wine list Feb 2015
Transcription
wine list Feb 2015
! ! ! ! WINES BY THE GLASS AND CARAFE !! SPARKLING ! ! ! !! WHITE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! PINK ! ! ! RED ! ! 175ml 750ml glass bottle 9.00 32.00 2009 Gusbourne Blanc de Blanc E. Sussex England 11.00 43.50 NV Champagne Lamiable Extra Brut Grand Cru Champagne France 12.75 45.50 175ml 500ml 750ml glass carafe bottle 2013 Trebbiano di Romagna Le Coste Poderi dal Nespoli Emilia-Romagna Italy 4.75 13.00 19.00 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Cuatro Rayas Agricola Castellana Rueda Spain 5.75 16.00 23.00 2013 Rioja Blanco Bodega Ostatu Spain 6.25 17.25 25.50 2013 Pinot Grigio La Farra Colli Trevigiani Italy 6.50 18.00 26.50 2012 Viognier Domaine Rougié Minervois Languedoc France 7.00 19.25 28.00 2013 Albariño Quinta de Couselo O Rosal Rias Baixas Galicia Spain 7.50 21.00 30.00 2012 Vouvray sec Domaine Aubert Loire France 8.00 22.00 32.00 2012 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel ‘Frauenweingarten’ Tegernseerhof Wachau Austria 8.50 23.00 33.00 2012 Chablis Domaine Moreau-Naudet Burgundy France 8.75 23.50 34.00 175ml 500ml 750ml glass carafe bottle 2012 Bobal de Sanjuan Rosado Utiel Requena Valencia Spain 5.25 15.00 21.75 2013 Bandol Rosé Domaine La Suffrène Provence France 8.50 23.00 33.50 175ml 500ml 750ml glass carafe bottle 2013 Durou ‘Exception’ Malbec Fabrice Durou Vin de France 5.75 16.00 22.50 2012 Bobal La Malkerida Bruno Murciano Utiel-Requena Valencia Spain 6.25 17.25 25.00 ! ! ! ! ! Any of the above still wines are available in measures of 50ml @ £2.25 for tasting! ! ! NV Prosecco Valdobbiadene Brut Crede Bisol Veneto Italy 2013 Pinot Noir De l’Hospitalet Maison Bertrand Languedoc France 7.00 19.25 27.50 2012 Château du Champ des Treilles Sainte-Foy Bordeaux France 8.00 22.00 31.50 2012 Rioja Alavesa Sierra de Toloño Rioja Spain 8.50 23.00 32.50 2010 Morgon ‘Le Clos de Lys’ Domaine J.Chamonard Beaujolais France 8.50 23.00 34.00 2011 Gigondas Domaine Raspail-Ay Rhône France 9.25 26.00 37.00 OUR WINE LIST ! We are really proud of it as it is packed full of individual, eclectic and finely crafted wines primarily from small producers and a great selection of sherries, English sparkling wines and grower Champagnes. However If you don’t like a wine, please send it back even if it doesn’t have a fault - we are happy to replace it for you so that you drink something you like! All of the wines listed by the glass or carafe are also available in ‘taster’ portions of 50ml measures and wine ‘specials‘ can be found written on the blackboard. Most of our wines are available to take home at shop prices - please ask to see the retail price list ! SHERRY AND MADEIRA ! ! Fino ‘En Rama’ Fernando di Castilla Spain 375ml 75ml 21.00 4.50 Darker than a normal fino as the wine has not been fined or filtered; yeasty aromas with hints of baked apple & almond, nutty & savoury on the palate with a quite austere and tangy finish. Excellent with Iberico bellota ham ! ! ! ! Deliciosa Manzanilla Valdespino Spain 17.00 3.75 Light, pale and fresh with a salty crispness typical of Manzanilla Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana Single Vineyard Bodegas Hidalgo Spain Lightly nutty manzanilla from the Pastrana vineyard in Miraflores - pasada refers to the fact that it is an older style of manzanilla aged in American oak barrels for approximately 12 years for a more concentrated flavour 4.00 Amontillado Maribel Sanchez Romate Spain 3.00 ! ! ! ! Complex dry amontillado from this bodega based in Jerez - nutty, salty and mineral Palo Cortado Viejo Calle Poncho Valdespino 8.00 'Calle Ponche' is the name of one of Jerez's oldest streets, where Valdespino had one of their bodegas and the solera for this Palo Cortado Viejo was first created. The solera has been kept alive over the years by steadily refreshing the younger casks from a careful selection of barrels containing exceptional quality Inocente. Impossible to put an exact age of the wine, but estimated to be about twenty-five years and more it is a rare sherry released in limited volumes and an intense, dry Palo Cortado with extraordinary length. ! ! 7.00 Pedro Ximenez El Candado Valdespino 4.50 Oloroso Don Jose Reservas Especiales Romate From Sanchez Romate one of the oldest bodegas in Spain whose first solera was laid down in 1887, this is fresh and nutty Oloroso, full bodied and less dry than an Amontillado and with lovely walnut, smoky and oxidative rancio notes. Very smooth and elegant and great with charcuterie ! Single vineyard sherry sourced from Jerez’ finest growing zone in the Macharnudo district. Following harvest, the grapes are spread on special mats in the sun to cause evaporation and increase sugar levels. This sherry is rich with notes of molasses, treacle and Christmas pudding and a velvety palate. Drink as a dessert wine or poured over vanilla ice cream which is gorgeous ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! Sercial 10 years old Henriques and Henriques Madeira 7.00 Driest of the four styles of madeira - smooth, crisp, nutty and with lively acidity, fabulous aperitif Verdelho 10 years old Blandy’s Madeira Aged for 10 years in American oak in the traditional ‘canteira’ system this madeira is medium sweet and has hints of caramel and coffee with great persistence 7.00 ! !! ! ENGLISH SPARKLING 750ml! RIDGEVIEW ESTATE CUVÉES MERRET EAST SUSSEX Multi-award winning family owned winery whose 12 ha vineyards were planted by Mike & Chris Roberts in 1994 at the foot of the South Downs near the village of Ditchling. Like Champagne, situated just 88 miles away, the climate is semi continental with the cool nights enabling the grapes to retain high levels of natural acidity. All of Ridgeview’s wines have the trademark Merret in honour of Christopher Merret the Englishman who first documented the process of sparkling wine production in 1662, 30 years before the technique was first documented in Champagne. ! ! 2010 Ridgeview Estate Fitzrovia Cuvée Merret Rosé East Sussex 12% abv 48.00 Unusually for a rosé this is a Chardonnay dominant wine with the addition of a Pinot based red added to the blend. It is pale salmon coloured with a creamy biscuity mousse, fresh strawberry aromas & a juicy summer pudding style fruit palate balanced by lovely acidity. The Queen drank this with Barak Obama on his last visit to the UK. ! ! ! ! 2009 Ridgeview Estate Merret Grosvenor Blanc de Blanc Sussex 12% abv 49.50 The 2009 is made from 100% Chardonnay and has a light golden colour and fine mousse, the nose is citrusy and fresh and the palate has an excellent balance of fruit and acidity. 2009 Gusbourne Estate Blanc de Blanc Appledore Kent 12% abv 43.50 The estate has 21 ha under vine on the low slopes of the ancient Kentish escarpment of Appledore which is south-facing and only 6 miles form the coast so the growing season’s length is extended by the sea’s moderating influence. The combination of a warm microclimate and the estate’s clay & sandy loam soils contributes to very high quality grapes. The 2009 Blanc de Blanc is made from 100% Chardonnay and is pale gold with a creamy mousse, biscuity aromas & refreshing green apple acidity with a little underlying saltiness. Elegant & delicate on the palate & absolutely delicious. ! ! NV Gusbourne Estate Rosé Appledore Kent 12% abv 45.00 Only 2000 bottles produced of this lovely, pale Autumnal pink fizz made from Chardonnay, Pinot noir & Pinot Meunier aged for 24 months on its lees - the wine has aromas of cranberry, strawberry & rhubarb with a lovely soft mousse and a fresh red apple finish ! ! NV Langham Estate Classic Cuvée Dorset 12% abv 48.00 Winner of the 2014 ‘Judgement of Parson’s Green’, a blind tasting of English sparkling wines organised annually by Stephen Skelton, this wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot noir & Pinot meunier grown on the Crawthorne vineyard, a south facing, protected aspect with a particularly benevolent microclimate allowing the grapes to ripen fully whilst maintaining their natural acidity. ! ! 2008 Hush Heath Balfour Brut Rosé Kent 12% abv 65.00 Made by Owen Elias at this ca 29 acre vineyard, the Balfour Brut Rosé is a beautiful example of an English rosé, with a wonderful colour, a fine persistent bead of bubbles opening up a nose of gentle yeast and blackcurrant leaf. The ensuing palate begins with a creamy mousse and opens into a light fruitiness. The Pinot noir gives fruit, perfume & colour, Chardonnay brings finesse and acidity & Pinot meunier adds a touch of spiciness. ! 2003 Nyetimber Blanc de Blanc West Sussex 12% abv magnum 120.00 Made from 100% Chardonnay with a rich golden lemon colour and very fine beading bubbles. The nose offers up fresh fruity aromas of pineapple, lychee and rich honey. The palate is still young with fresh citrus flavours of mandarin and grapefruit. Really delicious ! ! ! PROSECCO & CHAMPAGNE 750ml ! ! ! !! ! ! 375ml (1/2) 45.50 ! ! 54.00 ! ! 54.00 ! ! 56.00 ! ! 61.00 NV Prosecco Valdobbiadene Brut Crede Bisol Veneto Italy 11.5% abv Light attractive nose of pear and honeysuckle, a delicate palate and a hint of sweetness on the finish NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Mareuil-sur-Ay Champagne France 12% abv 32.00 Pale salmon pink in colour with pears and flowers on the nose and delicate fruits on the palate, great finesse and charm NV Champagne Lamiable Extra Brut Grand Cru Champagne France 12.5% abv 45.50 Small 5.5 ha estate in Tours-sur-Marne producing this extra brut style of Champagne (4g dosage) with 80% from the 2010 vintage, the remainder comes from reserve wines held in solera. Made from 60% Pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay the wine has peach and apple aromas on the nose,with soft fruit and lively acidity on the palate. It has a lovely mineral structure & great length. NV Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne France 12% abv Prestigious family owned Champagne house & maker of Cristal, this wine has a lovely biscuity nose followed by a rich full bodied and fruity palate. Equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot noir with a dash of Pinot meunier and up to a third of cask aged reserve wine is added to the blend. 2005 Champagne ‘Brut Nature Confidence’ Grand Cru Jean Louis Vergnon Champagne 12% abv This is a pure and powerful expression of old vine Chardonnay grapes from the Grand Cru villages of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Avize and Oger. The nose displays plum and hazelnut with waxy undertones. The mousse is fine and the texture rich with bright and zingy lime, green apple and slate like mineral-driven intensity. This is bold and unabashed Champagne with a lot of complexity made by Christophe Constant. NV Champagne 1er cru AC Non-Dosé ‘Terre de Vertus’ Larmandier Bernier Champagne 12.5% abv Mid-slope, older vines on the best hillside of Vertus are the source of this exquisite champagne made by Larmandier-Bernier who has developed a fine reputation for producing stylish, elegant Champagnes with a crystalline purity and depths of salty, chalky minerality. The domaine was certified organic back in 1999 but have turned to bio-dynamic viticulture since then. ‘Terre de Vertus’ is made from 100% Chardonnay from the 2007 vintage, after a seven month elevage sur lies fines, it was bottled in April 2008 and disgorged in December 2010, at which point no dosage was added. Floral and racy, with notable energy, it is a superb expression of Vertus’ terroir. NV Agrapart & Fils Les 7 Crus Brut Blanc de Blanc Champagne France 12% abv Finely crafted cuvée made from seven top vineyards where Pascal Agrapart owns vines which has undergone a full malolactic fermentation before being aged in oak barrels. It shows a lively freshness and is bone dry but full flavoured and complex - lovely with food. Pascal is not interested in being labelled organic or biodynamic (the French now have a separate term for this type of vigneron ‘sans papier’). !! ! 2005 Champagne Grand Cru AC Extra Brut ‘Minéral’ Agrapart & Fils Champagne France 12.5% abv 69.00 100% Chardonnay from two different parcels, Le Champ Bouton in Avize and Les Bionnes in Cramant where the vines are very close to the chalky subsoil, this wine has a beautiful pale gold colour and is taut and reticent on the nose with a pronounced minerality. On the palate it is slightly salty with a hint of iodine, it is racy and stylish with a poise and fruit reminiscent of grand cru Chablis. It has a 4 g/l dosage. Pascal Agrapart is not interested in being labelled organic or biodynamic (the French now have a separate term for this type of vigneron ‘sans papier’). ! ! NV Champagne Brut Rosé Grand Cru Egly-Ouriet Ambonnay Champagne France 12.5% abv 78.00 This 9 ha estate consists entirely of Grand cru vineyards (with the exception of Pinot meunier from Vrigny) and follows a ‘lutte raisonée‘ approach, that is insecticides are avoided, only organic fertilisers are used and ploughing is carried out traditionally. The average age of the vines is over 35 years and their south facing exposure gives exceptional ripeness. It is bright salmon coloured with a lively fine textured mousse, this is a fabulously elegant Champagne displaying vibrant aromas of cherries and redcurrants with smoky undertones and precise minerality and balance. ! PINK ! ! ! ! ! 750ml 2012 Bobal de Sanjuan Rosado Utiel Requena Spain 13% abv 21.75 Very fruity style of rosé from the wine growing area near Valencia with aromas of ripe red berries balanced by refreshing acidity 2013 Pinot Grigio Ramato Colliio Visintini Friuli-Venezia Giulia Italy 13% abv 29.75 Not strictly pink, more a pale copper tinge due to a 24 hour maceration of the grapes before vinification, hence the term ‘ramato’. Visintini is a 24 ha estate following mainly biodynamic practices but resisting certification. The vineyards are located between the Alps and the Adriatic with mountainous topography that allows the vines to ripen fully while maintaining good acidity. 2013 was a very good vintage here and the wine has lovely aromatics and texture. ! 2013 Bandol Rosé Domaine La Suffrène Provençe France 13.5% abv 33.50 Lovely and juicy rosé, salmon pink in colour with aromas of fresh strawberry, raspberry and underlying thyme, on the nose the fruit is ripe & fleshy with flavours of melon & fraise de bois but balanced by good zesty acidity. From a blend of hand harvested Mourvedre,Grenache, Cinsault & Carignan ! WHITE !! EASY DRINKING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! AROMATIC WHITE ! 750ml 2013 Trebbiano di Romagna Le Coste Poderi dal Nespoli Emilia-Romagna Italy 12% abv 19.00 We think our house white punches above its weight with lovely quince fruit flavours and a juicy lemon zest finish. 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Cuatro Rayas Agricola Castellana Rueda Spain 12.5% abv 23.00 Great example of co-operative winemaking from Castellana with aromas of passion fruit, limes and grapefruit with light acidity and structure. 2013 Rioja Blanco Bodega Ostau Spain 13% abv 25.50 An unoaked wine made from 85% Viura and 15% Malvasia from vines aged between 30-80 years old, pronounced aromas of passion fruit and peach with a vibrant acidity and spicy finish and hints of ginger 2013 Pinot Grigio La Farra Colli Trevigiani Veneto Italy 12% abv 26.50 Lovely freshness with medium weight and flavours of apple, quince and pineapple, an easy drinker punching above its weight 2011 Semillon Tim Adams Fairfield Block Single Vineyard Clare Australia 11.5% abv 26.50 Family owned and operated winery in South Australia producing an easy drinking style of Semillon with undertones of lime and melons. 2012 Viognier Domaine Rougié Minervois Languedoc France 12% abv Very low yields of 30hl/ha provide the base for this quality oak aged Viognier which has characteristic peach and apricot flavours balanced by a zesty acidity !! ! 28.00 ! 2013 Albariño Quinta de Couselo O Rosal Rias Baixas Galicia Spain 12.5% abv 30.00 Quinta de Couselo was built in 1163 by the monks of the Monasterio de Santa Maria de Oia. Located in the O Rosal valley, the vineyard benefits from the Atlantic influence of mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and sunshine hours to ensure the grapes ripen properly. Systemic fungicides are prohibited and the grapes are hand harvested. Actually this wine is 90% Albariño (with 10% local varietals) and has a lovely stone fruit character and aromatics balanced by a mineral freshness. ! ! 2012 Pinot Blanc ‘La Cabane’ Domaine Léon Boesch Alsace France (biodynamic) 11.5% abv 31.00 Family run 13 ha estate following biodynamic viticulture and eschewing temperature controlled vinification in favour of larger wooden foudres where the wines ferment for between 2 weeks - 6 months with indigenous yeasts and are left on their lees and allowed to undergo malolactic. The wines are then aged in the same foudres for 9 months followed by a light filtration but no fining. La Cabane is 50% Pinot blanc and 50% Pinot Auxerrois (which gives it body). The wine has clear cut, lemon zesty fruit and structure with a hint of ginger. ! ! 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Rippon Central Otago New Zealand 14%abv (biodynamic) 34.50 Fabulously wine by Nick Mills with ripe and concentrated aromas of gooseberry, elderflower & grapefruit together with a fresh herbaceous character. The wine is partially fermented in oak barrels to give it weight and mouthfeel and on the palate the wine is alive with flavours of peach and lime leaf. A reminder of what New Zealand Sauvignons used to be like before they all started to taste the same. Volatile thiols galore! Interesting and delicious. ! ! 38.50 ! ! 38.75 ! ! 39.50 ! ! 43.00 2011 Contours Deponcins Collines Rhodanienne Francois Villard Rhône 13% abv François’ strategy is to allow for the most optimal ripening possible. His white wines, as a result, are rich and concentrated and are often allowed to develop botrytis with most of the wines wood aged for extended periods of time to prepare them for a very long life in bottle. Here cuvée ‘Contours De Poncins’ is affordable, relatively speaking that is for northern Rhône Viognier, from vines located next to De Poncins, just outside the Condrieu appellation. Vinified in barriques, it is rich and flavourful with delicious complex aromas of peaches, apricots, honeysuckle with a lovely natural balanced persisting finish. 2011 Dry Riesling Felton Road Central Otago New Zealand 12% abv Delicious Riesling from the most southernly wine growing region in the world. Here, vineyards are nestled into small microclimates totally surrounded by high mountains, many of which are snow- capped all year round. Though the location is on the edge of sustainable viticulture these microclimates consistently combine hot days, cool nights and long dry autumns: perfect for the creation of fine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. This Riesling is whole bunch pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and left on their gross lees in order to develop complexity and mouthfeel. The wine has a nose of stonefruit, citrus blossom and elderflower leading into a rich and full yet overwhelmingly mineral palate. 2011 Riesling ‘Cuvée Albert’ Albert Mann Wettolsheim Alsace France (organic) 13% abv Well regarded Alsace domaine run by two brothers, Maurice and Jacky Barthelmé, in the village of Wettolsheim, near Colmar who are at the forefront of a group of organic / bio-dynamic Alsace producers that are famous for their great quality and respect for terroir. Vibrant & young with aroma of wet stones, yellow peaches and citrus. Well structured, light with ripe acidity, ginger and smoke and a spicy component with hints of seductive subtle sweetness. 2012 Gewürstraminer Zinnkoepflé Grand Cru Domaine Léon Boesch Alsace 14%abv (biodynamic) In the Alsatian dialect Zinnkoepflé means ‘the head towards the sun’ and refers to the hillsides’ steep southfacing aspect whose soil is composed of limestone and sandstone that is especially suited to growing exceptional Gewürstraminer. This family run 13 ha estate following biodynamic viticulture and eschewing temperature controlled vinification in favour of larger wooden foudres where the wines ferment at between for between 18-24 degrees C for between 4-8 months with indigenous yeasts and are left on their lees and allowed to undergo malolactic. The wines are then aged in the same foudres for 10 months followed by a light filtration but no fining. The wine is rich, powerful and structured with the textbook aromas of rose petal and lychees and with a hint of liquorice. It has exceptional fruit and balance. (RS 45g/l) ! BEAUTIFUL CHENIN ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2012 Chenin Blanc The Liberator Francophile Stellenbosch S.Africa 13.5% abv 25.50 Made from old bush vine Chenin grown in the De Morgenzen vineyards and commissioned by Richard Kelly MW it is a forward easy drinking and fruit driven wine with flavours of melon and honey 2012 Vouvray sec Domaine Aubert Loire France 12.5% abv 32.00 Benchmark Chenin from this historic appellation, this oak free Vouvray has excellent fruit and focus and just a touch of residual sugar to give it a honeyed edge to its zesty fruit base. 2010 Montlouis-sur-Loire ‘Premier Rendez-Vous’ Bertrand et Lise Jousset 13.5% abv (organic) 36.50 100% Chenin blanc from small parcels of 40-70 year old vines. The Jousset’s farm organically and produce very low yields (25 hl/ha) resulting in a concentrated wine with aromas of apples and undertones of gunflint. 2010 Vouvray ‘Le Haut Lieu Sec’ Domaine Huet Loire France 12.5% abv 38.50 Penultimate vintage from Noël Pinguet before his retirement from Domaine Huet, Le Haut Sec is the most forward style of the three vineyards that follows biodynamic principles in the vineyard. The wine is classic Loire Chenin with piercing acidity from the high levels of malic acid because MLF is discouraged and the wines are bottled early in order to allow the primary maturation in bottle. On the nose it is quite closed and takes time to open up (ask for the wine to be decanted). On the palate it reveals bruised apple, almonds, wet stone and a chalky minerality. It is very pure, concentrated and precise. ! ! 41.00 ! ! 43.00 2009 Anjou Blanc Sec Coteaux des Treilles Pithon-Paillé Loire France 13% abv (organic) 13% abv Situated on a magnificent hill with southern exposure, Les Treilles was a vineyard abandoned after the 2nd WW and returned to fallow ground. It was re-discovered by Jo & Isabel Pithon who re-planted the vineyard in 2000 and the 13 ha estate is now farmed organically by Jo Pithon and stepson Joseph Paillé. The terroir is magnificent with a quality of light that seems Mediterranean in character. This is a massively concentrated Chenin with firm mineral overtones overlaid with honey and vanilla notes and a lovely vinous texture on the palate. 2009 Vin de France Les Noels de Montbenault Richard Leroy France 13.5% abv When 10 years of efforts trying to establish a premier cru hierarchy came to nothing, rather than continue to use the Anjou appellation that had few quality associations, Leroy declassified his sensational wines to Vin de France. There is a finesse and restraint to this wine (from only 0.70 hectares of low-yielding vines) with a mineral flavour imparted by the schist. Fermented completely dry with the malolactics completed and no batonnage, it shows Chenin in its most elegant style. ! CRISP AND MINERAL ! ! 2012 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel ‘Frauenweingarten’ Tegernseerhof Wachau Austria 12.5% abv 33.00 A very precise and linear style of Grüner that has notes of apricot and white pepper underpinned by a flinty minerality. Frauenweingarten is a flat vineyard composed of sand and gravel and it is warmer here than in the hills of the Wachau producing a fuller bodied style but nonetheless one of real elegance and purity. ! ! 2012 Chablis Domaine Moreau-Naudet Burgundy France (organic) 12.5% abv 34.00 Chardonnay flourishes in the Kimmeridigian clay and limestone soils of Chablis and in the hands of conscientious growers the terroir is reflected in wines of precise and flinty minerality. At Dom Moreau-Nadet the grapes are hand-harvested from 25 year old vines and left on their lees in barrels for 18 months following fermentation giving the wine mouthfeel and weight - it is silky, zesty and balanced and a fine example of Chablis (finer than many at Premier cru level at twice the price..) !! 2011 Sancerre ‘Terre des Maimbray’ Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Loire France 13% abv ! 35.00 Crisp and steely and packed full of fresh lime, citrus zest, chalk & nettle flavours from vines grown on Kimmedridigian limestone. The domaine practices sustainable viticulture with all grapes harvested by hand stone, no weed killers or industrial fertilisers. It has a lovely fresh acidity and is a classical expression of the appellation. !! FULL BODIED WHITE !! ! 2012 Mācon Verzé ‘Le Chemin Blanc’ Nicolas Maillet Burgundy France 13% abv 35.00 Maillet was one of the first in the region to go back to manual work, ploughing, no weed-killers and manual harvesting. He doesn’t like oak and his wines are kept a long time in vat on their lees, to give them more richness and texture without the need for oak. This Macon Verzé is produced from 40 year old vines which are planted on a plot selected for its southern, south-western exposure in the little village of Verzé. It is delicate and complex wine and reveals aromas of peach, pear and acacia flowers with a balance between acidity and textural silky roundness. ! !I 44.00 ! ! 41.00 ! ! 49.50 ! ! 55.00 2011 Givry Blanc Clos des Vignes Rondes Domaine François Lumpp Burgundy France 13%abv mpeccable 16 ha estate owned by François & Isabelle Lumpp in Givry, a region which is so often over looked by Burgundy lovers and yet which is capable of producing wines of exceptional quality as well as value. François is a passionate viticulturalist and places great emphasis on making the wine in the vineyard. He aims to pick at 'just ripe' rather than into overripe, and wants to make bright wines which are developed rather than masked by their time in barrel. The wine has defined, concentrated fruit, a juicy apple acidity and underlying floral notes. 2011 Crozes Hermitage Blanc Alain Graillot Rhõne France 12.5% abv Classy white Rhõne from established and talented winemaker Graillot (his son Maxime produces our CH red). Made from 80% Marsanne & 20% Roussanne some of which is vinified at low temperature to preserve the stone fruit qualities of the wine. Has lovely weight and elegance 2010 St.Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers Pierre Gonon Rhône France 14% abv Made from 80% Marsanne & 20% Roussanne - the vines are planted in the historic vineyard of Les Oliviers where the soil is ancient Rhone alluvium with some loess on a granite bedrock. The wine has aromas of honeysuckle and marmalade and is rich and opulent with wonderful elegance & power, the Roussanne giving roundness and perfume and the Marsanne providing structure and length to the palate. The wine has not been filtered leaving a light natural sediment in the bottle. 2010 Sancerre ‘Edmond’ Alphonse Mellot Loire France 13% abv (biodynamic) Sancerre at its most complex and detailed deriving from old vines of ‘La Moussière’ vineyard ranging from 40- 87 years of age on the southerly facing slope of the ‘Moussière’. Fermentation takes place in small oak casks and aged on its fine lees for 10-14 months. The final result is an aromatic, complex and structured wine with profound minerality and age worthiness. It has a vivid, uplifting character, rich in aromas of verbena, lime and crushed, fresh herbs and possessing a remarkable, unyielding energy ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! EASY DRINKING ! ! ! ! RED 750ml 2010 Château Les Arqueys Bordeaux France 13% abv 22.50 Situated in Sainte-Gemme, 80km north of Bordeaux, this chateau produces a great value Merlot full of tightly knit black cherry fruit with a touch of oak giving it a silky, polished finish. 2013 Durou ‘Exception’ Malbec Fabrice Durou Vin de France 13.5% abv 22.50 It's not that often that you'll find an excellent quaffing red from Cahors at this price but Fabrice Durou's Malbec, technically a Vin de France but from Fabrice's family estate in Cahors, is bright, plummy & aromatic, with ripe tannins, a touch of saddle and an earthy grip on the finish. ! ! 2012 Château la Grave Singalier Bordeaux Supérieur France 13% abv 26.50 Medium weight, soft and fruity with a lovely cedary aromas, from vineyards on the banks of the river Garonne and 200m from the borders of the Graves AC. Made from 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and10% Cabernet Sauvignon. ! SPANISH & ITALIAN VARIETALS ! ! ! ! 2013 Bobal La Malkerida Bruno Murciano Utiel-Requena Valencia Spain 12.5% abv (organic) 25.00 100% Bobal old bush vines grown at an altitude of 950m in Utiel Requena using biodynamic principles (but not Demeter certified), it is smooth, refined and silky 2011 ‘Altos de la Hoya’ Bodegas Olivares Jumilla Spain 12.5% abv 27.00 Un-grafted old Monastrell vines grown in the Hoya de Santa Ana vineyard at an altitude of 2700', which is one of the highest in Jumilla and enables the vines to preserve their acidity. The wine is deep purple in colour the bouquet shows sweet cherry, black raspberry, and blueberry fruit with notes of liquorice. Although there is plenty of fruit, there are also many other dimensions that give this quite a bit of structure which presents a fantastic value for money wine with much more complexity than you would expect from a wine that can be found at this price. ! ! 2012 Rioja Alavesa Sierra de Toloño Rioja Spain 13% abv 32.50 Old gobelet trained Tempranillo vines grown on calcareous clay at 650m at Labastida, one of the highest vineyards of the Rioja region. The mountains of the Sierra de Toloño protect the vines from northerly winds and create a special microclimate, cold because it is so high, but dry with the Mediterranean influence despite being so far north. All this is perfect for the grapes to ripen fully over a long time in the bright light but relatively cool temperatures - the ripeness comes slowly, retaining natural acidity. After vinification the wine is aged just six months in French oak barrels, and bottled without fineing of filtration. The wine shows fresh, crunch fruit and Mediterranean herbs. It has natural ripeness and lovely soft tannins. First vintage after returning to her native Rioja by aptly named winemaker Sandra Bravo. ! ! 32.00 ! ! 33.50 2012 Dolcetto d’Alba Andrea Oberta Piedmont Italy 13% abv Small family run business based in La Morra who produce beautifully focused wines - this Dolcetto is made from manually harvested & carefully selected grapes from one of the most high-quality producing areas in Piedmont. It is deep ruby red in colour with succulent black fruits, soft tannins and a mouth-warming finish. 2011 Morellino di Scansano Heba Fattoria di Magliano Tuscany Italy 13% abv An up-beat and crowd-pleasing blend of Sangiovese and Syrah from coastal Tuscany in the heart of the Morellino DOC. All the south-facing vineyards are 120m above sea level. The wine has aromas of stewed damsons and brambles and a hint of herbs, with the small amount of Syrah in the blend bringing a spicy kick. !! ! PINOT NOIR & GAMAY ! ! ! ! 2013 Pinot noir De l’Hospitalet Maison Bertrand Languedoc France 13% abv 27.50 Juicy medium bodied Pinot noir with lovely black and red berry flavours balanced by refreshing acidity 2010 Morgon ‘Le Clos de Lys’ Domaine J.Chamonard Beaujolais France 13% abv (organic) 34.00 A small three HA domaine with 60 year old Gamay vines dispersed across the best slopes of the appellation on sand, schist and granite soils. Joseph Chamonard was one of the first growers in Morgon to adopt the ideas of Jules Chauvet (the ‘father’ of the ‘natural’ wine movement) and although the domain eschews ‘biologique’ certification the vineyard is managed along organic principles. Harvests are late for maximum ripeness and a low temperature soak is followed by a combination of conventional fermentation from indigenous yeasts together with maceration carbonique and 8-12 months in foudre. The wine displays intense aromas of bitter cherries and violets and a raw, pure fruit driven palate with gamey, smokey undertones and balanced minerality. Very expressive and pure. ! ! 47.00 ! ! 55.00 2011 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 13% abv Iconic Pinot noir from the most southernly wine growing region in the world. Here, vineyards are nestled into small microclimates totally surrounded by high mountains, many of which are snow- capped all year round. Though the location is on the edge of sustainable viticulture these microclimates consistently combine hot days, cool nights and long dry autumns: perfect for the creation of fine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Bannockburn, with its gentle north facing slopes and deep loess soils seems well suited to the production of complex Pinot Noir. Viticulture makes extensive use of handwork and is heavily influenced by organic practice. The wine displays a nose of ripe red fruits and dark florals leading to savoury notes and a touch of earthiness on the palate. The finish is clean and long with a swipe of fine tannins. Really lovely 2008 Sancerre Rouge ‘Belles Dames’ Domaine Vacheron Loire France 13% abv (biodynamic) One of Sancerre’s elite properties, Domaine Vacheron cultivates their wines biodynamically and have adopted a Burgundian approach to winemaking with parcels being vinified separately and blends varying from year to year. While much of Sancerre lies on chalk soils, the famed ‘Belle Dame’ vineyard is planted on silex which is flint over clay and limestone and consists of oceanic fossils. The soil profile indirectly contributes to the wine’s mineral character and purity. It has supple dark berry and black cherry fruits together with gamey, spicy notes and a fine tannic backbone. The Sancerre equivalent to Grand cru Burgundy. ! LESSER KNOWN VARIETALS ! ! 2012 Château Colombière Réserve Fronton Bordeaux France 12.5% abv (biodynamic) 31.50 Made by a Demeter certified estate from 80% Négrette (the principal variety in the vineyards north of Toulouse and especially around the town of Fronton) with 15% Syrah and 5% Cabernet, Fronton wines are sometimes described as the ‘Beaujolais of Toulouse’ because they have moderate acidity and are best drunk young. The addition of Syrah brings finesse and Cabernet brings structure. ! ! 2011 Arbois Trousseau Cuvée Bérangères Jacques Puffeney Jura France 13% abv 42.00 35 year old Trousseau vines (a variety indigenous to the Jura but also grown on the Iberian peninsula where it is known as Bastardo) from a gravelly site facing south east - Trousseau thrives in gravel and sun. It has a classic pale colour similar to Pinot noir with aromas and flavours of mulberries and raspberries. ! SYRAH & OTHER RHÔNE VARIETALS ! ! !! 2012 The Liberator ‘Francophile’ Syrah Stellenbosch South Africa 14% abv 26.00 Syrah sourced from the De Morgenzon vineayrds by Richard Kelly MW and resembling a Northern Rhone red, this wine is full of vibrant black fruits and a spicy, peppery finish. Lovely, pure unfiltered Syrah ! 2010 La Rosine Syrah Vind de Pays, M&S Ogier d’Ampuis Rhône France 12.5% abv 34.50 Syrah grown in decomposed soils in vineyards located between Côte Rôtie and Condrieu the wine is produced by a small 6ha estate in the village of Ampuis, 2.5ha of which are in the Côte Rôtie appellation. The wine is aged in barrique for 12 months as opposed to 18 months for the domaine’s Côte Rôtie making it more approachable and a wine to be drunk in the first decade of its life. It is a medium bodied and elegant with notes of blackcurrant, liquorice and game. !! ! 2011 Gigondas AC Domaine Raspail-Ay Rhône France 14% abv 37.00 Dominique Ay destalks 100% and then gives the wine a long cuvaison before ageing for a couple of years in foudres and demi-muids. The wine consists of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre and is an exceptional Gigondas with real depth of smoky black forest fruits, very spicy with a hint of liquorice and promising savoury tannins. ! ! 2010 Crozes Hermitage Domaine Les Lises Maxime Graillot Rhône France 14% abv 37.00 Son of Alain, this latest releases from Maxime’s own vineyard ‘Les Lises’ compare very favourably with those from his father’s. It display an intensity and minerality with juiciness, freshness and poise. An extremely attractive Syrah displaying dense strawberry and blackberry fruit, which are underpinned by notes of seductive spice, hedgerow-fruit scents and flavours offset by supple tannins. Very approachable considering this wine will age extremely well ! ! 2009 Lirac Cuvée de la Reine des Bois Domaine de la Mordorée Rhône France 14%abv (organic) 41.00 An equal blend of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvedre from 40 year old vines aged in a combination of oak barrels, wooden tuns and stainless steel this is Christophe Delorme's super cuvée of Lirac which is vastly superior to any other in the appellation. Dense purple in colour with a massive fruit structure and rich tannins, nevertheless beautifully balanced and with a great future. Domaine de la Mordorée remains the reference point for how good Lirac can be. ! ! 47.00 ! ! 55.00 2009 St.Joseph Pierre Gonon Rhône France 14% abv 60-90 year old vines from the granite soils of Saint-Jean-de- Muzols provide a real backbone to this wine. The Gonons destalked 15% in 2007 and trod the grapes down twice a day during the fermentation in open top wooden vats. They have produced a perfect example of northern Rhône Syrah with black fruits, good depth and excellent structure. 2010 Côte Rôtie Patrick Jasmin Northern Rhône France 12.5% abv Patrick Jasmin’s Côte-Rôtie, which is from a traditional 95% Syrah – 5% Viognier blend, is raised for 18 months in 228 litre barriques and 590 litre demi-muids, a small proportion of which are new as older barrels are replaced on rotation.The Jasmin wines are noted for their velvety Burgundian texture and richesse. Typically, a bouquet of violets and stewed red fruits precedes a palate of darker Autumnal fruit with some cooler granitic notes over a framework of fine-grained tannins. ! THE CABERNETS & BLENDS ! ! 2011 Château du Champ des Treilles Sainte-Foy Bordeaux France 14%abv (organic) 31.50 Small 3 ha estate producing approachable and well made wine from 60 year old vines - luscious ripe black fruits with fine well integrated tannins made from 50% Merlot. 27% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon & 8% Petit verdot. Yields of 40 hl/ha are low for this area. ! ! ! ! 2013 Saumur Champigny Domaine Filliatreu Loire France 12.5% abv 32.00 Classic cool climate Cabernet franc with a summer berry bouquet and a grippy cassis & mulberry palate off-set by ripe, youthful tannins. 2010 Chinon AC ‘Clos du Noyer’ Domaine Grosbois Loire France 12.8% abv 37.00 Cabernet franc from 20 to 40 year old vines with a due south aspect right at the top of a gentle sloping river terrace near Panzoult, where the soil is made up of ‘millarge’ (a marine sediment). Meticulous viticulture (yields of only 30hl/ha) have given a wine with lush fruit (black/ red), supple and mineral on the palate with fine, well integrated tannins. ! ! 2002 Grosset ‘Gaia’ Clare Valley, S.Australia 14% abv 45.00 Classic Bordeaux style wine made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot from the wind swept Gaia Vineyard situated at an altitude of 570 metres in the Clare Valley, the highest in the region. The wine's overall impression is of power and concentration, restraint and balance, with ripe, rich blackcurrant and black plum flavours, subtle oak, smooth tannins and a really long, persistent finish. ! ! 2004 Domaine de Trévallon Coteaux des Baux Provence France 13% abv 70.00 Made from a blend of roughly equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that are grown organically and raised in barrel and vat for up to 2 years prior to bottling. This is how Clive Coates in the 2000 edition of his specialist wine magazine ‘The Vine’ describes this wine by Elois Durrbach - "Splendidly coloured. Impressively concentrated. Structured without being brutally solid. Balanced and complex. Those are the bare bones. And the flavours? Blackberry and blackcurrant, cedary and almost sweet in its richness, with an aspect of roasted wild Provençal herbs. It is a wine of the garrigues; it is a wine of uncompromising personality; and, like its origins, it is a wine of no half measures. There is danger here. There is excitement. There is passion.” Greenberry notes ‘Blimey!’ ! ! PUDDING WINE ! !! ! 2010 Montbazillac Domaine l”Ancienne Cure Montbazillac France 75ml glass 5.50 2006 Rivesaltes Rouge Caricia Domaine Gauby 75ml glass 6.00