Chenin Blanc

The fruit for this Chenin comes from small blocks planted in the 1970s by Tierhoek, one of the pioneers of the Piekenierskloof. Classic aromas of citrus and orchard fruits emerge on the nose, with undertones of earthy minerality adding another layer of complexity. The palate is bright and zesty, redolent of grapefruit pith and quince. The mid-palate is toned, elegant and concentrated with refreshing acidity. Lively and long on the finish, this wine is truly expressive of its unique terroir. 
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

Vivid melon, citrus and nectarine aromas. Lively and fresh entry to the palate with stonefruit, peach and apricot immediately apparent. Crisp and zesty with some citrus notes adding vibrance. Rounded, fleshy mid-palate with ample fruit character balanced by acidity. Gently lingering light finish. 

This wine provides all the immediacy and gratification you could want, but the old vines grown on ancient Swartland soils give it a granitic edge, with a residual impression that is rather more complex for this price than experience would indicate.
Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Director

This is unbelievably good value; fresh, fruity and elegant with a perfect balance between the richness of the burnt tarte tatin sugar and the crunchy acidity. Packed with pineapple, lime, mandarin orange and peach flavours, this has the potential to improve for a few years to come, but is wonderfully approachable now. 102 g/l residual sugar. 
David Berry Green

Vincent is a young producer, and he’s going places. This sparkling Chenin Blanc is made in the méthode ancestrale. Partly fermented in tank, the wine is then put into bottle with some residual sugar, where the fermentation continues, with no further yeast or sugar added. Unlike some producers, Vincent does disgorge the wine – meaning it is clearer than many of its trendy Pét Nat counterparts. The results are delicious: an apple-and-honey nose leads to a nervy palate with a line of citrus and minerality, softened by a hint of sweetness. Try it as an apéritif or with Asian cuisine.

This extraordinary vineyard lies next to an oil field (called the Jurassic Park Oil Centre – from which the vineyard takes its name). The soils have a layer of deep sand (meaning the vines are able to survive ungrafted), but beneath – and as the nearby pump jacks suggest – there is complex geology. Birichino works with three precious rows of the 40-year-old vines to produce this golden wine. It offers beeswax and orange blossom aromatics, with a citrus-fruit vibrancy on the palate. The linear core has hints of dried apricot that add breadth to the mouth-feel.
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer

Just 570 bottles were produced of the 2017 Granietsteen Chenin Blanc. Fifty-year-old Chenin Blanc bush vines on decomposed granite soil located close to the False Bay coastline produce aromas of honeysuckle, lime and ginger on the nose. The grapes spent five days on the skins before fermentation, as well as nine months on the lees, giving the wine refreshing salinity and a wonderful textural quality.
Daisy Gatt – Buying Assistant

Eric Morgat is the star of Savennieres and the inherent quality of his wines is displayed in each of his cuvees and from year to year. There is finesse and elegance in this cuvee, with a tension and energy that makes pouring a second glass very tempting. Saline, stony mineral core with nervy acidity, with a weight and concentration that makes this incredibly long on the palate.
Fiona Hayes - Buyer

One of the most enjoyable and memorable tastings I have been to was the tasting of the wines from the Loire valley’s Moulin Touchais a few weeks ago. After a brief hiatus while available stocks were checked, I am now very pleased to offer you these fascinating and great value wines. Here at Berry Bros & Rudd, we have long championed the great sweet wines of the Loire. From Bonnezeaux to Vouvray and Coteaux du Layon to Quarts de Chaume, there are dozens of producers that stand out but very few that have a history that stretches as far back as that of Moulin Touchais. The ancestors of the estate were producing wine as far back as 1787, over 130 years before Gaston Huet founded perhaps the region’s most famous estate. Since 1990, the estate’s 150 hectares have been presided over by Jean-Marie Touchais, the 8th generation to run the winery, and very little has changed viticulturally in the last century.

Here the belief is that the best sweet wines are produced with traditional methods: low yields, hand harvesting and slow fermentations, aiming for approximately 70-80g/l of residual sugar in the bottle. Following the vintage, the wine is bottled quickly (the following March), having never seen a barrel and then left in the cellar for a decade before release. A labour of love not an economic enterprise. Fortunately for us the previous generations of the estate had the foresight not to sell through every year so we are in a position to offer a fantastic range of vintages from the estate. 

Notes from Richard Kelley MW, one of the UK’s greatest authorities on the Loire. All are drinking now and will continue to offer pleasure for many years to come and in the case of the younger wines, decades to come!
Chris Pollington, Fine Wine Account Manager


Along with 1990 and 1996, the 1997 is one of the best three vintages of the decade. Rich, open and textured nose with some botrytis elements. This shows its distinction. Rich and lush on entry with great texture and poise. Excellent acid balance, focus and length. This is already approachable but will age and continue to evolve for many years to come. Top wine – top vintage.
Richard Kelley MW

Gaston Huet and his wife built up a domaine with a formidable reputation over the years following its creation by Victor Huet, his father, in 1928. Gaston, war hero and one-time mayor of Vouvray, managed the family domaine from 1947 until his death in 2002. This wine comes from the original vineyard, Le Haut-Lieu (literally meaning “the high place”) which surrounds the house and extends for some nine hectares. Its wines are opulent and approachable when young but are genuine vins de garde and benefit from long-term ageing.

Burnished gold in colour, the nose is full of spiced orange, cloves, a touch of quince and lemon rind, and hints of anise. This wine is lovely and mouth-filling and yet has surprisingly high acidity and a dryness that gives the wine a beautiful mouth-watering snap.

Gaston Huet and his wife built up a domaine with a formidable reputation over the years following its creation by Victor Huet, his father, in 1928. Gaston, war hero and one-time mayor of Vouvray, managed the family domaine from 1947 until his death in 2002. This wine comes from the Clos du Bourg, a vineyard purchased by Gaston in 1953. It is the oldest site in Vouvray, dating back to the eighth century. The allure of this vineyard is not entirely contained within its neat and historic walls, but moreover its reputation for producing formidable sweet wines.

An intense gold colour, there is plenty on offer on the nose: lanolin, caramel and apple crumble to name but a few notes. Gloriously honeyed on the palate, there is a streak of vibrant freshness that stops any cloying sweetness. The finish is incredibly long and persistent. Wonderful!

An intriguing nose that draws you in, Caramel, honey, straw and wet wool are all here. Sweet, even luscious on the palate, but with great acidity that stops it being cloying. Full-bodied and rich, notes of toffee and sugar cane honey are balanced by that wonderful acidity, making it clean on the finish. Truly exceptional.
Chris Pollington, Account Manager

First things first – 1989 is a stunning vintage, one of the best in the 20th Century for the Huet wines. Essai relates to a 1ha vineyard parcel of Le Clos du Bourg which the Huet family decided to apply biodynamic principles. There is a distinctly greater level of development and general largesse to the palate here over the ‘usual’ 1989 Moelleux. This is an expansive and mouth filling wine, lusciously sweet and tropical this has decades of age ahead of it but perfectly balanced meaning it can be enjoyed now. .
Gary Owen, Account Manager