Summer Staff picks
darryl
Producer: Mas Coutelou
Region: Languedoc, France
Grapes: 70% Mourvèdre, 15% Cinsault, 15% Muscat à Petits Grains
Style: Red
Size: 75cl bottle
Alc.: 11.7%
Notes: Harvested together, destemmed and macerated for 2 days, with very little pigeage and remontage. The Muscat brings some aromatics and structure, with a lick of minerality and pithy gooseberry-like tannin. A little spritz on opening which helps keep this fresh.
“Easy, aromatic, gently spritzy… big on fruit. This went quickly, and now I need another!”
carmen
Producer: Jean-Yves Péron
Region: Haute-Savoie, France
Grapes: Mondeuse (Mica-schist, Albertville, Limestone Scree, Fréterive)
Style: Pink
Alc.: 12%
Size: 150cl bottle
Notes: A direct press of Mondeuse from two plots. The most ‘rosé-like’ iteration of this cuvée in recent years. Garnet in the glass, this is easygoing, with a lovely zip and crunchy red fruit. A good one to have in the cellar for gatherings when the sun appears!
“Gentle spice, soft fruit, bags of minerality – perfect for this scorching BBQ weather”
Ben
Producer: Julien Peyras
Region: Languedoc, France
Grapes: Clairette
Style: Sparkling White
Alc.: 11.6%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A short maceration here, and then long ageing in the bottle on the lees before degorging. Fresh bubbles and lovely acidity at the start. This moves into toasty and sunny notes, with delicious spiced finish.
“A great pet-nat to see out the summer with”
J.P
Producer: Julien Peyras
Region: Languedoc, France
Grapes: Roussanne, Clairette, Grenache Blanc
Style: White / Orange
Alc.: 12.8%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Julien macerated the Roussane and Grenache together this vintage, until the juice began to colour (about 3 days), and then blended this with direct press juice of the Clairette. This is warm and sunny, full of fruit and balanced by the bite of bitter orange and almond.
“I have loved Julien’s wines since Day One. Fruity, with a lovely hint of bitterness… wonderfully isotonic for the heat”
anna
Producer: Jean-Yves Peron
Region: Haute-Savoie, France
Grapes: Altesse (Mica-schist, Albertville)
Style: Orange
Alc.: 10%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A most intriguing and lifted take on this classic from Jean-Yves. The fruit comes from older vines in Conflans, with 2 months of pigeage before aging in large barrels. An incredibly drinkable iteration – cooked stone fruit and caramel, waves of minerality and a moreish acidity!
“What a wine!!!”
Raef
Producer: Sous Le Vegetal
Region: Samos, Greece
Grapes: 70% Avgoustiatis, 30% Muscat de Samos
Style: Pink
Alc.: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A rosé from Sous le Vegetal! The Avgoustiatis is pressed directly and then blended with some lightly macerated Muscat, then aged in barrels and stainless steel. This is lean and bloody, with some heady rose petal notes, and some weight from the barrel ageing.
“A darker shade of pink. Aromatic yet mineral and salty with dusty damson tannins. Perfect with barbecued lamb chops.
AARON
Producer: Patrick Meyer
Region: Alsace, France
Grapes: Riesling, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc
Style: White
Alc.: 11%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From a younger vineyard in valley, planted on sandy soils and harvested at the end of August 2024. Some gentle floral notes with a fleshy greengage-y palate. Chill well.
“All minerality and zesty citrus – this is THE perfect refresher for these scorching temperatures!”
ROSIE
Producer: ABRACADABRA, Hannah Fuellenkemper
Region: Auvergne, France
Grapes: Cinsault (Le Mazel – Valvigniers, Ardèche)
Style: Red
Alc: 11%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Hannah has made a delightful easy-drinker with fruit from young vines farmed by the Oustric siblings of Le Mazel. Foot crushed and macerated for 8 days, this is full of floral notes, with a plummy, saline quality.
“Light but with loads of flavour. White peppery spice and earthy tannins. The perfect chilled Cinsault for this unrelenting heat”
dovid
Producer: Monsieur Petit
Region: Languedoc, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
Style: White
Alc.: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A brief 2-3 day maceration on the skins, then fermented and aged on the lees. This has a gentle smokey nose – with big lush stone fruit notes on the palate leading to a lingering, saline finish! Incredibly drinkable with enough acidity… this will be fantastic with some grilled turbot.
“One word: perfection.”
emilio
Producer:Jerome Jouret
Region: Ardeche, France
Grapes: 70% Merlot, 30% Syrah
Style: Red
Alc: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: From 31 and 36 year-old vines. Here the Syrah is pressed direct, and the Merlot is destemmed and macerated for 3 weeks in this juice. Aged on the lees for 10 months in old barrels and large concrete tanks. Some darker autumnal fruit notes from the Merlot, with a lifted spicy finish from the Syrah.
“This was delicious chilled. Lovely with grilled smoky lamp chops and a crisp summer salad.”
Steve
Producer: Vincent Wallard
Region: Loire, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc (Domaine du Bon Temps, St-Lambert-du-Lattay)
Style: White
Alc.: 13.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Vincent’s richer chenin, made from fruit harvested from Domaine du Bon Temps, aged for a year longer in old foudres. A ‘classic’ Vincent Wallard chenin – rich and unctous, balanced by a mineral core and a line of acidity. One to drink slowly.
“This stands up to tomatoes and bold summery flavours… a great one for the season”
Harry
Producer:Les Vignes de Babass
Region: Loire, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
Style: White
Alc.: 11%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Babass and Agnes lost a lot of their 2023 harvest, so this is a blend from two plots. Direct press, and aged in underground tanks on the lees for 10 months. Lithe and zesty, with a touch of golden opulence at the end. This is a thirst-quenching delight.
“A bloody fantastic thirst-quenching Chenin Blanc for a hot day”