Champagne, Hunter Valley, Loir...
Champagne
The chalky soils of Champagne combined with its frigid growing environment create wines that are electric and salivating. But it’s the creation of bubbles that makes these wines stand out.
The bubbles are formed during a secondary fermentation in bottle, known as Méthode Traditionelle. The longer they age, the more nougat and brioche flavours develop and the finer the bead (bubble) becomes.
In terms of who invented Champagne, the English make a strong case as they worked out the formula for purposely making the fizz happen and their stronger coal-fired glass bottles - resulting from the Industrial Revolution - could hold the pressure. Whereas the French were still bottling in wood-fired glass which wasn’t strong enough and they hadn’t cracked the technique of creating bubbles on purpose.
Grapes
White: Chardonnay
Red: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Styles
Nowhere in the world can emulate the fineness and electric detail of these wines. Non-vintage Champagnes should be enjoyed earlier in their lives, while vintage wines have more structure and can age beautifully. House styles differ too. Blanc des Blancs (100% Chardonnay) offer a more elegant and fragile expression while Blanc des Noirs (100% Pinot and or Meunier) are darker fruited with more obvious structure and power.
Favourite Producers
Pierre Peters, Louis Roederer, Vilmart, Andre Clouet, Taittinger, Larmandier, Egly-Ouriet, Jacques Selosse
Loire valley
Within France, the Loire Valley region produces the greatest diversity of wine styles. The array of wines made reflects the different sub-regions that share little in common due to the region's sweeping expanse. It's an exciting mesh of sparkling, dry, sweet, rose and reds styles.
Known as the 'Garden of France' the Loire Valley is a prolific food bowl producing delectable treats across cheese, cherries, apples, butter and vegetables. Covering 1000km from east to west, this picturesque region is a feast for both your eyes and tastebuds.
Grapes
White: Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet), Sauvignon Blanc
Red: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Grolleau
Styles
The Muscadets of the Nantais are influenced by the maritime climate. These wines are subtly textured, freshly fruited and best drunk young with some oysters. Anjou is where Chenin Blanc shines in various styles - sparkling, dry and sweet. Touraine is home to the tuffeau soils which Chenin blanc loves in Vouvray, and we see some red wines here too. Lastly, in the Central Vineyards where the soils are similar to Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc is the cross-bearer producing some exhilarating wines in Sancerre and Pouilly Fume.
Favourite Producers
Pepiere, Baumard, Pierre Bise, Roches Neuves, Huet, Francois Chidaine, Didier Dageneau, Vacheron, Gerard Boulay,
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Thomas Synergy Semillon 2023More 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!
2022SemillonAustralia407$24.00 As low as $21.60 -
Grenaudiere Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie 2022 375mlMore 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!
2022MuscadetFrance423$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
Tyrrells Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2023More 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!
2016SemillonAustralia407$25.00 As low as $22.50 -
De Iuliius Estate Shiraz 2022More 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!
2023shirazAustralia407$27.00 As low as $24.30 -
Margan Breaking Ground Rosato 2022More 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!
2022Barbera, Merlot, Pinot GrisAustralia407$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Mt Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2018More 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!
2018SemillonAustralia407$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Francois Chidaine La Touraine Rose 2022Chidaine’s 2022 Rosé is a blend of Grolleau, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Bright and effusive, with tons of aromatic presence, the Rosé is immediately alluring. The interplay of aromatics, bright minerals and layered fruit makes for a delicious and beguiling Rosé that is absolutely delicious. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous2022Cabernet FrancFrance423$39.00 As low as $35.10 -
Cep by Cep Anjou Blanc 2023More 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!
2023Chenin BlancFrance423$39.00 As low as $35.10 -
Sauveroy 'Cuvée Ose Iris' Anjou Rouge 2020This family estate has been nestled in the heights of the Layon Valley in Saint-Lambert-du-Lattay in Anjou for three generations. The vineyard extends over a beautiful plot of 31 hectares of which 26 hectares are under vine and 5 hectares are in "wild" areas in anticipation of a future plantation or simply to preserve biodiversity. Quentin, Véronique and Pascal Cailleau, the last generations at the head of the domain, manage their vines according to the principles of organic farming, with rigor and precision.
We absolutely loved this at a recent tasting so just had to put it into this pack. Don't be surprised if you hear us talking about it some more because this is what cab franc should be. Soft and supple but countered with some fine powdery tanning and a whicked little crunch to the fruit. It explodes in the glass with raspberry, cherry, redcurrant and balckberry thast just swirls around and around. So vibrant with awesome balance. This one is hard to put down.2020Cabernet FrancFrance423$40.00 As low as $36.00 -
Batard Langelier Le Besson Muscadet 2022More 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!
2022MuscadetFrance423$40.00 As low as $36.00 -
Tyrrells HVD Semillon 2018
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!
2014SemillonAustralia407$42.00 As low as $37.80 -
Arnaud Lambert Saumur 'Mazurique' Rouge 2020More 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!
2020Cabernet FrancFrance423$44.00 As low as $39.60 -
De Bortoli Noble One 2020 375mL
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!
2019SemillonAustralia407$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Pierre Prieure et Fils Sancerre 2023 375ml
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!
2023sauvignon BlancFrance423$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Domaine Patrice Colin Blanc "Pierre a Feu" 2023More 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!
2023Chenin BlancFrance423$46.00 As low as $41.40 -
Domaine du Pas Saint Martin Saumur Rouge 2019More 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!
2019Cabernet FrancFrance423$48.00 As low as $43.20 -
Eric Louis Pouilly Fume 2022 375mlMore 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!
2022sauvignon BlancFrance423$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Rochers des Violettes Touche Mitane 2020
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!
2020Chenin BlancFrance423$49.00 As low as $44.10 -
Rochers des Violettes Touche Mitaine 2021The Touche Mitaine parcel features Chenin Blanc vines aged 35 years, planted on clay and flint soils. It was vinified in used oak barrels of 228 litres, with an élevage lasting twelve months. Aromatically this is rich in powdered chalk, with layers of white peach and a fragrant, lifted, minty freshness. The palate matches this style, in a gently composed structure, polished and fresh, with the same minty, white peach substance. It is framed by firm acidity, which I find typifies the vintage. The alcohol is 12.8% CHRIS KISSACK
Pure and alluring, with apple and citrus cloaked in spices and salty brine. Remains racy through the smoky, vivid finish, thanks to mouthwatering acidity. Drink now through 2028. WINE SPECTATOR
2021Chenin BlancFrance423$52.00 As low as $46.80 -
Arnaud Lambert Saumur 'Mazurique' Rouge 2022More 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!
2022Cabernet FrancFrance423$55.00 As low as $49.50 -
Mount Pleasant Rosehill Shiraz 2022Dried roses, boysenberry and classic Rosehill Shiraz character, but with a deeper more rugged, peppery and earthy cast. Medium-bodied, tannin slightly tough, red and blue fruit, pepper and spice, baked raspberry, and a slightly raw finish, but length is solid. It's a bit closed in as a young wine, but should turn out pretty well. It's a nice wine all up, from a more difficult vintage. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front2022shirazAustralia407$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Brokenwood Hunter Valley Shiraz 2022
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!
2022shirazAustralia407$56.00 As low as $50.40 -
Frederic Mabileau Pet Nat Lunatic CheninMore 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!
NVChenin BlancFrance423$61.00 As low as $54.90 -
Mount Pleasant Old Paddock & Old Hill Shiraz 2023More 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!
2023shirazAustralia407$62.00 As low as $55.80 -
Bruno Dubois Bulles de BD Pet NatMore 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!
NVChenin BlancFrance423$65.00 As low as $58.50 -
Andre Clouet Grande Reserve NV 375mlANDRE 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 ParkerNVChampagneFrance376$66.00 As low as $59.40 -
Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Terre de Maimbray Sancerre 2022100% Sauvignon blanc from 20+ year-old vines, hand-picked and sorted, very gentle pneumatic press and cool fermented in stainless steel. Matured in tank on fine lees for 6 months. Ripe and vibrant gooseberry fruit aromas without excess. Excellent depth of fruit on the palate with texture minerality and excellent depth and character. More refinement apparent each vintage.2022sauvignon BlancFrance423$66.00 As low as $59.40 -
Vinden Somerset Vineyard Single Barrel Shiraz (North) 2021More 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!
2021shirazAustralia407$68.00 As low as $61.20 -
Jean-Christophe Garnier "Les Justices" 2022More 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!
2022Chenin BlancFrance423$71.00 As low as $63.90 -
Pierre Prieure et Fils Sancerre 2023
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!
2023sauvignon BlancFrance423$72.00 As low as $64.80 -
Bruno Dubois "Les Perruches" 2021 Saumur BlancMore 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!
2021Chenin BlancFrance423$73.00 As low as $65.70 -
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Bollinger Special Cuvee NV 375ml
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!
NVChampagneFrance376$73.00 As low as $65.70 -
Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Terre de Maimbray Sancerre 2023More 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!
2022sauvignon BlancFrance423$75.00 As low as $67.50 -
Domaine Guiberteau Saumur Blanc 2022More 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!
2022Chenin BlancFrance423$78.00 As low as $70.20 -
Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2023Each grape (Sauvignon Blanc) is sorted upon receipt of the harvest, we work by gravity in order to respect the natural circuit of vinification. Press lightly to maintain optimum fruitiness. Assembly of 50% limestone, 30% clay-limestone and 20% flint. Each soil is vinified separately in thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, the limestone brings minerality and finesse; the clay-limestone brings the fruit, the richness and the flint brings the structure and the minerality. Unique, precise, chic, timeless and divinely good.2023sauvignon BlancFrance423$83.00 As low as $74.70 -
Apollonis Authentic Meunier Blanc de Noir Brut NVBased in the Marne Valley, this producer has a predominance of Pinot Meunier in many of its Champagnes. Winemaker Marie Petit Loriot plays the tanks music as the wine ferments. This fruity wine is vibrant, densely textured and at the dry end of Brut. WINE ENTHUSIASTNVChampagneFrance376$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume 2023More 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!
2023sauvignon BlancFrance423$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut NVMore 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!
ChampagneFrance376$86.00 As low as $77.40 -
Domaine La Grange Tiphaine Becarre Touraine-Amboise 2021More 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!
2020Cabernet FrancFrance423$87.00 As low as $78.30 -
Brimoncourt Regence NVA lightly toasty and flavorful Champagne with notes of praline, candied walnut, lemon peel and grilled orange. Fine bubbles. Pretty balance of toasty nut and zesty citrus. Dry feel. JAMES SUCKLINGNVChampagneFrance376$87.00 As low as $78.30 -
Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Chardonnay 2022Marvellous chardonnay. Flavoursome, flinty, fleshy and complete. Stonefruits and white flowers, cedarwood and meal, a quartz-like aspect and plenty of struck match. But harmonious at every single turn. And then there's the finish, which is seriously well sustained. One sip and I was convinced. The score could well be stingy. (95+) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, winefront.com
The sort of wine that unravels with air, from a torque of initial restraint, to a more open weave. Fine contemporary chardonnay, delivered with a cooler climatic edge and Australia's typical clarity of fruit and suffusion of tension. Granitic. Sub-alpine. A meld that delivers gentle stone fruit allusions, kumquat and a seam of oak, impeccably integrated… NED GOODWIN MW, jamessuckling.comAussie winelovers need little prompting when it comes to elite Chardonnay from the Beechworth region which is home to some of our very best. This wine, mostly from the Mendoza clone, sees whole bunch pressing and a wild yeast ferment in new French oak, which is mostly 500-litre puncheons. A lean, pale yellow hue, this is obviously still very young, indeed almost raw, but it is certainly coming together. We have notes of citrus and cashews, with melon and peach. A minerally backing, juicy acidity and impressive length. This will be better in 12 months and should drink beautifully for the following five to six years, possibly considerably more. KEN GARGETT, winepilot.com
2022chardonnayAustralia407$88.00 As low as $79.20 -
Brocard Pierre Champagne 'Tradition' NVBrocard Pierre's entry-level and only blended-grape expression of Champagne, Cuvée Tradition Brut, spends three years on the lees in bottle before release, which in our opinion, makes it one of the best quality-for-value wine of Champagne.
The Tradition is made of Pinot Noir (80%), Chardonnay (10%) and Pinot Blanc (10%) grapes from vineyards planted on clay-calcareous soil near Celles-sur-Ource. 2018 vintage reserve wine makes up the dominant base, while 30% comes from different réserve vintages. The juice was fermented in oak (15%) and stainless steel (85%) at controlled temperature. The wine then spent 4 months in stainless steel, and it was aged on lees for 2.5 years. It has 6g/l of dosage.
A flattering nose dominated by the Pinot Noir. Good harmony in the mouth, strength associated with freshness but not heavy accompanied by a slightly mentholated finish. Ripe citrus. Unctuous mousse. Chalky, mineral and saline and mouth coating. Generous autolitic notes.
NVChampagneFrance376$89.00 As low as $80.10 -
Draytons Museum Release Shiraz 2010
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!
2010shirazAustralia407$89.00 As low as $80.10 -
Thierry Fournier Blanc de Blanc NVJulien explains that the Marne Valley vines sit in clay limestone soils, often giving richer Chardonnay notes than fruit from the Cote de Blancs. That said this is still very, very precise and fine with a rich mid palate for sure but then a precise, linear finish. To describe the flavour profile as ‘Chablis with bubbles’ would be perhaps to over-simplify things but this certainly makes for a sleek yet flavourful NV. Importer CellarHandNVChampagneFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Vilmart Ratafia de Champagne 500mlSTAFF PICKS 2024 - KAYLEEN REYNOLDS
Easily the best Ratafia I have ever tasted. Yes, the sample size is not large but it comes as no surprise knowing Vilmart's track record of making fine wines. Ratafia de Champenois AKA Champagne's vin de liqueur.
100% chardonnay from premier cru sites in village Rilly-la-Montagne of Montagne de Reims. Fermentation is stopped before completion by adding young grape spirit resulting in a sweet, full-flavoured wine that is delicate and oh so elegant. A must have for the festive season alongside Nan's pavlova or a stinky wash rind cheese. (serve chilled)
Candied apricots, lemon curd and cashew nut, instantly we know we are onto a great thing here! On tasting, we see wild honey on buttered toast with orange peel and white nectarine, all laced around stoney minerality. The impeccable balance of flavour intensity, residual sugar and grape spirit is remarkable. Persistent length is matched with refreshment. Finesse through and through. KAYLEEN REYNOLDS, pws
The 2013 Ratafia (Chardonnay) is laced with hints of dried fruit, almond, dried flowers and chamomile. It offers gorgeous complexity, along with notable energy and freshness. It is a very fine, elegant Ratafia. ANTONIO GALLONI
NVchardonnayFrance376$90.00 As low as $81.00 -
Veuve Fourny Grand Terroirs 1er Cru Brut NVA blend of 80% chardonnay (grand cru) and 20% pinot noir (premier cru) mostly from Vertus. Small oak and 40% reserve wines included. 3 consecutive vintages make up the blend. Brut style with 6 grams dosage.NVChampagneFrance376$91.00 As low as $81.90 -
Maison Gamet Champagne 'Rive Gauche" NVA blend of fruit from several Mardeuil terroirs. 33% Pinot Meunier, 33% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay. It’s vinified entirely in stainless steel. The wine spends 35 to 40 months on lees before disgorgement.NVChampagneFrance376$92.00 As low as $82.80