Staff Picks
-
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: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteRecently awarded premier cru status "Les Crays” is a terroir of limestone scree on blue Pliensbachian marl. This south-facing slope, bright and protected from the cool north wind, produces fatty wines with chiseled minerality revealing rich and multiple citrus aromas. This cuvée is harvested on several plots planted between 1930 and 1966 forming 2.16 hectares in total. 4.2 Vivino (September 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93 Points - The Wine Front (2020) 91 Points - Decanter (2020) "In 2020, there was
-
Country: France, AlsaceGrapes: GewurztraminerABV: 13%Style: Aromatic Floral WhiteGold Medal Winner - Concours des Vignerons Indépendants 2022. It was at Zellenberg in 1785 that Thomas Rentz became fascinated in winemaking, setting up his own vineyard and producing his own wine for his family’s consumption and some local taverns. This is a beautiful sweet white wine, a Grand Cru Gewurztraminer that is so delicate on the nose. One of the few wines that pairs excellently with spicy food. Try this next time with your Chinese, Indian or Thai meal. This wine will also age beautifuRegular Price£22.95Bin End Sale - 25% off£17.22 -
Country: France, AlsaceGrapes: Pinot GrisABV: 13%Style: Aromatic Floral WhiteWines from the Grand Cru vineyard Froehn have exceptional aromatic purity, and this Pinot Gris is a medium-dry white wine, its nose is a delicate mix of smoked aromas (grilled almonds), honey, quince and candied fruits. An absolute treat. It is unctuous, harmonious and very refreshing on the palate. It also has long-lasting longevity, which makes it an excellent wine to age. About the Producer It was at Zellenberg in 1785 that Thomas Rentz became fascinated in winemaking, setting up his own vineRegular Price£22.95Bin End Sale - 25% off£17.22 -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: MerlotABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedChâteau Haut-Boutisse is one of the wines of Château Palais Cardinal, a family property that has existed since the middle of the 19th century and neighbour to the Grand Cru Classé Château Monbousquet. An average vine age of over 40 years and from the fabulous 2020 vintage gives a wine full of concentration, structure and classic Saint-Émilion traits. Taste Nose of coffee and plum with some velvety tannins on the palate. A wine full of charm and surprises brought by the vintage. Wine Press / Aw -
Country: Chile, Colchagua ValleyGrapes: CarmenereABV: 14%Style: Rich Full RedThe Caballo Loco Grand Cru Apalta 2022 is one of the best Chilean red wines you can buy. The flagship brand of multi-award-winning Valdeviso winery it is crafted from a blend of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Syrah in the renowned Apalta region of Chile's Colchagua Valley. Apalta grapes are highly prized by fine wine producers. The region’s Pacific-cooled Mediterranean climate is ideal for producing grapes that are complex, aromatic, fresh-tasting and well-balanced. The poor (apalta -
Country: Chile, Limari ValleyGrapes: Syrah / ShirazABV: 14%Style: Rich Full RedThe Valdivieso Caballo Loco Grand Cru Limari is another of Valdivieso’s flagship wines, one that utilises fruit from their best plantings of Syrah, Carmenere, Malbec, and Pinot Noir grapes. While Limari is one of the finest of Chile’s wine regions, it’s also one of the most inhospitable. Annual rainfall of around 90mm (3.5 inches) combined with poor clay and chalk soils mean that vines struggle and the resulting fruit can be superb. A blend of Syrah, Carmenere, Malbec and Pinot Noir may not soun -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: MerlotABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic RedAt the end of 2011, Peter Kwok (Owner of Chateau Haut Brisson and Enclos de Viaud) acquired Château Tour Saint Christophe with his daughter Karen and La Croix Saint Christophe is the second label of the Château. Traditional farming, Guyot pruning with natural grass between the rows combined with working the soil under the vine, de-budding, leaf removal and green harvest if necessary to maintain the environmental balance. 40-year-old vines, and 15 months in French Oak Barrels (60% new). A beautif -
Country: Chile, Curico ValleyGrapes: Cabernet FrancABV: 13.5%Style: Rich Full Red96 Points - Patricio Tapia - Descorchados. The Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia is an exciting wine made by Valdivieso in their Sagrada Familia vineyard in Chile’s prestigious Curicó Valley. The Curicó Valley enjoys a Mediterranean climate and its volcanic and limestone allow for the production of exceptional quality noble grapes such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are at the heart of the Caballo Loco Grand Cru Sagrada Familia 2021 with Carmenere adding freshness and juiciness. Aft -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13%Style: Classy Complex WhiteSavvy white Burgundy buyers know Montagny Premier Cru is arguably the region’s best-value wine. What Domaine Masse does, is couple value with wines of outstanding quality. Produced from their small parcel of low-yielding old Chardonnay vines, their 2023 Montagny has a level of concentration that’s rarely found in this prodigious vintage. Elegant and well-structured, the sensitive use of oak has given a fine white Burgundy that many famous name producers would envy. It is offerings like this that -
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: ChardonnayABV: 13%Style: Classy Complex WhiteDomaine Masse’s Rully 1er Cru Les Deux Terres Blanc 2022 ranks as one of the best value fine white Burgundies from this outstanding vintage. Crafted by Fabrice from his well-sited, old vine Chardonnay, his customary attention to detail paid off handsomely in this challenging, but brilliant year. Ripe, rounded and full, it remains elegant and poised and displays Rully’s signature smoky minerality and lovely floral notes. It is offerings like this that have seen demand for Domaine Masse’s wines soRegular Price£36.95Top 3 Wines of 2024 - 10% off£33.26 -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Complex Sparkling91 Points - Cellar Tracker - There is Champagne, and then there is Grand Cru Champagne, the pinnacle of Champagne excellence. This Grand Cru Champagne from the vineyards of Chouilly is not only significantly more affordable but also more refined than many big household names. The result is a stunning Blanc de Blancs (100% Chardonnay) Grand Cru Champagne with complex toasty and citrus notes that are perfectly balanced, offering fantastic value. It has a golden yellow colour with aromas of pastrieRegular Price£37.95Producer Focus - 15% off£32.26 -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteThis Montagny Premier Cru is round and delectable on the palate with lovely vivacity and minerality. With notes of oak, vanilla and brioche. It is round and delectable on the palate with lovely vivacity and minerality. The finish is long and fragrant with flowers of almond and both raw and cooked apple. "Very attractive nose of fresh pineapple and yellow grapefruit with delicate oak and a touch of something floral. Medium-bodied with nice creaminess from sur-lie aging, which complements the live -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Fruity White91 Points - Gilbert et Gaillard. The Sylvain Mosnier Chablis 1er Cru Beauroy 2021 is a classic example of Chablis. The Beauroy site, designated as a Premier Cru ‘climat,’ features limestone-rich soils that produce fresh, clean, and mineral-rich wines. Sylvain Mosnier's traditional approach avoids new oak, resulting in wines that are delightful when young but also have the potential to age and develop beautifully in the bottle. Wine Press Ratings 91 Points - Gilbert et Gaillard | Double Gold Meda -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Crisp Classic Sparkling92 Points - Vertdevin - This Rose Champagne is simply gorgeous! From Grand Cru producer Genet, the name 'Redblend 9208' denotes the blend of 92% Chardonnay and 8% Pinot Noir grapes used to produce this delicate feminine style Rose Champagne. Beautiful pale salmon colour and orange hints. Nice effervescence with a fine string of bubbles. On the nose, delicate floral aromas of violet, rose, peony and iris followed by red fruits, such as redcurrant, cherry, raspberry and apricot. On the palate, smoRegular Price£42.15Producer Focus - 15% off£35.83 -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 13.5%Style: Classy Complex WhiteRecently awarded premier cru status "Les Crays” is a terroir of limestone scree on blue Pliensbachian marl. This south-facing slope, bright and protected from the cool north wind, produces fatty wines with chiseled minerality revealing rich and multiple citrus aromas. This cuvée is harvested on several plots planted between 1930 and 1966 forming 2.16 hectares in total. 4.2 Vivino (September 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93 Points - The Wine Front (2020) 91 Points - Decanter (2020) "In 2020, there was -
Country: France, ChampagneGrapes: ChardonnayABV: 12.5%Style: Rich Complex SparklingA wonderfully complex Blanc de Blancs champagne from the outstanding 2015 vintage. Michel Genet and his team are 'manufacteurs de Grands Crus' and their MG BB Vintage offers aromas of pastries with fragrances of fresh nuts and candied fruits, followed by tobacco, menthol anise and eucalyptus. This has a rich aromatic palette and powerful finish. About the Producer “Manufacteurs de Grands Crus”. Michel Genet like to call themselves “manufacteurs” (“artisans”) from the word’s Latin origins in manuRegular Price£49.95Producer Focus - 15% off£42.46 -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: Cabernet FrancABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red93-94 Points - James Suckling. One of Saint-Émilion's most prestigious Grand Cru's, located right next door to the famed Château Cheval Blanc. From the oldest surviving wine producing château in Saint-Émilion comes this incredible Grand Cru Classe wine from a fabulous vintage. A sensationally moreish, fragrant and textured wine created by the renowned Olivier Decelle. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (Sept 2024) Wine Press Ratings 93-94 Points - James Suckling "A dense and linear fruit. Gorgeous already." 91- -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: MerlotABV: 14%Style: Savoury Classic Red93 Points - Wine Enthusiast. Château Fonroque produced an excellent wine in 2017. The 2017 vintage was unusual and not without its challenges. A hard (-6°C) frost on the 28th of April reduced the potential crop significantly as did a lack of rain in the spring. Happily a dry summer and sunny autumn allowed Fonroque to bring in a relatively small, but healthy harvest. The grand vin is a blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, a mix that played to the vintage’s strengths. Typically powerful and -
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, AlsaceGrapes: RieslingABV: 13.5%Style: Aromatic Floral White96 Points - James Suckling. The Trimbach Riesling Brand Grand Cru 2020 was produced from fruit grown on the Grand Cru Brand vineyard which sits above the village of Turkheim. Brand sits on steep slopes at the beginning of the Vallée de Munster and its aspect is south/southeasterly, bringing the vines excellent exposure to the sun. Its name comes from the German for fire, a reference to the legend that a dragon and the sun once did battle here and how the sun warms its fine granite soils quickly. -
Country: France, Bordeaux, Saint EmilionGrapes: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, MalbecABV: 13.5%Style: Savoury Classic Red95 Points - Decanter. One of Saint-Émilion's most prestigious Grand Cru's, located right next door to the famed Château Cheval Blanc. From the oldest surviving wine producing château in Saint-Émilion comes this incredible Grand Cru Classe wine from a fabulous vintage. A sensationally moreish, fragrant and textured wine created by the renowned Olivier Decelle. Vivino Rating: 4.1 (Jun 2024) Wine Press Ratings 95 Points - Decanter "Wonderfully floral cherry notes on the nose here - ripe, vibrant an -
Country: France, AlsaceGrapes: RieslingABV: 12.5%Style: Aromatic Floral White96 Points - James Suckling. The largest, oldest, and most famous of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards, Schlossberg has all the noble Alsatian grapes planted on its steep, lofty slopes, but most producers favour Riesling owing to the spectacular results that can be achieved here. The south and south-easterly aspect of the vineyard means the vines benefit from long exposure to the sun which imparts generosity, while the topsoil’s unusual mix of coarse granitic sand gives the wines their minerally backb -
Country: France, BurgundyGrapes: Pinot NoirABV: 13%Style: Savoury Classic RedThe vineyard of Nuits-Saint-Georges is recognised as an area producing some of the world’s greatest Pinot Noir wines, and the Premier Cru parcel of “Les Crots” is exposed at the top of the hillside, at an altitude of 275m on an escarpment which requires vine cultivation in terraces and handpicking. The unique features of this plot allows the vines to mature late and to produce grapes boasting exceptional concentration. This 2012 "Les Crots" is now reaching maturity, developing a complex bouquet -
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