Halves Case

Wine has been made in Jurançon, just outside the city of Pau in Béarn, next to the old Kingdom of Navarre, for many centuries and enjoyed great prestige when it was the favourite tipple of Henri IV. Then the wines were mostly on the sweet side and it was another Henri who led the creation of a dry-style Jurançon for more everyday drinking. This Jurançon Sec comes from Henri Ramonteu, who makes it better than anyone. This unoaked, grapefruit-like, full-bodied white with good grip is made from two local varieties, gros manseng and camaralet and is the perfect partner for trout.

Pecorino with green-apple scent and lemon-rind and mineral notes on the refreshing palate. Pair it with fresh salads, seafood or herb roasted chicken. Rocco Pasetti was one of the very first to champion this excellent Abruzzo white grape and he's become a bit of an expert.

This mouthwatering Bordeaux blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon has a touch of muscadelle for added character and depth of flavour. A refreshing and consistent performer year after year, made by the Despagne family.

Merlot-based fruity and unoaked claret supplied for over a quarter of a century by family-owned Maison Sichel. Deliciously ripe and appealing with supple texture and a fresh finish.

Attractive, floral Fleurie, in keeping with its name, with vibrant red-fruit notes on the palate. A return to a riper more plump style following the cooler 2021 vintage in Beaujolais.

An Argentine malbec with rich black fruit with a seductive velvety palate and a hint of vanilla from the wood ageing. 2022 had a warm summer but a cooler autumn resulting in well-balanced wines. This is a blend of three areas: 80% Altamira, 10% Gualtallary and 10% Lunlunta and was matured in barrels for 14-16 months.

A fine, dry white wine of great delicacy from the Mâconnais in southern Burgundy, the warmest part of the region. The wine is ripe and round, with flavours of toasted hazelnut, apple and stone fruit, a hint of citrus and a lovely streak of minerality. The quality of the wine reflects the deep involvement in its selection by successive buyers and the skill of our ‘man on the ground`, Jean-Marc Darbon, who excels in sourcing the right blending options for us to work with. The fierce zander (sandre in French), also known as the pikeperch, thrives in the rivers of Burgundy and is shown on this wine's new label. It is a great freshwater quarry – and delicacy – for fishermen and food lovers in Burgundy. It has a fine flavour because its carnivorous and so is much superior to that of weed-eating fish. It's as good as brown trout to eat and appears frequently on menus in Burgundian restaurants. Don`t hesitate to try it.

Crisp and refreshing in the new vintage, with Muscadet's typical saline note that makes it such a good match for seafood and especially shellfish. This wine has been sourced for nearly 40 years from the impeccable family firm of Chéreau-Carré. Just before the river Loire spills into the Atlantic, it is joined by the Sèvre and Maine rivers. The vineyards around their confluence produce the best Muscadet, whose distinctive tangy flavour is enhanced by prolonged contact with the yeast lees produced during fermentation (sur Lie).

This dry riesling is sourced from grapes around the picturesque Alsace town of Riquewihr. 2022 was a warm vintage and there is a richness to the wine, but there is a crisp and refreshing acidity and attractive pithiness that provides fantastic structure. Subtle red-apple, jasmine and citrus fruit all come through in the glass.

Rocco Pasetti makes the most attractive example we know of this Italian classic. Full-bodied and bursting with gutsy ripe cherry and redcurrant with plenty of spice on the finish. A juicy and fulfilling example of this great grape.

Produced for us from nero d'Avola grapes grown in the Ragusa and Agrigento regions of Sicily. Here the Mediterranean climate, tempered by a cooling coastal breeze, produces full-bodied red wines. Partly aged in French-oak barrels, this juicy raspberry and cherry-scented wine has a rounded mocha finish.

The lockdown vintage was marked by fine weather with hardly a drop of rain and cool summer nights which allowed the crop to retain freshness. Guigal's syrah-dominated Rhône balances power with bright fruit flavours with a little spice.