Calvados, sauvignon Blanc, Bar...

Le Battistelle is simply one of the Soave Classico’s best producers. They have some of the most incredible hand tended terrace vineyards with vines up to 130 years old. There are records of the Battistelle vineyard going back to 1644. Fantastic volcanic subsoils plus the estate is classified “Viticoltura Eroica” or Heroic Viticulture which appears on the label of the Battistelle cuvee. It stands for the hard work that production of these wines requires.

Owned by Gelmino and Cristina Dal Bosco who after working for larger co-operatives in the region passionately wanted their estate, and started in 2002 under the Le Batistelle label. They own just over 9 hectares (100% Garganega) divided across four small plots all situated in the hills of Brognoligo.

The 2022 Soave Classico Eroica lifts from the glass with a savory blend of dried peaches and apricots, complemented by hints of fresh mint and crushed stone. It’s soothingly round in character, resonating with ripe orchard fruits and citrus-tinged inner florals over a core of tantalizing acidity. Its minerality comes forward through the close, as this plays out a sweet-and-sour act on the palate and hints of candied lime slowly fade. ERIC GUIDO, www.vinousmedia.com

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!

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 domaine crafts two Barbara wines, both sitting at what we could call ‘the serious end’ of the Barbera spectrum. In a Bibendum setting, this means closer in style to the structured, ageworthy style of Cavallotto, rather than, say, the approachable and seductive character of Sandrone or Massolino. This wine is the more fruit-forward of the two and is drawn from the Majano vineyard in Neive, sitting at 190 metres on sandy clay. The oldest vines here have reached 50 years of age, bringing uncommon depth and vinosity. The wine was matured in stainless steel for 12 months before bottling.

This is superb; bloody and ferrous yet with lovely florals and a pure, dark cherry core. It immediately speaks as to why we love this producer. There’s depth yet great finesse and it’s loaded with character.

The 2020 Barbera d'Alba Superiore Gepin is deep, flavorful with tons of character. It emerges from the Cottà cru, where the wines are naturally rich and creamy. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and incense all open nicely. A year of aging in cask adds structure. What I like most about the 2020 is the combination of fruit intensity and depth, but in the restrained, classic style that is the norm here these days. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

The name of this wine is taken from the previous farmer. Gepin tended these old parcels of Barbera in the great crus of Ronchi (Barbaresco) and Cottà (Neive), planted between 1950 and 1974.

This wine has improved out of sight in recent vintages (in part thanks to enhanced barrel integration) and has now become a regular in our portfolio. Where the classic Barbera is raised in tank, the Gepin matures for 12 months in low-impact, large Austrian casks (from you know who) and is bottled unfiltered

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This is a bit of a banger. Raspberry, almond paste, dried roses, a fair bit of white pepper and spice, aniseed too. It’s medium-bodied, frisky and fresh, plenty of red fruits, dried herb, a ‘mineral’ feel to it, not least with regards to acidity, peppery tannin, lots of energy, also kind of earthy and gravelly too, with a brisk finish of excellent length. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

The 2020 Freisa Bonina is another fabulous wine in the entry-level portion of the range. Bright and translucent, the 2020 delivers striking complexity and nuance. Rose petal, lavender, spice, mint and dried herbs all open in the glass. The 2020 is translucent, bright and wonderfully expressive. For readers who want to explore Freisa, this is certainly a great start. ANOTONIO GALLONI,Vinous

ANDRE CLOUET (9/10) 

Bouzy and Ambonnay are the epicentre of pinot noir in Champagne, and the Clouet family is the priviledged custodian of eight hectares of estate vines in the best middle slopes of both villages.  These are rich and concentrated expressions of pinot noir, wines of deep complexity, multi faceted interest and engaging character, yet with remarkable restraint and sense of control.  Recent tastings confirm my impression that this small and relatively unknown grower ranks high among Champagne's finest practitioners of pinot noir - and expresses one of the best value of all.

100% Bouzy and Ambonnay pinot noir.  6g/L dosage
Release after release, year after year, I have always marvelled at the lemon blossom freshness that Clouet manages to capture in pinot noir from two of Champagne's most powerful terroirs.  Here it is again, in a captivating interplay of fleshy mirabelle plums, white peaches, crunchy golden delicious apples, and even a hint of pepper.  Wild honey and mixed spice join the maelstrom along the way, gliding obediently into a well defined finish of soft minerality and integrated dosage.  TYSON STELZER, The Champagne Guide 2014-2015

(100% Pinot Noir)The NV Brut Grande Reserve offers up layers of mineral-infused red fruits on a silky, mid-weight frame, with gorgeous length and a refined, subtle mousse. This impeccable, elegant wine shows terrific overall balance as well as complexity. I loved it. Andre Clouet is based in Bouzy, a village where Pinot Noir speaks with great eloquence, as is evident in these superb, pedigreed Champagnes. ANTONIO GALLONI, Robert Parker

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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!

This is a classy single vineyard barbera. From 45-65 year old densely planted vines, the Marun was the brainchild of Matteo Correggia. He sourced fruit from sandy soils at the top of the hill with a sunny exposition and good air flow to stifle vine disease.

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!

Organic. Lalù’s Barbera just gets better. The new release is the first to include fruit from the new estate vineyard of Bricco Giubellini in Monforte. The vines here lie on Diano sandstone at a lofty 530 metres, an altitude that brings welcome freshness to warmer Piemonte vintages such as 2022 and 2023. The balance of the Barbera is drawn from fruit purchased from Monforte’s San Sebastiano—another site Lara Rocchetti and Luisa Sala believe exceptional for this variety.

Made with a mix of whole berries and bunches, the wine fermented and matured for eight months entirely in concrete. It’s a more powerful, sensual release than last year, still perfumed and vibrant yet more textural. The wine slinks out of the glass with pure red berries, violets and brown spices before turning towards more earthy shades of liquorice and woody herbs. The palate has joyous purity as well as a lovely mouthwatering quality from both the powdery tannins and the variety’s bright acidity while also hinting at Lalù’s light touch in the cellar. A first-class artisanal Barbera here.

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!

Stefanetto comes from mature vines in Busso’s San Stunet vineyard (see notes for the Barbaresco San Stunet below). The higher altitude (380m above sea level), age of vines (25 to 50 years old) and limestone rich soils all contribute to a deeper and more structured Barbera than the Majano. Accordingly, this wine is raised in neutral barrels of various sizes for at least 12 months. It is also released with one extra year of age.

This has more overt flesh, more plummy fruit, wilder notes and powdery tannins. In short, it’s a dark and layered Barbera of enormous character and length.

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!

... its straight Sancerre Blanc, a blend of parcels (limestone 45%, flint 45% and 10% marl), is fermented in tank after being hand harvested. It is a stellar ‘entry’ wine to their range.VINOUS

Domaine Vacheron is one of Sancerre’s elite properties, producing both white and red Sancerre wines of amazing purity and definition. The domaine has been completely transformed over to biodynamic farming with two young cousins, Jean-Laurent and Jean-Dominique Vacheron, at the helm. No synthetic material is used in the vineyard, harvests are carried out exclusively by hand, and the only fertilizer used is produced from the compost pile. Yields are kept extremely low. Having inherited some of the most coveted parcels in the appellation, the cousins are trying a Burgundian approach to Sancerre winemaking, with parcels being vinified .

Flinty sparks mix with  fresh thyme and grapefruit pith aromas. The pure core of fruit cascades like a waterfall onto the palate, it’s luminous and palate staining while a minerally vein reminds you of its chalky and fossil laden soils it shares with Chablis. It slithers along, finishing with a mouth watering saline finish. It’s a refined and stylish Sancerre, so very damn delicious. GABRIELLE POY

A deeply coloured wine that exhibits a dazzling array of wildly exotic fruits and herbs as well as the usual stone fruit that I expect from the style. Gloriously perfumed and so enticing. You could wear this as a perfume. People would think you are nuts, but you would smell amazing! Big, super concentrated, it hits your mouth with intent, absolutely engulfing the palate with the same heady array of character that is suggested on the nose. So much weight and richness but there is the sweep of uplifting acidity that washes away any lingering sweetness and leaves your palate feeling refreshed and enlivened. Long and stimulating across its length with a final flourish of citrus like acidity and fine saline edge. This is a wonderful bottle of wine that had me coming back to it over 24 hours or more. I love it. ROSCOE

Wow, is it salty or is it sweet? The 2017 Recioto di Soave Le Colombare lifts up with dusty yellow flowers, dried tangerine and orange zests complemented by crushed almonds and hints of confectioners' sugar. It's silky-smooth yet not weighty in feel, with zesty citrus and tropical fruits motivated by brilliant acidity. The balance here is unreal, as the 2017 hides its 120 grams of residual sugar very well, maybe too well, making it easy to like but also dangerously easy to drink. A bitter twang of citrus rinds and hints of ginger spice linger. ANTONIO GALLONI

Sublime. A rapier-like thread of acidity compresses quince, tangerine, tamarind, truffle, cardamon and glazed stone fruits into a ball of such tension and freshness that the finish is not only endless, but uncannily dry. Recioto as good as this is among the very finest sweet wines on earth. Drinkable now, but best from 2028. JAMES SUCKLING

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!

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