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RED WINES

'Esprit du Vent', Corbieres 'Castor', Caves de Castelmaure, Languedoc 2020 £13.95

A fresh blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, from the small, high-quality Caves de Castelmaure. A dense, robust wine, the dark  carignan dominates with aromas ripe of prunes, dried goji berry and garigues.

Château Durand-Laplagne, Puisseguin St.-Emilion, Bordeaux 2018 £14.50 

"...scents of plum preserves, Black Forest cake and Chinese five spice with wafts of potpourri and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich and decadently fruited in the mouth, it has firm, plush tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and perfumed.  91-93 points."  Lisa Perotti-Brown MW, RobertParker.com

Château Unang 'La Source', Ventoux 2019 £18.50

Intense, smoky nose, with primary red fruits, blackcurrant; and violets. A big, mouthfilling attack but still with a pleasing astringency and some spice.  Layered flavours and persistent tannins on the finish, this has lots of development ahead of it, superb.  RKL

Château Durand-Laplagne, Puisseguin St.-Emilion, Bordeaux 2016 in magnums, £32.50

"...a crisp bouquet with blackcurrant, mulberry and attractive floral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin... with plenty of fresh black fruit mixed with cedar towards the finish. Very fine potential here. …" Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Corbières 'Grande Cuvée', Caves de Castlemaure, Languedoc 2020 £17.50

The big sibling of our 'house' Corbières.  Plum fruits and spice from the 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache blend.  Additional oak ageing gives structure, depth and a full-bodied intensity.

Rioja Crianza, Valserrano, Bodegas de la Marquesas 2017 £14.95 SOLD OUT
"Bodegas de la Marquesa (Valserrano) is often described as a traditional producer, but its wines are not old-fashioned in the least. This smooth, floral textured Crianza combines Tempranillo with 5% Mazuelo, aged in French and American wood, and has fresh red berry fruit and notes of forest floor and fresh tobacco. 2020-24. 91 points." Tim Atkin MW, October 2019

Château Montlandrie, Castillon Côte de Bordeaux 2015 £27.50

"Flowers, black licorice, blackberries and minerals all rise to the surface. Transparent. Medium to full bodied, polished and ultra-fine. This is a wine guided for a long time by the owner of Pomerol’s l’Eglise Clinet. Regal. Drink now or hold.  94 points."  James Suckling, Feb 2018

Saumur Champigny, Thierry Germain, Domaine Roches Neuves, Loire Valley 2020/21 £18.95

Beautiful leafy Cabernet Franc on the nose, wonderful intensity and notes of redcurrants…Lovely soft entry with excellent concentration; fresh, ripe fruit, crunchy tannins with a beautiful vibrancy.  It’s a relatively light wine, but perfectly balanced.  Serve at ‘cellar temperature’.

Château Sénejac, Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux 2016 £18.50

"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.  Drinking Window 2021 - 2028. 93 points" Andy Howard MW, Decanter Magazine  

Château Unang 'La Croix' 2019, Ventoux £24.50 

"...Violets and tar; rusted iron and chocolate. Dense flavours, dense acidity, dense tannins. A sense of waiting-earth anticipation, like a hot tar road running toward the towering black clouds of a storm. The burn of chilli, petrichor, raw cacao. So much power and substance, a smouldering taciturnity.  17.5 points".  Jancisrobinson.com (TC), Nov '22

Château Cambon La Pelouse, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux 2016 £22.00

"Closed right now, a good sign that this has the structure for ageing. This is a serious wine with spiced cassis and blackberry fruit, fresh acidities and plenty of tannins. Enjoyable, and an excellent example of the value and quality that can be found with the 2016 vintage. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot.  Drinking Window 2022 - 2036.  92 points."  Jane Anson, Decanter Jul 2020

Château Thivin Cote de Brouilly 'Les Sept Vignes', Beaujolais 2021 £24.50

"... aromas of ripe cassis, candied violets and plums…it’s medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, structured around fine-grained but chewy tannins and tangy balancing acids, with considerable depth and substance at the core. … 94 points" Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (WK)

Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Domaine Hudelot-Baillet 2021 £24.50

"The 2020 Bourgogne Rouge has blackberry and redcurrant scented nose, the 15% new oak lending cohesion. The palate is ripe and sweet, plenty of red and blueberry fruit with a gentle, caressing finish. Sappy and mouth-fillingly delicious." Neal Martin

Château Lilian Ladouys, Cru Bourgeois St-Estèphe, Bordeaux 2014 £26.00

"Under the ownership of Jacky Lorenzetti, president of one of France’s top rugby clubs, this estate is now performing impressively. The wine is finely structured with dark tannins and tight acidity and a hint of minerality. It is Merlot-dominated, although it is the 40% Cabernet Sauvignon that brings out the black-currant fruitiness. 93 points".  Wine Enthusiast 

Mercurey 1er Cru 'Clos des Grands Voyens', Domaine Jeannin-Naltet 2019 £29.50

A beautiful 5ha walled vineyard site (in the centre of the photo below, just in front of the woods), a monopole for Jeannin-Naltet.  Dark fruit character on the nose, even some cassis notes, with lovely purity and intensity. Complexity and depth apparent.  Lovely richness in the mouth with dark, almost Cote de Nuits fruit flavours. Ripe tannins and balanced acidity. After the immediacy of the entry it shows a good level of elegance and finesse on the finish. RKL

Le Petit Haut Lafitte (2nd wine of Château Smith Haut Lafitte) Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux 2014 £28.00

"Graphite, dark stone fruits, smoke, iron, tar, leather and incense are some of the notes that emerge from the 2014 Le Petit Haut Lafitte. Cabernet Sauvignon takes the leading role in a gorgeous second wine that captures the essence of this great site. A real sense of gravitas informs the powerful, vertical finish. This is another gorgeous showing from the team at Smith Haut Lafitte. The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. 90-93 points."  Neal Martin, Apr 2015, www.vinous.com

Château Poujeaux, Cru Bourgeois, Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux 2012 £35.00

"This is a complex wine that's dry at the heart and powered with dark tannins. Slowly the juicy fruit shows through on the mid palate, yielding a wine that offers the potential of solid fruits and excellent acidity. "  Wine Enthusiast

Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, La Rioja Alta 2016 £37.50

"Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it.  95 points."  James Suckling

Monthelie 'Sur La Velle' 1er Cru, Château de Monthelie, Domaine Eric de Suremain 2019 £38.00

The three-hectare premier cru 'Sur la Velle' is one of the best terroirs in Monthelie, extending onto the slopes of Volnay, 230-370 metres above sea level.   Yields for the 2019 were just 17hl/ha.  Matured in oak vats and barrels  for 18 months.  Intense violet, raspberry and some cherry on the nose, leading to a broad, full palate, with vibrant, energetic raspberry fruit and extremely supple tannins, which bring Volnay to mind.  Wonderfully open and approachable now, no sign of this wine 'closing' down, but with lots of potential for development.  RKL

Gevrey-Chambertin 'Les Corvees', Domaine Tortochot, Burgundy 2018 £45.00

Fermented in stainless steel.  No new oak used in the elevage, all 1st year barrels.  Mid-intensity colour, aromas of cherry, kirsch, violets, raspberry and earth.  Much more expressive on the nose than in previous vintages (save perhaps for 2017).  Succulent fruit which fans out on the mid-palate, backed up by fresh acidity and structured tannins.  Length is excellent for this level. Vvv good! RKL

Château Prieure Lichine, Margaux, Bordeaux 2015 £45.00

Château Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 2000 £39.50

"Garnet red with a tawny rim, lovely rose petal freshness on the nose, stunning for a 19 year old wine, beautifully textured palate, length, finesse and a harmonious finish - Steven Spurrier" September 2019