Gamay
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Domaine Michel Chignard,
Ready, but will keep,
Really impressive in ’15, with the capacity to improve over the next decade. In keeping with the vintage, there’s more black fruit than red on the nose. The palate is tightly wound, with plenty of fine tannins, mouth-watering acidity and a ‘wet tarmac’ character, speaking of Les Moriers’ granitic soils.
This cuvée is hand-harvested; fermentation is 100% natural; and the wine is aged for 13 months in old oak foudres.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd.
This cuvée is hand-harvested; fermentation is 100% natural; and the wine is aged for 13 months in old oak foudres.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd.
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£9.50
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£205.20
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£22.80
H/Bottle 24 x 37.5cl 3cs
£144.96
Bottle
£16.95
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£183.00
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£20.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 23cs
£126.48
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Domaine de la Rocaillere,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2016 from Domaine de la Rocaillère is a fruit-driven vin de soif – but one with hidden depths. After all, it’s produced from old vines that are the envy of neighbouring domaines. Expect classic aromas of red fruit and violets, as well as the crisp acidity characteristic of the vintage. This is a great match for classic bistro fare such as steak frites or coq au vin.
Bottle
£11.95
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£129.00
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£14.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£81.48
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£13.95
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Louis Boillot,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 30%*
Louis Boillot's maiden Beaujolais vintage from 4 ha of his own vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent. 50- to 60-year-old vines yielded 39 hl/ha in 2014. Extraction over three weeks in cuve. Maturation was 50% cuve, 50% barrel, of which 20% new, 80% three years old.
Lightish crimson. Lightly smoky and mineral with a hint of oak entwined with the peppery dark-red fruit. Lithe, juicy and delicious but not at all simple. Has both purity of fruit and an expression of origin. A little savoury note on the long finish.
When to drink: 2016 - 2024
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com, 25 February 2016
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Louis Boillot's maiden Beaujolais vintage from 4 ha of his own vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent. 50- to 60-year-old vines yielded 39 hl/ha in 2014. Extraction over three weeks in cuve. Maturation was 50% cuve, 50% barrel, of which 20% new, 80% three years old.
Lightish crimson. Lightly smoky and mineral with a hint of oak entwined with the peppery dark-red fruit. Lithe, juicy and delicious but not at all simple. Has both purity of fruit and an expression of origin. A little savoury note on the long finish.
When to drink: 2016 - 2024
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com, 25 February 2016
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Bottle
£13.97
Case price (12)
£167.64
Bottle 6 x 75cl 22cs
£56.82
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Jean-Marc Burgaud,
Ready, but will keep,
A new name for what was previously known as Vignes de Thulon, Jean-Marc felt he wanted to speak more about the excellent village of Lantignié, which is being touted as the 11th Cru of Beaujolais. As ever, this is made in the traditional Beaujolais fashion, with whole bunches macerated for a week in open concrete tanks to preserve the purity of fruit. The nose is gorgeously perfumed, with a heady mix of floral and red berry notes, while the palate explodes with crunchy cherry fruit and ends on a satisfying, mouth-watering finish.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£14.00
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£151.20
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£16.80
Bottle 12 x 75cl 41cs
£99.96
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 40%*
Although from the same variety (100 percent Gamay), Thibault Ligier-Belair's concentrated, complex Beaujolais is poles apart from the bright and breezy nouveau style with which most drinkers are familiar. From eight parcels of vines of up to 95 years old, on the nose this shows an appealing hint of reduction which gives way to aromas of kirsch and dark berry fruit. The palate is characteristically mineral and tannic, and will benefit from decanting. Drink now to 2029.
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Although from the same variety (100 percent Gamay), Thibault Ligier-Belair's concentrated, complex Beaujolais is poles apart from the bright and breezy nouveau style with which most drinkers are familiar. From eight parcels of vines of up to 95 years old, on the nose this shows an appealing hint of reduction which gives way to aromas of kirsch and dark berry fruit. The palate is characteristically mineral and tannic, and will benefit from decanting. Drink now to 2029.
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£14.10
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£169.20
Bottle 6 x 75cl 39cs
£57.48
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£15.25
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£164.64
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£18.36
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£111.12
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Domaine Metrat,
Ready, but will keep,
Vivid rub-purple in colour, La Roilette hails from old, low-yielding vines towards Moulin à Vent where Fleurie’s characteristic pink granite meets clay. The nose combines violets and strawberries with a peppery, savoury character.20% of this cuvée is matured in used oak, which contributes to the pleasant rondeur of the palate – it’s less mineral but less complex than the domaine’s excellent La Scandaleuse. Drink now to 2021, as an accompaniment to sausage or black pudding dishes.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£15.95
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£172.20
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£19.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 9cs
£117.48
Magnum
£35.00
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will keep,
This cuvée is utterly gorgeous in 2016. Its aromas of flowers and red berries are characteristic of the vintage (’15 centred on darker fruit) but also point to the location of the vines, in the climat of Douby, adjacent to Fleury. With mouth-watering acidity and satisfying grip to the mid-palate, La Voute Saint-Vincent ‘16 is a heaven-made made match for charcuterie.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£15.95
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£172.20
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£19.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 18cs
£117.48
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Bottle
£16.50
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£178.20
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£19.80
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 35cs
£122.52
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Alain Michaud,
Ready, but will keep,
Alain’s 2016 Brouilly, from vines between 30 and 100 years old, showcases the fresh acidity and crunchy red-fruit aromas characteristic of this stellar vintage. There’s a hint of grilled meat on the nose too, which – combined with the fine but grippy tannins and subtle saline finish – will have you reaching for the charcuterie. Happily, in 2016, Alain reports his first “correct” crop quantitatively in four years.
Bottle
£17.00
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£183.60
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£20.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 11cs
£126.96
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Chateau Thivin,
Ready, but will keep,
This may be the domaine's basic, blend but it is a fabulous Beaujolais, majestic even in its weight depth and concentration. Very dark in colour with sumptuous fruit, dark plum and damson, this is beautifully balanced, extremely long and succulent. 2013 was clearly a great vintage for Château Thivin.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer
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Bottle
£17.50
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£189.00
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£21.00
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£131.52
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Bottle
£18.00
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£216.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 22cs
£76.98
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Chateau Thivin,
Ready, but will keep,
A magical cuvée vintage after vintage, this is a blend of fruit from seven parcels, with a variety of aspects and soils – mostly blue and pink granite – around the volcanic hill of Brouilly. The nose combines flamboyant aromas of strawberry jam, blueberry and subtler savoury notes, which will become more pronounced with time in bottle.
The theme of cheerful red and blue fruit continues on the palate. Riper and less austere than, say, the cuvée Godefroy, but with the same beguiling saline character to the finish.
Try it with carpaccio or tartare de bœuf.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd
The theme of cheerful red and blue fruit continues on the palate. Riper and less austere than, say, the cuvée Godefroy, but with the same beguiling saline character to the finish.
Try it with carpaccio or tartare de bœuf.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£18.50
Case price (12)
£199.80
Saving
£22.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 3cs
£140.52
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 20%*
A modern style with upfront, vibrant and chewy oak in a well-executed combination with forward fruit. Glossy, luxurious and enjoyable.
Drinking Window 2018 - 2023
Andy Howard MW, James Lawther MW & Matt Wilkin MS, Decanter, 13th June 2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
A modern style with upfront, vibrant and chewy oak in a well-executed combination with forward fruit. Glossy, luxurious and enjoyable.
Drinking Window 2018 - 2023
Andy Howard MW, James Lawther MW & Matt Wilkin MS, Decanter, 13th June 2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£18.80
Case price (6)
£112.80
Bottle 6 x 75cl 21cs
£81.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
£115.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 30%*
Less “nervous” than on its release, but just as energetic, with lifted red berry and floral aromas, fresh acidity and chalky tannins which seem to channel the eponymous rock beneath Thibault’s vines – this parcel just beside the (also eponymous) windmill. There’s real weight of fruit on the palate, including darker berry flavours behind the initial surge of red. A hugely complex wine which will reward a decade’s cellaring.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Less “nervous” than on its release, but just as energetic, with lifted red berry and floral aromas, fresh acidity and chalky tannins which seem to channel the eponymous rock beneath Thibault’s vines – this parcel just beside the (also eponymous) windmill. There’s real weight of fruit on the palate, including darker berry flavours behind the initial surge of red. A hugely complex wine which will reward a decade’s cellaring.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£19.25
Case price (12)
£231.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 21cs
£83.22
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will keep,
The lieu-dit of Javernières lies at the foot of the Côte du Py, on soils of deep clay. This cuvée is invariably deep-coloured, concentrated and age-worthy, but the ’14 – in keeping with the vintage – majors on crunchy red fruit and mouth-watering acidity. The palate is medium-bodied, with a winning soupçon of spice. Drinking brilliantly in winter 2017.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£19.50
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£211.80
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£22.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 4cs
£150.48
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
Julien Sunier has established himself in an old farmhouse in Avénas, with three small plots of Cru Beaujolais to his name, all farmed organically. His plot in Fleurie is at the top of the La Madone hill, just behind the chapel, nicely protected from the elements by dry stone walls. The site has never been polluted by chemicals, so has impressive biodiversity.
This has the glorious floral character of Fleurie, especially redolent of alpine strawberries. It is exceptionally persistent in the mouth and should age very well, if you can resist drinking it early.
This has the glorious floral character of Fleurie, especially redolent of alpine strawberries. It is exceptionally persistent in the mouth and should age very well, if you can resist drinking it early.
Berrys' Carton
Bottle
£19.95
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£215.40
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£24.00
Berrys' Carton
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£153.48
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 20%*
The 2015 Moulin a Vent Champ de Cour comes from 80-year-old vines and is 30% whole bunch fruit with 30% new oak. This easily has the best aromatics: red cherries, kirsch, a touch of cassis and fresh fig, quite complex and well defined. The palate is vibrant on the entry with a fine line of acidity, crisp and energetic with a sturdy, slightly backward finish that suggests it will need a couple of years to fully mature.
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
The 2015 Moulin a Vent Champ de Cour comes from 80-year-old vines and is 30% whole bunch fruit with 30% new oak. This easily has the best aromatics: red cherries, kirsch, a touch of cassis and fresh fig, quite complex and well defined. The palate is vibrant on the entry with a fine line of acidity, crisp and energetic with a sturdy, slightly backward finish that suggests it will need a couple of years to fully mature.
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£20.80
Case price (6)
£124.80
Bottle 6 x 75cl 9cs
£90.96
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Chateau Thivin,
Ready, but will keep,
Exceptionally steep slopes of granite and schist endow the best wines of the Côte de Brouilly with a complexity and minerality rarely found in those of the flatter vineyards of Brouilly, a separate Cru, which loops around the first. Les Griottes is a single parcel of vines, mid-slope (where cherries once grew, hence the name), whose southerly aspect results in a rich, ripe cuvée, with black fruit aromas to the fore, as well as a subtle but distinctive hint of caramel. The ’16 is fresher and more linear than warmer vintages, but no less seductive. The grapes were partially de-stemmed, and the wine aged in huge oak casks, some of which have seen a century of vintages. The winemaker at Château Thivin is talented 30-something Claude-Edouard Geoffray, whose family purchased the domaine in 1877. Drink 2018-2023.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.
New To BBX
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£200.00
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
Wild Soul is Julien’s “project”, a wine made from grapes bought from trusted vignerons who have well-sited vines at high altitude on rocky, granite soils. Made in the same manner as his other wines, with no sulphur during the vinification or élevage and no fining or filtration, this is raised in a concrete egg and neutral tank, in order to preserve purity of fruit. The result is a pure, refreshing expression of Gamay which lends itself to every occasion.
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£21.00
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£226.80
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£25.20
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
For laying down,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 20%*
The 2015 Moulin a Vent la Roche contains 40% whole bunch fruit and is aged in 30% new oak. It comes from 70-year-old vines cropped at 24 hectoliters per hectare. This is much more controlled and sophisticated on the nose compared to the Vieilles Vignes, more mineralité showing through. The palate is well balanced with chewy tannin, grippy in the mouth with black cherries, tar and blueberry on the heady finish. This is a delicious, quite punchy Moulin-à-Vent from Thibault Liger-Belair.
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
The 2015 Moulin a Vent la Roche contains 40% whole bunch fruit and is aged in 30% new oak. It comes from 70-year-old vines cropped at 24 hectoliters per hectare. This is much more controlled and sophisticated on the nose compared to the Vieilles Vignes, more mineralité showing through. The palate is well balanced with chewy tannin, grippy in the mouth with black cherries, tar and blueberry on the heady finish. This is a delicious, quite punchy Moulin-à-Vent from Thibault Liger-Belair.
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£22.00
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£132.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 31cs
£96.96
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£22.50
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£121.50
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£88.26
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
WOW! Or should that be WAW (What A Wine!)? 2015 was lauded as a great vintage in Beaujolais, producing wines of tremendous concentration which, in most cases, will benefit from lengthy cellaring. Olivier’s superb La Rochelle is bound to age well – as it always does – but isn’t necessarily typical of the vintage: tasting this wine, finesse is the first descriptor that comes to mind, rather than concentration or power. It’s positively aérien, with red fruit and floral notes to the fore. Olivier has gradually reduced the amount of new oak on this cuvée, and that seems a wise decision.
La Rochelle is an extraordinary vineyard for numerous reasons. Its eighty-year old vines are planted at a density of 12,000 per hectare (10,000 gives one metre between each vine). The granite bedrock lies close enough to the surface to peak through in places. The consequences for us, the lucky drinkers, include a pronounced mineral character to wine. In a warm vintage like 2015, it renders La Rochelle reminiscent of something from the Northern Rhône – let’s not forget, Moulin à Vent is, geographically, much closer to Côte-Rôtie than the Côte d’Or.
In short, this is a cheerful, supremely enjoyable wine, with a rare degree of complexity and serious capacity to develop over the next decade and beyond.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd
La Rochelle is an extraordinary vineyard for numerous reasons. Its eighty-year old vines are planted at a density of 12,000 per hectare (10,000 gives one metre between each vine). The granite bedrock lies close enough to the surface to peak through in places. The consequences for us, the lucky drinkers, include a pronounced mineral character to wine. In a warm vintage like 2015, it renders La Rochelle reminiscent of something from the Northern Rhône – let’s not forget, Moulin à Vent is, geographically, much closer to Côte-Rôtie than the Côte d’Or.
In short, this is a cheerful, supremely enjoyable wine, with a rare degree of complexity and serious capacity to develop over the next decade and beyond.
Will Heslop, Buyer. Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£22.95
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£248.88
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£26.52
Bottle 6 x 75cl 13cs
£90.66
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£250.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
The 2013 Moulin-à-Vent Vieilles Vignes comes from 60- to 80-year-old vines. It has a very subtle and complex bouquet of blackberry, boysenberry and mineral scents that unfold in the glass.
The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit on the entry, but the back end exerts quite a grip. It does not quite have the panache of other vintages that I have tasted, but it is still an impressive Moulin-à-Vent that will repay those with the patience to cellar for several years.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - robertparker.com - Apr 2015
The palate is medium-bodied with supple black fruit on the entry, but the back end exerts quite a grip. It does not quite have the panache of other vintages that I have tasted, but it is still an impressive Moulin-à-Vent that will repay those with the patience to cellar for several years.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - robertparker.com - Apr 2015
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£23.00
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£248.40
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£27.60
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£90.48
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£23.00
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£138.00
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£102.00
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
Superb even purple colour. The nose begins discreetly but then begins to expand wonderfully, a lovely smooth rich fruit throughout, total harmony, very lovely long and fine. In recent vintages Olivier has pursued a lighter touch in extraction, allowing the fruit from ancient vines to be expressed more graciously.
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£23.50
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£215.40
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£76.74
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
Régnié is situated next to its better-known cousin, Morgon, and this wine displays a little of its neighbour’s structure. It is a blend of parcels; one on sandy granite soils giving mid-palate richness, the other stony gravel which adds spice and structure. This is a fruity and gentle wine to be enjoyed on its own or with simple dishes.
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£253.80
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
Recent vintages of Olivier’s Moulin-à-Vent wines have shown a move to a more elegant, less-extracted style, reducing the proportion of new oak That is not to say, however, that he has lost any of the classic pink granite expression for which Moulin-à-Vent is famous. From vines mostly planted in 1937, there is a real energy and concentration here. Rich red fruit combines with smoky pepper notes and a gorgeous floral perfume, while the stony tannins and incredible length point to great ageing potential. Drink 2020-2028.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer
The excellence of Cru Beaujolais is something I have held dear for some time, but its ageing potential was first brought to my attention when I was served two Moulin-à-Vent wines from 1961 and 1962 produced by Camille Giroud. The freshness and complexity of these wines was simply astonishing and I have since made it something of a personal mission to return these great wines to their rightful place in the cellars and on the tables of the most discerning wine drinkers. The wines in our offer cover a range of styles; whole-bunch, de-stemmed, oaked, unoaked, elegant and floral, dense and structured. This almost endless variety and versatility is what is most fascinating about Gamay grown on Beaujolais’s volcanic soils. What the wines have in common, however, is that they all offer excellent value for money and great drinking pleasure.
Bottle
£25.00
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£270.00
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 69cs
£99.48
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A French variety planted predominately in Beaujolais where it is the grape behind everything from light and often acidic Beaujolais Nouveau through to the more serious and well-structured wines from the 10 cru villages. It takes its name from a hamlet just outside Chassagne-Montrachet and was at one stage widely planted on the Côte d`Or. However it was gradually phased out due to its poor yield and supposed poor quality of its wines.
The majority of Gamay wines in Beaujolais are labelled as Beaujolais or Beaujolais-Villages and are deliciously juicy, easy drinking, gulpable wines. Of more interest are the Cru wines from the 10 villages in the north of the region where the soil is predominantly granitic schist and where the vines are planted on gently undulating slopes. These can be well-structured, intensely perfumed wines, redolent of ripe black fruits and, while delicious young, will reward medium term cellaring.
Gamay is also grown in the Touraine region of the Loire where it produces soft, well-balanced, gluggable wines for drinking young.