Page updated 01 February 2010

The 2010 Red Wine Collection

BIN                                                                                                               GLASS             CARAFINO   BOTTLE

                                                                                                               125ml   175ml        250ml        750ml

Light, Simple and Delicate Reds

1 Beaujolais-Villages, Burgundy, France 2007                                £4.80     £6.90       £9.00       £26.00

Beaujolais is within the Burgundy Region and concentrates on red wine mainly from the Gamay grape. Don’t mistake this superb example for the infamous Beaujolais Nouveau.
 

2 Côtes du Rhône Préference 2007 Caves Saint-Pierre,                £4.10    £5.90       £7.70       £22.00

This award winning wine is a smooth Grenache / Syrah dominated blend from the famous ‘appellation’ above Avignon.  This is a fine example of a popular wine, supple in style with time in oak to soften the roasted spicy richness.

3 Valpolicella Vitis Nostra 2007 Bolla, Italy                                      £3.60    £5.10       £6.70      £19.00

The wine region around Verona produces this popular easy drinking wine from relatively unknown grapes; Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara and 10% Negrara. 

► 4 Kleine Zalze Gamay Noir 2008 Coastal Region, South Africa £3.40    £4.90       £6.30      £18.00

This new world ‘Beaujolais’ has a deep, rich colour with vibrant strawberry and cherry fruit flavours from the Gamay Noir grapes and youthful light tannins.

5 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Collezione Marchesini 2008, Italy     £3.10     £4.40      £5.70       £16.00

An entry level wine from the famous Montepulciano grape grown in Abruzzo along the Adriatic Coast, this wine has a rich red and spicy fruit with firm tannins.

Juicy, Medium Bodied, Fruit-led Reds

6 Bourgogne Pinot Noir Couvent des Jacobins 2006,                   £5.90     £8.60     £11.30   £33.00  Louis Jadot, France

A top quality red Burgundy, this Pinot Noir has been partially (25%) matured in oak, resulting in a modern silky style of robust fruitiness.

7 Château La Fleur Plaisance, Montagne 2005 Saint-Émilion,      £4.90      £7.10      £9.30      £27.00   Bordeaux, France

This wine is made at the summit of this famous Appellation using quality Merlot grapes; soft, ripe and fruity compared with its New World counterparts! 

8 Meerendal Pinotage 2005 Durbanville,South Africa                    £4.60      £6.60     £8.70     £25.00

Delightful crimson colour with concentrated dark fruits from the Pinotage grape with the classic Meerendal chocolatey notes – wow!

9 Marqués de Morano Tinto Rioja 2007 Spain                                £3.90     £5.60      £7.30     £21.00

This is a good young Rioja made using Spain’s Tempranillo grape with a short time in oak to round it off nicely before bottling.  

10 Casa La Joya Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2008                       £3.60     £5.10       £6.70     £19.00    Colchagua Valley, Chile

This unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon has fabulous fruity and gently powerful flavours and aromas.

 ►11 Monte Verde Merlot2008 Central Valley, Chile                     £3.30      £4.60       £6.00     £17.00

A velvety wine with good plummy fruits, this entry level Merlot should be compared with its elder, the South African Meerendal Merlot!   

12 Arium Crianza Albali 2005 Valdepeñas, Spain                           £3.10      £4.40       £5.70     £16.00

This is a warm, tasty, great value Crianza (which is a definition of time in oak, not a grape or wine variety) using Tempranillo grapes rounded in American oak casks for 12 months to give it a rounded and creamy finish.

Spicy, Peppery, Warming reds

13 Domaine Gallety, Récolte 2004, Côtes du Vivarais,                  £6.90    £10.10    £13.30   £39.00  Rhône Valley, France

A ‘must taste’! From a small biodynamic vineyard this deep ruby/purple-hued wine made from 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah from 40 year old vines exhibits the characteristics of the Gigondas and Chateauneufs from further south. Big ripe bouquet of black cherries, blackberries, liquorice and herbs. Vibrant full-bodied with ripe fruits, spices and mellow tannins, a long and persistent finish.

14 Primitivo Puglia Allora 2006 Calatrasi, Italy                              £4.60    £6.60      £8.70     £25.00

Made from the Primitivo grape, native to Southern Italy which is a relative to the Zinfandel of California, this is a great example of a deep coloured wine, with spicy overtones and smooth tannins.

15 Costières de Nîmes Château d’Espérite, Vignobles Gibelin      £4.30    £6.10      £8.00     £23.00      2005Rhône Valley, France

This new appellation, west of Arles where Van Gough painted his famous evening café scene, is growing 100% Syrah grapes and producing this fine example of an Old World spicy, smooth and rounded wine.  

►16 Finca Flichman Reserva Malbec Oak-Aged 2007                    £3.90    £5.60      £7.30     £21.00 Mendoza, Argentina

A wine for the discerning - with a terrific intensity of colour, rich, sweet fruit and ripe, typically earthy flavours from its oak ageing. Originating in France, this Argentinean version, using the Malbec grape, is frankly quite superb - a truly great wine. Our ‘house’ spicy red - do you agree?

 17 Brookfield Reserve Shiraz-Mourvedre 2008                             £3.60    £5.10     £6.70    £19.00      South Eastern Australia

The Shiraz-Mourvèdre blend is a Rhône classic, the two complementing each other well to deliver lovely spicy dark plum and cherry fruit in this young, New World version.

18 Don Jacobo Rioja Gran Reserva 1995 Bodegas Corral, Spain  £7.40   £10.90  £14.30  £42.00

This wonderful wine produced only in classic vintages sees at least 22 months in the cask then a minimum of seven years in the bottle. Made from 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo it is smooth and silky with enormous complexity. This is our oldest and finest red wine, excepting any guest wines.

19 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition, Caves Saint-Pierre      £6.90   £10.10   £13.30£39.00       2006 Rhône Valley, France

This Grenache dominated wine from the famous Rhône appellation above Avignon is smooth and rounded to near perfection, but try it yourself.

20 Saint Joseph Cuveé 'Septentrio' 2004 Cave Saint Désirat        £6.40    £9.40    £12.30   £36.00        Rhône Valley, France

 Bio-dynamically produced 100% Syrah from this innovative vineyard on the right bank of the Rhône, we commend this to you. Loads of fruit on the attack - well sustained by good acid levels combined with the toasted flavours brought by the oak.

21 Meerendal Merlot 2004 Durbanville, South Africa                      £5.30    £7.60     £10.00    £29.00

A Merlot in amongst the best of the big hitting Old World Syrahs you ask! Yes, a wine to ‘try before you die’ this is concentrated and complex, with ripe dark fruit mingling with chocolate truffles and almonds! Absolutely gorgeous, the Pepper & Oz King of Merlot!

22 Nero d'Avola Sicilia Terre di Ginestra 2006 Calatrasi, Italy        £4.60    £6.60     £8.70     £25.00

An Old-meets-New World example of the best of both, the Nero d’Avola grape which is native to Italy, has been skilfully blended, after hand picking, with 10% Shiraz and partially oaked to give a smooth, full bodied, black fruit and spicy taste that is superb! Our ‘house’ oaked intense red!    

►23 Boschendal 1685 Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon 2005              £4.10    £5.90     £7.70     £22.00 Coastal Region, South Africa

An award winning wine, this great value Cab-Sav is deep garnet in colour, this bold, full-bodied wine is a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon has luxurious fruit with aromas of cassis, pepper spice, liquorice and sage. Elegant and complex from around 18 months in oak barrels our House Wine in the ‘big bodied’ section!

 

► = House Wine - our recommended wine for each category representing great value for modest budgets


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