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Orizzonte

UK Exclusive on Tuscan Petit Verdot Petit Verdot is a grape variety few people pay much attention to. Its main claim to fame is its use in Bordeaux where many chateaux use it to add colour and a touch of spice. The quantities used are very small, usually under 10% and sometimes as little as …

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Donna Olimpia Orizzonte

Sangiovese

A Grape to Rediscover Sangiovese has long been the main grape grown in central Italy and, though some put it to good use, a much larger number were using it to make cheap, bulk wine with little varietal character. There has been a great deal of change in the last 40 years and, thanks to some …

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Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana

Wine Literature

When I began my career as a wine merchant I was kindly gifted a book. It wasn’t new and definitely didn’t come with a gift receipt. It was a well-used, slightly yellowing copy of Alexis Lichine’s, Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits: the reference book said giver had been using since he first bought it back …

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Wine Literature

A Walk Through Champagne

Our guest contributor, Patrick Brady, is back, this time with a gentle stroll through Champagne. It is hard to believe that you can be in one of the world’s greatest wine regions in less than three hour’s drive from Calais.  Past the endless flat plains of Northern France, through the Department of the Somme, the battlefields …

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Champagne Vineyard

£30 And Under

Good wines for under £30 Finding great value wine is especially satisfying in those months when we’re not feeling particularly decadent.  We have put together a collection of wines for £30 and under that tick the box of interesting, well-made wines, that remain within the low-mid range price bracket.   2021 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Trenitno Alto …

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Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco Trentino Alto Adige

New Year, Old Wines

We have never been ones for whimsical change so this year has started like many others: no new year resolutions, just a gentle reminder that our preference for mature vintages is a sensible one.  Below is a selection of red wines with a good amount of age behind them that will keep things interesting in …

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Chateau Giscours Margaux Troisieme Cru

Sweet Wines

Sweet, Sticky and Endlessly Satisfying Whilst some would happily have a glass of desert wine every evening, for many it is only at Christmas that they indulge in a glass or two with pudding. Either way, sweet wines tend to be some of the best value wines around.  The most recognised sweet wines are reliant on …

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1996 Chateau Nairac Barsac

Claret For Drinking Now

Well-aged Claret offers characteristics that are hard to find in modern, young wines. However much people try to recreate them.  Notes of leather, tobacco, smoke and spice, dark berry fruit, cassis, liquorice, toasted oak, the list is endless. And whilst other wines do hold some of these notes, mature Bordeaux (when made well) marries these …

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Vieux Chateau Certan Pomerol

Autumn Mixed Case

Autumn Mixed Case of 6 £120 Autumn officially starts in September but we never feel quite ready for it until October. There’s always that last glimmer of summer at the end of September that makes all the talk of Halloween and bonfire night a little premature. October is here though and Autumn is well under way: …

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2022 Autumn Mixed Six

2016 Vintage

The vintage of the decade with prices to match? The 2016 vintage presents us with a slight problem: it is becoming rather expensive.  Several wine regions, mainly in Europe, enjoyed excellent growing conditions and subsequent success in 2016. Six years on and the price is rapidly increasing especially on the big name wines from Tuscany, Piedmont, …

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Castello di Ama Chianti Classico San Lorenzo Gran Selezione

Summer Sale

As the end of summer draws near we thought a little spring clean would be beneficial. Our cellars have helpfully revealed a list of wines that could do with a new home. Some bottles are perfect for drinking now but won’t last forever, others are wines we would prefer to re-house so we can make way …

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Chateau La Conseillante Pomerol

The Big Move

Nemo Wine Cellars began life in South West London in 2018 and this year moved out to the Suffolk coast.  Back in December 2021 an opportunity arose to purchase an old mill with space for an office and tasting room. The word ‘old’ is quite important here as the property is a work in progress …

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Holbrook Mill, Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk

Italian Second Strings

Finding value from Italy’s top producers The big name producers in Italy usually gain a reputation from their high end, flagship wine but their portfolio tends to extend much further and can offer great value. Roagna, famous for its Barbaresco Crichët Pajé, also make a basic Langhe Rosso that is far from simple yet incredibly affordable. Guado …

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Roagna Langhe Rosso

Tasting Season

Tastings are back in full swing and keeping us busy.  However, whilst these events are a perk of the job, not all of them, or the wines showcased, are wholeheartedly successful.  The recent Nebbiolo day held in London happened to coincide with a transport strike; as we had cycled there and inevitably had to cycle …

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Vietti Masseria Barbaresco DOCG

Burgundy Shortage

At around 10pm one evening in September we received a text message from a friend in the Côte de Beaune advising us to quickly stock up on both red and white Burgundy as the majority of the 2021 harvest was being devastated by pelting rain. As dramatic as it sounded at the time it was a worthwhile piece of advice to take. 2021 …

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Domaine Michel Lafarge Beaune Les Aigrots Blanc

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