A round up of our recent press mentions in the UK press and reviewer’s blogs.
Benefit from our case price discount in red by buying a 12 bottles of the same wine or mix your favourite ones.
SEPTEMBER
Priorat reds: Panel tasting results, Pedro Ballesteros Torres, 25/09/2019:
2016 PLAER Priorat Ritme Celler
SOLD OUT £27.50 | £24.50
Review:‘Finely grained, dense, with well-knitted tannins and lovely fruit, nice identity. Succulent black fruits, with notes of fresh herbs.
Rating: 91 | Drinking Window 2019 – 2024.’
2015 ETERN Priorat Ritme Celler
£46.95 | £42.50
Review:‘Interesting nose of herbs and balsam, with hints of tobacco. Richly textured with a fine-grained tannin and bright freshness.
Rating: 92 | Drinking Window 2019 – 2024’.
Country Life, Why you need to persevere with drinking Barbaresco, the wine which will make you ‘more and more fascinated by its nuances’ as you do, Harry Eyres, 20/09/2019:
2018 LANGHE NEBBIOLO Sottimano
£22.95 | £20.95
Review:‘Sottimano’s Langhe Nebbiolo 2018 is, in effect, a baby Barbaresco, with enticing violet aromas and a hint of dark chocolate.’
2012 BARBARESCO Cotta’ Sottimano
£48.75 | £43.50
Review:‘Among Sottimano’s ‘crus’, 2012 Barbaresco Cottá has great delicacy and finesse on the nose, but backs that up with exceptional length and a beautiful finish.’
2012 BARBARESCO Pajoré Sottimano
£48.75 | £43.50
Review:‘By contrast, 2012 Barbaresco Pajoré is full, rich, spicy and warm.’
2015 BARBARESCO Serraboella Cigliuti
£52.95 | £47.50
Review:‘Barbaresco Serraboella is the flagship wine of the Fratelli Cigliuti estate and the 2015 has bright colour, more obvious fruit (cherry and plum) than you sometimes get from Nebbiolo and richness, but also a real spring in its step.’
The Telegraph, The best sweet wines to serve with autumnal apple desserts , Susy Atkins, 20/09/2019:
CAMPBELLS Rutherglen Muscat
£12.50 | £11.75
Review:‘Fortified muscat rendered deep in amber colour, and packed with raisins, figs, caramel and toasted nuts. Rich and weighty in texture; pour with caramelised apples, toffee apple desserts, or pears served with chocolate sauce.’
The Guardian, Wine: think pink one last time, Fiona Beckett, 20/09/2019:
2018 BANDOL Rosé Domaine Tempier
£14.95 (Half-bottles of 37.5cl) | £13.75 (In a case of 24)
Review:‘Bandol is, in my opinion, the most interesting of the Provence rosé appellations, and is perfectly suited to this time of year.’
The Guardian, The great 1970s wine revival, David Williams, 17/09/2019:
LAMBRUSCO Classico Monte delle Vigne
£12.75 | £11.50
Review: ‘There is still plenty of pallid soda-pop-like lambrusco (and, indeed, its perry-based imitator, lambrini) around. But this is the real thing: an intensely dark cherry-fruited sparkling red with salami-matching grip, and a moreish tangy dry finish.’
The Independent, Wines of the week: 10 bottles from the Loire region, Terry Kerby, 14/09/2019:
CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Brut Domaine des Hauts Perrays
£15.95 | £14.50
Review: ‘The Domaine Des Hauts Perrays Cremant du Loire comes from the Coteaux du Layon area of Anjou and is made from mainly chenin blanc grapes with small amounts of chardonnay and cabernet franc, with toasty flavours of apple and whiff of spice and honey.’
The Times, Beaujolais is back: the best new-era wines to buy, Jane Mcquitty, 14/09/2019:
2017 RÉGNIÉ Cuvée des Braves Domaine Rochette
£15.95 | £14.50
Review: ‘Sour cherry and vibrant, red berry-fruited cru beaujolais from one of my favourite estates.’
Life Spectator, Wines of the week: try a Chilean red from a renowned winemaker, Jonathan Ray, 06/09/2019:
2017 DRY FURMINT Disznókő
£13.95 | £12.95
Review: ‘Furmint is used to make the great sweet wines of Tokaj, Hungary’s greatest gift to the world. Recently, however, thanks to sweet wines not being as popular as they darn well should be, winemakers have been making dry wines with huge success. Indeed, dry Furmint is all the rage and this is as fine example as you’ll find, with hints of peach and apple and a long, tasty, mineral finish.’
The Guardian, Star attractions from Portugal’s Alentejo region, David Williams, 01/09/2019:
2018 TERRA D’ALTER BRANCO Terras d’Alter
£8.95 | £8.50
Review: ‘Fellow Aussie Peter Bright is fashioning appropriately bright-fruited wines, such as the crisply easy-drinking, tropical fruit salad of Terra d’Alter Branco 2018.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: the best 12 bottles to buy in September, Will Lyons, 01/09/2019:
CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Brut Domaine des Hauts Perrays
£13.95 | £12.95
Review: ‘This Crémant de Loire is so good it’s hard to justify paying more for sparkling wine. Made from chenin blanc grapes, it’s honeyed and crisp, with notes of brioche and ripe apple.’
AUGUST
The Times, The last of the summer rosés, Jane MacQuitty, 31/08/2019:
2018 SANCERRE Rosé Chavignol Domaine Vincent Delaporte
£21.75 | £19.50
Review: ‘A top pink sancerre that is all heady herbaceous rosehip elegance.’
The Telegraph, Why cabernet franc is the next big thing in Loire wines – and which ones to buy, Victoria Moore, 30/08/2019:
2017 BOURGUEIL La Coudraye Domaine Yannick Amirault
£16.95 | £14.95
Review: ‘Yannick Amirault began his own domaine when he took over his grandfather’s vineyards in the 70s. He’s added parcels since, and now works the land with his son. This is a beautiful expression of cabernet franc – all about the outdoors, with a hint of forest floor, woodland, brambles, redcurrant leaves and cool earth. Spot on.’
The Guardian, Roussanne for the rest of us, David Williams, 25/08/2019:
2018 RUSTENBERG Roussanne
SOLD OUT (2019 vintage available instead)
Review: ‘ Rustenberg Roussanne, Stellenbosch 2018 is heady with peaches-and-cream; Miles Mossop’s Introduction is brisker and brighter, but still with that caressing, roast chicken-ready roussanne oiliness and late summer stone-fruitiness.’
Decanter, Old vines in Latin America: The gift of time, Tim Atkin MW, 22/08/2019:
2016 CHACRA ’32’ PINOT NOIR Bodega Chacra
£73.50 | £65.95
Review: ‘These are the oldest vines at Chacra, planted on clay and limestone soils. Fresh and ethereal; enticing rose petal and summer berry notes, understated oak and a crunchy finish. Drinking Window 2019 – 2027’
The Guardian, A longing for Languedoc, David Williams, 18/08/2019:
2018 VERMENTINO Domaine les Yeuses
£8.95 | £7.95
Review: ‘The Languedoc may not be on top of your list of go-to places for refreshing white wine. It never used to be on mine, either: the sun-baked Midi’s winemaking hub is largely red wine country (about three-quarters of the grapes grown are red) and its spicy red blends are some of the best value wines in the world. But too many of the whites seemed rather flat and lifeless – especially during the years when the Languedoc’s only answer to the challenge of New World wines was to take advantage of the looser rules and regulations of the IGP (formerly Vin de) Pays d’Oc appellation to imitate Australia or California. Things are rather more interesting now, and this summer I’ve been enjoying the style (and it has to be said, price) of a number of Languedoc whites, not least Domaine Les Yeuses’ super lively lemony take on Mediterranean grape, vermentino.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: Will Lyons strikes gold in Italy’s underrated Soave region, Will Lyons, 18/08/2019:
2018 SOAVE CLASSICO Montesei Le Battistelle
£13.50 | £11.95
Review: ‘Here’s a superb Soave to enjoy with a lingering summer lunch. Whistle-clean, this Classico has notes of citrus, white fruit and herbs. It finishes with a surprising intensity and delivers a long, refreshing aftertaste. Pretty label, too.’
The Telegraph, How to choose a good supermarket wine on holiday, Victoria Moore, 16/08/2019:
2015 MOULIN À VENT Vieilles Vignes Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair, Beaujolais
SOLD OUT (2016 vintage available instead)
Review: ‘A cut-price chance to try wine from Burgundy-based grower Thibault Liger-Belair’s project in Beaujolais. This is notably sumptuous and polished (and, coming from a warm vintage, high-ish in alcohol) yet also expresses a pleasing sense of place.’
Affinity Magazine, Coming Up Rosé, 14/08/2019:
2018 MiP* Classic Rosé Made in Provence
£14.95 | £13.50
Review: ‘MBlossomy floral notes, citrus and red fruit make this a delicate, refreshing and moreish wine that beautifully compliments Provençal-style cuisine and grilled Mediterranean seafood. On a summer evening it is equally delicious as an apéritif whilst catching up with friends!’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: are you a wine snob?, Will Lyons, 11/08/2019:
2016 THE 1902 ZINFANDEL Michael Klouda Wines
£22.95 | £20.75
Review: ‘Zinfandel earned itself a bad name in California for being overproduced and planted in the wrong spots, resulting in pretty ordinary wines. A few producers are reversing this trend, not least Klouda. His 1902 is full-bodied, blackberry and vanilla to the fore.’
Decanter, Global Blanc de Blancs: Panel tasting results, Simon Field MW, 08/08/2019:
2011 WISTON ESTATE Blanc de Blancs Brut
£42.50 | £39.95
Review: ‘Located on the South-facing chalk slopes of the South Downs, Wiston Estate has been owned and farmed by the Goring family since 1743. The estate’s winemaking origins began in 2006, when Harry and Pip Goring planted 16 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier vines, before joining with acclaimed winemaker Dermot Sugrue. The grapes for the 2011 Blancs de Blancs are sourced from the steepest, chalkiest parts of the Wiston vineyards, on a soil reminiscent of Champagne’s renowned Côte des Blancs.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: a dozen beautiful bottles for high summer, Will Lyons, 04/08/2019:
2018 GRENACHE-CINSAULT Rosé Domaine Saint Félix
£8.50 | £7.95
Review: ‘An excellent Languedoc rosé for less than £10, this is medium-bodied with a light pink blush. A generous fruity attack is followed by zingy spice, then the finish is long and refreshing.’
Decanter, Etna: A rising force, Stephen Brook, 04/08/2019:
2016 ETNA ROSSO IGT SICILIA Alberelli di Giodo
£56.95 | £50.95
Review: ‘Carlo Ferrini, one of the best-known consultant winemakers in Italy, puts his reputation on the line to produce this red from just 1ha of old bush vines. Fortunately this, his first vintage here, has all the aromatic delicacy and finesse one could hope for. The attack is lean but stylish, with a robust mid-palate. Intense and linear, it has ample structure and length. Drinking Window 2019 – 2028’
Joannasimon.com, Round the world in rosés in 2019, Joanna Simon, 02/08/2019:
2018 BANDOL Rosé Domaine Tempier
£28.95 | £25.95
Review: ‘Sophisticated, pale, dry Mourvèdre-blend from the Provence appellation of Bandol. Medium-bodied and silky textured with spicy strawberry and blackcurrant flavours, herbal freshness and a long finish. 13%.’
JULY
Spectator Life, The best wines to bring back from Europe, Henry Jeffreys, 30/07/2019:
CRÉMANT DE LOIRE Brut Domaine des Hauts Perrays
£13.95 | £12.95
Review: ‘The often superb sparkling wines of the Loire are rather unsung which makes them exceptional value for money. This blend of chenin blanc, chardonnay and cabernet franc offers mouth-watering green apples, lemon peel and a little honey, all wrapped up in the most delightfully gentle fizz.’
The Guardian, Pinot noirs from New Zealand, David Williams, 28/07/2019:
2014 RIPPON ‘Rippon’ Mature Vine Pinot Noir
£39.95 | £36.50
Review: ‘If you prefer more wild herbiness (but still with that NZ clear-sky freshness) then Central Otago is the place to go. Those characters […] reach a peak of complexity in the Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir 2014.’
Decanter, Amphora wines: The joy of clay, Simon Woolf, 25/07/2019:
2016 RIOJA Camino de Santa Cruz Sierra de Toloño
SOLD OUT (2017 vintage available instead)
Review: ‘Serious Rioja doesn’t just have to mean vanilla and toasted oak. This single-vineyard Alavesa offering from winemaker Sandra Bravo was fermented in amphora before being aged in used barrels. On the palate it’s thrillingly spicy and tannic, but so pure-fruited. The herbal character reminds me of Georgia’s traditional gvevri reds.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: beaujolais selection, Will Lyons, 21/07/2019:
2017 RÉGNIÉ Cuvée des Braves Domaine Rochette
£15.95 | £14.50
Review: ‘Rich and smooth, with a moreish silky mouthfeel, this is a top-class example from the ‘Rochette family in Régnié. The grapes are yielded from 50-year-old vines, producing an intense wine packed with dark fruit flavour.’
The Times, THE WEEK’S BEST BUYS, Jane MacQuitty, 20/07/2019:
2017 CANTERBURY Pinot Noir The Crater Rim
£14.95 | £13.50
Review: ‘Nab this great Kiwi pinot, a lush, cranberry, truffle-scented, French oak barrique-aged ’17.’
Joannasimon.com, WINE OF THE WEEK: Domaine Yannick Amirault Bourgueil La Coudraye 2017, Bourgueil, Franc, Joanna Simon, 11/07/2019:
2017 BOURGUEIL La Coudraye Domaine Yannick Amirault
£16.95 | £14.95
Review: ‘Yannick Amirault’s Bourgueil La Coudraye is a textbook example of crunchy blackcurrant and currant-leaf freshness with a streak of spice and minerally graphite flavours.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: the best value summer party bottles, Will Lyons, 07/07/2019:
2018 BANDOL Rosé Domaine Tempier
£28.95 | £25.95
Review: ‘Tempier is better known for its deep reds made on steep vineyards in Provence, but it also produces a jolly good rosé. It is bone dry, with pleasing red fruit and a lovely aftertaste.’
The Times, The 100 best wines for summer 2019, Jane MacQuitty, 06/07/2019:
2017 RÉGNIÉ Cuvée des Braves Domaine Rochette
£15.95 | £14.50
Review: ‘Domaine Rochette’s beautiful beaujolais, made from 70-year-old vines grown in the Côte des Braves, one of the best sites in Régnié, has lashings of rich, velvety, sweet red berry and cherry fruit.’
The Telegraph, Best bottles under £50: why the wines of ‘No Man’s Land’ offer bang for your buck, Victoria Moore, 04/07/2019:
2014 VOLNAY Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot
SOLD OUT (Vintage 2015 instead)
Review: ‘Richer and more spicy than you might imagine, all redcurrants, black cherries and rosewood, with a good flow.’
JUNE
matthewjukes.com, Six delicious wines this week, matched to MOB Veggie dishes in the cookery pages of Weekend Magazine, Matthew Jukes, 22/06/2019:
2018 GODELLO Maga Karma do Sil
£13.95 | £12.50
Review: ‘Godello is a mesmerising Spanish white grape from the north-western corner of the country. Juicy, perfumed, slightly-tropical but dry and fine, this is a curiously hypnotic grape and Maga is a simply stunning example. I cannot recommend this wine enough and I gave it a massive 18/20 score in my notes.’
matthewjukes.com, Three rosés this week and a retro German Riesling, too, among others!, Matthew Jukes, 15/06/2019:
2018 TM ROSÉ Rosato Tenuta Monteti
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘ This is my favourite Italian rosé of the year and it comes from a mightily famous property in southern Tuscany. Feast your eyes on the scintillating design and then imagine that it tastes every bit as delicate and alluring as it looks with the Seared Scallops with Serrano ham!.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: the bottles that pass Will Lyons’s acid test, Will Lyons, 09/06/2019:
2015 MUSCADET SÈVRE ET MAINE Vieilles Vignes Sur Lie Domaine Bruno Cormerais
SOLD OUT (2016 vintage available instead)
Review: ‘A fine example from Sèvre et Maine of a new-wave Muscadet. First impressions are of a wonderfully intense, pure wine, packed with personality and with a long, powerful, herbal finish.’
The Times, The best rosé wines for summer, Jane MacQuitty, 08/06/2019:
2018 MiP* Classic Rosé Made in Provence
£14.95 | £13.50
Review: ‘MiP (Made in Provence) sells out every summer, so nab this palest salmon-pink, syrah-spiked 2018 now.’
The Telegraph, 50 best wines for the summer, picked by Victoria Moore, Victoria Moore, 07/06/2019:
2016 SAVENNIÈRES Clos de la Coulaine Château de Pierre Bise
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Drinking Savennières is a niche pursuit but this is excellent chenin blanc from a good vintage. With acidity that flashes like a sharp steel blade, and notes of honey, cheese rind, dried grass and soft fruits, it’s good with fatty roast pork or fish pie.’
2018 GARNACHA Bodegas y Viñedos Monfil
£8.50 | £7.95
Review: ‘Bright as a strawberry coulis, uplifting to smell, and sleek and juicy rather than drying and herbal. This bright and summery red is made by a family company in Aragon in north-eastern Spain.’
2017 GAUDOU ‘EXCEPTION’ MALBEC Fabrice Durou
SOLD OUT (2018 vintage instead)
Review: ‘Made from a plot of 40-year old vines growing within the Cahors appellation, but the growers choose to declassify to give them the freedom to garden and wine make as they please. Proper wine, redolent
of earth, damsons
and violets.’
2017 BOURGUEIL La Coudraye Domaine Yannick Amirault
£16.95 | £14.75
Review: ‘If you are a cabernet franc fan looking for a (big) step up from the Saumur above then try this wonderful Bourgueil from a very highly rated grower. It’s all here – the redcurrants, scent of cool earth and woodland undergrowth.’
2016 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO Ginestreto Fuligni
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘I don’t really want you to buy this because I don’t want this incredibly poised and perfectly on-song vintage to run out. This atmospheric rosso has the scent of old sideboards, dried cherries, dust and tobacco. It’s a dream of a Tuscan wine that will turn chargrilled bread and oil, or porchetta, or pasta amatriciana into a feast.’
2013 NEBBIOLO Heathcote The Hairy Arm
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Steven Worley was a geologist before he turned to oenology, making small batches of wine from carefully selected sites. His nebbiolo is a brilliant iteration of the barolo grape – recognisable for its roses and tar, but with a sweetness and warmth. It’s the (more fruity) 2015 that’s available online but the 2013 is tasting better right now.’
COATES & SEELY Rosé Brut Britagne
£31.75 | £29.50
Review: ‘This sophisticated pink fizz has emerged as one of England’s finest. Its tantalising aromas of ripe raspberries, redcurrants and biscuits lead to a racy but delicate sparkling wine.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: the best bottles for summer drinking, Will Lyons, 02/07/2019:
2018 MiP* COLLECTION Premium Rosé
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Made in Provence (MiP) has long been a favourite of Lea & Sandeman’s customer base and is well worth sharing. It’s finely balanced, with raspberry and peach on the palate.’
matthewjukes.com, Six delicious wines from as little as a fiver this week!, Matthew Jukes, 01/06/2019:
2018 ARTUKE RIOJA Bodegas y Viñedos Artuke
£11.95 | £10.75
Review: ‘ I spotted Artuke last year and it has further raised it game in the 2018 vintage. Bursting with fruit, this is a delicious, modern Rioja with masses damson-soaked energy and a lick of cinnamon spice. It’s a perfect match for the Beef fillet tournedos.’
MAY
The Sunday Times, Wine review: the war of the best rosés, Will Lyons, 26/05/2019:
2018 TM ROSÉ Rosato Tenuta Monteti
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Break out of your rosé rut this summer and nab this lemon-zest and zingy morello cherry-edged, merlot-led Italian.’
The Times, The best rosé wines — no, it’s not too early, Jane Mcquitty, 25/05/2019:
2018 TM ROSÉ Rosato Tenuta Monteti
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘When I first tasted this Tuscan wine, I thought it could be my rosé of the summer. I haven’t changed my mind. It’s a delicious blend of 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc: crisp, dry and full of feisty Italian personality.’
The Sunday Times, Wine review: affordable bottles from Bordeaux, Will Lyons, 19/05/2019:
2017 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT LES PIERRIÈRES Blaye
SOLD OUT (2018 vintage available instead)
Review: ‘Snap up the 2017 as the producers will be moving on to the 2018 soon. This blend of sauvignon and sémillon from the Blaye subdistrict punches above its price, stimulating the senses with creamy oak, gooseberry and tangy citrus.’
The Times, Spanish wine: more than just rioja, Jane Mcquitty, 18/05/2019:
2016 AUTÒCTON BLANC Autòcton Celler
£15.95 | £14.50
Review: ‘Stunning, ripe, floral, stone-fruit scented white.’
The Telegraph, The 20 best rosé wines for summer, from Provence and beyond, Victoria Moore, 17/05/2019:
2018 GRENACHE-CINSAULT Rosé Domaine Saint Félix
£8.50 | £7.95
Review: ‘Pale pink, made from grenache and cinsault, and redolent of wild strawberries with a hint of watermelon and a slightly savoury edge. A glorious rosé at the price, from Domaine Les Yeuses in the Languedoc.’
2018 MiP* Classic Rosé Made in Provence
£14.95 | £13.50
Review: ‘A perennial favourite, in the pale, subtly-flavoured and herbaceous classic school of Provence rosé. A beautiful aperitif with an apparently invisible strength that becomes apparent when drunk with food.’
2018 SANCERRE Rosé Chavignol Domaine Vincent Delaporte
£21.75 | £19.50
Review: ‘Sancerre rosé is a very particular creature – made from pinot noir, usually more like an extremely light red than a faintly coloured white, it has a sappy, juicy, cherry-like, joyful quality.’
Jancisrobinson.com, Wine of the Week: MIP* Made In Provence Classic Rosé 2018, Richard Hemming MW, 10/05/2019:
2018 MiP* Classic Rosé Made in Provence
£14.95 | £13.50
Review: ‘A thoroughly reliable pink for summer – or anytime.’
Jancisrobinson.com, Does Tio Pepe En Rama age well?, Richard Hemming MW, 09/05/2019:
TIO PEPE 2019 RELEASE En Rama Gonzales Byass
SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Salt and a bit of flor/mould flavour too – this is so similar to cheese in flavour profile! Exquisite fruit, which is beautifully crunchy and fresh, juxtaposing the funkiness. Lengthy, floral, perfumed. Compared with the older bottlings this is obviously more youthful in style, and has plenty of fuel in the tank for ageing. (RH) 15%. Drink 2019 – 2030’