Chablis, Domaine des Malandes '05
Grapes: Chardonnay
Each: £11.95
Authentic elegance.
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Macon, Les Heritiers des Comtes Lafon '06
By the Bottle: £10.00, By the Dozen: £114 (£9.50 each)
Mini Meursault from Giants in the field.
After years of exploring the world marketplace Dominic Lafon returned from the polo fields to head the current generation of the Comtes Lafon. More than simply maintaining their reputation for producing some of the finest wines in
The vineyard may be different but the style and commitment to quality remain. Effortlessly stunning wine. Clean, focused racy stuff with a wonderful balance and easy seated complexity – you can see the influence of a top Meursault producer but at
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Hellfire Bay, Chardonnay, Western Australia '07
Grapes: Chardonnay
Each: £7.75
Made by one of my favourite Australian producers, Plantagenet. This range is all about immediate opulence. Rich intense fruit is matched by obvious but not overpowering oak handling - a triumph of balanced blending. They source the fruit for the Hellfire range from all across Western Australia, an added quiver or two in the shoot out that is blending.
Notice the screw cap - Stelvin closure no less. This is fast becoming the closure of choice in the Antipodes particularly and especially for this style - wine designed for immediate consumption. The debate continues on the impact of Stelvin closures on cellaring potential. Where there is no debate or complaint is with the total eradication of cork taint, great for wines that just don't even need to think about cork.
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Dog Point, Sauvignon Blanc '06
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
By the Bottle: £12.00, By the Dozen: £135 (£11.25 each)
Classic
Established by two stalwarts of the
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Soave Classico, Pieropan '07
Grapes: Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave
Each: £10.90
Elegance, style, flair and everything that the rest of the Soavians should strive for.
The wine is, as always, clean and fresh and would be perfect with a simple piece of fish, say seabass perhaps barbequed in a grass wrap and waiting to be shared al fresco on a midsummer’s evening camping. Too detailed? Try it.
Nino gets great structure and acidity from his Garganega and perfume and richness from the Trebbiano.
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Rosso di Montalcino, Sesti '05
Each: £14.50
Good honest Rosso.
The hamlet of Argiano is the most beautiful spot in one of the most beautiful parts of the world,
In 1975, needing a quiet place to write, Sesti fled the hustle and bustle of
The Rosso has that wonderful combination of fruit and earthy developed character. If you're an Italian fan this will hit the spot - if you're aren't a fan YET this will push you in the right direction.
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La Grola, IGT, Allegrini '04
Each: £14.50
Valpolicella with glasses and a suit, La Grola with the cape and red knickers.
► Fly to
► Breathe
► Understand
The Allegrini family took over this magnificent fallen site and vineyard in 1979. They lovingly restored it to its natural potential and finally, frustrated by blending laws that repressed quality, withdrew La Grola from the classification system to stand on its own. The exposition, soils and height above sea level make this an exceptional site - the Allegrini's care in the vineyard and winery make this an exceptional wine.
Full bodied and intense with clarity and exquisite length, all Valpolocellans should read the Daily Planet a bit more.
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Chianti Classico, Fontodi, Tuscany, Italy '05
Each: £14.35
Put simply, I think this estate produces the most wonderful wines in the whole of Chianti-land.
Well, Giovanni Manetti, who heads this family operation, exudes an air of serenely quiet confidence that would be annoying were it anything but so completely natural. Similarly his effortless style and charm come across as impossibly relaxed for someone as meticulous with detail as he must clearly be. For me the clue is in the family history - supplying tiles for
The Fontodi wines exhibit the ingrained understanding of the artisan craftsmen to whom they belong.
We've listed the '05 Chianti as a starting point, as well as their very fine Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). But if you really want a treat I'm sure we could be persuaded to find some Flaccianello for a super tasting box?
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Brunello di Montalcino, Pietroso '02
Each: £18.00
Excitingly correct Brunello.
If you are dabbling with Brunello this is good toe dipping stuff. Open the dictionary, read the tasting definition of Brunello and this is what you will find. There are more flashy beasts out there but this is real, correct Brunello made to the well established tradition. And oh what a tradtion.
Classic earthy, leathery tones but the fruit is supple and tasty. Gianni Pignattai makes cracking wine.
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The Box Scheme
Sign up now wines@monkeyshed.com to take away the risk of missing out and as a bonus we'll deliver this bi-monthly treat for just £120 all up. Order it as you like for £130 (all up).
How it works:
Every two months we'll deliver:
► A selection that explores a particularly pressing winey subject. Maybe:
- a variety – Great Grenaches of the world
- a technique – Bio-dynamics, or what to do with that pesky cow horn
- something tasty – It's Saturday night, I've ten top friends arriving, just what am I going serve with the pan fried foie gras and corn fritter starter? I know I'll ask Monkeyshed!
- an occasion – wines for Mid Summer's Eve and the straw wrapped sea bass on the barbeque.
► Accompanying tasting and background notes. More background than tasting, as is my wont – although we’ll point you towards the gooseberries and cats pee where necessary.
► Variety. The selection that will vary in size, usually it will be the full dozen bottles but if we really push the boat out it might be down to eight or six or... BUT always it will be great value!
► Cost. Avoid that sinking feeling of missing out. Sign up a little standing order and guarantee monthly delivery of our monthly treat for just £120. Or order it as you like for £130.
► Don't forget this is just a taster order up on your favourite anytime.
The Food File:
As life develops.....
► With every box we'll review a recipe and perhaps include a parallel food offer in The Box. Gourmet smoked eels, handmade aniseed biscuits, a bottle of olive oil or even a six pack of olive oil as the monthly box.
Ooooooh the future really is bright!!
Trip quick to the Current Box Offer
The All Singing All Dancing Introductory Box!!
Click on the wines for a full tasting note or click here The Box Scheme for the full explanation of the scheme.
First up House Quaffers:
Domaine de la Cessane Marsanne Viognier '06
Domaine de la Cessane Grenache Merlot '06
A fantastic pair that show just what can be achieved in the South of France if you really try. Every list we'll highlight a few Quaffers - wallet friendly everyday drinking wines of discerning quality!! Here's our benchmark
A Pair of Gems:
Macon-Vinzelles, Bret Brothers '05
Mercurey, Vieilles Vignes, Francois Raquillet '04
Burgundy is a tricky little beast isn't it. Nothing better when its good, that unfortunately is far too rare. But that's what Monkeyshed is all about - finding the gems so you don't have to wade through the dross. These are delicious and definitely punch above their weight.
A New Classic:
Jules Taylor, Sauvignon Blanc '07
Just voted the world's best wine ever!! - or something along those lines - by the most discerning judges at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards. And they are spot on the money.
A Tasty Surprise:
Chianti Cerro del Massa '06
A tasty gentle toe in the Italian water - enjoy this delicate dip into the great undiscovered wine nation that we can help you explore with great confidence - come to think of it that is just the beginning of the great unexplored, the deeper side of Oz, beyond Sauvignon in NZ, beastie kings in Africa, gold in the Americas a campaign in Iberia.......... in our next instalments
The Business:
Sign up now wines@monkeyshed.com and our box is delivered every other month for £120 (off the cuff its £130).
How it works:
Every other month we'll deliver:
► A selection that explores a particular vinous topic, perhaps:
- a variety – Great Grenaches of the world
- a technique – Bio-dynamics, or what to do with that pesky cow horn
- something tasty – It's Saturday night, I've ten top friends arriving, just what am I going serve with the pan fried foie gras and corn fritter starter? I know I'll ask Monkeyshed!
- an occasion – wines for Mid Summer's Eve and the straw wrapped sea bass on the barbeque.
Labels: Box scheme
Domaine de la Cessane, Grenache Merlot '07
Grapes: Grenache and Merlot
Each: £7.50
DECEMBER OFFER - A dozen for £82 (£6.83 each)
For the wine, add a bit of earthy minerality, punchy ripeness and good solid astringency for structure and that's what this is all about - bottled garrigue. This could only ever have come from one place and oh what a lovely place to come from.
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Chianti, Cerro del Masso '06
Grapes: Sangiovese and Merlot
Each: £7.80
Chianti with just that little extra silky ripeness.
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Jules Taylor, Sauvignon Blanc '07
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Each: £11.50
Makes you want to move. (and shake, and rattle and roll.....)
Don't know much about Jules except she seems to have all the right things going on in the right places. Her back label says it all, Sauvignon Blanc is most expressive of the site on which it grows. She has blended from four distinct expressions across Marlborough and has just been given the trophy for Sauvignon Blanc at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards - hats off.
Jules' wine was the one good thing to come out of the last Lions tour. Something else far classier than what we had to offer down under, we never stood a chance, although a few more Scots might have help, Sir Cliff.
This is cracking wine, pardon my waffle and just enjoy it!
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Macon-Vinzelles, Bret Brothers '05
Each: £15.00
Look up tasty in the dictionary, this is what you'll find.
On the face of it not a lot going for it- £15 for a Macon called Cuvee Grand Pere. I was spectacled and remained so right up until I plunged my beak into my first glass, actually until it got near enough to pick up on the luscious flavours bursting from my Riedel stem.
Balance. Simple enough concept, with opulence you focus and direction, with flavour you want length and flow, with complexity you want unity. I love it when I a wine pulls me in as many directions as this does but none so strongly that they rise above the total taste of the wine.
The Bret brothers, Jean-Guillaume and Jean Philippe, stopped selling their grapes to the co-op but a few years ago and started making their own wine - I'm ever so glad they did.
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Domaine de La Cessane, Marsanne Viognier '07
Grapes: Marsanne and Viognier
Each: £7.50
A brilliant balance between richness and freshness.
Delicious and a long term home quaffer always in the top of our pops. Viognier is a truly seductive grape, lots of rich unctuous fruit that can be a delight. The problem is that it can get too ripe and topple over the top. It will still show all those lovely layers of voluptuous fruit but it can get a bit blousy and loose on the finish.
This doesn't! Inspired winemaking from the team of Philippe Maurel and Stéphane Vedeau and the not injudicious addition of a good slug of Marsanne gives a steely elegance to the ripe voluptuous Viognier flavours.
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Tick Tick Tick!
Still under construction but really it's just the final tweaks. In minutes we'll have:
► The February Box. A speedy dozen to introduce you to the taste of the Shed (can you say that?).► Our first Bijou Selection of Quaffers, Classics and the Quirky. But don't let this stop you asking us to find that perfect little bottle you had another of over lunch last Friday (just remember to steam off the label, or write it down or snap it with your phone).
Can't wait? Get in touch and sign up for our monthly newsletter wines@monkeyshed.com