The Wine Merchant Top 100 winners supplement 2017

Winners supplement 2017

ad The Wine Merchant Top 100 is the only competition to focus on wines exclusive to the independent trade. It’s judged by independents themselves, who assess wines based on character, quality and price.

We are delighted that four of our wines made it into the Top 100 – and that a further four were awarded Highly Commended.

28 Recreation Ground Road Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1EW 01780 755810 orders@abswineagencies.co.uk www.abswineagencies.co.uk

Winners supplement 2017 4 Chairman’s report 6 Trophy winners 14 Top 10 countries of origin 16 The judges 20 Top 100 rundown 43 Top 10 suppliers 44 Highly commended wines

Published with the July edition of The Wine Merchant magazine www.winemerchantmag.com © Graham Holter Ltd 2017 Registered in England: No 6441762 VAT: 943 8771 82 Cover artwork: © Rostislav Sedlacek/stockadobe.com Bottle photography by Rob Lawson

Consistency, value and a touch of the esoteric Competition director and judging chairman David Williams looks back on a record-breaking 2017 competition

When this competition started, we had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve: the final list of wines (50 then, 100 now) should be able to form the basis of a really good, varied independent wine merchant’s list, with a spread of prices, styles and suppliers, and with the quirky rubbing shoulders with the reliable big names.

Five years later, and – as I hope you’ll agree once you’ve gone through the wines featured in this supplement – I reckon we’re as close to that ambition as we’ve ever been. That we had a record number of entries no doubt helped: the talent pool was just that little bit deeper. But what I found really heartening – and intriguing – about this year’s selection was the range of suppliers: a total of 27 had one wine or more (in some cases several more) in the Top 100 and Highly Commended.

It’s hard not to read that as a reflection of just how competitive the sector now is. The years when grabbing a slot in the multiples was the sole objective of many producers are long gone.

Supermarkets remain important for volume, of course, but how many suppliers really enjoy getting lost in that profit-free zone? And so, an The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 4

Willunga 100; Greece’s Gerovassiliou and Gaia Estate; Italy’s San Marzano and New Zealand’s Saint Clair – suggests that consistency and value will always find willing takers.

increasing number of established suppliers are looking to secure a bigger share of the qualityfocused independent trade, while others have explicitly set up to service it.

After five years of processing the results – and experiencing the reactions of our annuallychanging pool of judges – it’s also possible to detect some trends about what appeals to independents, and what doesn’t.

The performance of serial winners over the years – notably France’s Taittinger, Domaines Paul Mas, and Arthur Metz; Australia’s Teusner and

Trends such as the rise of Swartland as South Africa’s pre-eminent winemaking region, and the increasing focus on regions beyond Rioja in Spain – also show up strongly in the data. And it was noticable again this year that judges – and by extension their customers – are increasingly impatient with overextracted, unnecessarily “big” red wines.

Indeed, the high scores gained by such esoteric wines as a red from the Azores, a Chilean País, plus representatives from Croatia, Slovenia, Lebanon and our usual high-scoring cluster of Greeks suggests a real willingness to take a risk on the path less travelled.

Of course, none of those wines would have made the cut if they hadn’t been well-made as well as unusual. And that of course is the real guiding principle of the competition: the judges are looking for wines they can sell, not just once out of curiosity, but time and time again.

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TAITTINGER PRELUDE GRANDS CRUS NV

LES DOMAINES PAUL MAS COTE MAS FRISANTE 2015

Champagne, France

Vin de France 2015

One of the few remaining Champagne houses still in the hands of the original founding family, Taittinger has always been among the most forward-thinking – a tradition that continues with its recent

investments across the Channel in English sparkling wine, and with groundbreaking cuvées such as this year’s Sparkling Wine Trophy-winner.

Designed to offer the consistency of a non-vintage and the complexity of a vintage, it’s a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 100% Grand Cru villages in the Côtes des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.

Having already mastered the art of what his company website calls “everyday luxury” with his vast, value-busting range of Languedoc red and white wines, Jean-Claude Mas has recently pulled off the same trick with sparkling wines.

Mas uses Picpoul to make the base wine for this deserved Wine Merchant Top 100 Trophy-winner. And, as one judge pointed out, the finished fizz, which has its second fermentation in tank, has elements of both Picpoul de Pinet and Prosecco – “an inspired commercial combination” of two of the 21st century’s most popular wine styles.

“This is a very fine wine with great length and finesse,” the judges said.

“Fine perlage, delicate bready notes on the nose, and a delightful, delicate, racy but complex palate.”

“This would be a really valuable entrylevel sparkling wine for any independent wine merchant – at this sort of price, it would go down a storm,” the judges said. “It has nice delicate yeasty notes, green apples, creamy mousse, and a fresh, easy-drinking feel. Great value.”

Hatch Mansfield RRP £52.75 ABV 12%

Les Domaines Paul Mas RRP £8.99 ABV 12%

BEST SPARKLING WINE TROPHY

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BEST VALUE SPARKLING WINE TROPHY

Our fantastic four.

www.department33.co.uk 07557 053343 / 07515 555807

Department 33 et la France WINES OF BORDEAUX -

KTIMA GEROVASSILIOU MALAGOUSIA 2016

MAN FAMILY VINEYARDS FREE-RUN STEEN CHENIN BLANC 2016

Macedonia, Greece 2016

Western Cape, South Africa 2016

One of the great success stories of modern Greek wine, Evangelos Gerovassiliou began his revival of his family’s vineyards in 1981, planting what was then the almost-extinct indigenous variety Malagousia.

In the years since, the operation has expanded to some 70ha and both winery and variety have been justly lauded, with this wine becoming a longterm favourite of the Top 100 judges and the wider independent merchant scene.

In the words of the Wine Merchant Top 100 class of 2017: “This has a simply great nose: it’s smoky, with liquorice, sherbet dib-dabs and confit lemon. On the palate, it’s super-intense and lively with hits of gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf, minerals, salt and zest of lime. It’s just so pure and harmonious, a real modern Greek classic.”

Since its foundation in 2001, MAN Family Vineyards’ simple avowed intention has been to “make wines we’d love to buy”.

how they went on to define that – a description that most certainly applies to the 2017 winner of the Top 100 Best Value White Wine Trophy.

“Quality wines that offer excellent value for money and great packaging,” was

As the name suggests, only free-run juice from Chenin Blanc grapes sourced from very old vineyards in the AgterPaarl area is used to make what the judges called “a little star of a white”.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £16.99 ABV 13.5%

BEST WHITE WINE TROPHY

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“Super-vibrant nose of lemon and lime zest, straw, hay, dried grass and honeysuckle,” the judges added. “On the palate it’s bright and pure with no oak, but lots of grapefruit and kumquat in a style that’s tight and together.”

Enotria & Coe RRP £8.75 ABV 12.5%

BEST VALUE WHITE WINE TROPHY

We are pleased to announce nine winning wines and five highly commended wines in this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100.

It’s been quite a medal haul for Famille Helfrich – the independent arm of GCF – in this year’s contest.

Yet our winners represent just a small fraction of the wines we produce across France – wines that are finding a natural home with a growing number of specialist independent wine shops in the UK. Contact Chris Davies on 07789 008 540 or email cdavies@lgcf.fr to find out more.

BODEGA SOTTANO JUDAS 2013

HECULA MONASTRELL DO YECLA 2015

Mendoza, Argentina 2013

Yecla, Spain 2015

Based in Perdriel, and with vineyards in five other prime spots in Mendoza, Bodega Sottano has become one of the leading producers of Malbec in Argentina, with a knack of combining power with elegance.

That’s certainly the case with the topof-the-range Judas cuvée, a blend of low-yield fruit from Perdriel and Luján de Cuyo that is aged for 24 months in new oak (70% French, 30% American).

“This is a hugely impressive Malbec that is built to age – we’d say until at least 2025 – and which shows the full potential of Malbec from Argentina,” the judges said.

Few wineries have done more to raise the profile of a single grape variety than Yecla-based Familia Castaño has with Monastrell.

small part thanks to the efforts of Daniel Castaño and his family that the variety, a native of Spain, has become one of the country’s calling cards.

Once regarded as little more than a blending and bulk wine agent, it’s in no

Even now, however, it can offer superb value, with this powerful example, which is aged for six months in a mix of American and French oak, being a particularly persuasive case in point.

“Bold in flavour with notes of bramble and spice on the nose, the palate is packed with dark fruit, liquorice and white pepper, while the tannins are superbly fine-grained and appetising.”

“Vibrant cherry, peppery, upfront juicy nose,” the judges said. “Lovely pepper and sweet spice. Highly quaffable, well made, and simply excellent value for money: it’s just a bloody nice bottle of wine!”

The Vindependents RRP £49.99 ABV 14.5%

Liberty Wines RRP £9.99 ABV 14%

BEST RED WINE TROPHY

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BEST VALUE RED WINE TROPHY

“An intense, classic, toasty, full-flavoured Champagne with yeasty aromas, notes of brioche and citrus fruits and great length.�

New Generation McKinley 020 7928 7300 orders@newgenwines.com www.newgenwines.com

FERNANDO DE CASTILLA ANTIQUE PALO CORTADO NV

EQUIPO NAVAZOS I THINK MANZANILLA EN RAMA

Cortado, Jerez, Spain NV

Jerez, Spain NV

A company with an aristocratic pedigree, Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla has consolidated its position as one of the finest bodegas in Jerez since it was acquired, along with neighbouring almacenista José

Bustamente, by Norwegian Sherry industry veteran Jan Pettersen in 1999.

Pettersen’s relentless focus on quality has included making a deal with a local grape grower to ensure supply of the very best grapes, an approach that has paid handsome dividends in the quality of his top Antique range, of which this Palo Cortado is an undoubted highlight.

Equipo Navazos is an unusual business venture, effectively a group of Sherry-loving friends, led by the criminology professor and wine writer Jesús Barquín, who partner up with bodegas to bottle and market some of the best Sherry around.

“Lovely nose of caramel, honeycomb and biscuits,” the judges said. “There’s a delightful lift to the palate. This is seriously classy: honeyed but never sweet, really intense; stunning, with an endlessly long, nutty finish.”

Boutinot RRP £35.55 (50cl) ABV 20%

BEST FORTIFIED WINE TROPHY

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For the affordable I Think label, the team joined forces with Eduardo Ojeda at La Guita, who allowed them to make a “personal selection” of their favourite 60 butts out of the 12,000 in the bodega, which the team then transferred, with minimal filtration, into bottle.

The judges described the wine as “very pure”, with “saline and hazlenut, classic Manzanilla iodine and an ozone nose”.

“The palate is surprisingly rich, with more of that iodine coming through. It’s nutty of course but there’s also some fruit – apricot or peach – in a quite remarkable wine for the price.”

Alliance Wine RRP £9.95 (37.5cl)

ABV 15%

BEST VALUE FORTIFIED WINE TROPHY

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN 2017

Country

Top 100

Highly Commended

Points

1

France

25

27

102

2

Spain

13

19

58

3

Australia

13

16

55

4

Italy

10

15

45

5

Portugal

9

7

34

6

New Zealand

7

5

26

7

South Africa

6

7

25

7

Argentina

5

10

25

9

USA

3

6

15

10

Chile

2

8

14

Methodology Three points were awarded for a Top 100 place, and one point for each Highly Commended placing.

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NAUTILUS CUVÉE MARLBOROUGH BRUT NV The Wine Merchant Top 100 - 2017 WE BEGAN MAKING NAUTILUS WINES IN 1985 – THE EARLY DAYS OF MARLBOROUGH WINEGROWING. Our philosophy is to craft wines that are textural, complex and food friendly, respecting and showcasing the unique Marlborough terroir.

Nautilus Estate is proudly imported and distributed by Negociants UK

The 2017 judging panel Hal Wilson Cambridge Wine Merchants

As always, all of our judges were independent wine merchants. We asked them to assess wines in the same way they would if they were thinking of buying them for their own businesses – so value was as important a consideration as quality.

The judges were grouped into pairs for the first round, and presented with a series of blind flights. The task at this stage is to decide which wines make it to the next round, and which are rejected.

A small team of senior judges, led

by David Williams, was on hand to offer a second opinion where judges found it difficult to make a decision.

These judges also retasted some of the rejected wines to ensure the judging was consistent from team to team, and that no brilliant wines missed the cut.

Hal established the business with Brett Turner in 1993. It’s now one of the most respected independents in the UK, with seven branches, four in Cambridge itself.

Philip Amps Amps Fine Wines, Oundle Philip runs an acclaimed family wine business dating back to 1901 and is the only merchant to have judged every year in the Top 100 competition.

Rosamund Hall Burgess & Hall, London Rosamund is a partner in a new “neighbourhood enoteca” in a railway arch in Forest Gate. The business focuses on small independent producers.

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Tom Innes Fingal-Rock, Monmouth Tom is a qualified barrister who gave up law to open a wine shop. He’s passionate about good Burgundy and fighting the corner for small retailers.

Jane Taylor Dronfield Wine World, Derbyshire Jane and husband Chris set up this business in 2016. Jane, who was once a teacher, lived in Chile for 16 years and has experience as a winemaker.

Ted Sandbach The Oxford Wine Company Ted presides over one of the UK’s largest independent wine companies, with a thriving wholesale arm, two shops and two lively wine cafés in Oxford.

Samantha Jackson Chester Beer & Wine Company A fixture in Chester since 2005, Sam’s business – run in partnership with Steve Kitchen – has recently branched out into running street festivals.

Phoebe Weller Valhalla’s Goat, Glasgow Phoebe is the manager of this iconic shop in Glasgow’s west end. She describes herself as “a lover of all fermented products but in particular cheese and wine”.

Roddy Graham The Good Spirits Company, Glasgow Roddy spent a decade with Oddbins in Glasgow before opening the Good Spirits Co in 2011. The business now has three shops in the city.

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Jane Salt Hay Wines, Ledbury Hay Wines was founded by Jane in 2009, starting out as a wholesaler but quickly branching out into retail and online sales as well as events.

James Kelly Vino13, Kilmacolm James opened his Renfrewshire shop after an interior design career. He offers “quality and variety allied to a sound knowledge of what’s in the bottle”.

Jefferson Boss StarmoreBoss, Sheffield Jefferson is co-owner of the business and has 20 years’ experience in the retail trade. He has also run independent record labels.

Matt Tipping Jeroboams, London “London’s local wine merchant” has six shops. Matt started his career with Majestic before moving to Berry Bros, and joined Jeroboams in 2016.

John Roberts Mumbles Fine Wines, south Wales A WSET tutor, John has more than 37 years’ experience in the wine trade and is the wine consultant for this famous Welsh merchant, established in 2006.

Zoran Ristanovich City Wine Collection, London Zoran has a degree in viticulture and has made wine in Bordeaux and Spain, in addition to working as a WSET lecturer.

He opened his shop in 2003.

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Brilliant palates brutal decisions Colin Thorne Vagabond Wines, London Colin’s expertise has proved invaluable for several London merchants. For the past seven years he’s been part of the senior team at an expanding Vagabond.

Kiki Evans Unwined in Tooting, London Kiki set up A Grape Night In with Laura Ward. Their shop opened in 2015 but the pop-ups that were the mainstay of the original business still continue.

In the second round, we mixed up the judging teams and reflighted all the wines that had survived the morning session.

This time we asked judges to make notes about the wines they were tasting, and to give them a score out of 100. They were given advice about how to decide on that score, to ensure that each team was working on the same principle.

We weren’t just looking for flowery tasting descriptions. We wanted our judges to think about what role each wine might play in an independent’s range and how it compared to other wines of that style that they already list.

It was a brutal business. But it gave us our Top 100.

Mark Banham Morrish & Banham, Dorchester This thriving young business was founded in 2015. Mark previously ran the acclaimed Palmers of Bridport wine merchant division.

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CHAMPAGNE JANISSON GRAND CRU

BELLAVISTA BRUT VINTAGE FRANCIACORTA

Champagne, France NV

Italy 2011

Owned and run by winemaker Manuel Janisson, this family Champagne house is based in the top Grand Cru village of Verzeney.

Founded in the early 1970s, Bellavista has been one of the quality leaders in Italy’s top sparkling wine region pretty much ever since – thanks in large part to its extensive vineyard holdings in some of the best sites in the DOCG.

AKARUA BRUT ROSE Central Otago New Zealand NV Two important factors combine to make Akarua one of the best sparkling producers in New Zealand.

NAUTILUS ESTATE CUVEE MARLBOROUGH New Zealand NV Aged for three years on its lees, this traditional-method blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay won over the judges as a “good value alternative to Champagne”.

For the vintage cuvée, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are sourced from south and south east-facing vines planted on hillsides, and 30% of the final blend is fermented and aged in barrique.

The first is all about the vineyards: a prime north-facing spot in Central Otago’s Bannockburn district, where owners the Skeggs family were among the first to plant. The second is Dr Tony Jordan, the Australian fizz specialist at the helm for Akarua’s sparkling wines, and who here ages the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which includes 10% red base wine, for a minimum of 18 months.

And although our panel wouldn’t have known it at the time, it also comes in a uniquely stylish package – the bottle is Janisson’s own design.

“Lots of bubbles, with very fine perlage,” the judges said. “Very refined and well balanced, with delicate citrus and toasty notes.”

“Rich but not overpowering, very appealing, a close-runner for Champagne,” said the judges. “Elegant and a very good buy.”

It’s produced by an early pioneer of Marlborough winemaking, with vines first established in the region in 1985.

Owned by Robert Hill-Smith of Yalumba fame, Nautilus is a member of New Zealand’s association of top familyowned producers, The Family of Twelve.

New Generation McKinley RRP £46.50 ABV 12%

Liberty Wines RRP £39.99 ABV 12%

Liberty Wines RRP £22.99 ABV 12%

Negociants UK RRP £24.99 ABV 12%

For this cuvée a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay (and part of a portfolio of seven wines), Janisson uses 100% Grand Cru fruit, with 18% of the final wine made up of reserve wines.

The result is “an intense, classic, toasty, full-flavoured Champagne with yeasty aromas, notes of brioche and citrus fruits and good length.”

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“It’s fruity on the palate with hints of yeastiness,” the judges added. “A good mouthful with toasty notes, finely balanced, with a fine perlage and bright clarity.”

MONT MARCAL CAVA EXTRAMARIUM BRUT RESERVA

DALRYMPLE CAVE BLOCK CHARDONNAY

D'ARENBERG THE MONEY SPIDER ROUSSANNE

FLAMETREE WINES SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON

Spain NV

Tasmania, Australia 2014

McLaren Vale Australia 2016

Margaret River Australia 2016

From a Penedès-based, family-run producer of Cava and still wines founded by former music industry impressario Manuel Sancho in 1975, this attractive premium Cava includes some barrel-fermented Chardonnay in the blend alongside the classic trio of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.

With the various components given extended skin contact, and with the final blend aged between 24 and 30 months, the resulting wine was a big hit with the judges. “Good mousse and fine perlage,” they said. “The wine is elegant on the nose with melons and peaches and yeasty notes. In sum it’s a lovely wine with well balanced fruit, and a hint of almonds – classy!”

Richmond Wine Agencies RRP £16.99 ABV 11.5%

Described by the judges as the “antithesis of 1990s Chardonnay”, this cool-climate Down Under Burgundian hails from the acclaimed Pipers River region of Tasmania.

A familiar name in Australian wine, with a heritage that now dates back more than a century, the Osborn family continues to impress with its range of McLaren Vale classics.

With the hand-picked fruit fermented and aged in a mix of new and old barriques, and with a portion of the blend fermented using wild yeasts, the wine has an attractively “cool, bitter steeliness, almost a stalkiness”, the judges said.

Now in its 15th vintage, this 100% Roussanne is made using a long and relatively cool fermentation in stainless steel to preserve the freshness and fruit intensity that so impressed this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100 judges.

“Lovely cordial concentration – apples, limes, wet-stone minerality, a bitter push to the finish of fresh green apples … this is top-class modern Chardonnay with plenty of style.”

“Light, elegant and fresh but with deliciously juicy tropical and citrus fruit,” the judges said. “Really good acidity and great food-matching versatility, relatively light alcohol but big flavour and all at a good price.”

Negociants UK RRP £22.99 ABV 14%

Enotria & Coe RRP £13.95 ABV 12.7%

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The Towner family’s Flametree project has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the Western Australian winemaking fraternity since starting out in 2007, winning a host of awards and establishing itself as a consistent five-star performer in top Aussie wine critic James Halliday’s annual guide.

And the judges were happy to award the winery, based on the shores of Geographe Bay, with another title for this “classy” barrel-fermented Bordeaux blanc-style blend.

“Beautifully balanced, with the acidity present but not sharp,” the judges said.

“It’s lively and energetic with underlying minerality.”

The Vindependents RRP £16.99 ABV 14%

YALUMBA THE VIRGILIUS VIOGNIER

VINA LEYDA LA NEBLINA RIESLING

VERALDA MALVAZIJA PRESTIGE

DOMAINE ALEX CADY CHENINSOLITE

Eden Valley Australia 2015

Leyda Valley, Chile 2012

Buje, Istria, Croatia 2015

Anjou, Loire, France 2015

Yalumba has arguably done more than any wine producer anywhere – and that includes the Rhône – to further the cause of Viognier as a great white grape variety over the past 37 years.

And all of the family firm’s expertise with a variety that they first planted in the Eden Valley in 1980 goes into its top-ofthe-range Viognier, which is fermented with wild yeasts in used French oak barriques, and aged on lees for 10 months with regular bâtonnage.

From its home 14km from the Pacific Ocean, Vina Leyda has pioneered the cool-climate valley and DO with which it shares its name.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah have been the core of its offering hitherto, but the company also has a way with Riesling, as shown by this fine, dry, gracefully maturing single-vineyard bottling.

The result is a typically intense “opulent” dry white “with a rich, ripe style”, the judges said. “Sweet oak and peach jelly – a touch of tannin with a grippy finish.”

“Really good attractive colour: pale gold, showing some age,” the judges said. “Great evolved nose with classic petrol, honey and spice. An attractive palate of broad, dry tangy citrus fruit with spice and honeyed notes and great length. Authentic Riesling.”

Negociants UK RRP £33.99 ABV 12%

Enotria & Coe RRP £13.50 ABV 13%

One of the largest wineries in Istria, Veralda has 33ha of vineyards, including several plots in prime sites on the white soils of the Buje hills – the source for this version of the peninsula’s speciality grape variety, Malvazija.

Fourth-generation vigneron Alex Cady has earned a big reputation for his work with Chenin Blanc since succeeding his father at the family estate in Anjou.

It’s a style of dry white that the judges believe could have a big future in the UK, fitting as it does into the same aromatic, fruit-driven but fresh category as Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño.

And his talents are very much apparent in this Top 100 winner. A dry Chenin made from rigorously selected grapes sourced in a single vineyard in the Layon, Cheninsolite is fermented and matured on its lees in three-year-old 400-litre barriques.

“With aromas of grilled peach and crème fraiche, this is elegant and inviting,” the judges said. “Severe citrus (lemon and lime), lemongrass, very intense, mineral-edged and super dry.”

“Rich and intense, with coconut oak and pineapple fruit,” the judges said.

“It’s powerful, with honey, vanilla, wellhandled oak and a cashew nut-edged finish.”

Walker & Wodehouse RRP £13.99 ABV 13%

Bancroft Wines RRP £18 ABV 14%

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DOMAINE DU CLERAY CHARDONNAY IGP Val de Loire France 2016 Given that Melon de Bourgogne is a distant relation – and that the best Muscadets are rivals for Chablis in steely crispness – it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that the vineyards around Nantes are capable of doing very good things with Chardonnay.

And that’s certainly the case with this example from a noted Muscadet producer. With a proportion of the blend going through malolactic fermentation, and with maturation on lees, it’s an “excellent value” Burgundy alternative, the judges said, with “jasmine and apple blossom on the nicely restrained nose. There’s good initial acidity, a little salted caramel, and some creaminess down the sides, but so refreshing.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £8.70 ABV 12%

JEAN-LUC COLOMBO COLLINES DE LAURE BLANC

DOMAINE GONDARDPERRIN VIRE-CLESSE CUVEE TRADITION

ARTHUR METZ MICHEL LEON GEWURZTRAMINER

^ Rhone, France 2016

^ Maconnais, France 2014

Alsace, France 2015

Jean-Luc Colombo will forever be associated with the Cornas appellation, where he and his wife Anne bought their first plot of Syrah vines in the 1980s and where they still live today.

The Gondard family have been living in Viré in the Mâconnais for centuries, but they only took to winegrowing in the 1980s, and began to make and bottle their own production in 2008.

Now joined in the business by daughter Laure, Colombo has a wide portfolio of wines from across the region, including this unusual white blend of Rolle, Viognier, Sauvignon and Muscat.

A wise move, it turns out, certainly on the basis of this well-crafted Chardonnay which, the judges said, offers “superb value for real concentration and quality.

The first of a trio of textbook Alsace varietals to make an appearance in the 2017 Wine Merchant Top 100 from this member of the Les Grands Chais de France club, is a perfumed but balanced Gewurztraminer.

The company, which is the largest producer of crémant in the region, has two production facilities, and partnerships with more than 75 growers.

“It’s one of those real food-friendly, authentic wines that the French do so well,” the judges said. “It’s clean and dry, with some attractive earthy-mineral notes, and a pithy-fresh finish. Good length; well done!”

“There’s some delicious, slightly squidgy tropical fruit with a serious, grown-up golden middle,” the judges added.

“Lovely heavy, heady, mid-summer afternoon flavours – baked apples that are tart but sweet with a hint of baking spices such as cinnamon and clove.”

And the combined expertise has led to a wine that is “initially very rosy, sweet floral, fading to Turkish delight,” the judges said. “Off-dry, clean, not oily, with roses and a mineral-slate note on the palate. If Turkish delight rice pudding were a thing …”

Hatch Mansfield RRP £13.85 ABV 13%

The Vindependents RRP £16.99 ABV 13%

Famille Helfrich RRP £12.95 ABV 13%

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ARTHUR METZ MICHEL LEON PINOT BLANC

ARTHUR METZ MICHEL LEON RIESLING

Alsace, France 2015

Alsace, France 2015

Les Grands Chais de France’s Arthur Metz Alsace operation was one of the stars of the Top 100 show in 2017.

Completing the trio of top-quality, keenly priced Alsace varietals from the Michel Léon brand by Arthur Metz in the 2017 Wine Merchant Top 100, this classically styled Riesling was a big hit with the judges.

DOMAINE DES PERSERONS SAINTVERAN LE QUARTIER DES GIROUETTES

CHATEAU SAINTROCH CHARDONNAY Limoux, LanguedocRoussillon 2015

Burgundy, France 2015

This, the producer’s second entry of three in the final selection, is a 100% Pinot Blanc that the judges said “shows just how interesting this sometimesunderrated variety can be in Alsace”.

With the different lots fermented for between one and two weeks at cool temperatures, the wine is “nicely fresh but textured”, the judges added.

“The nose is elegant with touches of lime, and the palate is graceful with a creamy mouthfeel and flavours of lemon, peach and lanolin.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £10.45 ABV 12.5%

With fruit sourced from favourite sites among the firm’s 75 suppliers, and with alcoholic fermentation for seven to 10 days, the result is a “bright attractive pale lemon gold-coloured” dry white with “very attractive citrus, honeyed and mild spicy tones on the nose”, the judges said.

Boutinot has long been more than a supplier, with its own winemaking operations particularly prominent in France, England, Italy, Spain and South Africa.

Limoux’s status as Languedoc’s answer to both Champagne and Burgundy is derived from the relatively cool-climate of the eastern foothills of the Pyrénées.

For this stainless steel-fermented Mâconnais Chardonnay, the Boutinout French team uses fruit sourced from vineyards on south east-facing slopes in the foothills of the Solutré opposite Vergisson, where the vines have an average age of 40 years.

It’s an area where Chardonnay – whether used in traditional-method sparkling or, in this case, barrelfermented still white wine – thrives, as this example from one of the area’s best producers shows.

“This follows through to the broad palate, which is filled with lemon and honey and delicious fresh acidity.”

“Breezy but honeyed; evolving and intriguing,” the judges said.“This has a sappy fullness balanced by precise and mouthwatering acidity. Really good value for a classic white Burgundy.”

“In the glass, it’s bright and clear with green tinges, and on the nose you have pineapple salsa with an almost oysteresque salinity,” the judges said. “On the palate it’s honeyed and nutty with nice weight and zing.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £11 ABV 12.5%

Boutinot RRP £14.78

Famille Helfrich RRP £10.30 ABV 14%

ABV 13.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 24

GAIA WINES WILD FERMENT ASSYRTIKO

IDAIA WINERY OCEAN THRAPSATHIRI

ANCILLA LUGANA LUGANA DOC

Santorini, Greece 2016

Dafnes, Crete Greece 2015

Lombardy, Italy 2015

AZIENDA AGRICOLA LA BATTISTINA GAVI DEL COMUNE DI GAVI NUOVO QUADRO Italy 2016

Based on the shores of Lake Garda, Ancilla Lugana has a strong female influence, with current owner Luisella Benedetti succeeding her mother and grandmother at the head of the family firm.

Part of the quality-conscious Piedmont co-operative Araldica, La Battistina estate consists of some 26ha of mature vineyard, including 5ha in Gavi del Comune di Gavi.

A previous winner of The Wine Merchant Top 100 Best White Wine Trophy, the latest vintage of this great Greek dry white was once again among the cream of the crop.

Another great Greek discovery by the Greco-philes at Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines, this time from the village of Venerato in the Malevizi district in Crete’s Dafnes appellation.

Pioneering winemakers Leon Karatsalos and Yiannis Paraskevopoulos use native yeasts and a mix of stainless steel tanks and oak and acacia barrels for fermentation of the Assyrtiko grapes that are grown on Santorini’s famous volcanic soils.

Using the indigenous variety Thrapshathiri, grown in vineyards cooled

by Aegean sea breezes at 400m-500m above sea level, winemakers Vasillis Laderos and Calliope Volitaki are looking for freshness and fruit in this cold-fermented, aromatic dry white.

“Smoky, rocky, with great breadth and tension: really pure and fresh with weight and intense mineral finesse,” the judges said. “Bravo!”

“Custard creams and hot limestone rocks,” the judges said. “Lots of glycerol texture but without excess. Lovely fresh herbal and floral aromas; gentle but penetrating acidity.”

It leads to a wine with “plenty of attractive broad fruit, and cereal and honeyed notes”, the judges said. “This is clean and broad with ripeness and very good length.”

“Attractive light nose of citrus fruit and mild flower notes,” the judges said.

“The palate is clean, fresh and dry with excellent concentration of citrus fruit, attractive richness, tang and mouthfilling texture; scintillating finish.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £13.99 ABV 14%

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £22.99 ABV 13.5%

Boutinot RRP £12.56

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £24.49 ABV 13%

Benedetti has vineyards in two prime sites, and here uses the local Trebbiano di Lugana (aka Turbiana) grape grown in the Ghidina zone of Lugana. A portion of the blend is fermented in oak with ageing on the lees for 15 months.

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 25

For this prime example of the Cortese grape, the fruit comes from a single vineyard – Nuovo Quadro – at the foot of the Battistina hill, with winemaking supervised by Araldica’s Claudio Manera and Carlo Burdese.

ABV 11.5%

TASCA D'ALMERITA GRILLO CAVALLO DELLE FATE Sicily, Italy 2015

KEVERN WALKER PINOT GRIS Hawke's Bay New Zealand 2009

PUKLAVEC ESTATE SELECTION SAUVIGNON BLANC FURMINT

JORDAN NINE YARDS CHARDONNAY Stellenbosch South Africa 2015

Slovenia 2016 One of the grand old names of Sicilian wine, Tasca d’Almerita has a history dating back almost 200 years, with the famed Regaleali estate at the centre of an operation that now includes five sites across the island.

Working from 9ha of vineyards, Ian and Denise Kevern’s operation in the Triangle sub-region of Hawke’s Bay is the definition of a small, boutique producer, with a focus on traditional style and high quality.

For this version of the local Grillo grape variety, the company uses two vineyards within the Regaleali estate, harvesting different plots at different times for complexity, and with vinification in stainless steel for fruit freshness.

For the first of two wines from the estate to appear in this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100, winemakers Don Bird and exAlpha Domus man Paul Parsonson have made an Alsace-style Pinot Gris with 7g/litre of residual sugar.

“A lovely bright, attractive dry white with almond, tropical and citrus notes on the nose and a yeasty fresh baked bread character on the finish,” the judges said. “Very good indeed!”

“Spicy nose with a touch of peach and honeysuckle,” the judges said. “A viscous mouthfeel, that feels dry with bitter almond and then spicy peach. It’s complex, rich, but balanced.”

Berkmann Wine Cellars RRP £18.99 ABV 13%

City Wine Collection RRP £19 ABV 13.5%

Puklavec is very much a family concern, with the son (Vladimir) and two granddaughters (Tatjana and Kristina) of the original founder Martin now running the business in the Ljutomer-Ormoz area of the Podravje region in north east Slovenia.

The trio works with local growers to source the fruit for this unusual blend of aromatic Sauvignon Blanc and fleshy Furmint, a combination that the judges said they loved for its “lovely delivery of orchard apple, blossom and spice.

Cathy and Gary Jordan – the team behind this top Cape estate – have a simple explanation for how they arrived at the name for this reserve Chardonnay.

Labelling it “the ultimate expression of the Jordan terroir”, it’s a wine where every decision, from vineyard site to barrel selection, was taken to its limit: or, to put it another way, where they went “the whole nine yards”.

“Fresh and clean, it has a deliciously dry finish with plenty of zesty citrus and spicy character. Individual and stylish.”

Clearly it was an approach that impressed the judges. “Very, very interesting,” they said. “Tropical fruit tangy, spicy mango, lime juice and chilli, rich but free-flowing and not at all flabby.”

Walker & Wodehouse RRP £11.49 ABV 12%

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies RRP £16.65 ABV 13.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 26

ALEMANY I CORRIO CARGOL TREU VI

FINCA OS COBATOS GODELLO BLANCO

VEIGA DA PRINCESA CASTELO DO MAR ALBARINO

VALENCISO RIOJA BLANCO

Penedes, Spain 2015

Monterrei, Spain 2016

Rias Baixas, Spain 2016

Rioja, Spain 2015

Godello is now firmly established in British consumers’ minds as a Galician alternative to Albariño, and for this year’s judges this example is a “brilliant introduction” to its sprightly charms.

Part of the Pazo do Mar group now making wines in three Galician DOs – Monterrei, Ribeiro and, in this case, Rías Baixas – Veiga da Princesa specialises in what the firm calls “authentic farm Albariño” sourced from a network of smallholders and, for the Castelo do Mar brand, its own 18ha vineyard.

As the 20th anniversary of their joint venture approaches, winemakers Luis Valentin and Carmen Enciso (do you see what they did there?) remain committed to their mission to make “classically structured, subtle and elegantly fine wines”.

Xarel-lo is a grape variety that is still best known for its role as one of the traditional trio used to make Cava.

But the husband-and-wife team behind Alemany i Corrio, a small, homemade set-up in Villafranca del Penedès, is one of a number of Catalan producers that are using old vines of the variety to make highly distinctive dry white wines.

Here grapes from 70-year-old vines are given extended fermentation and lees contact for what the judges called a “chalky, very individual style.

Made from some of the oldest Godello vines in Monterrei by a producer known for combining a respect for tradition with a certain experimental flair, the wine is fermented and aged on its lees for four months in stainless steel.

“With marzipan and citrus on the nose, it has great texture and an elegant mouthfeel. Expresssing its terroir, it’s great with food and a hand sell!”

“Very pretty aromas of stone fruit, apple, almond and peachy spring blossom,” the judges said. “On the palate it’s fresh and clean with balanced acidity and lovely stony peach fruit.”

Alliance Wine RRP £19.01 ABV 12.5%

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £11.99 ABV 13%

Fermented at low temperatures, and eschewing malolactic, the winemaking is set firmly on preserving the variety’s natural fresh fruitiness and verve – at very reasonable prices.

For this low-production white, the secret is in the fruit sourced from very old Viura and Garnacha Blanca vines grown on clay-limestone soils in Rioja Alta, which is then fermented and aged in oak.

“Zing!” the judges said. “Lemon bubblegum, sherbet lemons, dry and a bit of body: zingular!”

“Very classy,” the judges said. “Almond nutty nose and a floral element, then on the palate a more citrus fruit style with creaminess and complexity on the mid-palate.”

Enotria & Coe RRP £11.30 ABV 13%

Boutinot RRP £18.01

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 27

ABV 13%

GRGICH HILLS ESTATE CHARDONNAY

MAISON ANGELVIN SELECTION ANGELVIN

Napa Valley, California 2013

^ Cotes de Provence France 2016

The legendary Croatian-Californian Mike Grgich – the man who made The Judgement of Paris-winning 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay – may no longer be in day-to-day charge at his Napa estate.

Every independent wine merchant needs a good quality Provence rosé at a good price these days, and in the view of the judges, this Grenache, Cinsault and Mourvèdre blend fits the bill perfectly.

But his influence is still very much apparent in this fine barrel-fermented Chardonnay made by his family and their team. With 10 months in barrel, it’s an impressively rich but balanced style that the judges summed up as “golden dew from heaven”.

It comes from a producer based in a gorgeous estate near St-Tropez with its own vineyards overlooking the Med and with long-standing partners dotted around the region.

Today their great-grandchildren continue the small-scale artisan work in the high-altitude (1,050m) La Consulta district of Mendoza’s Uco Valley, specialising in both Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon grown on white stony soils.

“Super-pale, and subtle in character, with saline-mineral notes and herbaceous gusts of garrigue,” the judges said. “Delicate on the palate, very good quality – and just what customers expect from this style.”

“Green, savoury, dusty, almost perfumed on the nose,” the judges said.

“There’s real lightness of touch here, with notes of ginger cake, tobacco and allspice. A special, interesting wine full of complex and multifaceted qualities.”

Hattersley Wines RRP £12.50 ABV 13%

Las Bodegas RRP £18 ABV 13.5%

“Smoke, fruitcake, rich spice”, they added. “Very ripe cantaloupe melon, sweet gooseberries, white mulberries.”

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies RRP £49.49 ABV 14%

ANGULO INNOCENTI CABERNET SAUVIGNON

BODEGA NORTON LOTE A-110 SINGLE VINEYARD MALBEC

La Consulta, Mendoza Argentina 2013

Mendoza, Argentina 2010

Señors Angulo and Innocenti, a Basque and a Tuscan, came together to begin their winemaking business in Argentina in the late 19th century.

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 28

Edmund Norton planted the first vines in Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo district way back in 1895. More than a century later, the company he founded remains a leading light in Argentinian wine – with a range that continues to expand and surprise.

Part of a series of wines designed to reflect “the characteristic expressions of the terroir” in the company’s various estates, this single-vineyard Malbec wowed the judges with its “sheer depth of layered flavour.

“Deep and dark in colour, it has an elegant dark-fruited nose with touches of spice, while the palate is rich and bold: a fabulously intense food wine.”

Berkmann Wine Cellars RRP £39.99 ABV 14.5%

PIATELLI VINEYARDS TRINITA GRAND RESERVE

BODEGA PIEDRA NEGRA MALBEC RESERVE

Mendoza, Argentina 2011

Uco Valley, Mendoza Argentina 2015

Valeria Antolin has been given a broad palette to work with at Piattelli, where she makes wines at high altitudes in both Mendoza and in far northern Cafayate.

Born into Bordeaux winemaking royalty, the talented François Lurton is one of the world’s more adventurous wine producers, with successful operations in Chile, Spain and France, as well as Argentina, the source of this fine Malbec.

Working in this case with low yields of fruit from Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley, Antolin vinifies and ages the Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot separately for 13 months in a mix of used and new French oak before blending into a wine that “needs a little time but has great potential.

Lurton was an early pioneer of the Uco Valley – where the gravel soils are reminiscent, in his view, of PessacLéognan and where he and his brother Jacques first planted in 1996.

“It’s rich and bold in colour, with herbal minty notes,” the judges added.

“Gorgeous fruit, beautiful balance.”

For the judges, the quality of the fruit was very much apparent in a “beautifully bold, clear Malbec with great length, silky tannins and notes of forest fruit touched with liquorice.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £22.49 ABV 14.5%

François Lurton RRP £15.25 ABV 14%

BERTON CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE

MINISTRY OF CLOUDS GRENACHE

Coonawarra South Australia 2014

McLaren Vale Australia 2014

Orginally devoted solely to the production of boutique wines from his base in the Eden Valley, Bob Berton’s blossoming operation has developed a reputation for making some of Australia’s best-value wines.

Julian Forewood and Bernice Ong’s so-called “virtual winery” has been a big hit in Australia, with the couple’s distinctive winemaking signature applied to wines made from fruit sourced wherever they can find the most intriguing parcels.

For this keenly priced but classy Cabernet he uses grapes from one of Australia’s best places for the variety – the terra rossa soils of Coonawarra – ageing the wine in a mix of new and used French oak for 12 months.

“Really approachable, excellent, reaching a real crescendo,” the judges said. “Pure ripe fruit, menthol, cassis and coffee, tannins, all in perfect balance.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £13.99 ABV 14.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 29

McLaren Vale was the vineyard destination for this Grenache, with the fruit picked by hand and matured in a blend of three-year-old hogsheads and large oak tanks for 12 months.

“Very attractive nose of spicy, ripe, fragrant red fruit,” the judges said. “The palate is juicy and full but with fine silky tannins, plenty of freshening acidity and a pleasing touch of tang on the finish.”

The Knotted Vine RRP £25 ABV 14%

PARINGA ESTATE PINOT NOIR Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia 2010 Inspired by Burgundy, but now very much its own, stylish thing, Paringa Estate was one of the pioneers of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula when it started out in the mid 1980s.

Admired for its Syrah and Chardonnay, it is perhaps with Pinot Noir that the producer has really made its name.

The estate Pinot blends fruit from three vineyards across the peninsula, using open-top fermenters and a mix of new and used French oak barriques.

“Strikingly confident, sophisticated Australian Pinot with complexity and depth, rich wild strawberry and a touch of farmyard,” the judges said.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £55 ABV 14%

TEUSNER THE JOSHUA GRENACHE MATARO SHIRAZ

THE UNFORGETTABLE GRENACHE SHIRAZ MATARO

VINTELOPER SH/14 ADELAIDE HILLS SHIRAZ

Barossa Valley Australia 2015

Langhorne Creek Australia 2016

Australia 2014

Kym Teusner has always been a big fan of the Barossa’s stock of very old vines, using them throughout his impressive portfolio. And at a remarkable 60 to 130 years of age, the Grenache vines used in this classic GSM blend are no exception.

Alliance Wine’s Australian adventure, run by Peter Leske, Giles Cooke MW and Fergal Tynan MW, is a showcase for the quality on offer in one of South Australia’s most underrated regions: Langhorne Creek.

A key figure in the Australian vinous new wave, David Bowley’s Vinteloper project is based in the Adelaide Hills but sources grapes from various locations, and has even opened up pop-up urban wineries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.

In a bid to preserve the verve, depth and balance of that fruit, Teusner decided not to use oak in the winemaking, with blending taking place in tank directly after the vintage.

This classic GSM blend, for example, uses top-notch dry-grown Grenache and trellis-grown Shiraz, blended with a dash of Mataro (Mourvèdre) and matured in used French oak for maximum fruit expression.

The result? “A nose of baked ripe black and red berry fruit, an alluring palate of ripe spicy fruit, soft silky tannins, juicy freshness and great length,” the judges said. “Very, very, very good!”

“This is just excellent value,” the judges said. “So much ripe juicy red fruit on the nose, and then the palate is attractively soft, perfumed, supple and with a velvety softness of tannin.”

“Intriguingly detailed nose: beef stock, violets, dried mushrooms … this is mature and complex,” the judges said.

“Bramble jam, very Sicilian in some ways, with big leathery fruit.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £22.99 ABV 14.5%

Alliance Wine RRP £10.99 ABV 14.5%

Red Squirrel Wine RRP £35 ABV 14%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 30

Bowley’s signature style is light-touch and as natural as possible, and for this Shiraz, sourced from Glengrove Vineyard in the Kangarilla Hills, he uses natural yeasts and minimal sulphites.

WILLUNGA THE HUNDRED BLEWITT SPRINGS GRENACHE

MIGUEL TORRES RESERVA DE PUEBLO PAIS

McLaren Vale Australia 2015

Maule Valley, Chile 2014

Willunga 100 is one of Australia’s most consistent producers, and one of the world’s leading specialists in Grenache – an expertise that has made the McLaren Vale-based enterprise a regular favourite of the Wine Merchant Top 100 judges.

This year’s winner is sourced from a single vineyard, planted 80 years ago in the Blewitt Springs sub-district, which winemaker Mike Farmillo vinifies without oak but with a period of extended lees contact for extra aromatic lift.

Not content with building the family’s Catalan winemaking empire into one of the world’s most recognisable wine brands, Miguel Torres has also had a profound influence on modern Chilean wine.

The company’s latest innovation has been to help drive the revival of the previously unloved País grape variety, with the fruit of old vines, once destined for bulk production, now being used to make characterful light reds.

CHATEAU BEAU-SITEHAUT-VIGNOBLES

BOUTINOT LA COTE SAUVAGE

St-Estephe, Bordeaux France 2009

^ ^ Cairanne, Cotes du Rhone Villages, France 2014

As the name suggests, Château BeauSite-Haut-Vignobles is situated in a beautiful spot on one of the highest points in the St-Estèphe appellation, a privileged position that sees the vineyards cooled by breezes blowing in from the coast.

A regular winner in the Top 100 down the years, this intense southern Rhône red was once again a real favourite with the judges: proof, if it were needed, that Boutinot is now a serious player as a Rhône winemaker.

Here two generations of the Braquessac family tend the 18th-century cellars, producing a blend where Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way with 55% joined by Merlot and a little Petit Verdot.

From the company’s own vineyards in Cairanne, the blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre is fermented with wild yeasts for 25-35 days, and aged in a mix of barrique and demi-muid for 24 months.

“Completely delightful, expressive red fruit with slick tannins and a plump juicy mid-palate,” the judges said. “It’s pretty but not at all lightweight. Class.”

“With loads of cherry and bubblegum flavours on the nose and palate, this light and easy-drinking style is great value, and with its light tannins it would work so well chilled,” the judges said.

“Spice, cigar box, old wood – an inviting come-hither nose,” the judges said. “On the palate it ticks all the boxes: developed but not over-ripe, balanced, integrated, nicely mature.”

“Absolutely wonderful nose of ripe fruit and vanilla oak and a delicious palate of ripe fruity spice and dense dark fruit,” the judges said. “This is outstanding winemaking, at a very good price.”

Liberty Wines RRP £18.99 ABV 14.5%

Fells RRP £9.99

Department 33 Wines RRP £20.97 ABV 14%

Boutinot RRP £14.78

ABV 12%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 31

ABV 14%

DOMAINE CONDORCET CHATEAUNEUF-DUPAPE ^ Rhone,

France 2015

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a cornerstone of many independent wine merchant ranges, but finding an example where the price-quality ratio stacks up isn’t always easy.

Hence the judges’ enthusiasm for this classic blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre from a producer with 37ha of vineyard holdings, most of it on the famed galets pebbles in the heart of the appellation.

Fermented in concrete tanks, and aged for 12 months in demi-muids, it’s a “ripe attractive style from this excellent 2015 vintage,” the judges said. “Lots of plummy black fruit and good spice and herby notes. Complex and warming.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £20.40 ABV 14.5%

DOMAINE DU CHATEAU DU GRAND PRE CUVEE SPECIALE

FRANCOIS LURTON MAS JANEIL VIN NATURE

DOMAINE MARECHAL BOURGOGNE CUVEE GRAVEL

Fleurie, Beaujolais France 2015

^ Cotes du Roussillon Villages, France 2015

Burgundy, France 2015

The second wine from the impressively consistent François Lurton empire to make it into this year’s Top 100 is evidence of the company’s willingness to experiment.

The influence of Henri Jayer looms large at this over-performing Burgundy domaine based in Blignylès-Beaune. Owner Claude Maréchal was a long-standing friend of the late, great winemaker, and like Jayer, his approach is as natural as possible.

The return of cru Beaujolais as the trendy sommelier’s wine region of choice is one of the more heartening vinous trends of recent years. And as Burgundy prices rise, high-quality Gamay such as this is only going to get more popular.

Made in a “rotating, egg-shaped, chilled fibreglass container” by thirdgeneration vigneron Romain Zordan using fruit from organically farmed 60+-year-old Gamay vines on granite soils, this natural Fleurie is “filled with rich red fruit”, the judges said.

Made from organically grown Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre grapes in the Tautavel district of Roussillon, Lurton avoids the addition of sulphur in order to, in his words, “give the best possible expression of the terroir.”

“There are wild yeast notes and spice and some slightly sour cherry – it’s serious and fun at the same time.”

For the judges, it was a risk worth taking.

“Bright, vibrant, plummy, crunchy red fruits on the nose and an attractive plummy-prune palate, with fresh acidity and tannins. Very good!”

The Vindependents RRP £21.99 ABV 13%

François Lurton RRP £11.99 ABV 14.5% The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 32

As with all his wines, for this far-fromhumble Bourgogne Rouge, Maréchal works without chemicals in the vineyard, picks at optimum phenolic ripeness, and ages in oak barrels for between 10 and 15 months.

“Fresh, summery, deliciously fruitforward with raspberry, hedgerow, farmyard and leather notes and tannins to give it shape. Proper Pinot!”

The Vindependents RRP £23.99 ABV 13%

DOMAINE MAS BELLES EAUX PETIT VERDOT

PAUL MAS ARROGANT FROG CABERNET MERLOT

PAUL MAS CHATEAU DES CRES RICARDS STECIA

IGP Pays d'Oc France 2016

IGP Pays d'Oc France 2016

Terrasses de Larzac Languedoc, France 2015

Jean-Claude Mas, the prolific master of good-value southern French wine, had another successful year in the 2017 competition with four places in the final Top 100.

Jean-Claude Mas refers to the line-up he makes at Château des Crès Ricards as his “garage wines” – wines that reflect the terroir of the 28ha vineyard in a prime spot in the Languedoc cru of Terrasses de Larzac.

Formerly part of the AXA Millésimes stable, Famille Helfrich snapped up this extensive Languedoc domaine in 2015, seeing the potential of its 70ha of vines in the village of Caux just north of Pezénas in the Hérault department.

Among the more unusual treasures in that vineyard are ample plantings of Petit Verdot, enough to give the variety a rare French solo outing in this goodvalue Pays d’Oc red.

A close contender for the Best Value Red Trophy, this perennial indie favourite has been a hit with customers thanks in no small part to the cheeky, self-deprecating branding. But for the judges, who of course were tasting blind, the wine is every bit as important.

“Dense purple appearance, slightly green earthy-minty, Cabernet-ish nose, lots of crunchy, juicy, succulent curranty black fruit on the palate and a bit of food-friendly grip,” the judges said.

“Violets, strawberry juice, cloves, mint and spice on the nose, and lots of red juicy fruit on the palate with balancing spice and freshness,” the judges said.

“What great value!”

“Great cherry menthol medicinal nose with pepper; lovely harmony,” the Wine Merchant Top 100 judges said. “On the palate there’s plenty of blue-black fruit.

Good value.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £9.66 ABV 14.5%

Les Domaines Paul Mas RRP £7.99 ABV 13%

Les Domaines Paul Mas RRP £12.99 ABV 14.5%

Mas makes four wines on the red earth, slate and pebble soils – three reds and a white – with the Stecia cuvée being a Syrah/Grenache/Carignan blend that shows off all the site’s character at a typically good Mas price.

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 33

PAUL MAS CLAUDE VAL ROUGE IGP Pays d'Oc France 2016 Another regular feature of the Wine Merchant Top 100 line-up, this year’s vintage of this stalwart value Languedoc red from Jean-Claude Mas is as good as ever.

Grenache, Carignan, Syrah and Merlot are the ingredients, vinified separately with the emphasis on fruit flavour, supple textures and “immediate pleasure”: or, as the company puts it rather nicely, “vin sympathique”.

“Lovely perfumed soft fruit and crunchy fresh berries and cherries,” the judges said. “There’s great acidity and tannin and for the money this is just such a useful wine to have on shelf.”

Les Domaines Paul Mas RRP £8 ABV 14%

CHATEAU LA PATACHE

CHATEAU SERGANT

Pomerol, Bordeaux France 2014

Lalande-de-Pomerol Bordeaux, France 2014

The wine from this small ( just over 3ha) Pomerol estate is made in what used to be a coaching inn, hence the name derives from the 19th-century French name for a coach, a patache, an etching of which appears on the label.

With a splendid setting on a plateau west of the village of Lalande-dePomerol, Château Sergant is a handsome property of 21ha planted entirely to Merlot on a terroir of sand and gravelly soils.

Tasting the wine blind, however, the judges were less concerned with the meaning of patache than they were with the, ahem, panache of this Right Bank Merlot-based blend.

“Delightful black and red fruits on the nose and a nicely fruit-driven palate,” the judges said. “With soft tannins and good acidity, this is well balanced and excellent value for money.”

Famille Helfrich RRP £28.60 ABV 13.5%

And it has come on leaps and bounds since Bordelais star winemaker Hubert de Boüard (of Château Angélus fame) came on board as a consultant, taking advantage of the fully equipped modern vinification facilities and extensive barrel cellar.

“Classic Bordeaux Merlot and seriously well priced with red fruits and savoury depths, generous fleshy palate and good grippy tannins,” the judges said.

Famille Helfrich RRP £16.56 ABV 14%

CARPINETO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO RISERVA

TENUTA FRESCOBALDI DI CASTIGLIONI IGT Toscana, Italy 2014

Italy 2012 Carpineto began its life as an at-thetime-rare Chianti Classico producer chasing quality rather volume in the late 1960s.

Today, founders Antonio Zaccheo and Giovanni Sacchet have passed a muchexpanded business on to their children, with four estates in Tuscany, including 100ha of vineyards near Siena where the Sangiovese and Canailolo for this splendid riserva are sourced.

“Quietly refined, with creamy red fruit rasping into redcurrant, this is a dry, warming, medium-bodied foodie red,” the judges said. “Chewy, savoury, lipsmacking, pippy tannins.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £21.99 ABV 13.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 34

Few producers anywhere have accumulated winemaking experience to the same extent as the Frescobaldi family, which has now been involved in the business for 30 generations, and with vineyard holdings now extending to 1,000ha across Tuscany.

Here the family brings all its know-how to bear on a Super Tuscan blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc with Merlot and a dollop of Sangiovese, matured in oak barriques for 12 months.

“Delicious blackcurrant and redcurrant fill the nose and palate, which starts sweet and then fills up with tasty savoury flavours and grippy tannins – a Friday night wine,” the judges said.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £20.99 ABV 13%

FATTORIA DI GRATENA SIRO FIFTY IGT Toscana, Italy 2010 There’s real novelty here, at least for all involved in the Top 100 judging: nobody had heard of the Gratena grape variety before.

Still, given that, after years of study in Milan, the variety has been confirmed as existing only in the vineyards of the producer from which it has taken its name, we think we can be forgiven the oversight.

What’s it like? Mixed 50/50 with Sangiovese, it leads to a “really original” red, the judges said. “Cooked fruit jam and strawberry with a dash of balsamic and onion gravy. Dry, lightish, fresh red currants, nicely evolved, with a hint of the sea.”

Sanamba RRP £22.66

ABV 14%

PODERI PARPINELLO CAGNULARI Isola del Nuraghi IGT Sardinia, Italy 2014

SAN MARZANO VINDORO NEGROAMARO

TASCA PERRICONE GUARNACCIO

Salento IGP, Puglia Italy 2012

Sicily, Italy 2014

Father-and-son team Giampaolo and Paolo Parpinello are in charge of this 30ha estate in the north west of Sardinia, making wines with a philosophy that puts local grapes and the reflection of local terroir at the top of their agenda.

One of Italy’s best and most quality-focused co-operatives, San Marzano was originally an alliance of 19 growers but has since swelled to 1,200 members who between them have greatly contributed to the renaissance of Puglian red wine.

In this instance the Cagnulari grape variety, which originated in Spain and came to the island with the Aragonese in the 17th century, is the star of the show, vinified for 10 to 12 days with temperatures no higher than 22°C.

Using 100% Negroamaro grapes grown on vineyards between San Marzano and Francavilla Fontana, the wine is aged in a mix of French and Caucasian oak barrels for 12 months.

“Deepest ruby in colour with savoury, dark fruit and graphite on the nose,” the judges said. “It’s super ripe with black cherry, creamy; a rich savoury finish.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £17.49 ABV 14.5%

The second wine in this year’s final 100 from this fine established Sicilian producer is an expression of a local grape variety that the family has always championed in its Regleali estate – Perricone, aka Guarnaccio.

Using fruit from a relatively new vineyard planted at 480m above sea level, the wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in second and third-fill French oak barriques for 12 months.

“Raisined, Amarone-like fruit: a wardrobe of scarves on a snowy day,” the judges said. “Rich, cakey, creamy, spicy, chocolatey, minty. Yum!”

“An intiguing nose of cedar and privet and warm sandy soil,” the judges said.

“On the palate, the wine is mediumbodied with tons of red and black cherries with a sweet-and-sour quality and a long, dry cedary finish.”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £22.49 ABV 14.5%

Berkmann Wine Cellars RRP £18.99 ABV 13.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 35

VIGNE E VINI PRIMITIVO ORGANIC

CHATEAU KSARA RESERVE DU COUVENT

KEVERN WALKER BROOKE CABERNET FRANC

IGT Puglia 2015

Bekaa Valley Lebanon 2014

Hawke's Bay New Zealand 2009

Lebanon has an ancient winemaking tradition, but the oldest existing winery dates back only as far as the mid-19th century, when a group of Jesuit monks bought the property now known as Château Ksara.

The second Top 100 entry from this small, and relatively obscure producer in Hawke’s Bay is a mature Cabernet Franc (with a little Merlot) that, the judges said, is reminiscent of the best of Right Bank Bordeaux in its complexity and finesse.

The McLachlan family has been a dynamic part of the Central Otago scene since 1998, using organic methods and bringing what they call “a holistic approach that integrates crop and livestock farming to vineyard management”.

Aged for 12 months in seasoned American and French oak barrels, with 10% of the American portion being new, the wine has “a beautiful savoury nose with peppery bramble fruit”, the judges said.

Clearly, it’s a method that’s working, since this Pinot wowed the judges for being a rare example of the variety that provides all of its savoury-silky character with depth and flair for under £20.

When it comes to high quality red wines that genuinely deliver under £10 (and often much lower than that) southern Italy, and Puglia in particular, is hard to beat.

That’s certainly been the case in past years of the Wine Merchant Top 100, and it’s happened again in this year’s competition, in the shape of this bargain Primitivo made in a light, easy-drinking style that would, in the words of the judges, be “just the kind of useful midweek red that you could recommend to your customers to have with their Wednesday night spag’ bol’.

Today’s company is the largest in the country, producing 2.8 million bottles a year in modern facilities from its high-altitude vineyards in the Bekaa Valley. For this blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the wine was aged for 12 months in oak casks.

PEREGRINE WINES MOHUA PINOT NOIR Central Otago New Zealand 2014

“It’s light-bodied, juicy, easy, clean and slightly salty – fab value.”

“Californian blueberry nose with black pepper,” the judges said. “Ripe black cherry: there’s loads of fruit here, a wisp of tobacco and terracotta earthiness.”

“In the mouth, there’s a swell of sweet creamy fruit, cigar box, cedar, ripe strawberry, light tannins and a long, fine, flourishing finish.”

“This is just great for a Pinot at this price point,” the judges said. “Fruit-driven, fresh, vivid and immediate with good texture and great balance, with red fruit, smoke, minerals, parma violets …”

Enotria & Coe RRP £11.75 ABV 12.5%

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £12.99 ABV 13.5%

City Wine Collection RRP £19 ABV 14%

Enotria & Coe RRP £12.75 ABV 13%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 36

SAINT CLAIR OMAKA RESERVE PINOT NOIR Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Having planted their first vineyards in the valley in 1978, and establishing their Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994, Neal and Judy Ibbotson were among the first to see the potential of Marlborough as a fine wine region.

Now the proud owners of more than 160ha of vineyard in 10 sites around the valley, and with winemakers Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark at the helm, the estate continues to impress, not least in this the first of two Top 100 Pinots.

“Complex, rich, dense with roasted herby meat, tobacco leaf, green mossy notes and spicy layers,” the judges said.

“High quality real Pinot!”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £26.49 ABV 13%

SAINT CLAIR PIONEER BLOCK 5 BULL BLOCK PINOT NOIR

ADEGA DE PENALVA DAO INDIGENA BLEND

Marlborough New Zealand 2014

~ Dao, Portugal 2012

The intriguing name of the second of Neal and Judy Ibbotson’s Pinots to make the grade at the Wine Merchant Top 100 comes from a single vineyard in the Omaka Valley, which was previously a home for a herd of stud Jersey bulls.

And the soils have proved to be as good for Pinot Noir vines as they were for the livestock, providing the balanced fruit that Saint Clair’s winemaking team age in a combination of new and old French oak barriques for 10 months.

“An easy, fresh approach, with soft grippy tannins and a ‘foodie’ texture, with roasted barbecue smoke, balsamic and cherry notes,” the judges said.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £19.99 ABV 14%

One of the best equipped and well run co-operatives in Portugal, the Adega de Penalva has around 1,000 member growers who between them share more than 1,200ha in the Dão region.

Having spent much of the past few decades updating those vineyards and introducing modern viticultural ideas, Adega de Penalva is well placed to provide the UK market with wines that, as the judges said of this blend of four local varieties, “offer an absolutely cracking price/quality ratio”.

AZORES WINE CO VULCANICO TINTO Pico, Azores Portugal 2015 The intrepid rare-breed hunters at Red Squirrel Wine have uncovered yet another fertile seam of unexplored vinous territory in the Atlantic Ocean.

Founded by “charasmatic rugbyplaying, surfing” winemaker António Maçanita, the Azores Wine Company has 12ha of very old vines on volcanic soils, with this red a fruit-salad blend led by locals Saborinho (aka Negramoll) and Agronómica.

“It has lovely soft but rich red fruit, with ripe tannins and good acidity: a party wine with a difference,” they added.

“Extraordinary light red wine – a little like Pinot or something from the Jura with its earthy, rocky tones and mineral qualities,” the judges said. “There’s bright and tangy red fruit, too, and a really food-friendly structure.”

Portuguese Story RRP £10 ABV 12.5%

Red Squirrel Wine RRP £25 ABV 12%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 37

SANTO ISIDRO DE PEGOES TOURIGA NACIONAL

TONS DE DUORUM

BABYLON'S PEAK SMG

DORAN VINEYARDS INCIPIO

Peninsula de Setubal Portugal 2015

Douro, Portugal 2014

Swartland South Africa 2010

Swartland South Africa 2014

With star winemaker Jaime Quendera at the helm in the well-equipped facilities, Santo Isidro de Pegões is now one of Portugal’s leading co-operatives, with 1,100ha of vines carved up between around 140 growers across the Setúbal peninsula.

The titular “tons” refers to the Portuguese for “colour nuance” – and the rather grand idea for this wine is to reflect the various shades and tones of the sun-baked Douro valley.

A winemaking farm that was founded in Swartland as far back as 1919, Babylon’s Peak stopped producing after WWII, but has been revived under the original founder’s greatgrandson, Stephan Basson.

The Côte-Rôtie recipe of cofermenting Syrah with a dash of Viognier has inspired many winemakers outside the Rhône Valley.

As in so many other parts of Portugal, Touriga Nacional is a key grape variety in the portfolio, and in this instance Quendera matures the wine in a mixture of French and Amerian oak barrels for six months.

The result is a “delightful dusky, violetand vanilla-scented, damson-fruited, clove-spicy rich red,” the judges said.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £12.49 ABV 14%

A grand idea, but one that, based on the reaction of the Top 100 judges, the wine itself lives up to. A blend of Tourigas Nacional and Franca with Tinta Roriz sourced from two estates (one planted in 1980, the other in 2007) in the Douro, it’s a bold but multi-layered production.

For this classy Rhône-style blend, Basson makes use of vineyards that are among the highest in the region on the Paardeberg Mountain, ageing the blend for 16 months in French oak.

“Bold red fruits and a touch of savouryearthiness on the nose leads into a deliciously mellow but still structured and fruit-filled palate,” the judges said.

“This is very high-quality and great value,” the judges said. “Barely showing its age, it’s very intense but with lots of finesse with a northern Rhône-style violet-edged nose, and a palate mixing rocky depths and fruit.”

VinumTerra RRP £11.90 ABV 13.5%

Berkmann Wine Cellars RRP £14.50 ABV 14%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 38

Among them is Martin Lamprecht, winemaker at Irish-South African Swartland producer Doran Family Vineyards. But rather than using Viognier, Lamprecht decided that 15% whole-bunch Chenin Blanc could play the same Syrah-lifting, texture-shaping, colour-fixing role.

The results are “deliciously intriguing”, the judges said. “A smoky, meat-ona-slab nose leads into a palate of high acidity with loads of pine needleinfused black plum fruit.”

Doran Family Vintners RRP £17.99 ABV 14%

SWARTLAND WINERY BUSH VINES SYRAH

TOKARA RESERVE COLLECTION SYRAH

Swartland South Africa 2014

Stellenbosch South Africa 2013

As this year’s selection of South African winners suggests, Swartland is the most exciting region in the Cape – if not the world – right now.

Tokara owner GT Ferreira never intended to make wine. But having snapped up the beautiful property just outside Stellenbosch as a potential home in 1994, he was soon convinced that it would make a great location for vineyards.

Having made his name at Castell del Remei, Catalan star Tomàs Cusiné joined forces with Eric Solomon and Xavier Cepero to found the Cara Nord (north face) winery, west of Barcelona in the Conca de Barbera region.

Fast-forward 20+ years, and the hunch has been proved correct. And with sites in Elgin and Hemel-en-Aarde added to the mix, Tokara, led by star winemaker Miles Mossop, is now making some of the Cape’s best wines, including this “just lovely” Syrah.

For this Cariñena-Garnacha blend, the team sources the fruit in Montsant, the region that encircles Priorat and which offers wines of similar style and quality at considerably lower prices.

And it’s Garnacha that forms the backbone of this blend, along with Samso and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the trio vinified in stainless steel and aged for nine months in oak, 20% of which is new.

“Great definition and complexity, this is powerful, deep, dense, layered but beautifully elegant,” the judges said.

“There are refreshing mineral notes here in what is an entirely enjoyable, ripe blackcurrant fruit-forward tinto with well-integrated smooth tannins and textured grip,” the judges said.

“Fruit-forward and very appealing nose – buckets of cherry, raspberry, red plums; this is juicy and enjoyable,” the judges said. “Lovely purity of fruit, and a soft, balanced finish. Very good value.”

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies RRP £21.49 ABV 14%

Boutinot RRP £14.63

Alliance Wine RRP £11.96 ABV 14%

HDN’s contribution to the movement is a collaboration with the region’s longestablished co-operative, the Swartland Winery, which is based in Malmesbury and has access to more than 3,600ha of vineyards.

“Loads of Rhône character here, with ripe (whole bunch ferment?) fruit and a sticky hoi-sin sauce flavour,” the judges said. “Meaty depths and gunpowder, pithy black cherry fruit … it’s really wellhandled. Love it!”

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £13.49 ABV 14%

CARA NORD CELLER MINERAL DEL MONTSANT

CELLER DE CAPCANES MAS COLLET

Spain 2014

Montsant, Spain 2015

ABV 14%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 39

Dominating the economy of the tiny Catalan village from which it takes its name, Celler de Capçanes is a quality-conscious co-operative with 220ha of vineyard, much of it old bush-grown Garnacha.

LEZA GARCIA TINTO FAMILIA CRIANZA

BODEGAS MAURODOS PRIMA

BOGLE OLD VINE ZINFANDEL

Rioja, Spain 2013

Toro, Spain 2014

Clarksburg California 2014

In a region dominated by big bodegas sourcing their fruit from partner growers, family-owned Bodegas Leza García is relatively unusual in making its wines from its own vineyards in Rioja Alta.

Celebrating its 20th anniversay this year, Bodegas Maurodos is a terroirfocused firm working with 100ha of Tinta de Toro (aka Tempranillo) and Garnacha vines in Toro in north west Spain.

For this 100% Tempranillo, the fruit comes from the family’s oldest vineyards, with the vinification taking place in small tanks and then ageing for 14 months in new American oak barrels.

It’s an area that was untroubled by phylloxera, so many of the vines are ungrafted: the average vine age is 35 years old. And for the judges it was the quality of the fruit from those vines that shone through in this cuvée.

“This is just great value,” the judges said. “With cherry, strawberry, sweet spice and clove, it’s really juicy and appealing, a glass full of vibrant fruit and sweet spices – a crowd-pleaser that ticks the Rioja box.”

Hattersley Wines RRP £11.95 ABV 14%

“Rich, unctuous dark fruit, but with precision and notes of clove, dried orange peel, cinnamon,” the judges said. “Rich, fulsome, smooth tannins.

Wide appeal; great value.”

City Wine Collection RRP £15 ABV 14.5%

A longstanding California family producer (the first vines went in the ground in 1965), Bogle now has 14 different vineyard sites in the Delta region near Sacramento.

Over the past half-century, the firm has earned a justified reputation for making high quality at the sort of reasonable prices not always associated with the state’s premium wines. And our judges thought this powerful Zin, from 40-to80-year-old vines, very much fits in with that characterisation.

SCHEID FAMILY DISTRICT 7 CABERNET SAUVIGNON Monterey County California 2014 The name is a reference to the 17 official California grape-crushing districts, with District 7 being found right up on the Pacific Coast in Monterey County. This is an area with a long growing season: perfect, the producers say, for ripening Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Picked in late October, the fruit here is used to make a wine that is immediately appealing, with freshness as well as fruit intensity, and just a touch of oak to “round out and soften”.

“Generous sweet spice, Black Forest gateau, chocolate; great concentration,” the judges said. “Great value; would work well with customers.”

It’s a recipe that appealed to the judges, who loved the “generous fresh berries and easygoing but complex character” – not to mention the “affordable” price.

Enotria & Coe RRP £14.50 ABV 14.5%

Alliance Wine RRP £15.95 ABV 13.5%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 40

INNOCENT BYSTANDER MOSCATO

STANTON & KILLEEN CLASSIC RUTHERGLEN MUSCAT

BARROS 10 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT

FONSECA CRUSTED PORT

Yarra Valley Australia 2016

Victoria, Australia NV

Douro, Portugal

Douro, Portugal

Founded by Giant Steps man Phil Sexton, Innocent Bystander was snapped up by fellow family firm Brown Brothers in spring last year, but it remains a Yarra Valley institution: the new owners have built a new winery for the brand in the region.

And the quality of the wines has certainly not diminished, not least with this gently foamy, aromatic light, Astiinspired sweet pink made from Muscat of Alexandria and the colour-providing Black Muscat.

One of the great names of the sometimes-neglected Australian fortified tradition, Stanton & Killeen can point to a remarkable 141 years of winemaking history.

And all of that experience is brought to bear on this classic-by-name-andnature example of Rutherglen Muscat, a blend of old and young wines with an average age of 12 years made from fruit from its extensive collection of vineyards.

“So much sweet frothy fun!” the judges said. “Ripe pink fruit, fresh acidity, easydrinking – the kind of wine that makes you long for summer.”

“Extremely ripe, sticky toffee pudding nose with raisins and touches of chocolate,” the judges said. “Naturally luscious in the mouth, it’s complex, mouthfilling and subtly smoky. Roll on Christmas!”

Liberty Wines RRP £9.99 ABV 5.5%

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies RRP £21.75 (37.5cl) ABV 18%

A much-loved, long-established Port house, Barros celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Its speciality is wood-aged Ports: both single-vintage colheita and tawny.

For this 10 Year Old blend, the Tinta Amarela, Tinta Franca, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Nacional grapes were handharvested and aged in barrel for varying lengths, the age statement being an approximation of the average age of the final blend’s components.

“Delicious burnt orange, touches of nuts, dried fruits, a rich mouthfeel and terrific acidity: a high-quality tawny Port,” the judges said.

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines RRP £19.20 ABV 20%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 41

There isn’t a great deal of crusted Port around these days. But Fonseca, one of the rare producers still to specialise in this unusual, traditional style, shows just how good it can be.

The style takes its name from the crust or sediment that forms in the bottle – a necessary consequence of a process where rich, structured wines are aged for four years in wood, bottled with no filtration and then cellared for three years before release.

“This style normally offers great value versus vintage Port, and this is no exception,” the judges said. “Sweet but beautifully balanced with deliciously keen ripe fruit and structured tannin.”

Mentzendorff RRP £18 ABV 20%

FONSECA UNFILTERED LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT

KOPKE COLHEITA PORT

KOPKE 20 YEAR OLD TAWNY PORT

BODEGAS HIDALGO LA GITANA EN RAMA MANZANILLA

Douro, Portugal 2011

Douro, Portugal 1999

Douro, Portugal

Jerez, Spain NV

The second of two Top 100 winners from Fonseca is a testament to the great vineyard and winemaking resources the famous Fladgateowned house has at its disposal.

A blend of fruit sourced from Fonseca’s own vineyards and those of its favoured partner growers in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior, it is aged in traditional large (27,500-litre) capacity wooden vats, and bottled after five years with no filtration.

Having been founded in 1638 by the German Kopke family, Kopke has good claim to be the oldest exporting producer of Port wine.

In recent years, its profile in the UK has been greatly improved after its parent company since the 1950s (Barros) joined the Sogevinus Group. Like Barros, it has a particularly high reputation for wood-aged Ports, such as this exquisite Colheita from the 1999 vintage.

“Deep red, almost opaque in the glass, this has a rich fruity nose, and a sweet rich, ripe, powerful palate with svelte, velvety tannins,” the judges said. “A very good classic example of LBV.”

“Utterly superb,” said the judges. “Nuts, raisins and clementines all combine on the lovely nose. Then the palate takes over with delicious rich nutty, raisin and fig flavours, so full-bodied and rich, but elegant, too, with a long, long finish.”

Mentzendorff RRP £16.50 ABV 20%

Hayward Bros Wines RRP £40 ABV 20%

The second of Kopke’s fine old woodaged ports to make an appearance in the Top 100, this tawny is a blend of Ports that have been ageing in wooden cask for different lengths of time and with an approximate average age of 20 years.

The finished wine shows the benefit of winemaking patience: Kopke has one of the most impressive collections of very old tawny Port in the Douro, and some of them have helped bring complexity to the final blend here.

One of the oldest Sherry producers (it was founded in 1792), also happens to be one of the best and most popular: the straight La Gitana Manzanilla is the best-selling Manzanilla in the world.

The En Rama (bottled straight from the cask) takes the style to another level of intensity and dry elegance, however, with the judges hugely impressed by its mix of “grace with depth of savoury flavour”.

“A treat”, the judges said, “with dried figs and apricots on the nose, and a relatively light, lively palate with nuttiness, dried fruit – and tang.”

“The nose is subtly saline, with a touch of hazlenut,” the judges added. “The palate is textured, great weight and finishing really long. Savoury salted nut and a touch of citrus. Real distinction.”

Hayward Bros Wines RRP £40 ABV 20%

Mentzendorff RRP £16.50 ABV 15%

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 42

TOP SUPPLIERS 2017

Supplier

Top 100

Highly Commended

Points

1

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines

19

25

82

2

Famille Helfrich

9

5

32

3

Enotria & Coe

7

6

27

4

Liberty Wines

5

10

25

5

The Vindependents

5

9

24

6

Boutinot

6

4

22

7

Alliance Wine

5

5

20

8

Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies

4

4

16

8

Les Domaines Paul Mas

4

4

16

10

Berkmann

4

3

15

Methodology Three points were awarded for a Top 100 place, and one point for each Highly Commended placing.

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 43

Highly commended wines arranged by country ARGENTINA

AUSTRALIA

Red

Sparkling

Bodega Atamisque Serbal Pinot Noir 2015 Tupungato, Mendoza (£16, Las Bodegas)

Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2016 Adelaide Hills (£14.95, Seckford Agencies)

Matias Riccitelli Vineyard Selection Cabernet Franc 2012 Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza (£28.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

White

El Porvenir de Cafayate Amauta Absoluto Tannat 2016 Cafayate (£11.30, Boutinot) Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza Malbec 2014 Mendoza (£17.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Bird in Hand Chardonnay 2015 Adelaide Hills (£18.95, Seckford Agencies) Devil’s Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Tasmania (£15.79, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies)

Bodega Atamisque Serbal Assemblage 2015 Tupungato, Mendoza (£18, Las Bodegas)

Eden Valley Chardonnay Reserve 2015 Eden Valley (£13.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Angulo Innocenti Nonni Malbec 2014 La Consulta, Mendoza (£14, Las Bodegas)

Red

Matías Riccitelli Malbec Republic Malbec 2014 Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza (£39.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Teusner The Riebke Shiraz 2014 South Australia (£20.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Bodega Sottano Selección 2014 Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza (£17.99, The Vindependents) Bodega Sottano Malbec 2015 Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza (£9.99, The Vindependents) Bodega Benegas Juan Benegas Malbec 2015 Gualtallary, Uco Valley (£16, Las Bodegas)

Burch Family Wines Madfish Blue Chardonnay 2014 Margaret River (£11.84, Enotria & Coe)

Bremerton Vintners Selkirk Shiraz 2014 Langhorne Creek (£15.95, Seckford Agencies) The Pawn Wine Co En Passant Tempranillo 2015 Adelaide Hills (£18.65, Seckford Agencies) Soumah Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 2015 Yarra Valley, (£22, VinumTerra)

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 44

Bird in Hand Nest Egg Shiraz 2013 Adelaide Hills (£64.35, Seckford Agencies)

Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Gris 2016 Colchagua Valley (£13.95, Arnaud Frennet)

SC Pannell Dead End Tempranillo 2015 McLaren Vale (£19.99, Liberty Wines)

Montes Wines Zapallar Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Aconcagua Valley (£16.99, Liberty Wines)

Bremerton Vintners Tamblyn 2013 Langhorne Creek (£14.55, Seckford Agencies)

Red

John Duval Entity Barossa Valley Shiraz 2014 Barossa Valley (£29.99, Liberty Wines)

Viña Perez Cruz Chaski Petit Verdot 2013 Maipo Alto (£24.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

LAS Vino Portuguese Pirate Blend 2014 Margaret River (£44.99, Liberty Wines)

Casas del Bosque Syrah Gran Reserva 2015 Casablanca Valley (£15.99, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies)

Fortified

Montes Wines Colchagua Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Colchagua Valley (£13.99, Liberty Wines)

Stanton & Killeen Grand Rutherglen Muscat NV Rutherglen (£41.49, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies)

Oveja Negra Winemaker’s Selection Malbec Petit Verdot 2015 Maule Valley (£9.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

AUSTRIA Red

ENGLAND

Heinrich Red Zweigelt/Blaufränkisch/St Laurent 2015 Neusiedlersee, Burgenland (£14.99, Liberty Wines)

Sparkling

CANADA Red

Court Garden Classic Cuvée 2013 Ditchling, Sussex (£25.90, Enotria & Coe)

FRANCE

Meyer Okanagan Pinot Noir 2015 Okanagan Falls (£24.99, Richmond Wine Agencies)

Sparkling Cuvée Elodie Tradition NV Clairette de Die, Rhône (£12.50, Famille Helfrich)

CHILE

Tholomies Brut NV Crémant de Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon (£10.89, Famille Helfrich)

White Viña Leyda La Kadun Sauvignon Gris 2014 Leyda Valley (£12.95, Enotria & Coe) Viña Echeverria Chardonnay Gran Reserva 2015 Casablanca (£10.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Drappier Brut Nature Sans Soufre NV Champagne (£46.99, Berkmann Wine Cellars)

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 45

Highly commended wines FRANCE Sparkling (continued)

Les Domaines Paul Mas Cote Mas Blanc Mediterranée 2016 IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon (£8, Les Domaines Paul Mas)

Les Domaines Paul Mas Château Martinolles NV Blanquette de Limoux, Languedoc-Roussillon (£10.95, Les Domaines Paul Mas)

Les Domaines Paul Mas Mas des Tannes Reserve Blanc 2016 IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon (£11.75, Les Domaines Paul Mas)

Champagne Bernard Remy Brut Blanc de Blancs NV Champagne (£29.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Red

White

Domaine Belleville Rully Chaponnière 2015 Rully, Burgundy (£22.99, The Vindependents)

Domaine Belleville Rully 1er Cru Les Cloux 2015 Burgundy (£24.99, The Vindependents)

Château Lestrille Capmartin Bordeaux Superieur 2010 Bordeaux Superieur (£22.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Les Grands Chais de France Domaine De La Baume Viognier 2016 Vin de Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon (£28.12, Famille Helfrich)

Boutinot Les Coteaux Schisteux, Séguret Côtes du Rhône Villages 2014 Côtes du Rhône Villages (£14.32, Boutinot)

Felicette Grenache Blanc 2016 IGP Pays d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon (£8.95, Alliance Wine) Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie 2015 Sancerre, Loire (£25.35, Hatch Mansfield)

Les Domaines Paul Mas AF Organic Cabernet Merlot 2016 IGP Pay d’Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon (£9.95, Les Domaines Paul Mas)

Damien Pinon Tuffo 2015 Vouvray, Loire Valley (£15.50, The Knotted Vine)

Parlez Vous Malbec 2016 Vin de France, Loire (£7.09, Famille Helfrich)

Domaine Montesquiou Clos Ricarde Chronos 2015 Jurançon (£19.99, The Vindependents) Domaine Haut Marin Connoisseur L’Esprit du Large Colombard/Sauvignon Blanc IGP Côtes de Gascogne 2016 IGP Côtes de Gascogne (£8.99, Liberty Wines) Domaine de Cabarrouy Ambre de Samonios 2012 Jurançon (£18.99, The Vindependents)

Jean-Louis Trocard Château La Croix Bellevue Lalande-dePomerol 2012 Bordeaux (£22.98, Department 33 Wines)

Clos Saint Vincent 2014 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux (£17.35, Famille Helfrich) Château du Domaine de l’Eglise 2011 Pomerol, Bordeaux (£40.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Château Mangot 2012 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux (£22.98, Department 33 Wines)

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 46

Zaccagnini Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2015 Salmàgina (£14.99, Alliance Wine)

Domaine Roblin, Terres Blanches 2014 Sancerre, Loire (£19.55, Boutinot) Rosé

Vigne e Vini Bianco IGT Puglia Organic 2015 Puglia (£10.95, Enotria & Coe)

Château Sainte Croix 2016 Côtes du Provence (£11.67, Department 33 Wines) Domaines Ott By Ott, 2016 Côtes du Provence (£19.99, Maisons Marques et Domaines) GERMANY

Feudi di San Gregorio DOCG Cutizzi 2015 Greco di Tufo (£18.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti, 2016 Piedmont (£9.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Red

White Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken Red Seal (Rotlack) Rheingau (£26.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Poderi Colla Colla Nebbiolo d’Alba 2014 Piemonte (£16.47, Boutinot) Collavini Refosco DOC Pucino 2015 Friuli Venezia Giulia (£14.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Colomba Bianca Nero d’Avola Kore Sicilia DOC 2016 Sicily (£11.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

GREECE White Ktima Biblia Chora Ovilos Semillion Assyrtiko 2016 Macedonia (£23.39, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) ITALY

Mabis Biscardo Neropasso 2015 Veneto (£9.99, Alliance Wine) Querciabella Mongrana 2013 Tuscany (£15, Armit Wines) Masi Toar Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2012 Veneto (£19.99, Berkmann Wine Cellars)

Sparkling Val d’Oca Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG Rive Di Colbertaldo 2015 Valdobbiadene (£14.99, Walker & Wodehouse Wines) White Nussbaumer Gewürztraminer DOC 2015 Alto Adige (£25.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Rosé San Marzano Tramari Primitivo Rosé Salento IGP 2016 Puglia (£10.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

NEW ZEALAND White

Poderi Parpinello DOC Sessantaquattro 2015 Sardinia (£15.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Tramin Pinot Bianco Moritz 2016 Alto Adige (£15.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Forrest Wines The Doctors’ Riesling 2015 Marlborough (£11.99, Seckford Agencies)

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 47

Highly commended wines NEW ZEALAND

Fortified

Red

Henriques & Henriques 20 Year Old Verdelho NV Madeira (£62.50, Mentzendorff)

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Merlot 2014 Hawke’s Bay (£19.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Nautilus Estate Southern Valleys Pinot Noir 2014 Marlborough (£23.99, Negociants) Te Awa Collection Left Field Malbec 2014 Hawke’s Bay (£17.30, Hatch Mansfield) Rosé Wooing Tree Blondie 2016 Central Otago (£26.25, Seckford Agencies) PORTUGAL White Quinta dos Carvalhais Branco Reserva 2011 Dão (£24.99, Liberty Wines) Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Branco 2015 Bairrada (£14.99, Raymond Reynolds) Broadbent VInho Verde NV Vinho Verde (£11.99, Top Selection)

Henriques & Henriques 10 Year Old Bual NV Madeira (£20.75, Mentzendorff)

SOUTH AFRICA White Klippenkop Chenin Blanc 2016 Robertson (£8.69, Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies) Kaapzicht Estate Kliprug Bushvine Chenin Blanc 2015 Stellenbosch (£13.90, Seckford Agencies) Swartland Winery Bush Vines Chenin Blanc 2015 Swartland (£13.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines) Red Ernie Els Wines Big Easy Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Western Cape (£11.45, Seckford Agencies) Cape Classics Braai Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Western Cape (£9.55 Seckford Agencies)

Red

Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal 2014 Walker Bay (£25.20, Seckford Agencies)

Niepoort Rotulo 2015 Dão (£14.99, Raymond Reynolds)

Groot Constantia Pinotage 2015 Constantia (£18.49, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Azamor Petit Verdot 2013 Alentejo (£19.99, Liberty Wines)

The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 48

SPAIN

Red

Sparkling

Bodegas Garzón Reserva Tannat 2014 Maldonado (£15.99, Walker & Wodehouse Wines)

Lobban Sparkling Shiraz NV Catalunya (£15.99, Enotria & Coe)

USA

White

White

Arousana Luzada 2016 Rías Baixas (£9.99, The Vindependents) Vinedos Perdido Torre Solar Macabeo Sobre Lias 2015 La Mancha (£8.51, Alliance Wine) Viña Sastre Flavus 2013 Ribera del Duero (£12.50, City Wine Collection)

Carpe Diem Chardonnay 2014 Anderson Valley, California (£28.95, Maisons Marques et Domaines) Ironstone Lodi Chardonnay 2015 Lodi, California (£13.99, Walker & Wodehouse Wines) Chateau Ste Michelle Dry Riesling 2015 Columbia, Washington (£11.75, Enotria & Coe)

Red Bodegas Aldeanueva Azabache Reserva Graciano 2010 Rioja (£17.99, Richmond Wine Agencies)

Red

Bodegas Luis Cañas Reserva 2011 Rioja (£13.95, Alliance Wine)

Handley Cellars Pinot Noir 2014 Anderson Valley, California (£24.99, The Vindependents)

Marco Abella Loidana 2014 Priorat (£18.99, The Vindependents)

Guenoc California Petite Sirah 2015 California (£14.50, Berkmann Wine Cellars)

Herència Altés La Peluda 2015 Catalunya (£16, Bancroft Wines)

Calico Mane Zinfandel 2014 California (£9.99, Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines)

Vina Sastre Sastre Crianza 2011 Ribera del Duero (£22, City Wine Collection) Fortified Valdespino Fino Inocente Single Vineyard Macharnudo NV Sherry (£17.99, Liberty Wines) URUGUAY White Bodegas Garzón Reserva Albarino 2016 Maldonado (£16.49, Walker & Wodehouse Wines) The Wine Merchant Top 100 2017 49

THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers

Issue 58, May 2017

Yes, we’re back on our AWRS hobby horse

© Phil Rigby

THIS MONTH 2 BACCHUS More AWRS woes, and a

crowd funding campaign for a by-the-glass dispenser

4 comings & GOINGS

The Wine Merchant is the only publication that claims to reach every specialist independent wine retailer in the UK.

New stores in Stroud, Ludlow, Rye, Brighton and Mayfair

10 tried & TESTED

What happens when you add Only a handful of UK wine merchants actually make any of the wines they sell in their shops.

Sam Jary, of the recently-opened Black Hand Wine in Penrith, is one of the few, retailing his own Burgundy from a corner of an antiques yard in the Cumbrian town. More on page 3.

France plays starring role in Top 100 contest France was again the star performer at this year’s Wine Merchant Top 100 competition, contributing a quarter of the winners.

The competition, which is restricted to

wines exclusive to independent traders, saw a

record entry this year of nearly 700 wines from suppliers of all sizes.

Greece picked up three Top 100 places,

including the White Wine Trophy, and there were debut appearances from Croatia and Slovenia.

The competition was judged by 18

independent wine merchants who formed a panel intended to reflect the diversity, and

regional spread, of the independent trade.

The winning wines will be available to taste at

The Wine Merchant’s stand at the forthcoming

London Wine Fair. Each of the winners will also be profiled in a special supplement published

in the summer, where details of this year’s 117 Highly Commended wines will also appear.

Editor Graham Holter says: “Our judges this

year had to be brutal, but they were extremely

professional in the way they assessed the wines, not just from a quality standpoint but in terms of their value for money.”

• Trophy winners and pictures from judging day appear on pages 29 to 31.

Manzanilla to white Rioja?

14 morrish & BANHAm

Former Palmers wine boss

reaps rewards of solo venture

22 vindependents tasting Reporting back from the

group’s first portfolio event

26 david williams

Why are some wines so bloody expensive?

38 focus on greece From yucky retsina to the

peak of wine trade coolness

48 MAKE A DATE

The June tastings that could be worth a visit

52 supplier Bulletin Essential updates from agents and suppliers

For advertising enquiries, email georgina@ winemerchantmag.com.

THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers

Issue 59, June 2017

We’re 100% devoted to this market, and we’re every bit as independent as the merchants that we write about.

Feel free to call us on our mobiles at any time

THIS MONTH 2 BACCHUS Grower Champagnes, lifeboats, halfwitted councils … and Professor Plum

For editorial, email winemerchantteam@gmail.com or call 01323 871836.

4 comings & GOINGS

A new store for Banstead and a new face at Totnes

8 tried & TESTED

Wines so good you’ll turn a

blind eye to the toddler fight

Follow us on Twitter: @WineMerchantMag

16 fiNgal-rock

The barrister who left London to open a wine shop

Borough fills in the gaps Borough Wines has brought its retail estate up to nine sites with a new opening in Battersea in south London.

It’s taken over a corner site of a former

hardware shop in Battersea Park Road – and is planning to open its 10th store, in Chiswick in west London, in July.

“Battersea’s very much a Borough Wines sort

of area,” says marketing director Corinna Pyke, “on the cusp of change but not too gentrified.

It’s really vibrant with a nice feel to it.

“We’ve been looking at Battersea for a while

because it has a very big European community there. With [founder] Muriel [Chatel] being

French, and having lots of wines and people

working for us from Italy, Spain or wherever, it was quite a draw.

“As Chelsea is becoming more expensive,

people are moving to Battersea. It’s much more local than just the big Nine Elms development and Battersea Power Station.”

Borough Wines has upgraded its refill system

from bag-in-box to kegs and is rolling out the concept across its estate.

“It’s a good carrot,” says Pyke. “It’s a nice way

of being able to introduce people to a wine shop without feeling intimidated.

“Whenever we open a new shop there’s

Continues page 4

24 CORKS OUT DIGS DEEP

Turning a Chester dungeon into a swish wine bar

26 david williams

We only moan about the wine fair because we care

29 South africa lunch Cape wines come of age in the independent trade

34 life after brexit How changing tariffs could cause wine trade havoc

40 supplier Bulletin

Essential updates from agents and suppliers

Website: www.winemerchantmag.com