2019 Kelman, Encruzado Branco
Regular price £16.40 Save £-16.402019 San Patrime, Nero di Troia
Regular price £16.90 Save £-16.902019 Castra Rubra Dominant White
Regular price £17.85 Save £-17.852019 Domaine des Masques, Rouge Cuvee Essentielle
Regular price £19.60 Save £-19.602019 Stephen Vincent, Chardonnay
Regular price £19.80 Save £-19.80ABOUT THE WINE
Stephen Vincent and his two business partners have combined decades of experience with working for household names such as Robert Mondavi, Louis Roederer & La Crema to create their own affordable but premium tasting wines. Stephen Vincent sources their fruit from some of the coolest pockets of the North Coast, which helps keep the alcohols in their wines low and maintain the refreshing acidity, but always delivering quality, reflecting the delicious qualities the Californian sun provides. Friarwood is proud to be the exclusive importer of these affordable gems from California.
TASTING NOTES
Fermented as whole-clusters and 100% barrel-fermented and aged in mostly neutral barrels for 15 months. Superb attention to quality and labour-intensive process to ensure freshness in wine while still preserving the rich complexity which makes California Chardonnay so irresistible. The fragrant freshness of green apples, and green citrus sing at first impression, after which the sour, ripe mango comes across with toast, sweet corn and yoghurt notes. A touch of subtle vanilla and slivered, toasted coconut accompanies the peach and the mango on the palate with bright acidity, but wraps up with a pleasant toasty finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Chicken and prawn tacos, paella and spaghetti primavera.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Stephen Vincent offers some of the best quality-to-price ratio for any American wine which could be found in the UK.
2019 Chateau Cailleteau Bergeron, Rouge
Regular price £20.20 Save £-20.202019 Nittnaus, Blaufrankisch Edelgrund
Regular price £22.70 Save £-22.70ABOUT THE WINE
Gebrüder Nittnaus winery lies on the eastern shore of Lake Neusiedl in the heart of Gols, at the centre of one of the largest wine-producing communities in Austria. The family has owned vineyards for more than 300 years and has been running their own winery since 1986. They cultivate 57 hectares in Gols, spread out over more than 70 different vineyard parcels. Almost two-thirds of this area is planted with red wine, primarily indigenous varieties. They cultivate their vines in accordance with organic agricultural principles. The latest generation of Nittnauses, Andreas and Hans Michael, is now responsible for running the winery.
TASTING NOTES
Enticing notes of dark berries, sumptuous black plum, and luscious cherry aromas greet the senses. The palate delights in elegance and vitality, culminating in a gracefully balanced finish with supple tannins.
FOOD PAIRING
Pair this exquisite wine with aromatic herb-crusted lamb chops, an earthy mushroom risotto, or a gourmet, fig-infused burger to elevate your culinary experience.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Organic viticulture. In the medieval era, grape varietals native to the Holy Roman Empire were classified by colour and quality level. Those with 'frankisch' in their name yielded the most exceptional wines, as exemplified by this blue-frankish grape.
2019 Cascina Ebreo, Rosso
Regular price £23.80 Save £-23.80ABOUT THE WINE
In 1991, Peter Weimer gave up corporate life in Switzerland and moved to Piedmont, purchasing Cascina Ebreo. They released their first vintage in 1996, and have since won great acclaim for their unusual, expressive wines.
TASTING NOTES
Deep, red fruit, slightly jammy, on the aromas, with a savoury edge. The palate shows the same red fruit, fresher, with a hint of wet earth, balanced acidity and soft, dusty tannin which coats the palate on the finish. Very impressive; this drinks like a wine double the price, and has the potential to last ten years in the bottle - but it'll be drunk long before then.
FOOD PAIRING
Pairs well with charcuterie and hard cheeses, or with tomato-based pasta dishes.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
While the producer prefers to avoid the term ‘natural’ for his wines, these are certainly minimal intervention, in both the vineyard and the cellar. Farming is organic, with some biodynamic practices, and the only addition in the cellar is a minimal quantity of sulphur dioxide.
2019 Conti di San Bonifacio, Monteregio
Regular price £25.60 Save £-25.60ABOUT THE WINE
The estate, in the Maremma region of Tuscany, was purchased in 2002 by the Conte di San Bonifacio, Manfredo, and his English wife, Sarah. They have since transformed it into a spectacular wine resort and wedding venue, with olive groves, beautifully manicured vineyards and a restaurant serving exceptional meals created using locally sourced ingredients. The first vines were planted in 2004 and the vineyard now comprises 7 hectares. Winemaker Luca d'Attoma has an exceptional talent for crafting Tuscan wines using international varieties.
TASTING NOTES
Wonderfully intense red fruit along with notes of blueberry, cocoa, oak and hint of cinnamon on the nose. Densely textured and persistent on the palate with a savoury freshness. It fully respects the character of the Sangiovese grape from the Monteregio hills with a nice length on the smooth finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Very flexible wine for pairing with a wide range of full-flavoured pasta and risotto dishes. You can also try it with a herb-roasted pork or for a classic Italian pairing, serve with prosciutto and Tuscan salami.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A delightful wine, excellent value for the quality, and perfectly balanced! A real charmer for the dinner table.
2019 Domaine Alain Gueneau Sancerre Rouge
Regular price £26.20 Save £-26.20ABOUT THE WINE
A family run winery: along with Alain, his children Elisa and Dominique invest their time and energy in order to produce the wines of exceptional quality from their terroir. Their estate is comprised of 16 hectares of AOC Sancerre vineyards, planted on the steep slopes that surround the village of Sury-en-Vaux.
TASTING NOTES
A wonderfully light and vibrant ruby colour. On the nose, intense and comlex aromas of black cherry, blackberry jam, wormwood, cacao and hints of toasted spice. On the palate, supple silky tannins followed by notes of cherries in brandy, tobacco and nutmeg.
FOOD PAIRING
Pork, Lamb cooked pink and duck. If you pair it with cheese, we recommend Camembert or Goats Cheese. For a surprise pairing, try it with light smoked salmon.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A staff favourite, exceptional on its own and flexible to pair food with! If you choose to buy as a gift, they will not be disappointed!
2019 Saxenburg, Private Collection Chardonnay
Regular price £26.90 Save £-26.90Adrian & Birgit Bührer took ownership of Saxenburg in 1989, trading their familiar surroundings of Switzerland for the Cape Winelands. They changed their familiar surroundings of Switzerland for a dilapidated homestead in the Cape Winelands. Today, the estate is run by the second-generation Bührer Family custodians: Fiona and Vincent. Their ambition is to shine a light on the Polkadraai Hills appellation in Stellenbosch, as it is one of the most exceptional terroirs in South Africa. Together with a passionate team, they produce thought-provoking wines.
TASTING NOTESSourced from the most prime sandstone & granite parcels in Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, this Chardonnay greatly balances oak influence and freshness. The nose shows lemon, cut green apples, fresh bread, nuts and a hint of beeswax. The palate is long and lingering, with crisp acidity. Superbly complex.
FOOD PAIRINGCarbonara pasta or baked white fish along with chicken Madeira will make perfect pairings.
FRIARWOOD SAYSFound in great numbers in the region, the guinea fowls that adorn the Saxenburg emblem have become symbolic of their winemaking philosophy, and it’s now the heart, the mind and the soul of Saxenburg.
2019 Bodega Monteviejo, Petite Fleur Blend
Regular price £28.00 Save £-28.002019 Domaine de la Croix Belle, Cuvee N.7 Red
Regular price £30.80 Save £-30.80ABOUT THE WINE
In 1977, Jacques and Francoise Boyer embarked on a journey to create a top-quality wine estate on the slopes of the Cevennes, just north of Beziers in Languedoc. They replanted existing vineyards and extensively modernized the cellar. Today, their 110-hectare estate boasts 16 different grape varieties, producing a diverse range of wines that offer exceptional value at all quality levels.
TASTING NOTES
Aged for one year in oak barrels, this enchanting southern French blend captivates with its opulent black fruit aromas, including blackberry, prunes, and dark mulberry. Subtle hints of black pepper, earthiness, and espresso intermingle with rich undertones of mocha. The palate is sumptuous and velvety smooth, with a delicate wisp of smoke lingering on the finish.
FOOD PAIRING
This wine pairs beautifully with hearty, robust dishes. Consider serving it alongside roast wild boar with a red wine reduction, venison braised in stout with root vegetables, or a game meat pie topped with golden puff pastry.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
The unique terroir of this region is defined by its winds. The Mistral, Tramontane, and Narbonnaise winds shape the vines, cooling and cleansing the grapes while creating essential diurnal shifts between daytime and night-time temperatures. These conditions contribute to the creation of balanced, expressive wines that truly reflect their origin.
2019 Madame Veuve Point, Rully Blanc
Regular price £34.20 Save £-34.20ABOUT THE PRODUCER
Madame Veuve Point is the unique story of a woman winemaker whose wines won the Grand Prize at the 1904 Saint Louis World Fair, and have continued making excellent Burgundy wines ever since. Now, Géraldine Point is the latest generation of the family to pick up the torch and continue a hundred year old wine making tradition.
Graced by a château which has been in the same family for six centuries, a church with an elegant steeple, beautiful homes and parks, Rully (pronounced Ruilly) is a very old village. This appellation produces mostly white whines. The white Chardonnay vine is able to express itself perfectly in these climates with rocky limestone and clay soils. The slopes are sheltered by a part of the mountain of la Folie and have an ideal Southeastern exposure. Its high altitude (230 to 300 meters) forces the winemakers to be more patient in awaiting the harvest than in nearby Côte de Beaune.
TASTING NOTES
This Rully Blanc has a golden color with green highlights in the glass. It has a fine nose with notes of “flowering shrubs” such as acacia, hawthorn and honeysuckle along with notes of fruits like lemon and white peaches. It has a fruity palate, with a lively, round flavor which is full-bodied and very slightly woody. In aging, its color will evolve toward buttercup and notes of honey, quince and dried fruit will be revealed.
FOOD PAIRING
With its beautiful fullness in the mouth, this wine is the ideal with tender-fleshed delicacies such as pan-fried river fish, sea fish in a white sauce or warm shellfish. It is an ideal accompaniment to hard cheeses such as Comté, with which it shares its fruitiness. It will elevate poultry in cream sauces. It can also be drunk as an aperitif.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
To really amplify its aromatic elegance, try decanting before serving!
2019 St Francis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma
Regular price £36.40 Save £-36.40ABOUT THE WINE
Established in 1971 by Joe Founder, St. Francis has reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in and around Sonoma County for over 50 years.
Today, the vineyards of St. Francis are farmed per Certified Sustainable standards. Their estate vineyards present a stunning diversity as they are scattered around Sonoma Valley and the famous Russian River Valley, each with diverse compositions of limestone, loam, clay and black & red volcanic soils. They also buy fruit from some of the oldest vineyards in the region, farming beautifully gnarly old vine Zinfandel, by nurturing their long-standing relationships for decades.
TASTING NOTES
The fruit was sourced from estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley and from various top-quality vineyards in Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley. An expressively quintessential example of California Cabernet Sauvignon, the dark fruit characteristics of chocolate-laden cassis, blackberry, bramble and dark plums lead to liquorice, sage and subtle green pepper savouriness, together with the spice and the toast of the oak leading to a smooth and warm finish. Aged in 20% new oak barrels for 18 months.
FOOD PAIRING
Beef Wellington or Rack of Lamb with rosemary roasted potatoes
FRIARWOOD SAYS
St. Francis’ gorgeous mission-style estate and Tasting Room building is in the heart of the valley surrounded by estate-owned vineyards. Their bell tower, pictured on their labels houses a 1,000-pound bronze bell cast by the Marinelli Foundry in Italy. It chimes every hour and can be heard throughout the valley.
2019 St Francis, Old Vines Zinfandel Sonoma
Regular price £36.40 Save £-36.40ABOUT THE WINE
Established in 1971 by Joe Founder, St. Francis has reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in and around Sonoma County for over 50 years.
Today, the vineyards of St. Francis are farmed per Certified Sustainable standards. Their estate vineyards present a stunning diversity as they are scattered around Sonoma Valley and the famous Russian River Valley, each with diverse compositions of limestone, loam, clay and black & red volcanic soils. They also buy fruit from some of the oldest vineyards in the region, farming beautifully gnarly old vine Zinfandel, by nurturing their long-standing relationships for decades.
TASTING NOTES
Fruit for Zinfandel is sourced from some of the oldest dry-farmed vineyards in Sonoma, some of which are centenaries. This results in balanced acidity and very deep flavour concentration. A truly vibrant wine with many layers of decadent ripe fruit notes of blackberry, bramble, blueberry and liquorice as well as dried prunes and the warming spices of cinnamon and clove. Aged for 16 months in 100% new French Oak.
FOOD PAIRING
Barbecued T-Bone or Ribeye steak or mild lentil dhal.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
St. Francis’ gorgeous mission-style estate and Tasting Room building is in the heart of the valley surrounded by estate-owned vineyards. Their bell tower, pictured on their labels houses a 1,000-pound bronze bell cast by the Marinelli Foundry in Italy. It chimes every hour and can be heard throughout the valley.
2019 Sequoia Grove, Chardonnay
Regular price £43.40 Save £-43.40ABOUT THE WINE
Sequoia Grove is located in the gem of the famed Napa Valley, in what’s known as the Rutherford Bench. The Bench is a very unique geological formation, as it is consisted of a special composition of soils and rocks, and is considered one of the most diverse terroirs in the world. With a mix of alluvial loams, limestone, chalk and red & black volcanic soils, it’s at the prime area for producing wine. As the legendary Napa pioneer André Tchelistcheff quoted, “it takes Rutherford dust to grow great Cabernet.” Founded in 1979, the estate is one of Napa’s cult estates for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
TASTING NOTES
A quintessential Napa Chardonnay, overdelivering every expectation one can expect from a premium California Chardonnay. Mainly sourced from the cool vineyards of Los Carneros on the San Pablo Bay, the wine opens with fresh bright yellow and orange citrus notes and golden apples. The tropical pineapple manifests itself as sour pineapple. The spice of the oak is balanced but warming with toasted vanilla, yoghurt and allspice. A wine which strikes a delicious balance between rich flavour and freshness. Aged 10 months in 31% new French barriques, with lee stirring. No malolactic fermentation took place to maintain the freshness of the wine and avoid any overpowering oiliness on the palate.
FOOD PAIRING
Duck confit, cream chicken and broad bean falafel with smoked hummus, as well as semi-soft cheeses like Camembert.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
The estate barn is blessed to be surrounded by some of the last remaining groves of huge, majestic sequoia trees. It is also known to house Napa’s first underground cellar.
2019 Domaine Gilles Flacher Saint Joseph Terra Louis
Regular price £45.70 Save £-45.702019 Bodega Monteviejo, Lindaflor Chardonnay
Regular price £46.20 Save £-46.202019 Domaine Nudant, Ladoix 1er Cru 'Les Buis'
Regular price £47.20 Save £-47.20ABOUT 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 1er Cru vineyard called Les Buis recalls a sacred tree of the Druids which grew on the site.
TASTING NOTES
An impeccable vintage, 2019 Burgundies show opulent and exuberant red and dark fruits, with a balanced zingy acidity still in play. Ladoix, being a more elegant village, offers the best of both worlds by providing the quintessential savoury notes of mushrooms and forest floor. But this time, the ripeness of 2019 makes this wine extra attractive to sip, even by itself. One to drink now or to age for another decade.
FOOD PAIRING
Excellent with honey-roasted pork shoulder and braised root vegetables as well as a lamb leg bourguignon.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
An off-piste appellation which offers excellent value from some very impressive vineyard sites.
2019 Domaine Antonin Guyon, Savigny les Beaune 'Les Goudelettes'
Regular price £48.80 Save £-48.80