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  12 Wines of Chistmas

  Our Top 12 for Christmas case is back again for 2021! Chock full of well-priced, vinous gems, there is something here for everybody to enjoy. A perfect choice as a gift for friends or family, or even for yourself to enjoy over the festive perioed! Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2020/21, Swartland, South Africa An intriguing wine with flinty aromas alongside peach, honey, orange blossom and white stone fruit notes. A small proportion of the cuvée fermented in oak adding to the silky texture of this wine. Domaine Bellevue Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Loire, France Our most popular Loire Sauvignon, and now award-winning; preferred by many to its more upfront and tropical New World cousins. Quinta Soalheiro Alvarinho 2020, Melgaço, Portugal One of the top properties producing Vinho Verde. Intense aromas and tropical fruit; think lychees, passionfruit, peaches and apricot balanced with mineral notes. Edetària Via Terra Selection Red 2020, Terra Alta, Spain “Six months in oak barrels. Roasted red-pepper and cranberry nose, and then into fireworks of sweet, chilli-pepper smoky, cheeky fruit smeared in tomato jam and a touch of basil leaf. Light touch tannins. Mouth-watering. ... A wine that should be drunk in the hubbub noise of family and friends. 16.5 Points.” TAMLYN CURRIN, JANCISROBINSON.COM, SEPT 2020 Pikes Los Compañeros Shiraz/Tempranillo 2018, Clare Valley, Australia 80% Shiraz & 20% Tempranillo. Perfect blending companions: Tempranillo provides aromatic lift and a rustic textural element to the soft richness of the Shiraz. No new oak here, so the fruit really sings. Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Terre di Chieti Pecorino 2020, Abruzzo, Italy A wine with high aromatic concentration and wonderful acidity, a distinctive characteristic of the Pecorino grape. A staff favourite! Domaine Bott-Geyl Les Vins d’Assemblages Points Cardinaux Métiss 2018, Alsace, France Métiss is a rich, aromatic, well-balanced white made up of 40% Pinot Blanc, 40% Pinot Auxerrois, 10% Pinot Gris and 10% Pinot Noir. Colline Verdicchio 2020, Marches, Italy “Plump pure apple and pear fruits with a nicely rounded finish. A great aperitif that would be good with light pasta dishes or grilled plaice.” JOHN WILSON, THE IRISH TIMES, 24 APRIL 2020 Altosur Malbec 2020, Mendoza, Argentina Aromas of intense ripe fruit: cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh plums, combined with spicy and floral hints. A wine of good intensity, concentration and a long, supple after taste. Daumen Méditerranée 2019, IGP, France A multifaceted blend of Cabernet, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot, Carignan and Cinsault. Bright cherry fruits with creamy notes and a lick of spice on the finish. From one of our favourite producers. Quinta de Chocapalha Red 2016, Lisboa, Portugal A blend of indigenous Portuguese varietals, bouquet of ripe black fruit, spice and rose, this tinto is elegant on the palate with soft tannins and vibrant acidity leading to a long and expressive finish. El Vinculo Crianza 2017, La Mancha, Spain 100% old-vine Tempranillo, aged two years in American oak, unfined and unfiltered. Fruity and rich tannic with cedar spice and a powerful, rounded finish.

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  2021 Bordeaux

  Finally after a two year absence due to travel restrictions during the pandemic we finally made it to Bordeaux for the primeur tastings of the 2021 vintage. Its always important to taste before purchase, to make a considered decision based on fact. The 2021 vintage is far removed from the “Deck chair vintage” of 2009. Growers had everything thrown at them, frost, mildew, rain and lack of sunshine. However, despite the vagaries of climate some remarkable wines have surfaced, classic, with refreshing acidity possibly even more typical of what we expect of Bordeaux. Alcohol levels at 13 and 13.5 degrees are the norm which is generally most welcome. Selection is vital and we tasted our way through some 500 wines over the week and visited most of the top Chateaux and many of the smaller properties who generally over deliver. Price will be an issue, those properties who increase prices will fall on deaf ears and its worth pointing out that there are wide variations across the properties. We will be very selective in what we offer and will give full descriptions when we publish prices. Generally we offer wines in small blocks and we receive allocations from most of the top Chateaux although these can be quite limited. Yours in wine, James. Tasting at chateau Lafite Rothschild As usual Francois Mitjavile has made marvellous wines The new state of the art winery at chateau Figeac We had a great morning tasting with winemaker and manager Marielle Cazaux of Chateau Conselliante. Chateau Margaux in all its splendour and a trip to Chateau Petrus is always a great highlight! The barrel room at Chateau Conselliante Chateau Lafite Rothschild - always a great visit & Chateau Giscours stylish lake and garden Jacques Thienpont, after another exciting tasting at Chateau Le Pin. One of the top wines in 2021 Chateau Calon Segur The Barrel room at La Mission Haut Brion. Chateau Haut Brion produced and amazing line up of wines surely competing for wines of the vintage.

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