Vin de Pays
Since their birth almost forty years ago, Vins de pays (‘country wines’) have become popular both in France and abroad and enjoy particular success in Britain. Intended to be ‘easy to understand and to drink’, these wines represent the second rung in the ladder of French wine classification, being superior to Vin de Table but below the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure (VDQS)
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£8.95
Case price (12)
£107.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 143cs
£62.64
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Domaine de Montmarin,
Drink now,
Domaine de Montmarin lies among the hills running down to the Mediterranean to the west of Cap d’Agde in the Côtes de Thongue appellation. It covers around 350 hectares, of which just over 120 are planted with vines. The owner, Philippe de Bertier, is a charming individual who, with the help of his consultant oenologist and maître de chai Bertrand Waris makes exceptionally good and well-presented varietal IGP wines.
This fleshy, fruit-driven red is loaded with plummy, blackberry fruit. The palate is very juicy with more ripe blackberries and a soft but moreish finish. The tannins are very fine and the acidity is in balance with everything else, making this a very easy-drinking wine, perfect for a glass or two over lunch. Drink now to 2020.
This fleshy, fruit-driven red is loaded with plummy, blackberry fruit. The palate is very juicy with more ripe blackberries and a soft but moreish finish. The tannins are very fine and the acidity is in balance with everything else, making this a very easy-drinking wine, perfect for a glass or two over lunch. Drink now to 2020.
Bottle
£10.95
Case price (12)
£118.20
Saving
£13.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£71.64
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Domaine Felines Jourdan,
Drink now,
Having taken over from her father, Claude Jourdan now runs this property, an impressive estate that consists of over 100 hectares near the coastal town of Sète, where the vines benefit from cooling ocean breezes.
Golden in colour, ripe peach aromas are combined with apricot, honey and camomile. White flowers and vibrant citrus notes are joined by juicy and refreshing acidity, as well as an attractive phenolic grip on the palate. Drink now to 2020.
Golden in colour, ripe peach aromas are combined with apricot, honey and camomile. White flowers and vibrant citrus notes are joined by juicy and refreshing acidity, as well as an attractive phenolic grip on the palate. Drink now to 2020.
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£10.95
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Bottle
£11.50
Case price (12)
£138.00
Bottle 12 x 75cl 13cs
£88.08
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Bottle
£11.95
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Domaine Mouton,
Drink now,
As always this wine is very expressive, packed full of vibrant fruit characters. The nose shows plenty of orange, greengage and white blossom, while the palate is equally generous with more citrus and stone-fruit. Barrel fermentation brings a nice creaminess to the wine and the finish is long and expressive. Think of this as a “mini-Condrieu”. Drink now to 2021.
Oliver Barton, Buying Assistant
Oliver Barton, Buying Assistant
Bottle
£23.30
Case price (6)
£125.82
Saving
£13.98
Bottle 6 x 75cl 18cs
£91.44
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Bottle
£29.95
Case price (6)
£179.70
Bottle 6 x 75cl 16cs
£136.32
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Domaine Gauby,
Ready, but will keep,
Gérard Gauby is the extremely well-respected vigneron who oversees the winemaking at this domaine. This estate is considered one of the most exciting and high performing wineries in France and Gérard has spent a long time studying his local terroir, planting and then replanting different grape varieties and also planting trees around his vineyard to protect from the wind and drought. This white, made from a blend of Maccabeu, Grenache Blanc, Carignan Blanc, Grenache Gris and Chardonnay (some of which is matured in barrel) is positively ethereal. The blend gives an array of fruit from citrus, through apple and pear to peach, all in balance with its lovely freshness – which Gérard believes comes from the mineral composition of the soil but which is surely helped by the high altitude of his vineyard. The wine is delicate and dainty with a long mineral finish which makes it incredibly easy to drink, while its acidity and complexity make it a fine match for most fresh water or sea fish dishes.
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£29.95
Case price (6)
£179.70
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
£136.32
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Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 123cs
£137.94
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Le Soula,
Ready, but will keep,
This cuvée is made from Carignan, Syrah and Grenache fruit from old vines which are farmed biodynamically and planted high in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The high altitude allows the fruit to retain a lovely freshness which gives this wine finesse and elegance. Made using minimum amounts of sulphur, this red has plenty of ripe blackcurrant and red berry fruit which sit alongside leather, thyme and a subtle “animal note”, which is present enough to give complexity without overwhelming the palate as some natural wines can do. Aged at the domaine, this is ready for drinking, although it will mature very gracefully should one wish to keep it for a while.
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer
Oliver Barton, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£33.95
Case price (12)
£407.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 2cs
£312.60
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Domaine Gauby,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 2nd September this product is discounted by 30 percent. Price shown includes saving.*
This terroir driven Red from the rebellious and characterful southern French winemaker Gerard Gauby is packed full of dark bramble fruit and earthy spices on the nose. The palate reveals more ripe fruit with an elegant floral lift and cool mineral notes on the long finish. Big rich and structured this wine drinks well in its youth but with reward patient cellaring. Drink 2019 – 2030.
*Discount is already applied to the single-bottle price and no further discount will be applied at checkout.
This terroir driven Red from the rebellious and characterful southern French winemaker Gerard Gauby is packed full of dark bramble fruit and earthy spices on the nose. The palate reveals more ripe fruit with an elegant floral lift and cool mineral notes on the long finish. Big rich and structured this wine drinks well in its youth but with reward patient cellaring. Drink 2019 – 2030.
*Discount is already applied to the single-bottle price and no further discount will be applied at checkout.
Bottle
£43.40
Case price (6)
£260.40
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Case price (Bottle 6 x 75cl)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 31cs
£239.94
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£300.00
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Mas de Daumas Gassac,
Drink now,
The white wine of Mas de Daumas Gassac is a blend of mainly Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng; the wine is beautifully perfumed, a hymn of white flowers and peach kernels; then the palate, textured and rich, wonderfully expressive and seamlessly constructed.
The domaine of Mas de Daumas Gassac, famously described as' The First Growth of the Languedoc' by no less a luminary than Hugh Johnson , is located just to the north-west of Montpellier.The advice given in 1972 to the owner Aimé Guibert by geologist Henri Enjalbert and Bordeaux oenologist Emile Peynaud, was that both the soils and the climate here were perfect to reproduce the outstanding quality of the wines of the Médoc and in particular to the cultivation of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, hitherto a virtual stranger this far East. History has proved them to be correct!
The domaine of Mas de Daumas Gassac, famously described as' The First Growth of the Languedoc' by no less a luminary than Hugh Johnson , is located just to the north-west of Montpellier.The advice given in 1972 to the owner Aimé Guibert by geologist Henri Enjalbert and Bordeaux oenologist Emile Peynaud, was that both the soils and the climate here were perfect to reproduce the outstanding quality of the wines of the Médoc and in particular to the cultivation of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, hitherto a virtual stranger this far East. History has proved them to be correct!
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£145.00
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Ready, but will keep,
The magic of Eloi Durbach’s Mediterranean vineyard stems not only from the natural beauty of the Beaux-de-Provence setting, with its gentle rolling hills and aromas of scrub, thyme and rosemary, not only from its romantic genesis and on-going connections with the bohemian world of painting and sculpture, but also from the simple philosophy which has informed the winemaking itself. Eschewing the dictates of Appellation Contrôleé and no friend of techniques such as destemming, filtration or the use of cultured yeasts, Eloi has ploughed on ( probably with a horse) and built a reputation for this wonderful wine with labels drawn by his late father, each subtly different , each designed to capture something of the essence of the vintage in question.
A propos, the 2010 is an outstanding example and therefore logically will merit a label which captures the colours and contours of a perfect season. The wine repays the compliment; the blend is divided equally between Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the former lending an elegant Palladian structure, the later bright arboreal colour…..or in wine speak, firm but finely-etched tannins and a measured density of fruit, with blackberry and black cherry to the fore, and behind that hints of bay laurel and distant autumnal bonfires. The achievement of interloping Cabernet Sauvignon into these warm Provençal vineyards has been significant, and has no better illustration than the 2010 vintage.
A propos, the 2010 is an outstanding example and therefore logically will merit a label which captures the colours and contours of a perfect season. The wine repays the compliment; the blend is divided equally between Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the former lending an elegant Palladian structure, the later bright arboreal colour…..or in wine speak, firm but finely-etched tannins and a measured density of fruit, with blackberry and black cherry to the fore, and behind that hints of bay laurel and distant autumnal bonfires. The achievement of interloping Cabernet Sauvignon into these warm Provençal vineyards has been significant, and has no better illustration than the 2010 vintage.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£309.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£310.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£370.00
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£140.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£175.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£180.00
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Domaine Gauby,
Ready, but will keep,
‘Old vines’ is a somewhat nebulous term, but the Carignan vines that provide 35% of this blend are unequivocally long in the tooth – planted up to 125 years ago. The remainder of the blend is Grenache (a mere 55 years-old), Mourvèdre and Syrah, which have been cultivated bio-dynamically since 2001. Like all the domain’s wines, Vieilles Vignes Rouge is bottled un-fined and unfiltered in order to capture as much as possible of its exceptional provenance.
The 2012 is redolent of the hillsides of Roussillon: aromas of garrigue and fresh black fruit. Black fruit dominates the palate, supported by firm tannins. The finish is long and confident.
Will Heslop - Buying Department
The 2012 is redolent of the hillsides of Roussillon: aromas of garrigue and fresh black fruit. Black fruit dominates the palate, supported by firm tannins. The finish is long and confident.
Will Heslop - Buying Department
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£129.00
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Ready, but will keep,
“Trévallon Rouge always has similarities in structure and finesse to the finer wines of the Médoc whilst holding resonance with the dense, dark wines of the Northern Rhône. 2011 is no different, with the Rhone aspect holding a stronger hold over the palate at the moment. Rich and exuberant red and black fruit vie for attention through the front of the palate. A distinctive white pepper lifts the mid palate before a focussed, linear finish. This wine is refreshing and appealing now, but will surely benefit from a further two years in the cellar and can be enjoyed over the following ten.”
(Gary Owen - Fine Wine Department - 29-Nov-2012)
(Gary Owen - Fine Wine Department - 29-Nov-2012)
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£250.00
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Mas de Daumas Gassac,
Ready, but will keep,
2011 was relatively-speaking a cooler year in the Aniane Valley, and the wine has greater freshness than sometimes, greater purity and perhaps a greater sense of terroir. The fruit ripened nicely, if later, and the tannins are finely drawn, not for a moment forsaking the virtues of balance, structure and length. Small grapes with thick skins are reliable qualitative precursors, it seems.
The Cabernet dominates, as always, with the supporting cast made up of Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Pinot Noir, Neboilo, Dolcetto and Tempranillo to name but a few. Peonies, wild berries, sousbois and spice (the wines has seen 16 months of new barrique) are the dominant notes at present; but the precise descriptors will evolve as much as the wine over time, taking on even greater complexity and harmony.
Simon Field MW, Berrys' Southern France Buyer
The dominant Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend leads to lovely rich dark fruits and a pleasing sense of style. However, for me the real interest comes from the other varietals that are blended with this, they add real interest to the palate, with meaty, smoky characters coming through and a powerful structure that clearly indicates this will age very well indeed. Mas de Daumas Gassac is a wine with a big reputation and in 2011 it clearly demonstrates why it is in such demand!
Matthew Tipping, Fine Wine Sales Manager - 29-Nov-2012
The Cabernet dominates, as always, with the supporting cast made up of Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Pinot Noir, Neboilo, Dolcetto and Tempranillo to name but a few. Peonies, wild berries, sousbois and spice (the wines has seen 16 months of new barrique) are the dominant notes at present; but the precise descriptors will evolve as much as the wine over time, taking on even greater complexity and harmony.
Simon Field MW, Berrys' Southern France Buyer
The dominant Cabernet Sauvignon in this blend leads to lovely rich dark fruits and a pleasing sense of style. However, for me the real interest comes from the other varietals that are blended with this, they add real interest to the palate, with meaty, smoky characters coming through and a powerful structure that clearly indicates this will age very well indeed. Mas de Daumas Gassac is a wine with a big reputation and in 2011 it clearly demonstrates why it is in such demand!
Matthew Tipping, Fine Wine Sales Manager - 29-Nov-2012
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£150.00
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£180.00
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Domaine Stephane Ogier,
Ready, but will keep,
Best-value Northern Rhône Red
The wines of Seyssuel may currently be classified as Vin de Pays, but I think the quality easily justifies it having its own appellation. No doubt this will happen as some stage; we will be hearing more and more about this emerging area of the Northern Rhône. A floral nose leads to lots of spicy and smoky notes across the palate. Cool, succulent dark fruit with an attractive creaminess, cleansing acidity and an anise finish. A vin de plaisir
Martin Rolph, Private Account Manager
Elegantly styled and full of quality, this strikes an instant sense of complexity with spicy wild strawberries and black cherries on the nose. A bit of hedonistic pleasure isn’t far behind though as the palate is pure and silky smooth, before soft and clean tannins give a very fresh feel to the finish.
Guy Davies, Wine Team
L’Ame Sœur is now recognised as one of the most successful of the Seyssuel projects, that is to say the vineyards that have been revitalised above Vienne on the East side of the River… the subtle differences in aspect and soil (mica-schist in essence) are captured, enticingly, in an example which glories in pavonine complexity on the finish.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
If one is permitted to assess the quality of a vigneron by the number of eager Antipodean cellar rats helping out at vintage time, then Stéphane Ogier appears to be the man of the moment. If one takes the more traditional approach of assessing quality by analysis of what is in the glass, or what is in the barrel, then he is definitely the man of the moment. He compares it to 2010, which is praise indeed.
The wines of Seyssuel may currently be classified as Vin de Pays, but I think the quality easily justifies it having its own appellation. No doubt this will happen as some stage; we will be hearing more and more about this emerging area of the Northern Rhône. A floral nose leads to lots of spicy and smoky notes across the palate. Cool, succulent dark fruit with an attractive creaminess, cleansing acidity and an anise finish. A vin de plaisir
Martin Rolph, Private Account Manager
Elegantly styled and full of quality, this strikes an instant sense of complexity with spicy wild strawberries and black cherries on the nose. A bit of hedonistic pleasure isn’t far behind though as the palate is pure and silky smooth, before soft and clean tannins give a very fresh feel to the finish.
Guy Davies, Wine Team
L’Ame Sœur is now recognised as one of the most successful of the Seyssuel projects, that is to say the vineyards that have been revitalised above Vienne on the East side of the River… the subtle differences in aspect and soil (mica-schist in essence) are captured, enticingly, in an example which glories in pavonine complexity on the finish.
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
If one is permitted to assess the quality of a vigneron by the number of eager Antipodean cellar rats helping out at vintage time, then Stéphane Ogier appears to be the man of the moment. If one takes the more traditional approach of assessing quality by analysis of what is in the glass, or what is in the barrel, then he is definitely the man of the moment. He compares it to 2010, which is praise indeed.
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£165.00
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Domaine Stephane Ogier,
Ready, but will improve,
Perennial Berry Bros. & Rudd favourite, for staff and customers alike, La Rosine is sourced from vines just to the south of the appellation, including some on the plateau above. Decomposed granite, high planting densities and careful winery treatment, where pumping over is eschewed in favour of a more gentle cap management: all these factors contribute to the silky, charming ensemble presented in the glass; its ripe and generous fruit held in check by an authoritative, gently spicy finish. Drink now to 2021.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
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Domaine Stephane Ogier,
For laying down,
Perched above the increasingly precarious Autoroute A7, these ancient “Vienne” vines host the renaissance of some of France’s oldest plots. Seyssuel labours patiently through the labyrinth of the INAO in a quest for appellation status. Stéphane labours equally patiently on these steep mica-schist soils. Ten years ago he experimented with stems; this year, despite the near perfection of the vintage, there has been complete de-stemming. This wine always haunts aromatically – violets and crushed rock of the sepulchre – while the palate is more forward, ripe blueberry and myrtle providing the most immediate Proustian recollection. Drink 2018-2025.
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£180.00
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Ready, but will keep,
A gorgeous biodynamic wine, an even split of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 2 years in a combination of foudre and barrel. Seamless, elegant and layered, with fabulous cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf and spice, this full-bodied beauty is perfectly balanced, with no hard edges, fine tannin and terrific length. Drink now, it has the concentration and balance to continue to evolve gracefully for at least another decade.
94/100 Jeb Dunnuck eRobertParker.com #216 Jan 2015
94/100 Jeb Dunnuck eRobertParker.com #216 Jan 2015
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
£688.88
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Ready, but will keep,
Domaine de Trévallon is located in the medieval town of Les Baux-de-Provence, 30km due south of Avignon, relatively close to the Southern Rhône, but, whereas Châteauneuf-du-Pape glories in heady Grenache and brooding Mourvèdre, Trévallon is an equal partnership of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Cabernet has found a natural homestead in the relative altitude of the slopes of the Alpilles, its generous black fruit core held in counterpoint by the purity and focus of the Syrah.
An idiosyncratic wine, with mint, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, and ripe blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf on the nose. The palate is superbly balanced, with reams of ripe cassis fruit, full-bodied, but fresh and lively. It has a precision and elegance one would not expect from a Southern French wine. The tannins are ripe and chalky, which is a nice foil to the ripe fruit palate.
An idiosyncratic wine, with mint, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, and ripe blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf on the nose. The palate is superbly balanced, with reams of ripe cassis fruit, full-bodied, but fresh and lively. It has a precision and elegance one would not expect from a Southern French wine. The tannins are ripe and chalky, which is a nice foil to the ripe fruit palate.
New To BBX
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£298.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£350.00
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En Primeur
Bottle 6 x 75cl 82cs
£75.00
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Showing 1-28 out of 28 items
Fiona Hayes, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd