2006 Chateau Figeac
Regular price £315.90 Save £-315.90ABOUT THE WINE
An ancient vineyard, named after its Gallo-Roman owners, the Figeacus family, the Figeac estate has been continually occupied and farmed for at least two thousand years. The terroir is very special indeed, a large part of the original 200-hectare estate was sold off during the 18th Century to the Ducasse family to become Chateau Cheval Blanc, and other sections contribute to some of the finest estates in the appellation. The 42-hectare vineyard that remains contains vines over 100 years of age, with an unusually high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon planted.
TASTING NOTES
An elegant and surprisingly approachable vintage for Figeac; sweet aromas of menthol, fruitcake, cherries, and black currants, silky tannins and an evolved, precocious style, drinking well from 2015.
FOOD PAIRING
Grilled and roast lamb with garlic and rosemary.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Despite their Cabernet-driven style, this vintage shows only the vaguest hints of the green pepper notes that affected right bank wines from this year.
2019 Domaine des Perdrix, Echezeaux Grand Cru
Regular price £237.10 Save £-237.10ABOUT THE WINE
Managed by Bertrand & Christiane Devillard and their children Amaury & Aurore since 1996, the Domaine des Perdrix, located in Cote de Nuits spread over 12 hectares in the best terroirs within the villages of Nuits Saint Georges and Vosne Romanee. Nearly 5 hectares of the estate produce Nuits Saint Georges 1 er Cru, among which the excellent “Aux Perdrix” is a quasimonopole (99%). The quality of the vineyards, their rigorous management and vinification have established the Domaine des Perdrix as a renowned Domaine.
TASTING NOTES
One of the finest villages for red Burgundy, Echezeaux provides muscular fruit that's riper, but still very elegant. Candied red cherries and fresh raspberries along with shiitake mushrooms and toasty vanilla and cinnamon coming from the new French oak barrel ageing. A wine which will age gracefully.
FOOD PAIRING
Wood-fire roasted pigeon or beef bavette steak with creamed parsnips and warm cherry compote.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Needs time to reveal its potential and perfumes of fruits and spices which will get stronger and stronger with maturation. Tannins are firm but ripe and silky.
2007 Chateau Figeac
Regular price £194.90 Save £-194.90ABOUT THE WINE
An ancient vineyard, named after its Gallo-Roman owners, the Figeacus family, the Figeac estate has been continually occupied and farmed for at least two thousand years. The terroir is very special indeed â a large part of the original 200-hectare estate was sold off during the 18th Century to the Ducasse family to become Chateau Cheval Blanc, and other sections contribute to some of the finest estates in the appellation. The 42-hectare vineyard that remains contains vines over 100 years of age, with an unusually high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon planted.
TASTING NOTES
A refined, structured wine; fruitcake and rich plum aromas lead to a blackberry laden palate, with coffee and fine-grained tannins on the finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Grilled and roast lamb with garlic and rosemary.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A somewhat backwards vintage which will probably be best from 2022 onwards.
2006 Chateau La Conseillante
Regular price £193.10 Save £-193.10ABOUT THE WINE
An exceptional 12-hectare estate located on the boundary between Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, which can trace its history back to 1735. Acquired by the Nicolas family in 1871, the estate has remained unchanged since, and is today still managed by the family. Winemaking facilities were renovated in 2012, and 50-80% new barrels are used for each vintage, depending on the character of the wine from that year. Barrel-ageing is usually 18 months.
TASTING NOTES
Astonishing finesse, with powerful aromatics of spicy, dark fruit and violets. On the palate it is fresh and harmonious, with blackberry and raspberry fruit, smooth and creamy with plenty of underlying structure; hefty tannins have softened beautifully with time. This was always a wine to hold; less appealing on release than the 2005, but with exceptional potential; drink from 2016.
FOOD PAIRING
Excellent with game or beef; hold back on the spice, as this wine has beautiful subtlety which anything too flavoursome might hide.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A stellar wine; will age gracefully until 2036.
2011 Chateau Lynch-Bages
Regular price £149.10 Save £-149.102011 Chateau Lascombes
Regular price £131.50 Save £-131.50ABOUT THE WINE
Château Lascombes, 2ème Cru Classé in 1855, bears the name of its first owner, Chevalier de Lascombes, born in 1625. At the turn of the 18th century, Jean-Francois Lascombes, a counselor at the Bordeaux Parliament, dedicated his wealth to making a great wine at Lascombes. The existing chateau was built in 1867 by Chaix d'Est Ange. Alexis Lichine took over the property in 1952, and oversaw a significant restructuring of the vineyard and cellars. In 1971, he sold to the English brewer, Bass-Charrington, who sold the estate to its current owners, American company Colony Capital in 2001.
TASTING NOTES
An unusually high proportion of Merlot was used in 2011 – easier to ripen, in this cool vintage. Bright, dark-berry fruit and dusty chocolate characterise the aromas; the palate is similarly bright and fresh, with an undertow of firm tannin. Toasty oak, blueberry, liquorice and forest floor add complexity to this exceptionally well-made wine. Approachable from 2018, with ageing potential until 2030.
FOOD PAIRING
Venison, creamy beef dishes, hard cheeses.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A fascinating example of how winemakers, by tossing aside the usual blend, can produce truly exceptional wines from inimical vintages.
2007 Deutz, William Deutz Champagne Brut
Regular price £130.00 Save £-130.00ABOUT THE WINE
One of the oldest members of Champagne's prestigious Grandes Marques houses, Champagne Deutz of Ay, France, has been making distinctive champagnes marked by finesse, elegance and complexity since 1838. The house has upheld the traditions of fine Champagne making handed down through five generations. Owning a significant portion of its own vineyards, Deutz selects only top-rated grapes from 275 acres of vineyards in the finest crus of Champagne. The wines are slowly and carefully aged in the chalk-walled cellars far beneath the historic village of Ay.
TASTING NOTES
The 2007 Brut Millesime William Deutz is a very pretty wine that is starting to show the first signs of aromatic maturity. Honey, vanilla, baked apple tart, smoke, slate, almond and spice notes add intensity to a core of orange confit and apricot fruit. The 2007 is overt and creamy, with attractive tropical overtones, and yet it very much retains the mid-weight sense of structure that is such a Deutz signature.
FOOD PAIRING
Spectacular on its own as an aperitif; also excellent with oysters.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Mostly sourced from the Côte des Blancs, specifically the villages of Avize. Mesnil
and Qger, with 5% sourced from Viller-Marmery in the Montagne de Reims.
2012 Chateau Leoville-Poyferre
Regular price £113.10 Save £-113.10ABOUT THE WINE
The history of the Leoville estates can be traced back to 1638, when all three Leoville properties were one. After the French Revolution, the estate was split into the Leovilles Barton, Poyferre and Las Cases. Purchased in the early 1900s by the Cuvelier family, Leoville-Poyferre lagged behind the other Leoville properties in terms of quality and renown, until 1979, when Didier Cuvelier took over management of the property. Extensive modernisation and replanting followed, culminating in the hiring of Michel Rolland in 1994. This program of improvement continues, and Leoville-Poyferre is currently one of the most impressive and exciting properties in Saint-Julien.
TASTING NOTES
The latest harvest since 2008; this vintage of Poyferre contains more Cabernet Sauvignon than most, adding distinction and herb-etched complexity to the usual ensemble of black fruit and vanilla. Beautifully satisfying on the palate, with luscious weight tempered by excellent structure.
FOOD PAIRING
Complex beef or lamb stews; would pair well with earthy, tomato-based sauces.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
With more edge than most Poyferre wines from recent vintages, this is one to leave until after 2022 but it has the potential to easily outshine its more accessible siblings thereafter.
2016 Chateau Gloria
Regular price £130.75 Save £-130.75ABOUT THE WINE
One of the better-known Crus Bourgeois of the Medoc, still at reasonable prices. Chateau Gloria is made up of holdings of classified Crus and would deserve to be classified in its own right. Recent vintages have found all their character again, in the tradition of the great Saint-Julien wines.
TASTING NOTES
A majority Cabernet Sauvignon blend, expect beautiful aromas of blackcurrants and blueberries. The body is full, with very fine tannins that are strong and bright. Drinking very well right now, and will continue to develop over the next two decades and beyond.
2018 Vintage also available
2020 Domaine Nudant, Volnay 1er Cru 'Les Santenots'
Regular price £316.30 Save £-316.30ABOUT THE WINE
Winemakers in Burgundy since 1453, the current generation of the Nudant family manages some 16 hectares of small parcels dotted throughout the Cote d'Or. Vineyard work is all carried out by hand, in the spirit of minimal intervention. The Santenots vineyard is located in the southern part of Volnay, near the village of Meursault. The particular structure of the soil makes the Santenots a very aromatic and elegant wine, delicately complex and concentrated all at the same time.
TASTING NOTES
Delicate violet and red berry fragrance, with a hint of oak. Delightful on the palate, with spicy mingling with red cherry fruit in perfect balance. Impressive structure for long-term ageing, but excellent at the moment, especially with food.
FOOD PAIRING
Excellent for rich dishes, duck, always the classic pairing for Pinot noir, would be ideal.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
The section of the Santenots vineyard which contributes to this wine is farmed by the Nudant family under a rolling contract, and therefore counts as a negociant wine hence Jean-Rene Nudant on the label.
NV Bollinger, Brut
Regular price £53.00 Save £-53.00ABOUT THE WINE
Athanase de Villermont, the youngest son of a noble family inherited an extensive estate from his family in the Ay area. He immediately foresaw the extraordinary potential of the wines of Champagne, but as an aristocrat he was forbidden to become involved in trade. He then met Joseph Bollinger, a widely travelled German who had left his country of birth to learn about the Champagne wine trade, and Paul Renaudin, a local man who was fascinated by the world of wine. The firm of Renaudin-Bollinger & Cie was founded on 6th February 1829. Joseph took care of sales and Paul of the cellar. Athanase had founded a champagne House that was to endure through the centuries.
TASTING NOTES
A classic yellow gold in colour, Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut Champagne exudes richness and decadence in its appearance. It also has an exceptionally fine mousse, and a steady stream of fine bubbles running throughout the champagne. Nose: Ripe fruit aromas including pear and exotic orange peel are balanced by creamy toffee and biscuits in the Brut Champagne, which contains many classic Bollinger characteristics. Palate: Complex, crisp and brilliantly pure, an indulgent blend of peaches, cream and butter are present, accompanied by a long, lingering finish with an aftertaste of honey and warm brioche.
FOOD PAIRING
While Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut Champagne is perfect as an aperitif or party drink, it can also be paired with seafood such as sushi, lobster, scallops and grilled sea bass, and also works well with soft, delicate cheeses.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
80% of the harvest is fermented in oak barrels, making the finished wines well-suited to extended ageing and contributing body and depth of flavour.