Showing 1–15 of 19 results

• Red Wine

  2016 Whole Cluster Syrah ‘Las Madres Vineyard’, Benevolent Neglect

  £5650

  Benevolent Neglect is two winemaking friends who make some of our favourite small-scale wines.  This is classic cool-climate Syrah from one of the most well regarded Syrah vineyards in Sonoma Carneros, the Las Madres vineyard. Similar to the main-release Las Madres Syrah, the Whole Cluster is a special edition of the same wine made entirely with whole cluster fermentation, resulting in a style that comes closer to true Northern Rhône. The nose is blood oranges and dark spices, with a woodsy, umami character that brings to mind wild mushrooms and herb-roasted game. Bacon fat, too. The palate is gutsier, with a forward punch of dark berries accented by a savoury vanillin lick from the Hungarian oak treatment. The finish is sustained, with an elegance and silky texture that totally overshadows its relatively high alcohol content.

   

   

  Purchase & earn 57 points!Add to Basket
• Red Wine

  2011 Patrina Syrah, Alban Vineyards

  £6500

  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.

  A deliciously rich and complex wine, the 2011 Patrina hits the ideal balance between the New and Old World ways of winemaking. Dark and brooding in the glass, the bouquet is understated with earthy notes of blackberry and cherry. As it moves across the palate it reveals an array of dark berries, plum, cassis, and Indian spices. The finish includes dark cocoa delicately balanced on a framework of silky tannins.

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• Red Wine

  2010 Patrina Syrah, Alban Vineyards

  £6500

  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.

  The 2010 Patrina boasts gorgeously pure aromatics of cassis, raspberry, flowers and spice, full-bodied richness and an overall layered, fresh profile that’s hard to resist.

  It offers a rare and affordable glimpse into the craft of one of the Central Coast’s most enduring pioneers of Rhone varieties.

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• Red Wine

  2009 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee, L’Ecole No.41

  £6950

  L’Ecole Nº 41 has been producing premium, handcrafted varietal wines in the Walla Walla Valley since 1983 in the historic Frenchtown School in Lowden, Washington.

  Apogee is an iconic Washington State Bordeaux blend and is one of 3 incredible single vineyard wines from L’Ecole No.41, the other 2 being Perigee and Ferguson. (see bottom of this page) Apogee comes from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, planted in the terraced remnants of ice age flood silts, is one of the Walla Walla Valley’s most reputable vineyards.  L’Ecole was the first winery to produce a wine from Pepper Bridge.  Unique site characteristics shine through in Apogee’s distinctive spicy aromas, dark fruit flavours, robust tannins, and rich structure.

  This 2009 Apogee is boldly aromatic with aromas of nutmeg and clove, earthy hints of tobacco and leather, smoky dark fruit packed with chocolate and mint with a cherry finish.  Full-bodied with a rich structure and a long finish.

  The winemakers at L’Ecole recommend the age-ability of this wine to be between 10 to 20 years, so at 11 years this 2009 is really starting to show at its best. Delicious now and for many more years yet!

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• Red Wine

  2008 Seven Hills Vineyard Perigee, L’Ecole No.41

  £6950

  L’Ecole Nº 41 has been producing premium, handcrafted varietal wines in the Walla Walla Valley since 1983 in the historic Frenchtown School in Lowden, Washington.

  Perigee is an iconic Washington State Bordeaux blend and is one of 3 incredible single vineyard wines from L’Ecole No.41, the other 2 being Apogee and Ferguson. (see bottom of this page)

  The grapes for Perigee are sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard, one of Washington State’s most illustrious. L’Ecole has been producing wines from the Seven Hills Vineyard since 1993. They hand-select their oldest and most distinguished blocks to produce this flagship wine.   The Seven Hills Vineyard is planted in wind-blown loess of geologically young and mineral rich soils.  In 2004, it was named one of the “Ten Great Vineyards of the World” by Wine & Spirits Magazine. 

  Perigee exemplifies this vineyard’s characteristic cedary, black cherry, richly structured elegance. Perfumed aromas of dark spice, blueberry and silky plum fruit are accented with earthy, graphite minerality, exuding power and grace on a velvety, chalky tannin finish.

  The winemakers at L’Ecole recommend the age-ability of this wine to be between 10 to 20 years, so at 12 years this 2008 is really starting to show at its best. Delicious now and for many more years yet!

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• Red Wine

  2017 Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sanford

  £7200

  The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is where it all began. In 1971 this was the first vineyard planted in what became the world-class, cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills appellation.

  Bright, ruby red, the 2016 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir entices with aromatic spicy red fruits, complemented by notes of wet stone and dried herb. The palate delivers earthy raspberry flavours with lush, silky texture. The bright acidity and supple tannins give the wine great structure and length. To allow the vineyard to shine through, the winemakers take a gentle approach in the cellar, using traditional Burgundian techniques.

  The wine was aged in French Oak barrels (35% new) for 14 months where it gained concentration, while allowing the tannins to soften. This wine is drinking well now, but has the balance and structure to age beautifully for the next 12 to 15 years.

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• Red Wine

  2007 Old Lakeville Vineyard Syrah, Bedrock Wine Co.

  £7500

  A sexy, room-filling bouquet of black raspberry, boysenberry, potpourri and incense. Broad, palate-staining dark fruit flavors are impressively deep and pure, picking up violet and rose pastille character with air. A tangy graphite note builds on the finish and adds energy to the deep, seductively sweet fruit.

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• Red Wine

  2012 3D Pinot Noir, Clifton Brewer

  £7950

  This is an outstanding Pinot Noir 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.     It is pure and elegant on the nose with expressive aromas of red cherries, candied raspberry and strawberry.  The palate is expansive with flavours of sweet fruits, tea leaf and fine spices.  Lovely structure and precision here. Incredible finesse and purity.

  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

  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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• 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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• Red Wine

  2008 Andromeda, Sean Thackrey

  £10500

  Andromeda 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. 

  Purchase & earn 105 points!Add to Basket
• 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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