|
|
| Beer and Wine |
Wine over £12.00 per bottle
Champagne Francois Dubois Non-Vintage Brut 75cl - £79.80For 6 bottles - equivalent to £13.30 per bottle. Price on 21-Aug-08 from Tesco.A fine champagne with intense pear, apple and citrus flavours. The perfect aperitif.This champagne was vinified by Nicolas Dubois grand son of Francois Dubois who founded the Champagne house in 1934.
Chateau la Begude 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Next door to Chateauneuf, Gigondas - ''the powerlifter of French reds'' (The Independent) - makes the Rhone's richest, most warming reds. And at this Parker-rated, 300-year-old estate, Edmond Guigues uses classic Chateauneuf grapes for mouthfilling, brambly results. Guests will love it (if you're kind enough to let them)!
Chateau Gardour 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Hugely sort-after 2005 has been described as ''the best vintage in 10, 50 ... even 100 years'' (Decanter). This superb Lalande de Pomerol is filled with velvety damson flavours and complex oak characters.
Muritai Pinot Noir 2006 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.''At its best New Zealand Pinot compares very favourably with Premier Cru Burgundy'' (Scotland on Sunday) ... and look at the price of this exquisite 2006. It's made on a very small scale by Jon Harrey and his family at the Te Mania winery in Nelson. Nelson vies with Marlborough in having the highest number of sunshine hours in New Zealand and with warm days and cool nights to boot, its perfect for growing quality Pinot Noir fruit. This excellent Pinot is named Muritai after the cooling sea breeze which refreshes the vineyards of Nelson. Rich, ripe raspberry character - very smooth and moreish. Serve with roast chicken, veal, tuna steaks.
Nugan Estate Alcira Chardonnay 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Nugan family are passionate about quality, and the results are outstanding. Delight in this estate-grown Chardonnay with its opulent peach and apricot flavours and creamy oak notes.
Glen Eldon Dry Bore Shiraz 2004 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Here's proof from the Sheedy family that if you only make a little wine (4,000 cases a year) you can ensure it's fantastic! Traditionally fermented and barrel aged for 2 years, the 2004 Dry Bore has ''beautiful texture ... loads of blackberry and cassis fruit with hints of pepper and chocolate'' (Parker).
Chateau Monturon 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Astonishing find! A beautifully crafted Saint-Emilion Grand Cru at a very reasonable price - especially considering its credentials. For starters, the estate's vines lie directly opposite those of #40-a-bottle Chateau Monbousquet. The quality of the terroir is first class. The wine is 100% Merlot, hand-harvested from rare 55-year-old vines so offers fabulous concentration and impressive, rounded structure typical of this most noble Saint-Emilion variety. As for expertise and experience, no one can question the Saby family who have been working the vineyards here for 10 generations. One third of the wine was barrel-aged for 15 months in a mix of old and new oak. The result is a spectacularly rich and smooth claret with deep colour and classic plum, blackberry and liquorice character. In a year of fierce competition, it managed a Bronze medal at the International Wine Challenge in London - a great achievement!
Robert Nicolle 'Mont de Milieu' Domaine de la Mandeliere 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Robert and Josette Nicolle achieve mouthwatering flavours in every vintage from their small patch of old vines in the exceptional 1er Cru vineyard 'Mont de Milieu' - ''a rival to Grand Cru Chablis'' (Robert Parker) This produces some of Chablis' ripest fruit, packed full of the mineral intensity that distinguishes fine Chablis ... and the 2005 vintage saw these flavours at their most intense ever. Great floral nose with freshly cut herb notes. Classic, steely, minerally, citrus flavours with an excellent concentration of fruit. Rich and powerful. Hint of biscuit and vanilla. Irresistibly elegant and perfect with oysters!
Maison Albert Bichot Le Clos 2006 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.''Pouilly-Fuisse can be a very special wine ... Le Clos one of its best vineyards'' (Parker) Albert Bichot's subtle use of oak preserves the wonderfully bright fruit and mineral flavours in this classic Pouilly-Fuisse. Excellent value too.
Les Mines 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.World-famous wine expert Robert Parker writes of Priorat that it was ''an historic but forgotten region until twenty years ago'' when a ''new wave'' of winemakers claimed back the region's hillside vineyards and began to carve out a reputation for its rich, deeply fruited wines. The secret to Priorat's recent success is its soil, which is not really soil at all but a dense slate and quartz mix called ''Llicorella''. Years ago, this tough, mineral-rich land was mined - hence the name 'Les Mines' - but this rugged terroir also proves perfect for growing grapes ... the vines have to struggle through it to find moisture, and in doing so pick up traces of mineral and nutrients that help the grapes achieve such intense flavours. A complex blend of Garnacha, Carignan and Merlot, Les Mines counts Hugh Johnson among its many fans: ''deep-coloured and flavoured like spicy plums, roundly fills the mouth, then tweaks the palate with juicy freshness. A bargain for a region in high demand. Excellent.''
The Homestead Barrel Aged Shiraz 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Big and juicy with waves of plump blackberry fruit underpinned by hints of spice, smoke and liquorice. ''Australia's best Shiraz comes from Victoria'' (Decanter) ... better still: ''an outstanding 5-star winery'' (James Halliday) is behind this mighty offering - their wines normally sell around the #20 a bottle mark. Then there's the year - ''2005 is the vintage of the century'' says Aussie guru Huon Hooke.
Miranda Leone Barossa Valley Shiraz 2006 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Barossa Shiraz is one of the world's most iconic wines - big, brooding, blockbuster reds often with similarly bruising price tags, up to #50-a-bottle! So this exceptional value beauty from the ''very good Miranda estate'' (James Halliday) comes with our highest recommendation. Ancient Shiraz vines, the famed Barossa red earth and Mother Nature's bounty in 2006 combine with astonishing power in this blistering red. ''Dense, smoky black fruit and spice, with BIG smooth flavours of blackberries, chocolate and soft oak. A wine tailor-made for the biggest, juiciest steaks.''
Domaine Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Terre de Maimbray 2006 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.''Loire-lovers can expect harmony, fruit and finesse from 2006'' Decanter ... and Sancerre fans can expect thrilling aromatics of ripe gooseberry and a mouthful oozing crisp apple and deep mineral complexity from this stunning Sancerre. But there is real depth of flavour, not often found in Loire whites because dynamic brothers Pascal and Nicolas leave their wine on its lees. The result in the glass is breathtaking! Deliciously fragrant gooseberry, grapefruit and lemon aromas, with the minerality that defines Sancerre. The palate is intense, with abundant fruit and great freshness. Enjoy!
Chateau Gigault, Cuvee Viva 2005 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Robert Parker calls this ''one of the best choices for maximum value'' - and we couldn't agree more! Packed with ripe brambly fruit and subtle hints of mocha and mint, this luxurious gem has won a stack of awards and commendations - including a top 91-point score from Wine Spectator! ''Ripe cherry and berry, with a melange of fresh herbs, olive and a hint of coffee and chocolate on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, intense and silky, with loads of fruit pushing through the long finish. Delicious even now. This is always excellent value.'' Wine Spectator
Hungerford Hill Chardonnay 2006 - £13.39Price on 16-Jun-08 from Laithwaites.Situated in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, the cool growing climate of Tumbarumba is the ideal location for clean, peach-fresh Chardonnays like this. With altitudes up to 750 metres, it's one of Australia's coldest viticultural regions ... and fast becoming one of the finest! Leading wine writer, James Halliday is a big fan of Hungerford Hill Chardonnay and gave this vintage a massive 92 points! The ultra-low yields in 2006 brought fruit concentration levels through the roof - producing wines of outstanding quality, as you'll soon taste. ''Pale straw green in colour. The nose displays complex yet delicate aromas of pear & white nectarine amidst a background of fine nutty oak. The palate is complex & full bodied with perfectly integrated fruit flavours & subtle French oak.'' Phillip John, Chief Winemaker.
|
| |
|
|
