Planted at altitude on the cooler, hillside slopes of clay and limestone in the foothills of the Pyrenees, this Chenin is one of the latest varieties to be picked, achieving full ripeness yet retaining a refreshing crispness. This ripe yet crunchy fruit gives this wine its freshness, vigour and structure as well as its luscious texture, which is further complemented and enriched from partial vinification and maturation in a combination of new and seasoned French oak. Incredible value and quite capable of handling more tricky food pairings, such as Thai Curry or Tagine.

Picpoul vines grow just inland from the Étang de Thau, home to southern Languedoc's famous oyster and mussel beds. Along the coast you'll find cabins where locals gather to feast on mussels or 'huitres braisees' (oysters cooked over a fire pit) which are perfect with a glass of Picpoul de Pinet.

Gently perfumed, ripe melon fruit on the nose. The palate is ripe but retains excellent freshness, balanced by a touch of white pepper spice that is very typical of its grape variety. Deliciously long, the finish shows bright fruit and a clean, saline/mineral edge.

Hailing from Piedmont, in northern Italy this is a fine, and beautifully made style of Sauvignon, with citrus fruit characters lifted by ripe gooseberry and floral notes. Zesty acidity balances perfectly with the considerable weight on the palate, and crisp grapefruit flavours make this an attractive and characterful wine. Vegan and Sustainable. 12% abv

Sumptuous and refreshing and absolutely en-pointe for the coming months (cue; sunshine). Made from traditional Muscadet grape Melon de Bougogne, showing that trademark touch of salinity we know and love, enlivened with a touch of Sauvignon blanc for added ‘lift’ and aromatic quality. 

12% abv

This late harvest Chenin Blanc from the Loire valley is a wonderful dessert wine and fantastic alternative to Sauternes. 

Located in the heart of Côteaux de Layon, Jean-Bernard Chauvin runs this family estate with his wife Catherine and son Denis. The vineyards have always been a priority and it is for this reason that Domaine de Clayou joined the ‘Terra Vitis’ network of vignerons who work their land in a sustainable and environmentally sensitive way.

This is a great wine to pair with blue cheese of fruit based desserts

Vila Nova Vinho Verde was awarded Best Vinho Verde of Portugal 2017. This refreshing blend of Loureiro, Avesso and Arinto is produced on the Lencastre family’s historic estate. Floral, citrus aromas lead on to a palate with bright citrus acidity and a lingering finish. The classic ‘holiday wine’ of Portugal, boasting lower alcohol and a slight spritz, making it refreshing, lively and very easy to drink (preferably on a sun-lounger!) Serve ice cold.

An accomplished Chardonnay from northern Greece, that drinks more like Cru Burgundy! Perfumed aromas of melon, ripe pineapple and lemon combine with toasty butterscotch notes. Opulent and weighty, with a richly oaked texture, beautiful balance and spicy minerality on the finish. So, so good for the price - lovers of white Burgundy will be very happy here.

This is a stunning Chardonnay. Bursting with Californian sunshine, this certainly doesn't hold back, in fact it reaches out and smothers you in a warm embrace! Wonderful ripe fruit flavours include orange, nectarine and ripe peach. There is a subtle spice and notes of hazlenut and honey. This will go really well with roast chicken and any butter cooked fish.

Bright peach, pear and lemon flavours are supported by an elegant flinty backbone and just a touch of spice in this pure and charming Austrian white, made with minimal intervention and employing biodynamic methods at a small family winery. So clean, precise and rivetting. A new favourite.

There's Greek wine and there's Greek wine... This is not the stuff of beachside Tavernas but comes from one of the most modern and accomplished winemakers in Greece. Whether you are a Viognier fan or not, this is a must-try; silken, rich and supple, beautifully fruited and just packed with complexity and finesse. A shop favourite.

Proper white Côtes du Rhône; fresh, medium-bodied, vinous. The nose is pretty and delicate, with a
waft of fennel tops and hints of hedgerow flowers. The flavours are nuanced and refined rather than
overt. Careful use of oak adds texture and structure without masking the freshness of this very
drinkable white.

 From selected vineyards in the southern Rhône, Each parcel is picked separately in the cooler
early daylight hours for gentle pressing that same morning, and each is fermented at a low
temperature. To a base of Grenache Blanc, they blend Viognier along with co-fermented pairs of
Roussanne/Marsanne and Bourboulenc/Clairette. Over the years they have increased the proportion
vinified in stainless steel, with just under a third of the wine now vinified and matured for 6 months
French oak barrels (mostly 3rd fill but some new) to add complexity and creaminess.

The lesser-known white grape of Burgundy, Aligote is a hidden gem that performs very similarly to Chardonnay in the glass, with rounded nutty tones, creamy notes and a fresh acidity. As classic Burgundy gets more expensive, Aligote offers brilliant value for money from the same terroirs. And terroir is what Burgundy is all about.

An easy blend of Gargenaga and Chardonnay from the shores of lake Garda. Easy drinking and perfect for parties.

One of the best examples of un-oaked chardonnay from the Chalonnais. François picks relatively late in order to guarantee full maturity of the fruit leading to a wonderfully decadent Montagny that provides weighty, exotic fruit, raised entirely without oak. Despite this, it is incredibly engaging and seductive. Expect a tight and mineral palate alive with lemon and stone fruit.  Finishes crisp and long.

The vineyards of L'Enfant are owned and controlled by one family, and are located in the La Seca region of Rueda. Head-trained bush vines range in age from 35 to 55 years and are hand harvested.A dry, tasty and perfectly balanced wine. Bright and mouthwatering, typical of the Verdejo grape, but it is also rounded with plush volume. Falling somewhere between a Sancerre and a Chablis stylistically, but with more (very appealing) leesy character that brings a savoury, lactic weight. Superb concentration whislt retaining a lightness of foot. Moreish!Pairs well with rice dishes, white meat and fish.

This really is the Holy Grail. The 'Meursault' wine at Bourgogne prices. We were honestly blown away by this and think you will be too.
Patrick Javillier makes Meursault, Volnay, and Puligny, owning land in each and on the peripheries between. The grapes for this cuvée are grown on the Volnay side of Meursault, and the vineyard quality shines through in the wine. Generous, sensuous, engaging. Rich with aromas of apricot yoghurt, lemon posset and green mango. Seamlessly bound together in subtle, nutty, toasty oak, and balanced by a bright bite of freshness on the finish. White Burgundy par-excellence.

At an altitude of 365 metres, Monthelie overlooks the Auxey-Duresses and Meursault valleys. The Changarnier family has lived in this village for several centuries, founding the domaine in 1720. Now, Claude and Antoine Changarnier continue this wine-growing tradition. Their professional careers carried them far from the wine world, but their Burgundy roots remain anchored in this terroir.

A Traditional Method sparkler made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. And a great alternative to an aperitif Champagne!

This sparkling wine has an expressive and very well-developed body with considerable finesse. Its fine fruit and its tangy acidity contribute to an elegant and very harmonious wine. A sparkling wine for every occasion.

Biodynamically farmed and 100% organic. A delicious blend of Sauvignon Blanc 57%, Chenin Blanc 39%, Semillon 4%. The Sauvignon Blanc aromas are prominent on the nose, with beautiful lime and prickly pear notes. Intense flavours, with great balance. A tight mineral core and creamy mid palate from the Chenin Blanc allows for great complexity and a persistent finish. The Sauvignon Blanc lends lovely, fresh acidity to the wine. The wine is made as naturally as possible with no added acids or enzymes. Quite frankly this is really outstanding value for a wine from low yieding vines, hand picked and transported to vinification on pack horses!

100% Turbiana (aka Verdicchio) grown on the southern shores of Lake Garda in an organic vineyard. Some extended skin contact gives some wonderful texture to what is otherwise a delicate wine. Like Soave on steroids! Stainless steel fermented with 6 months on lees bringing some savoury notes. A real winner with seafood. Fans of Muscadet or Soave will find a lot to like here. 

This is a real achievement in English winemaking. A textural and complex wine made with 15% Chardonnay blended into the Bacchus. The Bacchus brings Sauvignon-like aromatics of cut-grass and gooseberry, whilst the Chardonnay brings a little richness and depth. Fruit sourced from different vineyard sites brings further complexity.  A zesty wine, but with enough breadth and softness to keep well back from the 'austere and green' element of may English wines. The beautiful label evokes an English garden in summer, which is, arguably, what this wine tastes like. 

Very taut and with real zing, this northern outlier reflects the more skeletal form of its native Chablis, as opposed to the more familiar, richer expressions further south. The commune of Préhy is the only one in Chablis where the "Bourgogne" appellation is permitted. The principle reason relates to the subsoil (Portlandian rather than Kimmeridgian). Despite its lean profile, full malo has given this skeleton a luxury cashmere sweater that softens and rounds out those angled edges.

Maias Branco Quinta das Maias, Organic, high altitude vineyard, Dao, Mavalsia, Encruzado, crisp, fresh, delightful. A fantastic little organic wine made in the lesser known Dao region of Portugal. The Dao is a hot continental climate but parts are covered by a high plateau and some of the vineyard sites are located here at a over 600 metres above sea level. Quinta das Maias is one of those estates. The 15 hectares of vines are in different parcels and all are organic. The high altitude gives lovely acidity to the wine. The white is crisp, yet soft, stone fruits of white peach dominate with a zesty finish. Very drinkable and approachable white wine for all occasions.

Vineyards are in the Hautes Côtes, at the top of the slopes just above Domaine de la Motte's Chablis classified plots and so achieve good ripeness. The soil is Portlandian, which is less chalky than Kimmeridgian, and typically produces wines which are less mineral and more fruity, well suited to earlier drinking. Having said that, Motte’s wine has real finesse with good fruit character – very much their house style. Cool-fermented in stainless steel, malolactic fermentation is also in stainless steel and the wine is unoaked.

Fairly restrained on the nose, savoury herbs and citrus on the palate. Well balanced with a suggestion of "hot stone" minerality. Old school, lean, and steely.

The best white Rioja is a match for great white Burgundy, and this proves the point. 100% Viura grapes and aged in large oak foudres. These french oaked barrells balance the bright, lively acidity with a gentle cloak of vanilla and toast. 

Medium straw colour, with some green tints. The nose is ethereal, with lifted perfumes of lemon sherbet, green apples, honey suckle and figs. Underneath there is just some early suggestions of the variety's complex features like lanolin and mushroom. The palate shows fruit flavours of limes, figs and lychees and is rich, generous and mouth-filling.

A complex nose filled with aromas of yellow apples, fresh pineapple, honeysuckle and a touch of cinnamon. The integrated citrus-like acidity adds a vibrant freshness to the wine. The mid palate has a beautiful texture, filled with flavours of ripe peaches and apricots to compliment the oak. The finish is long with lingering flavours of white peach. 

The vineyards here are dry-farmed and hand-picked. They picked the fruit for the 2018 in two lots, 10 days apart. Two-thirds of the fruit that went into the 2018 Rays Road is from the early pick, described by winemaker Michael Brajkovich MW as ‘very distinctively limestone in character, with mineral, salty, flint characters that were certainly reminiscent of Chablis’, while the last third was much riper. Whole-bunch pressed, fermented with ambient yeast entirely in barrel, treated to 100% malolactic conversion and aged for 11 months in barrel.  Fresh and minerally and super-crisp but quite satisfying and not meagre at all. Super-clean. Just right for current drinking. If only all white burgundy offered this accessibility (I'm talking both price and taste). Really quite long. A neat, complete wine.

The name Timorasso often crops up when wine lovers speculate about what Italy's future great white wines might be. Revived from near-extinction by a handful of producers, it still occupies only 20 or so hectares in it's native Piedmont. 

Summer-meadow scents unfold from the glass, with fresh apple, bitter lemon, and a touch of kerosene. This is a wine to spend time with - honeyed aromas come with aeration, along with warm cereal notes. Intense, long, persistent, floral, fruity, with a warming sensation on the palate. Soft, elegant, and complex. A mineral note very typical of Timorasso, with touches of chamomile, ripe yellow plums, and toasted almond in the finish. A wine that entices and leaves you wanting more.

Cave de Turckheim Riesling 'Marnes et Calcaires' wine is an exemplary, delicate Alsatian Riesling. The chalk and clay soils of the slopes around Turckheim help to produce wines of considerable longevity, complexity and distinction. Cool fermentation and ample skin contact ensures an aromatic, expressive Riesling. Bottle age has lent an alluringly complex baked citrus nose. Racy, dry and elegant, this is a fine Riesling with potential to age. Match with fish, scallops and white meats.

Widely regarded as one of the best co-operatives in the world, Cave de Turckheim is situated to the north west of Colmar in Alsace. Michel Lihrmann has been the senior winemaker for over 25 years and his style of drier wines has been a huge hit, expressing the wonderful breadth of the Alsatian terroir and grape varieties while pushing pure fruit flavours to the fore.

We have been on the look out for a special Sancerre for sometime, and were really delighted by this discovery. Daniel Crochet is well known locally as a top producer and his talent is show cased with this wine. It clean, vibrant and wonderfully tense. No overblown Sauvignon flavours here. This wine speaks of classical beauty but never shouts. If you are having any smoked salmon or trout this Christmas then this the perfect  accompaniment!

Sadly Soace managed to get itself a bad name. The Italians have always made top quality Soave Classico, but kept all of the good stuff for themselves. They exported bland Gargenega wine from the valley floors. Well, this is absolutely top notch Soave Classico, from a single vineyard, facing south on the side of the Scalette hill. Made from Gargenaga and Trebbiano grapes, hand harvested, and fermented in stainless steel. Ripe tropical flavours over lay a lithe minerality. Enjoy with risotto or fried fish, or just treat yourself to glass as an aperitif. A must try wine!

Monte del Frà translates as ‘Hill of Monks’ and is in the heart of the Bianco di Custoza DOC. It now consists of over 65 hectares of vineyards is owned and run by brothers Eligio and Claudio Bonomo. It is one of the most progressive and dynamic producers in the region and has been particularly innovative in its adoption of modern viticultural techniques.

The Custoza Superiore "Cà del Magro" by Monte del Frà is a white wine with an extraordinary quality/price ratio. We are on the famous hill of Custoza above Lake Garda and just 15 km from the centre of Verona. Produced from a blend of local varieties (Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Cortese and Incrocio Manzoni), the wine is aged for 4 months in oak, giving its rich, opulent texture. It pairs well with fish, white meat, and Asian spice.

Intense nose of spices and ripe lemons. The palate is rich and creamy, but with fine bright acidity, waxy lemon and hints of lanolin and a long finish. A classic example of a modern white rioja.

A harmonious blend of Chardonnay & Carricante from the slope of Mt Etna.

Chardonnay has adapted well to the Sicilian pedo-climate in areas with significant temperature variability and without excessive heat, such as the mid to high hills and the slopes of Etna. In these conditions it matures gradually, improving its complexity and enriching the variety of its aromas.

Carricante, a rare vine which is native to Etna, is widespread at the highest altitudes of the volcano, where it achieves otherwise unattainable freshness. As a late variety, if grown as a small tree and properly vinified, it produces white wines of great stature, with a fresh and complex nose of apple, yellow fruits, orange blossom and anise, as well as a typical acidity that gives it structure and longevity. Harmonic, refreshingly acidic, with a finish of anise and almond. Wonderful stuff.

Light gold in colour with a lovely fresh, expressive nose, with perfumes of white flowers, almond blossom and a touch of citrus. On the palate it has great balance between rounded, ripe fruit and a fresh, clean acidity. It is long and fragrant, with the characteristic almond pastry notes on the finish. Fresher and less heavy than Sauternes  - makes a wonderful partner to fruit-based desserts, frangipanes, and pastries. 

37.5cl bottle

Heidi Schröck took over her family winery in 1983, in the historic village of Rust situated in the province of Burgenland about 5 miles from the Hungarian border. As Heidi explains “South-facing vineyards in a softly rolling landscape form an amphitheater around Rust on Lake Neusiedl bringing forth some of the best and most tradition-rich wines in Austria. Yearly hours of sunshine that lie much higher than the Austrian average combined with sandy soils mixed with clay and high calcium content provide the ideal prerequisites for impressive, full-bodied wines.

Medium sweet with rich, ripe stone fruit, green mango, and waxy-honeyed tones but with a refreshing seam of acidity that makes the wine buoyant and light. So much complexity here, and so much quality.

37.5cl

You’re probably wondering what Floc is! It’s a very delicious aperitif made with two thirds crushed grape juice and a third Armagnac. From esteemed Armagnac producer, Veuve Goudoulin. Floc is best served chilled or served over ice which makes it a great sunny weather drink!

Fresh and enjoyable with aromas and flavours of white grapes, dried fruits and acacia honey.

 CEP Sauvignon Blanc is unique and may be easiest to understand by comparing it to other regions. It does not have the fruity sweetness found in New Zealand or the melon and gooseberry oak inflected fatness of most California Sauvignon Blanc. It is also not grassy like a typical Sancerre but there is bright acidity, mineral, citrus and green notes. Nick and Vanessa met Bob Hopkins a few years ago at an Integrated Pest Management class. As organic farmers you attend IPM classes to learn how to attract beneficial pests that will combat nasty insects in the vineyard. That way you can avoid pesticides. Nick took a shine to Bob and mentioned that his brother wanted to make crisp, minerally, zippy Sauvignon Blanc, but, of course, we cannot grow Sauvignon Blanc at our very cold estate vineyard. Bob was kind enough to offer us Sauvignon Blanc from his blocks of 40 year old vines. And the result is uniquely delicious. This is not the Bordeaux style of Sauvignon Blanc that Vanessa made when she was winemaker at Peter Michael where there is barrel aging and often Semillon in the blend. On the contrary, the grapes are picked to capture the citrus, green papaya, lemon blossom, chalky side of Sauvignon Blanc. It is tank fermented to retain acidity and freshness and bottled in the December following vintage.

The chosen vineyard for Soalheiro Germinar is over 30 years old and is located in a small parcel that produces low quantities of Loureiro grapes. The grapes have a particular floral aroma, marked acidity, and a concentration of unique mineral flavours, making a very gastronomic wine. The wine has a bright lemon-yellow colour with floral and mineral aromas. The taste is dry and fresh, revealing the elegance of Loureiro, which always has a lasting, pointed acidity.

This fresh, dry white is a blend of varieties indigenous to Portugal’s Douro valley including Arinto (known to retain freshness even in hot conditions) and Gouveio (known as Godello in northern Spain). Made by  Bernardo Lencastre, this wonderful white has citrus aromas with delicate floral notes and hints of white peach. I love this wine – it’s a crisp with apple and lemon peel flavours, a juicy acidity, and a refreshing finish.

Chablis, Chablis, Chablis... As familiar as the school run, and very often as mundane. But this delivers a memorable treat; sensuous, vivacious, and exactly what Chablis should be. No interference from oak, yet almost Burgundian in personality - a result of top class fruit and superlative winemaking.  A steely structure defines the palate with wonderful linear precision.

As satisfying as getting the last parking space. Enjoy.

Elegant yet powerful, pale gold with lemon and nectarine fruit with slight salty hints and some notes spice and cedar. White peach and lemon dominate the palate with a touch of toasted brioche and salted popcorn. Crisp and elegant with a terrific finish.

The fruit comes mainly from the McIntyre Vineyard with a little from Robinson Vineyard.
Hand harvested with whole bunch pressing. 100% wild yeast barrel fermented in French oak of which 20% is new and then matured for 10 months on lees in the wood with 1 racking prior to bottling. Light fining and filtration.

Certified Sustainable, Practicing Biodynamic, Practicing Organic. Floral and citrusy with a little sultana and honey thing going on. A touch of plimsole rubber reminds you it can only be Riesling. A long, lingering finish with loads of creamy mouthfeel, backed up by acidity that zips through everything. Just the ticket! Drinks dry, though just nudging off-dry, which is perfectly judged against the racy acidity.

100% Sémillon Location.; Maule Valley , 187 m above sea level.

Bright yellow colour with golden highlights. Ripe lemon and pear fruit flavours with well integrated subtle oak notes, extremely well structured and complex. Just hitting it's stride, with superb acidity and breadth, this is a wine that can (and should) go the distance. 

Granito is a micro-terroir in a granitic soil which is more than 120 million years old. They are old vines with deep roots. It is minerality expressed in the bottle. This Semillon is from Block 1 Butuco’s vineyard, Maule’s Dry coastal area, 30km from the Pacific Ocean and 187 meters above sea level. It is product of old vines planted in the 1940’s, which did not receive irrigation. It is hand harvested in the middle of March. Grapes are pressed in a vertical press, followed by barrel fermentation and then the wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels 

Enjoy with sushi, white meats and antipasti.

The Chardonnay grapes come from single vineyards in Buttrio and Prepotto, where the vines have an average age of more than 30 years. Yields maintained at around 40 hl per hectare to retain concentration. Vinified entirely in stainless steel tanks and aged on its own yeasts until March, the wine is bottled with a light filtration.

Very Chablis-esque, but with unmistakable Italian flair. Classic tones, delicately exotic, but typically salty thanks to the fresh, well-integrated acidity that suggests immediate drinkability, but promises a pleasant evolution over the next five years.