The Gun's specially selected wines for Christmas 2008
Whites
Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine de la Viste, Languedoc, France 2007 £20
Picpoul de Pinet is one of the traditional grapes of the Languedoc region in southern France. Predominantly the older, more obscure grape varieties give way to the easily recognised international grape varieties, but not here. This is a very fresh dry wine with lots of stone fruit aromas, it has good flavour and a lovely long finish. Something different!
Macon Davaye ‘Les Belouzes’, Burgundy, France, 2007 £30
A delicious Chardonnay which has been fermented in temperature controlled vats allowing the crisp, mineral style of Macon to shine through. Wonderful peachy aromas on the nose leading to a full and ripe citrus flavour. A long and lingering finish with gentle acidity makes this wine a perfect match with food.
Hunter’s Chardonnay, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2007 £35
Jane Hunter OBE is one of the pioneers of the New Zealand wine industry. Her family owned estate produces some of Marlborough’s finest wines. We already sell her Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir, so we thought we would offer you her excellent and rare Chardonnay – a full bodied style with a round creamy flavour with plenty of grapefruit and peach flavours that go so well with the light oak from the French oak barrels.
Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine de Riaux, Loire, France, 2007 £40
From the flinty, limestone soils that gives it the name, Pouilly Fumé epitomises elegant Sauvignon from The Loire. It has elderflower, citrus and mineral aromas followed by light, green fruits, nettley hints and excellent length. The palate is powerful and rich, yet bone dry with mouth watering acidity. The Jeannot family have been working these vineyards for the past 200 years, and the father & son team produce wines of the highest quality.
Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montmain’, Christian Adine, Burgundy, Fr, 2007 £45
The Adine family have tended the vines in the village of Courgis, just south of Chablis for generations. Domaine de la Conciergerie is 17ha of Chardonnay which are on average 30 years old giving this wine its character – a classically crisp, steely Chablis Premier Cru with great depth of flavour and very fine elegant complexity. Delicious!
St Aubin, 1er Cru ‘La Chatenière’, Burgundy, France, 2006 £50
St Aubin is a village tucked out of the limelight, between Puligny-Montrachet and Mersault. It has southerly aspect and the minerally character of Puligny with a touch more fleshiness. Gerard Thomas and his daughters produce beautifully balanced wines from Premier Cru vineyards with lovely depth and fruit. The use of oak is exquisite and does not dominate the fruit of citrus, lime, white peach and mango. There are hints of golden hay and acacia giving it its burgundy brilliance.
Reds
Old Pumphouse Shiraz, Thomson Estate, South Australia 2005 £20
This is a true “winter warmer”. Ripened under the hot sun in the Riverland region of Southern Australia, this wine really does deliver. Full bodied plum and blackberry flavours with a hint of spice and richness. Thomson is a privately owned estate and takes great pride in their wines, which are unmistakably Australian but not massed produced, and retain the glorious drinkability which we all love!
Vega Real ‘Roble’, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2006 £30
Ribera del Duero is one of the celebrated high quality regions of Spain which produces superb red wines and Bodegas Vega Real is one of the top producers. Their old Tempranillo vines are grown on prime locations, traditional methods are used where possible and the cellars are home to over 1,000 oak barrels. This is Vega Real’s lighter blend with a touch of oak maturation, which gives the wine its striking, luxurious fruit flavour.
Vacqueyras, Domaine le Clos des Cazaux, S Rhone, France, 2005 £30
Vacqueyras was given its own appellation in 1990, being Cotes-du-Rhone Villages before. It has the hallmarks of its most famous cousin Chateauneuf- du-Pape, as the blend is almost identical using Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre and Cinsault. The oldest part of Domaine le Clos des Cazaux dates back to the 12th century and was owned by the Knights Templar. A deep coloured wine dominated by Syrah with lots of intense blackberry and black cherry flavours - absolutely perfect with red meat.
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Amy’s Blend’, W Australia, 2006 £40
Western Australia only produces 3% of Australia’s wine, but the region is home to 90% of Australia’s premium producers. Moss Wood is one of the celebrated estates located in Margaret River, which is 4 hours drive south of Perth. They are famed for their Cabernet Sauvignon, and ‘Amy’s Blend’ comes from their new vineyards. It is mellow and a forward easy drinking Cabernet, rounded and rich in style and has wonderful elegance.
Givry, Domaine de la Ferté, Burgundy, France 2006 £45
Givry is located in southern Burgundy in the Cote Chalonnaise. Although it is not the most famous red wine in Burgundy, there is a new generation of winemakers making really attractive wines. Domaine de la Ferté is pure Pinot Noir, and offers exquisite aromas of intense chocolate, toast and lots of black, ripe fruit. It really is a lovely rounded, generous red Burgundy, superb with game and other roast meats.
Prelude, 2nd wine of Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse, Bordeaux, 2003 £50
The village of Pauillac on the Haut Medoc is home to the finest Chateaux in the world. Chateau Grand Puy Ducasse is one of Pauillac’s finest estates. Prelude is their second wine, which has all the magic of the main Chateau, but at a fraction of the cost! Classic Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend with light oak maturation. This 2003 is soft and luscious with creamy cassis and a ripe full finish.
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