Our latest press reviews: The Telegraph, The Buyer, Delicious Magazine and JamesSuckling.com
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.
Think pink for these hot summer days, The Times of Turnbridge Wells, James Viner, 20/07/2022:
2021 MIP* Classic Rosé Made in Provence
£15.50 | £13.95
Review: ‘Starry rosé from the foot of Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire, around 25km to the east of Aix-en-Provence.
France still rules the pink wine roost. Such is the popularity of its chic Provençal rosés that prices have increased quickly lately. Whatever your summer plans, whisk yourself to the sunny Mediterranean with two of the finest sub-£20 examples, starting with ‘MIP* Classic Rosé.’ This silken, medium-bodied, delicately dry rose-petal coloured best-seller from star London wine merchant and importer Lea & Sandeman is well worth splashing out on. ‘MIP*’ – Made in Provence – is a canny collection of bright wines created by Guillaume and Virginie Philip. This top seller teems with notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, citrus, white peach, dried Provençal herbs, pink peppercorn and white flowers and is bang on – one whiff will take you straight to the craggy hillsides of deepest Provence. A fantastic barbecue swiller that would also be a good pairing for simply served seafood, garlicky dishes, vitello tonnato, gazpacho and salads. Try it! A magnum will set you back £31.75. The (higher priced) Premium Rosé is superb too. 60% Cinsault, 20% each Syrah and Grenache. Joyful, textbook stuff.’
Fruity futures: A guide to buying wine en primeur, City AM, Libby Zietsman-Brodie, 13/07/2022:
BOLLINGER PN TX17 Brut NV
£83.95 | £78.50
Review: ‘The latest edition of Bollinger’s PN collection, this is a 100% Pinot Noir champagne with that typically rounded luxuriousness Bolly provides. Whispers of acacia, roses and smoke dance over bright stone fruit notes and vibrant bubbles.’
Say Salud to Sherry this Summer, The Times of Turnbridge Wells, James Viner, 06/07/2022:
INOCENTE Fino Valdespino
£16.50 | £15.50
Review: ‘Magnificent single-vineyard fino that spent around 10 years under a layer of yeast called flor Valdespino Fino Inocente NV Sherry. This stunning, dry, complex, umami-rich, single-vineyard (Macharnudo) fino comes from wines fermented in 600L American oak barrels and is aged for around 10 years. The flavours are an Aladdin’s cave of never-ending delights; sea salt, green apples, toasty yeast and almonds and herbs bouncing off each other. It has terrific finesse, line, length and balance. Every inch of it feels classic. A beautiful dry vinous partner for food, it effortlessly passes the second glass test! Sip it with Marcona almonds, fish and chips, garlicky Pan con Tomate, tortilla, young Manchego, Mojama and Ibérico ham. Swap dry vermouth for this fino in your next Martini! Like most white wines, aim to drink an opened bottle within two to three days.’
TIO PEPE FINO 2022 RELEASE En Rama Gonzalez Byass
£16.50 | £15.50
Review: ‘A cult, much sought-after raw and alive fino bottled on March 23 from a selection of 96 barrels with minimal filtration.
This is the 13th annual issue of the cult limited release ‘en rama’ (‘from the branch’) Tio Pepe fino produced from ‘biologically’ aged wine drawn off the cask when the film of oxygen-loving ‘flor’ – the strange white bread-like protective frothy carpet of Jerez yeast, which isolates the sherry from the air – is at its most abundant. One for aficionados who thirst for a palate-cleansing, flavoursome, minimally filtered fino that tastes more natural, pure, saline, fresh and as close to that in the producer’s cask in spring. Think apple skin, hay, grilled almonds, fresh sourdough, yeast, salt and lemon peel, plus a soupçon of Marmite. Try it with Esqueixada, Gazpacho/Salmorejo or a bowl of green olives. Serve cool (10°C) rather than well-chilled. Immensely characterful.’