News of new wines, new vintages
Prepare for the seasonal attack of the Cazottes. We have replenished the liqueur cabinet with a host of fruity numbers from the house of Cazottes. We hope these will inspire customers to have very extended liquid lunches.
NEW!! You could never accuse Cahors of being cheeky, but the cherubic Juveniles from Château du Cèdre is a delicious take on Malbec drinkability. Organic grapes, all vinified in cement, low additions of sulphites, a Cahors for all seasons. Cedar house rules! (Thank you, I’ll get my coat).
Get your pre-nouveau jollies with Octobre 2024 from Les Foulards Rouges. Straight off the vine, it hasn’t even wiped its feet. Stick that in your fancy pipe, Bojo Nouveau!
NEW!! The only thing better than Jura Savagnin is Jura Savagnin with an evocative label. See below from Le Glanon, designed to make you feel all warm and Jurassic.
Balthazar is back! The popular Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge is 2023 now, there is also a Saint-Peray Blanc and a trio of Cornas (small quantities) called Casimir, Sans Soufre and the legendary Chaillot. They may look as “black as a stack of black cats” but these Syrahs are pretty darned silky too.
Chénas you crazy diamond. Namely, the new vintage of the ever-thrilling Chénas Vibrations from Domaine Thillardon. This cuvée from a plot from a block of 100-year-old plus vines does literally send positive vibes down your wine spine. And new! Neptune Blanc is from organically-grown Chardonnay vines in the Beaujolais Méridionale on clay-limestone soils. Classic maturation of 20 months in barrique and demi-muid without any type of addition for a wine that fully reflects the direct, pure and crystalline style of the winery.
Value Burgundy? That’s not a rhetorical question. The white and red Mâcons from Les Cadoles have finally landed. The white is called Marcel Mâcon Chardonnay because… the village in which the winery is based is called Chardonnay. Cue jaw to descend to the floor. That other sound is the bang hitting the buck hard. The red, called “Les Perrières”, is pure Gamay, juicy as you like, but with a little extra kick.
The 2022 Bourgogne Pinot Noir from Domaine Goisot is beautifully understated. From biodynamically farmed estate grapes, this is also a bargain, showcasing cool climate Pinot in its freshest and most elegant incarnation.
More natural Burg in place care of Domaine de la Cadette/Montanet-Thoden in Vézelay. Check out the Melon (de Bourgogne) and a new cuvée Bourgogne Vézelay Blanc Galerne.
Ta Da! To coin a phrase. The lissom red blend (including the lesser-spotted white Baratuciat) of Piedmontese unfashionables from Cascina Iuli is back. Another example of the Ploussardisation of red wines. And we love it.
NEW VINTAGE & NEW WINE!! Let’s talk sweets. Italian sweets at that. The return of La Stoppa Vino del Volta (2023 vintage) and a new passito Verdicchio aged for 8 years in wood and demijohns called Frigidus from Fattoria San Lorenzo. These styles of Italian nectars are often known as “meditation wines.” They don’t require food (although are very matchable in that respect) but thought. Which is food for thought in itself.
NEW! Fratelli Felix from Vigneti Tardis has a red alter ego. Terrific blend of Barbera, Aglianico and Sangiovese in proportions that vary according to the vintage. It is rustic, yet bright as a button. The price is very right too
The 2022s from Marto wines from Germany are excellent. Try the Weiss blend (seven varieties with skin contact), a new very mineral Pinot Gris, and their gorgeous Pinot Noir. Exceptional natural wines, where you can discover a balance of phenolics, minerality and acidity.
Lappers-up of amber-hued peachy stuff are going to love to tuck into magnums of Judith Beck’s irresistible Traminer. It’s got skin!
Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! Or Tara, for short, from the limestone rich vineyards in Chile’s Atacama. More than just deserts (sic). New Sauvignon and, after a lengthy absence, the superb Viognier. Taste the salinity!
Full time oranges with Naranjo from Bodegas Miras in Argentine Patagonia. This popular number is a blend of two types of Torrontes (Mendocino & Riojano) with 35 days on skins. Word to the wise – the wine is unfiltered and casts some tartrate crystals but is super delicious!
Plus plus plus – new US wines a-plenty. Read all about them here.