With the harvest for many of our growers in the Northern Hemisphere about to wrap up, our Buyers have hand-picked a selection of their favourite ready-to-drink fine wines for the Autumn and Winter months. From value-beating Burgundy to the noble wines of Bordeaux, there’s something here for all tastes and budgets.
Perfect wines to enjoy as the leaves start to fall, the evenings begin to draw in and the festive season peeks from around the corner.
Ségla du Château Rauzan Ségla, Margaux, 2015
A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Ségla is an outstanding example from this high-flying second growth. Margaux was arguably the appellation of the vintage, producing sumptuous, graceful wines with power and charm in equal measure. We love the sleek fruit and the purity here. Waves of crème de mûre and floral cassis delight the palate. There’s a real generosity to the fruit; a lavish, creamy texture, which coats the mouth. Although tasting delightful and exceptionally moreish right now, this has so the richness of fruit and impeccably crafted tannins to age gracefully for a decade or more.
£26.67/bottle available here
Les Tourelles de Longueville, Pauillac, 2014
This is yet another wonderful example of Tourelles de Longueville. Hailing predominantly from the Sainte Anne vineyard, this blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot is typically generous and seductive. Aromas of Christmas pudding, spices, red currants, and crème de cassis float from the glass. On the palate there are swathes of pure hedgerow fruit interspersed with floral and mineral notes. Texturally it is ever so suave; a glossy, modern style, which is eminently drinkable, yet it doesn’t lose sight of its origins – this is clearly a Pauillac of distinction.
£25.00/bottle available here
Marsannay, Les Longeroies, Bruno Clair, 2017
A sublime interplay of bursting, juicy red fruit and complex mineral notes. Very finely sculpted with real energy and intensity behind it. Bright red cherry, rock salt, raspberry and griotte flavours. A class lively act, with a nice pliable texture. Les Longerois is a first-rate Marsannay vineyard planted on poor soil, situated mid slope, that is one of the prime candidates for elevation to Premier Cru status, a process local vignerons have got well under way. Fermented with 30% whole bunches and aged in predominantly used oak barrels.
£26.67/bottle available here
Bourgogne, Blanc, Clos du Château, 2016
An east facing Clos in the grounds of the Château, this is one of their signature wines. Pure and impeccably balanced, full of bright juicy and generous fruit. Crisp Sicilian lemon and citrus zest notes, touches of blossom, white flower, and a hint of stone fruit. Characterful and with sufficient flesh but definitely on the more taut and elegant side of the white Burgundy spectrum. Very moreish. Aged in 25% new oak barrels.
£19.17/bottle available here
Bourgogne, Rouge, Bourgogne du Chateau, Château de Marsannay, 2016
Vibrant and racy, a Bourgogne with cut and thrust. Delicious, pure and crunchy forest berry and plum, with notes of red cherry in the background. Succulent and juicy. From south-facing sites in the Pommard and Savigny communes. Aged for months in 20% new oak barrels.
£36.67/bottle available here
Rully, Rouge, Clos de Bellecroix, Domaine de la Folie, 2019
Ripe and lively Pinot fruit, with bright and generous cherry, raspberry and loganberry flavours. Light on its feet but full of fruit. Open-knit and charming fruit explodes on the palate. This may not be hugely sophisticated but offers so much pleasure. Easy and seductive with a pleasing savouriness to the finish. Rully at its pretty and enticing best. An east and north-east facing vineyard planted on clay and limestone soils. Ageing is in tank only, no wood, for a light and pure expression of Rully.
£18.33/bottle available here
Châteauneuf du Pape, Domaine Feraud et Fils, 2016
Very much an expression of the blockbuster 2016 style. Rich hearty and blustering. Very concentrated black cherry, cassis and red kirsch notes. Enveloping, broad, deep, and silky, with mouth-coating flavours oozing from the glass. A blend hailing from vines in the Pointu and Rayas sectors where plantations are 85% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and the rest a mixture of other permitted co-planted varieties. Whole bunch, spontaneous yeast-fermented and aged in old oak tonneaux for two Springs.
£29.17/bottle available here
La Poulosa, La Vizcaina de Vinos, Cesar Marquez & Raul Perez, 2017
La Poulosa exudes headier, bluer fruit with notes of salted liquorice, fresh blueberries and currants, with notes of brioche and cracked clay. Creamy, plush on the palate, mouth-filling and sweetly fruited without feeling heavy. Lovely purity and brightness balancing the succulent, gorgeous fruit – a real crowd pleaser. From clay dominated soils at 550m of elevation and facing east, planted in 1936. Four separate plots total 1.7 hectares across the vineyard. Good water retention proved its worth in the warmer 2017 vintage, for there is nothing overblown or overstretched about this wine: just ripe, creamy, classy fruit. A higher proportion of Garnacha here in the field blend, up to around 20%, whole bunch fermented, and a more limited skin contact of around 25-30 days. Aged for a year in neutral 225L barriques.
£33.33/bottle available here
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Cuatro Rayas: Past-proofing the futureResponsible for the largest area under vine in Rueda, this forward-thinking wine cooperative has embraced its role as the custodian of an invaluable natural and cultural heritage.
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Tenuta Il Finale – Shining a spotlight on Piedmont’s land and grapesSponsored Content A friendship forged through the world of business led three wine lovers to the steep hills of Piedmont, where they are championing the region’s local varieties.
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Bordeaux whites and crémants: Energy, freshness and renewalSponsored Content A deep dive into the new-wave dry white and sparkling wines from a region undergoing a vibrant renaissance creating crisp, lively expressions that blend Atlantic freshness, historical roots, and modern innovation for everyday enjoyment.
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Dalmatia: Where to enjoy the stillness of fjakaSponsored Content When Dalmatia slows down in the early afternoon, here are some perfect places to enjoy a little dreaminess.
