This one is totally brand new. Brand new to the shop and also from a brand new appellation...

La Voûte comes from a relatively new appellation called Touraine Chenonceaux, which was created in 2011 after 20 years in the making. Chenonceaux is known for the majestic Château de Chenonceau, which features on the La Voûte label. The wines are from selected parcels of vines located in Touraine. The Sauvignon Blanc may not be sold until 1st May following the vintage, spending around seven months on its lees to add weight, texture and complexity.

La Voûte is situated in Touraine Chenonceaux, on the bank of the Cher Valley, 50 kilometres east of Tours near the famous Château de Chenonceau. The soil is clay and silex (a mixture of flint and sand) and the pruning method is simple Guyot.



La Voûte Touraine Chenonceaux 2015 @ £13.95 - Buy it here!

Pale lemon in colour with green reflections. An intense and elegant nose combining grapefruit, tropical fruits and blackcurrant bud. The palate is fleshy and fresh, with clean minerality persisting on the finish.

A great one for the weekend, so swing by and grab a couple! Cheers!

It took us a little while but it's finally here. A brand new pure viognier. This one from the USA's own Jackson family...

For 30 years, the Jackson family has sustainably farmed and passionately tended our remarkable Santa Maria estate. Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson’s daughters, Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, grew up among these vines. Drawn to the grit and beauty of winemaking, Katie and Julia continue the family business. Together with Barbara Banke’s keen knowledge of the industry and incredible business sense, Katie’s passion for sustainability and the land, and Julia’s creative backbone and dedication to empowering communities, the women of Cambria shape who we are today.



Cambria Estate, Tepusquet Vineyard Viognier 2015 @ £17.95 - Buy it here!
Bright citrus flavors and aromas (lemon-lime, grapefruit, orange) are the dominant characters in the wine. A balanced acidity enhances the fruit flavors and provides a fresh, crisp finish.

Having been one of the most requested wines I don't think this will be hanging around for a particularly long time. Don't miss your chance to see how the Americans do it!

 

Continuing our theme of showing off our brand new wines this is another stonker! A Californian chardonnay with some real elegance to it...

When Jess Jackson produced his first Chardonnay in 1982, his goal was simply to create a wine that people of all levels of expertise could enjoy. Three decades later, the family owned and operated Kendall-Jackson is one of the most trusted and celebrated wineries in the world. For the last 21 consecutive years, the winery’s Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay has been the #1 selling Chardonnay in America.

One aspect that distinguishes Kendall-Jackson’s wines from their competitors is vineyard sourcing. Kendall-Jackson owns more than 12,000 acres located on the mountains, hillsides and benches of California’s greatest cool, coastal sub-regions throughout Sonoma, Napa, Monterey, Mendocino and Mendocino counties. Since 2011, all of these vineyards have been third-party certified sustainable by CCSW (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing) and SIP (Sustainability in Practice).




Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2015 @ £14.95 - Buy it here!
Beautifully integrated tropical flavours such as pineapple, mango, and papaya with citrus notes that explode in your mouth. These flavours delicately intertwine with aromas of vanilla and honey to create depth and balance throughout. A hint of toasted oak rounds out the long, lingering finish.

If you're a chardonnay fan then you most definitely need to get a load of this!

The Greywacke is a gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It's about time we got ourselves a new crisp white!

Greywacke was created in 2009 by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception for 25 years and instrumental in the international recognition which Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc enjoys now. The name 'Greywacke' was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book 'The Landscape of New Zealand Wine'.

Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 @ £16.95 - Buy it here!

A delicious fusion of ripe summer fruits and delicate floral perfume, citrus blossom and elderflower entwined with nectarines and white peaches, mandarin and cantaloupe with a twist of lemon. Intensely flavoured, succulent and crisp with a delicate herbal infusion.

Come and grab a bottle of this lovely crisp white. We love it and think you will too!

Next up in our showcase of new wines we have the Field Street Shiraz from S. C. Pannell. This Aussie Shiraz will be one you won't forget in a hurry...

Stephen Pannell is one of the best and brightest of the new generation of Australian winemakers, having spent a decade working as chief red wine maker at Hardys before striking out on his own in 2004. Steve has worked all over the world, including in Italy with Aldo Vajra in Barolo and in France for Domaine Dujac and Pousse d'Or. His broad experience has helped shape his approach to winemaking and his wines are true expressions of the grapes and vineyards of McLaren Vale. In October 2015, Steve was named Winemaker of the Year by the consumer wine magazine, Gourmet Traveller Wine.

The Field Street Shiraz is made from fruit sourced from a single nine hectare vineyard. The original Shiraz plantings date back to 1970 and the vineyard faces west to the Gulf of St Vincent. In every sense this wine is at the heart of the S.C. Pannell label. This wine is stripped back from the artifice of winemaking to express the purity and breadth of McLaren Vale Shiraz.



S.C. Pannell Field Street Shiraz 2015 @ £18.95 - Buy it here!

On the nose there is a lovely purity of fruit - aromas of violets are coupled with the beautiful perfume of a punnet full of fresh berries. On the palate it is medium to full bodied with lovely, earthy tannins and a lifted finish.

This stonker will a fantastic addition to any meal so come a grab a couple!

Cheers!

Over the next few days we're going to have a good number of new lines in the shop. To begin our introductions we have this beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon from Donald Hess...

Donald Hess, Swiss by birth, bought his first vineyard in Mount Veeder in the Napa Valley in 1978. He recognised the potential of the deep volcanic rocky soils to produce small and concentrated berries that yield structured powerful wines. His dedication to quality meant that the first wines were not released until 1987. Today, the Hess Collection Vineyards comprise more than 419 hectares of vineyards in California, with 285 hectares in the Napa Valley.

From the beginning, Hess was dedicated to sustainable farming, their motto being "Nurture the land and return what you take." As a result they have achieved various certifications because their sensitivity towards the environment touches every aspect of production, from vineyard to packaging.



Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast 2014 @ £19.95 - Buy it here!

The wine showcases a deep ruby colour with aromas of raspberries and black cherries. On the palate, there are spicy notes of blackcurrants, anise, cloves, cedar, mocha and some roasted vanilla from oak ageing. The wine shows ideal varietal character, with a medium body, mouth-coating tannins, perfectly balanced acidity and hints of cherry and cola spice on the finish.

Come and try this new stonker. There isn't much so don't miss your chance!