Silky.Perfumed.Effortless
I know, right? A Californian Pinot Noir for £13.95? It’s gotta be awful! Ha, ha! What kind of chump would buy Californian Pinot Noir for that sort of price? It’s probably made from grapes they picked off the ground! Ha ha! It’s probably got more sugar in it than a pot of jam! Ha ha! It’s probably made from formaldehyde and glue. Ha, ha! They must think I was born yesterday. I bet it doesn’t taste anything like Pinot Noir, I bet it’s jammy and sweet. I bet it turns to vinegar within a day of opening it. Ha, ha! These charlatans aren’t going to pull one over on me! 13.5% alc. Vegan. Drink now-2030.
Customer Comments:
“This is absolutely gorgeous. Not normally a Pinot guy and prefer a wine that delivers to the solar plexus but well…..stone me……” - Mr A.W
“It’s brilliant. I would say very Gevrey like.” - Mr. B. W.
“It’s as nice as some US or NZ I drink, but at half the price, so a great ‘cellar saver’!” - Mr. C. S.
“Just to let you know we are currently having a tasting of Odd Lot. You are right. Excellent value.” - Mrs. J. T.
“Delicious wine!” - Mr. A.P.
“The Odd Job {sic} Pinot is very nice.” - Mr L.B.
“How are you stocked for Odd Lot, any left? It went down a real storm.” - Mr D.C.
“It really is good. It’s not spectacular, but it’s undeniably a really good wine” - Mr N.S.
”It is everything you guys said it was. Astonishing for the price…” - Mr. W.G.
”Am much enjoying the Pinot ! Hope you haven't sold out, as I'll take another dozen, if available!” - Mr. J.P.
“We are enjoying the Odd Lot Pinot Noir an awful lot!! Do you have any left?” - Mr D.M.
”Just wanted to let you know that the Odd lot pinot is absolutely incredible for the price.” - Mr. I.S.
“The Odd Lot Pinot has lived up to everything you said about it” - Mr. A.W.
“Just to let you know that the Odd Lot Pinot Noir lived up to its promise. Such a bargain!” - Mr C.C.
Pinot Noir has a reputation for being a capricious grape, reluctant to give of its best unless everything is in place (soil, climate, temperature, aspect, humidity etc), but this diva-like behaviour might just be the result of the limited choices that winemakers had in the centuries that preceded modern interconnectivity. Burgundy is the traditional home of Pinot Noir, and Burgundy is relatively cold, with low rainfall, south east-facing slopes, early morning mists and winter snow. This has led to a lot of wine books stating that Pinot Noir likes relatively cold climates, low rainfall, south east-facing slopes, early morning mists and winter snow. That was probably the accepted wisdom, until forward-thinking winemakers planted vines in Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and South Africa, and Pinot Noir discovered sunshine and ocean breezes and dry earth beneath its roots and flourished in a way that no one expected.
Take this delightful, uncomplicated Australian Pinot Noir, for example, full of juicy, bright fruit, so evidently ripened by warmth and sunshine. It’s not a Burgundian Pinot Noir in any way, shape or form, but that’s not the only acceptable paradigm anymore. It’s a great red for picnics or barbecues, bursting with bing cherry, orange blossom and cranberry freshness. As a minimal intervention wine, the very slight hint of spritz on opening is carbon dioxide in lieu of sulphur dioxide and dissipates quickly once opened. 13.5% alc. Wild yeast fermentation. Aged in pre-loved 225-litre barrels. Drink now-2030.
“Lovely, pure, graceful and fragrant.” - Decanter, 95 points
A brilliant value Mencia from the brilliant Telmo Rodriguez. It’s silky smooth, aromatic and oh-so very 21st Century in the way that it favours freshness and drinkability over oak-spice and weight. Lucia said that it reminded her of those high altitude Languedoc reds from the Terrasses du Larzac and she’s spot on, as it has delicacy yet richness of flavour, with similar core flavours of red-plum, vine tomato and cherry, highlighted by white pepper and grilled bacon fat. On the palate, it feels graceful, like a new world Pinot Noir, with some floral notes too, but finishes with a little pinch of tannins that gives it an air of sophistication, stopping it becoming a juicy fruit bomb. All of this, from one of Spain’s top winemakers, for just £18.95? Grab a Gaba do! 14% alc. Organic & biodynamic farming. Drink now-2028.
Press review:
Decanter: “Telmo Rodríguez’s journey through Spain reviving and recuperating vineyards has led him to work with 43 different varieties. Although established in Rioja, he has also put Málaga back on the map and worked with Garnacha in the Sierra de Gredos, as well as establishing wineries in other regions. This Mencía is fermented and aged in stainless steel, revealing the variety’s purity. Sarah Jane Evans MW: Forward, juicy aromas. Distinctly individual profile, with dense, succulent fruit and a long, ripe finish. Beth Willard: Pretty nose with tomato vine, sour cherry, floral. Very crunchy, green freshness and just the right amount of grippy tannin. Highly drinkable. David Williams: Lovely, pure, graceful and fragrant – full of violet and raspberry juice, racy and succulent with silky tannins and a twist of bergamot and blood orange tang, beetroot earthiness. Almost Pinot-esque. Drink now-2028.” 95 points
“Excellent-value.” - Decanter
A sweetly juicy and elegantly oaked Frankovka, otherwise known as Blaufränkisch (which I realise to many people would be like me saying Rumpelstiltskin, otherwise known as Tűzmanócska). It feels full, yet fresh, with comfortingly rich impressions of plum skins and warm leather, animated by cherry, and those tiny, flavour-packed wild strawberries. 13.5% alc. 18 month in large Slavonian oak barrels. Drink now-2030.
Press review:
Decanter: “Earthy and vibrant, with elderberry, spiced plum and fresh red-black berry fruit. Medium-light bodied with grippy, rustic tannins and lively acidity. An excellent-value Frankovka (aka Blaufränkisch) ideal for roasted vegetables or midweek stew.” 90 points
“Saint Jacques is by far the most important wine I make.”- Raúl Pérez.
An astonishing value Mencia from one of Spain’s most important (and hairy) winemakers, Raúl Pérez. It pours a bright, glossy, crimson colour and the appearance seems to translate into flavour, as the palate evokes shiny purple- and blue-skinned fruits (damsons, blueberries, blackcurrants) with succulent acids, black pepper and a hint of cherry blossom. There’s a seamless feel to the polished fruit and you can really taste the quality of the harvest, which is clearly the winemaker’s intention, as there is no oak flavour. It’s vibrant and beautifully supple with fine-grained tannins and a hint of cool graphite, which elevates the fruit. Raul makes some stunning ‘single vineyard’ expressions of Mencia, which have a bit more structure than this blend from old vineyards on different soils, but if you want to get beneath the skin of a grape, a winemaker and a region, then this is your backstage pass. 13% alc. Drink now-2030.
Organic farming
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2023 Ultreia Saint Jacques has a lifted nose. In the rainy 2023, they selected from the many plots in different lieux-dits of Valtuille, which this year included El Val and El Cepón in Villafranca, mostly from very old vines, with 50% of the grapes purchased from growers. It fermented mostly with full clusters and had a long maceration and matured in used barrels. It has contained ripeness and less than 13% alcohol. All the 2023 reds from the Ultreia range are very clean. Drink now-2030.” 93+ points
Jancis Robinson MW (previous vintage): “Thoroughly satisfying, complex, lifted perfume that already shows some integration even if quite a hit of acidity and a little tannin on the palate. It doesn't have the sweet majesty of Bierzo reds costing many times as much but is clearly an artisanal product from the heavily bearded Pérez. Refreshing and only medium body in terms of impact on the palate. Very Good Value.” 17 points
Customer comments:
“This is an amazing wine.” - Mr. P.D.
”Another case of the Raul Perez Saint Jacques Ultreia if available; it’s brilliant!” - Mr. A.R.
”A hit! Muy, muy bien. Should have had a whole case. Please may I have another 6? - Ms. V. J.
“By the way, the Raul Perez, Ultreia St Jacques was absolutely brilliant for the money.” - Mr M.B.
“Love that Ultreia. I will do another 12!” - Mr. P.N.
”Outstanding!!” - Mr. P. J.
“Very much enjoyed the first bottle last night. Lovely fruit and balance. Slipped down very - too! easily!” - Mr J.G.
”Drank a bottle of the Ultreia St Jacques on weekend. Lovely!” - Mr. D.A.
”This is a damn good wine.” - Mr. D.A.
“I should say I have really enjoyed the Ultreia St Jacques - quite delicious!” - Mr S.C.
”Delicious and superb value.” - Mr. A.T.
Such a pretty wine, with cherry, strawberry and flint held within a delicate frame of lacy tannins and a sense of warm terracotta, which I romantically take to be the terroir shining through. If you haven’t tried Païs before, also known as Listan Prieto, and you like light-coloured, delicate reds, then this one is a great introduction. It’s like a cross between Pinot Noir and cold strawberry tea! 13.5% alc. Drink now-2030.
In my defence, I was genuinely just checking that I hadn’t taken leave of my senses, because the terrific quality didn’t seem commensurate with the extremely reasonable price, but I don’t think the lady pouring the tasting samples saw it that way, judging by the way she audibly tutted when I returned for the seventh time. The trouble was, it was not only delicious and incredible value, but so incredibly moreish! It’s a pure Syrah from granite soils in the northern Rhone and billows with fresh aromas of sweet cherry, violets, apricot, woody spice, black pepper, orange peel and bacon fat. You can see why I kept going back! The palate is supple and juicy, a wonderfully refreshing red wine that draws you back for another sip, like a siren song. 12.5% alc. 15 months in oak. Biodynamic certified. Drink now-2029.
What a delightful expression of Spanish Garnacha! It pours a pale ruby colour, like a vermilion watercolour wash, but it’s not wishy-washy. It’s so perfumed and delicate, like a cross between a young Beaujolais and a Tenerife red, yet with plenty of fruit intensity to give it depth too. Cherry dominates the aromas and the flavours, but there are also hints of orange, pink peppercorn, flint and cool graphite (I’m thinking pencil lead). If you like perky and perfumed grape varieties like Pinot Noir, Gamay, Nerello Mascalese, Païs or Trousseau, then do give this a try, especially with a plate of charcuterie. Can be drunk slightly chilled. 13.5% alc. 7 months in oak. Drink now-2028.
Press review:
Decanter (previous vintage): “This bright, juicy Garnacha Tinta (with 5% Garnacha Blanca) is lovely to serve slightly chilled alongside platters of charcuterie at a picnic. Named after El Garbi, the warm African wind that blows through the vineyard in cool Terra Alta, it's packed with vibrant cherry fruit, dusted with spice. Fresh acidity balances the soft tannins for a crisp finish. Drink now-2027.” 91 points
Featured in Decanter’s ‘Top Red Wines to Chill’ (June 2024).
Customer comments:
“I could drink gallons of this! Beautiful!” - Mr W.B.
"I just tried the Garbi. It is superb. Another gem you and Lucia have unearthed!" - Mr A.D-W.
A beautifully aromatic Nerello Mascalese sourced from pre-phylloxera vines on the slopes of Mount Etna, fermented with wild yeasts and aged for 6 months in French oak barrels. The combination of the altitude (2,000 feet above sea level) and the rich, mineral soil, give the wine extraordinary aromatic lift, almost exotic, suggesting chopped red cherries, peach fuzz and whetstone, while the palate is as buoyant and fresh, as the somewhat pale colour suggests it will be, but there's real fascination and depth in there too, as you might find in a ripe Nebbiolo or a richly-scented Pinot Noir. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2032. Biodynamic farming.
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“All the hype about this wine is more than deserved..... absolutely stunning!” - Mr. R. H.
“As always, thank you for spotting the wine - another absolute banger, which blew away the conventional Burgundy we had at the same meal.” - Mr. R.E.
”That Etna Rosso is absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for the recommendation” - Mr. A.D.
“Loving it (too much!). Would be happy to take two more cases if you have them.” - Mr. I. W.
”I much enjoyed your Etna Rosso last night – it was lighter than I expected but very smooth and delicious." - Mr. A.M.
"Like drinking liquid silk, really light and cherry-scented but with that dark, basalt thing going on too. Ethereal and magnificent. Love it." - Mr. J.W.
"I did just cracked open a bottle of Ciauria and it is excellent!" - Mr T.J.
"I thought the Ciauria was really lovely! Great find." - Mr. J.L.
"It's incredible! I've never had anything like it." - Mr. G.D.
"Tried the Etna Rosso last night and it was delicious!" - Mr. J.F.
"You can tell from the repeat order that the Ciauria has gone down very well. Looking forward to receiving the order, looking forward to drinking it more." - Mr. G.S.
It is thought that one of the main reasons why Merlot gained such a strong foothold among the public is that it is easy to say when ordering in a restaurant, in much the same way that Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso isn’t. It’s a shame, because Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a grape that can make fantastic wine, especially in Friuli, where its noble history dates back over two millennia (Pliny the Elder cited it as the favourite wine of Augustus’s wife, Livia, circa 20 BC!).
I was curious to see if Jancis Robinson had reviewed many Refosco dal Peduncolo Rossos on her website and I only found a handful, but the same adjectives recurred several times: “gorgeous”, “generous”, “seductive” and “sassy”. That chimes with our experience, because it’s a really expressive wine with dramatic aromas, and this example has theatrical swagger to burn. It’s a flamboyant and sensual red, serpentine as its flavours coil around your tongue, evocative of blood-red cherries steeped in orange juice, sweet spices from the bazaar, the juice of red-fleshed plums combined with cinnamon, neroli and mandarin oil. So, why hasn’t Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso caught on? It’s really hard to say. 13% alc. 12 months in barriques and tonneau. Drink now-2031.
Press review (previous vintage):
JancisRobinson.com (Tamlyn Currin): “Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, with its naturally high acidity and often alarmingly firm tannins, can sometimes be pretty hard work. This wine is anything but. Light ruby-to-garnet colour and a nose that smells sweet and fragrant, perhaps a little vanilla pod and cinnamon from oak, perhaps a little orange blossom. There is definitely the fragrance of oranges on the palate – I can almost smell the oils in the air as I'm peeling the orange in my head. And the fruit is so sweet and bright and pumping flavour and alacritous that I can't make it stand still for long enough to be identified. Was that red cherry? Or tangerine? Or maybe rose hip with a sidekick of pitanga? Did I spot a red splat of fresh pomegranate somewhere in there? Yes. Yes. Yes and yes and yes. And the fruit is festooned with lilac blossom, white thyme flowers, a dusting of sumac and baharat. The tannins weave, deft, dextrous, dancing through fruit like ribbons in a Dunhuang dance. Light clouds of white pepper that simply get washed away by wave after wave of this flagrantly seductive wine. Is this really less than £20? VERY GOOD VALUE. Drink 2024-2030” 17.5 points
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“Amazing stuff and as you say so approachable in youth! got to be one of the best and most interesting 20 quid bottles of wines out there!” - Mr J.T.
“Please reserve me another 6 bottles of the delicious Refosco - which provides the very drinkable combination of good concentration without excessive weight… Oh, and it's tremendous value too.” - Mr T.M.
“Just tasted it - terrific!” - Mr A.S.
“The red from Friuli is excellent.” - Mr E.C-W.
“We had the Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso last night, we both thought it was lovely, can we order some more please?” - Mrs. S. G.
“The Refosco has been a huge success. I bought some recently and thought it SUPERB. Such a lovely, balanced, interesting wine.” - Mr. S. R.
“We didn’t try the Refosco until last night but I am pleased to say that we really enjoyed it. I would therefore like to purchase another 12 bottles!” - Mr. I. C.
“We had some of the Refosco last night, love it!” - Mr M.A.
“Just wanted to say, we are really enjoying the Refosco, delightfully fruity and (too) easy to drink! “ - Mr. H.S.
The fruit is so vivid on this Pinot Noir (aka Spätburgunder), that it feels as if it’s in high definition. Wild raspberries and shiny morello cherries show in clear focus on the nose and the palate has wonderful clarity of fruit too, with tiny, pixelated top notes of pomegranate. rosehip and orange peel. This is Thörle’s entry-level Pinot Noir and is much closer in quality to their ‘single vineyard’ expressions than the discrepancy in its price tag would suggest. 13% alc. Unfiltered. Drink now-2032. Organic (certified) & biodynamically farmed.
Press review:
James Suckling: "The vibrant sour cherry aromas are beautifully interwoven with lovely creaminess, fine tannins and chalky minerality. I love what the energetic acidity does for the long finish of this slightly cloudy beauty. From organically grown grapes. Matured for 18 months in well-used, small oak casks. Unfiltered. Drink or hold." - 94 Points
Everything we love in a red wine: aromatic lift, juicy moreishness, terroir expression, varietal identity and bags of personality. It is made from our favourite Sicilian grape variety, Nerello Mascalese, which is a thin-skinned black grape, producing pale-coloured wines, similar in depth and weight to a Pinot Noir, and capable of translating the rocky minerality that comes from vines growing on the side of a volcano. Take a moment to savour the extraordinary aromas of apricot, jasmine, cherry and frankincense, which lead you to a seriously fine and elegant palate of red stone-fruits and cool pebbles. It's a very digestible, food-friendly wine with high acidity and a refreshing purity that leads you to demand another sip. 13.5% alc. Drink now-2028 (conservatively).
Biodynamic farming
Customer comments (including previous vintage):
“It’s like Gina Lollobrigida just kissed me on the lips and I’m currently lost for words… Genuinely think this is my favourite wine of the year.” - Mr. B.F.
"Feels like a perfect summer red. We really enjoyed it." - Mr. J.S.
"I love this wine, it's become my new fav!" - Ms. C.H.
“I opened one of the Guardoilvento last night. Delicious. Still great freshness but just the right amount of development too.” - Mr. T.V.
”We thought the Etna Rosso was sensational.” - Mr. M. H.
“Tenuta delle Terre Nere continues to raise the bar with their Etna Rosso.” - Vinous
A delicious and characterful Nerello Mascalese from the northern slopes of Mount Etna, which articulates its origins as eloquently as a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon or a Northern Rhone Syrah articulate theirs. The aromas are classic Etna Rosso, a heady cocktail of shiny red fruits, peach fuzz, raspberry and pumice stone. That volcanic minerality brings a slight tannic austerity to the fruit and a suggestion of smooth grey pebbles, but it’s not drying, because the fruit is ample, so you sense the pit as well as the cherry, the stone as well as the plum. 14% alc. Organic (certified). Drink now-2032.
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The Tenuta delle Terre Nere 2024 Etna Rosso includes a touch of Nerello Cappuccio, which is interplanted among the old Nerello Mascalese vines. Marco de Grazia describes 2024 as a baroque vintage: it has everything, but perhaps a little too much. High alcohol, abundant sugar and ripe tannins required careful maceration and extraction to keep the wine from going over the top. The estate faced similarly hot conditions in 2004, its first vintage, and again in the more tannic, “monster” 2014 vintage. Those experiences helped the team manage phenolic ripeness more precisely in 2024, producing tannins that feel silky and smooth. This is a fine vintage for those who worked carefully. The wine is full of fruit, and its lush, ripe quality is beautiful. Approximately 90% comes from the north slope, including four hectares in San Lorenzo and younger vines in Calderara Sottana and Santo Spirito, while 10% from the south side contributes additional lushness. The result is generous and baroque but remains polished and controlled. Drink now-2033.” 94 points
Vinous: “The 2024 Etna Rosso is a spice bomb on the nose with a burst of cedar, incense, lavender, dried cherries and blood orange. It’s soothingly round, cool-toned and silky in texture with polished red fruits swirling throughout. This finishes gently tannic and long, carrying hints of violet pastille and ripe blackberry. Drink now-2034” 93 points
Drinking this intensely beautiful Crozes-Hermitage reminded me that wine is made from grapes. Quite a “Eureka!” moment, I’m sure you would agree, but in the daily ebb and flow of the wine trade, you tend to forget that wine is made from something that has a primary purpose over and above that of being fermented for the pleasure of human beings. In nature, fruit is a lure. It’s made to attract birds and insects for the vital business of pollination. So, it needs to look, smell and taste good. Birds don’t read reviews or choose grapes with high scores, they don’t do vertical tastings or keep cellar notes, they just want to eat tasty, ripe fruit and when I tried this wine, made from the Syrah grape, all of the extraneous noise that surrounds wine just fell away and I imagined how delicious the grapes on the vine must have been to produce such a heaven-scented, fabulously delicious wine, redolent of violets, perfumed blueberries, peonies and deeper notes of red-fleshed plums and orange rind on the silky and sweetly succulent palate. 12.5% alc. 100% Syrah. 70% whole bunch. Drink now-2030. Organic
Press review:
JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Beautifully fragrant nose – black pepper, sappy green-stem aromas, a bit of smoked meat and wonderfully pure plum fruit. Finishes with a charred-meat character and a gradual, perfumed fade. Very convincing.“ 17.5 points
Vinous (previous vintage): “Brilliant violet colour. Smoke-accented aromas of cherry, blackberry, violet and olive show very good freshness and are joined by a spicy nuance that builds in the glass. Silky in texture and sharply focused, offering spice-laced red and blue fruit flavours and a deeper liquorice note. The peppery quality comes back on the long, clinging finish that’s shaped by discreet, even tannins.” 92 points
The Wine Advocate (previous vintage): “Loads of black cherry fruit are nicely balanced by savory hints of licorice, espresso and black olives. Enjoy it over the next few years for its youthful exuberance—it's an ideal bistro-styled red.” 90 points
“Stunning and incredibly priced.” - The Wine Advocate, 95 points
The buzz about the Ribeira Sacra region is only going to get louder when people taste wines like this. The region seems to be spearheading a new direction in Spanish wine towards lighter, fresher, silkier reds with lower alcohol and an appetising dryness that makes them so versatile with food, showing more of an affinity with the textural fragility of Pinot Noir, for example, than the ‘oak soups’ that you often find in modern Rioja or the Ribera del Duero.
This is a fantastic introduction to Spain’s new bearing, which is really gathering pace in the ‘Atlantic’ appellations around Galicia, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The Lousas ‘Vinas de Aldea’ is Envinate's equivalent of a ‘village’ wine, in the Burgundian sense, sourced from 12 different parcels in various sub-regions of the Ribeira Sacra ranging from 20 to 60 years of age and located between 400 and 600 metres altitude on varied soils of slate and granite depending on the location.
The Vinas de Aldea 2023 is predominantly made from Mencia, with a few local varieties thrown in for good measure (Brancellao, Merenzao, Mouraton, Bastardo, Garnacha Tintorera), and the grapes were foot-trodden and fermented with whole-clusters (i.e. with the stems) in small open vats before transferring to 2,000 litre barrels for 11 months. It’s oh-so-fine and elegant and beautifully tailored to fit its shape. The aromas are pure and wild, suggestive of shiny cherry skins, fraises des bois and crushed purple flowers, while the flavours glide across the palate, evoking dark cherry, juicy red grapes, blood orange, a hint of white pepper (typical of Mencia) and a suggestion of cool minerals. It tastes best if you drink it slightly below room temperature. It’s an utterly beguiling Spanish red and you shouldn’t hesitate in snapping some up while stocks last. 13% alc. Drink now-2032.
Organically farmed
Vegan-friendly
Press review:
The Wine Advocate [bottled sample]: “The bottled 2023 Lousas Viñas de Aldea is perfumed, intoxicating and showy, with a floral note of dried rose petals that I also found in the Misturado from this same vintage. There's also a flinty smokiness that gives the wine a different twist. It's stunning and incredibly priced. Drink now-2032.” 95 points
The Wine Advocate [barrel sample]: “I tasted a very promising barrel sample of the 2023 Lousas Viñas de Aldea, cropped from a more Atlantic, cooler and rainier year (especially when compared with the super warm and dry 2022). Right now, it's super primary and they are slowly introducing larger oak foudres (3,000 litres) and lowering the impact of the oak in the wine. This has very good freshness, purity and elegance, reminiscent of past vintages like 2021 or 2016. It has terrific balance. Drink now-2032.” (94-96) points
Customer comment:
“We tried the Lousas Vinas de Aldea over the weekend. It was quite delicious. In fact it was so good we drank a bottle on Saturday and opened another on Sunday. So clearly I am going to need some more.” - Mr. Q.J.
Gamay has spent years trying to convince people it's more than just frippery and Chateau des Vergers 'Aux Saules' 2022 is Exhibit A for the defence. While many Gamays are all about youthful exuberance, this is a wine with both charm and substance—a Beaujolais that has graduated from dancing on tables to hosting the dinner.
Now running her family’s 7-hectare estate near Morgon’s famed “Côte du Py,” Cosima Bassouls is at the forefront of Beaujolais’ new generation. The nose is wonderfully expressive, bursting with wild cherries, crushed raspberries and juicy redcurrants, but there's something deeper lurking beneath the fruit. Notes of violets, graphite, forest floor and a gentle peppery spice add layers of intrigue, while a distinctly stony minerality reminds you that these vines are rooted in the granitic soils of Lantignié. The palate is beautifully poised. Bright and energetic, yet with a surprising depth and seriousness, it combines Gamay's trademark freshness with the texture and persistence more commonly associated with Pinot Noir. Silky tannins glide across the tongue, carrying flavours of red berries, sour cherry and spice through to a long, savoury finish. This is Gamay wearing a tailored jacket rather than a Hawaiian shirt: still charming, still approachable, but with a quiet confidence that makes you sit up and pay attention. Organic (certified). 12.5% alc. Drink now - 2030.
Press Reviews:
Tamlyn Currin for JancisRobinson.com: “Nippy, perfumed red fruit that makes me think of hibiscus tea, sour plums (Chinese li hing mui) and hawthorn berries. Energetic tannins that scramble nimbly up and down the fruit as if it was a super-fun climbing wall, there to play with. Pellucid purity at its core. And then a delicious peppery cloud of five-spice on the finish, like a vinous fist pump. Bassouls really is a winemaker to watch. Drink now-2030.” 17 points
James Suckling: “This is a wild and delicious red with fragrant notes of strawberries, red plums, cola, chocolate, oranges and flowers. It’s medium-bodied, silky and supple, with a seamless and fresh finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold.” 92 points
“l love the pale, aromatic, fragile and mysterious 2024 Vins Oblidats Escursac. It's simply delicious!” - The Wine Advocate, 94 points
“This is an up-and-coming producer.” - Jancis Robinson MW
It’s entirely possible to go through life eating nothing but comfort food, reading the latest bestsellers and rotating through the same Spotify playlists. Taking pleasure in the same things repeatedly isn’t a bad thing, we understand the thinking, but we can’t resist trying to tempt people off the beaten path from time to time. This is a delicious and delicate Escursac from Mallorca. It’s pale in colour with a very pretty, enticing nose full of wild strawberries, rosehip, blueberries and sweet cherries with a touch of something herbal. The palate is really fresh and lively with lovely tension, silky and bright, full of charm and with very gentle, fine tannins and delightfully light. Utterly seductive. Organically farmed. 11% alc. Drink now-2030.
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “I love the pale, aromatic, fragile and mysterious 2024 Vins Oblidats Escursac. It comes from a recently recovered varietal and hence from young vines. It fermented with 50% whole clusters with a soft vinification and extraction and was kept in stainless steel until bottling. The variety is known for its low alcohol, and this year it was 11% - something they didn't quite manage in 2023 - with a nose of wildflowers and berries, rosehip and hibiscus, something herbal and citrusy. It's fine-boned, with a medium body and very fine tannins, sparkling freshness and pungent flavours. It's simply delicious! Only 1,200 bottles were produced. Drink now-2032.” 94 points
“Marcel Lapierre is something of a hero to the natural wine movement and his Morgon has been called the ‘original natural wine’.“ - Decanter
Marcel Lapierre can reasonably be considered to be the godfather of ‘serious’ Beaujolais, as he spearheaded the famous Gang of Four, alongside Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet and Jean Foillard, who forever changed the landscape of the region, both physically and metaphorically, with their focus on preserving and nurturing old vines, eschewing herbicides and pesticides, harvesting late, adding minimal sulphur and avoiding chaptalisation. Sadly, Marcel passed away in 2010, but his son, Mathieu, and daughter, Camille have continued his legacy.
Their Morgon 2023 is made from 70 year-old vines and combines lightness of touch with richness of flavour. The lightness of touch can be attributed to their father’s belief in ‘minimalist intervention’ winemaking, while the richness of flavour comes from the aforementioned deep-rooted, old vines. Textbook Beaujolais flavours of red-fleshed plums, sour cherries and a touch of gravel bring energy and purity for current drinking pleasure, but it should really be tucked away for a couple of years, because its floral, mineral and subtle spice notes are still surrounded by petals waiting to unfold. 12.5% alc. Drink 2025-2036.
Curious to know how long this wine might age? At a recent tasting of ‘very old wines’, attended by the likes of Jancis Robinson MW and Neal Martin, the 1998 vintage of Lapierre’s Morgon received 18.5 points from Jancis and was a “candidate for wine of the night”.
Biodynamically farmed
Vegan-friendly
Press reviews:
Jamie Goode (previous vintage): “Lovely presence here. Fine and elegant with sweet cherries, plums and some strawberry richness. Nice fruit weight, and quite elegant, but it has some grippy structure, too. Has life, energy and nice purity.” 95 points
Jancis Robinson MW (previous vintage): “This wine is so pure and gorgeous! It's a great advertisement for minimal intervention and purity. Direct fruit and not a trace of oak. Long and reverberant. Already drinkable but there is no hurry whatsoever.” 18 points
This wine flirts so openly, you’d be a fool to introduce it to your partner. It pours an almost inky deep purple and bats its aromatic eyelashes with blueberry, violets, cassis and peppery spice, while the palate seduces with wonderfully bright and juicy damson and blackcurrant pastille notes. It’s a vividly pure and eloquent expression of northern Rhone Syrah, sourced from vines around Cornas, which I absolutely love. I poured a glass for my partner and I hope they are very happy together. 13% alc. Drink now-2030.
Press review:
Decanter: “Gorgeous lifted floral and spice notes, a wine with strong Syrah character. A really compelling nose in fact, all kinds of spice and smoke going on. Then only medium-bodied in the mouth, so fresh, fluid and expressive. It's a transparent wine of great clarity, vibrancy and drinkability. Really buzzes with energy. Has all the nourishment and energy of a very healthy vineyard. Clay limestone soils with bands of silt. Destemmed, fermented with natural yeasts and no other additions.” 93 points
Such a beautiful, pale grenadine colour, you can almost taste it. It’s a daringly light Bourgogne Rouge (Pinot Noir), as delicate as a watercolour brushstroke of rosehip, wild strawberry and blood orange. It’s so lithe, so gentle, so pretty, I would love to have a glass of this in a wine bar, on my own, swirling occasionally, pretending to be entranced by the lambent liquid, but actually eavesdropping on my neighbours. 13% alc. Declassified village wine. Organic & biodynamically farmed. Drink now-2028.
“Highly recommended.” -The Wine Advocate, 96 points and highest-scoring wine in The Wine Advocate’s ‘New Zealand Report ‘ (of 146 wines reviewed)
“Only tiny quantities produced, so if you see it, snap it up quickly.” - Decanter
It’s a slightly deeper hue than you might expect from Marlborough, still translucent through the glass, but with a healthy dark cherry sheen to the colour. At first, the aromas are like wallflowers at a disco, with their back to the wall, afraid to step forward, but after 20 minutes they’ve cleared the dancefloor and are blaming it on the boogie. That slow unfurling is a sign of great Pinot Noir quality at the wine’s core, which doesn’t need to show all its moves at once.
On the palate it has texture and depth, a beautiful inner perfume and the impression of a rich core of brambly, thorny fruit waiting to unfurl. It’s still young and is only stuttering towards the sort of eloquence you can expect in 2 or 3 years’ time, but there’s enough pleasure on offer now if impatience intervenes. The temptation is to compare any New World Pinot Noir to Burgundy, but this is so proudly and distinctly a New Zealand Pinot Noir that it makes more sense to compare it to its peers and I think it shows some of the silky, rich intensity of Felton Road’s ‘Block 5’ and the glamour of Prophet Rock’s ‘Home Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, both from Central Otago, which is where I would put the Novum if given it blind. Try it with crispy duck in tamarind sauce or dragon roll sushi or roast pork with prune and chestnut stuffing, because it can handle bold flavours. All of the fruit was destemmed, it underwent a wild ferment and was aged in 30% new oak. 12.5% alcohol. Organic & biodynamic (not certified). Drink now-2032.
Press reviews:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2024 Quarters Vineyard Pinot Noir is excellent. With an abundance of silky red fruits, baking spices, attractive tannins on the mid-palate and balance throughout, this wine comes highly recommended. It has great length too.” 96 points and Wine #1 in The Wine Advocate’s ‘New Zealand Report’ (of 146 wines reviewed)
Jamie Goode: “Direct and bold, but also floral, showing some nice green hints. Silky and sappy with nice acidity, and lovely presence.” 94 points
Decanter (previous vintage): “Made with 10% whole-bunch fermentation, fruit sourced about 60% from Quarters vineyard in the Brancott valley and 40% from the organic Settlement vineyard. Super-delicious, with layers of fragrant, inviting fruit, spice, earth and florals. An equally beguiling palate. Seamlessly melded, good concentration and length in a very calm and graceful wine. Only tiny quantities produced, so if you see it, snap it up quickly.” 96 points
Novum
Novum is the brainchild of Will and Rachel Hoare. Like all good stories, it sprang from adversity, when Will was kicked out of school for selling wine to his fellow students. A more sympathetic headmaster might have kindled that early sign of entrepreneurial spirit, but it was not to be the case. The prospect of becoming a drifter was never on the cards, so he dusted himself down and got a job at Cloudy Bay, where he spent a year on the bottling line before their oenologist, James Healy, saw something in him and invited him to join the wine-making team. It was at a time when Healy was turning his attention to Pinot Noir and he suggested that Will should expand his knowledge of that grape by spending the winter months in the northern hemisphere, so for 5 consecutive years Will went over to California and helped with vintages at Au Bon Climat, learning about the importance of soil and site selection from the inspirational Jim Clendenen.
On his return to New Zealand, he pursued his interest in small parcel selection by helping out at Fromm, who were the only winery in Marlborough focusing on single vineyards at the time. That short stint turned into a 19 year career, rising from cellar hand to general manager, before the call to do his own thing became too loud to ignore.
Will’s father had been one of Marlborough’s early pioneers, planting some of the first vines back in the 1970s, and the family became contract growers for many of the top wineries, developing an extensive knowledge of Marlborough’s best sites. They are still Cloudy Bay’s oldest growers. Thanks to his family’s network of contacts, Will grew up with his boots as deep in Marlborough’s soil as any aspiring winemaker could wish for, with an address-book filled with the names of all the important growers in the region, and has spent his career getting to know all the ‘sweet spots’ as he calls them: “We have learnt that the best fruit usually comes from just a small pocket of a good vineyard, due to soil type, microclimate etc. It might be just a few rows, the eastern side of a slope, or a rocky swale running through a vineyard site. Pinpointing these pockets takes additional time to sample and costs more to hand harvest, but in our experience, it is these tiny parcels of fruit that produce the most intense and interesting wines.”
The aromas on this wine are so beautiful, I felt like a bumble bee drawn to a rose. It’s exactly what I want from a red Burgundy, the sweetly seductive scent of morello cherry, kola nut, cassia, hibiscus tea, neroli and orange peel all swirling around to create a heavenly congregation of vapours. I actually blurted out “Oh, wow!” when I tasted it, but thankfully the producer wasn’t within earshot or I would have ruined my hopes of negotiation, like a poker-player squealing “Yippee!”. The palate is so pure and refined, with super-silky tannins supporting classic Pinot Noir fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry, with the top-class oak adding woodsy, sweet spice notes. Nothing feels overworked, it feels like an infusion rather than an extraction, so everything flows smoothly and the alcohol is a pleasingly old-fashioned 12.5% alc. With so many new world Pinot Noirs demanding sky-high prices from Oregon to Otago, it puts this wine’s value, from Pinot Noir’s heartland, into sharp focus. It’s completely ready to drink now and should hold until 2032 at least.
“This is stunning for an “entry-level” Etna Rosso.” - Vinous, 93 points
There was once a brilliant bronze sculpture on the 4th plinth in Trafalgar Square which showed a hand with a really, really long thumb pointing skywards titled ‘Really Good’. That’s how I feel about this wine, it’s not just good, it’s reeeaaaaally good! It’s Marco de Grazia’s new Etna project, having sold a significant stake in his Tenuta delle Terre Nere, while cunningly keeping ownership of some of the best plots on the northern slopes, including Bella Colonna. The warm and dry 2024 vintage has produced a wine of comforting depth and richness, with creamy cherry and piquant cranberry, while still retaining Etna’s extraordinary imprint of smoky, volcanic intrigue. This gets a big thumbs-up from us! 14.5% alc. Drink now-2036.
~Press reviews:
The Wine Advocate: “From vines planted in 2006 and 2007, the Bella-Colonna 2024 Etna Rosso is a terrific wine. It possesses the three qualities of an important Etna red, says vintner Marco de Grazia: quality, identity and discretion. This wine never shows off its muscle, yet it has unmistakable stage presence, understated exuberance and an almost invisible structure. Mineral throughout, it closes with a soft creaminess and the unusual suggestion of white chocolate and pistachio. Drink now-2032.” 93 points
Vinous: “The 2024 Etna Rosso opens with a vivid bouquet of black cherries, sweet lavender and autumnal spice. This is seamless and silken in feel, with mineral-laced wild berry fruits, tantalizing acidity and blue inner florals toward the close. Nuances of clove and incense linger over a tart blackberry inflection. This is stunning for an “entry-level” Etna Rosso. Drink now-2039.” 93 points
An absolute stunner from the guys at Envinate! Just the right amount of wispy volcanic smokiness on the nose to draw you in, but not so much that it occludes the fruit, which jumps out of the glass with juicy vibrancy, packed with shiny black cherry, raspberry, blueberry and pomegranate laced with whetstone, pumice powder and pepper (that’s the volcano talking!). One of our favourite releases from these brilliant winemakers. A field blend of Negramoll and Listán Negro. Very old vines. 12% alc. Drink now-2030. Organic (non-certified). Vegan
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2022 La Santa de Úrsula is balsamic and reveals notes of rose petals and talcum powder. The fruit is darker (riper), and it has a juicy palate with fine tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now - 2029.” 95 points
Tamlyn Currin for JancisRobinson.com: “So fine, high-wired and pellucid that the wine has a kind of haunting, keening brilliance. The rose-hip and hawthorn-berry fruit is bright and wild and pure with a wintery tartness, curved like a cutlass in the teeth of a salty wind. Old-brick bitterness and petrichor minerality, enough to set your jaw on edge and send tingles down your spine. The tannins are like a storm wind, invisible and yet whipping through the stones and the bones and iron-red flesh of the fruit. Crack of smoke. It’s a whetstone of a wine, and it will divide opinion. Some (like my husband) will find it thin, some (like me) will fall in love with the pared-back-to-the-breath of this naked, raw, hungry wine. The score is for people like me. The rest of you can go to Napa.” 17.5 points
Customer comments:
“A belter.” -Mr. M.A.
“Stunning.” - JancisRobinson.com, 17.5 points
“Really compares well against much pricier Pinots by sheer intensity and quality of flavour.” - Richard Hemming MW
A real humdinger of a Pinot Noir from Geelong (pronounced Jia Long), a thriving wine region southwest of Melbourne. It’s deep and rich and silky, the sort of style you might expect to find in Central Otago (Felton Road springs to mind) with glossy black and purple berries and the warmth of sun-kissed plum skins with lots of fine detail in its layers of barrel-aged flavours (cinnamon toast, vanilla, ground spices). Unequivocally delicious even on day 2 and day 3 after opening. 13% alc. Vegan-friendly. Drink now-2036.
Press review:
JancisRobinson.com: “Long fermentation with up to 60% whole-bunch. Intoxicating scent that majors on the fecund herbal complexity of whole-bunch fermentation. Baking spices, rhubarb, cranberry and redcurrant. Utterly engaging – it retains light body but delivers outrageous complexity, from decomposing vegetal/beetroot funk to vibrant young fruit. Stunning. 13% alc. Drink now-2036.” 17.5 points
The Wine Companion: “From four separate vineyards in Geelong that all make single-vineyard wines as well! About 50% whole bunches and 50% new French barriques. A bright ruby garnet. Ultra perfumed with aromas of wild strawberry, musk sticks and spices such as cardamom and clove. Medium bodied and red fruited and with fine, silky and persistent tannins rounding out a wine that's already delicious yet will reward another five to seven years in the cellar.” 95 points
Customer comment:
“I tried the Lethbridge last weekend and really enjoyed it.” - Mr J.G.
Mencía, Merenzao, Brancellao, Garnacha Tintorera and others. Viladequinta is a single site composed of six north-east-facing parcels located at higher elevations than the Valdeorras average, between 650m and 700m. Hand-harvested, with 30% whole-bunch fermentation in open 500-litre barrels, which were later used for 12 months of ageing. Limited production of 1,300 bottles. 12.5% alc. Drink now-2038.
JancisRobinson.com: “An absolutely beautiful wine, delicate and expressive, showing violets, redcurrant and pomegranate. This is a superb red, full of energy, mineral tension and with seamless construction, delivering enviable depth and precision. Fine-grained, sapid, vertical and vibrant, with perfectly integrated tannins and a distinct mineral edge. The most mineral and cooler-profiled red from Adega O Cabalín, clearly reflecting its northerly exposure which brings extra freshness and vertical tension. Drink now-2040.” 18 points
Awarded a whopping 99 points by The Wine Advocate!
Derek Mossmann Knapp of Garage Wine Co. has just received the ‘Old Vine Hero’ Award 2024 for his overall impact in the field of ‘old vine’ restoration, thanks to his efforts working with local communities to revive historic vineyards in Maule, Chile and the fruits of his labour can be tasted here in his Carignan ‘Vigno’ 2018, which offers a wonderfully silky, glossy and deeply-coloured interpretation of this variety (plus a splash of Païs and Monastrell). As wine merchants, we are, quite rightly, forbidden from using the word ‘healthy’ to describe a wine, but I think it’s fair to say that the fruit itself must have been in the rudest of health when picked, as the wine is so pure in flavour, gleaming with ripe cassis and black cherry, with cashmere tannins and enough complexity (graphite, wood, baking spices) to keep you intrigued and keen for another sip. Delicious with roast pork and crackling or Peking duck. 13% alc. Drink now-2032.
Press review:
The Wine Advocate: “The 2018 Vigno comes from a creek where there's terrific drainage and thus low yields and concentration. It's Carignan with smidgens of País and Monastrell in the field blend, the grapes grown by a Maule farmer by hand and horse with traditional methods of dry-farming, uncertified organic for 75+ years. Like all the rest, it fermented in open-top vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used barrels over two winters. None of these wines are about the process, they are about the place and the year. Drink now-2030.” 99 points
“Our 18th Young Gun of Wine recipient, Marco Lubiana, joins a special group of award-winners. These winemakers are already proving to be the leading face of Australian wine and these winemakers are the ones building new audiences for Australian wine. They are the future and it is right here, right now.” - Young Gun of WIne Awards 2024, Winner
“Marco Lubiana is one of the rising stars of Tasmanian, nay, Australian wine.” - The Wine Companion
No one really knows how a wine achieves cult status, but when you hear about a wine on the grapevine, discover that it will be available to taste at a wine bar in an old pharmacy in east London and your allocation, if you attend, will be 12 bottles, then that's probably a good start. That's exactly how we came by this Pinot Noir from young gun, Marco Lubiana. It's a really fine example of the heartbreak grape, with fine details in its floral and cassis aromas, its wonderfully intense sour cherry and raspberry palate and that ineffable feeling that you are drinking molten rubies! 13% alc. Drink now-2036.
Press reviews:
The Wine Companion: "Marco Lubiana is one of the rising stars of Tasmanian, nay, Australian wine. This marks his 5th release, now focusing solely on the certified biodynamic Granston Estate vineyard in the Derwent valley. 30% whole bunch this year due to the cooler season. Bright ruby with nicely focused fruit tones of raspberry, red cherry and wild strawberry. Hints of medina spice, purple flowers, crushed stone, dried orange peel, mountain herbs and dried meats. Harmonious and supple with a very composed flow across the palate, fine porcelain acidity and subtle chalky tannins, finishing long and true." 95 points
The Wine Advocate: "The 2023 Pinot Noir leads with rosewater and musk sticks, strawberries and cherries, vanilla wafer and dried herbs. While I loved the Chardonnays from the cool 2023 vintage, I find this to be light and tightly wound. With a feathery texture to the tannins and a core of black liquorice, the wine is layered and detailed, but it does take some patience to pop the bonnet and look under the hood. There's a lot to see, but only for those who allow their palate to adjust to the fine-tuned nature of the wine. It is quiet. Drink now-2033." 92 points
JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “The nose on this! It explodes into clouds of fragrance. Damson and peony, wild cherry. Exquisite floral notes. Blood orange, and peel. Tannins like silk stockings. Dense mesh, dense texture, and really peppery. This has bite and nip, strumming with spice: Sichuan pepper, pink peppercorns, sumac. Something urgent about this – perhaps it's the raw energy. Beautiful weave of floral notes and strawberries, clove and laurel spice. Very complex but a lot more edgy than Stefano Lubiana's wine. Barely restrained. (TC) 13% alc. Drink now-2032” 17.5 points
“I loved it so much I bought it on the spot.” - Rebecca Gibb MW, 95 points
It’s lovely to have a Bourgueil with a bit of bottle age, because it’s a wine that needs to soften and mellow. When it’s young, it’s like a novice yoga pupil, all stiff and angular, but after 6 or 7 years, it becomes supple and pliable. Domaine du Bel Air have crafted an absolute beauty from the 2018 vintage, a pure Cabernet Franc that tastes molten and silken and very ‘grand vin’, if that makes sense. The colour is rich, but graduated from deep cherry at the core to lighter red brick at the rim, and the aromas are classic Loire Cabernet Franc in their perfumed sweetness, showing steeped cherry skins, wet hedgerow and musk, deepening on the palate to blackcurrant, pencil shavings and red flowers. 13.5% alc. Organically farmed. Drink now-2039
Press review:
Vinous (Rebecca Gibb MW): “The 2018 Grand Mont is elegant and savoury. It is dense and yet incredibly transparent and light. For those who love right bank Bordeaux, this will give you that classical reassurance of a high quality, complex red wine. It's not fruit forward, it's all dark chocolate, black cherry, almost like a roast beef dinner. The wine has gorgeous chalky tannins that coat the mouth, and there's a fragrant, log fire-like character on the long length. I loved it so much I bought it on the spot. You could enjoy it now with Sunday lunch but it has 20 years in it. Drink now-2042.” 95 points
A sense of place is usually the first casualty of inexpensive wines, but this red tastes inescapably Italian. There’s a glossiness, reminiscent of shiny Morello cherry skins, a tangy hint of orange peel, as you might find in a Cinzano, a ripeness of red-fleshed plums, typical of a Sicilian red, and a hint of glamour, bringing a touch of La Dolce Vita. It’s a crimson ribbon of a wine, flowing easily without the friction of tannins, a wine for early-drinking and thanks to the high altitude of the vineyards, there’s a juicy freshness to the palate. 12.5% alc. A blend of Nero d’Avola (85%) and Syrah (15%). Drink now-2029.