2020 Stephen Vincent, Pinot Noir
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
Sourced from some of the most famed regions for Pinot Noir, such as Russian River Valley and Sonoma County, this wine offers brilliant balance. Every sub-region was fermented individually, then married through blending. The wine shows the typical attractive notes of Pinot Noir, with mushrooms, tarragon, strawberry, sour cherry nd raspberries, but with the slight ripe sunny edge of California. This Californian layer providing expressive pomegranate and mocha notes and soft, silky tannins, sets it apart from red Burgundy. Aged in 15% new French oak barriques for 13 months.
FOOD PAIRING
Guinea fowl, kidney & liver pie, haggis and are especially ideal for Sunday roast and a quintessential choice for the Thanksgiving table.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Stephen Vincent offers some of the best quality-to-price ratio for any American wine which could be found in the UK.
2021 St Francis, Chardonnay
Regular price £27.50 Save £-27.50ABOUT 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 Chardonnay is sourced from the coolest vineyards where maritime Pacific mist and winds help retain the fresh acidity of the fruit. This wine blends the fragrant fruitiness of Fuji apples, pears and melon with a refreshing citrus zestiness, covered by the warming blanket of oak ageing. Adding to complexity with sweetcorn, yoghurt and allspice notes, with a silky mouthfeel, leading into a lingering decadent finish.
FOOD PAIRING
This wine gets along perfectly with cream sauces, such as Bearnaise, bechamel and carbonara, where its freshness cuts through the fat while the richness accompanies the mouthfeel.
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, 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.