Looking for some of the best Fine Wines in London? Shop our extensive collection of fine wines online, with free delivery on orders over £75. And don't forget, you can also click and collect from our Parsons Green and Wimbledon Village stores.
Looking for some of the best Fine Wines in London? Shop our extensive collection of fine wines online, with free delivery on orders over £75. And don't forget, you can also click and collect from our Parsons Green and Wimbledon Village stores.
2006 Chateau Pontet Canet
Regular price £71.20 Save £-71.20ABOUT THE WINE
Classified as a 5eme Cru Classe and owned by the Tesseron family who also own Lafon Rochet in St Estephe. The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and fine tannins with great aging potential. Pontet-Canet's 78 hectares are planted mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon 63%, Merlot 32% and Cabernet Franc 5%.
ABOUT THE VINTAGE
After a cold and wet winter, the new growing season started rather well with a hot dry and sunny June and July. And then things change for the worse with a cool and wet August. By the time harvest was about to start both right and left bank were affected by rain on a daily basis. Only Pomerol was saved as they always start harvesting ahead of the rest.
2016 Chateau Batailley
Regular price £80.50 Save £-80.50Also available: 2008 Vintage
ABOUT THE WINE
Chateau Batailley is Borie-Manoux’s and the Castéja-family’s flagship winery. One of the oldest estates in the Médoc the name is derived from the battle (“bataille”) that took place during the Hundred Years’ War and where the chateau and vineyard are sited today. The estate is currently experimenting with biodynamic farming techniques on a 5- hectare parcel. Overall vinification is pretty standard, with hand-harvested grapes fully de-stemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place partly in the tank, and partly in the barrel, and the wine is then aged in 60% new French oak for about 16 months before bottling. Since 1995, subtle changes have seen the wines achieve more delicacy and purity of fruit character, resulting in wines of greater finesse which still remain true to their Pauillac roots.
TASTING NOTES
A rare, but beautiful blend of fresh red berries of raspberry and rose hip married with the savoury meatiness and cigar box with a sweet vanilla undertone, not to mention the charming crushed violets. A truly elegant and complex claret, which shows power in a restrained way, but still managed to have polished and gripping tannins that are dazzling and promising facing forward. This wine is now in its drinking window, and will stay there until the late 2040s…
FOOD PAIRING
Roast mallard with radicchio and pear salad, braised veal shank with winter root vegetable purée. Any seared & dry-aged beef cut should also pair impeccably.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
This wine will never cease to surprise, glass after glass, and is unquestionably moreish. Drinking beautifully now but still retains some solid ageing potential.
2008 Chateau Batailley
Regular price £88.00 Save £-88.00Also available: 2016 Vintage
ABOUT THE WINE
Chateau Batailley is Borie-Manoux's and the Casteja-family's flagship. The name is derived from the battle (bataille) that took place where the chateau and vineyard are today during the Hundred Years War, around 1453. Vinification is fairly standard, with hand-harvested grapes fully de-stemmed before fermentation in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place partly in tank, partly in barrel, and the wine is then aged in new French oak, 60% new, for about 16 months before bottling. Since 1995, subtle changes have seen the wines achieve more delicacy and purity of fruit-character, resulting in wines of greater finesse which still remain true to their Pauillac roots.
TASTING NOTES
Crisp, bright red fruits; pepper and cassis on a medium-bodied palate. Hefty tannins will subside after 2022, but decanting will allow this wine to display its exceptional quality in the shorter term if temptation cannot be deferred.
FOOD PAIRING
Chateau Batailley is best served with classic meat dishes: veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, and roasted, braised and grilled vegetable dishes. It can also pair well with Asian dishes and hearty fish courses like tuna-steak.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
This wine never stops to surprise, glass after glass.
2008 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Regular price £95.85 Save £-95.85ABOUT THE WINE
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is classified as one of eighteen Cinquemes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Situated a few kilometers from the town of Pauillac, the vineyards of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste total roughly 36 with Cabernet Sauvignon making up 75% of the total plantings Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste produces about 12,000 cases of wine in an average year.
ABOUT THE VINTAGE
The 2008 offers an expressive nose of dark cherry, blackberry, spice box and a touch of tobacco leaf. Medium body with lovely acidity and round tannins. Slightly more delicate than previous vintages but still offering depth and concentration for a superbly enjoyable experience.
1997 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Regular price £107.40 Save £-107.40ABOUT THE WINE
Classified a 5th Growth, Grand-Puy-Lacoste is one of the oldest estates in the Medoc. Situated on an outcrop, about 20m above sea-level, the deep gravelly soil is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, which dominates on this estate. In 1978 the estate was purchased by the Borie family, who had a long history in Bordeaux as negociants.
TASTING NOTES
Hedonistic; dark-purple with sweet cassis dominating the aromas. Evolved and elegant, with a soft, easy-going style; dusty and tobacco-tinged on the long, lingering finish.
FOOD PAIRING
Partner with mushroom ragout or braised meats.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Excellent value for a top-quality Pauillac; the wines from this estate tend to age very gracefully indeed.
2014 Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Regular price £120.40 Save £-120.402014 Chateau Pontet Canet
Regular price £126.30 Save £-126.30ABOUT THE WINE
Classified as a 5eme Cru Classe, own by the Tesseron family also owner of Lafon Rochet in St Estephe. Today, Chateau Pontet-Canet is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron. The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and fine tannins with great aging potential.
2011 Chateau Lynch-Bages
Regular price £149.10 Save £-149.102015 Chateau Pontet Canet
Regular price £157.05 Save £-157.05ABOUT THE WINE
Classified as a 5eme Cru Classe, own by the Tesseron family also owner of Lafon Rochet in St Estephe. Today, Château Pontet-Canet is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron. The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and fine tannins with great aging potential.
TASTING NOTES
The wine has an impressively intense colour and a complex nose dominated by fresh fruit aromas. It is huge on the palate, powerful, vibrant and incredibly smooth, sustained throughout by a freshness which imparts a deliciously succulent finish. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
FOOD PAIRING
Try dishes such as a tournedos of duck Rossini, a roasted wild boar leg, a stew of marcassin confit with peppers or a beef tenderloin with morel sauce. If pairing with cheese uncooked cheeses are best.
2015 Chateau Lynch-Bages
Regular price £158.80 Save £-158.80See more wines from Chateau Lynch-Bages
ABOUT THE WINE
The 2015 vintage is rich, ripe, velvety and already has silky tannins. In terms of variety, although diluted slightly by the September rain, the Merlot nevertheless gives the wine a lovely freshness and beautiful fruity aromas. The Cabernet and Petit Verdot express rarely-reached notes of fresh, ripe fruit.
It is characterised by its elegance and great homogeneity. Its tannin ripeness is perfect, and its wonderfully balanced acidity enhances the aromatic freshness of the fruit. The wine spent 18 months in French oak (75% new) and is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
TASTING NOTES
Lynch-Bages 2015 has a brilliant, deep colour with purple hues. Its nose clearly expresses aromas of cassis and dark fruit, mixed with the empyreumatic notes that come with ageing. It has a straightforward attack and a voluminous yet supple mid-palate. The wine has a marked but silky tannic structure, and a persistent finish illustrative of a particularly ripe vintage. Drinking well already, will likely keep for decades to come.
FOOD PAIRING
Pair with all classic meats, as well as Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese. Try spiced lamb shanks, or a Lancashire hotpot with black pudding and a red wine coulis.
2006 Chateau Lynch-Bages
Regular price £189.15 Save £-189.15ABOUT THE WINE
Classified as a 5eme Cru Classe. Daring, innovative and with a reputation for often being the last to harvest, Jean-Charles Cazes defined the style of Lynch-Bages in the 1930's. The wine's distinctive character has earned it a place amongst Pauillac's greatest. It combines structure, finesse and elegance, offering generous aromas in its youth and developing deeper complexities with bottle age. Vintage after vintage, the estate's precise and excellent winemaking techniques have served to firmly establish Lynch-Bages reputation for consistent quality.
ABOUT THE VINTAGE
Near opaque in the glass, the nose offers notes of ripe berry, currant, cassis and toast as well as a mineral character. A cool sense of ripeness pervades the palate. A Pauillac with effortless, silky, intense berry fruit, fine weave of fully ripe tannins and welcome vibrancy. Shows fine concentration and a layered sense of depth. Precise and well poised, with ample richness and fine, lingering minerality. Very fine and harmonious, notably so in the context of this difficult vintage.
2006 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Regular price £260.65 Save £-260.65ABOUT THE WINE
Pichon Lalande earned its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. During the 18th century the wine-growing influence at Pichon Lalande was definitely feminine. Perhaps that explains part of the wines sensuous qualities. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women: Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville succeeded his mother taking over Pichon Lalande when he was only 19. What happened next changed the landscape of the Medoc forever. On the eve of his death in 1850, he divided the property between his five children. In modern times May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande in 1978. She made numerous investments and improvements at Pichon Lalande. She later sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagne in January 2007. Once the purchase for Chateau Pichon Lalande was concluded, in 2008, a complete renovation of the estate took place.
TASTING NOTES
Abundant aromas of chocolate, coffee, cedar, black currants, and a subtle touch of smoke, a rich, savoury, full-bodied mouthfeel, plump, fleshy fruit, and a superb finish. This is a 21st century version of the brilliant 1996.
FOOD PAIRING
Perfect with beef ragout and tagliatelle or pepper steak.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
The opulence and body of this make it a great hedonistic experience wine.
1988 Chateau Lynch-Bages
Regular price £280.00 Save £-280.00ABOUT THE WINE
Overlooking the Gironde estuary at the entrance to Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages are located on the Bages plateau, on one of the finest gravelly rises in the appellation. The estate once belonged to the famous Lynch family, of Irish origin, and was acquired by Jean-Charles Cazes in 1934, who remain owners to this day. The estate is unusual in Bordeaux for its use of massal selection (propagation of their own vines rather than of nursery-grown clones) to replenish ageing vines in its vineyards, which allows the vineyards and the wines produced from them to retain individuality.
TASTING NOTES
A wonderful surprise from this vintage, this wine has matured beautifully. Still deep ruby in colour, despite its age, the aromas exhibit abundant quantities of dried herbs, grilled meats, black cherry and tobacco. Medium-bodied, rewarding, at the peak of maturity, it should hold well until around 2028.
FOOD PAIRING
Works well with beef in simple dishes, pork and earthy vegetable dishes.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
A special wine, with a long aristocratic heritage, at peak drinkability… enjoy!
2010 Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Regular price £301.70 Save £-301.70ABOUT THE WINE
Pichon Lalande earned its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. During the 18th century the wine-growing influence at Pichon Lalande was definitely feminine. Perhaps that explains part of the wines sensuous qualities. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women: Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville succeeded his mother taking over Pichon Lalande when he was only 19. What happened next changed the landscape of the Medoc forever. On the eve of his death in 1850, he divided the property between his five children. In modern times May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande in 1978. She made numerous investments and improvements at Pichon Lalande. She later sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagne in January 2007. Once the purchase for Chateau Pichon Lalande was concluded, in 2008, a complete renovation of the estate took place.
TASTING NOTES
The nose offers a bouquet of aromas, mixing blackcurrant, cinnamon, vanilla and violet. On the palate the tannins appear mature and melted, revealing a strong affirmed structure a surprising suppleness and perfect harmony with long persistency.
FOOD PAIRING
Perfect with beef ragout and tagliatelle or pepper steak.
2001 Chateau Latour
Regular price £708.20 Save £-708.20Also Available - 1995 Vintage
ABOUT THE WINE
Of the all First Growth Bordeaux chateaux, in the modern era Latour is perhaps most worthy of the classification. The name is believed to date back to the 14th Century and a fortress in Saint-Lambert, which included a tower “en Saint-Maubert”, subsequently lost to history. The tower pictured on the label is in fact a dovecot for pigeons built in the 1620s. Château Latour de Saint-Maubert passed into the hands of the Segur family at the end of the 1600s, was written of enthusiastically by Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s and achieved First Growth classification in 1855. In 1963 the Marquis de Segur sold a controlling stake in the “Societe Civile du Vignoble de Château Latour” to the Pearson Group, a British company which led a wave of new investment and renovation. New vineyards were purchased, from which ‘Les Forts de Latour’ is sourced, and the winemaking facilities were modernised. Allied Lyons purchased a majority stake in the estate in 1989, and then sold it to François Pinault in 1993. This began what may be considered the most successful period in the estate’s history; under the auspices of winemaker Frederic Engerer, Château Latour has produced some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever. Since 2012, Château Latour does not sell their wines en-primeur; instead they cellar their wines until they are ready for drinking.
TASTING NOTES
A brilliant offering, which should be drinkable much earlier than the blockbuster 2000, the 2001 Latour boasts an inky ruby colour as well as a glorious bouquet of black currants, crushed stones, vanilla, and hints of truffles and oak. The beautiful integration of tannin, acidity, and wood is stunning. The wine flows across the palate with fabulous texture, purity, and presence.
FOOD PAIRING
Tricky to pair a First Growth wine – one never wants to distract from the experience of the wine itself; but a beef wellington would not be amiss here.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
Despite its precociousness this wine will last 20-25 years.
1995 Chateau Latour
Regular price £748.50 Save £-748.50Also Available - 2001 Vintage
ABOUT THE WINE
Of the all First Growth Bordeaux chateaux, in the modern era Latour is perhaps most worthy of the classification. The name is believed to date back to the 14th Century and a fortress in Saint-Lambert, which included a tower “en Saint-Maubert”, subsequently lost to history. The tower pictured on the label is in fact a dovecot for pigeons built in the 1620s. Château Latour de Saint-Maubert passed into the hands of the Segur family at the end of the 1600s, was written of enthusiastically by Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s and achieved First Growth classification in 1855. In 1963 the Marquis de Segur sold a controlling stake in the “Societe Civile du Vignoble de Château Latour” to the Pearson Group, a British company which led a wave of new investment and renovation. New vineyards were purchased, from which ‘Les Forts de Latour’ is sourced, and the winemaking facilities were modernised. Allied Lyons purchased a majority stake in the estate in 1989, and then sold it to François Pinault in 1993. This began what may be considered the most successful period in the estate’s history; under the auspices of winemaker Frederic Engerer, Château Latour has produced some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever. Since 2012, Château Latour does not sell their wines en-primeur; instead they cellar their wines until they are ready for drinking.
TASTING NOTES
A fragrant, densely packed beauty. Cassis and vanilla, with stony minerality, exceptional concentration and a wonderful aromatic purity. Develops in the glass to reveal more oak-influence, with vanilla, toast and a hint of tobacco. A classic to be savoured.
FOOD PAIRING
Tricky to pair a First Growth wine – one never wants to distract from the experience of the wine itself; but a beef wellington would not be amiss here.
FRIARWOOD SAYS
The ’95 Latour is something of a sleeper, requiring some 20 years of maturity. Showing well from 2015 – with the potential to improve until 2050.
1995 Chateau Lafite Rothschild
Regular price £1,358.75 Save £-1,358.75