All Wine Info
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France: Alsace
The fascination of Alsace is the kaleidoscope of flavours - from bone dry to very sweet - delivered by unusual grape varieties planted in a very specific terroir. The vineyards are strung in a narrow - less than 3km wide - band running for 60km. north-south along the eastern foothills of the Vosges...
“There’s a complex series of criss-crossed faults among the sub-Vosgian hills, giving a wide variety of soils among the best vineyards, usually at altitudes of 200-420 metres, from schist to...”
A tiering of the Alsace vineyards - mainly based on analysis of the soil and exposure to the sun - was enshrined in November 1975 with the conception...
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France: Beaujolais
"…if red wine can be nubile, this red wine is" - Andrew Jefford, in The New France
“That immediate fruitiness of the Gamay grape, allied to refreshing acidity, moderate alcohol levels - usually 12.5 degrees to 13 degrees - and ability to be served cool (don’t overchill, or you...”
We only offer one (excellent) Beaujolais-Villages: note that there is good land for Gamay outside the Crus, particularly in the north of the...
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France: Burgundy
The Burgundy Pyramid
“Making sense of the complexity of the complexity of Burgundy isn’t easy. Though Burgundy only comprises 5% of France’s vineyard area, it holds 100 different Appellations, 25% of the entire French...”
This table shows the pyramid of quality in Burgundy. Note in particular that only 13% of the wine produced is from 1er or Grand Cru vineyards. (N.B....
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France: Languedoc-Roussillon
There’s something very complete about our annual offer of wines from the Languedoc and Roussillon: with whites, rosés and reds, and wonderful fortified wines, the Vins Doux Naturels which are such a speciality of the region, there should be something for all tastes. Secondly, there are wines for...
“There are two sub regions (Pic Saint-Loup and La Clape) which are allowed to put their names alone on the label. These two are presumably to be up-graded to full appellations in their own right at...”
We occasionally refer to wines from this region showing the influence of the Garrigue, a word which has no exact translation in English. It describes...
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France: Loire Valley
In early February I undertook our annual visit to the wine fair in Angers, escaping the snow which engulfed much of the UK during that week. This is the yearly opportunity for the vast majority of vignerons in the Loire valley to show off their latest offerings to the rest of the world. The early...
“We have found several new wines from a number of our best sources to complement the many perennial favourites. ”
Gordon Coates April 2009
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France: The Rhône
Northern Rhône
“The narrow valley of the Rhône south of Lyon is the spiritual home of Syrah. Here the vineyards crawl up the steep slopes, largely on the west side of the river. As Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and...”
Southern Rhône
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Austria
Sadly, there isn’t enough Austrian wine! Austria is a country with a strong and historic wine-drinking culture, but it only produces as much wine as a middle-sized region of France, for example the Loire. Export isn’t necessarily a priority for many growers, but fortunately some of the top...
“The vineyards all lie in the east of the country, around Vienna, downstream along the Danube to the west, and in a wide band south to Styria. Best known are white wines, particularly from Riesling -...”
Austria is also the source of some of the greatest sweet wines in the world. Key to this is the Neuesiedlersee, an enormous shallow lake south-east...
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Germany
Germany = Riesling. Yes, the Germans still grow piles of Muller-Thurgau and other white varieties; and they make more than passable, if expensive, reds from Pinot Noir (= Spatburgunder), Dornfelder and even Syrah. But for centuries the most admired wines of Germany, once as highly priced as First...
“The big debate now is how dry you like your wine. The Germans demand dry Riesling as an accompaniment to food. Elsewhere in the world drinkers love the traditional “noble sweet” styles, in...”
A simple guide to decoding the names of the wines: the first word is usually the name of the village, but with -er added. The second is the name of...
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Argentina
Malbec and More?
“We should all be drinking more Argentine red wine. Argentina has only a fifth of the sales of wine (by value and volume) of Chile within Britain. The US is the Argentines’ most important export...”
By far the most successful grape in Argentina is Malbec. It’s original home is in south-west France, and specifically in the appellation of Cahors....
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Chile
Chile is probably the most progressive wine-producing country in the world right now. Look at the evidence of this success story, and the determination to drive this still young wine industry forward:
“• Production doubling every ten years • An increased focus on cooler-climate regions, notably along Chile’s long coastline,...”
Among the reds - and do remember about three quarters of the quality vineyard area in Chile is still given over to reds - the dominant variety is...
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New Zealand
In global terms New Zealand wine production is tiny - about half a percent of the world’s output - but small really is beautiful there. New Zealand has one of the most exciting, profitable and fast-expanding wine industries in the world. The vineyard area is doubling every 5-6 years, the number...
“New Zealand has such a bright image: there, far cross the sea, lies the home of a friendly population, distinguished by sporting giants; and stunningly empty landscapes with clear and unpolluted air....”
The wines do mirror this vision. There is a purity about the best, with that bracing climate showing through in the glass. Sauvignon Blancs,...
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South Africa
You certainly know when you are in an African vineyard - you are told to watch out for puff adders, and you can see the paths left on the surrounding hills by troops of raiding baboons. I covered fifteen hundred miles around the Cape winelands in April 2009, and it was a hugely stimulating trip....
“Why is or printed list subtitled “Ancient and Modern”? First, because we have to get away from the idea that South Africa is a “New World” wine country. The first grape harvest for...”
Along with that history come notions of national style, a concept difficult to pin down, but unquestionably relevant to Cape reds, which so often...
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USA
California
“Here at SVS we find California tricky. Wine produced in the Sunshine State seems to fall into two camps - the huge sea of cheap, nastily sweetened fruit-juice purveyed by Gallo et al; and the highly...”
The unique feature of California is of course, the grape variety Zinfandel. Related to the Italian Primitivo, this was introduced to the States...
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Our Favourite Selection
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Product Code: CHX308
Cape Chamonix, Pinot Noir Reserve, Franschhoek, 2008
“Soft colour. Perfumed, with red fruit overliad by coffee oak. Both juicy and velvety, this is a really classy Pinot with (by Cape standards)...”
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Product Code: FIC508
Domaine Olivier Fichet, Mâcon-Villages, Terroir de Burgy, 2008
“Young Olivier Fichet’s unoaked Chadonnay comes from his 6 hectares of vines in the excellent terroir of the northern Mâconnais near...”
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Product Code: COW305
Domaine Le Couroulu, Vacqueyras, Vieilles Vignes, 2005
“80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, made from two parcels planted on the plateau amidst the garrigue by M. Ricard’s grandparents. Guy says this is the best...”
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Product Code: AUM108
Domaine de l'Aumonier, Touraine Sauvignon, 2008
“Our best selling white wine for the last five years. Pale yellow. Fresh, lightly floral scent. Lots of flavour - lime and ripe grapefruit - and good...”
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Product Code: CAE207
CarinaE, Malbec, Reserva, Mendoza, 2007
“Oaked, mainly in old barrels. Deep purple. Seductive creamy oak nose. Really ripe and fleshy wine, brambly fruit given substance and ageing potential...”
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Product Code: JAC132
Jacquesson, Champagne, Cuvée 732, NV
“Quantities at Jacquesson are tiny, but quality is widely acknowledged as being extremely high. Cuvée 732 is based on the 2004 vintage and sourced...”
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Product Code: PN310
Great New World Pinot
“A mixed case including two bottles of each of the six wines listed, with a discount of 10%”
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Product Code: MAB108
Mas des Brousses, Chasseur des Brousses, Vin de Pays d’Oc, 2008
“60% Merlot with Grenache and Cinsaut, a wine with Bordelais style from the garrigue. Leafy and herby scents. Black plum and berry core, spiced with...”
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Product Code: Spicedoz
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Product Code: HON108
Honoro Vera, Jumilla, 2008
“Made at Bodegas Juan Gil from 100% Monastrell, organically grown in the mountains north of the city of Murcia. Deep, youthful purple. Very bright and...”
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Product Code: LEN10
Lenten Restraint
“A case of three bottles of each of these four wines, with a discount of just over 10%; a mixed dozen intended simply to put decent, fresh, really well-made wines into your home for daily drinking,...”
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Product Code: MEE107
Meerlust, Chardonnay, Stellenbosch, 2007
“Strong gold tone. Fascinating fragrance: lightly honeyed, and almost herbal, like a Vermouth. Caramel attack, very smooth, with a palate of...”
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