Tending the Vine Case
Including two bottles of six wines, three white, three red, all with a discount of 10%. Please note that vintages may move on, and forgive us if substitutions are necessary.
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Inside the case you'll get...
Les Chardons, Sauvignon Blanc, IGP Val de Loire, 2022
The hot and dry summer of 2022 brings so much ripeness and weight to this humble Vin de Pays. Lacking any aggressive grassiness or excessive gooseberry fruit, this is fresh, balanced and perfectly food-friendly. Now-2024
ColourWhite
RegionLoire
GrowerAumonier
Grape VarietySauvignon Blanc
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeAUM322
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 season’s weather in 2008 was not kind, with variously frost, hail and torrential...
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Sauvignon Blanc
Origins
- Probably in Bordeaux region
- Parent of red grape Cabernet Sauvignon (established by DNA analysis)
Characteristics
- Vigorous plant, so can be too leafy and overproductive
- Aromas and flavours described as: herbaceous, grassy and nettley; Gooseberries; but can also show more tropical fruits...
Las Colinas del Ebro, Garnatxa Blanca, Terra Alta, 2022
100% organically farmed (and certified) white Grenache from clay/limestone vineyards about 500 metres up (Terra Alta = highlands) in Catalonia. Here the altitude brings cool nights; and a dry wind known as El Cierzo keeps the vines healthy. This has become one of our best regarded sub £12 wines – and it would cost at least 50% more if it came from the Rhône. It’s such a useful all-rounder, light enough to enjoy on its own but also not so fruity that one can’t enjoy it with a wide...
ColourWhite
RegionCatalonia
Sub RegionTerra Alta
GrowerLas Colinas del Ebro
Grape VarietyGrenache Blanc
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
MethodOrganic
DietaryVegan
CodeCDE722
Las Colinas del Ebro
Discover MorePiekenierskloof, Stonedance, Granite White, Swartland, 2022
Stonedance is Piekenierskloof’s Fairtrade brand, part sourced from other local farmers: 85% Chenin Blanc with 15% Viognier. Stone fruit and herbal aromas. Tangerine fruit flavours, juicy and bright. The Viognier brings that much more weight and interest to the Chenin base. Pleasant texture and finishes with a mineral zip. Easy all-rounder. Rare to see a Swartland blend at this price. Now-2024
Piekenierskloof is a ward (the smallest geographical unit in the South African regional...
ColourWhite
RegionSwartland
GrowerPiekenierskloof
Grape VarietyChenin Blanc & Viognier
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureScrewcap
CodeSTO122
Piekenierskloof
South Africa
For years I had been hearing about Piekenierskloof – not as a wine producer but as a source of grapes for numerous other winemakers, young and old.
I didn’t realise that Piekenierskloof wasn’t just a ward (the smallest geographical unit in the South African regional classification) but one large estate, formerly a...
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Chenin Blanc
Origins
- Anjou in the Loire, where documented in the 9thC
- Also known as Pineau in the Loire, Steen in South Africa
Characteristics
- Naturally productive and high yielding
- Huge range of styles: bone dry (e.g. Savennières); off-dry (e.g. old fashioned South African "Steen"); medium dry (e.g....
Carinae, Malbec, Odile, Mendoza, 2020
Under a new, somewhat revolutionary label. From 90 year old vines at Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, Lovely fat and texture - fine tannins just buttressing a forward and generous cup of raspberries and cherries. Easy-drinking but with substance too. Now-2025
Alistair's chice of what to drink at home: "This is my go-to Malbec. Unoaked, easy drinking, with a gush of red fruits and a bit of substance too, it’s perfect with a sirloin steak".
ColourRed
RegionMendoza
GrowerCarinae
Grape VarietyMalbec
Vintage2020
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeCAE120
Carinae
Mendoza, Argentina
Frenchman Philippe Subra, with his wife Brigitte, came to Argentina as the national boss of EDF, the French energy giant - but loved the country so much he cleverly bought some long-established vineyards and settled there, on the south side of Mendoza. He has built a small cellar - boutique indeed, whilst wholly lacking the pretension that word implies!
What...
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Malbec
Malbec is a red grape whose home is in south-west France, and specifically in the appellation of Cahors.
There (known as Cot) it makes a strongly flavoured wine which is, all too often, tannic and rustic and needs several years ageing to show its best.
Like Carmenère in Chile, it is much more successful in Argentina than in its homeland. Introduced in the mid 19th...
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Chateau Barrejat, Madiran, Tradition, 2021
Deeply hued and concentrated blend of local grape Tannat with Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc; a great value, old fashioned, country wine in its honest combination of vibrant black fruit, bright acid and light tannin. Dry, savoury, terrific with any meat dish, very more-ish and deservedly a best seller. Now-2026
ColourRed
RegionMadiran
GrowerDenis Capmartin
Grape VarietyTannat, Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage2021
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeBAJ121
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Francis a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.
A cross of it with Sauvignon Blanc resulted in Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc tends to be softer and has less tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon, although the two can be difficult to distinguish. Many of the red wines of the Loire are primarily Cabernet Franc.
Origins ...
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Fiorano, I Paoli Sangiovese, Marche IGT, 2022
This is fast becoming one of our best-loved wines: light and fresh, but with plenty of ripe red fruit concentration too. Really exemplifies Sangiovese's cherry flavours. Pure, long finish. Now-2026
Alistair's choice of what to drink at home: "This organic Sangiovese is all about the freshness of red fruits. I drink it with tomato-based pasta dishes and homemade pizzas. It’s pretty moreish too, and perfectly friendly enough to drink on its own".
We...
ColourRed
RegionMarche
GrowerFiorano
Grape VarietySangiovese
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
MethodOrganic
DietaryVegan
CodeFIO122
Fiorano
Cossignano, Marche, Italy
We started working with Paolo Beretta (formerly a dentist) and Paola Massi (a research pharmacologist) in 2015, with immediate success.
Their wines exemplify perfectly the virtues of small-scale - they tend just 10 hectares of vines - organic cultivation. All exhibit an entrancing purity of fruit, and all are bottled with minimal sulphur...
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Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is Chianti. fresh, perfumed fruit with a fine spice of acidity and clean refined palate - can age well.
Origins
- Originally known in its wild form by the Etruscans in the area around what is now Florence as Sanguis Jovis, or ‘Blood of...
Here’s the full tasting note for...
Tending the Vine Case
Including two bottles of six wines, three white, three red, all with a discount of 10%. Please note that vintages may move on, and forgive us if substitutions are necessary.
S,V+S does the job: finding interesting producers and excellent wines. The list is not bafflingly huge like some other merchants, nor is it narrow or unadventurous, nor fad/fashion, the result is a…Read More
Fantastic friendly service from Simon and his team. I ordered a large quantity of port which arrived promptly, well packaged and delivered by a decent courier - highly recommended. Thank you Stone,…Read More
Order arrived promptly as always. Using the catalogue and range of offers, encourages choice of interesting and enjoyable wines I probably wouldn't have chosen if buying from a supermarket.Read More
They are very clever at finding wines from the less fashionable parts of France that are as good as, if not better than, those from the fashionable parts at a fraction of the price. Also charming to…Read More
The champagne went down very well. Lots of compliments. Fortunately for me there is some left over so it is now in my cellar! I need to lock it up because my husband loves it. The Crozes-Hermitage…Read More
Simon and the team offer an absolutely first-class service...the advice and expertise they bring help me explore the world of wine.Read More
