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Summer Tasting 26th / 27th July
At last, Summer's here!! Just in case it lasts longer than one day, I thought we should have some appropriate wines open for tasting this weekend. So, if you're thinking of risking a BBQ or just fancy lazing around in the garden, call in tomorrow, Saturday or Sunday and try a few of our "slightly warmer weather" wines.
World Class Barolo
Just arrived this month - we have received a shipment from the tiny estate of Tenuta La Volta, run by the Cabutto family, whose Barolo is making a great name for itself around the world.
Here's what James Suckling of The Wine Specatator wrote -
"Offers exciting aromas of crushed raspberry and honeysuckle. Full, velvety and very, very long, with round, velvety tannins. Gorgeous and seductive. Best after 2010. 4,000 cases made." 93/100 JS
For a wine of thius quality it is exceptionally well-priced. We have limited stock so get your order in quickly!
And you want to try something else from the estate we also have this superb Barbera -
Barbera d'Alba Superiore 2005, Tenuta la Volta - £165.
See Selected Cases
Chablis Tasting
We will be holding a tutored tasting of Chablis with the export director from Pascal Bouchard and Romain Bouchard (his son's domaine) on Wednesday 25th June when he is making a flying visit to the UK.
June Tastings
Our next tasting will be on June 13th when we will be showing the wines of the Tindall Estate from NZ and the Stanton and Killeen Muscats from Australia.
Friday June 13th - Tindall Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand and Stanton & Killeen Rutherglen Muscats - £10 (£5 to wine club members) - the Sowmans, owners of Tindall Vineyards, will be showing the latest vintages of their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and Peter Mulford will be taking us through the classic Muscats of Rutherglen, which are sublime on the rocks or over ice-cream, so not just for your Christmas pudding!
Next tasting
Friday June 27th - DEREK SMEDLEY MW - A Vertical Tasting of the Wines of Warden Abbey Vineyard, Bedfordshire - £15 (£10 to wine club members) - Derek has been consultant to Warden Abbey for some years now and their wines have become amongst the best in England. He will be raiding their cellar for some older vintages as well as showing the latest vintage. Be prepared to have your view of English wine changed for ever!
To book either email us with a contact number or call 01442 412311.
English Wine Tasting
On June 27th Derek Smedley MW will be talking us through the wines of Warden Abbey. This a rare opportunity to taste some older vintages of quality English wine.
Friday June 27th - DEREK SMEDLEY MW - A Vertical Tasting of the Wines of Warden Abbey Vineyard, Bedfordshire - £15 (£10 to wine club members) - Derek has been consultant to Warden Abbey for some years now and their wines have become amongst the best in England. He will be raiding their cellar for some older vintages as well as showing the latest vintage. Be prepared to have your view of English wine changed for ever!
To book either email us with a contact number or call 01442 412311.
Australian Chardonnay
Writing in the Observer Magazine (Jan 13th 2008), Tim Atkin draws attention to some of the fine Chardonnay now being made in Austrialia's cool-climate areas, saying that these wines are for people that would normally rather drink white Burgundy than "Austrialian Chardonnay"
One wine he selects is Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay "refined and beautifully balanced, with refreshing acidity and remarkable length"
We have told Shaw and Smith that the name "M3" might have the wrong associations in the UK but they say M3 is just the name of the vineyard. So don't be put off by the name - actually Shaw and Smith produce a superb range of highly recommended wines and none of the others are named after motorways.
Fantastic Italian success for The Flying Corkscrew
The January issue of Decanter magazine has a report attached entitled "Italy 2008" and in nearly every region our producers come either top or very near the top in the quality stakes. There's alot to take in, so we have shown the report as several News items.
Tuscany
Montenidoli - We have been bashing on about Elisabetta Fagiuoli's winemaking for years now, and once again she proves she is one of Italy's top white winemakers and that her wines are world class, winning a 5 star Decanter Award for her 2005 "Fiore" Vernaccia. (No other wine got this score!) It is incredible value.
Vernaciia di San Gimignano "Fiore" 2005, Montenidoli - £12.75 - "Elegant, crisp and full-flavoured, this free-run-must Vernaccia has a nose that is almost alpine: all almonds, flint and wild flowers. A sparkling straw colour, it boasts magnificent minerality and a lingering finale. 2-4 years" Five Stars - Decanter Magazine
Barbaresco
Bruno Rocca has relentlessly pursued quality since he started in 1978 and has risen to the top of the quality tree with wines of unparallelled elegance and balance and fantastic fruit intensity.
Barbaresco "Rabaja" 2004, Bruno Rocca - £49.25 "Muted nose, discreetly oaky. Full-bodied with real weight of fruit but no heaviness; spicy and vigourous, perfect balance and length. Drink 2010 - 25." Five Stars - Decanter Magazine.
Vino Nobile de Montepulciano
Avignonesi is one of the great names of Italian wine. Ettore and Alberto Falvo have taken a small estate and built it into a paradigmatic producer that has put Montepulciano on the map. Here's what Decanter said:
"Michael Garner's Nobile Selection - Avignonesi - Landmark producer of Nobile, credited with restoring some of the gloss to its fading image"
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004, Avignonesi - £17.25 "Bright, youthful ruby. Sweet, perfumed and accessible oaky-toned nose; touch of charred red peppers. Round, ripe and developed palate: full, sweet bramble fruit with emerging notes of chocolate and coffee. Good length with fine, ripe tannins. Drinks well but has plenty of life ahead. Drink now to 2015." Four Stars - Decanter Magazine
Tuscan Merlot
Tenuta dell'Ornellaia 2004 - (allocation only) - "Complex, seductive nose with ripe black berry flavours, accented by hints of liquorice, spice and cocoa." Five stars - Decanter Magazine
Amarone
Allegrini make wines of impeccable quality across their range and the Amarone is seen as a benchmark of that style.
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2003, Allegrini - £40.25 "Complex, spicy, raisined coffee aromas. Silky-sweet fruit with firmness and complexity. Typicity, but modern. Very moreish. Drink now to 2017." Four stars - Decanter Magazine.
Pinot Grigio
It's best avoided in most pubs, but many of our customers have discovered our range of Pinot Grigio's which proves that it can be a wine of great complexity and depth. Here's that proof!!
1. Lis Neris Pinot Grigio 2005, Friuli Venezia Giulia - £13.00 "Tight and mineral, with subtle notes of honey and fruit, this is Pinot Grigio for grown-ups." Five stars - Decanter Magazine
2. Cesconi Pinot Grigio 2005/6, Vigneti delle Dolomiti - £15.00 "Quite closed on the nose with bread crust in front of yellow fruit. Well-built palate, with minerally length and ripe fruit waiting to come out. 1-3 years." Four stars - Decanter Magazine.
3. Alois Lageder "Benefizium Porer" Pinot Grigio 2006, Alto Adige - £11.00 "A little closed on the nose, but unmistakeably varietal with classic fresh pear aromas. Concentrated minerally-fruit impact, very elegant balance and dry citrus finish. 1-3 years." Four stars - Decanter Magazine.
4. Lis Neris "Gris" Pinot Grigio 2005, Friuli Venezia Giulia - £17.00 "Lovely ripe candied fruit nose with hints of vanilla. A great combination of fruit, volume and freshness and a long juicy finish. 1-5 years." Four stars - Decanter Magazine.
5. Vie de Romans "Dessimis" Pinot Grigio 2005, Isonzo del Friuli Rive Alte - £24 "Deep straw shade and buttery nose with well-integrated oak. Dense, rich texture wuth ripe fruit and savoury spice flavours. 1-3 years." Four stars - Decanter Magazine.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Livio Felluga makes white wines that stand out for their depth, definition, fragrance and length. Another 5 star award!
Terre Alte 2004, Livio Felluga, Colli Orientali del Friuli - £32 "Complex, floral nose, this single vineyard blend of Tocai Friuliano, Pinot Bianco and Sauvignon Blanc balances fresh acidity with rich, exotic, spicy full-bodied fruit." Five stars - Decanter Magazine
Prosecco Bisol Crede Brut 2006, Prosecco Valdobbiadene £13 Tom Stevenson writes -"Bisol's eccentric Garnei blend is my usual favourite, but this fresh, crsip, single-vineyard wine (85% Prosecco, 10% Pinot Bianco and 5% Verdiso) is the best of the 3 Bisol cuvees I've tasted this year." Four Stars - Decanter Magazine
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Wine tastings
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Choose from a wide selection of cases put together to show the range and quality of our wines – everyday drinking to wines to lay down. |