Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Altopiano, Feudo Antico, Italy
Feudo Antico was created on a small plot of land in the heart of Abruzzo. It is in Italy’s smallest DOP and the first designation of its kind in Abruzzo.
Starting from the 2013 vintage, all wines are Magis certified, the most advanced project for the sustainability of wine production in Italy. Currently their 15 hectares are cultivated using native varieties producing limited yields to ensure quality is retained. Clearly they highly value the land they work and this attitude is continued in the winery where the fruit and wine come into contact with no wood whatsoever, only concrete and glass. This guarantees the purity of the fruit, and its flavours, are conveyed from the vineyard direct to the glass.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, ERA, Veneto, Italy
From the winemaking team at Cantine Volpi comes this delicious range of organic cuvées called ‘ERA’, which we believe are a fantastic addition to our Italian portfolio. From their 5 distinct regional bases (Veneto, Marche, Abruzzo, Apulia and Sicily), the Volpi team cultivate a wide range of grape varietals that are fashioned into fresh, food-friendly wines.
Muscadet sur Lie, Domaine des Herbauges, Cotes de Grandlieu, Loire valley, France
This family estate has been in production since 1864 and is now the largest single estate in the region.
The vineyards benefit from an exceptional microclimate; the warmth of the Atlantic brings spring early, while the huge Lac de Grandlieu acts like a giant storage heater through growing season. Fourth generation winemaker, Jérôme is committed to the sustainability of the vineyards as well as to the health of the vineyard workers he has even grassed over 100% of the vineyards to reduce the vigour of the vines and to soak up rain at harvest. Each terroir of Domaine des Herbauges expresses its own subtle nuances, and reveals specific particularities and characteristics of the AOC Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie appellation.
Pinot Grigio Orsino, Veneto, Italy
Orsino Pinot Grigio is from the volcanic soils of Veneto. Meaning “little bear,” it depicts a constellation of stars that overlook and protect the vineyards by night.
The vineyards are located on the hillsides and planted on clay soil. Cultivated in the espallier system and pruned Guyot style. Grapes are harvested at dawn and late in the day to maintain fresh acidity. Clusters picked during the cooler hours remain intact and there is no risk of skin fermentation during transport.
Quintas do Homem, Vinho Verde, Portugal
Quintas do Homem is one of those estates that immediately captivates you with its charm, its passion and dynamism.
Nuno and his father, Antonio, work the vines of their two vineyards, Quinta do Veiga and Quinta do Paço, where they grow predominately Loureiro and Arinto. Ana, their long term winemaker, is a fierce taskmaster, demanding quality fruit that enables her to deliver the pure, fine and elegant Vinho Verdes that Nuno expects. It’s very much a family exercise with Nuno and his father working the vineyards, Nuno’s mother preparing delicious, traditional Portuguese dishes for visitors and Ana, an adopted family member, making sure the wines are always perfect.
Riesling Riserva Pacifico Sur, Valle de Casablanca, Chile
Tutunjian Estate have vineyards across the Central Valley region, with their oldest vineyards located in the prestigious Apalta region of the Colchagua Valley. Well known for their expertise with Malbec and Carmenere, they also work with many other traditional grapes, always choosing the best terroir for each.
Hallgarten Riesling Trocken, Peter Jacob Kuhn, Rheingau, Germany
It was no surprise Peter Jakob Kuhn had been voted German winemaker of the year for 2016 – his wines are some of the best examples of German produce we have tasted. The Kühn estate was founded in 1786 by Jacobus Kühn and has remained under the watchful eye of his family ever since. Now, along with his wife Angela, and their son Peter Bernhard (who, during his training completed a stage with our friends at Domaine Zind-Humbrecht), cultivates the family land biodynamically, producing a range of Rieslings which showcase the Rheingau terroir. A fervent believer in the ecological benefits of biodynamic farming, Peter is at present, the only producer to follow biodynamic principles in the Rheingau. His wines are made in a fearless manner, with as much as possible left to nature’s own course. His experimental cuvées include wines which have undergone extra-long lees ageing or been fermented and aged in amphora vessels. Peter is a producer we are delighted to introduce to you all and we firmly believe that his wines will become iconic in the very near future.
Rose de Touraine, Domaine Patrick Vauvy, Loire Valley, France
Patrick Vauvy manages 30 hectares of vines, the majority planted with Sauvignon Blanc.
The Domaine has been the hands of the Vauvy family for generations, Patrick took over and has brought new vision and an experimental style to the Domaine. He is often the last of his neighbours to harvest. Located above the banks of the Cher River, the soil is predominantly sand based giving the wines a fruit driven, immediately appealing style.
Sangiovese Cielo e Terra, Allegre, Puglia, Italy
Cielo e Terra is a joint venture between two families, Cielo, who have been making wine in the Veneto for over a century, and the Cantina Sociale Colli Berici.
Drawing on the Colli Berici’s vineyard resources, combined with the Cielo family’s winemaking skills, their partnership consistently produces wines which are fantastic value for money from both indigenous and international varietals.
Syrah Fleur de Charlotte, Vin de Pays, France
Along with the help of Floris Lemstra at Chateau Canet, we have successfully developed the ‘Fleur de Charlotte’ selection of wines that we believe offer excellent value for money. Floris and his team are best known for their Minervois production and in this case, they have utilised the same approach, based on attention to detail, in order to produce a range of fresh, clean and easy-drinking wines that offer excellent varietal examples
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cartlidge & Browne, North Coast USA
In 1980, the same year Ronald Reagan came to power and JR was shot in ‘Dallas’, with no money to buy vineyards and seeing no reason to, Tony Cartlidge started his winery in an undistinguished Napa Valley garage.
Possibly the original Californian ‘garagiste’ he set out to source the best possible grapes to handcraft his wines in this unassuming home. Nearly 40 years later, still sourcing from vineyards as wide ranging as Sonoma to the Sierra foothills, continuing to produce high quality wines, Cartlidge & Browne has become a byword for varietally pure Californian wines, whilst sticking to their garagiste roots of taking a different path.
Malbec Reserve, Domaine Bousquet, Mendoza, Argentina
The Bousquet family hail from the city of Carcassonne, in the South of France and are 4th generation winemakers. In 1990, they began to explore the idea of leaving behind their vineyard in France to travel and explore opportunities further afield. On one particular trip to Argentina, they fell in love with Mendoza, intrigued by combination of soil variation, altitude and terroir on offer.
In 1997, they took the decision to permanently relocate, buying a parcel of land in the Gualtallary Valley in Tupungato, in the foothills of the Andes. The site is defined by its altitude, with the majority of the vines at around 1,200 metres!
The key objective of the Bousquet family was to unite their tradition of European wine with these unique conditions and produce wines that speak of their terroirs.
