Here's a small selection of wines from UK merchant Les
Caves de Pyrene (www.lescaves.do.uk)
who specialize in natural, organic and biodynamic wines with a sense
of place.
Champagne
Philipponnat Grand Blanc 1999
Really lovely tight, toasty citrussy nose is fresh and aromatic.
The palate is tight and fresh with subtle, complex herby notes and
good acidity. Fresh, persistent and complex. 93/100
Hatzidakis Santorini Cuvée No 15 Assyrtiko 2007
Greece
Lovely complex aromatic nose with mineral notes alongside the ripe
pear and apple fruit. The palate is broad, rich textured and quite
complex with pear fruit that’s fat but fresh at the same time. An
intriguing rich white wine. 91/100
Terras
Gauda Rias Baixas ‘O Rosal’ 2007 Spain
Beautifully aromatic nose showing ripe pear and melon fruit with a
hint of minerality. The palate has really lively citrussy, mineral
freshness with notes of pear and herbs. Quite broad with lots of
flavour, but still fresh. 91/100
Frantz
Saumon Minérale+ 2007 Montlouis, Loire
Intriguing nose showing classic chenin notes (herbs, apples,
lemons and a bit of cheesy funk). The palate is pure and minerally
with nice broad, pure herby fruit. Ripe and attractive. Thoroughly
delicious with real personality: a focused, fresh fruit wine. 92/100
Colle
Stefano Verdicchio di Metalica DOC 2007 Italy
Fresh, almost toasty nose with notes of honey and citrus. The
palate is fresh and crisp with bright, subtly herby nutty lemony
fruit. Very expressive. 90/100
Andere
d’Ansa Irouleguy 2006 Southwest France
Deep yellow coloured. Broad, herby, slightly peachy notes with
some minerality. A dense, thought-provoking wine with some intensity.
89/100
D&P
Belluard Cépage Gringet ‘Les Alpes’ 2006 Savoie, France
Yellow/gold colour. Beautifully aromatic with lovely ripe peach
and pear character. Sweet but with a spicy, savoury edge. The palate
is fresh, showing broad peach fruit and nice tension between the fruit
and freshness. 90/100
Julien Courtois Originel Vin de Table Francais
Deep yellow colour. Lovely
warm nose is cidery and sweet with some honeyed notes. Weird but
wonderful. The palate is dry and herby with a smoky edge and notes of
apples and cider, as well as some earthiness on the finish. Extreme
style but delicious. 92/100
Terre
Digiumara Greco Duemilasette 2007 IGT Sicilia
Yellow coloured. Bold, herby and spicy with some nutty notes. Full
flavoured with lots of impact and a savoury, minerally edge. 88/100
Roc
des Anges Les Vieilles Vignes 2007 Languedoc, France
Rounded, nutty and herby with a smooth texture and a nice
minerality on the finish. Subtle and thought-provoking. 89/100
Cos
Ramí Insolia/Grecanico 2006 Sicilia
Broad, sweet, warm peach and pear nose. The palate is broad with
melon and pear fruit. Really delicious with a lovely presence. 90/100
Lucien Aviet Caveau de Bacchus Arbois Reserve de Caveau
Cuvée des Geologues 2006 Jura
Pale red colour. Sweet,
herby and complex with some soft cherry fruit, as well as spice and
earth notes. The palate is warm and complex with real personality.
Elegant and savoury. 92/100
Clos
de Tue Boeuf La Guerrerie Vin de Table Francois (2006)
Dense, early, spicy nose with some meat, smoke and spice notes.
The palate is tight and dense with earthy, spicy notes under the
fruit. There’s a bit of brettanomyces here, but this is
fantastically expressive. 93/100
Leon
Barral Faugères 2005 Languedoc, France
Warm, earthy, spicy red with lovely structure. Attractive open
fruit underpinned by earthiness: a complex with that’s perhaps a bit
bretty but which is very attractive. 91/100
Nathalie
& Christian Chaussard ‘Les Longues Vignes’ 2005 Coteaux du
Loir
Beautifully aromatic with a subtle minerally, gravelly edge to the
bright cherry fruit. Really complex and a little bit funky. The palate
is beautifully expressive with lovely fresh fruit and a herby edge.
93/100
Hervé
Souhaut La Souteronne Gamay 2007 Vin de Pays de l’Ardèche
Fresh, bright cherry and herb fruit with a subtle minerally
spiciness. Really expressive and fresh with a lovely personality.
92/100
Elian de Ros le Vignoble d’Élian 2005 Côtes du
Marmandais, France
Very deep coloured. Firm,
spicy, savoury dark fruits nose. The palate is ripe and sweet with
lovely spicy mouth-drying structure providing a counter to the rich
fruit. Packs a real punch. 90/100
Bressan
Shioppettino 2003 Venezia Giulia, Italy
Assertive sweet spicy cherry nose. Berryish and bright on the
palate, displaying lively cherry and plum fruit with some spicy
freshness. 91/100
Bera
Vittorio e Figli Ronco Malo 2005 Barbera d’Asti, Italy
Fresh, bright and fruity with high acidity and spicy, plummy
fruit. Finishes spicy and earthy. A lovely savoury wine. 90/100
Terre di Giumara Sachia Perricone 2006 Sicilia
Lovely sweet ripe dark fruits nose. The palate is dense with sweet
fruit and some spice, earth and meat notes. Sophisticated and
structured with a savoury finish. 91/100
La Magendia de Lapeyre Jurançon 2005 Southwest France
Sweet honeyed nose. The
palate has a lovely cidery tang to the bold, concentrated herb-tinged
citrus fruit. Thought-provoking stuff. 92/100
Wines tasted 10/08
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