(2025) Beautiful level of gentle oxidation in a wine that is maturing rather than fully mature. Intense but filigree aromas and bubbles. A slatey mineral edge to the aromas, and so fresh, with lemon rind firmness. It is direct, intense and yet gossamer light. What a fine Krug.
(2025) From the young team at Hanewald-Schwerdt in the Pfalz, a Gewürztraminer from very warm soils of sand and river pebbles, and with only 11.5% alcohol, one of the first vineyard to be picked in the region. It's a wine that doesn't overwhelm with Gewürz's exoticism, just a gentle lychee and tropical fruit, a touch of honey suggested too. In the mouth it has more authentic Gewürz flavours, but the underlying juiciness of orange and grapefruit drives through. It is definitely off-dry with the sweetness to take on milder Chinese and Thai if you need a break from richer foods over Christmas, but no hint of flabbiness here in a wine of lovely balance and good length. Watch the video for more information.
(2025) This is 100% Frappato from the Scoglitto vineyard in Ragusa, southeast Sicily. The vineyard sits at between 600 and 1,000 metres altitude on sandy soils with limestone. The wine is made in stainless steel, with eight months ageing in tank, but no oak. Medium garnet in colour, this needs a bit of air and swirling to open up once the DIAM5 cork is drawn, when slightly reductive, gamy notes persist, but soften to reveal the pulpy red fruits beneath. In the mouth ripe red fruits are spicy and bright, the tannins dry but fine, and the cherry-pit acidity gives very good freshness and clarity.
(2025) From the coastal vineyards of Le Marche on the Adriatic, a Verdicchio from the 'Classico' heartland of the Castelli di Jesi appellation. It's an unoaked and fresh wine, with a clean-cut white fruit and citrus nose, just a touch of white flowers too. On the palate it is textured and hints at sweetness of ripe fruit, but staying in that clean and succulent vein, a touch of bitter almond in the finish. Sippable as well as being food friendly, watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.
(2025) 100% Cinsault from red sandstone and limestone soils, this is organic certified and made from 11- to 20-year-old vines. It is made with indigenous yeasts and no added sulphur, in stainless steel. It's pale coloured soft and pretty, the nose filled with buoyant cherries and sappy, summery freshness. The palate has plenty of sweet red berries, a touch of rhubarb and theres a nice sense of mineral freshness; a certain taut precision with spicy, ripe tannins and pert and nimble acidity. Watch the video for more information.
(2025) A Charmat method wine, a 50/50 blend of the white variety Monemvassia, and red variety Mandilaria. It spent four months on the lees in tank. Peachy pink in colour with modest bubbles, there's a herbal and floral undertow to fresh red berries. In the mouth the mousse is crisp, and there's a certain creaminess to the texture that is quite luxurious. Given it is Extra Brut, the fruit sweetness more than compensates, before a dry, stony finish and decent length.
(2025) Made in stainless steel, but with three months on the lees with weekly batonnage. This is 100% of the white grape Monemvasia, and has a most appealing nose, with a hint of nectarine opulence to fresh citrus and light herbal/nettle notes. In the mouth it is clean as a whistle, dry, with a light-body that has the pithy freshness of sliced apple and lemon, a twist of bitter leaves. At the same time there is a background sense of spangle fruitiness and ripeness, in a clear and crisp, most enjoyable white wine.
(2025) 100% Mandilaria, this has four days pre-fermentation soak at a temperature of 10°C, then remontage during the alcoholic fermentation. For the next six months in stainless-steel, lees were stirred weekly. Medium density crimson in colour. The nose has a dry, cranberry fruit character with sour cherry. It's a little bit gamy, for me a slightly off-putting nod towards a mousy character. In the mouth the sweetness of the fruit is striking, plum and bitter orange notes. Slightly gamy in character again, with inky tannins and good acid balance. It's an interesting wine. Being unfamiliar with the Mandilaria I cannot say whether or not it is typical.
(2025) This special cuvée of just over 3,000 bottles is 100% Monemvassia, fermented with solids for 30-40 days. 40% of the total volume was aged in new, 500-litre barrels, the remaining 60% in stainless steel tanks. Aromatically it is similar to the regular Monemvassia cuvée, just a little added nuttiness, a touch of walnut husk character maybe. In the mouth the fruit is sweet and ripe, though there's that underlying bite of endive and something quite saline. It's a more complex wine, a little more intense and weighty too.
(2025) A Burgundian-style, organic Chardonnay from limestone soils at 350 metres, given nine months in French oak barriques with regular batonnage. Pale lemony-straw in colour, the nose has a gently buttery, brazil-nut character, ripe stone fruits beneath. The palate is very nicely composed: there is spice and toast from the oak, which is fairly obvious for those who love or hate that style, but it is limpid with tropical fruit notes and plenty of fresh acidity from the limestone soils.
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