Any price
The Black Pig McLaren Vale Shiraz
Sourced from perfectly ripe Shiraz grapes from plots across the region, creating the beautifully formed fruit we've come to expect from this varietal. Oozing blackberry and bramble components from nose to tail, soft and silky to the touch. Fire up the BBQ - you've found the perfect wine match.
Pigassou
Barón de Barbón Oak Aged Rioja
Vintage after vintage, Barón de Barbón proves to be our bestselling Rioja. It’s a lot to do with the wine’s enticing berry aromas, silky texture and luscious flavour. The talent behind this contemporary, fruit driven red is the young and infectiously keen Javier Murúa. His father Julián owns Bodegas Muriel (a winery Julián’s parents established in 1926) in Rioja’s superior Alavesa. We have a fabulous working relationship with the family, ensuring our Buyer Beth goes in straight after vintage and gets first refusal on the finest vats. With its easy going, ripe red berry flavours and fragrant vanilla character, this supple Rioja is great to drink on its own or with simple suppers such as lamb chops, char-grilled vegetable kebabs or chicken.
Brightwater Nelson Sauvignon Blanc
Brightwater is from a tiny family estate our Buyer first visited in 2002, having noticed that famous Aussie wine writer James Halliday had reviewed their Sauvignon above Cloudy Bay. Their 2009 was also rated as 5 Stars by top Kiwi wine critic Bob Campbell MW. A classic match with goat's cheese, it's also just the ticket with seafood, especially oysters. Alternatively, enjoy as a refreshing glass on its own.
Pagos de Tahola Rioja
A charm filled Rioja that makes lovely easy drinking. Hand harvested to select only the ripest Tempranillo grapes from the old vines, the 2020 is complex and elegant with luscious, subtle spice notes and velvety smooth tannins. Bursting with high-spirited summer berries and fragrant vanilla oak, and tinged with the charisma of ripe strawberries for a tantalisingly delicious mouthful. You’ll enjoy the Rioja most when paired with authentic tapas, grilled lamb or rabbit stew.
Palacio del Conde Gran Selección
As Robert Parker says, “Spain leads the world for sensational wine bargains of character and soul”, none more so than its mature reds. Nowhere else produces mellow, barrel-aged wines of such remarkable quality and price. Take Palacio del Conde – a gorgeously complex, oaky 2015 from Valencia. Part of this region is close to the coast, while the more southerly part is inland, up in the hills, and dry. It’s there that winemaker Marta Martínez selects the finest, hand harvested – from 50 year old vines – Tempranillo grapes for this Gran Reserva, then ages the wine for three years in oak barrels. A wonderfully fragrant, silky red with mature redcurrant and strawberry fruit and a rich, toasty character. Sublime with roast lamb or tapas. Its three recent Gold wins show its drinking beautifully now.
Split Rock Riesling
Lovely fresh Riesling from the pioneering Seifried family estate, who set up in the super-sunny coastal region of Nelson in 1973 (way before most of Marlborough next door). In the 1970s Hermann Seifried, then a fresh-faced Austrian wine nut seeking adventure, travelled to New Zealand. It was a final stop-off on a world tour, mainly to see where the All Blacks came from. There he fell in love with a local primary school teacher, Agnes, and has never left. In 1973 the couple realised their shared dream – to plant a vineyard – and have since racked up a host of awards. Today their three children, Chris, Heidi and Anna, help run the property in Nelson – a region with over 2,400 hours of sunshine, it's the sunniest in New Zealand.
Le Vieux Château Guibeau Organic
Hungerford Hill Hilltops Tempranillo Graciano
The savoury and smooth Tempranillo is complimented by thespicy fruit and structure of Graciano. The resultant wine has greater intensity, depth and length.
Forrest The Doctors' Marlborough Rose
Dr Forrest and his wife Brigid (also a doctor) use techniques in the vineyard to allow the grapes to obtain maximum flavour, but keep sugar (and therefore alcohol) levels down. No fancy winery or laboratory tricks – just some very clever canopy management and timing as to when they pick. This delicious lower alcohol (9.5%) Rosé melds Pinot Noir with the white grape Arneis to create a delightfully fresh and lively pink, bursting with fresh strawberries, ripe red cherry, and just a hint of aromatic herbs like sage and thyme.