaking and the sum being greater than its parts. Bright and enveloping on the entry, notes of fresh strawberry, watermelon, thyme and a hint of funk come through. Spicy on the finish, the wine closes with a flash of blue fruits and lift. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Jul 2024) Taste The 2022 Slander delivers a medium ruby core with a lucid rim that’ -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Crisp Classic Sparkling95 Points - DWWA. Arguably the most beautiful rosé champagne in the world, the most common criticism of this wine is that the bottles aren’t big enough. The Laurent Perrier Cuvee Rosé is bottled summer. Deep ruby pink, the bouquet wafts waves of concentrated strawberries, red cherries, and raspberries into the air. On the palate this a serious joy. It opens up with an intense, Burgundy-like rush of cherries, loganberries and brambles, only for cherry sherbet acidity, flowers, liquorice and dried -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Chardonnay, Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Crisp Classic Sparkling90 Points - Decanter. The Albert Bichot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Reserve is a seriously impressive sparkling wine. It’s made from 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from fruit grown in Burgundy’s southern Cotes Chalonnaise and Cote Maconnais regions. Produced using the champagne-style methode traditionnelle which involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle after which it rests for 18 months before release. With 10% of the wine being given 6 months of oak-ageing and with 15% reserve wines bei -
Country: New Zealand, MarlboroughGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14%Style: Smooth Fruity Red96 Points - New Zealand Wine Rater. A wonderful Burgundian style Pinot Noir from a producer who carefully select fruit from Marlborough's top organic single vineyards to produce wines of great elegance and complexity. An aromatic, savoury nose with notes of damson plum, dark berry, forest floor, nori, peppercorns, salami and salted, black liquorice. Medium-bodied, with plush fruit but still a seriously structured wine with layered tannins. Wine Press Ratings 96 Points - New Zealand Wine Rater (2 -
Country: New Zealand, OtagoGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Smooth Fruity Red92 Points - Decanter World Wine Awards. Purity elegance combine with texture, concentration and length. A true reflection of the three Central Otago sub regions that contribute to this Peregrine Pinot Noir. Concentrated aromas of dried strawberries with notes of black cherry, vanilla and gamey scents. Fined-grained, mouth coating tannins, supported by a juicy and firm acidity. Vivino Rating: 4.2 (Sept 2024) Taste Concentrated aromas of dried strawberries with notes of black cherry, vanilla and g -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Complex Sparkling91 Points - Decanter. Champagne Bonvalet began with a wild dream: to create a Maison de Champagne from scratch. In 2012, Guillaume created his first cuvée, which took two more years of patience to distribute the first 2000 bottles of Champagne Bonvalet. 2014 – A very distinctive year, that of the very first production of House Bonvalet. The Premier Cru Horae represents patience and serendipity, both needed to lead beautiful projects and produce great wines. The rich power of Pinot Noir and the d -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedGivry is known as one of the best value wines in Burgundy, but few – if any – can match Domaine Masse for quality and value. Produced from the family’s old vine Pinot Noir in the exceptional 2022 vintage the this is a red Burgundy lover's dream. The Domaine’s policy of rigorous pruning meant yields were low and the tiny amount of Givry Premier Cru they made is concentrated, complex and well-structured. It is wines like this that have seen demand for Domaine Masse’s wines soar in recent years. Ta -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic Red95 Points - Jasper Morris. The Château Gris castle was built in the 18th century in the middle of its 3.5 ha (8.6 acre) walled vineyard. After the vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera, the roof of the castle was covered with grey slate although tiles are the traditional material used in Burgundy. The people of Nuits-Saint-Georges therefore began to refer to it as Château Gris (grey castle) and the name stuck. Further to a court ruling in the 1920s, the name “Château Gris” was allowed to prevai -
Country: England, KentGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Elegant Crisp RoséSilver Medal - Global Rosé Masters. Folc's 2023 Dry English still rosé is crispier, fresher & brighter. Crafted from a blend of Pinot Noir Precoce, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Bacchus, and Ortega grapes sourced from family-run vineyards in Kent, Suffolk & Sussex, including the legendary Kits Coty. Consistently winning accolades, in 2021, it received a Gold at the Independent English Wine Awards and one of the only two medals for still English rosé at the Internatio -
Country: France, Loire ValleyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Juicy Lively RedAged for 10 months in Oak barrels and released for sale 12 months after harvest, this Sancerre has had time to develop its complex and balanced flavours and a beautiful ruby colour. This wine displays aromas of strong ripe red berries with tones of cherry in particular, whilst the palate experiences intense aromas and a finish both fresh and crisp. The concentrated palate, ample and harmonious, prolongs the complexity of aromas and supple tannins, and leads to a persistent finale which leaves yoRegular Price£27.95Top 3 Wines of 2024 - 15% off£23.76 -
Country: England, SussexGrapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot MeunierABV: 12%Style: Fresh Fruity SparklingBronze Medal - DWWA.The growing season started well in the spring with an early budburst followed by dry, sunny weather in May and June. The vines were able to bask in a long, relatively warm ripening period throughout the summer and autumn months. Picking commenced at the start of October and the grapes benefited from a longer than usual hangtime resulting in an excellent quality harvest. Wine Press Reviews Bronze Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2023 "Nicely restrained aromatic soft herbs an -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: Chardonnay, Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Rich Complex Sparkling96 Points - bettane et desseauve. Laurent‑Perrier is selective when declaring vintages from only the very best years to create a rare and exceptional wine, characteristic of the House’s style. The 2012 wine year was complicated with winter and spring frosts, hail and cryptogamic diseases, which had an impact on the yield, which was rather moderate. The dry, sunny summer allowed the grapes to ripen to perfection allowing for an exceptional harvest. Sensory Characteristics EyeThe wine is white gol -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedThe Hill of Corton lies in the midst of a cluster of famous wine-growing villages, Ladoix-Serrigny, Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses and Savigny-lès-Beaune. The vineyards lie at heights of 250-330 metres and form a kind of amphitheatre not found elsewhere in the Côte. Corton is the only Red Grand Cru in the Côte de Beaune, and this cuvée from Decelle Villa is a limited production of only 300 bottles from the 'Climat' of Le Rognet. Solid and opulent, Corton is an icon of Burgundy, highly complex -
Country: England, SussexGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12%Style: Rich Complex SparklingSilver Medal - Wine GB. Blanc de Noirs 2015 is crafted exclusively from hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes grown at Roebuck Estates Roman Villa vineyard. After careful selection, the grapes are whole-bunch pressed and partially fermented in the finest French oak casks. A generous lees ageing for a minimum of 36 months gives this wine depth, complexity and richness. It is drinking well now but will undoubtedly, continue to improve with bottle age. It was a cold winter which vines tend to enjoy. Sprin -
Country: Australia, South AustraliaGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 14%Style: Rich Full Red96 points - Ned Goodwin. The Definitus is a special bottling from The Foggy Hill Vineyard. Foggy Hill is typical of the spectacular, steep, cool climate sites that have helped revolutionise Australian fine wine in recent years. Laying at 350m above sea level on the ancient soils of the Fleurieu Peninsula and cooled by the waters of Victor Harbor and Cape Jervis, it is the perfect spot for producing world-class Pinot Noir. Grapes are hand-harvested with each clone being brought in separately. Chi -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedAlbert Bichot Mercurey Rouge is a delightful Burgundy that combines tradition and charm. Bursting with juicy red cherry and wild berry flavours, it’s beautifully complemented by hints of spice and earthy undertones. The silky tannins and balanced acidity create a smooth, inviting texture, making it as enjoyable on its own as it is paired with food. Whether served alongside roast chicken, grilled salmon, or creamy cheeses, this wine adds a touch of elegance to any meal. Perfect for those looking -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic Red95 Points - Daniel Blais. The 45-year old vines are planted in complex soils comprising alluvial deposits, rich clay and iron oxide. This combination of factors produces a Nuits-Saint-Georges that is at once sophisticated and strong, thereby setting it apart from the other less well situated terroirs within the appellation. Handpicked, the grapes are transported to the cellar in 15 kg crates before being sorted by hand so as to solely use perfectly ripened and healthy grapes. 100% de-stemmed, th -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedThe 45-year old vines are planted in complex soils comprising alluvial deposits, rich clay and iron oxide. This combination of factors produces a Nuits-Saint-Georges that is at once sophisticated and strong thereby setting it apart from the other less well situated terroirs within the appellation. Handpicked, the grapes are transported to the cellar in 15 kg crates before being sorted by hand so as to solely use perfectly ripened and healthy grapes. 100% de-stemmed, the grapes are then transform -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedThe 'Aux Bousselots' Premier Cru vines are on a well-drained, south-facing plot on the Vosne-Romanée side of the village which has a reputation for making a very gracious style of Burgundy with a natural charm. Aromas of small red fruits and spices, the tannic structure was firm in its youth but has gained softness over time, and this Cuvee from the fabulous 2017 vintage is maturing beautifully. About the Producer Domaine Decelle & Fils was started in 2008 when two distinguished winemakers f -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic Red94 Points - Stephen Tanzer - The 'Aux Bousselots' Premier Cru vines are on a well-drained, south-facing plot on the Vosne-Romanée side of the village which has a reputation for making a very gracious style of Burgundy with a natural charm. Aromas of small red fruits and spices, the tannic structure was firm in its youth but has gained softness over time, and this 2014 has matured beautifully and is in its prime. Wine Press 17/20 - La Revue du Vin de France About the Producer Domaine Decelle & -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 12.5%Style: Juicy Lively RedFrom several selected parcels throughout Burgundy, the Bourgogne Rouge cuvée from Domaine Decelle & Fils is primarily composed of plots from "small villages" such as Mercurey, Ladoix-Serrigny, and Savigny. More than just your average, entry Bourgogne rouge, complex and approachable. Taste The colour is deep red with a beautiful shine. The nose offers powerful aromas of red fruits and Morello cherries, along with a spicy note that will reveal itself as the Bourgogne Domaine Decelle & Fils