Ed Durell planted the first vines in the rock-strewn, windy hills in 1979. Today, Durell Vineyard spans three AVAs: Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. The block TOR sources from lies in the famed Sand Hill section of the vineyard, which overlooks the Sonoma Valley. This 2014 Durell Chardonnay ranks among the best they have ever produced. “This has the classic seamless, almost oily palate weight and texture to it that the best Durells have but with a thread of focus that helps to pull the intensity of the palate together. This shows mandarin oranges, stone fruits and an almost cut wet grass note to it.
USA
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Dessert Wine, Port & Dessert Wine2014 Dolce, Far Niente
£9750Add to BasketDolce is Napa’s true Sauternes-style dessert wine. Dolce embraces the pursuit of perfection in the art of late harvest winemaking. Created in 1985 by the partners of Far Niente, Dolce stands as a standard-bearer for this type of wine in America. With a classic blend of late harvest Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc inspired by the Sauternes region, Dolce is the only American winery dedicated to producing a single late harvest wine.
After nearly three years in French oak, this luxurious vintage shows lifted and youthful aromas of orange zest, vanilla bean and butterscotch with subtle notes of minerality and oak-derived spices. The entry is juicy, and Dolce’s signature texture is lively and enduring on the palate leading to a mouthwatering finish. Flavours of orange, pear and dried apricot mingle together with rich caramel notes and hints of minerals that make this vintage a delicious expression of the season’s exceptional ripeness.
Dolce’s 20 acres of vineyard are located in Coombsville, east of the city of Napa, and are situated at the base of the Vaca Mountains, which define the eastern border of the valley. The volcanic soil is loose and well-drained, and the west-facing vineyard is protected from the prevailing winds so that the damp, morning fog of autumn (a very important factor in the development of Botrytis cinerea) hangs longer amongst the vines, often until midday. A combination of high humidity followed by drying conditions encourages, but does not guarantee, the growth of Botrytis. As it develops, its coverage is seemingly random with individual berries succumbing to Botrytis at different rates, if at all.
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Red Wine
2008 Andromeda, Sean Thackrey
£10500Add to BasketAndromeda is a Pinot Noir from the famous Devil’s Gulch Vineyard in Marin County and is made by Sean Thackrey who is often called a mystical and an iconic winemaker because of his winemaking techniques and lack of detail about his wines and the success he has had. In fact, unlike 99.9% of wine producers in the world, who broadcast the minutiae of their vineyard practices and technical methodology on press materials and on their websites, Thackrey releases no such information, believing that the wines speak for themselves and that everything else is none of our business. A trip to his website on which he offers no information on his own wines but instead offers texts from the history of winemaking that come from his extensive collection of books and manuscripts. All this is very refreshing and all the more so because of how wonderful his wines are.
The 2008 Andromeda is an interpretation of Pinot noir you won’t come across very often. The unique array of aromas include cut flowers, ponzu and green grass. The flavours are unusual and challenging to describe and rather befitting this quirky, talented winemaker. The wine does not follow the usual flavour profile of Pinot Noir but does offer some tasty black cherry and berry fruit. A leafy, green note runs consistently through the taste profile as well as oak-derived vanilla.
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White Wine
2020 Chardonnay ‘El Diablo Vineyard’, Senses
£10500Add to BasketThis wine is made from grapes from the famed El Diablo vineyard, which sits on a ridge above Eastside Road in the Russian River Valley AVA. Aromas of flamboyant pineapple, orange blossom and hints of coriander seed, marzipan and lemongrass lead to a palate delivering lovely tension, tropical fruit and finishing with great purity.
2020 shows excellent concentration and very clean fruit, which makes for age-worthy Chardonnay with high acidity and ripe fruit characters.
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White Wine
2020 Chardonnay ‘Charles Heintz Vineyard’, Senses
£10500Add to BasketThe grapes for this Chardonnay come from the Heintz family, who have owned their ranch in the Sonoma Coast AVA for over 100 years. Planted in 1982, Charles Heintz produces fruit for some of the top names in California. The world-class fruit that is produced here is summed up by Robert Parker, whose assessment of the vineyard is “…one of the great grand cru Chardonnay sites in California.”
The 2020 is elegant and expressive, the palate is packed with sublime stone fruits layered with spice, cedar and candied ginger, framed by a racy backbone, with a silky texture and extraordinarily long finish.
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Red Wine
2019 Pinot Noir ‘Terra de Promissio’, Senses
£10900Add to BasketA rich, structured Pinot Noir with complex aromas of smoky red and black fruits, roasted herbs, conifer forest and exotic spice through to a palate of impeccable balance.
2019 stands out as one of the more exceptional vintages in recent memory. Cooler temperatures and stable weather throughout the growing season allowed for slow maturation of flavours without any heat events spiking sugar accumulation in the berries. Although 2019 also saw the devastating Kincade fire in Sonoma County, the fruit was harvested by then, so the smoke did not affect the grapes.
The grapes come from Charles and Diana Karren’s vineyard, a couple who are incredibly passionate about growing grapes. The single vineyard ‘Terra de Promissio’ translates as ‘the Land of Promise’ and it has an ideal terroir for growing Pinot Noir. Located in the Petaluma Gap subregion, the combination of the sandy loam and Adobe clay soils, the south-westerly sun exposure, hill elevation, vine density of 5×7’ spacing and the wind and fog of the Petaluma Gap, allows the grapes to have an extended hang time.
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Red Wine
2010 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketEstablished in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône. Pioneered by John Alban at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release.
“The 2010 Syrah Reva is magnificent. Blue and blackish tone fruits, smoke, tar, liquorice, cloves and menthol all flesh out in a supple, exotic wine endowed with superb depth and polish. An explosive finish rounds things out beautifully in this impeccable, opulent Syrah. The 2010 spent 44 months in oak, 70% new, all of which it has handled with grace. Of the three 2010 Syrahs, this is the wine I would personally reach for more often, as it is truly stellar.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous: 95-97pts.
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Red Wine
2011 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketJohn Alban is more than a wine producer: Robert Parker has described him as the “spiritual and qualitative leader of the Rhône Ranger movement”: his impact on wine production in California is not to be understated. Established in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release.
This 2011 is a superb offering from the Reva Vineyard boasting gorgeous aromas of blackberry liqueur, creosote, graphite, and a hint of smoky oak. It is an intense, dense, stunning effort with huge tannin, beautiful freshness and a blockbuster finish.
Incredibly decadent Syrah
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Red Wine
2009 Reva Syrah, Alban Vineyards
£12000Add to BasketEstablished in 1989, Alban Vineyards represents California’s first winery and vineyard dedicated exclusively to the varietals of the Rhône. Pioneered by John Alban at a time when anything that was neither Cabernet nor Chardonnay was barely grown in California, Alban was a groundbreaking project and has gone on to be regarded as one of the U.S.A’s best and most influential producers.
It is the Syrah releases from Alban which, justifiably, receive the most attention. Reva Syrah is Alban’s much-coveted, hard to come by top release; a 100% single vineyard Syrah which is aged in oak for 42 months before release. Upfront and highly varietal on the nose, this cult wine exudes aromas of cassis, wild herbs, violet, earth and smoke. The palate is incredibly full-bodied and decadent with immense depth and wonderful freshness. Flavours of dark fruit, coffee, toasty oak and perfumed spice build on an intense mid-palate before continuing on a long, momentous finish. We believe that this is California’s greatest example of this grape variety and will age gracefully over the next 20 years and beyond.
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White Wine
2008 Moon Select Chardonnay, Flowers
£12500Add to BasketFlowers are pioneers of the Sonoma Coast region and make extraordinary Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Perched on top of soaring coastal ridges that border the Pacific Ocean, Flowers’ estate vineyards were some of the first planted on the “extreme” Sonoma Coast in 1991. Flowers’ vineyards rise up just two miles from the rugged Pacific Ocean cliffs at elevations of 1,150 to 1,875 feet. The maritime breezes and coastal fog cool the vineyards during the heat of summer allowing fruit to fully mature with fresh, complex flavours and lively acidity resulting in wines with a distinct coastal minerality and bright natural acidity.
Moon Select is the ultimate expression of the vintage and showcases the best barrels from the Camp Meeting Ridge vineyard. Only 280 cases produced were produced of the 2008 vintage. The 2008 is now mature and developed. On the nose, it has aromas of butter, lemongrass and ripe apricots. Caramel and brioche are abundant on the palate – that coastal acidity is still present as is the precise structure. Very rich and textural. The finish is savoury and long. It’s a stunning glass of wine.
Grapes were harvested in the early morning hours to ensure the fruit arrived at the winery at cool temperatures. The grapes were pressed as whole clusters and the juice allowed to settle for 24 hours before a gentle gravity transfer to French Oak barrels. After 100% native yeast fermentation, the wine continued to mature in-barrels: 100% French oak, 35% new for 14 months to allow the true expression of the vintage and varietal to stand out.
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White Wine
2012 Hapgood Chardonnay, Clifton Brewer
£12500Add to BasketThis is a stunning Chardonnay, one with all the dials were turned up, and in a good way! It’s a full-bodied, richly textured and layered Chardonnay that has explosive aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine, lime, struck match and yeastiness. The palate lives up to the nose and offers vivid tension with a core of pineapple leading to complex tones of exotic fruits, apple tart, brioche and toasted nuts. The finish is long and textured with mouthwatering acidity that bounds well for a few more years of ageing.
At Brewer Clifton they strive to remove the winemaker’s signature, allowing the voice of the vineyard to be the overriding expression. Only neutral barrels are employed and they strive for whole cluster fermentation, interestingly the fruit from each vineyard is handled identically from harvest to bottling, allowing the true essence of each site to be expressed.
They also farm with a focus of ripening the stems of the bunch alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with the exceptional Santa Rita Hills fruit. The analogy they use is roasting fish or meat on the bone, the bone offers complex flavours very different than taking it off of the bone to cook it.
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White Wine
2012 3D Chardonnay, Clifton Brewer
£12500Add to BasketThis is an outstanding Chardonnay from the renowned Brewer-Clifton. The 3D vineyard is nestled between Lafond and Ampelos in the Santa Rita Hills and was the first vineyard planted by the Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton in 2007.
This 2012 3D Chardonnay is a deeply textured wine that is brimming with complexity and nuance. The aromas that hit you from the glass are sea spray mixed with lemon zest – also fresh shucked oyster. It’s a fabulous combination. The palate is dense and complex with creamy orchard fruits, lemon, minerals and nectarine. All this is wrapped up with a mouthwatering finish that keeps all these flavours alive. One of the standout wines of 2020 and at its peak for the next 3-5 years.
At Brewer Clifton they strive to remove the winemaker’s signature, allowing the voice of the vineyard to be the overriding expression. Only neutral barrels are employed and they strive for whole cluster fermentation, interestingly the fruit from each vineyard is handled identically from harvest to bottling, allowing the true essence of each site to be expressed.
They also farm with a focus of ripening the stems of the bunch alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with the exceptional Santa Rita Hills fruit. The analogy they use is roasting fish or meat on the bone, the bone offers complex flavours very different than taking it off of the bone to cook it.
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Red Wine
2019 Pinot Noir ‘MCM88’, Senses
£12950Add to BasketA rich, concentrated Pinot Noir with aromas of black raspberries and pomegranate layered with hints of lavender, rose oil and wild sage. Black fruits and mineral notes lead to an earthy finish with a floral lift.
The grapes for the MCM88 come from the famed vineyard formerly known as Keefer Ranch, which produces an exuberant single vineyard Pinot Noir, from the block originally farmed by Kosta Browne. The grapes come from a very special block, now known as Perry Ranch, which produces a bold style of Pinot Noir with great concentration and richness.
2019 stands out as one of the more exceptional vintages in recent memory. Cooler temperatures and stable weather throughout the growing season allowed for slow maturation of flavours without any heat events spiking sugar accumulation in the berries. Although 2019 also saw the devastating Kincade fire in Sonoma County, the fruit was harvested by then, so the smoke did not affect the grapes.
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Red Wine
2018 Tomahawk Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, Chimney Rock
£13500Add to BasketThis wine is made from a single vintage, from a single site and crafted to be enjoyed during a single moment in time. Tomahawk Vineyard is a cooler site located at the southern-most point of the Estate which offers a diverse array of soils. In 2018, Mother Nature gifted Napa Valley with perfect weather for the harvest — warm days and cool nights. This allowed tannins to perfectly ripen in the skins and seeds, while preserving beautiful acidity and lower sugars, which resonated well for the age worthiness and balance of the vintage.
In the glass the wine is generous and complex with aromas of cherry cola, cassis and chocolate. Some savory notes and hints of citrus zest and mint. This wine is intensely aromatic and develops in the glass as layers are revealed. The palate is full-bodied, powerful yet exhibits grace and finesse. A rich and dense mid-palate evolves into a muscular and graceful finish.
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Red Wine
2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, Far Niente
£18500Add to BasketAn elegant perfume of mixed berries, baking spice, dried lavender and thyme open onto a full palate layered with expansive mixed berry, black tea, toasted oak and spice flavours. Focused and fresh, fine-grained tannins support the wine throughout, while the finish is silky, long and lifted.
The Martin Stelling Vineyard, located behind the winery in Oakville, is the cornerstone of Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon. Planted on some of the most beautiful, gravelly loam soil in the Napa Valley, the vineyard uniformly produces wines with supple tannins, bright, vibrant fruit and beautiful tannin structure.
