Our latest press reviews: The Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, The Wine Conversation, The Daily Mail & Metro News.
Benefit from our case price discount in red by buying any 12 bottles from this selection – in a mixed case of your design or simply by the dozen.
The Telegraph, Beaujolais, bottled cocktails and no-and-low: 2020’s drinks trends, and what to expect in 2021,Victoria Moore, 28/12/2020:
2018 CÔTE DE BROUILLY Les Grillés Domaine Chevalier-Métrat
£14.50 | 12.95
Review: ‘Beaujolais probably did so well this year because we had such a warm spring and we were all at home. But my favourite time to drink it is the winter. Its bright juiciness is good with Christmas leftovers but I really love to have a glass, chilled, with a hot casserole (coq au vin is a favourite) in those miserable dank days of January and February. There is a vividity and sappiness to Beaujolais that reminds you that spring is on its way.’
The Times, New Year’s Eve at home: it’s time to splash out on wine, Jane MacQuitty, 26/12/2020:
2018 MERCUREY Vieilles Vignes Domaine François Raquillet
£27.50 | £24.75
Review: ‘If it’s a more restrained red burgundy you are after, Lea & Sandeman’s shops are open next week and you can pick up or order François Raquillet’s gorgeous tangy yet velvety red plum-packed burgundy 2018 Mercurey Vieilles Vignes.’
The Wine Conversation, Sarah Kemp 12/2020:
2016 TOSCANA ROSSO IGT Podere Giodo di Carlo Ferrini
£39.95 | £35.95
Rating: 17
Review: ‘Carlo Ferrini is one of Italy’s most celebrated wine makers, who has consulted for several of Italy’s finest estates, including San Leonardo, Barone Ricasoli and Fonterutoli. Giodo is his personal project (the name is a combination of his parent’s names, Giovanna and Donatello). He made his first wine in 1979, when he worked at the Consorzio of Chianti Classico and spearheaded the Chianti Classico 2000 project, a scheme aimed to search for better clones of Sangiovese. In 2000, he acquired a 6-hectare estate Brunello vineyard around Montalcino. The Giodo Toscana 2016 is not one of his stellar Brunellos, but an IGT wine made from the 16-year-old vines on the estate and aged for 12 months in 500- and 2,500-litre wooden casks. The wine is deliberately made for younger drinking and the 2016 shows astounding energy and vibrancy, beautiful purity of fruit, a firm core of crushed red berries and cherries, with fine tannins. It’s youthful and joyous, but still utterly elegant.’
The Financial Times, Jancis Robinson’s guide to the best — and best-value — festive ports, sherries, madeiras and more, Jancis Robinson 19/12/2020:
2014 COTEAUX DU LAYON BEAULIEU L’Anclaie Château de Pierre Bise
£17.95 | £15.95
Rating: 17
Review: ‘An old favourite from Anjou. Deep, bright, bronzey-gold. Toasty, pungent nose that is more expressive of Chenin than of sweet wine. Then on the palate there is a lovely satin-swoosh of very sweet buttery tarte-Tatin juice and just enough acidity. Really quite vibrant and beautifully composed. You could happily sit and sip this on its own as it finishes reasonably dry but it could also go very happily with fruit and creamy desserts. Very well done.’
SANDEMAN 20 Year Old Tawny
£39.95 | £37.95
Rating: 17
Review: ‘When did Sandeman repackage this in a sort of bitters tapered bottle in clear glass suggesting the wine is bright red? The plastic foil (so much more difficult to peel off than the ones that seem to be metallic) goes over a glass stopper. And then, for good measure, a gold medallion is sunk into the glass. Deep sigh.
So let’s see how this long-loved wine actually tastes, ignoring its visual makeover. Bright orange transparent tawny. Smells on the cusp of too rancio and concentrated but it’s sweet and charming on the palate. Smooth as a baby’s bottom and eminently sippable without any food – probably best that way, in fact. Perhaps not as complex as the slightly cerebral Noval 10 year old but this would not disappoint someone looking for a super-smooth, light, long-wood-matured port – so long as they ignored the packaging.’
2017 COTEAUX DU LAYON CHAUME 1er Cru Château de Plaisance
£24.50 | £21.95
Rating: 16+
Review: ‘Brilliant, deep, coppery gold. Middle-aged Chenin with medium sweetness and the light honey character of sweet Chenin Blanc. I could easily imagine drinking this with, for instance, duck-liver parfait but I suspect it’s not quite sweet enough to drink with really sweet dishes. The acidity is quite marked, but then so it is in mince pies. That combo might just work… I think I might prefer it with a bit more toasty evolution on the nose.’
The Independent, 10 best sherries that are much more than just a Christmas tipple, John Clarke, 16/12/2020:
INOCENTE Fino Valdespino
£15.95 | £14.95
Review: ‘One of the venerable sherry names, Valdespino proudly bears the prize-winning achievements of its celebrated Inocente fino on its label, like a regimental list of battle honours. It’s more modest about its royal connections, as supplier of sherry to both the Spanish and Swedish royal families. Delightfully dry, and a product of the fiendishly complicated solera system of ageing, this fino makes the perfect aperitif at Christmas or indeed any other time of the year. And at under £10 for a half-bottle, it’s a bargain.’
Daily Mail, 40 of the best Boxing day and new year’s eve wines, Matthew Jukes, 15/12/2020:
LARMANDIER-BERNIER ‘Longitude’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 1er Cru NV
£42.95 | £40.50
Review: ‘I have chosen one elite Champagne for New Year’s Eve from hundreds of candidates. Made from 100 per cent Chardonnay, the purity and energy of this awe-inspiring wine will rewire your palate in preparation for 2021.’
2013 WISTON ESTATE Cuvée Brut 2020 Limited Release Magnum
£110.00 | 104.95
Review: ‘This award-winning wine was highly praised in 2017 and has now been released in a limited number of magnums. It’s one of the most exciting flavours of the year. Made from 47 per cent Pinot Noir, 33 per cent Chardonnay and 20 per cent Pinot Meunier, use it to toast the New Year in style.’
Daily Mail, 40 of the best Christmas wines, Matthew Jukes, 14/12/2020:
2018 SAINT NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL La Source Domaine Yannick Amirault
£17.95 | 15.95
Review: ‘Dark, deep and brooding, this is amazingly intense for a red from the cooler climes of the Loire Valley. It will match game dishes, stews, rich gravies and, most importantly, fine cheeseboards, such is the gravitas and power contained within the sleek, black cherry-soaked wine.’
2019 GRECHETTO Tenuta di Salviano
£16.95 | 14.95
Review: ‘Grechetto is usually an angular, edgy white grape, but Salviano’s version is positively majestic. With stunning poise and precision — plus a serene, mouthwatering finish — this is an amazing find. Not something you would stumble across every day, so I do hope you are moved to seek out this wine, as it is a genuine slice of genius.’
The Telegraph, Ten wonderful red wines to order now for festive nights in,Victoria Moore, 13/12/2020:
2018 BOURGOGNE ROUGE ‘Escargot’ Damien Martin
£15.95 | 14.50
Review: ‘This is a lovely, bright pinot noir with a tingly burst of redcurrants overlaying a more savoury, leafy note.’
2014 CHÂTEAU PETIT BOCQ Saint Estèphe
£25.95 | 23.75
Review: ‘Made from roughly half cabernet sauvignon and half merlot, with 2% of petit verdot in the mix, this is a good claret for drinking now. With lots of St Estèphe dark fruit and a touch of cassis, it’s old-school enough to please the traditionalists but it is approachable too.’
2018 BILBO Saint Saturnin Domaine de La Réserve d’O
£21.50 | 19.50
Review: ‘An organic Mediterranean red, based on grenache and, unusually at this level, with no oak. Ripe, with fine-grained tannins, enveloping warmth a hit of garrigue herbs.’
The Telegraph, Corking champagne to drink this festive season,Victoria Moore, 13/12/2020:
2015 WISTON ESTATE Blanc de Blancs Brut English Sparkling Wine
£42.95 | £39.95 SOLD OUT
Review: ‘Wiston Estate Blanc de Blancs 2015 (£42.95, Lea & Sandeman) has a subtle scent of clover and an incredible precision’
COATES & SEELY Reserve Brut Britagne
£29.95 | £27.95
Review: ‘Coates & Seely Brut NV is a pinot-based wine – and I do love the sappy spice of pinot, both noir and meunier, in winter – that would be a great house pour.’
The Financial Times, Jancis Robinson’s guide to the best festive reds, Jancis Robinson 12/12/2020:
2017 PELORO Rosso Le Casematte
£17.95 | £16.75
View.
2017 FARO Rosso DOC Le Casematte
£24.50 | £21.95
View.
Review: ‘A stunning pair of wines north-east coast of Sicily based on the Etna grapes Nerello plus the local Nocera. This one is a real charmer, aged for six months in old oak, while 2017 FARO Rosso DOC Le Casematte is a little more serious. Both are distinctively savoury, impressively persistent and reasonably priced for the quality.’
2013 GEVREY CHAMBERTIN Domaine Thierry Mortet
£45.95 | £39.95
ReView: ‘Certified organic. Fully mature red burgundy available by the single bottle. This is fresh and pretty rather than rich and rip-roaring. Neat and satisfying but not dramatic, and lighter than many a Gevrey. Could be a treat with turkey but may be overwhelmed by particularly sweet accompaniments.’
Metro News, Spalsh the Cash, Rob Buckhaven 08/12/2020:
2016 GRÜNER VELTLINER Von Stein Reserve Salomon Undhof
£29.95 | £26.95
Review: ‘Some Grüner Veltliner fans like to call it Groo-Vee, I am a fan that doesn’t, just to be clear Grüner is similar to Sauvignon Blanc in style, with a touch of white pepper and spice, so you will love this if you are into that.
Seventy-year-old vines give this wine massive concentration, with a savoury element verging on sea-spray and finely tuned streak of acidity, which flicks the on-switch with a change of peachy voltage.’ View.
2015 WISTON ESTATE Blanc de Blancs Brut English Sparkling Wine
£42.95 | £39.95
Review:‘Seems a lot to pay for a wine produced on our doorstep, right? Not at all. Think about it, this bubbly is made with all the care, attention and quality of a vintage champagne, which wouldn’t be minimum double the price. We’re getting the UK equivalent with spotless, ripe chardonnay and its malty honied, caramelised apple and seashell salinity coming through. One of our nation’s finest, amd not in a Tesco way.’ View.
The Telegraph, Ten brilliant white wines to drink at home this festive season, Victoria Moore, 07/12/2020:
2018 SAINT AUBIN Compendium Domaine Joseph Colin
£37.95 | £33.95 (SOLD OUT)
Review: ‘A lovely, nutty Saint Aubin absolutely on point, detailed as a mosaic, with notes of woodruff and hazelnuts.’
The Independent, 10 best champagnes to celebrate with this Christmas,John Clarke, 04/12/2020:
R & L LEGRAS Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru Chouilly NV
£32.95 | 29.95
Review: ‘A blanc de blanc from another long-established champagne family based in the village of Chouilly, just east of Épernay in the Côte des Blancs sub-region of Champagne. Made solely from chardonnay grapes from Grand Crus vineyards, this pale golden champagne can bring a touch of summer delight to any Christmas table, with its fresh and zesty citrus-led flavours and enjoyable minerality. Great value at this price.’
The Financial Times, The 40 best wines for Christmas 2020, Will Lyons 02/12/2020:
LARMANDIER-BERNIER ‘Longitude’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 1er Cru NV
£42.95 | £40.50
Review: ‘An exceptional champagne from Larmandier’s prized 37 acres of vines. Comprising 100 per cent chardonnay, it is delicately textured and intense, with a lingering, slightly saline, nutty finish.’ View.
2018 KUMEU RIVER ESTATE Chardonnay
£24.95 | £22.50
Review:‘Michael Brajkovich conjures up superb chardonnay. This is one of Kumeu’s best-value examples — bright and richly textured, with nuttiness, indications of grapefruit and taut acidity on the finish.’ View.