White Single Varietal over £10
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Beaumont Wines Hope Marguerite 2008
Bot River, Walker Bay, South Africa
(White - Still)
Stylish spicy floral character, supple orchard fruits, white almond and grass. Soft and broad on the palate, lifted citrus fruits with some glycerol and honey at the end.
UK price: £11.95 For
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Dry Aromatic under £10
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Bodega Tapiz Torrontés 2008
Mendoza, Argentina
(White - Still)
A spicy and floral nose that delivers refreshing dryness on the palate. Rose petal, primrose, ginger, smoke, citrus, expertly balanced acidity and some honeysuckle on the finish.
UK price: £8.99 Hpa; AFi, AVW, evy; Imb, Ltn, MoC, NoG, PlG, GWp, Vik, WUH
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Dry Fortified Over £10
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Bodegas Fernando de Castilla Antique NV
Amontillado, Sherry, Spain
(White - Fortified)
Very fine and wonderfully complex nose - grapes, flor, caramel, nuts. Bone dry without being too austere, a charmingly elegant aromatic presence, light body and immense length.
UK price: £23.99 BoW, Wwin, WnA, CkO, You
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Red Rhone Varietal under £10
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Clos Bagatelle Cuvée Tradition 2008
Saint-chinian, Languedoc-roussillon, France
(Red - Still)
Concentrated strawberry jam, tar, and black peppercorns akin to Northern Rhone. Sweet spice comes through on the palate, plus black fruits, anise and firm tannin. Classic, expressive and lengthy.
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Riesling under £10
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Cono Sur Reserva Riesling 2008
Bío Bío Valley, Chile
(White - Still)
A racy nose of lime, honey, grapefruit and ripe peach with hints of mineral and kerosene. Mouthwatering acidity, intensely zesty citrus and fine tension between the honeyed tones and succulent fruit. Very lengthy off-dry finish.
UK price: £6.99
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Sweet Fortified under £10
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Cooperatives of Samos Grand Cru 2008
Samos, Aegean Islands, Greece
(White - Fortified)
White flowers, honey and lemon, rose water, tangerine and white pepper. Really well made: elegant, rich and creamy with a long sugary finish and a touch of bitterness at the end.
US price: $17.00 USGW&L
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Red Spanish Varietal over £10
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CVNE Pagos de Viña Real 2002
Rioja, Spain
(Red - Still)
Traditional style with a big whack of fruit, intense and savoury. Stylish complexity, soft tannins, baked cherry fruit and leather.
UK price: £49.99 Wmb, Cmb, PWA, You, Evy
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Red Bordeaux Varietal over £10
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Fraser Gallop Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia
(Red - Still)
Bright, rounded cassis fruit with a touch of mint, hints of smoky oak, liquorice and lots of concentration to develop over time. Plenty on offer - really broad, and already displaying a very long finish.
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Red Blend over £10
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Jacob's Creek Johann Shiraz Cabernet 2001
South Australia, Australia
(Red - Still)
Brick-red at the rim, with huge red fruit, mint, eucalypt and cassis - very pronounced nose. A twist of peppermill on the palate adds complexity to the agreeably long finish.
UK price: £34.99 Oca, VtH, Cty, Hai
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Red Single Varietal over £10
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Kaapzicht Estate Steytler Pinotage 2006
Stellenbosch, South Africa
(Red - Still)
Voluptuous, heady nose with very precise black fruits, plums, mocha and tar. Full-bodied and opulent in the mouth, ripe and supple fine-grained tannins with plenty of spice to enliven the finish.
UK price: £19.99 GGr SWO PIG See ; You, Vir
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Red Rhone Varietal over £10
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Mas du Soleilla Les Bartelles 2007
Coteaux Du Languedoc La Clape, Languedoc-roussillon, France
(Red - Still)
Dense but wonderfully lifted orange citrus, violets, floral and lavender - sumptuous and packed with complexity. Youthful but ready and lots of ageing potential.
UK price: £17.95 GWW
US price: $22.50 USTRU USVIT
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Sweet Fortified over £10
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Morris Old Premium Liqueur Muscat NV
Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia
(Red - Fortified)
Unctuous and concentrated, pure and fresh grape fruit with toffee, molasses, prune, fig, raisin and malt complexity. Syrupy, intense and decadent!
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Chardonnay over £10
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Nepenthe Ithaca Chardonnay 2007
Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia
(White - Still)
Light cream and toast - delicate and refined. Ripe but dry on the palate, with layers of subtle minerality, mealiness and nuts. Opulent, graceful and lengthy. Fantastic.
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Red Single Varietal under £10
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Opi Malbec aka Rodolfo Sadler 2008
Mendoza, Argentina
(Red - Still)
Dark, rich cassis fruit with some oak. Mouthfillingly juicy fruit on the tongue with complex earth and woodland tones, plus tingly tannins and a long and surprisingly elegant finish. Amazing value for money.
UK price: £6.99
US price: $7.00 USLST
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Sparkling over £10
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Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1999
Champagne, France
(White - Sparkling)
Complex nose: wheat biscuit, toasted melba, earth and greengage. Traditional, full and length with impressive depth of flavour and gossamer delicacy. Absolutely delicious.
UK price: £102.00 BBR VtH
US price: $250.00 USRCO
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Red Blend under £10
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Quinta do Tedo 2007
Douro, Portugal
(Red - Still)
Aromatically powerful, blockbusting, gutsy red cherry fruit. Victoria plum, violets plus attractive toasty notes and bags of tannin that should welcome both food and friends!
UK price: £6.00
US price: $12.00
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Red Italian Varietal over £10
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Sainsbury's Taste The Difference 2006
Amarone Della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy
(Red - Still)
Tobacco, tea-leaf, floral, leather and slightly raisined cherry and raspberry fruit. Broad, lush, sumptuous: polished tannins with a lot of spice complexity. full-bodied plummy fruit that makes for an eclectic and successful mouthful.
UK price: £14.69
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Dry Aromatic over £10
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Saint Clair Pioneer Block 12 Lone Gum Gewürztraminer 2008
Marlborough, New Zealand
(White - Still)
Pale gold shade. Rich, focused white peach, jasmine, preserved lemon and rose petals. The pot pourri fragrance comes through on the palate, alongside beeswax, herbs and marmalade. Great finesse.
UK price: £17.99
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Sweet Over £10
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Seifried Estate Winemakers Collection Sweet Agnes Riesling Ice Wine 2008
Nelson, New Zealand
(White - Sweet)
Rhubarb, citrus, menthol, mineral, peach and graceful flroal notes. Absolutely delicious on the palate: spiced oranges, barley sugar, honeyed peach, fresh sweetness and fine length.
US price: $28.00 USRWH
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Pinot Noir under £10
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The Co-op Santa Helena Pinot Noir 2008
Casablanca Valley, Chile
(Red - Still)
Ripe cherry, violets, chocolate, a hint of minerality and a touch of oak. Deep and sweetly-fruited, exuberant cherry. Creamy, warm, full-bodied and soft - lots to get stuck into and lots to like. A knife-and-fork Pinot!
UK price: £7.99 Coo
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Sauvignon Blanc over £10
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Undurraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc Lo Abarca 2008
San Antonio, Chile
(White - Still)
Crisp herbal, grassy, lemon nose - totally classic - with perhaps a bit of honey. Pure tangy Sauvignon aromatics which are long to finish. Zesty, appetising, elegant and expressive - not too tart nor too soft - just perfect!
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Red Bordeaux Varietal under £10
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Viña Indomita Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Maipó Valley, Chile
(Red - Still)
Black olives, balsamic, tar, violets, iodine and strong black fruit. Rich, lip-smacking mocha and blackberry flavours on the palate, great depth and firm, balanced tannins. Excellent freshness, charming now but will continue to develop. A worthy winner.
UK price: £6.99 Wav
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White Single Varietal under £10
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Waimea Estates Spinyback Pinot Gris 2008
Waimea Plains, Nelson, New Zealand
(White - Still)
Honey, flowers and gentle spiciness with a whisper of toasty elements. Attractive weight and perfume, guava fruit, pronounced intensity and very long finish in perfect balance. Superb.
UK price: £9.99
US price: $17.99 USVIA
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Riesling over £10
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Weingut Johann Donabaum Riesling Smaragd Setzberg 2007
Wachau, Austria
(White - Still)
Discrete but fragrant nose of honeysuckle, apple, lime and blossom. Expansive palate: rich, spicy and concentrated, yet elegant and layered, with attractive perfume and a very persistent finish. Lovely!
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