The Growers

Information on some of our growers.

ARGENTINA: Alfredo Roja

A family estate with 114 hectares of vineyards in San Rafael, at around 800 metres above sea level. With low rainfall, intense sun and cool nights, the grapes reach perfect maturity. Argentina is famous for its Malbec, rather less well known for the Tocai Fruilano, a North Italian variety of great personality.

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AUSTRALIA: Bloodwood Wines, Orange, NSW

In an era of suffocating standardisation, we need the mavericks more than ever. It is the Bloodwoods of the world who provide the oxygen needed for our own lifeblood and the eccentricity that will rekindle our enthusiasm for real wine. Without them, we would out of the wine industry before you could say 'Blue Nun'. I am indebted to Jancis Robinson for suggesting that Stephen and Rhonda Doyle might be on our wavelength.

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AUSTRALIA: De Bortoli

It's easy for winesnobs and ultra-refined palates to sneer at the more basic Oz wines, but if you are in the mood for an inexpensive, uncomplicated crowd-pleaser (ie nothing too austere), these wines are the answer. They are consistently in our 'top ten' of best sellers.

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AUSTRALIA: Yarra Burn, Victoria

More marginal ripening at altitude (they get snow up here) leads to considerable finesse and more restrained levels of alcohol.

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AUSTRIA: Bernhard Ott

The young Bernhard Ott has established himself in the top first division of modern Austrian winemakers by virtue of the superb Gruner Veltliners that are his speciality here, with 90% of the estate's 19-hectare vineyard planted to the variety. Now among the most sought after wines in Austria, the 2004 vintage sold out within 3 months. Although the actual crop off the vine was larger than in 2003, he actually bottled less wine as a result of vigorous removal of any less than perfect grapes during a very protracted harvest that ran from October 4th till November 11th. Sadly our allocation is pitifully small and we regret that we will be unable to satisfy all demands.

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AUSTRIA: Erwin Tinhof

Erwin Tinhof has some 8 hectares of vines, including a parcel on the Feuersteig, long recognised as the prime site of Eisenstadt, the capital of Burgenland, south-east of Vienna, home for 27years to Joseph Haydn. Superb Pinot Blanc!

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AUSTRIA: Heidi Schröck

When it comes to dessert wines Heidi Schrock comes top of my list. In her 7 hectare vineyard at Rust overlooking the western shore of the Neusiedlersee she grows Furmint, Sauvignon, Gleber Muskateller, Weiss and Grauburgunder amoung others, and in most years makes intensly sweet Ausbruch wines with refreshing acidity. Her dry offerings from both Furmint and Weissburgunder are highly intriguing, subtle and original espressions of their grapes. Just 3,000 bottles from 3,000 vines, so don't say we didn't warn you!

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AUSTRIA: Weingut Gritsch

A top class family estate in the Wachau, Austria's most famous wine region. The house dates from the 13th century and has been in the Gritsch family since 1799. Their 8 hectares of vines occupy some of the greatest sites of the Wachau and exemplify the purity of expression that we expect from these old rocky Danube gorge soils, with gneiss, quartz, sand and loam providing potential for racy complexity through the medium of riesling and gruner veltliner wines.

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AUSTRIA: Weingut Juris

The Stiegelmar family has been established in Gols on the north shore of the Neusiedlersee since 1571, and Juris is now the leading wine estate in a town that can boast 120 different producers. Under the energetic and capable control of Axel Stiegelmar, the wines go from strength to strength, with a particularly strong focus on Pinot Noir and its cousin St Laurent.
Their St. George is a proprietary blend of both these related varieties, probably the only such blend that currently exists. The Pinot Noir ‘Selection’ is comparable in style and quality with a good ‘village’ appellation from Burgundy, while the ‘Reserve’ designation will happily stand up to a good Premier Cru from the Cote de Nuits

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AUSTRIA: Weingut Krutzler

Eric and his brother Rheinhold have taken the Blaufrankisch grape to great heights of excellence having identified the best clones and best sites, and then kept a firm focus on vineyard health, with an integrated plant protection policy of technical, physical, biological, hygenic and chemical control without herbicides. Their estate extends to 8 hectares. Each vintage here seems to show greater refinement and I am invariably inspired with confidence by my visits.

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AUSTRIA: Weinrieder

Friedrich and Melanie Rieder's estate is widely regarded as the finest in the Weinviertel region, 50km north of Vienna. With 15 hectares of their own vines lying in some of the best sites of their district, including Schneiderberg, Hohenleiten, Bockgärten, Kulger, they have established a special reputation for Eiswein in addition to their excellent dry white wines. These examples from the 2003 vintage are two of the finest sweet wines that we have come accross, even by the high standards we always expect from Austira in this category.

Photo:A vineyard lunch

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CHILE: Julio Bouchon

Julio Bouchon's wine does all we ask of it at a sweet enough price and retains a strong following.

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FRANCE: Billaud Simon

Consistently one of my favourite producers of top quality Chablis during the past decade, with important holdings in the best premier cru sites.

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FRANCE: Billecart-Salmon

I introduced the wines of this family run house over a quarter of a century ago when the name was virtually unheard of in the UK market. It is now indisputably established as a member of the elite, and its fine rose remains a particular speciality for which the demand always exceeds the supply.

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FRANCE: Cave Jaume

Brothers Pascal and Richard Jaume and their wives run the kind of exemplary small friendly domaine that we most admire. They consistently produce harmonious and well priced wines from their various vineyard sites at Vinsobres in the delightful district of the Drome Provencale, the sort of understated, no-nonsense wines that one never gets tired of drinking. In all three colours they are an obvious choice as an everyday wine.

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FRANCE: Champagne Larmandier

Better known under the Pierre Gimonnet label, this family Champagne house, established in 1899, is self-sufficient in grapes from its own important estate of 26 hectares of chardonnay vines, all in 'premier' and 'grand cru' classified sites in the villages of Chouilly, Cuis and Cramant on the Cote des Blancs to the south of Epernay.

The style of these 'blanc de blancs' Champagnes is elegant and race. With top class grapes, expert vinification and a proper amount of bottle age before release, their wines never suffer from the green, gassy or simply coarse character that is the hall mark of so many of the cheaper brands that plague the market. We are grateful to have direct access to a wine worthy of the finest traditions of the region, from an enterprise run with dedication and efficiency by Oliver and Didier Gimonnet.

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FRANCE: Chateau La Pagaute

This eminently affordable and attractive young claret is delicious already.

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FRANCE: Chateau Paloumey, Haut Medoc

An excellent 'cru bourgeois' lying close to the reliable La Lagune and Cantemerle near the southern limits of the Medoc, this well managed property produces excellent claret at a fair price.

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FRANCE: Chateau Puy Castera

Puy Castera can be found at the northern end of the Haut Medoc on the same latitude as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, but 2kms further inland. The vineyard is planted as follows: 57% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 2% malbec, 1% petit verdot. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks and the wine spends up to 12 months in French oak barrels. Mercifully, there is no advice or interference from the ubiquitous genius of M.Michel Rolland.

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FRANCE: Clos de la Roilette

Alain Coudert's Fleurie is not in the airy fairy, light and fruity school of this appellation, but in the deep, robust and spicy mode, with remarkable potential for longevity. In fact, pleasing as it often is in its youth, the greater rewards come after a few years in a bottle, as a recent tasting back to the superb 1991 reminded us. Beaujolais doesn't get much better than that and Alain thinks that his 2005 is made in the same mould. We have reserved some of the 'cuvee tardive' this year, a 'must' in magnums.

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FRANCE: Domaine Bernard Moreau, Chassagne

A domaine to watch with a new generation now in the driving seat.

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FRANCE: Domaine de Chevalier

With its 33 hectare of red grapes and 5 hectares of white varieties (70% Sauvignon, 30% Semillon), this is a model estate managed with skill and intelligence by owner Oliver Bernard and director Remi Edange. Disdainful of any transient fashion for powerful wine, they resolutely pursue a policy aimed at ever greater elegence and refinement, confident in the knowledge that a discerning market still exisits for such things. Less well known than many of its peers on the left bank, it is secure in a loyal clientele of devotees, among whom we are pleased to be listed. The 2002, a less acclaimed vintage in Bordeaux than 2000 or 2003, reveals a wine of classic balance and great charm. It should not be missed, whether for delicious drinking in its prime or for the more complex flavours of maturity.

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FRANCE: Domaine de Mourchon

Walter Mackinlay goes from strength to strength at this beautiful vineyard which I found for him a few years ago. Now recognised as the leading estate of Seguret, his wines rival those of Gigondas, powerful expressions of grenache and syrah grapes grown at altitude. If there are any more beautiful vineyards in France than those high up in Dentelles de Montmirail than I have yet to find them.

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FRANCE: Domaine de Roudène

Some appellations serve as a crutch for their less gifted producers; the individual estate may find it more of a handicap than an advantage. I rather feel that Fitou is a case in point. What matters here then is the name of Roudène where the Faixo family carve out singularly characterful expressions of rich and spicy wines from their old Carignan, Grenache and Syrah vines, cultivated at 500m altitude on the rough schist soils of the Hautes Corbieres to the north-west of Perpignan. There is no shortage of exciting new domains in the Languedoc today, but few achieve results superior to those produced here at more modest prices that those demanded by many of the 'nouvelle vague'.

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FRANCE: Domaine Denis Pommier

Denis and Isabelle Pommier have extended their domaine to 13 hectares. The 2005 Petit Chablis seems rather atypical, almost opulent rather than classically austere. The Cote de Lechet is their best wine in our opinion, racy and precise.

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FRANCE: Domaine Guiberteau

In just ten short years this small, organically run estate has risen to become one of the Loire's top ten producers*. Originally under the tutelage of the Foucault brothers of Clos Rougeard fame, Romain Guiberteau grows Cabernet Franc for the reds and Chenin for the whites.
The majority of the vines are on the highly prized south western slopes of the hill at Brézé, just outside Saumur, on a site that has been in continous viticultural use since at least the 13th century.

*(Revue des Vins de France)

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FRANCE: Domaine Luc Lapeyre

Beautifully straightforward wines from the gentle hand of a natural winemaker.

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FRANCE: Domaine Michaud

Having taken over the family vineyard at Noyer-sur-Cher, some 30 minutes drive east of Tours, Thierry Michaud provides us with the sort of honest, unchaptalised and unoaked sauvignon blanc that we like, and his gamay is equally refreshing and delicious.

"I do not pretend to make the greatest wines in the world" he tells us, "I make the sort of wines I like, wines to be enjoyed with friends." And indeed they are.

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FRANCE: Domaine Naulin, Beines

One of our more recent recruits and a most useful one too, adding a second valuable string to our Chablis bow. Quality is more reliable in this part of Burgundy than in the Cote de Beaune at present and prices are rather remarkably restrained, so these wines reward serious attention.

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FRANCE: Domaine Rene Charriat

William has now firmly replaced his increasingly grumpy father. He uses no small oak barrels and in his own words does not want to 'Parkerise' the wines. They remain as a result honest and delightful expressions of pinot noir in a relatively cool climate. As elsewhere in Burgundy, 2005 was the perfect vintage and we will have it to look forward to while we attack the charms on offer from the previous three years. Irancy takes time to develop and is often bottled later than wines from the Cotes de Beaune. The 'elevage' in this marginal northern latitude is slow.

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FRANCE: Domaine Tempier

The legacy of the late and much loved Lucien Peyraud lies in these superb testimonies to the quality of the Mourvedre grape, grown within sight of the Mediterranean on some 30 hectares of vines in three principal parcels: Le Plan which surrounds the cellar, Le Migoua high up above the Val d'Arenc in the commune of Le Beausset, and La Tourtine, on a steep slope facing due south below the hilltop village of Le Castellet. The soils might best be described as complicated. Almost a third of the production goes to make an exquisite rosé, a blend of Mouvedre, Grenache and Cinsault that is capable of considerable age, if allowed, which is rarely the case as it is so irresistible while young and the demand far exceeds the supply. The red wines are very long lived, thanks to the Mouvedre, a late ripening variety that needs this most sunny corner of France to achieve proper maturity. Made without recourse to chemical treatments, cultured yeasts, or added fining agents, neither chaptalised nor acidified, with maturation taking place not in small barriques but in large foudres, and bottling after two winters, these are unfiltered wines that benefit from decanting well in advance of serving. In a normal vintage they will age comfortably to thirty years. In the thirty years of my devotion to these wines, I think I have tasted examples of every vintage since the first wine that Lucien bottled on the estate in 1951, so I can begin to claim some acquaintance and almost blind affection for them.

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FRANCE: Domaines Paul Mas

Jean-Claude Mas has responded cleverly to the challenge facing French wine today, coming up with a style that combines the best attributes of both new and old world wine styles, giving a nod in the direction of ripe fruit flavour, but avoiding the facile fruit bomb and the quick thrill style that so quickly becomes boring.

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FRANCE: Francois Mitjavile, Bourg

At both Tertre Rôteboeuf initially, then later at Roc de Cambes, Francois Mitjavile has raised the quality of the wine from mediocrity to the highest level of excellence. This has not been achieved by any wizardry in the cellar, but rather by an exceptional level of competence and a very particular attention to detail in the actual vineyard. His wines achieve their effect not by over-extraction, but through balance and refinement, preserving the essential character of their terroir while simultaneously emphasising, almost to the point of exaggeration, the individuality of each different vintage. Indeed they are a reminder of the fact that two Bordeaux vintages are never quite identical. Roc de Cambes has a privileged site, second to none in the Côtes de Bourg. Competent tasters often rate its wine on a par with Tertre Rôteboeuf with reason. It is an accident of history that allows most of the wine of St. Émilion to command higher prices than those of Bourg, but many of its wines are inferior. Francois Mitjavile has set new standards for contemporary Côtes de Bourg, so he has also raised the bar for the basic Bordeaux appellation with the Domaine de Cambes that he makes from the vines at the base of the slope here. All his wines have the added advantage of being delicious to drink in their extreme youth as well as in their full maturity, and it is obvious that he is extraordinarily successful in those vintages that are generally perceived to be rather modest.

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FRANCE: Francois Mitjavile, Saint Émilion

At both Tertre Rôteboeuf initially, then later at Roc de Cambes, Francois Mitjavile has raised the quality of the wine from mediocrity to the highest level of excellence. This has not been achieved by any wizardry in the cellar, but rather by an exceptional level of competence and a very particular attention to detail in the actual vineyard. His wines achieve their effect not by over-extraction, but through balance and refinement, preserving the essential character of their terroir while simultaneously emphasising, almost to the point of exaggeration, the individuality of each different vintage. Indeed they are a reminder of the fact that two Bordeaux vintages are never quite identical. Tertre Rôteboeuf is a classic example of a St. Émilion of the 'côtes', that is to say its vines benefit from the ideal combination of a clay top soil lying on a deep substratum of limestone rock, with a southe-east facing exposure overlooking the valley of the Dordogne. All his wines have the added advantage of being delicious to drink in their extreme youth as well as in their full maturity, and it is obvious that he is extraordinarily successful in those vintages that are generally perceived to be rather modest.

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FRANCE: Hubert Krick

With its price always as modest as the man who made it this clean, fresh gewurztraminer remains a personal favourite for us. The'Cremant' is a much better bet then cheap champagne.

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FRANCE: Jean Thevenet

The 'maestro' of the Maconnais continues to produce wines that are in a league of their own district. Characterised by an extra dimension of richness due to the onset of 'pourriture noble' in some of the grapes, these are wines for sipping rather than gulping, I suggest. I have followed them with admiration and pleasure for over 25 years.

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FRANCE: Jean-Paul Brun

"Un des rares vinificateurs artistes du Beaujolais" and clearly a thorn in the flesh of petty bureaucrat gratte-papiers in Paris who tirelessly devise objections to his labels and frustrate his attempts to raise standards in a region that desperately needs to restore its reputation. In contrast to the synthetic brews that have become the standard for Beaujolais, Jean-Paul understands the delicate nature of the Gamay grape and realises its true potential as the perfect everyday 'vin de soif' or thirst quencher. The 'Cuvée Premiere' is vinified from the younger wines along traditional Beaujolais lines, light in alcohol and juicily succulent. The 'Cuvée L'Ancien' from the older vines receives the sort of treatment often reserved for the more 'serious' wine of Burgundy, with de-stemming, pre-fermentation cold maceration, and even pigeage for fuller extraction of colour and greater ageing potential. White wines are rare in the Beaujolais region, but the strong limestone of the 'Terres Dorees' district is perfect for chardonnay and Jean-Paul produces two versions, one that sees no wood and is bottled around 6 months after the vintage and another that is vinified in new oak barrels and will pass for good Meursault. The 2002 vintage version is particularly promising.

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FRANCE: Joseph Drouhin

Superbly precise wines across the board, true to their individual appellations. The prices for the 2005 wines have not been released in time for the printing of this catalogue and our selections are listed subject to confirmation of price and availability from Drouhin in due course.

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FRANCE: Joseph Landron

Scrupulous attention to detail in the vineyard is just one of the reasons why Joseph Landron is arguably the finest producer in Muscadet. From his organic estate on the southern slopes of the Sèvres hills he has maintained his impeccably high standards throughout the boom and bust years. All the proof needed is right here in the bottle. Having been aged on its lees this is delicious, being both rich and refreshing. If only all Muscadet was as good as this.

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FRANCE: Louis et Claude Desvignes

Those who like red Burgundy from the pinot noir vines of the Cote d'Or but find the price prohibitive should always consider the Morgon option, for this is the Beaujolais 'cru' where the gamay most frequently produces its best imitation of pinot, once the wine has a few years in a bottle.

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FRANCE: Maison Champy, Beaune

Bourgogne Blanc, Pernand Vergelesses Blanc:
As fine as any Corton-Charlemagne I have tasted in the past year, this wine from the same hill comes at less then a third of the price of its famous neighbour.

Bourgogne Pinot Noir:
Outrageously good quality for such a modest appellation, it is an indication of just how great this vintage is.

Beaune 1er Cru Champs Pimont, Morey St Denis 1er Cru Clos des Ormes:
Ethereal pinot perfume here with all the charm of this wonderful vintage

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FRANCE: Nicolas Thienport, St Cibard

White Bordeaux has become a source of exciting quality and excellent value. This wine rivals the quality of the best of Graves Pessac Leognan. Just 500 cases produced from this 1.6 hectare vineyard. 65% semillon provides the fat, with the aromatic notes coming from muscadelle and sauvignon gris. This knocks much current White Burgundy into a cocked hat.

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FRANCE: Patrick de Coninck, Ste. Foy

Following the example set by Francois Mitjavile, Patrick de Coninck, with regular advice from Francois' son Louis, has created a new level of excellence within a hitherto undistinguished appellation. Again, the attention to extreme detail here is apparent and the results are equally impressive. I doubt if a Medoc first growth receives any better treatment than that lavished on the best vines and barrels in the new chai at Martet. This is the solution for those who consider classed growths too expensive. The 'regular' bottling, labelled 'Les Hauts de Martet' may not be given the Rolls-Royce treatment accorded to the 'Reserve', but it makes a most agreeable 'House' claret nonetheless.

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FRANCE: Pierre & Veronique Janny

Exemplary, reliable, affordable white Burgundy. A perennially popular choice here.

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FRANCE: Second Wines of Classed Growths

As the prices of the major Bordeaux growths rocket ever further out of the regular consumer's orbit, it makes increasing sense to take a look at their 'second' wines. These wines display the same essential vineyard character as the 'grand vin', but since they are less suffocated by new oak during their 'elevage' their structure is lighter and the wines are correspondingly ready to drink much sooner. The gap in quality between the first label and the second is, in fact, not nearly as large as the price difference might suggest. In the past year, I have made a point of blind tasting both the wines from certain famous chateaux in the Medoc and on more than one occasion, I have given the two wines the same score! The message should be obvious.

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FRANCE: Vincent Delaporte

Ever popular, Sancerre sells itself without any particular assistance from us. Good Muscadet is often much better value, but the Delaporte Sancerre is one of the few that is worth its price.

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FRANCE: Zind-Humbrecht (Wintzenheim)

Having been the first person to introduce the wines of this superb domaine to the U.K. market over 20 years ago, since when it has established itself with a reputation second to none, I am delighted to reintroduce them to our list now that they have decided to work only with proper wine merchants again! They got the 2003 vintage absolutely right, not having been panicked into picking too early while waiting for optimum maturity.

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HUNGARY: Huba Szeremley

Huba Szeremley is the leading name in the region with some 100 hectares of family owned vineyard. The very dry Riesling is absurdly cheap, the Szürkebarát is a lively Pinot Gris, the Kéknyelü an almost extinct variety that is peculiar to the region. (According to Hugh Johnson, the Szeremley version is the definitive example.)

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ITALY: Silvano Bolmida

The most exciting new addition to our list in the pst 12 months is from a corne of Italy that we knowso well. Silvano Bolmoa recently took up the reinns at his family's 5 hectare vinyard and it is very clear that he is driving the business with the same flair, philosophy and attention to detail that we have come to know so well from Francois Mitjavile at Tertre Roteboeuf in Saint Emilion.

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LEBANON: Serge Hochar, Bekaa Valley

Lying in the heart of the Beka Valley this world class estate consistently produces wines of depth and interest. This is a delicious blend of ripe hedgerow fruit and exotic spice.

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SPAIN: Viña Santa Marina

After an interval of a decade I have reintroduced wines from Extremadura and I am expecting them to be amongst our most popular wines during 2005. The dry white Altara seems to do the job of a good Pinot Grigio at a more reasonable price than the over fashionable and inevitably much abused Italian. It is made from indigenous varieties that have hitherto entirely eluded my attention. The soft ripe Tempranillo has the charm of its primary fruit without any of the astringent aggressivity of youth and promises to be crowd pleaser with more individuality, I feel, than most Chilean Merlot.

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USA: Abacela Vineyards, Roseburg

In the warmer climate just south of Roseburg, Dr Earl Jones has illustrated the versatility of Oregon by pioneering a number of grape varieties with great success including Dolcetto, Tempranillo, Albarino, Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. These 2000 wines are almost sold our, but we hope to follow with 2001 soon.

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USA: The Eyrie Vineyard, Dundee

Oregon owes its place on the world map very largely to the vision of David Lett who stubbornly ignored the 'experts' with his decision to pioneer pinot grapes in the Dundee Hills of the Willamette Valley. His wines are never loud-mouthed extroverts, but models of whispering delicacy, ethereal subtlety, deceptive length and longevity. They prove the irrelevance of deep colour in the pinot noir. Inevitably, tasters who respond to high alcohol and vulgar appeal of exaggerated fruit would overlook them in large competitive tastings.

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