Christmas Fine Wines NEW2 - Home - The Wine Society · 2017-10-31 · smart bacchus, sporting generous peachy aromas and herbal notes, and bold juicy flavours of elderflower, pineapple

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UNWRAP ONe OF OUR BiGGest FiNe-WiNe OFFeRs eVeRReady to choose your special bottles for a special time of year? this extra-large festive edition of the society’s Fine Wine List aims to assemble all the ingredients needed to warm the cockles, the spirits and the most discerning of palates for the winter months and beyond.

the feast of vino contained within these pages features the deep, the crisp and even more besides, with a selection of wines, spirits and gifts covering classics aplenty – with many sections reaping the benefits of our policy to store sought-after wines in reserve until ready for drinking. Merry browsing!

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Key

- bone dry to intensely sweet screwcap synthetic closure

4 sMALL WONDeRs: FiNe WiNe At £20 AND UNDeR

We begin with one of the Fine Wine List’s most enduringly popular features: a tempting choice of festive fine-wine centrepieces at stocking-filler prices.

7 A ViNtAGe tO shOUt ABOUt: 2009 LeFt-BANK CLARet

The 2009 Bordeaux vintage continues to live up to its blockbuster billing, with magnificent and seductive wines to be found throughout the region. Tim Sykes opens our cellars to release some sought-after reserve parcels for your delectation.

8 2007 ALsACe: hUGeL & tRiMBACh, teN YeARs ON

An exceptional vintage in the hands of two of the region’s great winemaking families is a mouthwatering proposition. Aged rarities abound, combining parcels from our cellars and the pick of Trimbach’s reserves. Snap them up while you can.

DRessiNG FOR DiNNeR: 10 OLiVe OiLs & BALsAMiC ViNeGARs

Roll out the red carpet for the tastebuds with two very special collections of Italian gourmet gifts and treats: mouthwatering olive oils from Chianti’s Fèlsina and sublime balsamic vinegars from the oldest proponents of the art, Giuseppe Giusti.

PULiGNY & MeURsAULt tO GO: 11 2011s FOR DRiNKiNG NOW

Fine 2011 whites from Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, covering a range of styles to strike the right note this Christmas.

12 ABC – ABsOLUteLY BRiLLiANt ChARDONNAY

A globe-trotting style-straddling celebration of the chardonnay grape in all its glory, taking in delights from England, France, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Canada, USA and South Africa.

14 ViNtAGe ChAMPAGNe: WheN ONLY the Best WiLL DO

A special occasion calls for a glass of Champagne. A very special occasion calls for a glass of vintage Champagne. Sarah Knowles MW assembles some of the best bubbles money can buy, including a special price on Bollinger La Grande Année.

15 UNWRAPPABLe ReD BURGUNDY

Toby Morrhall presents a trio of ready-to-drink excellent-vintage Burgundies from sylvain Pataille and Nicolas Potel’s Domaine de Bellene. All were kept in perfect conditions since release and all are now ready to be savoured.

16 tReAsURes FROM the KABiNett

Christmas has officially come early for devotees of German wine, as we open our ‘Kabinett’ of archive treasures from Society reserves and the cellars of Rheingau maestro Gunter Künstler.

17 ROWiNG DOWN the RhÔNe

The Rhône Valley’s warming reds seem tailor-made for this time of year. Join Marcel Orford-Williams for a thrilling voyage, stopping at Côte-Rôtie, Crozes-hermitage, saint-Joseph and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

18 NAPA VALLeY: FiNesse BeYOND the FULL-BODieD

Well-priced fine reds from California’s most prized vines that deliver elegance as well as the region’s trademark spot-hitting gratification; including wines from Frog’s Leap, Napanook, Rutherford hill and First Press.

19 JeWeLs OF sOUth AMeRiCA: CABeRNet & MALBeC

Generosity and finesse meet in a thrilling rundown of some of Chile’s and Argentina’s top reds. Buyer Toby Morrhall’s selection includes well-established names like Concha y toro and Catena, and thrilling newer finds from teho and Gandolini.

20 tiMe FOR tUsCANY: ChiANti & ViN sANtO

Chianti’s star is in the ascendant and Sebastian Payne MW’s excitement is clear: here he rounds up some of the standout wines from a good run of vintages, finishing with one of our most popular seasonal gifts: Vin santo and cantuccini biscuits.

AGe AND BeAUtY: thRee ViNtAGes OF JADOt’s21 Les BAUDes

These famously slow-maturing expressions of Chambolle-Musigny have been in our cellars since bottling: now is the time to unwrap them. A unique and unmissable gift for Burgundy lovers.

A QUestiON OF sCALe: 22 hALF BOttLes, MAGNUMs & JeROBOAMs

Whether your Christmas calls for a reverential sip or a wow-factor bottle to keep the party topped up, this extensive collection of halves, doubles and quadruples will add something special to any winter celebration.

CAPe CRUsADeR: 27 MiKe RAtCLiFFe, WARWiCK estAte & ViLAFONte

Mike Ratcliffe is one of South Africa’s wine pioneers, overseeing, world-class wines at his family winery at Warwick estate and via his newer Vilafonté partnership. Joanna Locke MW pays tribute with a compelling collection from both.

A BUYeR’s ChRistMAs: MARCeL ORFORD-WiLLiAMs’ 28 FestiVe FAVOURites

We asked Marcel Orford-Williams, who has been buying wine for The Society since 1986, to add the personal touch to this List, and he’s assembled a collection with a particularly wintry wow factor. Lovers of riesling and carignan are in for a particular treat here.

DOMAiNe GONON sAiNt-JOsePh BLANC: 29 AN UNMissABLe tAstiNG CAse

Pierre and Jean Gonon’s handcrafted white Rhônes offer stunning quality and hen’s-tooth rarity. We’ve tucked away our precious allocations over the years to present now, in the form of a unique tasting case of the 2009, 2010 and 2011.

30 FiRst ReLeAse OF FeLtON ROAD 2015

Fans of fine New Zealand wines, rejoice! Act quickly to secure your share of these small stocks of scintillating new releases of pinot noir and chardonnay from Central Otago’s most celebrated name.

32 sWeet & FORtiFieD: ChRistMAs tReAts

Palate-cleansing freshness, mouth-coating decadence and more: it’s all here in this round-up of top-quality sweet and fortified options.

33 sWeet & FORtiFieD: WiNe ChAMPiONs

We unveil the final tranche of victors from our enormous annual blind tasting to find the best of our range for drinking now. These six wines swatted 50 of their peers off the tasting bench and are ready to come home with you!

34 the ChRistMAs sPiRits

Our fine-wine feast ends, quite naturally, with a digestif. Sarah Knowles MW has been busy honing and expanding our spirits selection over the past year: this choice collection of whiskies, brandies and more contains all you’ll need for a scintillating sideboard.

35 GLAssWARe

A selection of fine glassware to compliment your best bottles.

CONteNts

4 To order thewinesociety.com/finewines 01438 741177

Whites bottle dozen

F-FC29541 Picpoul de Pinet, Cuvée Félines 2014 £11.50 £138 To mark Picpoul de Pinet’s promotion to the hallowed ranks of Appellation Contrôlée, Claude

Jourdan made this special, commemorative cuvée: a rich and full-flavoured expression of this southern belle, whilst still offering trademark easy-going refreshment. A fine option for fish; turbot or halibut spring excitedly to mind. Drink this year. 13.5%

F-AA1971 Bernhard Ott Am Berg Grüner Veltliner 2015 £11.50 £138 Austria’s Bernhard Ott is an engaging, thoughtful winemaker, and a joy to be around – so too is

his wine, which offers greater generosity than many of its peers. This has impressive intensity and easy-going peach-and-apricot character, a crisp lemony palate and the grüner grape’s classic spicy tang on the finish. Now to 2019. 12%

F-AR3531 Mendel Mendoza Semillon 2016 £12.95 £155 Mendel’s Argentine take on the great white grape of Bordeaux hails from a 70-year-old

vineyard, lending the wine a wonderful unforced concentration. In the very cool 2016 vintage, this is particularly fresh and vibrant, offering delicious greengage flavours, a light oak aroma and an awful lot of pleasure. Now to 2020. 13%

F-eN1141 Chapel Down Bacchus 2016 £12.95 £155 England’s delightful 2016 vintage is shown off in some style by this full-flavoured, bright and

smart bacchus, sporting generous peachy aromas and herbal notes, and bold juicy flavours of elderflower, pineapple and mango. The weight and texture are just right here. Drink this year or next. 12.5%

F-sP13031 Do Ferreiro Albariño, Rías Baixas 2016 £16 £192 One of the most admired albariños in Spain, most of which is drunk by the local market.

Refined and lively, with lovely citrus-fruit purity and charm, this is a gorgeous aperitif, and a fine partner for a good piece of fish. Drink this year or next. 13%

F-NZ9461 Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 £16 £192 Kevin Judd achieved global success at Cloudy Bay by making a style of Kiwi sauvignon that stood

out; and he’s gone on to do the same here with this highly individual labour of love. The high mineral content of greywacke sandstone produces a marked flinty character that adds intrigue to the wine’s cut-grass aromas and an extra dimension to the palate. Crisp, generous and long. Now to 2019. 13%

F-LO13571 Saumur ‘Clos de la Thibaudière’ Brézé, Domaine de Roche Ville 2013 £17.50 £210 This new Loire chenin blanc was a shoo-in for inclusion, offering a fine food-friendly proposition

for all manner of festive fare. It comes from a small walled vineyard at Brézé, where the stony limestone soils bring mouthwatering minerality to the wine. As such, this is still tightly coiled: decant for half an hour before serving to bring it to life. Now to 2021. 12%

F-sA12021 Eagles’ Nest Viognier, Constantia 2015 £19 £228 From one of the most exciting recent ventures in the Cape, and a real coup in a vintage where

quantities were low but quality superb. Whole-bunch pressing and fermentation in French oak has resulted in a beautifully textured but still fresh and fine viognier, with delicious stone-fruit, lime and flint notes. Drink this year or next. 13%

F-it21581 Villa Barthenau Vigna S. Michele Pinot Bianco, Hofstätter 2014 £19 £228 Hofstätter are famous for pinot bianco. Finer and more stylish than many chardonnays, they also

mature beautifully in bottle. The wine begins its maturation in large casks and completes it in steel and cement, so there is no strident oak flavour here – just crisp, clean-cut, ripe fruit and great concentration. A northern Italian classic. Now to 2019. 13% The 2015 follows.

sMALL WONDeRs FiNe WiNe At £20 AND UNDeRthere are few more ringing endorsements of our buyers’ reputation for unearthing delicious wines at fair prices than small Wonders. each of these wines has earned its place for stand-out quality and prices that make them even more palatable. A wealth of choice awaits, covering both the traditional and the trendsetting, plus the option to explore a range of these pocket-friendly fine wines in two mixed cases. Let the fun begin!


sMALL WONDeRs Whites CAse £89Drink this year or next

A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following wines:

Bernhard Ott Am Berg Grüner Veltliner 2015Mendel Mendoza Semillon 2016Villa Barthenau Vigna S. Michele Pinot Bianco, Hofstätter 2014Do Ferreiro Albariño, Rías Baixas 2016Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016Saumur ‘Clos de la Thibaudière’ Brézé, Domaine de Roche Ville 2013

ref F-MX17276

ReDs bottle dozen

F-PW6291 Vadio Bairrada Tinto 2013 £11.50 £138 Charming and approachable Bairrada – no mean feat given the nature of the baga grape variety

– from an impressive relative newcomer. Gentle handling and patient maturation have tamed the sturdy tannins, leaving a sweetly cherry-fruited companion for all manner of foods. A fine ambassador for the cracking value that can be found in Portugal. Now to 2022. 13%

F-LO12351 Saumur Champigny ‘Le Prince’, Domaine de Roche Ville 2014 £11.95 £143 From an excellent vintage for Loire reds, this is deep-coloured, young and vibrant cabernet

franc with a combination of freshness and generosity of texture that comes naturally from older vines. Now to 2020. 13%

F-CB3301 Château Reynon, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2009 £12.95 £155 The Dubourdieus nurture their home property vineyard with as much care as they do their

famed Sauternes, picking the grapes in several stages as they ripen to ensure all the fruit is picked healthy and bright. It really shows in the lovely texture of this ready-to-drink claret from one of the stand-out vintages of the past 20 years. Now to 2019. 14% Low stock.

F-Ce9001 The Society’s Exhibition Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 £13.50 £162 We think our fine cedary Chilean cabernet is every bit the ‘Small Wonder’ given its superb

price and the guiding hand of arguably the country’s finest winemaker, Ignacio Recabarren. Ageing in barrel has softened the tannins and developed the wine’s delightful aromas. Now to 2024. 14.5%

F-BJ6761 Château de Beauregard, Fleurie Colonies de Rochegrès 2014 £13.95 £167 From an outstanding vineyard, planted in 1946 and bordering Moulin-à-Vent, this is a splendid

Beaujolais. Although aged in barrel, no oak flavours are discernible on the nose or palate: just delicious fruit, presence and charm. Now to 2022. 13%

F-sA11251 Radford Dale Syrah, Stellenbosch 2013 £14.50 £174 A toothsome Cape red that shows the rewards of patience: its considerable structure, tannins,

oak and richness were given two years to integrate in the winery and a further two in bottle, delivering a delicious red with layered floral and garrigue aromas, and rich vibrant fruit. Now to 2020. 14%

F-AU19771 Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 £15.50 £186 A wonderful fine-wine bargain, offering a classic taste of Australia’s Coonawarra region at a

great price. Its heady aromas of cassis, vanilla, coffee and eucalyptus continue on the palate with firm tannins and very good length: decant and enjoy now or cellar to 2027. 14.5%

F-sP12101 Anayón Cariñena 2013 £16 £192 A concentrated and polished cariñena (aka carignan) from a small, high-altitude vineyard in

northern Spain, combining rich blueberry-fruit flavour and the crisp, lively acidity so typical of this grape. Now to 2021. 14%

Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Bricco Mirasole, Giuseppe Mascarello 2015 Rich in depth and personality, and from the top of the great Monprivato vineyard, this dolcetto

is wonderfully succulent and ripe. We suggest that you drink this charming Italian red this year or next, in its fruity ebullience of youth. 15% Part of F-MX1725 small Wonders reds case only.


ReDs bottle dozen

F-Us7201 Sobon Estate Rocky Top Amador County Zinfandel 2014 £16 £192 Amador County can produce some of California’s most powerful zinfandels and this ebullient

winter warmer has plenty of black-cherry, blackberry and chocolate notes, with soft tannins and a full-bodied palate. Rich, long and thoroughly satisfying. Now to 2023. 14.5%

F-AR3541 Mendel Mendoza Malbec 2014 £16 £192 A delectable Argentine malbec from a vineyard planted in 1928 in the Mayor Drummond area

of Mendoza. 2014 was a warmish year giving a richly flavoured wine with brambly fruit and round, sweet tannins; nevertheless, this remains vibrant and fresh due to the high altitude of the vineyard. Now to 2022. 14.5%

F-Le901 Sendiäna Rouge, Lebanon 2014 £17 £204 This delicious new red from Lebanon, a blend of mostly cabernet and merlot with a dash of

syrah, grenache and mourvèdre, is beautifully crafted. With rich yet vibrant black fruit and cedary complexity, this is well worth adding to your next order. Now to 2021. 14%

F-NZ9651 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 £19 £228 A New Zealand pinot noir of considerable concentration and class, grown in the stony soils of

the Te Muna Martinborough vineyards, ensuring a bright, fresh and balanced style, as well as delicious cranberry and spice flavours. Now to 2020. 13.5%

F-it22551 Taurasi, Feudi di San Gregorio 2011 £20 £240 Taurasi’s volcanic soil is the ideal locale for aglianico, one of Italy’s classiest red grapes making

long-living wines. In the ripe 2011 vintage, the bouquet evokes cherry, cinnamon, vanilla and anise and the palate is full of sweet aromatic fruit with good structure but no unwelcome edges. Now to 2023. 14.5%

sMALL WONDeRs ReDs CAse £89Drink this year


Saumur Champigny ‘Le Prince’, Domaine de Roche Ville 2014Château Reynon, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2009Radford Dale Syrah, Stellenbosch 2013Dolcetto d’Alba Vigna Bricco Mirasole, Giuseppe Mascarello 2015Sendiäna Rouge, Lebanon 2014Craggy Range Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014

ref F-MX17275

sMALL WONDeRs


bottle dozen

F-CM14091 Château Tronquoy Lalande, Saint-Estèphe 2009 £31 £372 Splendid, well-structured claret from a particularly fine vintage in Saint-Estèphe. With intense and

savoury fruit overlaying a muscular framework, this is starting to hit its straps. Now to 2025. 14%

F-CM14121 Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc 2009 £32 £384 A hugely successful year for this, one of the best-value of all classed-growth clarets. Ripe and

concentrated but well balanced and with a long life ahead. If enjoying it now, we recommend decanting for an hour in advance. Now to 2030. 13%

F-CM13761 Château Moulin Riche, Saint-Julien 2009 £32 £384 A delicious, ripe, round and full-bodied blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon and 28% merlot, given

freshness by the addition of 7% exceptional petit verdot. The vineyard, owned by the Cuveliers of Château Léoville Poyferré, is in the north-west of Saint-Julien between Châteaux Gloria and Batailley. Now to 2025. 14% Low stock.

F-CM13841 Château Batailley, Pauillac 2009 £40 £480 Recently voted a Wine Champion in our extensive annual blind tasting, this is ripe and fragrant

with excellent structure and the hallmark Pauillac power that sets this commune apart from its neighbours. Beautiful now, but it will continue to develop until 2035. 13%

F-CM13861 Croix de Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien 2009 £41 £492 From a vineyard close to Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 2009 is so good so good that it is on a level

with several past vintages of the property’s grand vin. Fresh, ripe and elegant with seductive creamy texture. Now to 2025. 13.5%

Ségla, Margaux 2009 The second wine of Rauzan-Ségla, so exceptional in 2009, is unusually rich and full and a

highly recommended alternative to the estate’s rightly lauded grand vin. Real class here. Now to 2025. 14% Only available in mixed case F-MX17273. Half bottles of the 2010 vintage are available on page 23.

2009 CLARets CAse £199Drink or store to 2025

A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the six wines above.

ref F-MX17273

A ViNtAGe tO shOUt ABOUt2009 LeFt-BANK CLARethyperbole is something we steer clear of at the society; but just occasionally, a vintage comes along that merits all the superlatives that we buyers can throw at it. Bordeaux 2009 is one such year, which we heralded back in 2010 as a ‘must-buy vintage.’ it led to the largest en primeur campaign in the history of the Wine society.

the quality of the cabernets was exceptional and many of the wines are starting to show their true colours, although they have the ripeness, depth of flavour and structure to last for years. Members who bought 2009s are now enjoying magnificent wines with naturally sweet, seductive fruit, good balance and bags of charm.

the good news is that if you missed out when we originally offered them (or you need to top up your existing stocks!), you’re in luck. We deemed the vintage of such exceptional quality that we bought decent quantities of many of the wines to enable us to offer them when ready for drinking. the favourites below can all be savoured now, but ideally would benefit from decanting 30-60 minutes before drinking for the wines to show at their very best. As if that wasn’t enough to tempt you, the 2009 Château Brane-Cantenac can also be found in half bottles on page 22 and in magnums on page 24. Tim Sykes


bottle dozen

F-AL10861 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive, Hugel 2007 £38 £456 The Hugels take full advantage of their plot of vines at the heart of the grand cru Sporen vineyard

for this late-harvested gewurz. Rich, luscious and utterly delightful. Now to 2022. 12.5%

F-AL12511 Riesling Schoelhammer, Famille Hugel 2007 £65 £780 This is Hugel’s new flagship wine, of which fewer than 5,000 bottles were made from 30 rows

of old vines planted on a historic part of the Schoenenbourg slope. After several years of bottle age, this is perfect to drink now but will of course keep for many more years. Dry, mineral and incredibly complex. Now to 2025. 13%

F-AL8491 Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles, Hugel 2007 £110 £1,320 Perhaps the ultimate expression of Alsace gewurztraminer, Hugel’s late-harvested wine is made

from individually picked berries and in very limited quantities. A painstaking process but the results are breathtaking: very sweet and luscious yet also incredibly refined. Now to 2020. 11.5%

Riesling Frédéric Emile, Trimbach 2007 This is dry Alsace riesling at its best: a tightly wrought, intense and mineral wine, released

with plenty of bottle age and ready to drink. Now to 2022. 13% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, Trimbach 2007 Made only in the best vintages and best served with the most luxurious of dishes – truffles,

smoked fish and meat, rich sauces – this is essentially dry but super rich, with concentration rather than heaviness, masterfully balanced with cleansing acidity. Now to 2021. 14% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

Gewurztraminer Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre, Trimbach 2007 Gloriously silky rich gewurz, displaying more of the grape’s spicy character than fruit or floral

aromas. Its rich, creamy palate offers wonderful density, structure and length. Now to 2024. 14% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive, Trimbach 2007 Luscious and seductive late-harvested gewurztraminer: a wine of great richness but with a

backbone of fine acidity which freshens and carries the long, spicy, floral-scented finish. A joy to savour with strong soft cheese. Now to 2020. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles Hors Choix, Trimbach 2007 The first release of this cuvée since 2000, and an exceptional dessert wine in every way. Made

from noble-rot affected gewurztraminer, it offers stunning marmalade-like flavours and the exquisite balance that marks out this estate’s best wines. Fresh and, for all its remarkable intensity, without a hint of heaviness. Now to 2029. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

Riesling Clos Sainte Hune, Trimbach 2007 Clos Sainte Hune is the jewel in Trimbach’s crown and one of the great white wines of the

world. Fabulously complex, weighty and full-bodied in this superb vintage, with sublime power, concentration, lift and length. Now to 2033. 13% Only available in mixed case F-MX17280.

2007 ALsACehUGeL & tRiMBACh, teN YeARs ONAlsace’s grape varieties and styles enjoyed a ubiquitously marvellous vintage in 2007. the rieslings are outstanding, while gewurztraminers combine poise, precision, purity and power. A decade’s grace provides the perfect opportunity to celebrate, via two outstanding winemaking dynasties, hugel and trimbach.

the long growing season made fine vendange tardive styles as well as superlative dry wines and each are showcased below, including extraordinary gewurztraminers and the finest of rieslings from both houses.

sadly, all of these wines are now available in very limited volumes. the hugel wines are available by the bottle; the trimbach wines – no longer available even from the estate – are offered only in the ‘Caisse Prestige’, which comes in its own wooden box with notes from the trimbach family. Joanna Locke MW


tRiMBACh ‘2007 CAisse PRestiGe’ MiXeD CAse £369Drink or store to 2020

A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following:

Riesling Frédéric Emile, Trimbach 2007Pinot Gris Réserve Personnelle, Trimbach 2007Gewurztraminer Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre, Trimbach 2007Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive, Trimbach 2007Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles Hors Choix, Trimbach 2007Riesling Clos Sainte Hune, Trimbach 2007

ref F-MX17280


DRessiNG FOR DiNNeROLiVe OiLs & BALsAMiC ViNeGARsChristmas is a time for giving, and whether you’re after the perfect gourmet gift or something special for the kitchen to delight guests, these italian oils and vinegars are as good as it gets. the oils come from Chianti’s beautiful Fèlsina estate, the vinegars from Modena’s original and best, Giuseppe Giusti.

FeLsiNA OLiVe OiL GiFt set £32Fèlsina’s Chiantis have been a popular feature of several Fine Wine Lists (including this one – see page 20), but for this edition we’ve secured some of their other nectars: a gift set featuring four different varieties of the estate’s extraordinary olive oils. Fèlsina believe that good olive oil is far more than a condiment, capable of taking the lead in dishes as well as merely adding a finishing touch. Taste the differences for yourself, or make a gourmet friend or family member’s Christmas. Each oil will last for a considerable period of time if properly stored, away from light and heat. They will, however, prove difficult to resist for long!

A stylish gift box containing four 100ml bottles of the following four olive oils, supplied with tasting notes:

Leccino: the lightest of the quartet, but with a full-flavoured herbaceous and tomato-leaf-like quality, leccino would set off all manner of lighter dishes with aplomb. Especially good with mushrooms, poached fish or poultry.

Pendolìno: a bold and satisfying flavour with richness and body in abundance and a hazelnut-and-pepper finish, pendolìno shines with poached fowl, pastas with mild sauces or on its own with good-quality bread.

Moraiòlo: extremely rich, with tomato and green-apple scents, and a lovely artichoke-edged finish. Drizzle on hearty bean soup, or add an extra dimension to red meats.

Raggiòlo: a fascinating and delicious oil with hints of banana, hazelnut, tomato and pepper, raggiòlo can raise simple Mediterranean dishes to a new level.

ref F-Ki20637

GiUsePPe GiUsti BALsAMiCViNeGAR GiFt set £16Founded in 1605, Giusti’s vinegars have been renowned as the condiment of choice for European nobility for 17 generations. The family firm is known for ageing their top vinegars in traditional woods, infusing them with incredibly complex and unique flavours. This three-bottle selection shows the diversity of styles that can result from this time-honoured tradition.

A gift set of three 50ml bottles of the following three barrel-specific vinegars:

Cherry Wood: a warming and sweetly spicy vinegar with a harmonious and long-finishing flavour.

Juniper: full-flavoured, thickly textured and utterly sublime in its balance, mingling roasted-nut aromas and invigorating fruitiness on the palate.

Oak: a comforting, mellow and delicious vinegar, infused with an unmistakable note of vanilla.

ref F-Ki20627


bottle dozen

F-BU53831 Château de Puligny-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet 2011 £39 £468 It can be difficult to find good village Puligny but this is a fine, elegant example. Fine-boned and

floral-scented with fresh appley flavour on the palate. Now to 2020. 12.5%

F-BU53201 Domaine Jadot, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Referts 2011 £47 £564 Referts is quite low down the slope, and therefore quite ripe in style. Jadot’s example is rich for

a Puligny, but moderated by a lovely freshness. Six years from the vintage, this is delicious now, and just beginning to take on the honeyed notes of maturity. Now to 2019. 13.5%

F-BU53241 Domaine Jadot, Meursault Premier Cru Genevrières 2011 £55 £660 A rich and lightly buttery Meursault with a firm and full palate, from an excellent vineyard

perfectly situated mid-slope. Now to 2019. 13.5%

F-BU53171 Domaine Antoine Jobard, Meursault Premier Cru Poruzots 2011 £59 £708 Jobard makes a firm, quite linear style for Meursault and matures for 18 months in barrel. This was

austere in its youth, but has blossomed in bottle and is now ready to drink, showing an oatmeal character from the lees and some delicious hints of hazelnut. Drink this year or next. 13%

F-BU52401 Domaine Henri Boillot, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Mouchère 2011 £60 £720 Made using tiny yields and old vines, this has almost grand cru levels of concentration. However,

the wine is not heavy and retains a fresh and lively character that makes it exhilarating to drink now. Enjoy it this year or next. 13.5% Maximum of one case per member.

F-BU52321 Domaine de Montille, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Cailleret 2011 £79 £948 Cailleret is a superb vineyard, bordering grand cru Le Montrachet. This is an exquisite wine

with intense, fine flavour and showing a lovely tension between richness and freshness. Now to 2022. 12.5%

PULiGNY & MeURsAULt tO GO2011s FOR DRiNKiNG NOW2011 is a lovely white Burgundy vintage for drinking now and so it felt the perfect time to put together this stimulating selection of producers.

these wines show the remarkable variety available from a relatively small geographical area. such is the joy of Burgundy. if you like elegant, understated wines, look out for the Château de Puligny and the Domaine de Montille wines, both made by etienne de Montille. For more powerful expressions, look to the pair of Jadot wines (which balance richness with life-giving acidity) and henri Boillot’s Clos de la Mouchère, a wine of grand cru quality made from 70-year-old vines and aged in 350-litre barrels (instead of the traditional 228 litres), to moderate oak and oxygen during maturation. Lastly, the precise, linear style of Jobard means the wines can be stern in their youth but blossom with bottle age. Toby Morrhall


bottle dozen

F-FC32611 Limoux Blanc, Domaine de Mouscaillo 2014 £14.50 £174 A lovely, lightly oaked, pure, bright and fresh wine from a remarkable windswept and barren

vineyard high in the hills above Limoux. This is very fine, steely even, with the presence, depth and concentration of something far grander. Now to 2020. 13.5%

F-Ce9431 Talinay Limarí Coastal Limestone Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 £14.95 £179 A taut, firm and fresh Chilean wine from a special vineyard just 12km from the sea with a

high limestone content, producing a long, linear mineral style, rounded by a hint of oak and offering a wealth of food-matching possibilities. Now to 2021. 13.5%

F-BU63561 Samuel Billaud, Chablis Les Grands Terroirs 2015 £16 £192 Many consider Chablis the most elegant and pure style of chardonnay and this delicious

example utilises the fruit of three complementary sites (Pargues, Cartes and a vineyard next to Chapelot) to fashion a wine with tension and firmness, unencumbered by any oak flavour. Now to 2020. 12.5%

F-eN1151 Chapel Down Chardonnay 2013 £16.50 £198 Clean, crisp and unoaked English chardonnay with the added concentration of four years’ bottle

age. Fine and delicate aromas of citrus and chalk lead to a charming, refined palate that is still fresh and focused. We recommend decanting 30 minutes before serving to bring out its full flavour. Drink this year or next. 12%

ABC – ABsOLUteLY BRiLLiANt ChARDONNAYWe believe that there is a chardonnay for everyone and, in an attempt to prove it, we’ve put together a globe-trotting, style-straddling selection to enjoy.

More than perhaps any other grape, chardonnay responds dramatically to where it is planted and how it is treated in the winery. the result is a fascinating cast of characters; some big, some slender, some friendly and open, and others needing a little time before losing their shyness. in each note we endeavour to describe the character of the wine, so you can find a style that suits you; or get to know a range of different ones with a ready-made mixed case, ripe for exploration.


bottle dozen

F-NZ9801 Seresin Marlborough Chardonnay Reserve 2015 £17 £204 A concentrated, barrel-fermented wine that nevertheless refreshes the palate thanks to its

fine acidity. A fine ambassador for the quality of New Zealand chardonnay, offering apple and toasted-almond aromas, and layers of lemon and orchard-fruit flavours on the palate. Now to 2021. 13.5%

F-AR3581 Zaha Tunuyan Mendoza Chardonnay 2015 £20 £240 This superb unoaked Argentine chardonnay is made from a late-ripening incarnation of the

grape planted in the 1970s, but grown at altitude to preserve freshness and aged on its lees in tank. The result is at once generous and taut, its lemon-like aromas complemented by touches of herbs and hazelnut and a steely but satisfying palate. A must-try. Now to 2020. 14%

F-AU20151 Wineglass Bay Tasmanian Chardonnay 2015 £21 £252 Claudio Radenti’s Tasmanian chardonnays have garnered plaudits the world over, and it’s not

difficult to see why when tasting this. Perfectly judged use of French oak brings presence to the palate, while its pure fruit flavours of lemon and apple are conveyed with freshness and poise. Now to 2022. 13.5%

F-CA151 Norman Hardie Niagara Peninsula Unfiltered Chardonnay 2015 £23 £276 Now with an international following, Norman Hardie’s Canadian wines become even better

and more refined with each new vintage. This superb 2015 has a flinty, struck-match-like aroma, with preserved lemon and citrus peel on the textured, chalky palate and a long fresh finish. A lovely, elegant wine. Now to 2025. 11%

F-Us6591 Bergström Old Stones Oregon Chardonnay 2013 £24 £288 A very fine, restrained American white, showing that Oregon can produce world-class

chardonnay. The oak is well balanced and complements the wine’s bright acidity and lovely green-apple and lemon flavours, all of which last and last on the palate. Now to 2020. 13.5%

F-sA12871 De Morgenzon Reserve Chardonnay, Stellenbosch 2016 £25 £300 South Africa’s chardonnay credentials are represented by this classy, indulgent but citrus-fresh

example. The use of whole-bunch pressing and carefully selected oak barrels contribute to the complexity of this flavourful and delightful wine. Now to 2022. 14%

F-BU53211 Louis Jadot, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chenevottes 2011 £46 £552 A fine white Burgundy from a delicious vintage, in the hands of one of the region’s great names,

and at the peak of its drinking window too. A wine of quiet power, rich but never heavy. Bewitching aromas of bread, vanilla and peachy fruit, and remarkable presence and persistence on the palate, imbued with an oatmealy character on the finish. Drink this year or next. 13.5%

ABsOLUteLY BRiLLiANtChARDONNAY CAse £129Drink or store to 2020


Wineglass Bay Tasmanian Chardonnay 2015Bergström Old Stones Oregon Chardonnay 2013Zaha Tunuyan Mendoza Chardonnay 2015De Morgenzon Reserve Chardonnay, Stellenbosch 2016Norman Hardie Niagara Peninsula Unfiltered Chardonnay 2015Samuel Billaud, Chablis Les Grands Terroirs 2015

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A ViNtAGe ChAMPAGNe tRiO £159Drink or store to 2022

A three-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following wines:

Pol Roger Vintage Brut 2008Alfred Gratien, Cuvée Paradis Brut 2008Boizel Grand Vintage Brut 2007

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bottle six bottle

price

F-Ch3071 Boizel Grand Vintage Brut 2007 £45 £270 Real finesse here from the superb Boizel family. This 2007 vintage is elegant and creamy in

texture. A stylish vintage Champagne which is singing beautifully. Now to 2022. 12%

F-Ch3611 Louis Roederer Vintage Brut 2009 £55 £330 With plenty of toasty complexity, elegant persistent bubbles and a long, lemon-scented finish,

Roederer’s 2009 – a 70:30 blend of pinot and chardonnay – is an indulgent classic. The secret is the skilful use of pinot from the Montagne de Reims, which contributes a structured and powerful backbone to the wine. Now to 2025. 12%

F-Ch3421 Alfred Gratien, Cuvée Paradis Brut 2008 £52 £312 Alfred Gratien’s prestige cuvée is one of Champagne’s great secrets. Produced in small

quantities, this blend of two-thirds chardonnay and one-third pinot is sourced entirely from premier cru and grand cru vineyards. Round, gentle and textured with immense class and purity of flavour, this is lovely now but will reward patience too. Now to 2025. 12.5%

F-Ch3591 Henriot Brut Millésimé 2006 £56 £336 A truly delicious wine whose remarkably complex aromas run the gamut from brioche and

hazelnuts to green apple and wet flint. Full and lively on the palate with great charm, fresh bread and even a hint rosemary developing on the long finish. Now to 2026. 12%

F-Ch3541 Bollinger La Grande Année 2007 The Bollinger style rests its quality on balance and weight and their 2007 Grande Année

showcases its rich, round and satisfying charms beautifully. Thanks to the house’s support, we are able to offer it at this special price. Now to 2020. 12%

F-Ch3481 Pol Roger Vintage Brut 2008 £62 £372 This was released earlier this year to great fanfare and the hype is justified: this is a stunning

wine, marked out by its rare combination of purity, richness and integration. Many have compared it to the outstanding 2002 but more refined and structured. Delicious already, but ready for the long haul too. Now to 2028. 12.5%

F-Ch3001 Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 2005 £62 £372 A fabulous, perfumed and graceful Champagne; pale-gold in colour with great depth of flavour

and finesse. It was aged for eight years on its yeast lees, which has contributed complexity and texture. A deserving Gold-medal winner at this year’s International Wine Challenge. Now to 2025. 12%

ViNtAGe ChAMPAGNeWheN ONLY the Best WiLL DOA special occasion calls for a glass of Champagne. A very special occasion calls for a glass of vintage Champagne. We’ve put together a selection of wines so good that they can create a special occasion by themselves!

these wines are the jewels in the crowns of their respective houses: the best expression of the property’s style, and only released when the winemaker feels they’re shining like diamonds. they not only show how delicious Champagne can be, but also tell a story of that particular year in the vineyard. the selection includes a supplier-supported price on Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2007, a three-bottle case of captivating and contrasting wines and a host of other special treats. enjoy! For halves, magnums and jeroboams of Champagne, head to page 22. Sarah Knowles MW

sPeCiAL BOttLe PRiCe

£59 £354List PRiCe £69 SAVE £10 PER BOTTLE


bottle dozen

F-BU50981 Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay Clos du Roy 2010 £21 £252 Sylvain Pataille is a star winemaker who still keeps prices reasonable. His 2010 Clos du Roy

(an excellent vineyard) is a richly fruity, damson-scented wine, offering drinkability and finesse in droves. Now to 2027. 13%

F-BU44571 Domaine de Bellene, Beaune Premier Cru Teurons 2008 £29 £348 Nicolas Potel owns Domaine de Bellene and makes fine-flavoured wines with a light hand on

extraction and oak in the cellar to let the quality of the vineyard shine through. This wine’s light brick-red colour with orange at the rim indicates maturity, which is confirmed with a round and soft palate in the typically gentle Beaune style. Now to 2022. 12.5%

F-BU54271 Domaine de Bellene, Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes 2012 £31 £372 Made from vineyards to the north of the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges, which produce finer

and sweeter-tasting red Burgundies than those to the south, this is a ripe and full style of Nuits. Now to 2026. 13%

UNWRAPPABLe ReD BURGUNDYi have selected these wines – all from excellent vintages – to offer the perfect balance between approachability and sophistication. Although mid-range by Burgundy’s standards, they are still amongst some of the finest expressions of pinot noir that you could hope to find. What’s more, all are ready for you to enjoy now. Toby Morrhall

APPROAChABLe ReD BURGUNDY tRiO £79Drink or store to 2022

A three-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the three wines above.

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For fine glassware see page 35


White bottle dozen

F-Ge10931 Rauenthaler Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese, Langwerth von Simmern 2011 £20 £240 A stunning option for festive dining (Christmas present or Christmas future), with weight

enough to go with the goose, or indeed the turkey. The reddish soils of the aptly named Rothenberg vineyard produce a distinctive and full-bodied riesling that ages well; after six years this is a delight. Now to 2026. 11%

F-Ge10211 Gimmeldingen Mandelgarten Riesling Spätlese, Muller Catoir 2014 £22 £264 A sensational full-flavoured Pfalz riesling offering an abundance of depth and complexity that

would work with a wide array of foods. Now to 2028. 10% The 2015 follows.

F-Ge10941 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese, Dr Thanisch 2006 £24 £288 Stunning riesling for contemplative sipping: a lovely, gentle, mature wine mingling peach,

beeswax and honey on the palate. Now to 2024. 9.5%

F-Ge10981 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese, Zilliken 2003 £29 £348 The little town of Saarburg seems like a jewel with its castle looking over the Saar and one of

Germany’s top vineyards seemingly cascading over it. Wines from the Saarburger Raush are known for their longevity as this stunning 2003 shows; its sweetness is now perfectly integrated. We can think of few better options for a convivial Christmas Day tipple! Now to 2023. 8.5%

F-Ge11001 Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese 2007 £30 £360 A lovely and now ready-to-drink Auslese from a ripe, warm vintage. A decade after the vintage,

its acidity and sweetness are in perfect balance. A joy. Now to 2024. 9%

F-Ge9281 Weissburgunder, Dottinger Castellberg, Martin Wassmer 2014 £30 £360 A non-riesling treasure from our Kabinett, this pinot blanc offers a quite different and utterly

outstanding advertisement for the quality of Germany’s white wines. A barrel-fermented wine from Baden with a rich and fully dry palate, benefiting from exceptionally well-judged oak and with more than a hint of Burgundian class. Drink this year or next. 13.5%

F-Ge11191 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling ‘GG’, Künstler 2015 £32 £384 A great example of dry riesling and from the exceptional 2015 vintage, this is a very rich and full-

bodied Rheingau wine from dramatic steep slopes that overlook the Rhine. Now to 2030. 12.5%

F-Ge11222 Half bottle of Hochheimer Holle Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kunstler 2015 £159 £1,908 An outstanding, formidably complex and wonderfully concentrated dessert riesling, with

profound flavours of pineapple, crystallised citrus peel and angelica. Heavenly. Now to 2032. 6.5%

ReD bottle dozen

F-Ge11161 Assmannshäuser Spätburgunder, Künstler 2014 £22 £264 For 500 years pinot noir has been dominant in this corner of the Rheingau, where sheltered

steep slopes have given ideal protection to Burgundy’s grape variety. This is fine and elegant with a rich and long finish. Now to 2021. 13%

F-Ge11171 Hochheimer Reichestal Spätburgunder ‘GG’, Künstler 2014 £45 £540 An utterly splendid, outrageously full-flavoured pinot noir. This comes from the gentle slopes

around the pretty town of Hochheim. Made from low yields which explains the remarkable weight and concentration here. Now to 2030. 13.5%

tReAsURes FROM the KABiNettCistercian monks in Germany’s Rheingau kept their best wines in a cellar which they called the Kabinett. today a number of growers, and indeed the Wine society, have their own versions of the Kabinett. For this festive Fine Wine List, we felt now was the time to pool our resources and present some of the treasures we’ve been keeping aside!

Along with some of our own precious archive stock, we’ve taken delivery of some exciting parcels from the reserves of some of the estates with whom we work to create a mouthwatering selection. Appropriately, Rheingau has precedence in the selection, including four wines from the truly outstanding Gunter Künstler. Marcel Orford-Williams


tReAsURes OF the KABiNett CAse £149Drink or store to next year


WHiTEGimmeldingen Mandelgarten Riesling Spätlese, Muller Catoir 2014Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese, Dr Thanisch 2006Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese, Zilliken 2003Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Auslese 2007Weissburgunder, Dottinger Castellberg, Martin Wassmer 2014REDAssmannshäuser Spätburgunder, Künstler 2014

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bottle dozen

F-Rh43561 Crozes-Hermitage ‘Les Pierelles’, Domaine Belle 2013 £12.50 £150 Perfumed northern Rhône syrah with notes of violets, ripe plum and herbs. Finely grained,

medium-bodied and long-flavoured, this is delicious now, especially if allowed an hour in a decanter to soften is structure and release its aromas. Now to 2021. 13%

F-Rh39961 Saint-Joseph Silice, Domaine Coursodon 2013 £16 £192 A Saint-Joseph made from younger vines of syrah from this famous estate. Deeply coloured

and with crunchy, raspberry and blackberry fruit on the nose and palate. Now to 2020. 13%

F-Rh43831 Saint-Joseph, Château de Saint Cosme 2014 £18 £216 Dark, savoury and fruity northern Rhône which has charming cherry-fruit notes along with

a touch of spice and fine food-friendly grip on the finish. Now to 2024. 13%

F-Rh35351 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2012 £24 £288 A northern Rhône with backbone. This is dark, structured and brooding, but what a lot of

flavour and fruit beneath it all. A fabulous effort to leave in the cellar for a while, or in a decanter for an hour, before enjoying. Now to 2029. 13%

F-Rh44461 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Clos du Mont Olivet 2014 £27 £324 This southern star is beautifully balanced and fruity; full-bodied yet with striking elegance and

freshness too. The tannins are soft and well rounded and there’s a twist of spice on the finish. Mont Olivet is one of the historic estates of Châteauneuf where a new generation in the Sabon family is spurring things on. Now to 2025. 14.5%

F-Rh43841 Côte-Rôtie, Château de Saint Cosme 2014 £32 £384 A full-flavoured northern syrah with dark, tarry fruit. Mineral – in the sense that one can taste

the soil and graphite – and with a long finish, this is a dinner-party red par excellence. Now to 2026. 13%

ROWiNG DOWN the RhÔNethe Rhône Valley offers a thrilling journey for any wine lover. From the tip of the north to the tail in the south, there is an abundance of gems to be enjoyed.

having dug through our cellars, we have unearthed some parcels of delicious wines for your delectation, and so we are eager to accompany you down the Rhône – travelling from Côte-Rôtie in the very north, down to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the south, and dropping anchor at a handful of worthy spots along the way!

the versatile, food-friendly selection of syrahs from the north, along with the Châteauneuf, will do well throughout a whole meal right to the cheeseboard, and unquestionably, both the wines of Crozes-hermitage and saint-Joseph offer outstandingly good value. A rewarding voyage awaits… Marcel Orford-Williams


bottle dozen

F-Us6611 The Society’s Exhibition Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 £18 £216 Sourced from Frog’s Leap, this is a fine example of Napa cabernet that combines old world

complexity and depth with new world fruit and polish. Beautiful cassis flavours lead the way, with blackberry and vanilla providing ample and delicious support. A pinch of merlot is added to flesh out the palate, which it does perfectly. Now to 2023. 13.5%

F-Us7261 First Press Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 £21 £252 Delicious, classic Napa from a superb source, First Press is a Sunday roast-ready winner that

really delivers the goods. The aromas are precise and refined, mingling cassis and vanilla, and the palate beautifully put together with firm tannins underpinning a concentrated cornucopia of plum, blackberry and vanilla, lasting well on the finish. Now to 2020. 14.5%

F-Us6661 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Barrel Select 2013 £25 £300 The Rutherford region is home to some of Napa’s most prized vineyards, and shows its

pedigree in the hands of this excellent family-owned estate. A merlot-dominated blend of Bordeaux grapes, aged in French oak barrels for 16 months to produce a full-bodied, plum, blackcurrant and mocha-flavoured red. Delicious now, but there’s more complexity to come with a little time in the cellar. Now to 2027. 14.5%

F-Us7301 Frog’s Leap Napa Valley Merlot 2014 £32 £384 This is a sublime, scented and classy Napa merlot, with pure and effortless plum and damson aromas

and a concentrated but bright palate. The firm but balanced tannins show that this wine will age beautifully, lovely though it is in its youth after some time in a decanter. Now to 2027. 13.5%

F-Us5961 Napanook, Napa Valley 2011 £39 £468 The second wine of world-renowned Dominus, this is an estate-bottled wine from the historic

Napanook vineyard, made from grapes carefully selected for their lively fruit and soft tannins. This has a lovely tobacco-and-cedar perfume, and the palate balances bright plum fruit with lacy tannins and a hint of mocha on the finish. Bold but elegant, and a fine choice for beef, game and similarly hearty fare. Now to 2019. 14.5%

F-Us7291 Frog’s Leap Rutherford Estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 £42 £504 Hailing from old, dry-farmed vineyards in the heart of Napa, on the Rutherford bench, this

cabernet has been sensitively made to create a complex, naturally concentrated wine with bags of charm. Lovely cool cassis and damson flavours, supported by subtle cedary oak, join a rich spiced note on the long finish. Now to 2029. 13.5%

the NAPA COLLeCtiON £175Drink or store to 2019

A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the six wines above.

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NAPA VALLeYFiNesse BeYOND the FULL-BODieDFinding great Napa wines that are not extraordinarily expensive, and that show finesse, complexity and longevity beyond that initial hit of gratification, can be very tricky.

there is no doubt that John Williams at Frog’s Leap is leading the way here. his wines consistently strike me as some of the best in Napa, and are often a fraction of the price commanded by grander names. We are extremely lucky too that John prioritises the Wine society and always looks to give us first refusal on parcels of wine for our exhibition range.

it comes as no surprise that the skilled Moueix family at Dominus also manage to produce strikingly poised wines. Rutherford Hill also produce excellent Bordeaux blends and Delicato, through First Press, now offer a very amicable and classic Napa cab. All of which goes to show that for their fullness of body, there are some wonderfully elegant wines to be found in this region. i hope you enjoy exploring them. Sarah Knowles MW


bottle dozen

F-Ce8891 Concha y Toro Terrunyo Lot 1 Pirque Cabernet Sauvignon Bajo Las Burras 2014 £22 £264 Sadly this is the last vintage from the old vines planted in about 1978 in this superb Chilean

vineyard, Bajo Las Burras. Lovely lead-pencil cabernet nose, ripe, sweet tannins and a long, linear palate of great sophistication. Just 2,200 bottles were made. Buy while you can. Now to 2026. 14.5%

F-AR3591 Zaha Toko Vineyard Paraje Altamira Malbec 2014 £25 £300 A ripe yet fresh Argentine red with a caressing silky palate. The soils in the cool Altamira region

of Mendoza give an exquisite, fine-grained texture, especially after about 14 months in barrel. The malbec is co-fermented with cabernet franc and a small amount of petit verdot for extra complexity, and the result is very exciting. Now to 2024. 13.5%

F-Ce8971 Gandolini Las Tres Marias Vineyards Maipo Andes Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 £25 £300 A top-quality Chilean cabernet from Alto Maipo. Soft and plummy with a wonderfully tactile,

velvety texture, it was aged for 21 months in barrels. Beneath its puppy fat is a firm structure which will allow this wine to mature beautifully, but it will offer a great deal of pleasure now after some time in a decanter. Now to 2022. 14.5%

F-Ce8531 Undurraga Altazor Alto Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 £26 £312 Altazor is Undurraga’s top cabernet sauvignon. It comes from vineyards in Chile’s Upper Maipo,

where cabernet is firm and savoury with structure to the fore. The cooler 2013 vintage produced a wine with fine cedary flavours and a fine firm palate with excellent length of flavour. A formidable wine built for the long haul. Now to 2032. 14%

F-AR3601 Teho Tomal Vineyard La Consulta Malbec 2014 £49 £588 Teho means ‘blood of the earth’ in the local Huarpe indian language of Mendoza, Argentina. The

wine, made from a vineyard planted in 1940, in the cool La Consulta area, is a very special malbec: dense and powerful yet with soft sweet tannins and generous, welcoming fruit. Now to 2030. 13.5%

F-AR3181 Nicolas Catena Zapata 2010 £55 £660 Rightly considered one of South America’s finest wines, this brooding giant is a blend of 75%

cabernet sauvignon and 25% malbec selected from the fruit of Catena’s ‘super’ vines in the best high-altitude sites. A worthwhile labour of love for a wine of such vitality, with dense old-vine texture, and deep, dark, complex aromas and flavours. Now to 2025. 14%

JeWeLs OF sOUth AMeRiCACABeRNet & MALBeCChile’s best cabernets come from the Alto Maipo, and i have selected three here that offer the region’s trademark fine flavour, substance, structure and food-friendly grip. some of Argentina’s top malbecs come from La Consulta and Paraje Altamira – two adjacent regions in the Uco Valley that make striking floral-scented wines with exquisite fine-grained texture. Zaha and teho offer two delicious cases in point. Finally, the Nicolas Catena Zapata red – one of Argentina’s best – blends the two grapes together to form an ideal complementary partnership between firm cabernet and fleshy malbec. Toby Morrhall


bottle dozen

F-it20171 Chianti Classico, isole e Olena 2013 £16 £192 Entrancing bouquet, freshness and ripe fruit are hallmarks of Paolo de Marchi’s Chianti, who has

been making wine here since 1976 and it’s safe to say has perfected the art. Now to 2021. 13%

F-it24181 Chianti Classico, Riecine 2015 £16 £192 A beautiful example of classy elegant Chianti with fragrant bouquet, sweet gentle fruit and clean

finish to the flavour. The vineyard is quite high up in Gaiole and noted for the finesse of its wines. Now to 2024. 13.5%

F-it21311 Chianti Classico, Fèlsina Berardenga 2013 £16 £192 A star of the 2013 vintage, this is made using 100% top-quality sangiovese from mature vines.

Fèlsina Berardenga, in the south of the district, pick in the first three weeks of October and transfer the wine into small and medium-sized barrels at the end of the winter for 12 months, before bottling. The resulting wine combines elegant, spicy red-berry fruit with full and fresh flavour. Now to 2023. 13.5% See page 10 for a collection of Fèlsina’s single-varietal olive oils

F-it18801 Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Fontodi 2011 £35 £420 With a generous, fragrant bouquet, evocative of violets and ripe blackcurrant, this is splendidly

ripe in this warm vintage yet fresh with tannins to balance and add structure. 95% sangiovese and 5% cabernet sauvignon, both organically cultivated. Now to 2030. 15%

F-it12831 Flaccianello della Pieve iGT Toscana Centrale, Fontodi 2006 £79 £948 The exceptional quality of the grapes make this probably the most exciting vintage of

Flaccianello that Giovanni Manneti has made, with intense bright fruit and a wonderful middle palate and structure. A hot but not torrid summer was followed by a dry and luminous September, which ensured the grapes were fully ripe but also with good balancing acidity. Now to 2030. 15%

F-it17031 Ornellaia, Bolgheri Superiore 2010 £149 £1,788 A fitting wine to mark the 25th anniversary of this world-renowned Tuscan star, offering up a

heady mix of aromas and flavours of wild berry, spices and tobacco. Fine and silky on the palate with clean-edged racy fruit. Now to 2025. 14.5%

Chianti Rufina Riserva, Frascole 2012 Enrico and Elisa, both agronomists from Dicomano, bought four hectares of well-placed

vineyard above the town of Chianti in 1992. Their riserva comes from their highest vineyard, framed organically, on grey, crumbly sandstone/galestro, the stoniest soil which gives the most perfumed grapes. It is made from 90% sangiovese with 10% colorino. Drink this year or next. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17282.

Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Volpaia 2013 The vineyards of Volpaia at between 300-500m are among the highest in the Classico region

and are known for their freshness and elegance, but also keep beautifully. This lovely vibrant wine will age gracefully showing increasing complexity. Now to 2023. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17282.

tiMe FOR tUsCANYChiANti & ViN sANtOA Christmas Fine Wine List without Chianti is as unthinkable as Vin santo without cantuccini. We offer all of the above for your enjoyment here. Now is a particularly good time to buy Chianti: a good run of recent vintages and the results of the far-sighted ‘Chianti 2000’ project to improve viticulture and quality have conspired to offer a very fine selection of wines, which we are pleased to present here.

As for the vintages themselves, 2013 is a classic year, vibrant and stimulating, while the 2012s are warm, friendly and approachable. 2011 was very hot, but Fontodi’s wine has finesse as well as richness, and 2006 was outstanding but needed keeping, which is why we held back some of Fontodi’s top wine, Flaccianello, until it had aged a decade. Magnums of this wine are also available in a mixed collection on page 26. Sebastian Payne MW


the FiNe ChiANtiCOLLeCtiON £119Drink or store to next year


Chianti Classico, isole e Olena 2013Chianti Classico, Riecine 2015Chianti Classico, Fèlsina Berardenga 2013Chianti Rufina Riserva, Frascole 2012Chianti Classico Riserva, Castello di Volpaia 2013Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, Fontodi 2011

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ViN sANtO AND CANtUCCiNi CAse £37We don’t recommend storing this case, but the wine will keep to 2030

Contains:

A half bottle of Vin Santo del Chianti Classico isole e Olena 2007With vibrant and vivid aromas and a lively, intensely sweet but beautifully balanced palate, this is a very exciting Vin Santo. Fresh lemon zest lingers on the long finish. Now to 2030. 13%

A 200g pack of Chiostro di Saronno Cantuccini

ref F-MX17327

thRee ViNtAGes OF JADOtChAMBOLLe-MUsiGNY BAUDes £189Drink or store to 2019

A three-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the three wines above.

ref F-MX17270

bottle dozen

F-BU41941 Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Baudes 2006 £59 £708 Quintessential Chambolle from an underrated vintage. The nose mingles sweet, ripe pinot fruit

with a lovely vanillin note from the oak, while the palate offers the commune’s typical pretty, fine-boned character. Now to 2019. 13.5%

F-BU14561 Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Baudes 1999 £72 £864 This warm and generous year produced a ripe, round and seductive wine. Rich, full and

powerful, now with a mature pinot character on the nose. Now to 2022. 13.5%

Louis Jadot, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Baudes 2000 Quite a broad wine for Chambolle, with commensurate richness from this lovely ripe vintage.

Now showing signs of maturity with an earthy note of charming rusticity. Now to 2024. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17270.

AGe AND BeAUtYthRee ViNtAGes OF JADOt Les BAUDesJadot make powerful, slow-maturing red Burgundies which need time to open up. We have kept these three vintages of their premier cru Chambolle-Musigny, Les Baudes in our cellars since bottling and, now beautifully mature, they represent a unique offering to Wine society members.

Les Baudes is quite a structured wine for Chambolle-Musigny with a distinct family resemblance to its bigger brother, Bonnes-Mares, which lies just a few metres away. two of the vintages are available to buy individually, or enjoy the full trio in a special three-bottle case. Toby Morrhall


hALF BOttLes: sPARKLiNG half bottle

F-Ch332 Half bottle of The Society’s Champagne Brut NV £16.50 No sparkling half-bottle selection would be complete without our much-loved house

Champagne from Alfred Gratien. The approach to winemaking is thoroughly traditional: only fruit from the classic areas is used and the wines are fermented in small oak casks before bottling. The flavour is complex and deliciously rounded, with a long and fine finish. 12.5%

F-sG2132 Half bottle of Nyetimber Classic Cuvée Brut NV £17 A seriously smart sparkling wine from a flagship English winery. Made using the three

Champagne grapes, this is complex, crisp and bright, with a brioche hint and impressive structure. Prepare to be bowled over. 12%

F-Ch12 Half bottle of Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV £22 Pol Roger is classic grande marque Champagne with a tremendous reputation rooted in the

style and finesse of all its cuvées. The Brut Réserve is the perfect aperitif: delicate, fine and intense with a floral quality and harmony that makes it stand apart from its peers. 12.5%

hALF BOttLes: White half bottle

F-it22792 Half bottle of Verdicchio Classico Superiore, Villa Bucci 2015 £6.50 High-quality Italian verdicchio from a family who have been growing grapes in Le Marche since

the 18th century. From a superb sunny vintage, this is fresh, fine-flavoured and long. Drink this year or next. 13.5% Low stock.

F-it22902 Half bottle of Soave, Pieropan 2016 £7.25 Standard-bearing Soave from the best grower in this Italian region. The 2016 offers delicious

notes of white flower, almond blossom and a touch of citrus, making it a fine option for solo drinking and versatile with food as well. Drink this year or next. 12% Low stock.

F-LO13452 Half bottle of Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine Seguin 2016 £7.25 Seguin’s Loire vineyards were badly hit by frost last year so quantity is down but Philippe was

very happy with the quality, as are we. A benchmark of the appellation as usual, offering delicious citrusy precision. Now to 2020. 13%

F-LO9382 Half bottle of Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec, Domaine Huet 1973 £55 Excellent balance and gastronomic credentials here. Pale gold and off-dry, relatively low in

acidity but with some bready notes and delicious lemony flashes. From the Loire this is the perfect foil for goose or pork rillettes. Now to 2023. 11.5%

F-LO9282 Half bottle of Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux, Domaine Huet 1973 £65 We loved the plush upholstery in this wine. Not very sweet, but ample, tender and very much

alive, with notes of lemon citrus and white flowers. Now to 2023. 11.5%

F-LO9252 Half bottle of Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec, Domaine Huet 1969 £75 This is a textbook mature chenin blanc from a small but very good vintage, which is bright and

golden in colour, with wonderful tension on the palate. Racy, amazingly fresh and dry for a demi-sec, but also rich and long-flavoured. Now to 2027. 11.5%

F-LO9342 Half bottle of Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux, Domaine Huet 1959 £135 An exquisite rarity from this famed domaine’s reserves, made by the great Gaston Huet himself.

From a great, great vintage, this is a wine of remarkable finesse and elegance. Brilliant yellow-gold in colour, creamy textured and with sublime balance. Sip it reverentially! Now to 2020. 11.5%

Half bottle of Riesling Jubilee, Hugel 2009 The 2009 Alsace vintage was marked by a hot summer and so naturally the wines are full-

bodied and full-flavoured with remarkable concentration. Hugel’s Jubilee is nevertheless beautifully poised and refined. Now to 2022. 13.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17277.

A QUestiON OF sCALehALF BOttLes, MAGNUMs & JeROBOAMsWhether your Christmas celebrations promise an intimate affair or a gathering of the clans, this selection of fine wines in a variety of formats will add something special to the occasion. Our half-bottle range service those looking for a small portion of something special (including stunning aged wines from Vouvray’s Domaine huet), while the very sight of a 1.5-litre magnum on a dinner table adds a sense of anticipation and indulgence. Putting one there needn’t cost the earth, as the smart sparkling Limoux attests, but there’s a wine for every palate and budget in these pages, including multiple-magnum mixed selections and a Rioja and decanter gift set. For a party showpiece par excellence, we end with a small selection of even larger bottles in the form of three-litre jeroboams of Champagne and red wines.


hALF BOttLes: ReD half bottle

F-AU20252 Half bottle of Bleasdale Bremerview Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2015 £5.50 A stunning pure Australian shiraz, blackberry scented and inky purple in colour. A classic joyful

example of this much-loved style, which hasn’t been overworked. Now to 2021. 14%

F-LO13162 Half bottle of Chinon ‘Le Logis de la Bouchardière’, Domaine Serge et Bruno £6.50 Sourdais 2016 A lovely bright-fruited Loire cabernet franc, with charmingly fragrant nose and pristine red and

black fruit notes on the palate. Sourdais only made one cabernet franc in this cruelly low-yielding vintage, and most of that came from the better-placed vineyards. With its lovely bright fruit and real purity of flavour, this is something of a steal. Now to 2020. 13%

F-sP12452 Half bottle of Muga Reserva, Rioja 2013 £8.95 In 2013 Jorge Muga decided not to make his top gran reserva, opting instead to declassify all his

best grapes into this reserva. The quality shines through every time we taste it. This is rich, flamboyant and perfectly balanced Rioja at a fantastic price for the quality. Now to 2022. 14% Magnums of this wine are available in a gift set on page 26

F-sP12562 Half bottle of La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Reserva, Rioja 2009 £10.95 A delicious vintage of this fine traditional Rioja: fleshy, smoky and now mature, mingling lovely

ripe fruit and oaky complexity. Now to 2021. 13.5%

F-Rh32342 Half bottle of Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2011 £13.95 A full-flavoured, compact Rhône syrah from one of the great names. The 2011 offers a good

deal of concentration and flavour, and showing its complexity from beneath the oak that shrouded it in its youth. Wonderful wine. Now to 2021. 13.5% The 2014 follows

F-CM14922 Half bottle of Ségla, Margaux 2010 £14.95 We think that this second wine of Rauzan Ségla, indisputably one of the top estates in Margaux,

represents excellent value for money. It is just beginning to drink, but shows true Margaux finesse and depth of flavour. Now to 2025. 13.5% Low stock.

F-NZ9812 Half bottle of Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir 2015 £28 Truly one of New Zealand’s best. Ata Rangi have gained global recognition for their

Martinborough pinot noir and the 2015 offers a complex spice-and-redcurrant perfume and concentrated cherry fruit on the palate. Its fine tannins augur well for graceful ageing, but who could resist it now? Now to 2022. 13.5% Low stock.

F-CM14012 Half bottle of Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux 2009 £35 An outstanding Margaux from a stunning vintage which shines on every occasion we taste it.

With its entrancing bouquet and exquisite balance, this is an utterly delightful claret which will give pleasure through its long life. Now to 2030. 13.5% Also available in magnum on page 25

Half bottle of Barolo, Ciabot Berton 2012 A fine, plummy and attractive Barolo with plenty of sweet fruit, from an excellent grower in

La Morra. Now to 2021. 14.5% Only available in mixed case F-MX17277.

FiNe hALF BOttLes CAse £67Drink or store to next year

A six-bottle case containing one half bottle of each of the following wines:

WHiTESoave, Pieropan 2016Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine Seguin 2016Riesling Jubilee, Hugel 2009REDSégla, Margaux 2010Barolo, Ciabot Berton 2012La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Reserva, Rioja 2009

ref F-MX17277


A QUestiON OF sCALe

MAGNUMs: sPARKLiNG bottle six

F-sG2114 Magnum of Blanquette de Limoux Reserve Antech £22 £132 From the world’s first sparkling wine region, this is a dry, crisp, and fruity southern French sparkler

made from the local mauzac grape. Light and refreshing with a palate-cleansing hint of apple on the finish, this is a great buy to get a party started in style. Drink this year or next. 12%

F-Ch334 Magnum of The Society’s Champagne Brut NV £66 £396 We are very proud of this Champagne, and the Gratien style – dry, full-flavoured, rounded and

long – is conveyed beautifully from the slower-ageing confines of an impressive magnum bottle. Enjoy! 12.5%

F-Ch3414 Magnum of Alfred Gratien Brut 2004 £85 £510 Fragrant and complex vintage Champagne selected from Gratien’s best growers. The 2004 is

made from two-thirds chardonnay and around 15% each of pinots noir and meunier. Precise, dry and nutty, this is a chic and satisfying wine, perfect as either an aperitif or a foil for food. Now to 2022. 12.5%

F-Ch2874 Magnum of Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV £89 £534 One of the most-garlanded Champagnes in tasting competitions, and a special treat in magnum.

With a high percentage of reserve wine (dating back 10 years), this is a profound, sophisticated and harmonious Champagne with rich biscuity flavour and wonderful length. 12%

MAGNUMs: White bottle six

F-LO11944 Magnum of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur Lie ‘Grand Mouton’, Louis Métaireau £24 £144 2014 A selection from older vines and premium parcels gives this wine a little extra body and flavour,

but keeping the pristine palate-cleansing freshness that singles out good Muscadet. One of the great seafood wines, this would be magnificent with a plate of oysters. Now to 2025. 12%

F-sP12704 Magnum of The Society’s Exhibition Albariño, Rías Baixas 2016 £29.50 £177 The warmer vintage conditions in Galicia in 2016 meant that its most famous grape, albariño,

was harvested with higher than average levels of ripeness. As a result, our new Exhibition bottling stands out this year for its texture, richness and balance, and we couldn’t resist bottling some of it in magnum. Snap it up while you can! Now to 2022. 13.5%

F-LO12984 Magnum of Pouilly-Fumé, Domaine de Riaux 2015 £29 £174 Fine, fresh, full-flavoured and flinty: this is a delicious Pouilly-Fumé from the excellent commune

of St Andelain and a generous vintage. Extended ageing on the lees lends a fullness to the finish of this crisp and aromatic sauvignon blanc, making this a pitch-perfect dinner-party magnum. Now to 2019. 13%

MAGNUMs: ReD bottle six

F-AU19064 Magnum of d’Arenberg The Footbolt McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 £27 £162 Chester Osborn is known for his excellent-quality rich reds from Australia’s McLaren Vale and

this doesn’t disappoint. The full-bodied 2013 Footbolt is full of crunchy blackberry and cassis flavours, with a balanced lick of oak and a lovely long finish. Now to 2022. 14.4%

F-sP13104 Magnum of Remelluri Lindes Labastida, Rioja 2010 £29.50 £177 Elegant, round and rich with enhancing smoky complexity, this is a lovely Rioja made at the

historic Remelluri bodega. The 2010 has developed gracefully in bottle, is ready to drink, and would make a fine dinner-party centrepiece in magnum format. Now to 2020. 13.5% This wine also features in the Rioja Magnums and Decanter Gift Set overleaf

F-Rh41504 Magnum of Crozes-Hermitage Les Jalets, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2014 £32 £192 A deliciously fruity, vibrant northern Rhône syrah in a vintage that is already delivering real

pleasure. Much of the fruit comes from Jaboulet’s own vines at the famed Domaine de Thalabert, and you can taste the quality in the form of bountiful black fruit and soft ripe tannins. Now to 2022. 12.5%

F-AR3174 Magnum of Weinert Cavas de Weinert 2006 £34 £204 An Argentine institution, Cavas is a blend of 40% malbec, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 20%

merlot, aged in very old large oak vats for three to four years until soft and mellow. Its style is more akin to traditional Rioja than to its fellow countrymen, and highly recommended for its tobacco and leather aromas, soft mature palate and gentle mellow charm. Now to 2019. 15.5%


MAGNUMs: ReD bottle six

F-Rh47034 Magnum of Gigondas Pierre Aiguille, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2014 £37 £222 A lovely, soft and spicy Gigondas from mountain vineyards in the region that’s perfect to drink

now, presented in dinner-party perfect magnums. Now to 2021. 14.5%

F-sA10704 Magnum of Warwick Estate Trilogy, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2011 £46 £276 First released in 1986, the iconic Trilogy red has changed subtly over the years. Once cabernet

sauvignon dominated and still cabernet sauvignon led, the proportion of cabernet franc has been increasing since 2002 and now represents just over a third of the blend. An opulent South African classic, combining ripe black fruits with hints of graphite, a smooth texture and fine-grained tannins. Now to 2025. 14%

F-AU13484 Magnum of d’Arenberg The Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz 2007 £64 £384 Appropriately named after a vineyard condition that causes the vine to only produce small

grapes on one of its two ‘arms’. ‘The Dead Arm’ might also refer to the feeling after pouring this indulgently sized bottle! An intensely flavoured and serious Aussie shiraz, beautifully upholstered after 22 months’ maturation in new American and French oak barriques, but in harmonious balance thanks to the deft blending of winemaker Chester Osborn. Now to 2024. 14.5%

F-PW3524 Magnum of Passadouro Reserva, Douro 2009 £65 £390 A deep, dark Portuguese beauty with considerable presence, substance and length, offering

lovely velvety texture and delicious dark-fruit flavour, all kept in check by attractive food-friendly ‘grip’ on the finish. Serious, structured, but above all, thoroughly delicious. Now to 2025. 14.5%

F-CM16494 Magnum of Château Pibran, Pauillac 2010 £65 £390 Perfect Christmas drinking for claret lovers, this well-structured and classic wine is fresh and

elegant, with restrained cassis fruit, a touch of spice, fine oak and a fresh finish. Smart indeed. Now to 2025. 13.5%

F-CM14474 Magnum of Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac 2009 £85 £510 The second wine of Pauillac star Pichon Comtesse in one of the great Bordeaux vintages, which

brings out the velvety and creamy-textured charms of its fine vineyards. Fragrant and delicious with harmonious, long-lasting flavour. Now to 2025. 13%

F-CM14014 Magnum of Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux 2009 £135 £810 The chance to snap up a consistently outstanding claret from a magnificent vintage in an

impressive-sized bottle should not be missed. An entrancing wine with wonderful balance and pleasure factor, which is delicious now but with plenty of time in hand. Now to 2030. 13.5% Also available in half bottles on page 23.

Magnum of Muga Reserva, Rioja 2013 Founded in 1932, Muga is one of the most traditional Rioja estates and the current generation

of the family is pushing their wines to unprecedented levels of quality and refinement. In 2013 Jorge Muga made no gran reserva, instead declassifying all his best grapes into the reserva, further enhancing the quality of this rich, flamboyant and perfectly balanced Rioja. Now to 2026. 14% Only available as part of the Rioja Magnums and Decanter Gift Set overleaf: F-MX17267. Half bottles of this wine are available on page 23.

NeW WORLDMAGNUMs £99Drink or store to 2021

A three-bottle case featuring one magnum of each of the following:

Weinert Cavas de Weinert 2006Warwick Estate Trilogy, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2011d’Arenberg The Footbolt McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013

ref F-MX17271


A QUestiON OF sCALe

tUsCAN MAGNUM DUO £249Drink or store to 2021

A tempting two-bottle collection featuring one magnum of each of the below. These wines are only available as part of this mixed case.

Magnum of Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2006The cream of the crop in an outstanding vintage for producer Brunelli and region Brunello alike, so good that it deserved to be bought in magnum size. This is a stupendous, full and complex wine perfect for celebratory occasions. Now to 2021. 14.5%

Magnum of Flaccianello della Pieve iGT Toscana Centrale, Fontodi 2006In a perfect Tuscan vintage, this might just be the finest Flaccianello that Giovanni Manneti has made, red in colour, with intense bright fruit and opulent flesh, but structure too. Already magical to taste, but also a wine for the future, particularly in this larger-format bottling. Now to 2025. 15%

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RiOJA MAGNUMs &DeCANteR GiFt set £108Give the gift of two magnums of fine Rioja and an appropriately sized and beautifully presented decanter, courtesy of world-renowned glassware suppliers Riedel, for aerating and serving them.

Gift set contains:

Magnum of Remelluri Lindes Labastida 2010

Magnum of Muga Reserva 2013

A Riedel Magnum Decanter

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JeROBOAMs 3-litre bottle

F-Rh32345 Jeroboam of Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert, Paul Jaboulet Aîné 2011 £120 The 2011 Rhône vintage produced wines that are deliciously full and fleshy, and all are by now

ready to drink. Jaboulet’s Thalabert is a wonderful example, and shows even more complexity and character in a large bottle. It may throw a deposit, and so will require careful handling, but the rewards are great! Now to 2025. 13.5%

F-Ch1331 Jeroboam of The Society’s Champagne Brut NV £129 We cannot think of a better way to kick off a big festive gathering. Equivalent to four bottles of

our much-loved house Champagne from the small and exacting house of Alfred Gratien. 12.5%

F-sA5403 Jeroboam of Meerlust Estate Rubicon, Stellenbosch 2004 £249 Meerlust is one of the Cape’s grand old estates, owned by the Myburgh family since 1757.

This celebratory giant of a bottle marks the 25th anniversary release of their iconic red and winemaker Chris Williams’s first vintage in charge. Recent tastings show our published drinking window to be conservative, and that will certainly be the case in this large format. Now à point but there is really no hurry to enjoy this cedary classic. Now to 2025. 14%


WARWiCK estAte bottle dozen

F-sA13121 Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2013 £20.50 £246 Warwick’s was one of the first single-varietal cabernet francs and it is still one of the Cape’s finest

representatives of this increasingly fashionable grape. Lauded with a maximum five stars (yet again) in 2017 by South African ‘wine bible’ Platter’s Guide, the 2013 is ripe but not heavy, oaked but unobtrusively, with a precise graphite aroma and lovely freshness. Now to 2023. 13.5%

F-sA10701 Warwick Estate Trilogy, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2011 £23 £276 Warwick’s flagship red in a top vintage is a treat indeed. Cabernet sauvignon remains the

backbone of the blend, but the wonderful quality of cabernet franc in recent vintages means that there is an increased proportion here. Ripe and smooth on the palate, with fine-grained tannins conveying the ripe black-fruit flavour beautifully. Now to 2025. 14% Also available in magnums on page 25

F-sA12631 Warwick Estate Trilogy, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch 2013 £23 £276 The fine ageworthy 2013 vintage of Warwick’s top red continues the trend seen in the 2011

above, with the cabernet franc grape playing more of a leading role. It makes up 38% of the blend here, complemented by 8% merlot, to offer a dark, spicy-fruited wine with complex graphite, cedar, liquorice and mineral notes. Now to 2027. 14%

ViLAFONte bottle dozen

F-sA13091 Seriously Old Dirt, Paarl 2014 £21 £252 This earlier-drinking wine was developed by Vilafonté to offer followers something to drink

while waiting for their allocations of the two flagship reds, such has been the success of these wines both at home and abroad! The hallmark high proportion of malbec (here 28%) brings vivid colour and freshness to an otherwise merlot-cabernet sauvignon blend, declassified during the blending of the two flagship reds, pepped up with younger-vine fruit. Now to 2019. 13.5%

F-sA13111 Vilafonté Series M, Paarl 2014 £42 £504 Vilafonté’s production focused initially on two red wines: ‘C’ Series, a cabernet-based Bordeaux

blend, and ‘M’ Series, originally merlot-focused, now merlot and malbec, with some cabernet sauvignon for structure. This has been lavished with 22 months in oak barrels to make a rich and wholesome red with very fine tannins and generous, fleshy blue and black-fruit flavour. Now to 2030. 14%

F-sA13101 Vilafonté Series C, Paarl 2014 £49 £588 This South African cabernet-based blend, of a duo of wines from Vilafonté with a high

proportion of malbec, combines rich notes of coffee and dark chocolate with smooth texture and spicy blue and black fruits, finishing generous yet long. Now to 2030. 14.5%

A CAPe CRUsADeR:MiKe RAtCLiFFe, WARWiCK estAte & ViLAFONte Whilst the Ratcliffe family of stellenbosch’s Warwick Estate has been at the forefront of the Cape’s wine scene since the 1960s, Mike has raised the reputation of this beautiful estate and its wines still higher. his drive, creativity and enthusiasm have done much to raise the profile of the new south Africa, and the stellenbosch region in particular.

Mike’s seemingly limitless energy is also given to a relatively new winemaking venture in Paarl, Vilafonté, which he shares with leading American winemaking consultant and viticulturist respectively, Zelma Long and Dr. Phil Freese. Vilafonté was established in 1996. Malbec, first planted ‘almost as an afterthought’, is becoming increasingly important in these wines.

it all adds up to two very compelling stories, told here via an even more compelling collection of wines. Joanna Locke MW


White bottle dozen

F-Ge10541 Wachenheimer Riesling, Bürklin-Wolf 2016 £12.95 £155 The village names from Germany’s Mittelhaardt used to be as well known as those from

Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. This whistle-clean, refreshing, full-flavoured and spicy riesling shows the quality that can be found from the volcanic slopes of Wachenheim. Delightful. Now to 2025. 12%

F-AL13451 Riesling Grand Cru Saering, Domaines Schlumberger 2014 £18 £216 Schlumberger own more top-class vineyards than anyone else in Alsace and theirs is a star that is

very much in the ascendant. The Saering vineyard produces a lovely and, for a grand cru, relatively early-drinking riesling with the accent on citrus-forward charm and an exquisite hint of roundness to the texture that makes it such a good choice for the dinner table. Now to 2024. 13.5%

F-it23331 Soave La Rocca, Pieropan 2015 £25 £300 The gold standard for the Soave region, from a vineyard on the only limestone crop in the region,

which lends it an effortless yet grand quality. La Rocca has won a gold medal in six consecutive years at the International Wine Challenge, and few if any have been as generous as the warm 2015 vintage, producing a rich and opulent wine with haunting bouquet. Now to 2025. 13.5%

ROsé

F-FC33121 Bandol Rosé, Château Salettes 2016 £16 £192 This venerable estate is being taken to new heights by a committed young team, and the 2016

vintage shows the heights that this union achieves. A delicious pink Bandol, refreshing enough to enjoy on its own but with wonderful weight and breadth on the palate that would make an enlivening choice for nibbles and more serious dishes too. Now to 2021. 13.5%

ReD

F-FC31361 Fitou ‘Les Mégalithes’, Domaine Bertrand Bergé 2014 £14.95 £179 A splendid, full-bodied southern French red made from old-vine carignan. Ripe, concentrated

and heady; and yet for all the intensity and heat, the wine never loses its freshness. This would revel alongside a big warming winter stew or grilled meats. Now to 2024. 14.5%

F-FC33241 Corbières Cuvée Prestige, Château Ollieux-Romanis 2015 £12.95 £155 A full-flavoured, dark, plummy red from this wild and majestic part of France. This is Languedoc

at its best and in a great vintage: spicy and long and with fruit and oak in perfect balance. Now to 2025. 14.5%

F-FC28601 Carignan Mont Baudile, Domaine d’Aupilhac 2013 £16 £192 Sylvain Fadat was one of the first growers to make a success of his carignan. This is a fragrant,

full-flavoured and spicy southern French wine, imbued with gastronomic grip and lingering length. Drink this year or next 13.5%

A BUYeR’s ChRistMAsMARCeL ORFORD-WiLLiAMs’ FestiVe FAVOURitesi was delighted to put together a selection of my festive favourites, and have chosen wines that reflect my vinous affections that i think would make perfect Christmas-time drinking. i hope you enjoy them.

Riesling has long been a passion of mine, and unsurprisingly therefore two are present, from two of my favourite houses in Alsace and Germany. Carignan is a favourite red grape variety and i’ve chosen two food-friendly examples. i also love Mediterranean cooking at this time of year and so couldn’t resist including wines from both Provence and italy. A six-bottle snapshot is available to buy as a mixed case, which aims to provide companionable cover for any festive occasion. Marcel Orford-Williams


the MARCeL ORFORD-WiLLiAMs ChRistMAs CAse £95Drink or store to 2020


WHiTERiesling Grand Cru Saering, Domaines Schlumberger 2014Wachenheimer Riesling, Bürklin-Wolf 2016Soave La Rocca, Pieropan 2015REDFitou ‘Les Mégalithes’, Domaine Bertrand Bergé 2014Carignan Mont Baudile, Domaine d’Aupilhac 2013Corbières, Cuvée Prestige, Château Ollieux-Romanis 2015

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DOMAiNe GONON sAiNt-JOsePh BLANCAN UNMissABLe tAstiNG CAse Pierre and Jean Gonon are brothers living in the vigneron village of Mauves at the heart of saint-Joseph country in the northern Rhône. theirs are handcrafted wines of the highest quality, all made from grapes coming from steep slopes and aged in oak barrels in their old cellars.

the whites represent a tiny proportion of their production and are eagerly sought after. the Wine society can only a buy a few bottles every year so we have saved them for release as part of a mixed case of three vintages.

this is a must for lovers of mature white Rhône – act quickly to secure your share of these fine treasures. Marcel Orford-Williams

GONON sAiNt-JOsePh BLANC MiNi VeRtiCAL tAstiNG CAse £84Drink this year

A three-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Domaine Gonon Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers. These wines are only available as part of this case.

Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers, Domaine Gonon 2009 From a ripe-tasting vintage, this is almost luscious: very round and honeyed on the palate, and boasting considerable complexity and depth. A fine white Rhône that would be particularly well suited to the cheeseboard. Drink this year. 14%

Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers, Domaine Gonon 2010From a truly fabulous vintage across the region, the 2010 probably has the greatest sense of structure of the vintages offered here, but is perfectly ready to enjoy now. Drink this year. 14%

Saint-Joseph Blanc Les Oliviers, Domaine Gonon 2011A ripe-tasting, creamy-textured vintage offering delicious hints of hazelnuts, citrus and honey. Drink this year. 14%

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White bottle dozen

F-NZ9361 Felton Road Bannockburn Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 £22 £264 As well as their world-renowned pinots, Felton Road have also gained a fine reputation for their

boutique-production, precise, and complex chardonnay. The 2015 is delicious, with aromas of peaches and apples complemented on the palate by a beautifully judged hint of toasty oak and a long lemon-fresh finish. Now to 2020. 14%

F-NZ9581 Felton Road Block 2 Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 £26 £312 Block 2 is Felton Road’s reserve chardonnay, made from a small parcel of superbly sited vines.

The 2015 is a great success, with a wonderful nose of apple, toast and lemon. The palate offers chalky complexity, grapefruit-like succulence, and fine oak notes on the long finish. An elegant and pleasure-giving chardonnay. Now to 2022. 14%

Felton Road Block 6 Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 Often the richer of Felton Road’s white wines, Block 6 comes from a steep and elevated

vineyard, reaping the generosity imbued by sunlight and the freshness of altitude in tandem, with delicious results. The generous 2015 sports baked-apple and preserved lemon notes, balanced by a toasty oak note that holds the fruit together beautifully. Enjoy its youthful charm now, or leave it to develop further complexity. Now to 2025. 14% Available only in the Felton Road Collection mixed case F-MX17279

FiRst ReLeAse OF FeLtON ROAD 2015We are thrilled to offer these standard-bearing New Zealand fine wines, but it is worth mentioning that stocks are tiny! Do place your order early to avoid disappointment.

Central Otago has developed a fine reputation for pinot noir and chardonnay, and Felton Road has been at the forefront of that development for nearly 25 years. their biodynamically farmed vines are the envy of the region and indeed far beyond, and their grapes are given a light touch in the cellar to coax out the character of the fruit and vintage gently and authentically.

As for this vintage, 2015 has produced an especially elegant, poised and concentrated set of wines, offering something of a counterpoint to more exuberant offerings in europe. these are new world wines with the depth and finesse associated with the old: don’t miss them. Sarah Knowles MW


FeLtON ROAD COLLeCtiON £195A six-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the following:

WHiTEFelton Road Block 2 Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 Felton Road Bannockburn Central Otago Chardonnay 2015Felton Road Block 6 Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 REDFelton Road Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 Felton Road Block 3 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 Felton Road Block 5 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015

ref F-MX17279

ReD bottle dozen

F-NZ9331 Felton Road Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 £30 £360 This youthful but delicious wine currently shows all the classic traits of fine Central Otago

pinot noir: a beautiful vibrant colour, a sappy redcurrant-and-spice perfume, and on the palate, a good core of concentrated fruit supported by fine tannins and a lick of oak. Lovely wine. Now to 2021. 14%

F-NZ9611 Felton Road Calvert Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 £35 £420 The Calvert vineyard is on the gentle slope above Bannockburn and as such benefits from

slightly more sun, but thinner soils. The result in 2015 was exceptional, with redcurrant and cranberry aromas, complemented on the elegant palate by a spicy note and supported by fine but firm tannins. Decant it now and it will open up beautifully, but there’s more to come here. Now to 2025. 14%

F-NZ9351 Felton Road Cornish Point Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 £35 £420 Surrounded on three sides by small tributaries which offer frost protection, Cornish Point’s soil

is windblown sandy loam over clay, which leads to a highly perfumed style of pinot noir. The 2015 is very complex and concentrated, and will develop further layers if given time. Youthful red-berry fruits dominate now, but spice and leather notes are already developing on the bright finish. A treat awaits! Now to 2022. 14%

Felton Road Block 5 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 Block 5 is a gentle north-facing slope in the heart of a vineyard planted in 1993. The 2015 is a

classic example of its fragrant and elegant style, with firm underlying tannins that will support the wine as it ages. Exceptional. Now to 2025. 14% Available only in the Felton Road Collection mixed case F-MX17279

Felton Road Block 3 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 Made from the estate’s older vines, Block 3 is one of Felton’s most expressive and concentrated

pinots. The 2015 boasts brooding dark-berry fruit and spice on the nose, complemented by leather notes developing on the palate before a long spice-laden finish. Now to 2025. 14% Available only in the Felton Road Collection mixed case F-MX17279


sWeet bottle dozen

F-eN1162 Half bottle of Albourne Estate Late-Harvest Ortega 2014 £8.95 A delicious curiosity from the excellent Albourne Estate in Sussex, showing the diversity of

styles possible from English vineyards. The conditions in 2014 were good enough to allow this ortega to stay on the vine and develop a little noble rot, resulting in a wine which is delicately sweet and with clean, fresh acidity. This is light, crisp and elegant, and the perfect match for blue cheese. Now to 2020. 12% Low stock.

F-LO11961 Vouvray Moelleux ‘Les Sablons’, Carême 1990 £17.50 £210 A reserve parcel from a celebrated Vouvray vintage that was too good for us to miss.

Christmas offers the perfect opportunity for us to offer it for your delectation. This Loire gem is golden in colour, rich yet fresh and seductively smooth but with beautiful length of flavour. Now to 2020. 12.5%

F-GR932 Half bottle of Samos Nectar 1980 £42 An amazing and rare sweet muscat from the birthplace of Pythagoras, whose exceptional

aromas leap from the glass, mingling dried fruits, figs and chocolate with a delicately toasty backdrop and hints of sweet spices. Intensely ripe, but balanced by fresh acidity and capable of lasting two more decades. Nectar indeed. Now to 2035. 14%

F-GR1111 Vinsanto 12 Years Barrel Aged, Argyros £42 £504 World-class dessert wine made on Santorini, the origin of the name vin santo. Made from

predominantly assyrtiko, which provides wonderful fruit acidity and length of flavour to give lift and balance to match the sweetness, with some of the more floral aidani and athiri varieties. A hugely pleasurable wine: sip slowly and reverently. Now to 2025. 13.5%

F-Ge11222 Half bottle of Hochheimer Holle Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Kunstler 2015 £159 Modest in alcohol but remarkably generous in all other dimensions, this is a wonderfully

concentrated and complex German dessert riesling, with flavours of pineapple, crystallised citrus peel and angelica. Outstanding stuff. Now to 2032. 6.5%

FORtiFieD bottle dozen

F-sh1121 Williams & Humbert Fino en Rama 2009 50cl £26 An extraordinary vintage dry sherry, bottled en rama (‘raw’), without fining or filtration, to offer

the next best thing to tasting the wine straight from cask. It offers a stunning variety of nutty and mineral flavours, and a finish so long that it lingers on the palate for several minutes. Now to 2020. 15.5% Due to low stocks only one bottle per member.

F-Pt1931 Taylor’s Very Old Single Harvest Port 1967 £180 £2,160 Part of a series of rare 50-year-old Ports released recently by Taylor’s, this fine Colheita (or

single-vintage) tawny would make a fine gift, or a wonderful treat! The wine is a beautiful amber-gold colour, with complex and enticing aromas of caramelised citrus, apricot and nuts, and a long mellow wood-and-spice infused finish. After-dinner drinking doesn’t get much better. Now to 2024. 20.5%

sWeet & FORtiFieD ChRistMAs tReAtsWhether your penchant is for palate-cleansing freshness or mouth-coating decadence, this round-up of top-quality sweet and fortified wines from our cellars has your festive after-dinner drinking covered. two world-class fortified wines come in the form of a half-century old tawny Port and a stunning dry sherry, whilst the sweet wines span Greek standard-bearers, classics from the Loire and Germany, and a delicious curio from the vineyards of sussex. As if that wasn’t tempting enough, a further tranche of blind-tasting winners awaits in the next section…


sWeet WiNe ChAMPiONs bottle dozen

F-hU971 Royal Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2009 50cl £25 £300 The third of a trio of great Aszú vintages has yielded a classic and beautifully made example of

Hungary’s great gift to the world of wine. This delicious, complex Tokaji is redolent of apricot, honey, orange peel and spices, with luscious rounded flavour balanced by uplifting fresh acidity and verve. Its pedigree was obvious in the tasting room this year. Now to 2025. 11%

F-BW4061 Château Raymond Lafon, Sauternes 2010 £30 £360 This gem of a Sauternes continues to turn heads in tastings, having shone in our comparative

tastings of top wines from the 2010 vintage before doing the same again against rivals from all over the vinous globe here. Lusciously sweet but complemented by an invigorating spicy hint to the long-flavoured palate, this offers delicious drinking and formidable value. Now to 2035. 13.5%.

FORtiFieD WiNe ChAMPiONs bottle dozen

F-sh671 Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado Solera £14.95 £179 Two palo cortado sherries vied for inclusion in this year’s tastings. This one, from a small

almacenista in Jerez, stood out for its extraordinary intensity and length of flavour, combining finesse and fullness with aplomb on the dry, nutty and bewitching palate. Enjoy it with braised pork like the locals might, or serve as a versatile and invigorating glass after the meal. Please note that this wine may form a harmless deposit of tartrate crystals, the result of the minimal handling it undergoes. 20%

F-sh841 Osborne Capuchino Palo Cortado, 30 Years Old 50cl £22 £264 Naturally concentrated by evaporation during long barrel ageing, this 30-year-old wine has the

complexity of age and still, somehow, the intensity of youth combined. Its aromas of coffee, camphor and smoke captivate whilst its flavours are conveyed with freshness as well as fullness. A treat for the senses. 20%

F-MA221 Henriques and Henriques Bual, 15 Years Old 50cl £25 £300 No stranger to blind-tasting triumphs, this wine won a coveted Gold medal from the Decanter

World Wine Awards in 2015. Two years later, it saw off a strong selection of Madeiras to warrant inclusion here. With its lusciously golden colour, beguiling richness and heady combination of raisins, nuts and caramel, it’s little surprise: don’t miss it. 20%

F-Pt1871 The Society’s Exhibition Vintage Port 1985 £54 £648 Seeing a Society-labelled bottle peep out of a winning bottle bag during the grand unveiling is a

Christmas-morning-like sight for Society buyers, and so we were thrilled that this exclusive Vintage Port did just that in 2017’s tasting. This exclusive from the Smith Woodhouse stable is beautifully balanced, treading a fine line between robust and spot-hitting structure, fine acidity and mellow glide-over-the-palate smoothness. Now to 2020. 20%

sWeet & FORtiFieDWiNe ChAMPiONseagle-eyed readers of our Fine Wine Champions offering – gleaned from a mammoth blind tasting to find the most approachable and delicious wines in our range and published back in the summer – will have noticed that one section was missing. such was the quality of the sweet and fortified winners of 2017’s tasting that we decided to keep back these six Champions (the victors of a 56-strong line-up) to offer at a time when these wines really come into their own.

We are therefore delighted to let the cat out of the bag and reveal the outstanding-value sauternes and tokaji, Vintage Port, luscious Madeira and complex sherries that wowed our collective palates to add a touch of indulgence to your celebrations. indulge with confidence: these wines sailed through against the stiffest of competition.


bottle dozen

F-WY871 Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 12 Year Old £32 £384 Tomatin was once the largest distillery in Scotland, but over the last 20 years has moved away

from volume and focused entirely on quality. This classic bourbon-and-sherry cask-aged malt offers rich and beguiling aromas of dried fruits and nuts, which continue with beautiful clarity and softness on the palate before an elegant wheat-and-pear finish. Delightful. 43%

F-WY831 Ledaig isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 10 Year Old £45 £540 Distilled at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, this is a fully peated, non-chill-filtered Island-style

single malt, with a sweet briny, smoky nose, and both salt-marsh and floral flavours on the rich full-bodied palate before a long finish of iodine, clove and barley. 46.3%

F-RM51 Ron Barceló imperial Rum £31 £372 A rich, soft, treacly and tropical-scented Dominican rum that would make a fine addition to any

spirits cabinet, not to mention a splendid gift option, coming as it does in a smart presentation box. Its intense warming flavours would add great complexity to a cocktail and make it a companionable sipping rum too. 38%

F-GN271 Whittaker’s Gin £32.50 £390 A warming winter gin, small-batch distilled in Harrogate by Tony Whittaker, who wanted this

gin’s aromas and flavours to reflect the Yorkshire countryside. As well as traditional juniper, coriander and angelica root, therefore, the botanicals include local bilberries, hawthorn berries and bog myrtle from the moors adding sweetness, sharpness and spice. 42%

F-Os73501 Calvados du Pays d’Auge VSOP £37 £444 Too often we forget about the delights of Calvados, which is a great pairing with many festive

puddings, or cheese over the Christmas period. This is a beautiful example, intense but poised, its hugely concentrated palate finishing light, dry and elegant. 42%

F-BY431 Château de Monbel Bas Armagnac 1991 £45 £540 Château de Monbel has been part of the same family estate since 1683, producing excellent

hand-crafted Armagnacs from their 25 hectares of vines. This 1991 vintage spirit has incredible intensity and a complex flavour of figs, walnuts and fruitcake. Best enjoyed in a large balloon glass, where fresh tobacco notes can develop to the full. 42%

F-BY441 Frapin VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac £52 £624 Frapin are one of the few remaining totally independent estate Cognac houses. Using grapes

from their own vineyards in the Grande Champagne subregion, distilling and ageing in house, this is a very fine VSOP Cognac for contemplative sipping. Complex dried fruit, honey, apricot and vanilla notes develop beautifully with time in the glass. 40%

thRee ChRistMAs sPiRits £119A three-bottle case containing one bottle of each of the below:

Ledaig isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 10 Year Old Ron Barceló imperial RumFrapin VSOP Grande Champagne Cognac

ref F-MX17272

the ChRistMAs sPiRitsAfter so many treats in this Fine Wine List, i am delighted to be able to offer the digestifs. A great new pair of malts highlights the diversity of styles produced – Ledaig’s is a fully peated smoky dram, whilst tomatin is a quintessential elegant hay-scented highland. there’s also a duo of contrasting brandies in the form of Château de Monbel’s classy and concentrated Bas Armagnac and Frapin’s elegant Cognac. For alternative digestif options, there’s a fine aged dark rum to round off a winter’s eve in style and a delightful Calvados.

Finally, with all the richness that the festive season brings, i do enjoy a simple refreshing gin martini, and this year Whittaker’s is my Yorkshire-moors inspired tipple of choice! Sarah Knowles MW


GLAssWARe

The glassware featured in this photograph, from left to right, is: Riedel ‘Cabernet’ Magnum Decanter, Riedel Syrah Decanter, Riedel Veritas Old World Pinot Noir glass, Riedel Veritas Champagne Wine glass & Riedel Veritas Riesling / Zinfandel glass.

DeCANteRs

WiNe GLAssesGL411 Riedel Veritas Chianti Classico/Riesling/Zinfandel – set of 2 £42GL401 Riedel Veritas Old World Pinot Noir – set of 2 £42GL421 Riedel Veritas Champagne Wine Glass – set of 2 £42

F-GL391 Liscio hand-blown Fine Wine Glass. See page 28. (1 Glass) £22.50

F-GL376 Riedel ‘Cabernet’ Magnum Decanter £50F-GL386 Riedel Syrah Decanter £40

FNNOV17

This offer is open until Sunday 31st December, 2017 while stocks last.

thewinesociety.com/fi newines

Uncork with confi dence

The Wine Society is a mutual organisation, so our members’ satisfaction is paramount. If, for any reason, you haven’t enjoyed a wine we want to hear about it and will happily offer a credit, a replacement or a refund. thewinesociety.com/promise

how to use this List� Wines are listed by theme and then by price� Drink dates are given as a guide to maturity and ageing

potential� For further information about any of the wines please contact

Member Services on 01438 741177 � Fine wines too limited in quantity to be listed may be

found in the fine wine section of The Society’s website at thewinesociety.com/finewine

Fine Wine Advisers – here to helpPlease contact the Fine Wine Advisers for help with wine selection, food matching and any other wine-related subject. Visit thewinesociety.com/advice or call 01438 741177 to find out more.

hiGhLiGhts iN this List iNCLUDe:

SMALL WONDERS: festive fine-wine centrepieces at stocking-filler prices.

CHARDONNAY: delicious wine from around the world.

2009 LEFT-BANK CLARETS: a scintillating and seductive Bordeaux vintage.

READY-TO-DRiNK BURGUNDiES: reds from Jadot, Sylvain Pataille and Domaine de Bellene, plus a special focus on 2011 Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault.

HALF BOTTLES, MAGNUMS & JEROBOAMS: a bumper selection of party-perfect bottles.

NAPA VALLEY: an exciting collection of star-spangled reds.

AFTER-DiNNER TREATS: including the 2017 sweet & fortified Wine Champions.

OF THE YEAR 2017

Documents

Christmas Fine Wines NEW2 - Home - The Wine Society · 2017-10-31 · smart bacchus, sporting generous peachy aromas and herbal notes, and bold juicy flavours of elderflower, pineapple