Press Reviews: June 2020

by Eve-Marie Letondel

Our latest press mentions in June: Decanter, The Independent, The Guardian, Spectator Life & Matthew Jukes.

Benefit from our case price discount in red by buying any 12 bottles from this selection – in a mixed case of your design or simply by the dozen.

Decanter, Best Italian white wines for summer, Anthony Rose, 28/06/2020:

 GRECO DI MATERA 2018 GRECO DI MATERA Le Paglie DOC Battifarano
£13.50 | £11.95
Review: ‘This is not the Greco di Tufo of Campania, but Greco di Matera of Basilicata – an attractive alfresco sipper with a pleasingly spicy quality backed up by juicy stone fruit flavours and etched with a citrusy freshness on the finish.’

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The Times, The 100 best wines for summer 2020, Jane MacQuitty, 27/06/2020:

2018 SOAVE CLASSICO Roccolo del Durlo Le Battistelle2018 SOAVE CLASSICO Roccolo del Durlo Le Battistelle
£19.50 | £17.50
Review: ‘The soaves from the small family farm of Le Battistelle have popped up here before, but not their finest wine, Roccolo del Durlo, which comes exclusively from garganega grapes grown on a steep, single vineyard site on an ancient volcano. It’s a terrific, spicy, pear-skin swig.’

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Spectator Life, The best rosés to enjoy in the heatwave, Henry Jeffreys, 24/06/2020:

Tavel Dame Rousse Mordorée2019 TAVEL Rosé Cuvée de la Reine des Bois Domaine de la Mordorée
£25.95 | £23.95 SOLD OUT
Review: ‘I have a friend who lives on a boat who only buys wine from this producer. And who can blame him? It makes excellent wine all over the Southern Rhone and this, the top of range Tavel, is sensational. So dark and meaty it makes the Domaine Maby above seem like a slip of a thing from Provence. Drink this with steak cooked rare and don’t be afraid of spicy sauces. This wine has it covered.’

Metro News, Home: Celebrate English Wine Week with these bottles giving Britain a world-class reputation, Rob Buckhaven, 23/06/2020:

Rathfinny Classic Cuvee2016 RATHFINNY Classic Cuvée Brut
£26.95 | £26.95
Review: ‘A barnstormer of a brand new release from one of England’s most celebrated wineries. Here we have a vintage fizz, aged for three years in bottle, with a pinot noir-dominated blend, all for well under £30. Stating the obvious, that’s some serious value for money. Expect layers of red apple and crystallised ginger, from a producer that’s spearheaded Sussex to become the UK’s first county-wide winemaking PDO (protected designation of origin) — so we can officially address this as a ‘Sussex Sparkling.’

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The Guardian, The 20 best wines for summer 2020, David Williams, 21/06/2020:

Franciacorta FRANCIACORTA Brut Corteaura
£19.95 | £17.95
Review: ‘Stylistically speaking, Italy’s answer to champagne is not in the Veneto, home to prosecco, but in Franciacorta in Lombardy, where producers such as Corteaura make beautifully pure, finely-bubbled, bottle-fermented sparkling wines including this 90/10 chardonnay/pinot noir blend.’

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2016 Rathfinny Blanc de Blancs2016 RATHFINNY Blanc de Blancs Brut
£36.95 | £34.50
Review: ‘One of the biggest new ventures in English wine, Rathfinny is based in a single vineyard in Alfriston in the South Downs. Its wines, including this delicate, lemony, subtly creamy chardonnay, are already among the best fizz on this side of the Channel.’

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MatthewJukes.com, Five stunning wines this week including a thrilling Soave and a knockout Malbec, Matthew Jukes, 13/06/2020:

Soave Le Batistelle2019 SOAVE CLASSICO Montesei Le Battistelle
£13.95 | £11.95
Review: ‘Many of us are familiar with easy-glugging Soave but Le Battistelle has an elite flavour with a confusingly inexpensive price tag. The fruit is taken from a high-altitude vineyard and it is wonderfully refreshing, brilliantly accurate, mineral-soaked, soothing and super-classy! Drink this stunner with the Chargrilled vegetables with cauliflower base pizza.

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The Independent, 15 best Argentine wines for a taste of the region: From Malbec to Torrontes, John Clarke, 11/06/2020:

2018 Barda Pinot Noir2018 BARDA PINOT NOIR Bodega Chacra
£23.95 | £20.95
Review: ‘Chacra can be defined as a small but special rural farm or, in this case, a Patagonian winery that respects the environment by following biodynamic and organic principles. Winemaker Piero Incisa della Rocchetta’s aim is to make wines that are “pure, mineral and powerful” which pretty well sums up this luscious pinot noir with its red fruit and plum flavours, sandalwood notes and tender tannins.’

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Decanter, 10 top-rated Cabernet Francs from around the world worth seeking out, Georgina Hindle, 11/06/2020:

2016 Paleo Le Macchiole2016 PALEO Rosso Le Macchiole
£83.95 | £75.50 SOLD OUT 
Review: ‘Paleo in its secretive pre-release stage. The pure red fruit hidden away in the depths of the wine hints at the elegant complexity of which Cabernet Franc (100%) is capable in Bolgheri. Soft and round with great volume on the palate and an infinite finish. A long-distance runner..’

Decanter, Top 20 Bordeaux reds under £20, Andy Howard MW, 06/06/2020:

2016 Senejac
2016 CHÂTEAU SÉNÉJAC Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Haut Médoc
£20.95 | £19.50
Review: ‘Sénéjac is a very classy château located in the far south of the Haut-Médoc. Owned by the Cordier family, it is overseen by Alfred Tesseron and the team from Pontet Canet. A refined, biodynamic Bordeaux red, this compares favourably with more highly classified wines. Dark red and blue fruits with leafy notes, fine tannins and subtle oak. Will age extremely well.’

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2015 Tour du Moulin
2015 CHÂTEAU TOUR DU MOULIN Fronsac
£19.95 | £17.95
Review: ‘A great example of why appellations such as Fronsac need to be considered in great years. This has weight, plushness and ripeness but all kept in check by a cool Bordeaux-style edge. Seamlessly integrated oak and ripe tannins make this a classy Fronsac from the Dupuch family, vignerons in Saillans.’

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Raison D'hetre
2016 LA RAISON D’HÊTRE Côtes de Castillon
£17.95 | £17.95
Review: ‘The second wine of L’Hêtre, a new wine in the distinctly up-and-coming AP of Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. Owned by the Thienpont family, organically farmed and situated high on the limestone plateau to the east of St-Emilion, this is great value considering its pedigree. 95% Merlot with a dash of Cabernet Franc, there is dark blackcurrant fruit and a whiff of smoke, allied to ripe tannins and potential to age.’

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2016 Montaiguillon
2016 CHÂTEAU MONTAIGUILLON Montagne Saint Emilion
£18.95 | £16.95
Review: ‘Very deep purple in colour, with enveloping aromas of damson, plums and blackberry, with a touch of clove. Spicy, dark fruits on the palate with lively acidity and slightly firm tannins. This is a fresh, lively, bright, juicy example of why St-Emilion satellites merit consideration. Relatively early-drinking.’

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2018 Chateau de Cerons

2017 CHÂTEAU DE CÉRONS Graves (Sold out but 2018 is available)
£21.95 | £19.75
Review: ‘Run by Xavier and Caroline Perromat. Caroline worked with Véronique Sanders at Château Haut-Bailly for 15 years before moving to Xavier’s family estate. Shows the potential for Cérons red wines, with elegant freshness derived from the deep limestone subsoil. The use of 25% new oak has fleshed out the mid-palate and the emphasis here is on red fruits, with a hint of pepper to finish.’

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Chateau Beaumont
2016 CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Haut Médoc (Sold out)
£21.95 | £19.75
Review: ‘A classy cru bourgeois from Cussac, just south of St-Julien. With virtually equal shares of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, spiced up with 3% Petit Verdot, this is a suave Haut-Médoc with bramble fruit and classic, cool Bordeaux tannins, while retaining the