New Arrivals

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.

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.

This Cava (30% Macabeo, 40% Xarel-Lo, 30% Parellada) from the Spanish Penedès is produced by the Masia Vallformosa. It has a pale yellow color with green sparkles and a pleasant mousse, aromas of ripe melon, elderflower and crispy green apple and a lively and long aftertaste. A delicious Cava at a good price point! It fits perfectly as an aperitif or with light meals.

Brother to Mathieu and son of Michel Paquet of Domaine des Valanges, Camille is the winemaker of the family. He believes in making his wines as naturally as possible using indigineous yeasts, no chemicals and using barrels that are always two or three years old so that the oak will not interfere with the beautiful fruit flavours. This new addition to the Paquet portfolio has a pale golden colour, light perfumed nose, lovely orchard and slightly tropical fruit and like its name, is really very charming. Lovely to drink now, this is a very balanced Macon with lots of flavour to accompany seafood, smoked salmon and grilled fish.

Château Belá is an ancient property owned by the aunt of Valeska Müller, the wife of Egon. Situated in southern Slovakia on the banks of the Danube River the estate has a long winemaking history. The Romans planted the first vines and today Riesling grapes are grown on the hills below the castle and vinified by Miroslav Petrech and Egon Müller, two celebrated winemakers from Germany and the Slovak Republic. The 2017 Riesling is very fresh and pure with bold flavours of citrus, honeysuckle and fresh herbs. It is refreshingly light in alcohol and beautifully balanced between sweet, pure aromas and a lively, dry taste.

Produced on the Collazzi estate just above Florence and grown in the south-western facing amphitheatre of well-drained gravel soils, this is a classic Chianti with great flavours of dark cherries and plums characteristic of the Sangiovese grape. There is freshness and spice from Sangiovese balanced by small amounts of Merlot and Malvasia Nera to round out the wine. Aged for 12 months in used oak, this is a lovely, juicy Chianti to drink young and pair with classic Italian dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, pizza and meatballs in tomato sauce. Drink now for next 2-3 years.

This lovely white Tuscan wine comes from the local Fiano grape grown in a small plot of the Collazzi estate just above Florence. It has a bright straw colour, unique, fine fruity aroma of pears and quince undercut with notes of flor and hazelnuts to create a very « umami » style of wine. 20% of the wine is aged in oak barrels to give structure to the wine. Otto Muri, named for the walls that surround the vineyard, is a very pretty, with a fine, mineral taste. On the finish there is super freshness and precision. Fine and well-made. Drink immediately for 2-3 years. Serve with fine seafood.

The first vintage of this wine was made in 2010 from vines planted more than 50 years ago by Georges Vernay in an old orchard where once peach varieties called « Mayflower » were grown. Like the Pied de Samson, the vineyard is higher than 300 metres so is no longer in the appellation. Made from Syrah grapes and stylistically like a Côte Rôtie, this is a lovely lyrical wine with notes of plums, figs and wood smoke, quite simple but absolutely delicious with mineral peristence and a juicy, fruity finish. Produced in small quantities and aged in oak vats for eight months this is a wine to be drunk now for the next five years.