White wine by the bottle
| Let's start with Chardonnay | |
|---|---|
| Montagny Bonneveaux 1er Cru 2008 Olivier Leflaive, Burgundy, France Honey, lemon, vanilla, biscuit. Stunningly elegant wine. We still love this wine and it’s one of the wines we have continued to list this year. Disappointment will only come if you share this with a fast drinker! | £30.00 |
| Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Jean Chartron 2008, Beaune, Burgundy, France A text book Puligny from one of the best producers of the appellation. Former owners of the Charton et Trebuchet negociants, the Chartron family is now concentrating on producing boutique wines from the most renowned appellations in Burgundy. This a Chardonnay at it’s best, packed with butter and brioche characters, the palate oozing of apricot and baked apple flavours, the feminine, elegant mineral finish is specific to Puligny. | £75.00 |
| Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2009, Hermanus, South Africa A tight, minerally style of Chardonnay with classic Hamilton Russell vineyards length and complexity. Pear fruit aromas are beautifully brought into focus by a tight line of natural acid and dry minerality. An elegant, yet textured and intense wine with a strong personality of both place and vintage. | £36.00 |
| Chardonnay 2009 Cakebread Cellars, Napa, California, USA This wine is principally made with grapes from relatively cool-climate vineyards in the southern Napa Valley, giving an intense minerality to balance the wine's oaky richness and spice. Citrus fruit with balanced notes of vanilla and butterscotch give way to good acidity. | £52.00 |
| Pouilly Fuissé 2009, Domaine Saumaize-Michelin, Burgundy, France When I looked back at my tasting notes from this wine, I had only managed one word, ‘Heavenly’. A beautifully rounded wine with lots of grapefruit, lemon and lovely nutty characters. | £50.00 |
| Patrick Piuze Chablis 1er Cr Vaucoupin 2008, Burgundy, France A favourite for Seumas’ from our tastings and I can honestly say one of the best Chablis 1er Cru’s I’ve tried. Luscious lemons and minerality. | £60.00 |
| Chablis 2009, Domaine William Fèvre, Burgundy, France Classic, clean and crisp. ‘A fine wine is as much an expression of the terroir as the result of the determination of the men who cultivate it.’ The ethos at Domaine Fèvre. | £41.00 |
| Macon Chaintre 2008, Dominique Cornin, Maconnais, Burgundy, France A biodynamic wine with no oak. Tropical and peach fruits. | £35.50 |
| Sauvignon's of the world | |
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| Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand We finally have the new vintage of this fabulous wine and it’s become so popular we’ve only been given limited stock, when it’s gone we’ll need to wait for next years vintage! From Kevin Judd, formally chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay from its inception in 1986 until 2008. | £32.00 |
| Marques de Riscal Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Rioja, Spain This is a truly drinkable and friendly wine. We hosted a Marques de Riscal dinner last year in Gandolfi Fish and this wine really stood out. Tropical fruits and peach. | £29.00 |
| Menetou Salon 2009, Le Clos du Pressior, Joseph Mellot, Loire, France For five centuries, the Mellot dynasty have run this estate bordering Sancerre. It’s tiny Clos de Pressoir vineyard has just 4 hectares of Sauvignon vines and benefits from a similar, fossil-rich soil. The resulting wine is herbaceous with grapefruit notes and a creamy, crushed seashell minerality. Think lemon meringue pie! | £39.00 |
| Pouilly Fumé Aubaine 2008, Jonathan Pabiot, Loire, France Jonathan Pabiot is a young winemaker from a family of very talented winemakers. This particular wine is Jonathan attempt to revive Pouilly-sur-Loire which is ageing the wine on lees and it has paid off. A deep golden colour with the smell of quince jam and redcurrant. Delicate citrus flavours and a very long and mouth watering finish. | £65.00 |
| Pouilly Fumé 2009, Château Favray, Loire, France This is the only wine they make at Château Favray so you would expect the wine to be great and let me tell you, it’s fantastic. Fresh citrus fruit with a grassy acidity. A perfectly balanced sauvignon blanc. | £39.00 |
| Sauvignon Blanc ‘The Foil’ Riposte by Tim Knappstein 2009 Adelaide Hills, Oz Shows fruit on the offensive, a thrust of lifted passion fruit and gooseberry combined with a mineral edge. A weapon of power and elegance, with initial fruit intensity tapering cleanly on the palate to a crisp, finely honed acid point. | £36.00 |
| Iona Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Elgin, South Africa Andrew Gunn, the winemaker, has made our Arbroath Smokies in his house in South Africa (he has the Gandolfi Cookbook). We love the wine, love the winemaker. Couldn’t lose this gem from the list. Wonderfully aromatic nose showing fine mineral notes, hints of herbs, leaves and a touch of gooseberry fruit. The palate is extremely well balanced with classic sauvignon characters of gooseberry and grapefruit and a long, fine, minerally finish. Very stylish and polished. International Wine Challenge Double Trophy Winner, trophy for Best South African Sauvignon Blanc and Best South African White Wine. | £30.00 |
| If I was having Shellfish I might have a bottle of.... | |
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| Mûscadet de Serve et Maine sur Lie, Ch. Haute Cariziere, Loire, France Very fresh and dry. Delicious ripe pear characters with aromatic notes and hints of almond, ideal with oysters. | £24.00 |
| Villa Narcisa Verdejo 2009, Javier Sanz, Rueda Spain Javier San’s family have been winegrowers for four generations. Javier’s great grandfather, Agustín Nanclares, started making wine from grapes grown in their Villa Narcisa estate, which is the name given to Javier’s premium wine. A fresh and vibrant wine loaded with fruit, tasting of grapefruit and a touch of aniseed. | £26.50 |
| Riesling Qba dry 2009, Reichsrat Von Buhl, Pflaz, Germany Bright and lively with distinctive aromas of fresh peach and apricot, with some harder notes of minerality. Full and intense on the palate with same fruits. Good length with a vibrant, precise finish of fresh grapefruit. Great as an aperitif. | £30.50 |
| Vigna Vinera 2008 Salentino, Francesco Candido, Puglia, Italy We already have a red and rose from this winemaker and when we started to taste wine for the new list we discovered that they produce one white wine. Obviously we needed to try this chardonnay and sauvignon blend, the first bottle was corked but the second was not. I loved it and so here it is. Rich and complex with hints of vanilla and exotic fruits. An elegant wine with well integrated new oak, surprisingly fresh and fruity. | £28.00 |
| Lugana Le Fornaci 2008, Tommasi, Veneto, Italy Founded in 1902 by Giacomo Tommasi and now run by the 6 members of the 4th generation of family. After years of searching for a truly memorable cru in the Lugana zone, Tommasi discovered the vineyard ‘Le Fornaci’. It is cultivated in soil deposited by the glacier which carved out Lake Garda and characteristically yields only a small volume of the most prestious Trebbiano di Lugana grapes. A clean and spicy wine with delicious hints of tropical fruit. | £35.00 |
| If I was having Seafood I might have a bottle of.... | |
|---|---|
| Gavi di Gavi D.O.C.G 2010, Fontanafredda, Piemonte, Italy One of Italy's most fashionable whites, it is noted for acute dryness and fresh, flinty acidity. This is a bright straw-yellow wine with greenish highlights. It has a full, delicate, elegant bouquet which brings flowers and fresh fruit to mind - mostly lemons, lilies of the valley and green apples. Its palate is attractively young, dry, fresh and well-balanced. | £28.00 |
| Albente Irpinia Bianco 2008, Feudi di San Gregorio, Campania, Italy An interesting blend of indigenous Italian grapes, Coda di Volpe, Falanghina and Fiano. A rich and rounded wine with tastes of candied citrus, cinnamon and ripe white peach. A very balanced and clean wine | £30.00 |
| Knappstein Three Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris 2009, Australia An interesting blend of grapes which gives a very enjoyable and refreshing glass of wine. Petrol, fresh fruit and high acidity. | £27.00 |
| Loimer Gruner Veltliner 2008, Austria Fred Loimer is making award winning wine in Kamptal, Austria and his Gruner is particularly exceptional. The grapes are harvested at the end of October giving a tangy ripeness and purity of fruit. | £25.50 |
| d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne, Australia A fragrant, fruity bouquet of lemon and peach. Fuller on the palate, off dry, peachy, crisp acidity and a long finish. | £27.00 |
| Saumur Blanc L’Insolite 2009, Thierry Germain, Loire, France L’Insolite is a small vineyard which consists of 75 year old Chenin Blanc vines and this is Thierry Germain’s only white wine. Exhilarating sharp apple and lime fruit with a complex nose of white flowers and minerality. A real delight | £52.00 |