Showing 46–60 of 67 results

• White Wine

  2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay, Chateau Montelena

  £8650

  This is an incredible vintage of Chateau Montelena’s flagship Chardonnay.

  In the glass it has a bright gold in colour and is incredibly aromatic, the ripeness of the vintage is most pronounced initially; melon, perfume, and orange blossom slowly give way to fresh peach, honeysuckle and apricot. There is very little overt oak influence on the nose, although it comes across subtly in the background as pie crust and toast.

  On the palate, it’s the suppleness and silky mouthfeel that strike first, although there’s abundant mango and citrus with Meyer lemon here as well. The minerality is chalky and distinct, a beautiful contrast that layers in with the acid adding both complexity and depth.

  The finish is exceptional: There’s slightly more wood on the transition to the finish, surfacing as baking spice and crème brûlée. However, they’re handily overwhelmed by notes of Asian pear, mango and pineapple— absolutely delicious. In time, expect hazelnuts and almonds to appear.

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• Red Wine

  2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, Chimney Rock

  £9200

  The Chimney Rock Estate is blessed with a diversity of soil and topography that breeds complexity into the wines. To the east, steep hills and shallow soils bring density and power. On the north end, the proximity to the Palisades brings with it ripeness and purity of fruit. To the south, proximity to the bay brings breezes that add the nuance of cooler climate – adding hints of dried herbs and mint. It is this diversity that has enabled the winemakers to represent the quintessence of Stags Leap District – the tension between grace and power, the balance of finesse and muscle.

  This the 35th vintage of this wine, opens in the glass with abundant aromas of blackcurrant and cherry, with hints of mocha, vanilla and floral. On the palate it is rich and savoury with plum and black cherry flavours and hints of dried fig, vanilla, and floral. On the palate this wine is smooth and viscous in the midpalate, full-bodied, and the tannin structure is firm but very polished. Recommend decanting.

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• White Wine

  2013 Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay, Flowers

  £9500

  Flowers 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.

  The 2013 Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay is sourced from the organically and biodynamically farmed Camp Meeting Ridge Estate Vineyard.  Planted in 1991 these ‘older vines’ produce Flowers most interesting and exciting Chardonnays.   In the glass, it has aromas of chamomile and lemongrass combined with flavours of ripe stone fruits, dried apricot and lemon. On the palate, it has subtle notes of custard and caramel along with the classic sea-salt minerality that is typical of the Camp Meeting Ridge vineyard.  The finish is long and salivating with refreshing acidity.

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• Red Wine

  2001 Old Vine Zinfandel, Seghesio

  £9500

  The Seghesio family-owned winery started in the year 1895 when Edoardo Seghesio, an Italian immigrant and winemaker, planted the first Zinfandel vineyard in the Alexander Valley located in Sonoma County.

  In the glass this 21 year old Zinfandel has lost none of its sleek smoothness, bursting with black cherry and raspberry aromas with a core of flavours that includes black cherry, cassis, cocoa, coffee, blackberry, spice and anise. Lush, harmonious, and penetrating.

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• White Wine

  2014 Chardonnay ‘Durell Vineyard’, TOR

  £9500

  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.

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• Dessert Wine, Port & Dessert Wine

  2014 Dolce, Far Niente

  £9750

  Dolce 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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• White Wine

  2020 Chardonnay ‘El Diablo Vineyard’, Senses

  £10500

  This 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

  £10500

  The 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

  £10900

  A 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

  £12000

  Established 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

  £12000

  John 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

  £12000

  Established 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

  £12500

  Flowers 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 3D Chardonnay, Clifton Brewer

  £12500

  This 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

  £12950

  A 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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