Calvados, Grenache, Rhone Blen...

STAFF PICKS 2024 - ROSCOE HALLIGAN-ROSE

Too long a story to tell here, but the brief version is, I spent a good bit of time before our recent trip to the Rhone trying to find a producer that fit our wants and needs perfectly, we found three in the end. The Rhone is so exciting at the moment with so many great wines coming out, and many remain at reasonable prices. Still, in the face of this wave of excellent wine it is still rare to find someone crafting wines that are this extraordinary. Paul Formosa is one of the most talented and focused young winemakers I have come across in a long while. His wines are nothing short of spectacular.
Wonderful purity of expression, vivid, bright and clearly defined. Lighter in colour than you may expect, but that belies the deep wells of character that lurk amongst those soaring aromatics, dramatic fruit and the flashes of minerality that add to the overall feel of crispness that accompanies the luxurious and beautifully cushioned fruit. The wine goes on and on and with each moment another nuance or detail escapes from the depths and flicks or flutters along your mouth, tantalising you with the feeling of things to come.
Composed and self-assured, this is not a Gigondas that seeks to stun you with bold and forward fruit, rather it lures you in with its seductive flavours, its shapely profile and its enticing array of perfume. Sneaky structure pays second fiddle here, but it is all perfectly measured and ensures a very long and expressive life ahead. This was an easy choice for my wine of the year. ROSCOE



The promising 2022 Gigondas Cuvée Tradition 1871 mixes 80% Grenache with the remainder equally split between Syrah and Mourvèdre. Glossy red fruits mingle with dashes of dried herbs and a splash of rosewater. Refreshing acidity neatly balances the moderate fruit concentration, persisting all the way through to the sapid finish. This is a lovely Gigondas. NICHOLAS GREINACHER, Vinous

This is an impactful grenache made by somebody who prizes Italian wines. The tannins are an immense force field, with kirsch, strawberries and dried Mediterranean herbs, and a note of almond husk that gives noble bitterness. The density, poise and grace are thoroughly impressive. This is a structured grenache built for the cellar. Drinkable now, but best from 2027. (97) NED GOODWIN MW

From the new estate vineyard for Pannell, an old but recently viticulturally retooled site in Blewitt Springs. It will be fascinating to watch this bottling over the subsequent years as Stephen and co get the full benefit of enhanced farming reflected in bottle, but this is a very bright start. There's presently a touch more flex and breadth than the other single site grenache bottlings, but still with the tenson of the year. Wild raspberry, redcurrant jelly, bitter red aperitivo, tamarind and sour cherry. Tannins are fine, insistent and sandy, acidity a driving force. This is a stellar debut. (96) MARCUS ELLIS

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Sara’s tribute to “youth, tenacity, love and Grenache”. Who can argue …?
Organically grown on a 10 hectare plot of degraded granite (Montsant’s only gravel patch), Dido has been in production since 2005. The blend is 86% co-fermented Garnatxa-Syrah (1/5 is Syrah, which helps the local Garnatxa ferment better), with 7% each Cabernet and Merlot. It’s picked early, and needs to be largely de-stemmed, so the fermentation takes place in two parts. A 15% portion is used as a starter – whole bunches take wild yeast and are covered with sulphur for 8 days. This is then released into the balance of the fruit, de-stemmed and un-sulphured, and away we go. After fermentation in old hogsheads, the wines are long-aged, more than 18 months – a first year in large raw concrete and then a further 6 months or so in large Foudre of 5000 litres.

Bright and fresh red cherry fruit marked by mint and other local herbs, the wine shows the clear crunch of granite soil. Juicy and direct with macerated herbs, licorice and briar in lovely pastille fruit. Good concentration, rich-but-not-sweet country wine, it's all briar-herb-cane-brambly, with a nice little nudge of spice, allspice husk and leather in the soft savoury juice and a touch of chocolate in the soft leathery tannin. Clear and direct, with absolutely no wine-making clutter, it is delicately structured and savoury. A smasher!

Aged in small apple brandy casks for over 12 months, this rich and generous liqueur is a result of blending pressed French and British heirloom apple varieties with our apple spirit.

Complex and well-structured with baked apple and spice, balanced with firm tannins and cask influence.

Our take on the traditional aperitif from North-West France – enjoy as such or serve with blue cheese or dessert. WILLIE SMITH

Domaine Font de Courtedune – for now, at least – is something of an insider’s secret. With vineyards right next door to Château Rayas, and sharing the same sandy soils, this tiny Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate produces outstanding wines that are a fraction of the price of those of its famous neighbour. The vineyards have long been owned by the Charrier family, but the fruit was sold to the local co-operative until 1997, when René Charrier established the domaine. Today his children Caroline and Frédéric are in charge.

Everything here is joyously traditional. The old vines (some of which are over 100 years old) are all farmed sustainably, with as little intervention as possible; a philosophy that follows through into the winery. Everything is whole-bunch, fermented and aged in concrete vats, with no oak to be found in the winery at all. They work almost exclusively with Grenache, with just a splash of Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault, and Terret Noir to add extra spice and body to the wines.

An outstanding 2021 Chateauneuf ethereal and fresh, super sleek and wonderfully pretty. It's all about the pure fruit, lilting, sweet cherries, crushed raspberry and a touch of white pepper spice sprinkled in all the right spots. Lovely wine.

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and smaller amounts of Roussanne, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc. Ripe citrus, crushed stone, white flowers, and even a kiss of brioche all emerge on the nose, and it's medium-bodied, with a pure, elegant mouthfeel, good acidity, and a great finish. It's going to evolve for 10-12 years, if not longer, if well stored. JEB DUNNUCK

Incredibly mineral and saline with astonishing focus and precision for this very warm location. Great lemon aromas ranging from blossoms to the peel. Great concentration, but no less vitality. Amazingly long finish that reminds me of great Alsace dry rieslings, like Clos St. Hune! Drink or hold. ( 96) STUART PIGOTT Pigott, James Suckling

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Brilliant ruby-red. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red and blue fruits, potpourri and botanical herbs that are complemented by an exotic spice note building in the glass. Stains the palate with intense raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors that steadily deepen with air. Delivers a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes impressively long and floral, with fine-grained tannins adding a discreet grip. (95) JOSH RAYNOLDS

Could the 2020 Gigondas be the best ever from this estate? The usual blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre that was destemmed and brought up in very old foudre, it has wonderful purity (which is a trait of the vintage) in its red and black fruits as well as notes of ground pepper, Provençal garrigue, and cedary spice. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this is never the biggest or richest wine in the vintage yet it oozes Provence character, is perfectly balanced, has great tannins, and is going to deliver the goods for upwards of two decades. (95) JEB DUNNUCK

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

A fragrant rosé where the delicate freshness of Chardonnay is completed with the fruity richness of Pinot Noir and the suave roundness of Pinot Blanc. The softly pressed grapes develop a harmonious accord in the more than 24 months of maturation on the lees. Notes of freshly picked currants and cherries, crisp apricots and strawberries, peony petals and blood orange, with a delicate nuance of fresh almond and cotton candy. The sip is lively and sunny, dynamic in the juicy freshness of pomegranate and red apple, with a subtle and vital flavour.

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Crafted by the Gonnet family, whose deep-rooted history in Châteauneuf-du-Pape spans generations, this wine reflects a legacy of precision, tradition, and a deep respect for terroir. Their approach results in wines that are both refined and expressive, capturing the essence of this historic region.

Their flagship Châteauneuf-du-Pape is sourced from south-facing vines over 50 years old, ensuring concentration and depth. After a traditional fermentation, the wine is aged in a combination of concrete vats, 600L demi-muids, and smaller 200L oak barrels, allowing for texture and complexity without overpowering the fruit.

The blend is a true reflection of the appellation’s diversity, featuring Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault, Terret Noir, Vaccarèse, Clairette, and Bourboulenc—a medley of red and white varieties that together create a wine of balance, richness, and southern charm

The classic 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is straight-up terrific and excels in the vintage. It will be interesting to compare this to the Le Plateau over the coming 20 years or so. Giving up lots of red and blue fruits, violets, flowers, and hints of graphite, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, beautifully integrated tannins, and remarkable purity as well as length. It’s a brilliant Châteauneuf du Pape from this talented team that readers will love to have in their cellars. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 15-20 years. JEB DUNNUCK

The deeply fragrant nose pulls you inexorably into this majestic Chateauneuf. So vibrant and refined for this amount of power and concentration. Breathtaking Mediterranean herbal freshness at the super-long finish. JAMES SUCKLING

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

A well-composed, structured and refined Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The nose reveals notes of dark cherries, cassis, dried thyme, black pepper and a touch of violets. It's full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. The frame of tannins shape up the palate, with dark berries at the core. Plenty of spices and grilled herb character on the palate bring vibrancy and drive. Robust and focused, and the funneled finish has length. Try after 2028.  (96) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is brought up in used Burgundy barrels and stainless steel and is 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties. Black raspberries, subtle cassis, graphite, pepper, and beautifully integrated oak define this classy beauty, and it's medium to full-bodied and concentrated, with building, ripe tannins and a great finish. This is a gorgeous wine in the making, but it will probably take 7-8 years to hit maturity. This could be up there with the legendary Mont-Redons. Tasted twice with consistent results. (93-95+) JEB DUNNUCK

60 % Grenache Noir, 30 % Syrah, 8 % Mourvèdre & 2 % Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin & Vaccarèse. Hand harvested and 100 % destemmed before fermentation over 15 to 20 days, with extraction via plunging the cap as required. Following the malolactic, a rigorous selection is performed and batches that do not meet the Estate’s quality criteria are sold in bulk. The selected batches are matured for 12 months in approximately 50 % barrels and 50 % stainless steel tanks. At this point another selection is made and any lesser batches are again sold in bulk. The final blend is then assembled in tank and matured for a further 6 months before bottling, then a further 4 to 6 months in bottle before it is available for shipping.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a blockbuster in the making and I’d wager the finest cuvée from this estate in decades. Brought up in 25% new oak, it offers a mammoth bouquet of crème de cassis, black raspberries, tobacco leaf, and toasted bread. Concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful on the palate, it still has silky tannins, a seamless texture, and a great, great finish. It’s going to keep for 20-25+ years. JEB DUNNUCK

Dense savory nose with notes of bitter chocolate and a slew of spices. Very rich and concentrated, but the wine's savory personality and stony minerality prevents even the slightest hint of sweetness developing. In fact the long spicy finish is wonderfully dry, pulling you back for more of this Chateauneuf masterpiece. JAMES SUCKLING

Deep glistening magenta. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, potpourri and smoky minerals accented by an exotic Moroccan spice quality. Shows impressive depth as well as energy on the palate, offering sappy black raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors; an undercurrent of juicy acidity adds lift and back-end cut. Finishes sweet, gently tannic and very long, leaving behind mineral, garrigue and cherry liqueur notes. JOSH RAYNOLDS

Fabulous nose of red fruits, summer flowers and licorice. The very complex interplay of huge fine tannins and richness reminds me of Grand Cru Burgundy, but this has a southerly personality. Great velvety finish that goes on and on. Doesn't want to stop. 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre and 10% cinsault (97) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Pied De Baud comes all from more pebbly soils and is a blend of 80% Grenache and the rest equal parts Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Its medium ruby/purple hue gives way to a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced effort that also has a Pinot Noir-like vibe in its bright red and blue fruits as well as peppery herbs, sappy flowers, and new leather aromas and flavors. The texture is spot on, it's as seamless as they come, and it delivers ripe tannins as well as a great finish. JEB DUNNUCK

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Dark and meaty nose, but with terrific freshness. With aeration, wild blackberry and elderberry notes unfold. Very concentrated and structured with a dense and dry core that some may find a bit daunting, but really impresses us. Incredibly focused and fresh finish that's laser beam straight. Iron firmness at the powerful long finish. From a co-planting of 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre and 10% counoise growing on sandy soil. 75% whole bunch. Matured in a combination of Stockinger oak foudre and clay amphora (96) JAMES SUCKLING

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges comes all from the Les Saintes Vierges lieu-dit and is based on 80% Grenache and 10% each of Mourvedre and Counoise. It was partially destemmed and brought up mostly in foudre with 10% in clay jars. Wild strawberries, darker berries, violets, and an incredible floral, almost tropical nuance on the nose gives way to a medium-bodied, elegant, vibrant effort with a sappy green edge in its tannins that avoids being astringent or off-putting. This fresh, elegant, perfumed beauty will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink nicely for a decade. JEB DUNNUCK