New Arrivals

Produced near Narbonne in the South of France, the Chardonnay and Colombard grapes are grown on terraces of limestone and alluvial soil in a hot Mediterranean climate. This wine has an attractive, bright pale yellow colour, a very expressive nose with flavours of white peaches and melon and aromas of acacia and orange blossom. The taste is round and fresh with an appealing freshness. Serve as an aperitif or with all seafood, grilled fish and salads.

From the South of France comes this fresh and playful rosé, with lots of character. With his fashionable pale colour, its crunchy red fruit character (from a good blend of Merlot, Carignan, Grenache and Cinsault grapes), its dry, smokey palate and clean, crisp finition, this is the perfect rosé for summer entertaining. To drink now.

A well-known appellation, the village of Montpeyroux was a famous 14th century fortress and the summer residence of the bishops of Montpellier. Its wines were well known for their rich character. Here in the Hérault the climate is sunny and dry with stony soils of limestone, garrigue and pebbles and the Syrah grape grows well alongside Grenache and Carignan. The grapes are given a long maceration to bring out the fruity flavours. The wine has a dark, pretty purple colour, a fresh nose with smoky, autumn fruit flavours, floral notes of violets and iris and more spicy, earthy flavours on the palate. The Syrah grape dominates here and there is a long, perfumed finish. Drink this wine with game, roast meats and cheeses. Drink : now - 2018.

A lovely wine from the Languedoc from the well-known appellation of La Clape where the vineyards lie on a limestone plateau facing the rising sun and the Mediterranean sea. Produced from a blend of Roussanne and Grenache Blanc grapes, there is good persistence and fresh flavours here with nice round orchard fruit and a long, clean, refreshing taste. A good value everyday wine for vegetable dishes, seafood, fish and spicy dishes. Drink : 2017-2018.

The magic ingredient here is a high percentage of old Carignan grapes which gives lovely richness and power to this wine without being heavy or overly tannic. Made from a blend of Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and Mourvèdre in the commune of Estagel, the reserve bottling of the Baissas family is called Terra de Lisa. Part of the wine is vinified using carbonic maceration which adds a fresh, juicy element to the blend with notes of crushed raspberries and blackcurrant. The wine is round and balanced with nice persistance and a fruity, spicy finish. Easy to drink now and very versatile, this wine matches well with roasted meats, pasta dishes and pizzas. Drink : now-2020.

We are delighted to announce the addition to the portfolio of Thienpont own label wines of a delicious Thienpont Bordeaux Supérieur 2016. Following the demise of the very popular “Z de Bordeaux”, we have been searching far and wide for a worthy, everyday drinking Bordeaux that we can call our own. We have found it at the historic Chateau le Grand Verdus overlooking the Garonne river in Entre-deux-Mers. Made from a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, this is a very bright, immediately accessible Bordeaux wine with a pure nose of red fruits, spices and a touch of liquorice. On the palate the wine is very smooth and round with good freshness and intensity. This wine will drink well for the next three to five years and is great when served with bistro cuisine such as chicken, grilled beef or stews in relaxed surroundings.

I have always loved the Barbera grape, younger brother to the great Nebbiolo grape and found that it produces lovely, spicy, wines with great character that can be enjoyed young. This wine, produced by Bosio Vini comes from Santo Stefano Belbo in the heart of the Langhe district of Piedmont. This is a modern style wine with juicy savoury fruit offset by 18 months aging in French oak barrels. Named after the founder of the company, the wine has a rich, purple colour, sweet fruit, good spice and flavours of soft, ripe, sweet plums. It is spicy and long in the finish. Drink with game and roast meats from now for the next five years.

Those of you who have already tasted the fresh, modern wines from La Bascula (The Charge, Catalan Eagle and No Stone Unturned) made by South African winemaker Bruce Jack and Master of Wine Ed Adams, will not be surprised to learn that the team is onto another winner with the Atlantic Way Albariño. Fresh, lively and tangy, you can practically feel the Atlantic waves pounding the Galician coast. There is lots of flavour here too with notes of fennel, ferns and fresh herbs, salty acidity and lots of zippy fruit on the palate leading to a long, dry finish. Albariño is having a huge success throughout the wine world at the moment – think of a more southern Muscadet with a Spanish twist. This excellent version has already won lots of admirers. Serve as an aperitif or with fresh shellfish or salads – presented in a screw-cap this is a fun wine for no-fuss entertaining.

Deze Cava (30% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-Lo, 30% Parellada) uit het Spaanse Penedès wordt geproduceerd door de Masia Vallformosa. Hij heeft een bleekgele kleur met groene schitteringen en een aangename mousse, aroma's van rijpe meloen, vlierbloesem en krokante groene appel en een levendige en lange afdronk. Een heerlijke Cava aan een goede prijs ! Hij past uitstekend als aperitief of bij lichte maaltijden.