New Arrivals

Chateau De Respide is a very well-made, modern Graves produced from a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon grapes. After picking, the grapes go through a short period of maceration on the skins before aging on their fine lees. The wine has a bright pale yellow colour, an expressive nose of white blossom, citrus fruit and fresh meadows and on the palate the wine is attractively fruity, balanced and persistent with a very refreshing zesty finish. Chateau De Respide is one of the oldest wine estates in Bordeaux, belonging formerly to Louis XIV’s police officers. The painter Toulouse Lautrec was a frequent visitor and although the château was later sold, the vineyards and cellars have been in the hands of the Bonnet family since the 1950s.

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.

Made from a blend of 80% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, this wine is made partially from grapes grown in the Vigna Grande single vineyard which lies on the edge of an old fresh water volcano which was surrounded by the sea and ancient coral reefs can still be found there. The soil varies from limestone to black volcanic dust with patches of volcanic clay. It is fermented on natural yeasts, goes through malolactic fermentation and aging in barrel and is bottled without fining or filtration. For this reason, it is a good idea to decant the wine before serving, as there may be a natural deposit in the bottle. Cuvee Speciale has a bright dark purple colour and has lovely, welcoming aromas of black fruits with spice and mint flavours. It is elegant, silky, very fresh and pretty with an almost Burgundian like texture. It is a delicious wine to pair with Mediterranean dishes.

Produced in the northen most village of the Côte Challonaise the grapes were gently pressed before they were fermented and underwent the malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and then aged for 15 months. Fresh, quite overt Chardonnay nose, a little austere in the attack and then rocky and dry with good acidity and fruity persistance.. On the finish the fresh fruit mixes with notes of oatmeal and honey. This is a very good wine with lovely purity of fruit.

Saint Romain is located in a valley to the west of Auxey-Duresses in the direction of the Hautes Côtes de Beaune where just over half the production is white wine. After both the alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in 25% new oak barrels, the wine is aged for 12 months in oak and a further 6 months in bottle. The wine is dry with notes of honey, acacia blossom and almonds on the nose. Floral notes develop on the palate then pear, almonds and a touch of quince. A lovely wine with lingering mineral notes.

For the last year, I have travelled through Europe spending time with ten great wine families who have made a significant mark on the culture, traditions, tastes and wines of their regions. I stayed with them, witnessed some intimate family gatherings (not all of them peaceful!) and heard their stories. These have been collected in a book of ten chapters, each retelling the lives of a well-known wine family and the wines they make. The result is an inspiring tale for the 21st century written for the wine lover rather than the wine expert in mind. Richly illustrated by great photographs from Alexander James who travelled with me, this is a book that I wanted to write and I was thrilled when Hugh Johnson told me that he loved the book and wrote the foreword. I hope you enjoy reading it and I would be happy to dedicate copies to anyone you wish. With best wishes to you all, Fiona For now only available in Dutch.

This is a beautiful wine, so bright and fresh with lovely fresh, red fruit flavours. Burgundy meets the Jura here; Pinot Noir which adds lift and sweetness is blended with the two Jura red grapes, Poulsard and Trousseau. The result is a fragrant wine which is so inviting and delicious; its long structure and pure fruit character gives way to surprising richness on the palate. There is good fruit concentration without weighing down the silky texture. In the finish, you can detect the Jura minerality and more of a savoury, saline acidity than you would find in Burgundy. A wine that is delicious to drink now but will age very well, taking on more layers and depth of flavours over the years

Racy and exciting with very expressive Jura notes of herbs, such as chives and tarragon, limes and lemons and a chalky minerality, what immediately strikes you about this wine is its beautiful freshness, taut structure and excellent length. There is lots of character here but so elegantly expressed that it takes a few sips to reach the depths of this wine. Beautiful integration between fruit and the acidity. Still very youthful, this wine will take a while to fully express its potential.