Laya is a banging Spanish red made from a blend of heat loving Garnacha Tintorera and Monastrell, both of which thrive in the dry arid climate of Spain and in this wine their big bold flavours are well balanced by being grown on vineyards at altitude. This wine is made from grapes grown at 700 to 1000 metres above sea level on limestone soils; two factors that encourage great quality grapes, which express themselves in high quality wines, thanks to the closer than usual proximity to the sun and the cool nights, which stretch out the growing season and provides refreshing acidity to the grapes.

Oak maturation was brief, which soften this wine, adding complexity.

Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) plus Garnatxa, Sumoll, and other autochthonous varieties from Penedes in north west Spain

The Mas Candi vineyard is situated in Les Gunyoles in Avinyonet del Penedes. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are picked from vineyard planted in 1982, using no chemical fertilizers, antifungal treatments or pesticides. Other varieties come from a 0.5 ha vineyard planted with Mando, Cannonnau (old Catalan Grenache grown in Sardinia), Monica (Sardinia) and Sumoll. Soils are composed of calcareous clay and gravel. Vineyard altitude is 300 metres above sea level, and the climate is Mediterranean.

Grapes are hand harvested in small bins and the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 12 months on its lees before bottling.

Sweet, supple, spicy, warm black cherry and blackberry fruit with a lovely smooth texture and notes of tea, herbs and spice. Warm and ripe and mellow with lovely balance and well integrated oak. Supremely balanced.

Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot were blended together to make this top red blend which comes from Argentina's Mendel winery and is made from ungrafted vines planted in 1928 in Lujan de Cuyo in the west of Mendoza. Dark velvety ripe fruit flavours envelope concentrated black plum flavours, spicy aromas and notes of vanilla and toast in a complex full bodied wine which drinks superbly now and can age for up to a decade, and then some. 

A great gift for a special friend or in your own wine cellar.

A delicious dry and savoury Chenin Blanc with crisp apply acidity and a full body, showing off the fleshy citrus and stone fruit flavours in this wine, which comes from South Africa - the world's headquarters of Chenin Blanc, in terms of volume of grapes planted. 

Chenin Blanc is the leading grape variety in South Africa and is made in a wide range of styles. This is one of the best and was made by A A Badenhorst in South Africa's Swartland region, where Chenin grows superbly well. With a smattering of Palomino, the grape typically used for sherry, this wine is deliciously dry and savoury with crisp apply acidity and a full body, showing off fleshy citrus and stone fruit flavours.

Churchill Grafite is a great red from a great Portuguese wine producer. It's a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (the Portuguese name for Tempranillo), which combine to make a dry, deeply coloured and full bodied wine. Spicy notes add complexity to the layers of ripe blackberry, dark plum and cedar aromas in this fab red wine. Bring on the cold nights. This wine is ideal for them. 

Another Malbec cracker from the Catena stables.

The Alamos Malbec has a dark purple colour with violet highlights. The nose offers bright black berry aromas with light floral notes and a touch of toast. The mouth-feel is full and rich, with ripe, concentrated cassis and black raspberry fruit interwoven with a touch of chocolate and sweet spice from light oak aging. The finish shows ripe, silky tannins."

South America is known for many things, including dark and spicy Argentinian Malbecs, such as this one by winemaker Ernesto Catena. He is the man responsible for this tasty  Malbec from Mendoza; the heart of the country's wine industry and a region equally renowned for its spectacular beauty at the foot of the Andes Mountains.

From the winery...

Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of well under 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines ? give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and "sweet" and it generally shows hints of that alluring savoury "primal" character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.  

Soil Low-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil

Alcohol 13.46% Acid 5.50 g/l pH 3.48 Residual Sugar 2.30 g/l

Barrel Ageing 10 months

Oak 100% 228 litre French Oak Barrels Tight Grain 100%

1st fill 35% 2nd fill 47% 3rd fill 18%

Blonde Toast 31% Medium Toast 14% Medium Long Toast 55%

French Coopers: Francois Freres 100%

Hamilton Russell is the top winery of the Walker Bay region of South Africa. They are one of the southernmost wine estates in South Africa and are incredibly close to the sea. It is this cooling maritime influence, which helps to cool down their vineyards and enable their grapes to retain acidity, which provides freshness in the resulting wines. It was founded in 1975 by Tim Hamilton Russell who set up the property in the search of making South Africa's top cool-climate wines. It has since been taken over by his son Anthony and his wife Olive. They are now making highly individual, terroir-driven Pinot noir and Chardonnay, which are widely regarded as with the best in South Africa and among the finest in the New World.

?Bulls Blood? from Eger in Northern Hungary. Kekfrankos blended with Kadarka, Cabernets, Merlot & Pinot Noir. Savoury herbs accenting earthy dark fruit, spices emerging on the mid palate with a mouth filling savoury finish. Gal Tibor is credited as the winemaker who created Ornellaia at Antinori in Tuscany before returning to his native Hungary.

A charming fruity and florally scented wine whose fine minerality and elegant acids make this Tokaj Muscat the perfect refreshing wine for summer evenings and long friendly conversations.

Residual sugar: 6.5 g/l
Acid: 7 g/l

Tasting Note: Straw yellow colour with golden edges. Intense aromas of pineapple, apple and pear in perfect harmony with the typical ripening aromas: butter, toast and caramel. Creamy and elegant taste with sufficient freshness and a pleasant aftertaste. An excellent choice with warm fish dishes, white meat and semi-hard cheeses.

Winemaking Notes: The vineyards are located in the protected area of the Jumilla appellation in the province of Murcia. There is a warm climate with more than 3000 hours of sunshine per year, and this is also one of the driest areas in Spain with a maximum of 300l of precipitation per m²/year. The vines are on a sandy soil with large pebbles, low to the ground and have a very low yield maintenance. When the grapes have reached their optimum ripeness, they are harvested by hand at night. Maceration at low temperature to preserve the intense aromas. After fermentation at very low temperature in stainless steel vats, the wine is transferred to oak barrels where it matures for 6 months “sur lie” and develops its creaminess. The grapes are grown organically and no animal products are used during the clarification of the wine, which is why this wine gets the “Vegan” label.

Certification: Vegan

Alcohol: 12.5%

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Jumilla, Spain

Deep juicy red from the arid dry Alentejo region in the south of Portugal, a climate that Syrah loves and adores, giving its best depths of dark fruit flavours and smooth powerful tannins. This dry Portuguese red has body to burn and rich flavours to impress with hints of dried red berries, ripe plums and even notes of stewed fruit. 

This is massively good value for money and comes from the family owned Casa Santos Lima winery.

Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Touriga

Experience the best sake Niigata Prefecture has to offer with this refined bottle of Manju junmai daiginjo-grade sake. Part of the Kubota series by Asahi brewery, this premium junmai daiginjo variety has a fruity aroma with flavours of honeysuckle and Fuji apple with subtle notes of spiced pear. Best enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.