We Also Have an Offer on Some of the Most Sought After Spanish Wines, Including Many From

Newsletter May 2004 Welcome to our May Newsletter and Fine Wine List, a really packed offering this time: we have pre- release offerings from Kurt Angerer and Graf Hardegg in Austria, and the eagerly awaited new Magpie Estate wines, including 2 of our top reds from the great 2002 vintage. 2004 looks to be a stunning vintage in terms of both quantity and quality – very good news indeed. There is also a final chance to procure some of Ian Leamon’s monstrous, fantastic 2002’s. We also have an offer on some of the most sought after Spanish wines, including many from the superlative 2001 vintage – on a side note, please be aware that this offer was emailed out to people some 10 days ago, so sadly some of the top wines have sold out (if you wish to receive the email updates, unobtrusively about 6-10 year, please email [email protected] or visit the website www.nywines.co.uk). We will be doing more of these offers that will be exclusively emailed and featured on the website only. Mentioning the website, this will hopefully have undergone a major overhaul and upgrade with more features, by the time of the next Newsletter. While already successful, we hope the new site will be packed full of information and retain its ease of use. A brand new selection of mixed cases are included, and also a brand new feature, 10 For The Cellar that showcases 10 new wines I have recently tried that are certain to improve – there are some stunning wines in this section. There is a Bin-End list, and a number of wines throughout the Newsletter and Fine Wine List are on a promotional price; the Fine Wine List is also hugely expanded, in particular, Italy and USA. We also have a range of brand new mixed cases, including the brand new Air New Zealand Wine Awards 6 Pack, and a Great Value Pinot Noir 6 Pack; these can be mailed virtually anywhere, and with tasting notes included if a gift. We hope to be offering some Bordeaux 2003’s via our website and email – we are shipping directly from France, so where possible we will be able to compete with some of the more established merchants. I have tried around 50 wines, and whilst there are some potentially excellent wines, there are several poor offerings. 2003 is definitely a Cabernet Sauvignon year, so most of the Médoc appears to be the best area, while Merlot and Pomerol/St. Emilion are far more patchy: remember 2003 was a hugely hot year, and many grapes ripened too quickly, not allowing for full flavour ripeness. In fact 2003 is going to be a year to buy carefully from Europe wide – it is remarkably inconsistent. The best wines show a great richness of fruit, but others, and especially some whites I have tried, have been a bit flabby. This is naturally a huge generalisation but I do urge caution – we always try before we buy so only the best will be at Noel Young Wines! Our next mailing will be mid-July, and in the meantime I hope you find something here of interest. I hope you are all well and prosperous, and I look forward to hearing from you over the coming weeks. Come on England for Euro 2004 too!

Kind Regards

Noel Young

Contents: Page 1: Introduction Page 2: Tastings/Terms Pages 3 – 4: Austrian Pre-Release

Pages 5-7: Australian Pre-Release Pages 8 – 12: Spanish Offer Pages 13 – 17: Rhone etc Offer 1 Pages 18 – 19: Bin End Offer Pages 20 – 27: Mixed Cases Pages 28 – 29: Ten For The Cellar Pages 33 – 38: Order Forms

Opening Hours

Monday – Saturdays: 10am until 8pm, Sundays 12pm until 2pm. We close Bank Holidays

Tastings We have taken out a lease on the cottage 2 doors from the shop now, and so we will be hosting more and varied tastings throughout the year in this lovely old building.

1. ‘Informal Tasting’, Tuesday 15th June, 7pm onwards, cost £10 per head. We had our first of these in March, and it was quite success with over 35 people attending. However, we did feel that we didn’t make everything quite clear enough as to how it all works: a. Turn up at any time between 7pm – 9pm: the tasting finishes at 10pm. b. Please telephone and book your tickets in advance – this allows us to control the numbers, as the cottage is quite small! Telephone: (01223) 566744 c. You get the chance to try 30+ wines: some new releases, some potential wines we may stock, and a flight of wines from Noel’s cellar. d. You can purchase the available wines at a discounted price. e. There is no ‘talk’ – you just help yourself, though naturally Daniel, Jamie, and myself will be on hand to answer any questions. f. You get bread and cheese at the latter part of the evening.

2. Iain Riggs of Brokenwood and Seville Estate, Australia, Thursday 24th June 7pm onwards, £12.50 I am delighted to be having Iain Riggs here to do a tasting – one of Australia’s most respected winemakers, Iain has been making top wines for several years. We will look at a full range of Brokenwood wines including the fabled ‘Graveyard’ Shiraz and Semillon’s, along with a few of Seville Estate’s wines from the Yarra Valley. It should be an excellent evening, and bread and cheese from the Cambridge Cheese Company will follow, places limited to 35.

Mail Order Terms & Conditions Delivery is free for 12 bottles or more of wines that are NOT already discounted or offered at a promotional price (e.g. Mixed Cases & Pre-Release Offers are subject to delivery charges.) When applicable delivery is charged at cost: £7 for the first case (up to 12 bts) and £4 per subsequent case. Please also note that these charges apply to most parts of mainland UK – some parts of Scotland, and the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland will be more expensive – please contact us for a quote. We can also deliver to most of Europe and the world – please enquire. For US customers, you need to contact a local or specialised importer in the States who ships from the UK already. UK deliveries are normally sent via Amtrak on an overnight service (9am-5.30pm delivery hours); Saturday and Before Noon Services attract an additional charge. Couriers are a notoriously

2 poor lot, but Amtrak are the best of a poor bunch: we will endeavour to ensure that you get what you want and when you want it, however it occasionally will misfire. As much information you can give us including a phone number (daytime) will only help us more. PLEASE ADVISE US IF SUBSTITUTIONS ARE NOT SUITABLE IN A MIXED CASE.

Austrian Pre Release We are delighted to be shipping new releases from both Graf Hardegg, in the Weinviertel, and Kurt Angerer in Kamptal. These wines have been really successful, and we are now getting more distribution for these excellent Austrian wines – the likes of Harvey Nichols are now taking a good range from us. The wines are due June 2004, and prior to their arrival, please look out for some excellent bin-ends on Graf Hardegg as we overstocked with a double order arriving – a great sales technique! A few lines need to be cleared; yet they are aging very well so they are genuine bargains.

Kurt Angerer, Kamptal Kurt Angerer is undoubtedly a star in the making – a young winemaker, with great vineyards, his increased confidence in his winemaking really shows, and the range is exemplary. I have followed his wines over five vintages, and bought his 2002’s which were fabulous. If anything, these new 2003’s are another level up, though it’s close between them. With mature vineyards, and a diverse range of terroirs, he is making very characterful wines that are all different, and display a pervading minerality. Thankfully, his prices remain very fair, as his more renowned neighbours are charging far more – Gruner Veltliner has been getting amazing press recently, hence the rise, yet these wines stack up well and are really worth trying.

1. Gruner Veltliner ‘Kies’ 2003 The 2002 of this was hugely popular, and has long since sold out. Made entirely in tank, this has lovely stone fruit, with a touch of spice; citrus and pear fruit on the palate which has good weight yet remaining clean, clear and crisp – an excellent introduction to the range.

Retail £7.99 Under Bond - £56 Duty Paid £85

2. Gruner Veltliner ‘Spies’ 2003 The 2002 of this wine was the first to sell out; more muscular and spicy than the Kies, this wine is again aged in stainless steel. It is clean and crisp yet has a wonderful honeyed, spicy character – minerally and rich, it’s full flavoured with excellent weight. A big, honeyed, spicy wine that while delicious now, is sure to age well.

3. Gruner Veltliner ‘Loam’ 2003 So called because of the soil; at our recent drop-in tasting this was one of the stars of the evening, and an excellent follow-up to the 93pt rated (by Simon Woods) 2002. This wine sees partial barrel-fermentation, though this takes nothing away – it only adds complexity. Richer than the Spies, it is also a touch more elegant – the Kies is about drinkability, the Spies about spice and muscularity, while the Loam is the most complex of the range. Honeyed stone fruits and spice, it has an almost off dry, tangy, nectarine like character. The oak adds complexity as well as a long, creamy finish; this is again delicious now, yet it also possesses great aging potential.

4. Riesling ‘Donatus’ 2003’ Often forgotten because the Gruner Veltliner’s are so good – a mistake, as Kamptal makes excellent Riesling, and this is a delicious example. Pale in colour, with aromatic peach, lime, and passion fruit on the nose. This

3 follows through to a zesty, yet weighty palate with spice, pear, passion fruit and lime with a spicy mineral edge. Very young, but delicious and flavour packed, and excellent with spicy foods.

5. Pinot Blanc 2003 (Due August ’04) This wine is arriving on a later shipment as it is not bottled for another 3 weeks; a new star in the range, it’s a barrique aged wine made in miniscule quantities – we are only getting 10 cases. A honeyed, nutty, spicy nose with tropical fruit, really peachy and spicy; it has great texture, with lovely honeyed citrus fruit and some toasty, nutty oak. Long and spicy, at this youthful stage it shows huge promise – already one of my top wines for 2004!

Schlossweingut Graf Hardegg, Weinviertel Peter Malberg’s wines are finally developing the following they deserve – these are some of Austria’s best- made and best value wines – they always have complexity and purity, and richness where suitable. Don’t let the bin-end fool you – we just had an ‘administrative error’! I believe these to be the best line-up of wines Peter has ever produced: they are crisper and fresher in style than Angerer, with their own character – better to drink with other dishes etc. Please jump in, as these are serious quality wines that are getting some excellent press.

1. Gruner Veltliner ‘Veltlinsky’ 2003 Graf Hardegg’s entry point Gruner Veltliner, and classy stuff it is too. This is a really typical, fresh and zesty Gruner Veltliner, and a great introduction to the grape. Bursting with green citrus fruit, a touch of spritz, this is invigorating, clean and refreshing – a wine for drinking!

2. Gruner Veltliner ‘Dreikreuzen’ D.A.C 2003 D.A.C is a new Weinviertel initiative – a kind of Appellation Controlée system. A zesty, peppery nose, with lime and stone fruits lead to a crisp and fresh palate with lovely peachy fruit, with lime and pepper. Really fresh and minerally, it has plenty of extract and fruit weight – clean and pure, drink this over the next 3-4 years.

3. Gruner Veltliner ‘Alte Reben’ 2003 Alte Reben means old vines, and this is the first time I have seen this wine from Hardegg; typical Gruner Veltliner with white pepper, citrus, peach, lime and passion fruit on the nose. It has great depth, with lovely honeyed lime and peach fruit, with citrus and pineapple also. Fine texture with excellent intensity, while the crisp acidity keeps the wine really clean and pure. It is a full expression of Gruner Veltliner, long and rich yet very youthful; this cracking wine just grows and grows in the glass.

4. Riesling ‘Steinbugel’ 2003 A lovely, ripe, perfumed Riesling – really fresh whilst maintaining excellent weight. Limey fruit with nectarine and apricots, this is tangy, honeyed and fresh. A very invigorating Riesling that is tight and structured with fine acidity; long, minerally and complex, this is sure to age well.

4 Retail £9.99 Under Bond - £70 Duty Paid £102

5. ‘Tethys’ 2002 An oak-aged blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc with (shush…a little Viognier, not actually permitted in these wines!); we have always had great success with Tethys and it always sells out, and this is yet another fantastic release, albeit somewhat backward at present. The wine needs air, and after which the honeysuckle of the Viognier is very evident. It has honeyed citrus fruits with nutty, toasty oak on the nose, while there is a wealth of citrus fruit, honeyed apricot and creamy, nutty oak on the palate. Tightly wound with a long and nutty finish, this super concentrated white needs time to express itself fully – drink this almost Burgundian white over the next 10 years.

6, Graf Hardegg Mixed 6 Pack 2 Bottles Veltlinsky, and 1 each of the others £52 Collected per 6

Australian Pre Release

Magpie Estate, Barossa Valley It is with some excitement that I introduce our latest Magpie Estate offer with our much anticipated super premium 2002’s. I was in Australia as usual in January, and as ever I spent a lot of time with my partner Rolf Binder. Our annual blending program was ahead, and we had two very different years to look at. 2002 was, as I have mentioned before, a dream vintage: good spring rain followed by a long, cool summer meant that the fruit had extremely long hang time. This ensured maximum ripeness and intensity, quite high natural alcohols, great colour, and very rich, savoury tones. Acidity was extremely balanced, which meant little or no adjustment. We are very excited about these wines that represent the best of Magpie Estate (as a note our super premium Grenache ‘The Gomersal’ was different to the three previous vintages, being more powerful and intense, so this will be released in September, along with the rest of the 2003’s.) 2003 was a very different story: everything looked good until huge downpours in February arrived, just after ‘veraison’ (this is when the grapes begin to change colour, and the vines stop producing foliage and put all their energy into the fruit). This resulted in some split skins, and not the same level of ripeness. Even though it was very hot afterwards, the grapes didn’t achieve the same level of physiological ripeness, though there are some exceptions. Whilst 2003 is by no means a dreadful vintage, it is not a classic. After looking at every single barrel, we decided that to pick out the eyes to make the super premium wines would really affect the entry and mid-level wines, so we have declassified and blended all the top parcels of wine into our more regular offerings. These wines have consequently really benefited and I am very happy with the wines we have made in 2003, though they won’t be as big or long-lived as the 2002’s. We have also just finished the 2004 vintage, and we are very, very happy with the results; it was again a fairly cool vintage, though there was a vicious hot spell in February that threatened things – fortunately a little rain and some cooler weather followed. It is a vintage of both quality and quantity, and Rolf is unusually bullish and speaking very highly of our wines. I shall be over in July and will report back upon my return. ALL MAGPIE WINES ARE DUE JULY 2004. THE OFFER ENDS JUNE 15TH 2004

1. ‘The Beak’ Shiraz-Grenache 2003 This wine has become a real cult favourite, with demand high all over the UK; this is a more ‘regulation’ Beak red after the massive, almost freakish 2002, due to the vintage. It’s equally as good, though a little lighter; a blend of 58% Shiraz, mostly from Angle vale, and 42% Grenache, mostly from the Riverland. We then also blend back parcels of Barossa fruit that are surplus to requirements, those that don’t fit into the other blends – in fact this has had several barrels of brand new French and American barrique aged fruit added. It’s bottled with a screw cap for fast and immediate enjoyment! In total 17% is new oak aged fruit, the rest shaven oak and tank, 13.6% alcohol. A really juicy and flavour packed red with vibrant red fruits, smoky oak, and ripe tannins; juicy and very easy drinking that is best drunk now until 2006. 5 Under Bond - £38.50 Duty Paid - £64

2. ‘The Schnell’ Grenache-Shiraz 2003 The third vintage of the wine that started as an accident, and has now become our biggest production wine. Although 2003 was a tricky vintage, I believe this to be our most vibrant and best Schnell to date. The aim is to make something with plenty of typical Barossa fruit and spice that is immediately drinkable; this new 2003 is also bottled with a screw cap. A blend of 56% Grenache that comes from 5 different growers, and 44% Shiraz from 4 growers; 37% of the wine was aged in new French and American oak, the balance in shaven and older barrels, 14% alcohol. There is lovely, lifted red fruit, spice, oak, and white pepper on the nose, while the palate is really inviting. Medium-bodied, with lovely raspberry and cherry fruit, spice, pepper, and some creamy oak, and very ripe tannins, this is really upfront and forward, delicious and versatile with food. Not made for long-term aging, though this will happily drink now until 2009. We produced 997 cases.

Under Bond - £56 Duty Paid - £85

3. ‘The Sack’ Shiraz 2002 Our second release of this, our premium Barossa Shiraz – the 2001 has been a huge hit worldwide and we are more than confidant that this will be too, despite the price rise. The fruit for the wine this year comes from 3 different growers, and was incredibly ripe and flavoursome- so much so that the wine was going to be too serious! We want to make an attractive and fairly forward style as that’s what the market demands, and so as in 2001, we blended a little Grenache into the wine (in this case 14% Barossa Grenache) to soften the Shiraz while adding some ripe fresh red fruit characters. 15% alcohol. This wine is already showing well, and was aged in about 25% new French and American oak for 22 months. Perfumed, sweet red and black fruits with spice and pepper on a dense nose; it’s a big, rich, powerful Shiraz with lots of damson fruit and savoury, meaty tones as well. Creamy oak on the finish adds a long, smooth finish to this largely scaled powerful red. Drink from now until 2011, 500 cases produced.

Under Bond - £93.50 Duty Paid - £129

4. ‘The Election’ Shiraz 2002 This is the eagerly awaited second release of our super premium Barossa Shiraz; we were delighted with the praise the 2001 received, and the fact that worldwide it sold out almost overnight. This 2002 is, I believe, another step up: the fruit comes from 3 different growers – we pre-determine the vineyards and growers we believe make the best fruit, and then the final wine is a barrel selection of the very best we have. In 2002, the fruit was coming in extremely ripe with fantastic pH and acidity. Rolf decided that the wine could handle, and probably needed more expressive oak, and so no French oak was employed. The wine was aged in 75% new American oak for 22 months, and is 14.7% alcohol; we also added a splash (1-2%) of our top Grenache for further complexity. It is a dense wine with perfumed plum and black cherry on the nose as well as spice, pepper, and toasty oak. A powerfully textured wine on the palate with ripe fruit to the fore, with black cherry, cassis, and plum all enveloped in creamy, toasty oak; powerful and concentrated with a tremendously long finish while retaining elegance. Fresh

6 and balanced with complexity, and great length, drink this over the next 10 years or more – we are very happy with wine! 266 cases produced. MAXIMUM 1 CASE PER CUSTOMER

Under Bond - £218 Duty Paid - £275

Chateau Leamon, Bendigo Australia As many of you will know, we have long been championing the wines of Ian Leamon, a small producer (of wines…) making sensational reds from this top growing region in Victoria. Sadly Ian’s and my diaries were not compatible whilst I was over so Ian sent some samples to my secondary base in Melbourne, and I was really delighted he did because these are some of the sexiest, biggest, richest and complex reds Ian has ever produced. From the long and cool season of 2002, these are big, massive reds of great structure and complexity, and I was very impressed. The wines have seen consistent Robert Parker reviews of 90+ points and James Halliday is a huge fan, scoring the 2001 reserve wines 93pts each. This is a small, yet very exciting winery, and the 2002 vintage shows just what they are capable of – please give these true Victorian wines a try. The Cabernets 2002 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot; 14.9% alcohol. Big and powerful with a nose of black fruits, mint, and liquorice, the palate is rich and ripe with cassis, plum, redcurrants and creamy oak. Good, firm, and ripe tannins are present too, and this long, rich, and complex wine has a great future. The Shiraz 2002 has a spicy, savoury, meaty nose, and is really ripe with intense red fruits on the palate. It’s a huge wine, juicy and vibrant, with a touch of smoky oak on the finish; a huge mouthful yet voluptuous and complex, it’s again well structured and built to last even though it’s perhaps a touch more forward than the Cabernets. The two Reserve wines are simply great and the best to date; the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 has an opaque colour, perfumed nose of cassis and very ripe watermelon with a mouth coating palate. Huge intensity with ripe red fruits – cassis to the fore, with plum and creamy mocha oak, the tannins are ripe and soft; opulent and expansive, this is very long and impressive indeed. The Reserve Shiraz 2002 is again opaque in colour, with a ripe, meaty, earthy and almost iron-like nose with hints of mint – quite brooding. On the palate this huge wine is loaded with sweet black cherry and plum fruit; very expansive on the mid- palate, it’s long, and spicy with a sweet and savoury, creamy finish. Sensational stuff! Both the Reserve wines are superb now and have a decade ahead of them. They are due July, and our allocation is fairly small.

1.Cabernets 2002 Under Bond - £98 Duty Paid £135

7 2.Shiraz 2002 Under Bond - £98 Duty Paid £135

3. Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Under Bond - £185 Duty Paid £237

4. Reserve Shiraz 2002 Under Bond - £185 Duty Paid £237

5. Special Chateau Leamon 6 Pack : 2 each of the Cabernets & Shiraz, 1 each of the Reserve Wines

Duty Paid £85

Spanish Offer

We have compiled a small offer of some highly sought after Spanish wines – most of these come from the superlative 2001 vintage an undoubtedly great year. Many of these wines have had some tremendous press recently from Robert Parker, but above all that, these are genuinely top wines. I recently had the chance to try 15 2001 Priorat wines, and it was clear that they were better than ever – with maturing vines and more confident winemaking, these wines have power and also most importantly elegance. The wines of the mid-1990’s were perhaps over extracted and consequently they have not aged very well on the whole. I believe these 2001’s are the best yet from this relatively new region – certainly new in terms of size and importance. Rioja too has had a great vintage, with 2001 possibly being the finest for some 20 years. With the increased number of proper, small, individual domains this great region is starting to produce worthy wines. The same can also be said for the Ribera del Duero.

The wines are all offered either In Bond (with no Duty or VAT being applied until withdrawn) or Duty Paid by the case. Where we have more stock available, a retail price will also supplied. Most of these wines are in very short supply, hence all wines are offered on a strictly first come (that means paid too…), first served. Some wines are available immediately, while others will follow in 4-6 weeks. All quotes are taken from Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 26/4/2004 issue.

Unless otherwise stated all wines are 2001

THIS OFFER ENDS June 10 th 2004

8 ALLENDE, RIOJA I love the Allende wines – they have an almost Burgundian feel to them. The regular Rioja is a cracking, gamey, cedary wine with good fruit – solid, chunky Rioja with elegance. The real star is the Calvario – expensive but this 2001 is absolutely outstanding. It has tremendous concentration and depth – it’s big, rich, and full with great complexity – a real star. All from old vines, the wine spends 14 months in new French oak and was bottled unfiltered. Parker says “a sensational effort…with gorgeously complex aromas of cedar, blackberries, crème de cassis, scorched earth (? Ed.), minerals, and smoky new oak. This full-throttle, seriously endowed effort coats the palate and nearly stains the teeth…it should hit its prime in 2-4 years. 95pts” IB/12 DP/12

001. Allende Rioja 2000 Retail £13.99 £112 £150 002. Allende Rioja ‘Calvario’ 2001 £410 £502

ARTADI, RIOJA Sadly we have run out of nearly all the top 2001 cuvées, though a little El Pison remains. However, we do have good stocks of the fantastic Rioja Crianza Viñas de Gain: “a fabulous effort for the price (one of the best buys in the marketplace)…it boasts a deep purple colour to the rim as well as a perfume of raspberries, blackberries, crushed stones, and white flowers. With extraordinary precision, definition, and finesse, great elegance, wonderful sweetness, medium body, and a gorgeously textured finish, it caresses the palate, offering considerable personality and overall symmetry. 94pts” Parker.

IB/12 DP/12 003. Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain 2001 Retail £11.49 £88 £123

CAPCANES, MONSANT From Monsant, neighbouring Priorat, these are fabulous value wines that have had great press over several vintages now. We are offering the ‘Lascendal’ (known as Mas Donis Barrica in the US), and the stunning Cabrida. “The 2002 Mas Donis Barrica is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah aged for 10 months in a combination of American and French oak…scents of creosote, blackberries, kirsch liqueur, new saddle leather, and meat. Complex, rich, and nearly too serious for a wine in this price range, this is a concentrated, heady 2002 to enjoy over the next 2-3 years. It is a great value! 90pts… The 2001 Cabrida spent 16 months in new French oak. Rich aromas of briary fruit, raspberries, blackberries, crushed stone, and flowers emerge from a glass of this Spanish red. It boasts superb purity, tremendous intensity, and a full-bodied, long, flowing finish. I’m not sure how well it will evolve, but certainly for drinking over the next 5-7 years, it delivers tremendous complexity as well as intensity. 94pts “ IB/12 DP/12

004. Capcanes ‘Lascendal’ 2002 Retail £10.95 £85 £102 005. Capcanes ‘Cabrida’ 2001 £245 £308

9 CELLERS JOAN D’ANGUERA, MONSANT Two stunning wines from Monsant, near Priorat; the Finca L’Argata 2001 is a delicious, dense and crunchy wine, with sweet fruit and ripe tannins: it needs time. The El Bugader 2001 is 95% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon – spectacular, dense, rich and brooding wine, this should be drunk from 2007- 2014. “The 2001 Finca L’Argata…an excellent value, it reveals an inky/purple colour as well as a powerful bouquet of blackberry and cassis liqueur intermixed with notions of liquorice, pepper, and sweet vanillin saturated oak. Full bodied, with plump, fleshy flavours, adequate acidity, and a sumptuous finish, it should drink well for 5-6 years 90pts. Even better is the 2001 El Bugader, one of the finest Syrah based offerings I have tasted from Spain…aged 18 months in new French oak, it possesses an inky/black/purple colour in addition to a sumptuous perfume of spring flowers, crème de cassis, and blackberries. Heady and intense, with low acidity as well as a fleshy, full-bodied, powerful mouth feel, it should be enjoyed during its first 7-8 years 93pts.” IB/12 DP/12

006. Cellers Joan d’Anguera Finca L’Argata 2001 Retail £11.99 £130 006b. Cellers Joan d’Anguera El Bugader 2001 Retail £24.99 £250 006b is available in 6’s – just halve the price.

LO GIVOT, PRIORAT Again we have just tiny stocks of this concentrated yet elegant Priorat: “a blend of equal parts Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a dollop of Syrah, this impressive offering is the creation of Professor Nadal, who teaches oenology at the University of Taragona…a sweet nose of crushed rocks intermixed with raspberries, blueberries, and mountain fruits. Full-bodied with an intensity and richness that builds incrementally as well as subtlety, this beautiful effort is already accessible but it should hit its peak in 2-3 years. 95pts” Please note that we have some 2000 available also. IB/12 DP/12

007. Lo Givot ‘Vilella Baixa’ Priorat 2001 £316 £392 008. Lo Givot ‘Vilella Baixa’ Priorat 2000 £296 £368

MAURO, CASTILLO Y LEON This is a stunning Bodega located just outside Ribera del Duero. I have long been a fan of these wines, though sadly they have risen steeply in price! I tasted all of them recently, and they are seriously good, seriously structured wines of great complexity. “The unevolved, still primary Mauro 2001 reveals an inky/purple colour as well as gorgeous aromas of kirsch liqueur, blackcurrants, melted liquorice, and smoky oak. This full-bodied, impressive red needs 1-3 years more cellaring. 93pts. 1999 Vendimmia Seleccionada boasts awesome concentration, and gorgeously layered flavours of toast, liquorice, truffle-infused crème de cassis, blackberry liqueur, and meat. Full bodied and dense…will benefit from another 1-2 years cellaring…95pts” IB/12 DP/12

10 009. Mauro 2001 Retail £18.99 £160 £207 010. Mauro Vendimmia Seleccionada 1999 £378 £463

BODEGAS MUSTIGUILLO, VALENCIA I tasted the debut 2000’s and they were sensational – hugely extracted yet characterful, complex wines. The 2001’s are even bigger yet more polished and they have more intensity; the winemaker is renowned Sara Perez from Mas Martinet in Priorat. The Finca Terrerazo, from 40% Bobal, 40% Tempranillo, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon is aged mostly in new French oak with some in older American oak. Big, powerful, toasty and dense, the wine has a great intensity of damson, cassis, and mocha, with liquorice too. Very long with “considerable complexity 91+pts”. The flagship Quincha Corral is around 90% Bobal, the balance Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon – deep colour, with a huge, almost porty nose, it’s super ripe. Almost bittersweet, the palate is hugely dense, with ripe plum, chocolate, and almost a malt extract character. It’s huge and mouth coating with ripe tannins; “an inky/purple colour along with tremendous intensity, impressive purity, and plenty of black fruits intermixed with notes of flowers, spice box, and toasty barrique. These are fascinating wines for the adventurous. 95pts”

IB/12 DP/12

011. Mustiguillo Finca Terrerazo 2001 Retail £20.00 £164 £212 012. Mustiguillo Quincha Corral 2001 Retail £42.99 £372 £457 Available in 6 packs – just halve the case price!

NAVARRA ARTUZU, NAVARRA Superb Navarra wines: the regular Grenache is stunning (the 2001 scored 92+ from Parker), rich yet supple, while the very limited Santa Cruz comes from Grenache vines over 80 years old and is bottled unfined and unfiltered. “It is a fabulously concentrated, complex, medium-bodied Spanish red that tastes like a grand cru from the Côte de Nuits. The combination of limestone soil and Grenache grown at a high elevation appears to have given this wine a complex, elegant, raspberry, black cherry, and floral scented nose with medium body, great fruit, tremendously vivid flavours, and an amazing precision as well as finesse. This stunningly singular wine must be tasted to be believed. 92+pts” IB/12 DP/12

013. Navarra Artuzu 2002 Retail £6.99 £45 £72 014. Navarra Artuzu ‘Santa Cruz’ 2001 £146 £191

PESQUERA, RIBERA DEL DUERO Alejandro Fernandez is still making some of the great wines of the Ribera del Duero – as well as branching out all over Spain. Sadly the top wines of Pesquera such as the Janus have become hugely priced – please enquire if you are interested. We have both the 2000 and 2001 of the Crianza, and whilst the 2001 certainly has a little more depth, the 2000 should not be ignored as it is slightly more open and forward. “A whopper in the making, the 2001 Tinto possesses extraordinarily sweet fruit, purity, and richness. A deep ruby/purple colour is followed by loads of chocolaty, blackcurrant, 11 cherry, raspberry, and liquorice characteristics, full body, good acidity, and a long, layered finish – (91-94pts). More mature and forward, but not as massive or rich is the 2000 Tinto. Hints of coconut, black chocolate, sassafras, and ripe black cherry and currant fruit are accompanied by a medium- bodied, earthy, attractive, supple textured 2000. 89prs” IB/12 DP/12

015. Pesquera Tinto Crianza 2000 Retail £11.99 £95 £131 016. Pesquera Tinto Crianza 2001 Retail £12.99 £104 £142

PINGUS, RIBERA DEL DUERO We are delighted to have obtained stocks from one of Spain’s most sought after wineries. Whilst the Pingus is amazing, so is the price – however, the Flor de Pingus is also exceptional, and I rate the wine very highly indeed, and have really enjoyed this wine on a number of occasions: the 1996, not a great vintage, was tried recently and it was world-class. I also believe this is a great cellaring wine. “The deep, smoky, unevolved but richly fruity 2001 Flor de Pingus reveals black cherry, berry, and earthy notes along with notions of barbecue spices and cigar smoke. Medium to full-bodied and opulent, it is best consumed during its first decade of life. 90pts. The opaque ruby/purple-coloured, firmly structured 2001 Pingus is more closed and backward than the extravagantly rich, flamboyant 2000. It offers great fruit on the attack along with huge body, and notes of grilled meats intermixed with Provencal herbs, pepper, spice box, cigar smoke, and copious quantities of barbecue smoke-infused blackberry and cassis flavours. The finish lasts for nearly a minute 95pts.” IB/12 DP/12

017. Flor de Pingus 2001 Retail £30.00 £259 £324 018. Pingus 2001 – Only 3x6 Available – the price is Per 6 Pack £935 £1118

BODEGAS FERNANDO REMIREZ DE GANUZA, RIOJA One of my favourite Rioja Bodegas, this is a top Rioja – a beautiful wine that brilliantly embraces both tradition and modern winemaking. A wine that exhibits genuine terroir, with density and complexity – this 1999 is a stunning example that shows great aging potential. IB/12 DP/12

019. Remirez de Ganuza Reserva Rioja 2001 £350 £430

BENJAMIN ROMEO, RIOJA Romeo used to be winemaker at Artadi; this is a very small operation where all the wines are really handcrafted – stylish wines indeed in miniscule quantities. Sadly the prices are very high, but they are

12 seriously impressive wines, with the Viña Andreas Romeo potentially the star – naturally limited quantities here. “The 2001 La Cueva del Contador (100% Tempranillo) was aged in French oak prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered. Its deep purple/ruby colour is accompanied by a rich perfume of berry fruit, spice box, new saddle leather, cigar smoke and earth…impressively pure, rich, and, hopefully, loaded with potential. The tannins need to become better integrated, so give it 2-3 years of cellaring 90? pts. Truly compelling, the 2001 La Viña de Andreas Romeo emerges from a single vineyard called La Liende…a huge nose of graphite, blackcurrants, cherry liqueur, liquorice, cedar and spice box. Powerful, rich, full-bodied, impeccably pure, elegant flavours reveal nicely integrated wood, acidity, and tannin. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. This compelling 2001 should hit its prime in 3-4 years 96pts. Romeo’s flagship cuvée is the fabulous 2001 Contador. Along with some of the Artadi offerings, it is as great a Rioja as one could ever hope to taste. It boasts a dense purple colour along with a sumptuous nose of melted chocolate, espresso roast, crème de cassis, cherries and flowers. Dense and full-bodied as well as impeccably seamless, pure and balanced, this is a beauty! 98pts” IB/12 DP/12

020. Romeo La Cueva del Contador Rioja 2001 £220 £278 021. Romeo La Viña de Andreas Romeo Rioja** 2001 £350 £421 022. Romeo Contador Rioja** 2001 SOLD OUT

**Please note that both these wines are priced Per 6 Pack.

VEGA SICILIA, ALION, & PINTIA Always firm favourites with us and our customers, the owners of Vega Sicilia have just released the debut vintage of Pintia from the Toro region, along with the new releases from their Alion estate and their own new wines, all of which are tremendous efforts. “Alion’s 2000 Ribera del Duero is a beautifully rich offering…A gorgeous perfume of espresso roast, smoked herbs, roasted meat, and blackcurrant liqueur is followed by rich, full-bodied flavours, a velvety texture, and a long, luscious finish 92pts. The spectacular Pintia 2001 boasts an inky/purple colour in addition to wonderful aromas of crème de cassis, melted liquorice, truffles, and smoky, toasty oak. Intensely concentrated but not overdone, this voluptuously thick, rich red possesses fine acidity as well as integrated sweet tannin 95pts. A strong effort for Valbuena, the tight but elegant 1999 reveals crisp underlying acidity as well as firm tannin, medium body, and pure blackcurrant fruit, kirsch, new saddle leather, and sweet vanilla notes 91pts. The 1991 Unico Reserva is a gorgeous, deep ruby/purple coloured, remarkably youthful effort offering sweet vanilla notes intertwined with blackcurrants, cherry liqueur, flowers, spice box, and tobacco leaves. It’s a wine of great elegance as opposed to power 95+pts. The non-vintage Unico Reserva Especial is spectacular, as this cuvée always tends to be. Made in the full-throttle Unico style, but aromatically more complex as well as evolved…It is similar in weight, texture, and personality to the Unico 1991 but more evolved 95pts.” IB/12 DP/12

023. Alion, Ribera del Duero 2000 Retail £29.00 N/A £305 024. Pintia, Toro 2001 Retail £22.00 N/A £235 025. Vega Sicilia ‘Valbuena’ Ribera del Duero 1999 Retail £59.00 N/A £640 026. Vega Sicilia ‘Unico’ Ribera del Duero 1991 Retail £144 N/A £1500 027. Vega Sicilia ‘Unico Reserva Especial #04’ NV Retail £154 N/A £1650

Please enquire as to under bond availability

13 Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, & South West France Pre-Release

For the last four years we have done a ‘pre-release’ offer of the Rhône; I am sure most of you are aware of the problems with the 2002 vintage: worst hit was Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which received half of Paris’s annual rainfall in just 24 hours. Growers had to harvest immediately meaning that most of the wines are dilute and simple. It was also a difficult vintage for most of southern France, with heavy early September rainfall affecting many. However, there are always exceptions to the rules, and so with late-harvesting varieties, microclimates, and certain terroirs, there have been some excellent wines made. 2002 should not be written off therefore, as many better producers also declassified, didn’t make any premium wines, and so blended back what premium fruit there was into the lower and middle rank wines that are excellent. This, then, is a kind of piecemeal offering, featuring wines from all the above regions, and encompassing vintages 1998-2002: we have tasted several great wines from the great vintages that we had simply not discovered before; we are also including some of the more everyday wines that we ship, so there are some superb value wines included. We have tasted extensively, and the offer has some very exciting wines; many are available now, while others will be shipped over the coming months, and the wines are as ever priced attractively at this stage.

The wines are all offered either In Bond (with no Duty or VAT being applied until withdrawn) or Duty Paid by the case.

THIS OFFER ENDS June 30 th 2004

ABBOTTS, VIN DE PAYS D’OC At present we have just shipped these three excellent value wines, with more of their top cuvées to follow; these are excellent wines: the ‘Marcus’ Sauvignon Blanc 2003 is delicious, crisp, and grassy – vibrant and refreshing. The Marcus’ Rosé 2003 is a vibrant, easy drinking blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah: crunchy, and spicy, it’s dry but not overly so. The ‘L’Escalier’ Vielles Vignes 2001 is a blend of old vine Syrah and Grenache – soft tannins and plenty of juicy red and black fruits make for a great quaffing/barbecue red. IB/12 DP/12

001. ‘Marcus’ Sauvignon Blanc 2003 £36 £60 002. ‘Marcus’ Rosé 2003 £36 £60 003. ‘L’Escalier’ Vielles Vignes 2001 £36 £60

DOMAINE BONNEFOND, CÔTE-RÔTIE I tried this excellent Côte-Rôtie 2000 and it’s the real deal: the best value and most authentic Côte- Rôtie I have tried in years. A lovely perfumed nose with violets and plum notes lead to a dense palate with juicy black fruits, pepper and smoke and a lovely creamy finish. A simply delicious mid-weight Côte-Rôtie of quality that is sure to improve over the next 5 years. IB/12 DP/12

004. Côte-Rôtie 2000 N/A £255

LES CAILLOUX, CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE We are delighted to have secured more of this fabulous ‘Les Cailloux’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2001 - this is a spectacular effort from the great 2001 vintage. Brunel really rates this wine; over the years the blend has developed and changed with more Mourvèdre and Syrah coming in. This is 65% Grenache,

14 20% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah. Deep in colour, with wonderful, spicy sweet fruit, great intensity and length. IB/12 DP/12

005. Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux 2001 £153 £199

DOMAINE CLAVEL, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC At the time of going to press we have still to taste several new releases from Clavel; however, we still have some of the immense 2001 La Copa Santa – an explosive, chunky blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with a little each of Carignan and Grenache, aged in oak, unfiltered. Robert Parker says “stunning… seamless, structured, full-bodied personality, it should be drunk over the next 5-6 years 92pts.” Watch this space for further releases. IB/12 DP/12

006. Clavel La Copa Santa 2001 £87 £120

DOMAINE DEFORGE, CÔTES DU RHÔNE A new producer to me whose wines really shone; the regular Côtes du Rhône 2002 is a great effort for the vintage, and a fine and honest Côtes du Rhône in any shape of form. It has good weight, juicy red fruits and spice, excellent drinking now – 2006. The Côtes du Rhône Villages 2001 is an obvious step up: lovely perfumed fruit on the nose, it’s a rich, deep, spicy wines with black fruits. Quite dense and serious with a long, spicy finish, this is best drunk 2004-2009. IB/12 DP/12

007. Côtes du Rhône 2002 £46 £72 008. Côtes du Rhône Villages 2001 £57 £85

DOMAINE DURAND, CORNAS Cornas is my least favourite of the Rhône appellations, so it is great to offer one I can wholeheartedly recommend! The Cornas 2000 was given a huge review by Jancis Robinson and was one of her wines of the week. Aged for 12 months in 30% new oak, this is a serious, sturdy wine with great concentration and ripeness. Plenty of smoky, meaty black fruits on the nose and palate: this is smoky and juicy with a touch of oak. A big, dense wine with ripe tannins and great length that is approachable now but sure to improve over the decade. IB/12 DP/12

009. Cornas 2000 N/A £220

CAVES CO-OP EMBRES ET CASTELMAURE, CORBIÈRES This is an amazing co-operative producing wonderful wine with great skill, quality and marketing! I am constantly impressed with these wines, but the co-op tells us nothing about the blends etc. So it’s back to basics and old-fashioned tasting! They have made some cracking wines outside of 2001, and new last year was the trendily packaged ‘L’Esprit du Vent’ – apparently this refers to special selections made in certain years, and sold diversely in price! Each wine and label is a one-off; all are unfiltered, cracking wines that are big on character. The ‘L’Esprit du Vent Le Paradis 2003’ is a delicious, forward, bright and juicy style of Corbières. Red fruits are to the fore, with white pepper and spice; drink this very appealing, medium-bodied red over the next 3 years. The ‘L’Esprit du Vent L’Enfer 2002 is one remarkable Corbières, and a great wine from 2002. Full of ripe red and black fruits with spice, chocolate and power, this is a hedonistic, opulent wine that defies the vintage. We have 2 vintages of the cult Corbières Cuvée No. 3 – this is made by star oenologists Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent; almost Burgundian in texture and style, it’s rich with opulent plum fruit and toasty oak. Long, soft, spicy and beautifully balanced; the 2001 will be long-lived, drinking now – 2010+, while the 2002 is softer though still young, best drunk now until 2009. IB/12 DP/12

15 010. Corbières L’Esprit du Vent ‘Le Paradis’ 2003 £49 £76 011. Corbières L’Esprit du Vent ‘L’Enfer’ 2002 £86 £119 012. Corbières Cuvée No. 3 de Castelmaure 2001 £125 £165 013. Corbières Cuvée No. 3 de Castelmaure 2002 £129 £170

DOMAINE DES ESCARAVAILLE, CÔTES DU RHÔNE Another new name to us, and another hugely impressive one; their vineyards are in Rasteau and Cairanne, and all the vines are very old - they also supply some wine to the much-heralded Tardieu- Laurent négociant label. The Cairanne ‘Le Ventraben’ 2001 is from an old 7 hectare vineyard – the wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Carignan, partly barrel-aged. Deep, weighty, and spicy with an old vine savoury character, structured, dense and long: drink this now until 2009. The Rasteau ‘La Ponce’ 2000 is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault – it’s more open, possibly due to the extra year in bottle. It’s really dense and big, with ripe, juicy, red and black fruits, spice and pepper. Black, dense, and opulent, spicy and extremely good, this big, powerful wine is drinking now – 2008. IB/12 DP/12

014. Cairanne ‘Le Ventraben’ 2001 £67.50 £97 015. Rasteau ‘La Ponce’ 2000 £70 £100

DOMAINE DE LA JASSE, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC I don’t know a great deal about this estate, but I was most impressed with the samples I tasted and that’s the most important thing! The Domaines des Deux Soleils Chardonnay-Viognier 2003 is stunning: honeyed, citrus fresh Chardonnay combined with aromatic, peachy Viognier. The blend works beautifully – not too dry, and packed with the individual varietal characters, and perfectly balanced – a cracking wine. The ‘Les Romaines’ Rosé Vin de Pays d’Oc 2003 was a real treat: quite deep in colour with lovely strawberry and raspberry fruit. Dry yet fruity and gently spicy. The ‘Voiles Latines Rouge Coteaux du Languedoc 2001 is an upfront, juicy red that is great quality for the price. Spicy and juicy, quite forward though there is no hurry to drink it.

IB/12 DP/12

016. ‘Deux Soleils’ Chardonnay-Viognier 2003 £40 £65 017. ‘Les Romaines’ Rosé 2003 £42 £67 018. ‘Voiles Latines’ Rouge 2001 £41 £66

PATRICK LESEC, CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE We have small quantities of these superb Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s: Lesec buys either grapes or juice from a huge number of estates and crafts awesome wines. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Kristial’ 2001 is cracking, and we have very little of this wine. In his 02/04 Wine Advocate, Robert Parker says “Aged in 100% used barrels, this rich, heady Châteauneuf-du-Pape represents a synthesis of a grand cru Burgundy and southern Rhône given its floral elegance yet substantial power and intensity 93pts.” 16 The Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Galets Blondes’ 2001 is a real sleeper, and is only now beginning to show its true character; made from 93% 80 year-old Grenache and 7% Syrah. Robert Parker says “this is a gorgeously pure, fleshy yet classically Provencal offering 91pts.” The Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Rubis’ 2001 is stunning also, and Parker says “Full-bodied, multidimensional, heady, lusty and exuberant it is both a hedonistic and intellectual turn-on. Enjoy it now or cellar for 3-10 years 93pts.”

IB/12 DP/12

019. Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Kristial’ 2001 £188 £239 020. Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Galets Blondes’ 2001 £181 £232 021. Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Rubis’ 2001 £179 £229

CHATEAU MONTUS & BOUSCASSÉ, ALAIN BRUMONT MADIRAN Alain Brumont has been making wonderful, intense, rich, powerful, age-worthy wines for years, but the 2001’s are the most impressive line-up I have seen: unbelievably rich, dense, and structured. The Chateau Bouscassé Madiran 2001 is a big, dense, chewy wine with sweet and savoury red fruits, big tannins (ripe) and oak: drink from 2006-2011. The Chateau Bouscassé Vielles Vignes 2001 is knockout – lovely perfume, with a touch of new oak, it is again dense, meaty, chewy and spicy. It has great length and ripe tannins – seriously good. The Chateau Montus Madiran 2001 has roasted vegetables, red and black fruits and oak on the nose, the palate was hugely dense, with deep, dark, spicy black fruits allied to toasty oak. Incredible richness and persistence, it’s a wine of great intensity, in need of time to soften. Drink 2006-2012. Lastly we have the expensive yet spectacular Chateau Montus Prestige Madiran 2001: deep black in colour with a huge nose of intense meat, spice, black fruits and oak. Massive and mouth coating, with huge ripe fruit and oak and plenty of ripe tannins, it’s really young with tremendous potential: drink from 2009-2020+. IB/12 DP/12

022. Chateau Bouscassé 2001 £72 £103 023. Chateau Bouscassé Vielles Vignes 2001 £152 £197 024. Chateau Montus 2001 £110 £148 025. Chateau Montus Prestige 2001 £244 £305

CHATEAU DE LA NEGLY, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC This estate has had great press, especially with the 2001’s that received superb reviews by Robert Parker. Having tasted the 2001’s alongside the 2002’s, I massively preferred the 2002’s – far more precise, less raisened and with fantastic fruit. 2002 was not generally very good, but there are exceptions and this is one for certain. The ‘La Cote’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2002 is a blend of old vine Grenache and Carignan, and has delicious, bright, crunchy fruit, and a touch of smoky bacon too. Very bright, juicy, and spicy, drink this now – 2007. The ‘La Falaise’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2002 is immense: a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre, it has a spicy, meaty nose with an almost creamy, chocolaty character. The palate has lovely, intense, rich, plummy fruit, with chocolate and spice; loads of fruit and plenty of oak, this is hedonistic, pure wine that is hard to resist now yet will happily age over the next 4-5 years. IB/12 DP/12

026. ‘La Cote’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2002 £57 £86 027. ‘La Falaise’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2002 £95 £130

LE PIGEOULET, DANIEL ET FREDERIC BRUNIER VAUCLUSE

17 This wine Le Pigeoulet Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2003 is a deliciously crunchy, vibrant 2003 red from the famous Vieux Télégraphe house in the Rhône. Packed full of upfront juicy, spicy, peppery red fruits, this is not destined to be a keeper – instead enjoy its ripe, juicy red fruits and spice now until 2006. IB/12 DP/12

028. Le Pigeoulet Vin de Pays de Vaucluse 2003 £49 £76

DOMAINE POUDEROUX, MAURY COTES DE ROUSSILLON We are starting to see some really serious reds emerge from the Roussillon: a lot of investment and know-how has seen some exciting Domaines emerge. This is a new estate to me that is producing some fabulous reds – forget the doubts about 2002, this was, on the whole, an excellent vintage in the Roussillon. The ‘Latour de Gres’ Côtes de Roussillon 2002 is a blend of 100 year-old Carignan, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache, aged in two year-old oak for 18 months. A wonderfully perfumed nose, it’s rich and oaky with lovely sweet fruit on the palate – long, spicy, and really fine. The ‘Terre Brune’ Côtes de Roussillon Villages 2002 is made from 70% Grenache, the balance Syrah and Carignan, and aged in some new oak for 14 months. This is a big wine, with a huge, almost prune-like nose, ripe fruits and a touch of oak. Powerful, dense, and massive with spicy fruit and oak, it’s palate staining and has a great future. IB/12 DP/12

029. ‘Latour de Gres’ Côtes de Roussillon 2002 £71 £102 030. ‘Terre Brune’ Côtes de Roussillon 2002 £103 £140 LA SAUVAGEONNE, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC The winemaker at this property, Englishman Gavin Crisfield, has created quite a storm in St. Jean de Blaquiere, and has obviously pushed all the right buttons as he is getting huge press in France and abroad: Jancis Robinson gave his wines a great write up at the end of 2003. 2002 was a more difficult vintage, yet the wines are great if a little more backward than last years releases. With no ‘Puech du Glen’, the top cuvée, produced, Gavin has been able to maintain the standards of the other cuvées. The wonderful old vineyards, with both existing and new plantings, are really producing some great wines; the Sauvignon Blanc 2003 is a bit of a freak – the warm conditions of 2003 meant that this was the lowest yielding grape of the vintage. It’s perfumed and fresh, with ripe peach and citrus fruit, and classic grassy notes. Ripe, with good persistence, this is a wine for dinking over the next 2 years. The ‘Les Ruffes’ 2003 is Gavin’s entry level red, a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, and Grenache. The Cinsault, a late ripening variety, really over performed in 2003, hence the wine has more of this grape included than usual. Attractive summer fruits on the nose, with strawberry, spice, and pepper, the palate is youthful and vibrant, with lovely sweet red fruit, spice and pepper – drink now until 2007. The ‘Pica Broca’ 2002 is a more serious, structured effort than the much-lauded 2001. A blend of 50% Syrah, 35% Grenache, and 15% Carignan, 60% aged in new oak – this has the best parcels of Syrah blended in with no Puech du Glen made. It’s an intense, brooding, powerful wine, dense and spicy with plenty of plum, prune, and cherry fruit. Tightly structured, this is a full-bodied, spicy, complex red that needs time to reach its potential – drink from 2005 until 2011. The ‘La Sauvageonne’ Vin de Pays 2002 is a sumptuous blend of 30% each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc with 10% Syrah. Spicy, berry fruits on the nose, lead to a palate with an abundance of red and black fruits, and lovely spice and ripe tannins. A chunky, powerful, rich, sturdy wine that has only just been bottled, and so will need some time to develop. Lastly, we have some of the superlative top cuvée ‘Puech du Glen’ 2001 – a blend of Syrah and Grenache aged predominantly in new oak. It is deep, dense, and sexy with beautiful fruit and spice and a superb, complex finish – sure to continue to age very well.

IB/12 DP/12

031. Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays 2003 £42 £67 032. ‘Les Ruffes’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2003 £39 £65 033. ‘Pica Broca’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2002 £63 £92 034. ‘La Sauvageonne’ Vin de Pays 2002 £84 £117 035. ‘Puech du Glen’ Coteaux du Languedoc 2001 £141 £185

18 CHATEAU DE SAINT COSME, GIGONDAS We have just a few cases left of the superb Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas 2001 – made in a forward, yet structured style, it’s undeniably great now though there is no hurry! Savoury, spicy fruits with a touch of oak, Robert Parker says “It is one of the finest regular cuvées Saint Cosme has made 91pts.” IB/12 DP/12

036. Gigondas 2001 £113 £152

DOMAINE SOUMADE, RASTEAU We still have a few cases of André Romero’s stunning Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau ‘Cuvée Confiance’ 2001 – made from old vine (of which Romero has plenty) Grenache (80%), and 20% Syrah and Mourvèdre, partly aged in new oak. Dense, rich, and powerful, with spicy black fruits, a hint of toasty oak, and firm but ripe tannins, this spectacular effort will drink now until 2012.

IB/12 DP/12

037. Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau ‘Cuvée Confiance’ 2001 £153 £199

Bin End Sale, Special Offer Yes, many of these wines have appeared before, and they will continue to do so until they sell! Many of the wines are really outstanding; its just not as many people buy the wines as they should. With Fox Creek for example, the UK market took a sudden downturn, and we were left with 500 cases to sell, all paid for some time ago. Hence we have these amazing deals – the wines are superb, and we need to sell more so that we can buy more new wines. We have about 300 cases left, all great buys. PLEASE SEE THE FINE WINE LIST FOR SEVERAL OTHER REDUCTIONS. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THESE WINES CAN BE BOUGHT UNDER BOND.

AUSTRALIA

BURGE FAMILY WINEMAKERS USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 001. ‘The Renoux’ Shiraz-Merlot-Cabernet 2001 £167.88 £130.00 15 cases

FOX CREEK WINES A huge array of wines; the Cabernets are seriously dense wines that will continue to age well; the Merlot is a serious, savoury style, whilst the JSM is a cracking drink: a dense, voluptuous blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – and ridiculous value! of toasty oak, and firm but ripe tannins, this spectacular effort will drink now until 2012.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 002. Chardonnay 2001 £119.88 £75 7 cases 003. Cabernet-Merlot ‘Duet’ 2000 £167.88 £100 13 cases 004. Shiraz-Cabernets ‘JSM’ 2000 £167.88 £85 150 cases 005. Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 £203.88 £120 13 cases 19 006. Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 £227.88 £125 16 cases 007. Reserve Merlot 2000 £110.94/6 £50/6 57x6 008. Reserve Shiraz 2000 £179.94/6 £100/6 20x6 009. Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2001 £101.88 £60 12 cases

J J HAHN A fantastic Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, highly rated and drinking beautifully.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 010. J. J. Hahn ‘Block 79’ Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 £191.88 £125 4 cases

JEANNERET Not so much a bin-end, more a special offer on this cracking, juicy, and immensely drinkable red.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 011. ‘Iron Creek’ Cabernet-Shiraz 2002 £83.88 £66 50 cases

SPRING VALE VINEYARDS, TASMANIA Cracking offers here – the Pinot Noir is in huge demand in Australia, all the wines are well worth a go.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 012. Chardonnay 1999 £143.88 £60 5 cases 013. Chardonnay 2000 £119.88 £60 100 cases 014. Pinot Gris 2000 £119.88 £90 3 cases 015. Pinot Noir 2000 £191.88 £120 50 cases

STEFANO LUBIANA, TASMANIA This is delicious Riesling! USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 016. Riesling 2001 (Screw cap) £131.88 £100 20 cases

TWO HANDS This is fantastic chunky, rich, oaky, smooth and opulent Shiraz that has had great press – the last few cases. USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 017. Padthaway Shiraz 2000 £137.94/6 £90/6 20x6

AUSTRIA

GRAF HARDEGG Delicious wines that age beautifully; we mistakenly got a double order of the 2001 and 2002’s, hence the offer. Both the 2000 and 2001 ‘Dreikreuzen’ are excellent.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 018. Gruner Veltliner ‘Dreikreuzen’ 2000 £53.94/6 £30 5x6 019. Gruner Veltliner ‘Dreikreuzen’ 2001 £53.94/6 £40 44x6 020. Gruner Veltliner ‘DAC’ 2002 £53.94/6 £44 30x6 021. Riesling ‘Steinbugel’ 2000 £53.94/6 £30 13x6

20 ALOIS KRACHER We still have the last few cases of these wines, all of which would make great barbecue quaffers!

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 022. Chardonnay-Welschriesling ‘Days of Wine’ ’98 £95.88 £36 2 cases 023. Chardonnay-Welschriesling ‘Days of Wine’ ’00 £95.88 £50 8 cases 024. Blaufrankisch-Zweigelt ‘Blend II’ 1998 £155.88 £75 5 cases

SCHWARZ Cracking wines from Hans Schwarz, made by Schwarz, Alois Kracher, and Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non. The white is oak-aged Chardonnay and Gruner Veltliner, honeyed and rich, while ‘The Butcher’ is a mad, new oak-aged, high alcohol rosé that is truly unique; however, no-one else really seems to share my enthusiasm for it, but it is WORTH TRYING!

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 025. Schwarz White 1999 £101.94/6 £75/6 1x6 026. Schwarz White 2000 £101.94/6 £75/6 5x6 027. Schwarz ‘The Butcher’ Zweigelt Rosé 2000 37.5cl £65.94/6 £30/6 12x6

GERMANY

HORST SAUER We have too much stock of Horst Sauer’s excellent botrytis wines; winner of countless gold medals, trophies, and other awards, sadly not enough people buy this nectar which is already well priced compared to the rest of Germany – the prices are positively ridiculous now! The pair of Frank & Fresh wines are both dry, fresh and excellent; all the sweet wines are packed in 6x50cl boxes.

USUAL PRICE SALE PRICE QUANTITY 028. Frank & Fresh Rivaner 2001 £83.88 £60 12 cases 029. Frank & Fresh Pinot Noir Rosé 2001 £95.88 £66 10 cases 030. Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner Auslese 1999 £101.94/6 £75 2x6 031. Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner Auslese 2000 £101.94/6 £85 2x6 032. Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner Eiswein 2001 £324/6 £225 8x6 033. Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner TBA 2000 £299.94/6 £200 3x6 034. Escherndorfer Lump Riesling TBA 2001 £324/6 £240 4x6 (Winner of Trophy at IWC)

Mixed Case Selections If we have to substitute any wine, we will let you know first – our policy is always to replace the wine with one of similar quality and of at least the same price.

Mixed Case No.1 – ‘Entertaining Case’ A great value selection of well-priced wines that offer plenty of character – lots of new faces here.

1. Ancora Bianco IGT, Italy 2003 A lovely, fresh Italian white – gentle, citrus fruits and pear drop, this is crisp, clean and very easy- drinking.

2. La Reverence Chardonnay, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2002 An excellent, lightly oaked Chardonnay with crisp, citrussy fruit to the fore, while the subtle oak adds length.

21 3. Truth Verdelho-Chardonnay, Australia 2002 This tangy Australian white is full of vibrant peachy fruit – it’s flavour packed and drinking really well.

4. Les Vigneaux Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 This Vin de Pays is on excellent form – full of citrussy, grassy, crisp varietal Sauvignon fruit.

5. Graf Hardegg Gruner Veltliner ‘Veltlinsky’, Austria 2002 A delicious, vibrant and fresh white from Austria’s signature grape variety – crisp, fresh citrus fruit with a slight spritz and peachy fruit. Dangerously drinkable.

6. Bellefontaine Viognier Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 Good varietal character with floral tones and apricot fruit; it retains a crispness and freshness, and is a lovely vibrant drink.

7. Nuviana Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon, Spain 2001 This is a medium bodied red that has lots of lovely gentle, spicy fruit with cassis – soft and really easy drinking.

8. Ancora Beneventano Rosso IGT, Italy 2003 A vibrant, crunchy red with delicious juicy cherry fruit – clean and fresh.

9. Lonsdale Ridge Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia 2002 The new 2002 of this ever-popular red is really on form: vibrant, spicy, juicy red and black fruits with just a lick of oak.

10. Les Vigneaux Merlot Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 A great, fresh, juicy red with upfront redcurrant and berry fruit; really ripe and fresh, and very easy drinking.

11. Castillo de Requena Tinto, Spain 2003 A cracking red from Romeral in the little known Utiel Requena region of Spain – a juicy blend of Bobal and Tempranillo.

12. Andes Peaks Syrah, Chile 2003 A brand new release from Andes Peaks; calling it Syrah is apt as this is not a huge wine. It has lovely, soft berry fruit with spice and a touch of oak.

Special Mixed Case Offer £49 Collected £56 Delivered

Mixed Case No.2 – ‘The Early Summer All-Rounder’ A selection of predominantly new releases with the emphasis on fruit and vibrancy, wines of great character but not at all heavy. Food friendly, they all have an emphasis on characterful drinking.

22 1. Araldica ‘La Battistina’ Gavi, Italy 2003 £5.99 A perfect light Summer white – pear drop and pineapple on a clean and fresh nose. It’s fresh and perfumed with gentle citrus and pear fruit with a hint of pineapple again. Crisp, clean and refreshing, this is a delicious Gavi at a fair price. Case Price - £65 Collected

2. Abbotts ‘Marcus’ Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 £5.49 A cracking value, zesty, crisp, green & grassy Sauvignon made by the talented Nerida Abbot and team. Vibrant and fresh wine that is dry yet full of fruit. Case Price - £60 Collected

3. Alain Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon Blanc Côtes de Gascogne, France 2003 £5.95 An unusual blend for this normally modest appellation. A grassy, peachy nose, this is a lovely, limy, zesty style – it’s just off-dry with delicious fresh lime and apricot fruit, crisp, clean and very refreshing. Case Price - £65 Collected

4. Mont ’Albano Pinot Grigio, Italy 2003 £6.99 Another superb organic wine, this from Friuli. A high quality Pinot Grigio with pear and citrus on the nose; the palate has good weight being rich, broad, and nutty and a hint of spice. It’s still crisp and fresh in style yet with more body and interest than usual. Case Price - £76 Collected

5. Sandalford Verdelho, Australia 2003 £9.29 A lovely new wine from the much improved Sandalford winery in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. Screw-capped, this has an amazing nose of blossom, white peach, lime, nectarine and more. Really zingy and fresh on the palate, again with white peach and citrus – clean and very fresh.

Case Price - £100 Collected

6. Yalumba ‘The Antipodean’ Sangiovese Rosé, Australia 2003 £6.99 A fine new screw-capped rosé – the Italian Sangiovese grape gives a lovely vibrant cherry flavour to this inviting rosé. Just off dry, it’s a great drink alone, but also very food friendly with fish, and grilled white meats etc. Case Price - £76 Collected

23 7. Familias Vinicola Pulmary ‘CUQ’ Merlot-Bonarda, Argentina 2002 £5.79 A great new organic red from Argentina named ‘CUQ’! Juicy, lifted red fruit nose that is quite Italian in style, leads to juicy, crunchy red fruits on a palate that is vibrant yet soft with a long, creamy finish. It’s very easy drinking yet retains enough body to make it a good food wine too.

8. Simon Gilbert Sangiovese, Australia 2002 £5.99 A delicious unoaked Sangiovese, and one of the best renditions I have tasted, whilst also being one of the cheapest! James Halliday rated it 91pts; from Mudgee, it has plenty of sweet, ripe cherry and plum fruit – very easy drinking and way ahead of most cheap Chianti’s. Case Price - £66 Collected

9. Domaine de Patience Costieres de Nimes, France 2002 £6.29 An excellent Syrah-Grenache blend that works really well, even in this difficult vintage; very juicy with good palate richness and weight, it is spicy and a touch of oak rounds the wine off.

10. Fasoli Gino ‘La Corte del Pozzo’ Valpolicella, Italy 2002 £7.99 Another superb organic wine; Fasoli Gino are making some tremendous wines, and this is a brilliant Valpolicella that is miles away from the simple and dilute efforts at £3.99. A bittersweet nose with coffee, plum, almond and even a touch of oak, the palate is mid-weight with soft, crunchy cherry fruit, slightly bittersweet with some spice and oak – long and complex, this is a great wine! Case Price - £87 Collected

11. Alois Kracher Blauer Zweigelt ‘Illmitz’, Austria 2002 £8.99 The 2000 of this was labelled ‘A-7142’, Kracher’s postcode – we sold loads of it but no one else seemed to like the name, and hence it has been renamed ‘Illmitz’, the village where Kracher lives and works. 2002 was a great red wine vintage – this is medium-bodied and full of classic red and black cherry Zweigelt fruit with just a hint of oak – vibrant and easy. Case Price - £95 Collected

12. d’Arenberg ‘Derelict Vineyard’ Grenache, Australia 2002 £9.99 A brand new release from d’Arenberg; high-toned, with mint, liquorice and damson on the nose, there is a lovely intensity of raspberry fruit and spicy black pepper on the palate. A great barbecue red that will age too! Case Price - £110 Collected

Special Mixed Case Offer £73.50 Collected £80.50 Delivered 24 Mixed Case No.3 – ‘Wines of the Month’ It is always around this time of year that my head is literally buzzing (is spinning more apt…) with all the great new wines I have tasted. Spring is the season of trade tastings, and I have literally tried thousands of new wines; this combined with the huge range of samples that Daniel and Jamie have tasted, gives us an embarrassment of riches when putting these cases together! Like the other cases, here the emphasis is on positively flavoured wines with ripe tannins and drinkability.

1. Domaine de la Jasse ‘Les Deux Soleils’ Chardonnay-Viognier, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 £5.99 This is a real find – honeyed, citrus fresh Chardonnay combined with aromatic, peachy Viognier. The blend works beautifully – not too dry, and packed with the individual varietal characters, and perfectly balanced – a cracking wine.

2. Southbrook Estate ‘The Terraces’ Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 2003 £7.59 A lovely 2003 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, and good value too as so many of the wines have gone up. A more restrained, elegant style that we all like for the difference. Crisp citrus, gooseberry and blackcurrant on a classic Marlborough Sauvignon palate, and as it’s not too tropical, the second bottle is not a chore!

3. Anselmi ‘San Vicenzo’ IGT, Italy 2003 £8.79 Anselmi is one of Veneto’s top producers, and this used to be one of his Soave’s until he decided to come out of the DOC system. The wines are better than ever, and this effort is seriously delicious. Ripe pear, citrus and stone fruit on an appealing nose, leads to a lovely, fresh, honeyed pear and citrus fruit palate – very tangy and fresh. It has bags of character and is really refreshing, while having enough body to go with a wide variety of foods. Case Price - £97 Collected

4. Jeanneret Riesling, Australia 2003 £9.99 This delicious Clare Valley Riesling has been getting some rave reviews in Australia, regularly scoring over 90pts from respected journalists, and it’s easy to see why. It is properly dry with intense lime, lemon, apricot, and passion fruit characters on both the nose and palate. It makes a fabulous aperitif style while it’s also great with shellfish, and lightly spiced dishes – this is vibrant, dry Riesling at its best.

5. Pike & Joyce Pinot Gris, Australia 2003 £10.79 A new venture between the famous Pike family of the Clare Valley, and vineyard owners the Joyce family, in the Adelaide Hills. This operation has hit the ground running with some excellent domestic press; screw- capped. Creamy, spicy nose with stone fruit, honey and minerals, the story is similar on the palate. Rich, honeyed, spicy fruit with excellent acidity balancing the wine, this is not an overblown or fat style of Pinot Gris, rather a very drinkable and characterful style. Case Price - £118 Collected

6. Kurt Angerer ‘Loam’ Gruner Veltliner, Austria 2002 £12.50 25 My favourite of Kurt’s excellent 2002’s, which scored 93pts in Wine International. This comes from a single vineyard with loam soil, and is partially barrel-fermented. It is honeyed and spicy with lovely pear and apricot fruit, while gentle oak adds length without overpowering the flavours. It’s rich yet elegant – a fabulous example of the grape.

7. Abbotts L’Escalier Vielles Vignes Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2001 £5.49 This is a delicious blend of mature vine Syrah and Grenache; very juicy and vibrant with ripe red and black fruits. The tannins are also very soft, so this drinks really well now – a great quaffing, barbecue red!

8. Nieto y Senetiner ‘Nieto Reserva’ Malbec, Argentina 2002 £5.99 An attractive deep purple colour, with a smoky, earthy, coffee-like nose and a touch of meat too. The palate is mellower, with fleshy, plummy fruit and a toasty, creamy finish – Jamie describes it as ‘crumble’ – the pudding! All told this is a very tasty, classy wine, that at first we thought would sell, if stocked, for about £12 – when we realised it could sell for £5.99 it became an essential purchase.

9. Bonny Doon Ca’ del Solo ‘Big House Red’, California 2002 £8.99 This is right back on form, and I think the best ‘Big House Red’ to date, now bottled with a screw-cap, and an even greater roster of grape varieties used: Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignan, Barbera, Zinfandel, Malbec, and Mourvèdre! It’s a wonderfully juicy style with cherry and plum fruit, and lovely white pepper spiciness from the good dollop of Syrah in the blend. Not hugely complex, but a great, vibrant, juicy and characterful drink!

10. Forrest Estate Pinot Noir, New Zealand 2002 £9.99 Another excellent value Marlborough Pinot Noir, full of ripe cherry, plum, and raspberry fruit. The tannins are ripe, while the integrated oak makes this an extremely inviting, medium-bodied red.

11. Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Shiraz-Viognier, Australia 2002 £14.99 This wine has won a couple of major trophies in the big wine shows in Australia; a small percentage of Viognier is co-fermented with one batch of Shiraz, aged in some new and used French oak for 15 months. Yet another cracking wine from Wolf Blass, and another from the tremendous 2002 vintage in South Australia. From the Adelaide Hills, an area not known for Shiraz of this ripeness and intensity, it’s a hedonistic crowd- pleaser! With loads of ripe, sweet black cherry and plum fruit, with a touch of perfume from the Viognier and some integrated toasty oak. Long and with ripe tannins, this is stunning stuff; apparently an Oddbins exclusive…?

12. Luciano Sandrone ‘Pe Mol’ Langhe Rosso, Italy 2000 £16.99 I came across this whilst presenting my Magpie wines in Chicago! Tasted alongside some heavy hitting Barolo and Barbaresco, this was one of the stars. This is from the highly rated Luciano Sandrone, whose top wines are very pricey indeed; a blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo, vinified separately, with some new oak used,

26 the wine is dense with black cherry and plum, lots of spice and a dash of creamy oak. Big and with some genuine fruit ripeness, this is long, spicy and definitely delicious.

Case Price - N/A

Mixed Case No.4 – ‘Rosé 6 Pack’ We are selling lots more Rosé nowadays, largely because the quality has risen dramatically, and also because they are so food friendly. The drier styles work brilliantly with grilled meats, fish, vegetables and salads, and even spicy dishes. Many are also very pleasant ‘al fresco’ drinking wines in their own right; these are the real deal Rosés, not the sort brought back from the south of France only to discover that what was fine in ‘situ’ is actually quite bland!

1. Abbotts ‘Marcus’ Rosé Vin de Pays d’Oc, France 2003 £5.49 A blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah, this has lovely boiled sweets and red fruits on the nose. Dry but not overly so, with crunchy, spicy fruit – this is juicy and vibrant and great value.

2. Michel Torino ‘Don David’ Malbec Rosé, Argentina 2003 £5.99 An interesting new world example, packed full of vibrant strawberry and cherry fruit; there is good richness too, with a spicy finish. Easy drinking, this is also very versatile with food.

3. Chateau La Moutete Côtes de Provence Rosé, France 2003 £6.95 This has a lovely light salmon pink colour, and is also a lighter style of rosé – quite classically Provencal. It’s dry with delicate strawberry fruit, a slightly spicy note and a clean and refreshing finish.

4. Domaine JM Fourrier Faugeres ‘Fruits des Schistes’, France 2003 £6.95 The renowned Burgundy producer Jean-Marie Fourrier now owns a property in Faugeres; I found the 2002 reds a little light, however this 100% Cinsault Rosé is delicious – Cinsault stood up to the heat well being a late ripening variety. This is a lovely perfumed style with deep red fruits that has a lovely juicy character and finishes properly dry – very attractive. Case Price - £77 Collected

5. Magpie Estate ‘The Thief’ Mourvèdre-Grenache, Australia 2003 £7.99 Our 4th attempt at rosé style, and this is probably the reddest yet! Not a classic rosé, though made in the same way: ripe Mourvèdre and Grenache, and a little Cabernet Sauvignon spend 24 hours on their skins after which we bleed off the free run juice. So, although it’s relatively deep in colour, it still has little or no discernable tannins – the body of a white wine with the flavours of a red wine, if you like. The wine is gaining a real worldwide following; delicious chilled, it’s just off dry and full of vibrant red fruits – great with salads, fish and barbecued foods. 27 Case Price - £84 Collected

6. Domaine René Bouvier Marsannay Rosé, France 2003 £9.25 This is seriously delicious Pinot Noir rosé from Burgundy – a delightful vivid pink colour, and an attractive perfumed nose that leads to a palate full of lovely soft strawberry fruit. It’s quite light, yet beautifully balanced with plenty of flavour – not unlike a Sancerre rosé, just better!

Mixed Case No.5 – ‘Riesling 6 Pack’ The Riesling revival continues apace and that is great news – these food friendly styles are wonderfully complex, and they offer great diversity from around the globe as you will find in this selection – I urge you to give it a try!

1. Dr Loosen ‘Dr L’ Riesling, Germany 2003 £6.50 This is Ernie Loosen’s entry point Riesling; 2003 was a fantastic, warm vintage in Germany and even this wine shows off the extra weight of fruit of the vintage. Full of lovely, appley, lime and peach fruit, this is off dry and very clean and refreshing.

2. Westbrook Riesling, New Zealand 2003 £7.99 This Marlborough Riesling has gained quite a following; it’s just off dry with tangy lime and passion fruit characters, and a touch of apricot on the finish.

3. Klein Constantia Rhine Riesling, South Africa 2003 £6.95 One of the few South African Rieslings on the market, this also happens to be a fine example with tangy lime fruit, a touch of peach, and a lovely clean, spicy finish.

4. Stefano Lubiana Riesling, Australia 2001 £10.99 A cracking Riesling from Tasmania, unbelievably we still have stocks of this wine – having tried a bottle recently, it is delicious and in great form after I. Passion fruit, lime, spice, and honey abound on the nose and palate, this is dry and quite rich – a superb food friendly Riesling at a very special price.

28 5. Kurt Angerer Riesling ‘Donatus’, Austria 2002 £12.49 From Kamptal in Austria, this is world class Riesling; minerals, stone fruits and lime on a perfumed nose. There is good weight on the palate, which is honeyed, rich and tangy. It’s dry with plenty of fruit, long and complex, and high quality indeed.

6. Georg Breuer Riesling ‘Terra Montosa’, Germany 2001 £14.99 Bernhard Breuer refers to this wine as his ‘premier cru’ – it comes from three of his top vineyard sites, and harvested fully ripe. Aged in old wood, this is wonderfully ripe, with lime, honey, citrus, and slate on the nose. The palate is full with incredible intensity of honeyed citrus fruit, and a long , creamy, minerally finish – great now with years ahead of it.

Mixed Case No.6 – ‘James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2003 6 Pack’ James Halliday is still Australia’s most influential journalist; world renowned, his annual Top 100 list is eagerly awaited by keen consumers. We had hoped to put together a mixed dozen selected from the 100, but it appears the UK is quite a way behind the domestic market, from a vintage point of view. However, we have selected 6 of our absolute favourites for you to try, all quite diverse in style. The notes and ratings are an exact reproduction of James Halliday’s own reviews.

1. Mitchelton ‘Preece’ Sauvignon Blanc 2003 £6.99 It seems an eon ago that the first ‘Preece’ Chardonnay took the market by storm, and the range of ‘Preece’ wines has grown steadily since. 91pts

2. Turkey Flat Marsanne-Semillon 2002 £10.49 A blend unique to Turkey Flat and, I suspect, to Australia, and which has developed slowly but surely over the past year, with more in the tank. 93pts

3. Shaw & Smith ‘M3’ Chardonnay 2002 £15.99 Michael Hill Smith freely acknowledges the Sauvignon Blanc makes itself, but not so this wine, which demands all of Martin Shaw’s considerable skills. 95pts

4. d’Arenberg ‘d’Arry’s Original’ Shiraz-Grenache 2001 £9.49

29 This year (2003) marks d’Arry Osborne’s 50 years with the winery founded by his father in 1912; both he and the wine are original if not institutional. 91pts

5. Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc 2001 £14.99 Yet another of the top range Blass wines to use the screwcap; if ever you doubt the suitability of this closure to red wine, try this wine. 93pts

6. Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Shiraz 2001 A toss up between this and Wirra Wirra’s top-of-the-range RSW Shiraz, this gaining its place on price rather than quality. 94pts

Case Price - N/A

‘ Ten For The Cellar’ This is a new feature, and one that I hope will become a regular one in the newsletter. A way of showcasing 10 wines, often brand new releases, that are kind of wines of the month, yet without the criteria of immediate drinkability – wines that will certainly age well. There are also no price constraints; we are often asked what we would recommend for cellaring, so here is a selection of great wines that will undoubtedly improve. First off, ten stunners from around the world.

WHITES

1. Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Riesling, Australia 2003 £9.99 This has long been a cult wine in Australia that is always eagerly snapped up, and I am delighted it is now available in the UK. A blend of Eden Valley and Clare Valley fruit, and screw-capped. This is stunning Riesling, relatively low in alcohol, with excellent, crisp lime and citrus fruit, dry, clean, and pure with honey too. Youthful and zesty, you can drink this now, however it is only in the years to come that the true complexity of this Riesling will become apparent. Best drunk within the next 18 months, or over the next 5-10 years – this has had amazing press in Australia and it’s easy to see why.

Case Price - £108 Duty Paid

2. Voyager Estate Chardonnay, Australia 2002 £12.95 This Margaret River winery is on a hot streak; we have always loved the Chardonnay, and this appears to be their best to date. A cool vintage has produced an incredibly concentrated yet elegant wine, and upcoming Australian journalist Campbell Mattinson writes (in his excellent Wine Front Monthly – www.winefrontmonthly.com.au) “Bloody exceptional. A freak wine. In fact, despite all the guff about the use of Burgundian techniques in Australian cellars, this wine from this vintage is the one that truly comes closest to capturing the essence of white Burgundy…It’s a dream Chardonnay. Now – 2011 95pts.” Nothing much to add other than this is a great Chardonnay, and great value.

30 Case Price - £103 In Bond £140 Duty Paid

3. Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru ‘Clos du Beauregard’, France 2002 £14.99 I recently tasted about 15 of Girardin’s 2002 white Burgundies – a hugely impressive line-up with remarkable consistency, and they all tasted different. This was my value pick, from the superlative 2002 vintage: I loved this wine for its balance, with lovely honeyed citrus fruit allied to toasty oak. It had great acidity, with a clean, long and complex finish and everything in place. Drink 2005-2011.

Case Price - £121 In Bond £162 Duty Paid

4. Jordan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa 2001 £9.99 This Stellenbosch winery has been ultra consistent, and the current releases are extremely impressive. This dense Cabernet Sauvignon has 7% Cabernet Franc blended in, and it’s aged for 19 months in new and used French oak. Quite tight at present with lovely, opulent cassis fruit, spice and oak and ripe tannins. Although approachable now, this Cape classic will improve – drink 2006-2012.

5. Veritas ‘Heinrich’ Shiraz-Mataro-Grenache, Australia 2002 £9.99 This is the second release of this wine; there is intense prune, plum and almost malt extract on the nose; the palate is big and rich with lovely plummy, meaty intensity as well as spice and oak allied to really rich fruit and ripe tannins. A touch of creamy oak too. Very long and complex, with great depth, this will age very well despite its approachability now.

6. Artadi Rioja ‘Viñas de Gain’, Spain 2001 £11.49 This is a really sexy and sensational Rioja from the great Artadi winery. Wonderful rich fruit, roasted vegetables, spice and toasty oak on the nose, it has great concentration yet remains elegant and totally balanced. Medium-bodied and very impressive, Robert Parker said “a fabulous effort for the price (one of the best buys in the marketplace)…it boasts a deep purple colour to the rim as well as a perfume of raspberries, blackberries, crushed stones, and white flowers. With extraordinary precision, definition, and finesse, great elegance, wonderful sweetness, medium body, and a gorgeously textured finish, it caresses the palate, offering considerable personality and overall symmetry. 94pts”

7. Chateau Montus Madiran, France 2001 £13.50 I thought Alain Brumont’s line-up of 2001’s was exemplary – these are often fiercely tannic wines from the often-brutal Tannat grape, yet these were big and structured, with plenty of ripe tannins and loads of fruit. While I loved all his 2001’s, this had the best price: quality ratio. With roasted vegetables, red and black fruits and oak on the nose, the palate was hugely dense, with deep, dark, spicy black fruits allied to toasty oak. Incredible richness and persistence, it’s a wine of great intensity, in need of time to soften. Drink 2006-2012.

31 8. Kaesler ‘Stonehorse’ Shiraz, Australia 2002 £15.75 A supercharged Barossa Shiraz from the excellent 2002 vintage – I have tried so many great 2002 Barossa reds, yet none seem available yet! A long, cool vintage ensured maximum hang time for the grapes, and the result is super concentrated wines with great natural acidity, fine and ripe tannins, and both sweet and savoury characters. This new release from Kaesler is stunning: a small amount of Viognier is blended in, and this really works. Opulent, ripe berry fruit, plum, and honeyed apricot on the nose lead to a palate that is saturated in ripe fruit, spice, and oak. Really dense, yet with great texture and length, this is delicious now but it only hints at its potential. Robert Parker also loved the wine, saying “offers a great perfume, beautifully integrated wood, and sensational richness as well as length. A prodigious effort…it should drink well for 10-15 years.” He scored it 94-96 points. I would opt for drinking this between 2006 and 2012.

9. André Brunel Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Cailloux’, France 2001 £18.50 ‘ Les Cailloux’ has been a fantastic Châteauneuf-du-Pape over the last 15 years, and this is a spectacular effort from the great 2001 vintage. Brunel really rates this wine; over the years the blend has developed and changed with more Mourvèdre and Syrah coming in. This is 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 15% Syrah. Deep in colour, with wonderful, spicy sweet fruit, great intensity and length; Robert Parker said “This perfumed, dense, full bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape is packed and stacked with sweet tannins… has great delineation and a long, impressive finish. I would not be surprised to see it score even higher than my conservative estimate 91-93pts.” Drink 2006-2014.

10. Azienda Agricola San Valentin ‘Terra di Covignano’ Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva, Italy 2001 £21.50 A new name to me: this winery’s whole line-up was seriously impressive, and this was my favourite. A hugely intense nose with big, ripe fruits and chocolaty oak, this is seriously intense with massive, opulent, black cherry fruit, toasty oak and ripe tannins. Really long and very impressive indeed, I was not surprised to see that this wine had been awarded the prestigious ‘Tre Bicchieri’ or Three Glass award in the 2004 Gambera Rosso, the Italian wine bible. They said “an elegant symphony of aromas include ripe fruit, spices and understated toastiness. In the mouth, the massive structure with its close-knit tannic weave is complimented stupendously by the elegance of the fruit…lingering on the palate with amazing persistence.” Drink 2005-2012

Tastings Tasting Price No. of Places Total Cost ‘ Informal Tasting’ Tuesday 15 th June, 7pm £10.00 Iain Griggs Thursday 24 th June, 7pm £12.50 Sub-Total £

Kurt Angerer Pre-Release Wine Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total Gruner Veltliner ‘Kies’ 2003 £56 £85 Gruner Veltliner ‘Spies’ 2003 £70 £102 Gruner Veltliner ‘Loam’ 2003 £92 £129

32 Riesling ‘Donatus’ 2003 £92 £129 Pinot Blanc 2003 £92 £129 Sub-Total £

Graf Hardegg Pre-Release Wine Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total Gruner Veltliner ‘Veltlinsky’ 2003 £47 £71 Gruner Veltliner ‘Dreikreuzen’ 2003 £57 £85 Gruner Veltliner ‘Alte Reben’ 2003 £86 £120 Riesling ‘Steinbugel’ 2003 £70 £102 ‘Tethys’ 2002 £94 £130 Hardegg Mixed 6 £52/6

Sub-Total £

Magpie Estate Pre-Release Wine Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total ‘The Beak’ Shiraz-Grenache 2003 £38.50 £64 ‘The Schnell’ Grenache-Shiraz 2003 £56 £85 ‘The Sack’ Shiraz 2002 £93.50 £129 ‘The Election’ Shiraz 2002 £218 £275 Sub-Total £

Chateau Leamon Pre-Release Wine Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total Cabernets 2002 £98 £135 Shiraz 2002 £98 £135 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 £185 £237 Reserve Shiraz 2002 £185 £237 Special Leamon Mixed 6 Pack £85

Sub-Total £

Spanish Offer Wine Bin Number Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total

33 Grand Total £

Rhône Offer Wine Bin Number Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total

Grand Total £

PLEASE INDICATE IF A SUBSTITUTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE – WE ALWAYS SUBSTITUTE WITH A WINE OF THE SAME OR MORE COST

Mixed Case No.1 – Entertaining Case Case Price Quantity Total Cost Mixed Case No. 1 Entertaining Case £49/case

Sub-Total £

Mixed Case No.2 – The Early Summer All Rounder Wine Price Quantity/Cases Sub-Total Araldica ‘La Battistina’ Gavi 2003 £65/case Abbotts ‘Marcus’ Sauvignon Blanc ‘03 £60/case Brumont Gros Manseng-Sauvignon ‘03 £65/case

34 Mont ‘Albano Pinot Grigio 2003 £76/case Sandalford Verdelho 2003 £100/case Yalumba ‘The Antipodean’ Rosé 2003 £76/case Pulmary ‘CUQ’ Merlot-Bonarda 2002 £63/case Simon Gilbert Sangiovese 2002 £66/case Dom Patience Costieres de Nimes ‘02 £68/case Fasoli Gino Valpolicella 2002 £87/case Alois Kracher ‘Illmitz’ Zweigelt 2002 £95/case d'Arenberg ‘Derelict’ Grenache 2002 £110/case Mixed Case Offer 2 £73.50/case Sub-Total £

Mixed Case No.3 – Wines of the Month Wine Price Quantity/Cases Sub-Total ‘Les Deux Soleils’ Chard-Viognier ‘03 £65/case Southbrook Estate Sauvignon 2003 £82/case Anselmi ‘San Vicenzo’ 2003 £97/case Jeanneret Riesling 2003 £105/case Pike & Joyce Pinot Gris 2003 £118/case Angerer ‘Loam’ Gruner Veltliner 2002 £130/case Abbotts L’Escalier Vielles Vignes 2001 £60/case Nieto y Senetiner Malbec Reserva 2002 £66/case Bonny Doon Big House Red 2002 £99/case Forrest Estate Pinot Noir 2002 £110/case Wolf Blass Shiraz-Viognier 2002 £165/case Luciano Sandrone ‘Pe Mol’ 2000 N/A Mixed Case Offer 3 £108/case Sub-Total £

Mixed Case No.4 – Rosé 6 Pack Wine Price Quantity/Cases Sub-Total Abbotts ‘Marcus’ 2003 £60/case Michel Torino Malbec Rosé 2003 £66/case Chateau La Moutete 2003 £76/case JM Fourrier Faugeres Rosé 2003 £77/case Magpie Estate ‘The Thief’ 2003 £84/case René Bouvier Marsannay Rosé 2003 £100/case Mixed Case Offer 4 £40/case

35 Sub-Total £

Mixed Case No.5 – Riesling 6 Pack Wine Price Quantity/Cases Sub-Total Dr Loosen ‘Dr L’ 2003 £70/case Westbrook 2003 £88/case Klein Constantia 2003 £77/case Stefano Lubiana 2001 £100/case Kurt Angerer ‘Donatus’ 2002 £134/case Georg Breuer ‘Terra Montosa’ 2001 £160/case Mixed Case Offer 5 £54/case Sub-Total £

Mixed Case No.6 – James Halliday Top 100 Wines of 2003 6 Pack Wine Price Quantity/Cases Sub-Total Mitchelton ‘Preece’ Chardonnay 2003 £79/case Turkey Flat Marsanne-Semillon 2002 £115/case Shaw & Smith ‘M3’ Chardonnay 2002 £175/case d'Arry’s Original Shiraz-Grenache 2001 £108/case Wolf Blass Gold Label Cabernets 2001 £162/case Wirra Wirra Shiraz 2001 N/A Mixed Case Offer 6 £65/case Sub-Total £

Ten For The Cellar Wine Price Under Bond Price Duty Paid Quantity Sub-Total Wolf Blass ‘Gold Label’ Riesling 2003 £108 Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2002 £103 £140 Girardin Santenay 1er Cru 2002 £121 £162 Jordan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 £106 Veritas ‘Heinrich’ S-M-G 2002 £76 £108 Artadi Rioja ‘Viñas de Gain’ 2001 £88 £123 Chateau Montus 2001 £110 £148 Kaesler ‘Stonehorse’ Shiraz 2002 £133 £175 ‘Les Cailloux’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘01 £153 £199 San Valentin ‘Terra di Covignano’ 2001 £234

36 Grand Total £

Overall Sub-Total £ Delivery - £7 for 1 case £ £11 for 2 cases, etc Grand Total £

Name: I/We enclose a cheque: £

Address: Credit Card No:

Expiry Date:

Telephone (day): Issue No:(Switch)

Delivery Address: Billing Address:

Name on Card:

Delivery Instructions: Signature on Card:

Fine Wine Order Form

WINE VINTAGE QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL

37 Sub Total £ Discount 5% (over £500) £ - Delivery (free unless reduced) £ Grand Total £

I enclose a cheque for: £

Address:

Telephone (day):

Please charge my Credit/Debit Card:

Expiry Date: Delivery Address:

Issue No: Delivery Instructions:

Address of Cardholder:

Name on Card: Signature on Card: