Blanck may be a new name for CellarHand but thats certainly not the case in Alsace. Its getting on for 200 years since the family established a wine business in Kientzheim. For the past 30 years, cousins Frédéric and Philippe Blanck have been in control, placing a sharp focus on the vines and the soil they grow in. Expressions of lemon, blossom, peach and apricot pips with a quench grapefruit zest. Zippy and zesty, The Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc is fresh and well balanced.

Quartz Reef Pinot Gris exhibits flavours of ripe pear, peach and marzipan with a rich texture and an off-dry mineral finish. Colour is lemon gold. Aroma is nutmeg, honey, ginger and white peach. The palate is rich and textural with a delicious fine acidity. Cellaring is 3-5 years.

The wine has a mild salmon pink colour which will develop further with time. It shows delicate aromatics of jasmine blossom and ripe melon with a dry palate that has abundant textural flavours of ripe apples and pear. The distinct citrus backbone will ensure the wine rewards aging for at least 5 years.

Joe Grilli, Primo Estate’s owner and winemaker, named his Pinot Grigio 'd’Elena' as he planted his single hectare of Pinot Grigio vines the week his daughter Elena was born in 1998. Eighteen years later, the vines have developed deep roots in the shale stone soil and produce a savoury style Pinot Grigio with minerality and elegance. The fruit is handpicked and very gently pressed before fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is bottled early to preserve the delicate fruit characters. Best enjoyed young, this wine will drink well for several years. The d'Elena offers fresh citrus fruit acidity and light pear fruit. This wine's natural acidic balance and savoury mineral length make it the perfect food wine.

Santa Cristina offers a red colour with purple highlights. The nose shows notes of ripe cherries, typical aromas both of Sangiovese and of Syrah well integrated with the balsamic sensation of mint which characterize merlot. Pleasurable sensations of vanilla and coffee complete the bouquet. The palate is soft and ample with a fruity finish and aftertaste. The grape varieties were fermented separately. After destemming and a soft pressing, the grapes were macerated on their skins for approximately one week in stainless steel tanks. During this phase, the wine finished its fermentation at a temperature held to a maximum of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees centigrade). The wine was then racked and terminated its malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. The wine aged for a few months in small oak barrels and began to be bottled in November of 2018. Antinori is a name synonymous with wine in Italy, the equivalent of the royal family of wine in the country. Intimately involved in the wine industry of Italy since 1385, initially in Tuscany, but in more recent years their influence has grown seeing them involved in wine-making projects across the country. They were instrumental in the renaissance of Chianti and their portfolio of wines includes some stellar names such as Tignanello - the Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc blend that was most influential in the Super Tuscan movement, Solaia - the Cabernet dominant blend also from the Tignanello Estate and the beautiful Peppoli Chianti Classico.

Attractive coppery pink in the glass. The nose has notes of musk, candied orange peel, fresh blood orange, sour cherry, fresh herbs and a slight Campari twist. Bitter-edged on the palate with that blood orange note, with musky pear, peach and strawberry fruit. It has a soft phenolic texture along with zesty tannins that add a pleasant grip. Finishes dry, clean and tangy. Engaging and moreish, with impressive finesse for this style of wine, and with a good volume of fresh fruit to balance the phenolic and savoury skinsy elements.

Pale straw colour. Light, ripe pear aromas. Medium body. Round, soft and well balanced. Pleasant stonefruit flavour, finishing with cleansing acidity.