It’s fairly easy to imagine what a wine merchant drinks of an evening. It’s usually the same as most people: the good value, easy drinking bottle on a weeknight and something a little more interesting at the weekends.
We’re not really that different or more imaginative than the average man we just have a wider variety available within easy reach.
One of the reasons we have always strived to sell as many wines as we can by the bottle is to give others the opportunity to have as much variety available to them as well.
These are some of the wines we have enjoyed over the last few weeks.
2019 Gabba’s Azienda Vitivinicola Cannonau di Sardegna Lillové £17 per bottle
A little simple but satisfyingly savoury. Cannonau offers good weight and a more earthy, vegetal character that can be a welcome relief from the fruit heavy wines in this weight bracket.
2020 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo di Langhe £23 per bottle
Our latest vintage of Produttori’s basic Nebbiolo made from declassified Barbaresco grapes. Very light and bright in colour with some incredibly punchy cherry fruit. The acidity in this vintage is serious and possibly a little much without food but it settles down extremely well.
2019 Gian Luca Colombo Langhe Pinot Nero £26 per bottle
This is one of the most rewarding wines we’ve drunk over the last few weeks. It was intended as a mid-week simple wine but turned out to have a lot more going on than we remember from our tastings last year. Clean, fresh, with surprising harmony for a Pinot Nero from this region.
2010 Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Rioja Reserva £36 per bottle
A great year for Rioja and a great producer. It could probably do with another couple of years to allow some of the more deep rooted complexities to come through but the fruit is pure, the oak full but not overpowering, and the weight is just right.
2019 Marchesi Antinori Guado al Tasso Bolgheri Cont’Ugo £44 per bottle
Context can make a wine sing and this 100% Merlot from the Antinori estate in Bolgheri is perfectly suited to a cosy evening at home in Autumn. Full, powerful, a little smokey on the finish and a lovely deep garnet colour.
2018 Patrick Piuze Chablis Les Forets Premier Cru £50 per bottle
We always enjoy going back to vintages to see their development and this was very satisfying. A little acidity has dropped off revealing a creamier, smoother finish to this Chablis that has provided a little more balance.
2010 Chateau Gloria Saint Julien £69 per bottle
A great year for Bordeaux and a good effort from Chateau Gloria. They tend to do well in the fuller fruit years and this is a soft, silky and supple Saint Julien that is drinking very well.