STILL WINE
Still wine is made from either just one grape variety (a single-varietal wine) or from a combination of approximately 1,000 grape varieties suitable for wine production. A versatile drink that can be consumed on its own, with food or even in cocktails.
PRODUCTION
Wine is produced from grapes belonging to the vitis vinifera family. The grapes are picked, fermented and then aged – either in stainless steel tanks or in oak casks, the latter imparting extra flavours into wine. Grapes can be grown, and wine made, almost anywhere in the world and there are many different styles, from dry red wines from France to aromatic white wines from New Zealand and sweet wines from Cyprus.
STYLES
Red and rosé wines are made from red grapes, with the colour of a wine being determined by the amount of colour that is extracted from the skin when the grapes are pressed. White wines are made predominantly from white grapes. Grapes have natural sugars and whether they remain after the fermentation process will determine whether the wine is dry, sweet, or somewhere in between.
Showing 1–20 of 187 results
Sassicaia 2021 Box 6x75cl 14%
Tuscan wine royalty, Tenuta San Guido, releases Sassicaia 2021, the latest vintage of its true iconic flagship wine this February. The 2021, available through importers Armit Wines, has been eagerly anticipated following favourable vintage conditions on the rolling slopes of Bolgheri, towards Tuscany’s stunning western coastline. We sent The Buyer’s very own Italophile, Mike Turner, to taste the wines with Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta and find out more about what proves to be another much sought-after triumph for the team at Tenuta San Guido.
The Sassicaia 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia of Tenuta San Guido was obtained from Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) grapes raised in the prestigious DOC of the same name which is located within Tenuta San Guido, located in the territory of Bolgheri (LI). The vineyards of origin are situated on calcareous soils rich in marl, stones and stones (which give the wine its name) and partly clayey, located at an altitude between 100 and 300 metres above sea level. For this red-masterpiece, the alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature between 28° and 30° C without the addition of external yeasts. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to French oak barriques (for 1/3 new wood and for the remainder of the first and second passage) where it was aged for 24 months, keeping the masses separated by vineyard origin. The assembly was in fact carried out only close to bottling. Before release, Sassicaia 2021 rested for a certain period of time in the bottle.
Taylors 1970 Single Harvest Tawny Port 50 Year Old 75cl
This 1970 single harvest port is the seventh release in Taylor’s Very Old Single Harvest series, matured for five decades in seasoned oak casks. It offers notes of wood shavings, cigar leaf, balsam and citrus that develop into marzipan, walnut, rich coffee and dark fruits on the palate. Try pairing this port with crème brûlée or soft cheeses.
Sassicaia 2021 75cl 14%
Tuscan wine royalty, Tenuta San Guido, releases Sassicaia 2021, the latest vintage of its true iconic flagship wine this February. The 2021, available through importers Armit Wines, has been eagerly anticipated following favourable vintage conditions on the rolling slopes of Bolgheri, towards Tuscany’s stunning western coastline. We sent The Buyer’s very own Italophile, Mike Turner, to taste the wines with Priscilla Incisa della Rocchetta and find out more about what proves to be another much sought-after triumph for the team at Tenuta San Guido.
The Sassicaia 2021 Bolgheri Sassicaia of Tenuta San Guido was obtained from Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) grapes raised in the prestigious DOC of the same name which is located within Tenuta San Guido, located in the territory of Bolgheri (LI). The vineyards of origin are situated on calcareous soils rich in marl, stones and stones (which give the wine its name) and partly clayey, located at an altitude between 100 and 300 metres above sea level. For this red-masterpiece, the alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature between 28° and 30° C without the addition of external yeasts. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was transferred to French oak barriques (for 1/3 new wood and for the remainder of the first and second passage) where it was aged for 24 months, keeping the masses separated by vineyard origin. The assembly was in fact carried out only close to bottling. Before release, Sassicaia 2021 rested for a certain period of time in the bottle.
Sandeman 40 Year Old Tawny Porto 75cl, 20%
Chateau Talbot Saint Julien 2020 75cl, 13.5%
- French
- Alcohol percentage: 13.5 %
- Country/Region: Bordeaux
- Appellation/Wine: Saint-Julien
- Classification: 4ème grand cru classé
- Producer/Owner: Famille Bignon-Cordier
- Vintage: 2020
- Color: red
- Peak: drink until 2035
- Intensity: classic
- Dominant aroma: black fruit
- Tasting occasion: gastronomic wine
Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2017 75cl, 14.5%
Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2017
Chateau Lascombes Margaux Grand Cru Classé 75cl, 13%
From the 17th century to the present day, ten generations of owners have followed one another and have left their mark on the history of Château Lascombes. A destiny marked by colorful characters who all worked for the excellence of Château Lascombes wines.
An alliance of power and elegance, smoothness and tannic richness, Château Lascombes is a complex wine. Young, its deep robe is still impressive. The palate combines finesse and softness with a grain of very noble tannins. Over the years, you have to rediscover Château Lascombes to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity and see its structure evolve, becoming more and more suave.
For more info, visit Château Lascombes website.
VARIETALS
50% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot
VINTAGE
Chateau Pipeau Grand Cru Classe Saint-Emilion Magnum 2016 1.5L 14.5%
by a hot, dry summer. The flowering was rapid and homogeneous. The leaf removal was only carried out on
the rising sun side to avoid any phenomenon of scalding. The green harvest was carried out in two stages, the
first in July to ensure optimum distribution and aeration of the future harvest; a second in August resulting
in the elimination of maturing clusters. The overall maturation phase was exceptional with favorable weather
conditions, little or no moisture and cool nights. The introduction of sexual confusion in the vineyard has
prevented the appearance of perforations due to the budworms of the cluster. All these parameters made it
possible to determine with precision the optimum harvest date for each plot with perfect maturation and an
impeccable sanitary condition.
Barrels selection : Quality and heating adapted according to the typicity of each batch
Malolactic fermentation and aging : 50% in new barrels 50% in stainless steel vats
Yield and estimated production : 40 hl/ha for 22 000 bottles
Bibi Graetz Testamatta Rosso 2019 75cl,14%
Graham’s 40 Year Old Tawny Port (75cl, 20%)
The 40-year-old tawny release from the famed port house of Graham’s – the oldest in their regular range. Well aged in oak and assembled by master blender Charles Symington from wines laid down by his father, uncles, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Taylors 30 Year Old Tawny Port (75cl, 20%)
The house of Taylor Fladgate and Yeatman has produced another fine Tawny port here, with wonderful complexity gained from its 30 years in the wood.
Joseph Drouhin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudesir Chardonnay 75cl 12.5%
Country: France Region: Burgundy
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Vintage: 2018 Colour: White Style: Dry
Producer: Maison Joseph Drouhin
Description:
Starting with the vintage 2008, the name “Vaudon” will be associated with Joseph Drouhin for all its Chablis wines as a sign of the firm’s allegiance to this historical terroir www.drouhin-vaudon.com
Grape Variety : Chardonnay.
Vineyard
Site: a famous vineyard whose relief has no equivalent in Burgundy. Its round shape and steep slope evoke an ancient amphitheater. There are two major exposures: one is due south in the northern section and the other south west in the southern section. It is one of the largest among the seven Grand Crus of Chablis.
History & tradition: the name comes the French “chemin des vaudésirs” (path of the vaudésirs) cutting the vineyard down the middle. In the sixties, when the Chablis vineyards were all but abandoned, Robert Drouhin recognized the potential of this region which had been ravaged by the phylloxera disease a century before. He was one of the first Burgundy propriétaires who set about revitalizing the area.
Soil: the Kimmeridgian limestone contains millions of tiny marine fossils embedded in a kind of whitish mortar which may have been once the bottom of the sea…hundreds of million years ago. This marine origin gives the wines of Chablis their unique flavour.
Drouhin estate: 1.4 ha. (3.5 acres)
Average age of the vines: 30 years
Viticulture
Biological cultivation since 1990 and biodynamic cultivation since 1999.
Soil maintenance: age-old methods. Ploughing: “buttage” (hilling up around the vine-stocks) in autumn; “débuttage” (ploughing back in spring);
work between the rows and the vine stocks done with manual tools only.
Treatment: only authorized products for biological cultivation are used – infusions and macerations of plant materials, sulfur and copper, powdered rock. Natural predators are not eliminated.
Plantation density: 8,000 to 10,000 stocks/ha.
Pruning: double Guyot “Vallée de la Marne” (for its resistance to frost).
Yield: we aim for a lower yield, such as it existed before the new law. This yield is therefore the present maximum yield minus 20%.
Average yield at the Domaine: 46.62hl/ha (the yield currently authorized for the appellation is now 54hl/ha).
Vinification
Harvesting: by hand.
Pressing: very slow so as to respect the fruit. Juices from the last pressings are not retained.
Ageing
Type: in oak barrel (0% new wood).
Length: 12 months.
Origin of the wood: French oak forests.
Weathering of the wood: Joseph Drouhin insists on total control of the weathering for a period of 3 years, one of the contributing elements to the elegance of the wine.
Follow-up: barrel by barrel.
Throughout the ageing process, decisions are taken only after careful tasting evaluation. The data obtained is completed through technical analysis. As with every other Joseph Drouhin wine, absolute priority is given to the true expression of terroir and character of the vintage.
Vintage
The wines show great purity of taste and a pleasant floral style. Chablis is very mineral in character, almost briny.
Brancaia IL Blu Rosso Toscana 2018 30TH Anniversary Edition 75cl, 14.5%
Brancaia IL Blu Rosso Toscana 2018 30TH Anniversary Edition 75cl, 14.5%
Pastourelle de Clerc Milon Pauillac 75cl, 13.5%
In a nutshell:
Mature and complex Pauillac from the classified growth Chateau Clerc Milon, part of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild estates.
The lowdown:
Chateau Clerc Milon can trace its history back to before the Revolution and even as far ago as 1855 was deemed worthy of classification as a great Chateau. However during the mid twentieth century the estate had halved in size and had lost some of its reputation but was then bought by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of neighbouring Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (one of Clerc Milon’s other neighbours is the equally illustrious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild). The estate has undergone a massive transformation over the last few decades and has been brought back to its former glory, that the vineyards, the terroir demand.
Pastourelle de Clerc Milon is the estates second wine, with the 2010 being only the second release, and comes from those same vineyards made by the same team in the same winery. A blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, and Merlot, the wine is deep garnet in the glass. Aromas of dark fruits, cedar, touches of chocolate and dried flowers lead onto a smooth and complex medium-full body. Maturing nicely there are deep, developed dark fruit notes with savoury spice, drying tannins and balanced acidity followed by a long length.
When to drink:
Drink now through to 2030.
Keo St. John Commanderia 1984 50cl, 14.5%
A sweet dessert wine from Cyprus, produced by KEO way back in the 1984s. This fruit-forward, subtly spicy wine is still produced and enjoyed even today.
Chateau Des Laurets ‘Baron’ 75cl, 14.5%
Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port (75cl, 20%)
A 30-year-old tawny port from Graham’s, matured in oak casks for a concentrated flavour with more restrained sweetness than in younger wines.
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva IL Ploggione Vigna Paganelli 75cl,15%
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is produced only in the best vintages and in limited quantity.
This wine comes exclusively from “I Paganelli” vineyard, the oldest one in the estate, planted in 1964. Its vines, used as a clonal reference when planting new vineyards, produce high quality grapes which are picked by the individual selection of the best and ripest bunches.
After the manual harvest, the must ferments at controlled temperature. Subsequently the wine spends a long time in large French oak casks and it is then aged in the bottle.