Jaime Quendera, our favourite Portuguese winemaker, has made a juicy, fruit-forward red, aged in a very special cask. Enjoy Alicante Bouschet’s smooth texture in this red from rare, ancient vines that oozes rich flavours of black cherry and pepper.
Can you imagine buying 1,008 bottles of wine in one year? That’s 200 gallons to be exact – the same amount that each American household was allowed to make for ‘personal use’ during Prohibition. And the go-to grape during this DIY time wasn’t Cabernet or Merlot, it was the bold and juicy Alicante Bouschet - widely planted in California but originally from Portugal. Today, award-winning winemaker Jamie Quendera has crafted a mighty, Reserva-quality red, from rare 100-year-old vines. And the unique twist? Jamie aged the wine for 12 months in custom double casks. The top and bottom are French oak (imparting subtle spice) while the long side planks are American (for vanilla notes). The result is an ultra-smooth, cherry-ripe, well-spiced drop!
You couldn’t hope to find Sauvignon of this quality for the price in any of the Loire’s more famous regions, like Sancerre or Pouilly. Blended from the year’s tastiest vats, this wine is as subtle and complex as it is refreshing and zingy. It’s made exclusively for us by our trusted friend Franck Chatelain at Noël Bougrier’s renowned cellar in the Touraine. The original Abbesse was one Louise de Bourbon of the nearby Abbaye de Fontevraud and a major figure in Loire history. This delicious expression of the region’s reigning grape, Sauvignon Blanc, is a fitting tribute to her. With its appealing, crisp, lemony fruit and zippy freshness, it’s delicious on its own any time and goes ever so well with goat’s cheese and lighter fish dishes.
Provence remains supreme for classy pinks. Not always cheap, but our Buyer Jean Marc knows that Aix offers quality with value. Using Provence’s classic grapes, the cellar there has captured the berry fruit, stony citrus notes and savoury riff.
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The Times wrote: “Sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne is impeccable value for money”. The fine mousse, creamy fruit and elegant zing of this fizz made by the same method and using the same grapes as in the Champagne region.
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From a winery and winemaker that bring you Stones & Bones, one of our top-scoring Portuguese reds, this is a fabulous, one-off, premium release. It’s a red with two years’ maturity – delicious drinking now, but one with the richness, depth and structure for ageing, too.
It’s made by Vasco Martins at the fifth-generation family cellar, Casa Santos Lima, a terrific blend of 40% Syrah, with portions of Alicante, Touriga Nacional and Aragonez, all aged in French and American oak barriques, to lend layers of toasty vanilla spice to the dense black fruit. A sensational red with amazing depth of flavour. Best to open early and decant, if you can, so all the flavours open out. A great wine to serve with roast lamb, rich casseroles or at a barbecue.
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When you ask Alessandro Gallici if he comes from a family of winemakers, he laughs gently at the notion. Not at all, but his family had a bit of land in Friuli, with a few rows of vines, that had been theirs for generations. From the grapes of these, they made a simple wine for their own dinner table. All this fascinated Alessandro, and wine became his chosen career. And we're glad it did. We've known Alessandro since 2002 and love every new wine he sends our way.
For this fizz Alessandro carefully selected Glera grapes with a drop of Chardonnay. In Champagne, this would add to the price – in the Veneto this addition means it can't be labelled Prosecco, but frizzante. Whatever, it delivers citrus, tropical fruit with gentle bubbles.
We've worked with Alessandro Gallici for over 15 years and, like our customers, love the wines that he makes. He was born in Friuli, but doesn't come from a long line of winemakers. His dad was a truck driver, but everyone in the village used to have a few rows of vines and, from these, each family used to make a bit of wine. All this fascinated Alessandro as he was growing up, walking the hills and getting to know the best vineyards and their growers.
He's still great friends with them - they love his sense of fun - so he always get first dibs at the best parcels. Made with grapes from the region's top areas – Colli Orientali and Grave – this wine delivers delicate pear fruit and crisp minerally ‘zing’. Enjoy solo or with creamy linguine.
