Malbec/Cabernet Franc 2005 Porteau

The grapes are selectively hand picked fermented in stainless steel tanks and the wine matured in barrique for 12 months. Four years bottle age has allowed the wine to develop fully, yet retain a delicious freshness. Complex nose with soft fruity mouth filling Morello cherry fruit. This is a perfect marriage of thse two grape varieties which compliment each other so well. Awarded Gold Medal, Paris challenge.

Grape varieties: Malbec; Cabernet Franc;

£10.85

Clos du Porteau

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The production of this unusual unique pink bubbly needs som explanation. Produced from 80% Gamay & 20% Grolleau picked in the cool early hours of the morning to protect the quality & fruit. The grapes are kept on the juice at 5øC for 10 days after which the juice is run off & yeast added to start the fermentation, which is slow to protect the fruit. After partial fermentation the wine is bottles into champagne type bottles where the fermentation is continues to 8% when the pressure in the bottle reaches 8 bar, where the process is naturally arrested leaving a natural residual sweetness. The wine then lies on the lees until March when the bottles are emptied into tank under seeb bar of pressure preserving the precious bubbles. It is then filted under pressure & refilled. It has a beautiful pale pink colour, an excellent fine mousse & a most attractive fruity flavour of stawberries, soft red fruits & a delicious crispness with only 8% alcohol. [read on...]

£9.30

The treatment of the grapes after harvest has an important bearing on the style of this Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Part of the crop juice was macerated for 10 days at 5C before fermentation. Another 20% of the grapes with skins underwent a 10 hour pre-fermentation cold maceration at 18C before being pressed to accentuate the aromas and give more weight to the wine: The juice was cold clarified, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 2 months on the lees to further add to the distinctive fruit character and texture. Perfumed gooseberry leaf style on the nose, the flavour is pure, vibrant and lively with pleasing complexity. An elegant wine more "intellectual" wine than many Sauvignon Blanc wines. Lovely palate weight and well balanced crispness adds to its length. [read on...]

£7.95

Chenin Blanc vines thrive in the Loire region and Vouvray situated east of Tours produces some of the finest wines in the world from this popular grape This is a fine example and attractively priced too. Just off-dry it has an intense flavour full of exotic tropical fruits and just a touch of crisp acidity to balance these flavours perfectly. This really is a 'must try' for the uninitiated connoisseur. [read on...]

£9.75