Beaujolais
Beaujolais is almost entirely planted with the Gamay grape and produces mostly red wines. Around 70 million litres of Beaujolais are produced each year, or two-and-a-half times the entire wine production of the rest of Burgundy. More than half of this is sold as Beaujolais Nouveau, although an Aladdin's trove of gloriously satisfying wines exist amongst the 10 named village crus that occupy a 15-mile strip of granite hills to the north.
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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
Case price (12)
£129.00
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£14.40
Bottle 12 x 75cl 16cs
£81.48
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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
Case price (12)
£151.20
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£16.80
Bottle 12 x 75cl 22cs
£99.96
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Bottle
£15.75
Case price (12)
£189.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 9cs
£65.76
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£99.00
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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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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will keep,
Another success story for the Desvignes siblings, this is a touch fuller than the 2016, owing to a warmer vintage, but with the same bright red fruit character and fresh acidity. Again, its delicate floral aspect points to the location of the vines, in the climat of Douby, adjacent to Fleurie. It’s a versatile food wine, which will enhance – and be enhanced by – any number of styles of cuisine, but I’m plumping for Lincolnshire sausages, fiery mustard and mash.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)
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Bottle
£15.95
Case price (12)
£172.20
Saving
£19.20
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 7cs
£117.48
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Domaine Metrat,
Ready, but will keep,
From the parcel’s oldest vines, this is invariably more concentrated than the standard (non-Vieilles Vignes) Roilette. There’s an attractive savoury note to the nose, as well as the ethereal aromas of flowers and violets synonymous with the best wines of Fleurie. On the palate, expect fresh acidity and fine, chalky tannins. The 2017 is all the more impressive in light of the hail and drought that made for such a challenging vintage.
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant
Bottle
£15.95
Case price (12)
£172.20
Saving
£19.20
Bottle 12 x 75cl 15cs
£117.48
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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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Jean-Marc Burgaud,
Ready, but will improve,
Jean-Marc’s vines at the top of the Côte du Py suffered from hail on May 19th, so his mid-slope south-facing vines – which, he says, are most expressive of the slope’s famous blue granite – had more of a say than usual in the final blend. While this has a hugely attractive bouquet of berry fruit and flowers, it’s the intense mineral character of the palate that makes a real impression. Expect mouth-watering acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins that soften with time in the glass or decanter. There’s plenty of ripe fruit too, courtesy of a relatively warm growing season. A brilliant wine from one of the finest terroirs in Beaujolais, not to mention one of the finest winemakers.
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant
Will Heslop – Burgundy Buying Assistant
Bottle
£18.95
Case price (12)
£204.72
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£22.68
Bottle 12 x 75cl 13cs
£144.60
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
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
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£19.25
Case price (12)
£231.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 9cs
£83.22
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Bottle
£20.50
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£221.40
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£24.60
Bottle 12 x 75cl 43cs
£158.52
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
The fresh, crunchy style of the ’16 vintage suits Julien’s wines down to the ground. For his Régnié, the ground in question is a steep, south-facing slope of pink granite, at an altitude of 280 to 400 metres. As with the majority of Julien’s five-hectare domaine, the vines here are 60 years old. Terroir and Julien’s delicate touch (carbonic maceration, no SO2 or new oak) account for this wine’s exceptionally intense bouquet of strawberries, stone fruit and flowers. It is more angular on the palate than the equally superb Fleurie, but both demand to be drunk lightly chilled and relatively young. Drink 2017-2020.
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.
Bottle
£20.95
Case price (12)
£203.88
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£47.52
Bottle 12 x 75cl 11cs
£143.88
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Les Rouchaux, in the east of the appellation, has deep soils of blue granite which tend to result in “soft”, approachable wines – albeit with big tannins and, in 2015, relatively high (but balanced) alcohol. Expect aromas of blue and black fruit, savoury spice and cola. There’s an enticing sweetness to the front of the palate, which gives way to a fresh, mineral character. All in all, this is an extraordinary wine, which is likely to improve over the next decade and beyond.
Bottle
£22.50
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£121.50
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£13.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 12cs
£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
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£210.00
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Bottle
£22.95
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£247.80
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£27.60
Bottle 12 x 75cl 21cs
£180.48
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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
Bottle
£23.00
Case price (12)
£248.40
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£27.60
Bottle 6 x 75cl 107cs
£90.48
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Bottle
£23.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£149.00
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
Bottle
£23.50
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£120.00
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£23.50
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£126.90
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£14.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl 12cs
£92.76
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£110.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 2cs
£120.00
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Olivier Merlin,
Ready, but will improve,
Olivier Merlin is perhaps best known for his excellent white wines, but his talents also extend to reds. Having spotted the potential of the vineyards of Moulin-à-Vent, he bought some parcels of old vines and quickly began making excellent, ageworthy red wines.
With a superb, even, purple colour, the wine’s nose is discreet at first, but then begins to expand wonderfully, with lovely smooth rich fruit throughout. It’s in 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. Drink now to 2022.
Bottle
£23.50
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£126.90
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£14.10
Bottle 6 x 75cl 41cs
£92.76
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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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Bottle
£23.50
Case price (12)
£253.80
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£28.20
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 11cs
£185.52
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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
Case price (12)
£270.00
Saving
£30.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 64cs
£99.48
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£135.00
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
Ready, but will improve,
Javernières hails from the eponymous lieu-dit, at the foot of the Côte du Py in Morgon. Here, schist gives way to soils of deep clay, resulting in rich, concentrated wines, which pinote (become Pinot-like) as they age. Eighth-generation vigneron Louis-Benoît Desvignes attributes this cuvée’s depth of colour to its long, slow vinification – with no punching down, but a grill to keep the macerating fruit submerged – in open concrete vats. The 2017 is a showstopper, with heady aromas of flowers and savoury spice, and exceptional density on the palate. Only after another year or two, as its massive tannins begin to loosen up, will it reveal the extent of its complexity – fortunately, for the time being, we have a case or two of the ’14 remaining.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)
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Bottle
£25.00
Case price (12)
£270.00
Saving
£30.00
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 14cs
£198.96
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
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
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
Bottle
£26.00
Case price (6)
£140.40
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£15.60
Bottle 6 x 75cl 6cs
£103.98
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
For laying down,
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
Neal Martin - 31/08/2017
Bottle
£27.50
Case price (6)
£148.50
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£16.50
Bottle 6 x 75cl 22cs
£110.76
Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£130.00
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Domaine Julien Sunier,
Ready, but will keep,
Julien’s Fleurie is, in our minds, his finest wine. Raised in old oak barrels from a very famous address in Chambolle-Musigny, this is a classic Fleurie; seductive, perfumed and ethereal. Julien’s winemaking style – using minimal sulphur and intervening as little as possible – ensures that this is a wine which constantly evolves in the glass, morphing from red fruit to black, from brambles to irises and rose petals. A truly complex wine which is rich yet refreshing.
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£27.50
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£297.00
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£33.00
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Bottle 12 x 75cl 14cs
£221.52
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Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes,
For laying down,
This extraordinary cuvée is made from the domaine’s oldest vines, some planted in 1914, in the heavy clay and iron-oxide soils of the lieu-dit Javernières, at the foot of the Côte du Py. Yields here are never greater than 25hl/ha, resulting in a wine of exceptional concentration. True to form, the 2017 is dense and powerful, yet somehow light on its feet, with a freshness that escaped many 2017s (a relatively warm, dry vintage).
The black sheep on the label is an homage to Louis Claude Desvignes, father of Louis-Benoît and Claude-Emmanuelle, who was a vocal opponent of the industrial methods – notably thermovinification – prevalent in Beaujolais in the 1980s. Accordingly, this cuvée is made in the traditional méthode beaujolaise: semi-carbonic maceration, prior to 16 months’ maturation in large concrete vats. Drink 2019-2030.
Will Heslop, Burgundy Buying Assistant (summer 2018)
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Bottle
£37.50
Case price (12)
£405.00
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£45.00
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 14cs
£155.76
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Lafarge Vial,
Ready, but will improve,
This new parcel for Lafarge Vial totals 0.66 hectares of 55-year-old vines planted on blue granite soil on the Mont de Brouilly. The identity of this special terroir is clearly defined, with a richer and darker fruit profile than the prettier Fleurie wines. There are notes of exotic spices on the nose, while the palate has dense, red-black fruit and a touch of pepper which leads on to a stony tannic structure, lending the wine remarkable freshness and purity. Drink 2021-2027.
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
£39.50
Case price (6)
£213.30
Saving
£23.70
Bottle 6 x 75cl 6cs
£164.76
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
A truly special cuvée, hence Thibault’s choice to release it only in magnum, les Vignes Centenaires hails from some of the oldest (a proportion planted in 1872) and best-sited vines in Beaujolais. In ’14, Thibault retained almost half the stems, and aged 40% of this cuvée in new wood, untoasted, to preserve the purity of fruit Thibault regards as one of its hallmarks, alongside extraordinary concentration and length. Best approached from 2019 onwards.
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Will Heslop, Wine Buyer
Magnum
£85.00
Case price (3)
£230.07
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£24.93
Magnum 3 x 150cl 1cs
£178.74
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
For laying down,
This cuvée is produced from vines planted between 1870 and 1880 (pre-phylloxera, needless to say). Half the grapes are de-stemmed, and the wine raised in a large, tronconic cask. The result is reminiscent of the great wines of the Northern Rhône, with meaty, peppery base notes and a sublime floral lift. Its concentration, complexity and length are remarkable, and make for a wine that will reward patient cellaring for the next decade or more.
Magnum
£95.00
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£256.50
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£28.50
Magnum 3 x 150cl 4cs
£200.76
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Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair,
Ready, but will improve,
Until 31st August this product is discounted by 30%*
Brilliant purple in colour, Thibault’s La Roche cuvee from an exceptional site has an incredibly vigorous nose, austere but fabulously concentrated, really fine and persistent. This wine has great keeping potential.
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
Brilliant purple in colour, Thibault’s La Roche cuvee from an exceptional site has an incredibly vigorous nose, austere but fabulously concentrated, really fine and persistent. This wine has great keeping potential.
*Discount already applied to product price. No further discount will be applied at checkout.
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Bottle 6 x 75cl 1cs
£140.00
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