Jeanneret Picardy Cantine Vitevis Glaetzer Evans & Tate Chain of Ponds Carlos Serres Ca’ De Lion Wine List
- Ca Vegar Bardolino DOC 2023$45.00Its bigger than Pinot, and of course has a different flavour profile, but in the UK plenty of punters who drink Pinot are equally enamoured of Bardolino. 'But it is made from the same grapes as Amarone', we hear you say. It is, and Bardolino is only half an hour from that region, but the wines are altogether brighter and far more delicate than you'll find there. This Bardolino sees about 6 months in oak, followed by some time in tank prior to bottling – red fruits and violet form the nose. It is red fruity, pulpy and fleshy and finishes tight and dry, with excellent length, minerality, plenty of acid and fine tannins. Drink it with rich meaty dishes or oily fish. Definitely a food wine and absolutely worth decanting. Learn More
- Carlos Serres Crianza Rioja 2021$55.00
Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.
Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.
Learn More - Carlos Serres Gran Reserva Rioja 2016$80.00
The most refined and profound of the Carlos Serres wines - a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, entirely sourced from the Finca El Estanque vineyard. Only 2% of Rioja wines are released as Gran Reserva, with the best fruit treated to at least a couple of years in oak, generally more, before being bottled at anywhere between 5 and 10 years of age. Carlos Serres choose to release the wine when it is ready to drink.... and this, the 2016 vintage is excellent, offering mature and ripe black fruits, cinnamon, minerality and more. The palate is rich and smooth, tannins plentiful but resolving, the finish long and satisfying. Beautiful now and will cellar for another 5+ as well.
Learn More - Carlos Serres Organic Rioja Tempranillo 2022$50.00
Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos, actually named Charles, was a French Winemaker who, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, left Bordeaux and wound up in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.
Young and fresh but nonetheless intense, owing to the very low yields from the 2022 vintage. Fresh red and black fruits here, along with liquorice and a hint of vanilla. Zippy fruit and relatively high tannins make this a great match for protein. Learn More - Carlos Serres Reserva Rioja 2018$65.00A stunning Reserve Rioja from Carlos Serres, one of the few century old Rioja producers. This is a blend of 90% Tempranillo with 10% Graciano sourced from the winery's 'Finca El Estanque' vineyard and aged for 2 years in French and American Oak. There is vivid freshness here, in spite of the wines age, and flavours of blackcurrant blackberries, shaved truffle, chocolate, cola, spice and lavender. Delicious by itself or with a plate or nine of Tapas. Brilliant with crispy pork belly too, or a cone of Jamon Iberico, or... Learn More
- Ca’ de Lion Barbera d'Asti L'Altera DOCG 2022Special Price $50.00 Regular Price $60.00Expressive and fruit driven, this Barbera from Asti in Piedmont is deep, juicy and intense, stopping just short of being rich, though that will come with age. Fruit comes from estate vines grown in the Piedmont sub region of Asti, perhaps the best place in the world to grow Barbera. Specifically, the vines are on the slopes of the San Marzano hills. This wine is made in tiny quantities and is of exceptional quality. After a quick decant wonderful red fruits, violets, cherries, florals, earth, coffee and other goodies emerge. Wonderful now (though needs decanting, and will age beautifully. Learn More
- Ca’ de Lion Monteluna Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2022Special Price $65.00 Regular Price $70.00Produced in Piedmont, specifically in the famed Langhe Hills, this beautifully structured Nebbiolo is aged for 12 months in a combination of large format French oak and stainless steel. This is more approachable than an equivalent Nebb from Barolo, the tannins, whilst noticeable and an important part of the wines structure, being less strident than you'll find in most wines from nearby Barolo or Barbaresco. Lots going on here from violet and red fruit aromatics, fresh straw, vanilla, liquorice and spice through truffles, which will continue to develop as the wine ages, plus tobacco and dark chocolate. A stunner after decanting and will cellar magnificently. Learn More
- Chain of Ponds 'Black Thursday' Sauvignon Blanc 2024Special Price $20.00 Regular Price $23.00This is zippy and slightly textural sauv blanc which offers a lovely combo of greenery to go with the passionfruit and tropicals. All in all, there’s plenty going on with this wine for discerning savvy blanc fans. Learn More
- Colli Vicentini Romeo Prosecco DOC$35.00Aromatic and laden with green apple and citrus, sherbet and fruit tingle, this is an excellent prosecco. The palate is textural and (within specs) has good mouthfeel. Consider pairing with a plate of something spicy! Learn More
- Evans & Tate Redbrook Estate Shiraz 2019$40.00The best fruit from the Estate vineyard was handpicked and fermented as 90% whole bunches then treated to 9 months in older, large format French oak. It’s complex, offering mulberries, liquorice, olive, cassis, white pepper and plums before finishing with curlicues of cedary oak and a wave of fine tannins. A spectacular Shiraz. Sorry, this product is not available individually. Learn More
- Evans and Tate Redbrook Margaret River Chardonnay 2022$40.00
Delicate and complex and with a long life ahead of it, the 22 Redbrook Chard offers a tight citrus line underpinned by stonefruits, creamy lees and a hint of reductive smokiness and funk. Intense, fresh yet rich and with a beautiful texture.
Learn More - Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2021Special Price $32.00 Regular Price $35.00Wine writer Windsor Dobbin asks why this doesn't sell at a much higher price, and we concur. 35 to 120 year old vines yielding at a minuscule 1.25 tonne per acre, 40% new oak, 90% of which is French, black cherries, spice, raspberries, olive tapenade and black pepper. A stunning wine already, which will improve with cellaring. Learn More