The Red Christmas Case
A delicious all red Christmas case with 2 bottles each of 6 different reds saving 12% off normal bottle prices
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Inside the case you'll get...
Le Tende, Bardolino Classico, 2024
The principal wine here, 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 fruit; and then a pretty mouthful of crushed strawberries and red cherries. Light and juicy, delightfully ripe but not in the least sweet, this has a magical poise and purity. Both the 2020 and 2023...
ColourRed
RegionVeneto
Grape VarietyCorvina & Rondinella
Vintage2024
ABV13%
Bottle75cl
MethodOrganic
CodeLET624
Fichet, Bourgogne Tradition, Pinot Noir, 2023
We listed this for the first time and the summer and have broken our golden rule of never promoting the same in successive offers. Why? Simply because we think this superbly priced, very well made, red Burgundy needs to find as many new fans as possible. It has everything we look for in entry-level red Burgundy: perfumed red fruit, freshness and a savoury edge that distinguishes it from New World Pinot Noir. A superb Sunday wine – try it with a pot roast pheasant. Now-2028
ColourRed
RegionBurgundy
GrowerDomaine Fichet
Grape VarietyPinot Noir
Vintage2023
ABV12.5%
Bottle75cl
CodeFIC623
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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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...
Chateau Les Gravieres de la Brandille, Bordeaux Superieur, 2020
Frédéric Borderie's principal wine, 65% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, as ever a superb generic unoaked Bordeaux. He chose to adopt his grandfather’s marvellous traditional black, red and gold label – on which you can count no less than eight different fonts! An expressive red that should be a staple of all wine racks. A blend of red and dark fruit, with freshness and fine boned tannin. Merlot dominated, this shows real smoothness and charm but also...
ColourRed
RegionBordeaux
GrowerFrederic Borderie
Grape VarietyMerlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc
Vintage2020
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeGRC120
Frederic Borderie, Chateaux Les Combes and Les Gravieres de la Brandille, Bordeaux, France
Frederic Borderie, in his late 30s, is one of our stars, making delicious, perfumed whites and a range of reds which he fairly views as the equals - both in quality and longevity - of more expensive wines from grander appellations.
Modestly he ascribes their success to his vineyards being on gravelly river terraces of the Isle river, an underrated terroir with some similarities to the...
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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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Carinae, Malbec, Odile, Mendoza, 2023
Under a gold-starred, somewhat revolutionary label. From Carinae’s 90 year old vines at Cruz de Piedra, Maipú, just to the south of Mendoza. Terrific raspberry and blackberry flavours. Lovely fat and texture with gentle tannins. Easy-drinking but with plenty of substance too. Now-2028
ColourRed
RegionMendoza
GrowerCarinae
Grape VarietyMalbec
Vintage2023
ABV13.6%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeCAE123
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 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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Segares, Rioja Reserva, 2010
The Reserva goes into 40% new French barrels, 60% in older American oak. It's wonderful to have some really mature Rioja at hand. Very intense, all ripe and perfumed red and black fruit with complex notes of toast, nutmeg, clove and sealing wax. 2010 was felt to be an exceptional vintage for Rioja, arguably the best in the last fifteen years. Now-2028
At last we found a small - 25 hectares - family-owned Rioja estate which we can call our own: we spent years looking! Founder...
ColourRed
RegionRioja
GrowerBodegas Nestares Eguizabal
Grape VarietyTempranillo
Vintage2010
ABV14%
Bottle75cl
ClosureCork
CodeNES410
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is Spanish red wine, with Rioja being its showroom.
Origins
- Tempranillo vines were (possibly) originally brought to Spain, as variants of Pinot Noir (Burgundy) or Cabernet Franc (Bordeaux) from monasteries in Northern France by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
Characteristics ...
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Here’s the full tasting note for...
The Red Christmas Case
A delicious all red Christmas case with 2 bottles each of 6 different reds saving 12% off 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
