A Few Favourites
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There's too many favourites to pick from but here's a small selection from our broad range that make a nice mix of styles to enjoy from France and Italy.
Isole e Olena, Chianti Classico, Tuscany
The name 'Isole e Olena' came about in the 1950s when two adjoining estates, 'Isole' and 'Olena', were purchased by the De Marchi family and combined to form one. The history of both estates dates back many hundreds of years, and the earliest documentation of the village of Olena goes as far back as the 12th century. Paolo De Marchi's excellent Chianti Classico is elegant and supple, full of perfumed fruit, with depth, structure and minerality. Full of class!
Jean Baptiste, Rully 1er Cru Montpalais, Burgundy
Montpalais is a 70 year old vineyard site, twice the age of winemaker Jean-Baptiste Ponsot, and the quality of fruit is clear in this magnificent, exceptional value alternative to the more famous names of Meursault and Montrachet. Domaine Jean-Baptiste Ponsot was taken over in 2000 by Jean-Baptiste himself - 20 years of age. The family business started in 1954 with the Grandfather and now owns vines in the best soils of the appellation in which two-thirds Rully 1er Cru. In the vineyard, He employs organic practices but hasn't sought out certification. In 2005 Jean-Baptiste built a new winery - The wines are aged in barrels (30% new oak) for 12 months and then assembled in tank for a period of 3 to 6 months to keep maximum freshness. Jean-Baptiste quickly gained a local and international recognition.
Rully 1er Cru Montpalais 2020 opens with aromas of citrus and apple, with hints of flint in the background. Rich, complex, yet fresh attack, with lemon and apple notes, followed by almonds. A very great depth and complexity in the long and clean finish.
Domaine de la Voute des Crozes, Cote de Brouilly, Beaujolais
This is a charming 7 hectares Domaine owned and run by Nicole Chanrion, who is a star grower. Together with her son Romain, they produce delicious, pure Côte de Brouilly. Their vines are east facing, some slightly south facing. The alluvial soils here are very diverse and the roches bleues give a mineral, pepper spice note to the wine. Nicole looks to produce a balanced and stable wine in the most natural sense possible. She explains “Wine is living. It is complex. We must respect it.” Very little sulphur is used – just after malo – but only for the sake of conserving the wine. Their philosophy of working is ‘Terra Vitis’. This is a very elegant wine, super charming on the nose, with great vibrancy on the palate with good fruit content and minerality. It shows what classy wines you can get from the crus of Beaujolais, where Gamay can shine brightly and show what serious wines it can produce.
