‘A Loire Unto Themselves’ Click here

‘Let’s get Fizzical’ click here

The ‘Six of the Best’  click here

‘All White on the Night’ click here

‘Fab Four’  click here

From ‘A Land Down Under’  click here

‘The French Connection’ click here

‘Ten Green Bottles’ click here

Beer today – gone tomorrow!  click here

Download  our Christmas List of wines, spirits and gifts

‘The French Connection’ Case  - Discounted Price £85.00

We have selected four of our favourite southern French wines, all of which we think offer tremendous value for money.

3 bottles – Picpoul de Pinet ‘Duc de Mornay’

Picpoul is one of southern France’s star whites: crisp, dry but full of citrus fruit flavours. This one was rated equal top in Decanter Magazine’s Picpoul tasting last summer and is made by the famous Cave de l’Ormarine on the Lac de Thau.

3 bottles – Pasquiers Sauvignon /Vermentino

This Sauvignon Blanc has extra zip and richness given to it by the addition of one of the main white grapes of the Languedoc, the Vermentino. Aromatic and zingy, this is perfect summer drinking.

3 bottles – Bellefontaine Malbec

Although Argentina is now thought of as the home of Malbec, it has been grown in France for many hundreds of years. This delicious example from the Languedoc is unoaked and has masses of bright, blueberry fruit flavours.

3 bottles -  Pasquiers Grenache Noir

Unoaked, this stunning red made from the Grenache Noir has red berry fruit in abundance. Soft and so very easy to drink, this is one of our most popular summer reds that can even be chilled and drunk with chicken and fish dishes.
 

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‘The Italian Job’ Case - Discounted Price £89.50

3 bottles – Cantina di Negrar Garganega - Veneto

This is a wine I found on a buying trip to Italy two years ago. Made from the main grape of Soave, the Garganega, it has delicious citrus and white peach fruit flavours and has been hugely popular.

3 bottles – Dea del Mare Catarratto / Pinot Grigio - Sicily

This Sicilian white is made mainly from the Catarratto  – Sicily’s top white grape variety – which has a honeyed richness and is made by inspirational wine grower, Stefano Girelli.

3 bottles – Fedele Organic Red - Sicily

A new wine on our list this spring and a real find: packed with rich black cherry fruit, this organic red is made predominantly from the increasingly popular Nero d’Avola grape variety.

3 bottles -  Miopasso Primitivo - Puglia

An old favourite from the glorious Salento peninsular in the heel of Italy. Made by top winemaker, Stefano Chioccioli, this wine is laden with damson fruit and you can really taste the sunshine!
 

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‘Ten Green Bottles’ Case  - Discounted Price £75.00

All these wines are certified Organic and Vegan. Minimal amounts of sulphur are used in the wine making process and there is no use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in the vineyard.

2 bottles of Fedele Bianco  - Sicily

From Sicily, a superb well-balanced white that has a wonderful combination of peach and lemon fruit flavours. Made by the world-renowned winemaker, Stefano Chioccioli.

2 bottles of Running Duck Sauvignon/Chenin -  South Africa

This crisp, dry Fair Trade white is a blend of the Cape’s top two white grape varieties. Named after the Indian Running Ducks that they keep to eat the bugs in the vineyard.

2 bottles of Running Duck Rosé -  South Africa

A salmon-pink, dry and refreshing rosé from the famous Stellar Organics winery which is also Fair Trade. Delicious summer drinking. 

2 bottles of of Fedele Rosso  - Sicily

Made mainly from Sicily’s Nero d’Avola grape, this delicious rich red has a wonderful purity of damson fruit flavours, unadulterated by chemicals or pesticides.

2 bottles of Running Duck Shiraz – South Africa

 From the Stellar Organics winery in the Vredendal wine region, some four hours north of Cape Town, comes this smooth red which has pure blackberry fruit on the palate.

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A Case from ‘A Land Down Under’  - Discounted Price £79.50

3 bottles – Dry River Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio loves the sun and it is a wine that should – like this one -  have a rich melon fruit flavours and a good colour – something many examples lack.

3 bottles – Andrew Peace ‘Gold Reserve’ Chardonnay

This special offer Chardonnay has been incredibly popular since we bought a large amount in at the end of last year. Full of rich tropical fruit flavours, it comes from the highly regarded Peace family 180 hectare wine estate.

3 bottles – Dry River Shiraz

Smooth and rich on the palate with spicy flavours of luscious dark berry fruits, Dry River Shiraz comes from South East Australia and has the balanced tannins that help to deliver a tremendously concentrated finish.

3 bottles -  De Bortoli ‘Deen Vat’ Durif

A stunning, blockbuster red from the De Bortoli family in the Riverina. Packed with rich damson fruit, this wine from the Durif (Petit Sirah) is always a huge success in our tastings as tasters are blown away by the sheer depth of flavour.
 

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‘Get Carter’ Chilean Case - Discounted Price £79.50

We have been shipping for over 20 years the superb wines from this old estate owned by the del Pedregal family since 1825 in the Loncomilla Valley in Chile.  www.delpedregalwines.com

3 bottles – Carta Vieja Sauvignon Blanc

This is the best value Sauvignon on our list. Packed with delicious gooseberry fruit flavours, it comes from a top family-owned vineyard in the Maule Valley – the perfect aperitif.

2 bottles – Carta Vieja Chardonnay

From vineyards in the Loncomilla Valley, this gold medal winning, unoaked Chardonnay has delicious pear and peach fruit on the palate with good balancing acidity.

2 bottles – Carta Vieja Gewürztraminer Reserva

From the family’s Potrero Grande Estate, this elegantly balanced Gewürztraminer has fine lychee fruit on the palate but is not too ‘in your face’. Perfect with oriental cuisine.

3 bottles -  Carta Vieja Merlot

This incredibly popular Chilean Merlot has rich red cherry and plum fruit on the palate. Unoaked, it has soft tannins that create a really well-balanced wine.

2 bottles -  Carta Vieja Cabernet Sauvignon

Packed with blackberry and damson fruit flavours, this un-wooded red made from the great grape of Bordeaux has a hint of sweet chocolate and mocha on the finish.
 

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The ‘Out of Africa’ Case - Discounted Price £79.50

 
3 bottles – Dudley’s Stone Chenin Blanc

The Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s signature white grape – first introduced there as long ago as 1655. Grown by the famous Lutzville Winery, 200 miles north of Cape Town, it has lovely apple fruit and a crisp dry finish.

3 bottles – Cape Heights Viognier

The Viognier is famous for its aromatic wines in the Rhône Valley.  This gold-medal winning wine from the Worcester region – north-east of Cape Town - , is dry with delicious stone fruit flavours.

3 bottles -  Cape Heights Pinotage

The Pinotage is South Africa’s signature red grape – a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault. This deliciously fruity and vibrant red from Swartland, shows how good the grape can be when well made.

3 bottles -  Running Duck Fair Trade Organic Merlot

From Stellar Organics wonderful vineyards in Vredendal on the North West coast, this delectable unoaked Merlot has rich blackberry fruit flavours. Named after the Indian Running Ducks that they keep to eat the bugs in the vineyard.

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The ‘Fab Four’ Case - Discounted Price £79.50

Over the last few years, four grapes have become the most popular in this country – Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio for white and Merlot and Malbec for red.

We couldn’t resist putting together a mixed case of our favourites!

3 bottles – Round Stone Bay Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand

A classic Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc from the famous Marlborough wine region at the north of the South Island. Packed with typical gooseberry and elderflower fruit, this is delicious both on its own or with seafood.

3 bottles – Matra Hills Pinot Grigio  - Hungary

This is our best-selling Pinot Grigio and comes from the beautiful Matra Hills in Hungary. It has wonderful greengage fruit and has more depth of flavour than many examples from Northern Italy.

3 bottles -  Tierra del Rey Merlot - Chile

This incredibly popular Chilean Merlot has rich red cherry and plum fruit on the palate. Unoaked, it has soft tannins that create a really well-balanced wine.

3 bottles -  Finca Vista Malbec - Argentina

This gorgeous unoaked Malbec from Argentina’s leading wine region, the Mendoza Valley, has stunning blueberry fruit on the palate – delicious with food or just slurped!
 

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The ‘Simply Red’ Case - Discounted Price £82.50

A case of four different, unoaked reds that are soft and perfect summer drinking. All four have screw caps for ease of access! 

3 bottles – Rioja Monte Haro – Spain

Made from the Tempranillo grape, this is a fine Rioja from the famous Bodega Paternina in the Rioja Alta. It has soft red berry fruit on the palate and is extremely drinkable on its own or with food.

3 bottles – Cantina di Negrar Corvina  - Italy

Corvina is the main and best grape that goes into the blend of Valpolicella and this excellent red from the illustrious Cantina di Negrar firm close to Lake Garda is packed with delicious cherry fruit flavour.

3 bottles -  Carta Vieja Cabernet Sauvignon - Chile

From the Del Pedregal family’s estates in the Loncomilla Valley, this rich Cabernet has fine blackcurrant fruit on the palate. Unoaked, it has soft tannins that create a really well-balanced wine.

 3 bottles -  Pasquiers Grenache Noir - France

This is one of our favourite wines: a gentle Grenache from the South of France. A lighter red in colour but packed with superb red berry fruit on the palate. Delicious chilled!

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The ‘Viva Espana’ Case - Discounted Price £79.50
 

This week we have three delicious new wines that have just arrived from Campo de Borja in north-east Spain. The basic case has  4 bottles of  red,  4 of white and 4 of rosé but feel free to change quantities to suit your palate!

4 bottles – Borsao Clasico Garnacha - Tinto

Over to: Decanter Magazine March 2020 ‘Year in, year out, one of the best-value reds around – a classic, no-fuss, fruit-forward Garnacha with tumble-out-the-glass, vivid brambly fruit, a touch of dried plum and smooth supple tannins.’

4 bottles – Borsao Clasico Macabeo - Blanco

This wine has delicious peach and citrus fruit flavours and comes from 100% Macabeo grapes grown in the foothills of the beautiful Moncayo mountains in north-eastern Spain where the cooling Cierzo wind allows the grapes to retain the acidity and freshness they need. Very, very drinkable!

4 bottles – Borsao Clasico Garnacha - Rosado

Campo de Borja is often referred to as ‘The Kingdom of Garnacha’ and this applies to rosé wines as well as red. This stunning dry rosé is made from 100% Garnacha that has been left on the skins for 6 hours to pick up its delicate colour and gives it its utterly beguiling red cherry fruit flavour.

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The ‘Six of the Best’ Case   -   Discounted Price £79.50
 

1 bottle – Chablis 1er Cru ‘Vaillons’ 2015 – France

We ship this stunning wine from the immaculate cellars of the ‘Caves La Chablisienne’ – the region’s leading cooperative. ‘Vaillons’ is a vineyard just south-west of the village of Chablis and one of the most famous of the 1er crus. Made from 25 year old vines, this unoaked white burgundy is kept on its lees for a year to develop a really complex and elegant balance of citrus fruit and fine acidity.

1 bottle – Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc  2018 – New Zealand

This is our absolute favourite Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc. From one of the few family-owned single vineyards, it comes from the Brancott Valley in Marlborough and is made from the free run juice of the Sauvignon Blanc with partial barrel fermentation to add depth of flavour. 94/100 Bob Campbell MW ‘Concentrated Sauvignon with grapefruit, guava, passionfruit, pineapple, toast and a hint of brioche flavours’.

1 bottle – Jordan Wines Chenin Blanc 2015 – South Africa

I have never been to a more beautiful winery in the world than Jordan, set as it is at the western end of the Stellenbosch Kloof. Inspirational husband and wife winemaking team, Gary and Kathy Jordan, who have both done tastings for us at the warehouse and have been making word class wines since 1983. Their Chenin Blanc has fabulous richness after being barrel-fermented then aged on its lees for 8 months.

1 bottle – Bodega Navajas Reserva 2013 - Spain

This wine comes from a family-owned estate in the village of Navarette just outside Haro in the Rioja Alta. Aged in American oak casks for 20 months, prior to a further 2 years bottle ageing, this is benchmark Rioja. A blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo (Carignan), this wine has deep damson fruit on the bouquet, a lovely soft vanilla finish, and opens up beguilingly in the glass as the second bottle beckons!

1 bottle – Chianti Classico Riserva 2016 - Italy

Made from 100% Sangiovese by Stefano Chioccioli – one of the few winemakers in the world to have received a 100pt Robert Parker score – this concentrated Tuscan red with fine black cherry fruit has been aged in Slavonian oak for 12 months prior to bottling. Perfect with cheese and game as well as pasta, of course!

1 bottle – Las Acequias Malbec 2015 - Argentina

The Correas family have been making wine in Argentina since 1860, and this excellent red has lots of blueberry fruit, followed by smooth tannins, hints of vanilla from the oak and lots of rich, complex and spiced fruit with a very long finish.  Made from grapes grown in the Don Angelino Estate in the High Madrano in Mendoza from 85 year old vines which give a low but intense yield.

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Beer today – gone tomorrow!  Case Discounted  Price £26.00
 

We are big fans of our award-winning local Lymestone Brewery and we have put together a special case of their delicious, thirst-quenching lighter beers for you to enjoy over the summer. Master brewer, ‘Bradders’ Bradshaw uses only the finest malts to create deliciously moreish ales.

3  x 500cl bottles of the 4 glorious golden ales below:

 Stone Cutter 3.7%   -   Stone Faced 4%   -  Foundation Stone  IPA  4.5%   -   Einstein  5%

“Whoever drinks beer, he is quick to sleep; whoever sleeps long, does not sin;

whoever does not sin, enters Heaven. Thus, let us drink beer!”

Martin Luther

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plus 2 Riedel ‘Spiegelau’ champagne flutes free of charge (RRP £12) – while stocks last!

2 bottles – Champagne Autréau-Lasnot – France

www.champagne-autreau-lasnot.com

We have been shipping from this excellent small grower with 15 hectares of vineyards in the Marne Valley for over ten years. This ‘Cuvée de Rèserve’ Brut is beguilingly soft and all the grapes are sourced from the family’s vineyards around the village of Venteuil – proper champagne indeed.

2 bottles – Crèmant de Bourgogne ‘Les Caves Bailly Lapierre’ – France

www.bailly-lapierre.com

Another absolute favourite: made from champagne grapes and by the champagne method, it is only the fact that the vineyards are in Auxerre, some 40 miles south of the actual champagne region, that it can’t call itself champagne. The bottles are perfectly aged in 10 acres of cool, vast, subterranean vaults cut into the limestone cliffs.

2 bottles – Cava Castillo Perelada Rosado – Spain

www.perelada.com

Our favourite pink fizz – chosen in 2006 from nearly 200 samples as the official wedding wine of the King of Spain. Dry but packed with red berry fruit, it is so, so drinkable. We would have had it at our daughter’s wedding in May, but it will now be next April! They also do an excellent white at the same price so if you are not a pink lover, we can swap.

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To balance our ‘Simply Red’ case – 12 bottles of our favourite white wines

3 bottles – Round Stone Bay Sauvignon Blanc – New Zealand

A classic Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc from the famous Marlborough wine region at the north of the South Island. Packed with typical gooseberry and elderflower fruit, this is delicious both on its own or with seafood.

3 bottles – Principato Pinot Grigio – Italy

An excellent fresh, characterful and appealing Pinot Grigio from the Provincia di Pavia region south of Milan. It is made by the renowned Cavit co-operative in the mountainous Trentino region of north-east Italy.

3 bottles – Andrew Peace Chardonnay – Australia

This special offer Chardonnay has been incredibly popular since we bought a large amount in at the end of last year. Full of rich tropical fruit flavours, it comes from the highly regarded Peace family 180 hectare wine estate.

3 bottles – Dudley’s Stone Chenin Blanc – South Africa

The Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely planted white grape – first introduced there as long ago as 1655. This wine is grown by the famous Lutzville Winery, 200 miles north of Cape Town, and it has lovely apple fruit and a crisp dry finish.

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www.guyallion.com

Domaine Guy Allion is located in the village of Thessee-La-Romaine, close to the famous Château of Chenonceaux that straddles the river Cher just before its confluence with the Loire. Cédric is the 4th generation of the Allion family to make wine at the domaine and he does so according to the organic ‘Terra Vitis’ programme. We think that his wines are some of the most delicious that we have ever tasted with an astonishing purity of fruit and real complexity.

2 bottles – Guy Allion Sauvignon Blanc de Touraine

A superb Sauvignon Blanc that has typical gooseberry and elderflower fruit but with the balancing acidity that shows why the central Loire valley is the source of the greatest Sauvignons in the world. The 2019 is elegant, with fine acidity to balance the herbaceous fruit.  This is Cédric’s best-selling wine and deservedly so – we absolutely love it!

1 bottle – Chenonceaux Blanc 2017

This is a more complex Sauvignon grown on the best slopes close to the river where the limestone ‘perruches’ soil gives the wine extra depth and allows it to age longer after having been kept on its fine lees for a year prior to bottling and thus developing an almost tropical fruit flavour.

2 bottles – Les Parcs Pinot Noir 2018

 This has to be our best value Pinot Noir in terms of the sumptuous raspberry and cherry fruit flavours that explode in the mouth. Made from 45 year old vines and aged in oak for 9 months, it has a wonderful finesse and length that no red Burgundy I have ever tasted in this price range has achieved.

2 bottles – Les Quatres Pierres Cabernet Franc  2018

 Made from 50 year old vines, Cédric’s Cabernet Franc is a delight with deliciously perfumed, raspberry and blackcurrant flavours in the mouth. It is the main red grape of the Loire Valley and while frequently found in blends – in Bordeaux, for instance, it is the Prince to Cabernet’s King and Merlot’s Queen – it can be magnificent on its own. Here, it has been aged in large oak vats for 9 months to develop complexity and vanilla smoothness. If you haven’t tried a single grape Cab Franc before, then you are in for a treat!

1 bottle – Chenonceaux Rouge 2016

 This wine is made from an unoaked blend of 50% Malbec (or Cot as it is called in the Loire) and 50% Cabernet Franc. Again it is only grown on the best south-west facing slopes and it has restricted yields producing a wonderfully rich and complex red with serious length of smooth blueberry fruit on the palate and a gentle hint of spice on the finish.

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www.bodegasnavajas.com

Situated in the village of Navarette just outside Haro in the Rioja Alta, the Navajas family have been making benchmark Rioja since 1918. The family own 30 hectares of their own vineyards but also buy grapes in from neighbouring vineyards but with strict control over the way the vines are grown and harvested – their attention to detail in all stages of the winemaking process sets them apart from most other growers. Red Rioja is all about oak-aging and the wines below take you on a delicious voyage through the evolving styles.

2 bottles – Navajas Blanco 2019

We have just shipped, for the first time, this delicious dry white made from 100% Viura grapes grown in 25-year-old vineyards close to the bodega. Unoaked, it has elegant citrus fruit flavours and refreshing crisp acidity on the palate. Bring on the seafood…..

2 bottles – Navajas Tinto Joven 2018

 A blend of 95% Tempranillo and 5% Mazuelo (Carignan) grapes, this is essentially an unoaked Rioja but Antonio blends a proportion of the oak aged wine in with it to give it a more classical Rioja style. Packed with red berry fruit, it is a wine that punches above its weight.

2 bottles – Navajas Crianza 2015

 A similar blend to the above but from older vines where the grapes are hand-picked. After fermentation the wine is fined then poured into French and American 225 litre oak  barrels where it is kept for a minimum of 12 months (the legal minimum for a crianza wine) before being bottled and then kept a further year in the bodega cellar before being released onto the market. I always think that this is the benchmark Rioja with its delicious morello cherry fruit and smooth vanilla oak finish – delicious!

 2 bottles – Navajas Reserva 2013

 Again a similar blend of grapes, but this time from the oldest, lowest-yielding vineyards. The wine is aged for 24 months in French and American oak barrels before spending a similar length in bottle at the bodega. The longer it spends in oak, the softer and more complex the wine becomes with hints of spice and dried plum fruit on the finish: this is a very fine example indeed.