Simon’s Greatest Hits Dozen
A dozen including one bottle of each of the wines above, saving 15% on normal bottle prices
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Inside the case you'll get...
Sax, Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, 2023
Michael Sax, one of the young identical twins who run the eponymous winery in the Kamptal, came to London to present his wines at an Austrian tasting in London in February 2020 just before Covid struck. We went, we liked what we tasted and have never looked back. A simple but classic introduction to the grape: rounded and textured; subtle hints of pear, minerals and that elusive vegetal note one sees in Gruner. Lively and complete. Now-2025
The Sax estate may have roots going back...
ColourWhite
RegionKamptal
Grape VarietyGruner Veltliner
Vintage2023
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeSAX723
Gruner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner (Green Veltliner) is a white wine grape variety grown primarily in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The leaves of the grape vine are five-lobed with bunches that are long but compact, and deep green grapes that ripen in mid-late October in the Northern Hemisphere.
In 2008, Grüner Veltliner plantations in...
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Aba de Trasumia, Albarino, Rias Baixas, Spain, 2024
From the tiny Moraima co-operative (just 11 partners and only 11 hectares of vineyards), and part sourced from ancient trellised vines, this is as refreshing as the Atlantic Ocean which laps the Rias Baixas. Ripe lemon and bright apricot come together brilliantly, with a fine vein of acidity. With the merest hint of salinity, this is open and easy to enjoy on any occasion and terrific with a platter of fruits de mer. Now-2027
How Simon found this: "In 2012 I went to Fenavin,...
ColourWhite
RegionRias Baixas
GrowerAba de Trasumia
Grape VarietyAlbarino
Vintage2024
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeTRA124
Koelfontein Chardonnay, Ceres, 2022
I came across this ripe, full-flavoured, barrel-fermented Chardonnay in 2020 by splitting a bottle on the terrace of The Tulbagh Hotel with my wine-trade daughter (she approved too).
From a block planted in 1987; about 1/3 matured in new barrels, 2/3 second fill. Seductive cream citrus and leesy aromas. Lime and melon, well-knit, with dairy and nutty accents. With freshness, opulence and decent drive and length, this delivers a lot for the price. Now-2027The Conradie family, the...
ColourWhite
RegionCeres
GrowerKoelfontein
Grape VarietyChardonnay
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeKOE622
Koelfontein
Ceres
I discovered the Koelfontein Chardonnay a couple of years ago by ordering a delicious bottle on the terrace of The Tulbagh hotel.
I had never heard of it – nor indeed any wine estate in Ceres, which is much better known as a fruit growing centre. The Conradie family, the seventh generation farmers who own Koelfontein, have abundant orchards, but they also own the...
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Chardonnay
Chardonnay is one of the most-widely planted varieties in the world.
Arguably not the most characterful grape, hence its common ageing in oak, yet at its pinnacle in Burgundy it produces some of the greatest (and certainly most expensive) white wines in the world. Look out for unoaked Chardonnay, it can make a pleasant change, and usually goes down very well with all those people who...
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Fiorano, Donna Orgilla, Offida Pecorino, 2023
Offida is the town near the estate below Cossignano; Pecorino the best known white grape of the southern part of the Marche. This consistently displays herbal notes, both on the aromas and on the palate; sage and fennel. Intense and concentrated, with an appealing saline finish, it's very gastronomic, a white you could easily serve with chicken or veal. The 2023 vintage was awarded the top "five grapes" ranking from the Italian Sommelier Association in the prestigious Bibenda...
ColourWhite
RegionMarche
Sub RegionOffida
GrowerFiorano
Grape VarietyPecorino
Vintage2023
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
MethodOrganic
DietaryVegan
CodeFIO623
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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Antoine et Laurent Robin, Chablis, 2022
It became clear, after the disastrous spring frosts in Chablis in 2021, that our two current suppliers there weren’t going to be able to give us enough Chablis for our needs. It was time to jump in the Audi and get down there – a tip-off from a local grower led to the Robins, a family just beginning to bottle their own wines. Classic stuff, described by Julia Harding MW on jancisrobinson.com as “deliciously rounded and complete, a finely balanced Chablis”.
From vines...
ColourWhite
RegionBurgundy
GrowerAntoine et Laurent Robin
Grape VarietyChardonnay
Vintage2022
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeROB222
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 total. There are no less than 5,000 growers, 85% of whom own less than 10 hectares, and four fifths of them make wine.
To make matters...
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Chardonnay
Chardonnay is one of the most-widely planted varieties in the world.
Arguably not the most characterful grape, hence its common ageing in oak, yet at its pinnacle in Burgundy it produces some of the greatest (and certainly most expensive) white wines in the world. Look out for unoaked Chardonnay, it can make a pleasant change, and usually goes down very well with all those people who...
Discover More
Jancis Robinson
We get super excited when Jancis Robinson (or one of her team) write about our wine!
Voted the world's most influential wine critic in polls in the US, France and internationally in 2018, Jancis views herself as a wine writer rather than a wine critic.
She writes daily for JancisRobinson.com and weekly for the Financial Times. She is founder-editor of The Oxford Companion...
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Domaine de la Ribotte, Bandol Rose, Cuvee Anais, 2024
Bandol rosé is increasingly sought after by drinkers in the know. Domaine de la Ribotte are a tiny producer in the region, who sell most of their wine at the local market and have done so for generations. Made from the characterful Mourvèdre grape, this is intense and bright with wild strawberry and pink grapefruit notes. Excels with summery, olive oil based foods. Now-2027
How Simon found this: "When I was judging at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2013, Andrew Jefford - a...
ColourRosé
RegionBandol
GrowerDomaine de la Ribotte
Grape VarietyMourvedre & Monastrell
Vintage2024
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeRIB524
Domaine de la Ribotte
Bandol, France
The Domaine de la Ribotte is a family affair. Maurice Desblache’s grandfather bought the domaine which is now run by Maurice’s wife Laurence, the first female winemaker in Bandol, and their son Nicolas.
I came across their rosé while judging gold medal winners at the Decanter World Wine Awards. When we traced the family we were surprised to...
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L’Estabel, Languedoc-Cabrieres, Grande Cuvee Comtesse Rouge, 2022
We had a lengthy flirtation with L’Estabel, a small co-op in the schistous hills of Cabrieres in the Languedoc, before taking the plunge two years ago. The wines here seem to get better and better, with a pile of local character.
Supple and fruity but, very importantly, not too soft. Hints of myrtilles and wild blackberries. Very democratic, this is a crowd pleaser that will go down well at summer parties and barbecues. Drink this year to enjoy the juicy fruit at its best.
ColourRed
RegionLanguedoc-Roussillon
Grape VarietyGrenache & Syrah
Vintage2022
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
CodeLES622
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 every budget; at every level we believe these wines continue to offer terrific...
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Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache grows well in hot, dry regions, though it can develop very high (15 degrees+) alcohol.
As such it is grown principally in Southern France and Spain (as Garnacha). It is usually blended with other varieties in the Southern Rhône and Languedoc (Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut and others).
Its flavour usually encompasses the...
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Les Vignerons d’Estezargues, Cuvee des Galets, Cotes du Rhone, 2022
This is the 19th consecutive vintage we have shipped of this deliciously fruity Côtes du Rhône, from this unfailingly reliable co-operative of just ten growers between Avignon and Nîmes. All wines here are from sustainably or organically farmed grapes, made naturally (i.e. without any additives bar the merest bit of sulphur to ensure stability) and bottled unfiltered.
Raspberryish mouthful, mildly spicy and very moreish. A long term favourite at SVS. Now-2027
ColourRed
RegionRhone
Sub RegionSouthern Rhône
VillageCôtes du Rhône
GrowerLes Vignerons d’Estézargues
Grape VarietyGrenache, Cinsault & Syrah
Vintage2022
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeESZ122
Les Vignerons d’Estézargues
Rhone, France
This small co-operative, in a little village in the Gard, just west of Avignon, is now getting more attention here because oenologist Denis Deschamps makes "natural" wines, i.e. without adding any sulphur (or anything else) during winemaking.
We find this mildly amusing: we have been quietly shipping decent volumes of these delicious, forward-fruited,...
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Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache grows well in hot, dry regions, though it can develop very high (15 degrees+) alcohol.
As such it is grown principally in Southern France and Spain (as Garnacha). It is usually blended with other varieties in the Southern Rhône and Languedoc (Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut and others).
Its flavour usually encompasses the...
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Chateau Barrejat, Madiran, Tradition, 2022
Wines from Madiran, an appellation in the south-west of France well south of Bordeaux, traditionally had a reputation for being dark, tannic and leathery. This blend of local grape Tannat (about 60%) with Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc (20% each) is anything but that: it's beautifully ripe and silky - the best country wine you could imagine. In this sunny vintage it evinces black-fruited aromas followed by a gorgeous mouthful of red and black fruit backed by a weave of supple tannins....
ColourRed
RegionMadiran
GrowerDenis Capmartin
Grape VarietyTannat, Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage2022
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
CodeBAJ122
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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Le Tende, Bardolino Classico, 2023
The principal wine here. It’s a very superior Bardolino, for two reasons: a high - 80% - proportion of the superior Corvina grape, accompanied by 20% Rondinella; and eight days maceration on the skins gives considerable texture. Quite soft and pale in tone, it offers up a charming perfume of red cherries; and then a pretty mouthful of red fruit. Light and juicy, delightfully ripe but not in the least sweet, this has a magical poise and purity. Now-2025
Both the 2020 and 2023...
ColourRed
Grape VarietyCorvina & Rondinella
Vintage2022
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
MethodOrganic
CodeLET623
Jancis Robinson
We get super excited when Jancis Robinson (or one of her team) write about our wine!
Voted the world's most influential wine critic in polls in the US, France and internationally in 2018, Jancis views herself as a wine writer rather than a wine critic.
She writes daily for JancisRobinson.com and weekly for the Financial Times. She is founder-editor of The Oxford Companion...
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Chateau de la Liquiere, Faugeres Rouge, 2022
La Liquiere is among the finest estates in Faugères. Vidals have lived in the village of Cabrerolles in the very north of the appellation since the seventeenth century, but the estate was really founded by François’s grandfather, who was one of the most vocal lobbyists for the creation of the Faugères appellation – which occurred in 1982.
The family have 60 hectares, largely at 300m. of altitude on the schistous slopes which precede the massif to the north. Their wines...
ColourRed
RegionFaugeres
GrowerChateau de la Liquiere
Grape VarietyGrenache, Syrah & Mourvedre
Vintage2022
ABV13.5%
Bottle75cl
MethodOrganic
CodeLIQ422
Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache / Garnacha
Grenache grows well in hot, dry regions, though it can develop very high (15 degrees+) alcohol.
As such it is grown principally in Southern France and Spain (as Garnacha). It is usually blended with other varieties in the Southern Rhône and Languedoc (Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut and others).
Its flavour usually encompasses the...
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Wickhams Road, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, 2023
Scent of dark plums, but in the mouth it’s all red fruits; cherries, raspberries, even a hint of cranberry, This is fresh and lively - there’s almost a crunch to it - but with an appealing savoury note too. Minimal tannin. It’s like a very approachable village Burgundy from a cool vintage. And it would drink really well with offal - liver, kidneys, sweetbreads - or light dishes dominated by mushrooms. Now-2027
“I’m referring to the insanely good-for-the-money pinots...
ColourRed
RegionYarra Valley
GrowerHoddles Creek
Grape VarietyPinot Noir
Vintage2023
ABV 13.2%
Bottle75cl
ClosureScrewcap
DietaryVegan
CodeWIC623
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Origins
- Ancient vine, perhaps 2,000 years old
Distant origins in France - first documented mention in France in 1375
Characteristics
- Finicky grape: notoriously difficult to grow (which is partly why it is hugely intriguing to New World...
James Halliday
James Halliday is a renowned Australian wine writer, critic, and winemaker, widely recognised as one of the most influential figures in the Australian wine industry. He has a long and distinguished career that spans several decades, during which he has authored or co-authored over 40 books on wine. His work includes major contributions to prestigious wine publications like the Larousse...
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Here’s the full tasting note for...
Simon’s Greatest Hits Dozen
A dozen including one bottle of each of the wines above, saving 15% on normal bottle prices
Great choice of good-value wines in the January sales. The website is really easy to use to make up an order. Delivery, as is often the case, was within 24 hours and, as usual, was well-packed.Read More
I've bought a couple of cases recently, and many more in years gone by, and have really enjoyed their selection. They have a good range of interesting wines from some classic and some more…Read More
Judging by the wines I have had, someone is doing a very good job in selecting the wines to put before the public, and at a very fair price. Delivery from online purchases as also been quick and…Read More
Great company with good service and good prices. Highly recommended.Read More
One of my favourite independents. Been enjoying these special wines for more than 10 years. Always interesting choices, and always great value in the sales!Read More
This was yet another quick and painless transaction, as I have come to expect from SV&S.Read More
