Terra Alta's BEST Garnacha Blanca, as awarded 2019. Fans of white Burgundy will find pleasures old and new in this rich and complex wine from the up-and-coming Terra Alta region, inland from Barcelona. Fruit laden and floral on the nose, with graphite notes. The natural acidity has been retained, enabling the wine to be fresh and moreish rather than cumbersome and tiring on the palate, as seen in other Garnacha Blancas. From the century-old farm Benufet, located in Serra Xalamera, on calcareous, clayey soils, which are poor in organic matter. Grapes are manually harvested and selected then fermented in concrete barrels. Batonnage of fine lees for 2 months brings texture, depth, and a slight smokey hints. A final 'rest' in large, old oak brings the recipe together. A very gastronomic wine, with volume and poise. 

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.

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. 

 Grapes are sourced from the Lugana and Peschiera del Garda areas (north-west of Verona). The grapes
are softly pressed with a short maceration on the skins and fermented at a low temperature in stainless
steel tanks. The wine rest for a few months in stainless steel before being bottled. A subtle and restrained white with delicate stone fruit and lightly nutty aromas. The palate is textural
with more nutty characters and good concentration, all beautifully balanced by peachy fruit, a dash of
lime, and taut acidity on the finish.

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.

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.

Telmo Rodriguez is one of Spain’s pioneer winemakers, advocating native grape varietals tied to the climates and conditions of their sites, and making world-class wines from both lesser and well-known regions across Spain. Perhaps most impressively, whilst Telmo makes rare and limited wines of astonishing character and quality, his everyday wines have been equally praised and widely recognised for the tremendous value they offer.

This, his Godello, is a triumph of that vision; unoaked, gentle, restrained and precise. Dry yet soft, with a touch of godello's distinctive minerally citrus fruit, alongside green apple and savoury notes. Absolutely perfect with light sea food dishes. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

Monte del Frà translates as ‘Hill of Monks’ and is located 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.

A fresh and aromatic white from near lake Garda, crafted with a blend of local grape varieties, namely Garganega (used in Soave), Cortese and Trebbianillo. Great with hors d'oeuvres and fish dishes.l

Tasting Note:
Ripe stone fruits and exotic spice touches on the nose followed by a lightly waxy and slightly oily texture on the palate yet with a pleasingly clean finish

What a stunnnig combination, and a stunning wine! Chenin and Grenache Blanc really complement each other here. Both varietals love the Coastal Region’s arid soils and Mediterranean climate due to their inherent tolerance to drought. Both components were naturally fermented in 600 litre French oak barrels. The Chenin blanc comes from an old, low-yielding Franschhoek vineyard planted in 1962. This brings freshness and tightness to the blend, the old vines also bring Wildeberg’s hallmark texture. The Grenache Blanc is from vibrant, younger plantings Paarl, adding body and structure with this cultivars naturally exotic notes of jasmine and white spice. gentle oak influence - 65% 2nd fill and 35% 3rd fill barrels - simply to allow a little oxygen to soften and broaden this wine. A nose of warm sand and crushed rocks, there climbs a note of jasmine flowers, following through onto the palate with a breadth of texture and generosity from the old bush vine Chenin, veiled with white spice and exotic notes from the younger, alluring Grenache Blanc, the whole ultimately finishing rich, yet fresh and textural. This would be great with Pad Thai, dishes using fresh herbs and dairy or a chicken ceaser. Incredible value here.

50% Procanico, 50% Grechetto

Mario Soldati used to define the Orvieto as “… unique and treacherous. Treacherous because nowadays the occasions to find the authentic one in great shape are significantly less numerous than the ones in which it is found altered and weakened … ” (Vino al Vino, 1975 trip).
“Tragugnano” unquestionably belongs to the group of the “less numerous”, that is the one of the “authentic” and “in great shape” Orvieto wines. It is a living testament to the winemaking tradition of the proud and placid Umbria, a land of mysticism and battles. Tasting it is like listening to an old traditional song in which every note is perfectly in its place, a song you never want it to end.