White wine
Paso a Paso Verdejo 2020 (Organic)
Paso a Paso Verdejo is a great example of the lovely indigenous Verdejo grape of Spain, at a very reasonable price. Verdejo is often likened to a tropical version of Sauvignon Blanc and it is a universally popular, dry white wine. Displaying attractive tropical fruit aromas with hints of lime and aromatic herbs, Paso a Paso Verdejo has flavours of melon and stone fruit flavours with a touch of citrus. It has a good … Read More
Dominio de Punctum Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (Organic)
Dominio de Punctum Sauvignon Blanc joins our list this year! It has a subtle, gentle aromas of pear and stone fruit with hints of newly-cut grass, which lead seamlessly into pear fruit, with a touch of nectarine, litchi and light citrus. A Sauvignon Blanc which has the characteristics of a Loire Sauvignon Blanc, with refreshing acidity and mineral hints. It has a long, smooth finish. This is a surprisingly subtle, dry, refined Sauvignon Blanc … Read More
Dominio de Punctum Viognier 2020 (Organic)
Dominio de Punctum Viognier has exotic peach and apricot aromas with slightly nutty and floral notes which invite you to taste. The palate is packed with intense peach, nectarine and tropical fruit flavours with a light citrus uplift which balances the full, complex flavours with a touch of freshness. The 2020 vintage has just arrived; just as good as previous vintages which have proved so popular. We are pleased to see that this terrific … Read More
Lopez de Haro Blanco 2019/20
Lopez de Haro Blanco is a classic white Rioja, with aromas of pears, greengages and herbs together with a hint of honeyed oak. The flavours combine greengage, melon, pear with just a hint of vanilla and nutty notes: it finishes with a light citrus uplift. A well-balanced and attractive dry, lightly rounded, yet fresh white wine. It has three months ageing in French oak barrels. Bodegas Hacienda Lopez de Haro in the Rioja Alta … Read More
Barton Estate Chenin Blanc 2020
Barton Estate Chenin Blanc displays aromas of pears with hints of quince and honeyed notes. This is an attractive crisp, full-flavoured Chenin Blanc with a fresh palate of pears, peaches and hints of cox’s apples. This 2020 vintage is dry, zingy and full of flavours with excellent length and some mineral complexity which is normally associated with higher priced Chenin Blanc’s. The Chenin Blanc vines are the oldest in the vineyard at around 40 … Read More
Extreme Vineyards Bonfire Hill White 2018/20
Bonfire Hill White has lovely complex, ripe aromas of peach and citrus which are backed up by herbs and hints of oak. The flavours are also complex, with rich, more-ish stone fruit and apples mixed with a dash of citrus acidity and nicely balanced by a light oak touch. Bonfire Hill White is a great example of what excellent blends South Africa is now producing; in this case a blend of Chenin Blanc, Roussanne … Read More
Care Garnacha Blanca Nativa 2019
Care Garnacha Blanca Nativa 2019 is a brilliant example of the delicious and different wine produced from the Garnacha Blanca grape by Bodegas Añadas in Aragon. Your attention is immediately drawn to its very intense nose with greengage and orange peel aromas, coupled with tropical fruit and attractive minerality. It has terrific, full flavours of tropical fruit mingled with hints of orange zest and nice minerality. It has outstanding balance between freshness and structure … Read More
Iona Sophie te’Blanche Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Sophie te’Blanche Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, dry white wine with subtle tropical fruits, gooseberry and lime aromas. It has refreshing, smooth flavours of green apples and a good texture with a hint of minerality, from its three months on its lees. Sophie te’Blanche is the nickname given by the local workers, who can’t pronounce Sauvignon Blanc; the grapes are grown by growers in Elgin and the Cape South Coast, so hence Sophie te’Blanche … Read More
Strandveld First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc 2019
This aptly named Strandveld First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Southern most winery in South Africa. The vineyards are just 9 kilometres from the sea, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean off Cape Agulhas. The wonderfully fresh and elegant herbaceous aromas of tropical fruit and citrus get your attention. Strandveld First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc has a beautiful balance of crisp, fresh minerally Sauvignon Blanc flavours. At the same time it is … Read More
De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2020
Fresh pears and peaches with hints of citrus and butterscotch aromas. De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay is full, yet refreshing. Peach and pear flavours mingle with light buttery notes and zingy mineral flavours, providing a clean, long finish. Beautifully balanced, this is an unoaked chardonnay which derives its excellent flavours and texture from extended lees contact (around 5 months with weekly stirring!) The 2020 vintage is ready to drink now and is the same … Read More
Bodegas y Viñedas Merayo Godello 2019/20
Merayo Godello is made from 100% Godello grapes; a wine that needs to be discovered. If you enjoy Albariño, this is a must-try wine. it has pronounced but subtle nectarine, greengage and apple aromas with citrus and fennel hints. The flavours are layered and complex, ranging from nectarine, white peach to hints of pears and there is definite minerality here. Merayo Godello has a lovely full palate with a sensation of freshness, an excellent … Read More
Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Iona Sauvignon Blanc has an aromatic nose with fine mineral notes with gooseberry and grapefruit aromas. The palate is so well balanced and elegant, with classic Sauvignon Blanc flavours of grapefruit and light gooseberry fruit mingled with tropical fruit and a long, smooth finish. It is a beautifully pure, textured Sauvignon and the tiny addition of barrel-fermented Semillon just gives a smoothness, and added complexity, whilst retaining the wine’s fresh, enigmatic appeal. Andrew and … Read More
Chapel Down Flint Dry 2020
Chapel Down Flint Dry is a terrific introduction to English dry white wine. An attractive, aromatic white with aromas of grapefruit zest and freshly cut grass. It has a crisp, refreshing palate with flavours of apple, pear and lime coupled with a well-balanced, long finish. Great to see this wine in Jane MacQuitty’s Top 20 English Wines in The Times, October 2020 and to see a recent review from Will Lyons in The Times. … Read More
Luis Cañas Viñas Viejas Blanco 2019
Luis Cañas Viñas Viejas Blanco used to be known as “Fermentado en Barrica.” The wine is the same, beautifully balanced, refined white Rioja, but now it has been bottled in a Burgundy shaped bottle and named to reflect the age of the vines used for its production (60+ years old). These lovely old vines produce a low yield of grapes with concentrated flavours. Luis Cañas Viñas Viejas Blanco is a fantastic food wine with … Read More
Chapel Down Bacchus 2020
Chapel Down Bacchus from the good vintage of 2019 won a Silver Medal at Wine GB Awards in 2020; the 2020 vintage is equally good. Like the previous excellent vintages this is a crisp, refreshingly aromatic dry white wine characterised by melon, papaya, nettles and elderflower aromas. These follow through into the flavours of citrus and light tropical fruit together with an expressive zesty, long finish. It’s like a cross between a high class … Read More
Zephyr Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (Organic)
Zephyr Sauvignon Blanc is an enigmatic and restrained kiwi Sauvignon Blanc very much in the Pouilly Fumé style from the outstanding Marlborough 2020 vintage. It has light floral and complex aromas of crisp apples, white peach, gentle gooseberry and almost saline minerality. The aromas are still developing, but when you taste this wine you experience a real ‘wake-up” with its full and layered flavours of crisp Galia melon, white peach and herbal hints. It … Read More
Chapel Down Chardonnay 2020
Chapel Down Chardonnay is quite Chablis-like, with aromas of pear and tropical fruit. It has pineapple, melon and citrus flavours with balancing minerality. The finish is long and fresh. A delicious, elegant, unoaked Chardonnay The grapes were hand-picked in September, whole-bunch pressed and fermented at low temperatures. A full malolactic fermentation followed, which contributes to the smooth texture of this wines. It then had an extended period on its lees before bottling in February … Read More
Wairau River Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2018/19
Wairau River Reserve Sauvignon is a classy, full, yet restrained New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the Sancerre style, which comes from Phil and Chris Rose beautiful vineyards in Rapaura, Marlborough. What makes this Sauvignon Blanc stand out is its complexity, with nettles and lovely blackcurrant leaf aromas, coupled with a flintiness and light tropical fruit flavours. It is a textured, full flavoured Sauvignon Blanc with beautiful balance and excellent length. Wairau River Reserve Sauvignon … Read More
Laxas Albariño 2019
Bodegas As Laxas is a family-run estate producing this excellent Laxas Albariño. Intense layers of apricot, peach, and pear aromas leap out of the glass. It has full flavours which combine tropical and zesty fruits of pineapples, melons, grapefruit, pears and citrus with a touch of minerality. It has a touch of glyceric fullness which gives it a lovely silky mouthfeel and great depth of flavour. It is structured and elegant at the same … Read More
Albourne Estate Bacchus 2018/19
Albourne Estate Bacchus is one of the stars of Alison Nightingale’s portfolio of amazing English still wines from West Sussex. It has subtle aromas of elderflower and green pepper, together with mango, lime and hints of fresh thyme and greek basil. It has complex and layered flavours of elderflower, asparagus, citrus and tropical hints; it is a complex, classy, dry white wine with a lovely smooth mouth-feel. In all respects a brilliant example of … Read More
Albourne Estate Selection 2018/19
Albourne Estate Selection is vineyard owner and winemaker Alison’s favourite of the still wines she produces and we can see why! The 2018 vintage is led by Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, this wine is elegantly textured and structured. The balance of the blend is made up from small batches of Ortega, Bacchus and Chardonnay – each contributing complexity and interest. There are a range of layered aromas ranging from quince, acacia and lime … Read More
Albourne Estate Sandstone Ridge 2018
Albourne Estate Sandstone Ridge is one of four lovely still white wines produced by vineyard owner and winemaker Alison Nightingale in West Sussex; it is currently a favourite of ours. It is unusual in that it is the only one of her wines that has been exposed to the infuence of oak. It is made from Chardonnay and Ortega with a little Pinot Blanc. The Ortega grape is a cross between Siegerrebe and Muller-Thurgau; … Read More
Iona Elgin Highlands Chardonnay 2019
Iona Chardonnay has immediate appeal of a sophisticated, light Burgundian Chardonnay at a great price offer. It has aromas of white peach, minerals and hints of almonds, hazelnuts and limes. The flavours are complex and layered, with touches of almond and biscuit brioche which combine with a wonderful purity of fruit and terrific length. This is a beautifully poised Chardonnay with perfect integration of oak and acidity. The flavours are intense, vibrant and subtle … Read More