Lebanon
Red (bottle)
83 Château Musar, Gaston Hochar, Château Musar (2003) £45.00
This red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. Musar wines are unique in that Hochar blends the varieties only after they have spent three years in barrels and then a further four years before releasing the end result. This gives time for each variety to unfold its own character. These wines are extremely long-lived, with the best examples lasting for 20-30 years.
Israel
White (bottle)
84 Chardonnay, Clos de Gat, Judean, Israel (2006) £45.00
Winemaker Eyal Rotem, barrel-ages carefully selected batches of Chardonnay from his vineyards in the Ayalon Valley to create this remarkably complex wine.
Red (bottle)
85 Syrah, Har’el, Judean, Israel (2006) £40.00
The grapes are hand-picked, and after rigorous sorting and crushing they are transferred to open fermentation tanks. The grapes are then aged for 16 months in 30% new french-oak barrels and racked every 4-6 months. The final blend is bottled without filtering. This wine has a deep, dense purple colour, is intense and complex on the nose with discreet oak and classical warm, peppery and red fruit aromas. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, well-balanced, spicy and fresh with good acidity and well rounded tannins. The finish is long, lively and elegant.
New Zealand
White (bottle)
86 Sauvignon Blanc, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough (2010) £40.00
This generous wine encapsulates the broad spectrum of varietal flavours associated with this well-loved Sauvignon; tropical aromas of guava and mango, leading to ripe citrus and sweet herbs. The juicy palette combines concentrated flavours with a mineral acidity, leaving a long, fresh, intense finish.
87 Chardonnay, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough (2007) £45.00
With a vibrant citrus core, this rich, refreshing Chardonnay wine displays characteristics of grapefruit, fig, chamomile and pistachio. A delicious example of pure Marlborough fruit, this wine is fantastic now but will keep for a further five years or more.
88 Te Koko, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough (2007/2009) £50.00
Te Koko is an intriguing and alternative style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of lemon thyme, mandarin blossom and stoned fruit combine harmoniously with ginger spice and nutty, savoury tones, underlined by exotic tropical notes. The many-layered palate is creamy and textured yet balanced by a clean, mineral acidity.
Red (bottle)
89 Pinot Noir, Fox by John Belsham, Marlborough (2008) £35.00
This wine is intensely flavoured with a distinctive character and a complex medium body.
Australia
White (bottle)
90 Pinot Gris, Irvine Wines, Eden Valley (2008) £30.00
This wine encompasses the Alsace style with power and deep flavours of ripe pear.
91 Unoaked Chardonnay, J & E Hugo Wines, Mc Laren Flat (2008) £25.00
This unoaked 100% Chardonnay is crisp, citrussy and clean, medium in intensity and pulsates suggestions of green pear, cashew, pineapple and lemon, and displays a floral bouquet with aromatic notes of honey and white stone fruit.
92 Sauvignon/Semillon, Cape Mentelle, Margaret River (2008/2009) £35.00
Created by the same winemakers as Cloudy Bay and using the same methods of precision as their icon to create this lovely, cool blend. The combination is a glorious, creamy yet fresh, dry, white wine and arguably as good as Cloudy Bay.
Red (bottle)
93 Dry Grown Grenache/Shiraz, Hugo Wines, Mc Laren Flat (2006) £30.00
A blend of 60% Grenache (Dry Grown) and 40% Shiraz has introduced a wine which is clear, rich and of medium-intensity. With pronounced notes of sour cherry, plums, fennel and suggestions of mixed spice and white pepper, this wine is the perfect combination of concentrated fruit and spicy warmth.
94 Cabernet/Merlot, Cape Mantelle, Margaret River (2007/2009) £30.00
A different style of Cabernet Merlot with the highest percentage of merlot so far in the blends history, this wine is seductive and oozes rich flavours and aromas of concentrated dark black fruits.
95 ‘The Baroness’ Pomerol blend, Irvine, Southern Australia (2008) £45.00
A wine of real elegance and complexity, this Pomerol blend has rich bramble and dark fruit notes with a well integrated vanilla aroma.
Chile
White (bottle)
96 Sauvignon Blanc, Turi, Central Valley (2010) £25.00
Sharp and zesty on the palate with citrus fruit flavours.
97 Single Vineyard Riesling ‘Neblina’, Vina Leyda (2009) £30.00
Pale green-yellow in colour, this stylish dry Riesling with fragrant, fresh elderflower and wet stone aromas is perfectly balanced on the palate.
Red (bottle)
98 Cabernet Sauvignon, Turi, Central Valley (2009) £25.00
With fresh aromas of red berries and a hint of chocolate this wine is fruity and juicy in the mouth and an excellent wine with spicy food, red meat and cheeses.
99 Las Brisas Pinot Noir, Viña Leyda (2009) £40.00
Las Brisas Pinot Noir is a complex and elegant wine, with delicate aromas of strawberries, black cherries, orange peel and herbs together with a subtle oak undertone.
Argentina
White (bottle)
100 Viognier, Las Manitos, Mendoza (2010) £25.00
Six months maturation in French oak barrels with weekly bâtonnage (stirring) has fostered a very fine example. This Viognier has pleasing, toasty oak notes, firm balance and most importantly, natural acidity.
101 Torrontes, Crios de Susana Balbo, Cafayate (2010) £25.00
Torrontes displays a fragrant bouquet of spring flowers, honey, and tropical aromas; medium-bodied and dry on the palate, it has ample fruit content backed by vibrant acidity leading to a lengthy finish.
Red (bottle)
102 Lunta Malbec, Mendel, Mendoza (2009) £25.00
The wine has been matured for 6 months in a combination of 70% French and 30% American oak. It has a deep ruby colour and impressive aromatics of violet, cherry and liquorice. On the palate, it has a velvety texture, pleasing balance and a signature sweetness at the end.
103 Mendel Unus, Mendel, Mendoza (2007) £45.00
Mendoza produces over 70% of the country’s total wine for export. A significant feature of Argentina’s wine industry is that due to its climate and soils, it is able to produce a large volume of wine at affordable prices. This particular example is an intense red colour with violet tints and boasts characteristic notes of fresh dark fruits, including black cherries, plums and blackberries.
South Africa
White (bottle)
104 The Ruins, Chardonnay/Viognier, Bon Cape Estate, Eilandia (2010) £25.00
Bon Cape Estate’s organic winery gives us some fine variety. This smooth, fresh Chardonnay Viognier has a succulent rounded character.
105 ‘Professor Black’ Sauvignon Blanc, Warwick Estate, Stellenboch (2010) £35.00
This wine is packed with an abundance of tropical fruit, pear, grapefruit and green fig flavours and therefore well-balanced. Its mixture of acidc and sweet juicy fruits make it crisp with a lingering aftertaste that’ll entice you back for more!
Red (bottle)
106 Tinta Barocca, Allesverloren (2007) £25.00
A typical example of how wonderful a South African wine can be. Lots of sun-ripen fruits, great tannins and that typical South African slight hint of smoke.
107 Les Pleurs Merlot, Avondale, Paarl (2006) £50.00
Dense, dark and brimming with sweet earthy undercurrents, this Merlot is like a tapestry of blackberries, prunes, spices and vanilla.
