{"title":"Merlot","description":"\u003cp\u003eMerlot is prized for its soft, round texture and generous plum, black cherry and chocolate flavours. On Bordeaux's Right Bank, in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, it makes some of the world's most luxurious reds, while across the Left Bank it softens Cabernet Sauvignon in the classic blend. Italy, Chile, California and South Africa produce supple, approachable versions. Easy to enjoy young yet capable of ageing, Merlot pairs well with roast pork, duck and mushroom dishes.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2023-cabernet-sauvignon-circa-77-xanadu","title":"Cabernet Sauvignon, Circa 77, Xanadu 2023","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe black fruits with a spicy, toasty note from the oak, opening onto juicy cassis and a savoury edge. Medium-bodied and polished, with supple tannins and enough freshness to keep the fruit moving. Cabernet Sauvignon 89%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Merlot 4%, Petit Verdot 2%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eXanadu was established in Margaret River by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in 1968 and planted his first vines with his wife Eithne in 1977, naming the property after the paradise in Coleridge's Kubla Khan; 65 hectares of vines now grow on the original estate. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes predominantly from the estate-grown Houghton clone on ancient granite soils full of ironstone gravel, free-draining and low in water and nutrient holding capacity, which keeps the balance between canopy and fruit; the Indian and Southern Oceans meet nearby and the sea breezes that follow temper the ripening. The vineyard is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and is worked with cover crops, biodiversity planting, careful water management and sheep to graze the weeds. Fruit was crushed and destemmed, then fermented in a mix of rotary and static fermenters at 26°C for five to seven days, with part of the blend left on skins afterwards for extra plushness and texture before a gentle press; malolactic conversion ran in both tank and barrel, and the wine spent 14 months in French oak barriques, a fifth of them new.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. It suits a rare steak, roast lamb, a beef ragù with pappardelle or a wedge of aged cheddar. Drink now or cellar for five to ten years. Sealed with a screwcap. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Xanadu Wines","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476003852671,"sku":"HNW-5440323A","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5440323A.jpg?v=1789918706"},{"product_id":"2020-cru-artisan-medoc-chateau-la-tessonniere","title":"Cru Artisan, Médoc, Château La Tessonnière 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackcurrant and raspberry lead, with a graphite edge and a light touch of spice behind the fruit. Medium-bodied and lively, with fine tannins and a rounded finish. Merlot 52%, Cabernet Sauvignon 46%, Cabernet Franc 2%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Cru Artisan estate of 18 hectares at Civrac-en-Médoc and Bégadan, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary about 70 kilometres north-west of Bordeaux. Cédric Colemyn, the fifth generation of the founding family, took over in 1995 and reinvested in the vineyard, which now holds HVE Level 3 certification for its environmental practice. The 25-year-old vines grow at 6,500 per hectare on clay-limestone ridges and are picked plot by plot once tasting and analysis show full maturity. Fermentation ran in stainless steel and concrete vats at around 26°C with twice-daily pump-overs, followed by 18 months in vat and bottling without fining to keep the fruit intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, steak and chips, duck breast, or hard cheese such as Comté. Drinking well now and through 2029; a short decant helps but is not essential. Sealed with a Twin Top technical cork. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château La Tessonnière","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476077842815,"sku":"HNW-42139201","price":20.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/42139201.jpg?v=1789919157"},{"product_id":"2018-le-secret-lestrille-bordeaux-superieur-chateau-lestrille","title":"Le Secret Lestrille, Bordeaux Supérieur, Château Lestrille 2018","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDark berry fruit with cedar, cigar box and a note of chocolate, all carried on a velvety mouthfeel. Full-bodied and intense, with moderate acidity, smooth tannins and well-integrated oak running to a long, elegant finish. Merlot 100%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Lestrille sits at the northern point of the Entre-deux-Mers appellation, in the small town of St. Germain du Puch between Libourne and Bordeaux, where Estelle Roumage makes the wines across a 45-hectare property. Her emphasis is on the balance of the soil: the cool, clay-based vineyards hold water well and lend the wine its power, and the estate is certified HVE3 for its environmental performance. Le Secret is the estate's top cuvée, each parcel vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel to keep the fruit pure, then aged in selected barriques and held in bottle before release. The 2018 vintage began wet, with hail in places, before a hot, dry summer with unusually cool nights produced small, thick-skinned, highly concentrated berries.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast lamb, ribeye steak, duck breast, mushroom pasta and hard cheeses. Drinking well now and for another five to ten years. Sealed with a DIAM closure. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Lestrille","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476089573759,"sku":"HNW-42239181","price":31.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/42239181.jpg?v=1789919215"},{"product_id":"2021-initial-de-desmirail-margaux-chateau-desmirail","title":"Initial de Desmirail, Margaux, Château Desmirail 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlackcurrant, black cherry and forest fruit, with cedar, toast and a dusting of cinnamon behind them. Medium-bodied and silky, the acidity fresh and the tannins fine, carrying to a long, balanced finish. Merlot 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 43%, Petit Verdot 2%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Desmirail is a Third Growth in the 1855 classification, sitting in the commune of Cantenac at the heart of Margaux alongside Château Palmer and Cantenac Brown. Denis Lurton took the property over from his father Lucien in 1992 and farms 37 hectares on the free-draining gravel that gives Margaux its finesse. Vines are double Guyot trained and green harvested to concentrate the remaining fruit, then picked by hand at full maturity. Initial is the second wine, drawn in part from younger vines: each parcel was fermented separately, with pump-overs and maceration length tailored tank by tank, blended at the end of winter and matured twelve months in oak barriques.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast lamb, steak with peppercorn sauce, duck breast, or a board of hard cheeses. Drinking well now and over the next five to eight years; an hour in a decanter helps. Sealed with a Twintop cork rather than natural cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Desmirail","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476099830143,"sku":"HNW-4111021A","price":38.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4111021A.jpg?v=1789919250"},{"product_id":"2020-saint-emilion-grand-cru-chateau-boutisse","title":"Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château Boutisse 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn intense nose of ripe, deep red fruit and blackcurrant backed by sweet toasted spice, then mocha, caramel and dark chocolate on a smooth, velvety palate. Full-bodied, with medium acidity and well-integrated tannins carrying a long, cedary finish. Merlot 80%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%, Carménère 5%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Boutisse lies in the commune of Saint Christophe des Bardes, one of the top communes of Saint-Émilion, and was bought in 1996 by winemaker and oenologist Xavier Milhade; his children Elodie and Marc run it today. Its 25 hectares sit near the highest point of the appellation, spread over the limestone plateau and its slopes, where chalky clay topsoil covers large chunks of limestone that regulate the vine's water supply and create the moisture stress good grapes need. The soils are tilled rather than treated, oats and mustard are grown for green manure, and the fruit is picked by hand; the estate was certified HVE3 in 2017 and reclassified as Grand Cru Classé in 2022. Vinification runs parcel by parcel in small underground concrete tanks that let the wine be run off by gravity, with a proportion fermented in 500-litre oak, malolactic conversion in new barrels and 12 to 15 months on fine lees in French oak.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast beef, rack of lamb, duck, mushroom risotto and aged hard cheeses. Drinking now and over the next ten to twenty years; give it an hour in a decanter at this stage. Sealed with a technical cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Boutisse","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476101960063,"sku":"HNW-4214020A","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4214020A.jpg?v=1789919260"},{"product_id":"2020-montagne-saint-emilion-chateau-du-haut-plateau","title":"Montagne Saint-Émilion, Château du Haut Plateau 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlum and wild berry fruit, ripe and clean, with no oak in the way. Medium-bodied and supple, with soft tannins and a rounded, approachable finish. Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 20%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThree generations of the Amart family have farmed this 15-hectare estate, set between the villages of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol in the Montagne Saint-Émilion satellite on Bordeaux's right bank. The vines sit on a south-facing clay slope beside Château Montaiguillon, which gives sunlight through the day and drainage after rain, while the clay holds water through a warm growing season. Farming is sustainable and certified HVE Level 3, and the fruit is machine-harvested at optimal maturity to hold on to freshness. Fermentation ran on natural yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel with a three-week maceration for colour and supple tannin, and the wine was matured without oak. In 2020 a mild winter and spring brought the vine's cycle forward by two weeks, and an exceptionally sunny first fortnight of September concentrated the berries for a small, ripe crop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast chicken, sausages and mash, mushroom risotto, or a wedge of Tomme. Drinking now and over the next two to three years; no decanting needed. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château du Haut Plateau","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476103008639,"sku":"HNW-42301201","price":21.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/42301201.jpg?v=1789919266"},{"product_id":"2020-chateau-de-valois-pomerol","title":"Château de Valois, Pomerol 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack berries and exotic spice, with smoky oak and cedar sitting behind them. The palate is richly textured and generous, full in body with plump tannins and enough acidity to keep it moving, finishing on opulent chocolate. Merlot 77%, Cabernet Franc 23%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau de Valois dates to 1862, when the original vineyards of Château Figeac were restructured. Bernard Leydet held eight hectares here in 1962 and spent the following decades adding Pomerol plots and investing in the cellar; his son Frédéric took over in 1996 and makes the wine today. The vines sit on the southern slopes of the Pomerol plateau, double Guyot trained on gravel and sand over an iron-pan subsoil — the seam that gives Pomerol its savoury, ferrous edge. Fruit is picked by hand. Fermentation ran twenty-eight days in small temperature-controlled concrete vats, and the wine spent fifteen months in oak barrels, a third new, a third one year old and a third two years old, aged on its fine lees without racking.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast beef, duck with cherries, mushroom risotto, or a washed-rind cheese. Drinking well now and over the next five to ten years; an hour in a decanter helps. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château de Valois","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476105040255,"sku":"HNW-4147020A","price":43.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4147020A.jpg?v=1789919296"},{"product_id":"2018-goulee-by-cos-destournel-medoc","title":"Goulée by Cos d’Estournel, Médoc 2018","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe red and black berries lifted by spice and a mineral edge. Dense and vivacious, full-bodied, with enough freshness to cut the opulence and firm, well-covered tannins behind it. Merlot 73%, Cabernet Sauvignon 21%, Cabernet Franc 6%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoulée is the Médoc wine of Cos d'Estournel, the Saint-Estèphe estate founded in 1811 by Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, classified a Second Growth in 1855 and acquired in 2000 by Michel Reybier, who has since rebuilt the property around a fully gravity-fed cellar. The vines sit in the northern Médoc between the Gironde Estuary and the Atlantic, where a pronounced oceanic climate blunts both harsh winters and heat waves, so ripening is slow and favours complexity and freshness; the wind that runs through the vineyard dries excess humidity and keeps the fruit healthy. Fermentation took place in small stainless-steel tanks at low temperature with gentle pump-overs to avoid over-extraction and hard tannins, and the wine was matured in French oak. 2018 opened wet and turned into a long, hot, dry summer, giving ripe, concentrated wines with high alcohol and powerful tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with ribeye, roast lamb, venison, duck and mature hard cheese. Drinking now and over the next ten to twenty years; decant an hour ahead. Sealed with a natural cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Cos d'Estournel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476111921535,"sku":"HNW-4249918A","price":35.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4249918A.jpg?v=1789919307"},{"product_id":"2019-la-reserve-de-leoville-barton-saint-julien-chateau-leoville-barton","title":"La Réserve de Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Barton 2019","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eForest berries and dense black fruit, with cedar, coffee and a touch of vanilla spice on top. Full-bodied and traditionally built, the acidity fresh and the tannins robust, running to a long, oaky finish. Cabernet Sauvignon 74%, Merlot 22%, Cabernet Franc 4%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Léoville Barton lies close to the Gironde in Saint-Julien, sandwiched between the water and Château Talbot on the gravel over deep clay that defines the commune. The Barton family has been in Bordeaux since Thomas Barton arrived from Ireland in 1722; his grandson bought part of the Léoville estate in 1826, and Anthony Barton now owns fifty-one hectares here, planted 74% Cabernet Sauvignon in the classic Médoc proportion. Vines are double Guyot trained at high density, average forty-five years old and yield forty-two hectolitres per hectare, worked with traditional ploughing, no weed killers and limited fertiliser. Fermentation lasted about five days with twice-daily pump-overs, the wine sat roughly two weeks on skins, and the press wine — an important part of the blend — went in before malolactic conversion in vat and twelve months in French oak. La Réserve is the second wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with rib of beef, rack of lamb, roast venison, or mature Comté. Drinking from now to around 2035; give it two hours in a decanter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Léoville Barton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476126568831,"sku":"HNW-4214119A","price":46.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4214119A.jpg?v=1789919342"},{"product_id":"2020-moulis-en-medoc-chateau-branas-grand-poujeaux","title":"Moulis-en-Médoc, Château Branas Grand Poujeaux 2020","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocused blackberry fruit with a light touch of spice and a tinge of espresso over the ripe fruit. Fresh and impeccably balanced, full-bodied, with fine, tightly drawn tannins holding the finish. Merlot 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Petit Verdot 5%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith 17 hectares of vines, Branas Grand Poujeaux is one of the smallest estates in Moulis-en-Médoc, a narrow ribbon of an appellation running seven kilometres between Margaux to the south and Saint-Julien and Pauillac to the north. Justin Onclin bought the run-down property in 2002, and since 2012 has worked with Hubert de Boüard of Château Angélus as consultant, systematically replanting the vineyards and installing a gravity-fed cellar. The 25 parcels sit on the Grand Poujeaux plateau, an ancient gravel terrace that begins in the vineyard of Mouton Rothschild and runs south into Margaux; they are farmed organically, certified HVE Level 3, and planted at very high density so roots drive deep for mineral complexity. The grapes are picked entirely by hand into small crates, double sorted, then fermented parcel by parcel at 26°C with indigenous yeast, some bunches whole, with gentle pumping over. Maturation lasted 16 months in 225-litre French oak barriques, 60% of them new. 2020 was warm and dry with cool nights, and harvest began on 14 September.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C. Good with roast beef, lamb, game birds, beef casserole and hard cheeses. Drinking now and over the next ten to twenty years; decant an hour ahead. Sealed with a natural cork. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Branas Grand Poujeaux","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476127420799,"sku":"HNW-4250020A","price":36.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4250020A.jpg?v=1789919354"},{"product_id":"2018-connetable-de-talbot-saint-julien-chateau-talbot","title":"Connétable de Talbot, Saint-Julien, Château Talbot 2018","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack cherry and cassis with cedar, spice and a graphite edge running underneath. Full-bodied and round, the acidity moderate and the tannins beautifully integrated, holding a persistent finish. Merlot 57%, Cabernet Sauvignon 43%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Talbot is the 4ème Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Julien, and unusually its 110 hectares sit in one unbroken block on alluvial gravel hilltops laid down by the Dordogne. The Cordier family has held the estate for over a century; Nancy Bignon-Cordier leads it today, with Jean-Michel Laporte as general manager since 2018 and Jean-Max Drouilhet making the wine since 2007. Vines are planted at 7,700 to the hectare, average thirty years old and are held to forty-five hectolitres per hectare, with traditional four-way ploughing, a manual harvest and HVE Level 3 certification for sustainability. Connétable, created in the 1970s, was one of the first Médoc second wines: the fruit was dried in a warm-air tunnel, sorted by hand, optically and by flotation, fermented in temperature-controlled steel and aged sixteen months in French oak, 20% of it new. 2018 brought early rain then a long hot summer, giving ripe, concentrated wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with roast beef, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, duck confit, or a board of hard cheeses. Drinking well now and over the next five to eight years; an hour in a decanter helps.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Talbot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476130599295,"sku":"HNW-4253318A","price":47.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4253318A.jpg?v=1789919390"},{"product_id":"2022-saint-emilion-chateau-du-gravillon","title":"Saint-Émilion, Château du Gravillon 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe plum and blueberry, deeply coloured and generous, with no oak character in the way of the fruit. Medium-bodied and soft, with easy acidity, silky tannins and a smooth finish. Merlot 90%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA 3.5-hectare property at Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, in the heart of Saint-Émilion on Bordeaux's right bank, close to the Grand Cru Classé Château Monbousquet. Georges Lavaud bought the estate in 1960 and his son Hubert now owns it and makes the wine, farming to HVE Level 3 with grass cover crops between the rows, tilled soils and no copper. The name comes from the gravel in the vineyard, which sits alongside sand over the clay that dominates the right bank and holds water through a warm summer; vines average 30 years and are planted at 6,000 per hectare. Fermentation ran two weeks in temperature-controlled stainless steel with twice-daily pump-overs, then 18 months in stainless steel and cement tanks, with no oak at any stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with duck confit, a beef casserole, mushroom tart, or a plate of charcuterie. Drinking now and over the next two to three years; no decanting required. Sealed with a technical cork.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château du Gravillon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476130992511,"sku":"HNW-4244622A","price":24.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4244622A.jpg?v=1789919393"},{"product_id":"2016-pagodes-de-cos-saint-estephe-cos-destournel","title":"Pagodes de Cos, Saint-Estèphe, Cos d'Estournel 2016","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eWarm cassis and black cherry with smoked meat, charcoal, clove and a hint of new leather. Voluptuous and full-bodied, generous in black fruit, the tannins ripe and refined and the finish long and spicy. Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 46%, Petit Verdot 3%, Cabernet Franc 1%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCos d'Estournel was founded in 1811 by Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, who built an Asian-inspired palace at the centre of his vineyard on the site known as the Hill of Pebbles and sold his wine into the Far East and India, earning the name the Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe. Classified a Second Growth in 1855, the estate was bought by Michel Reybier in 2000 and now works from a fully gravity-fed cellar. The vineyard has grown from fourteen hectares in 1791 to a hundred today, a mosaic of gravel-and-clay slopes facing east and south-west around a deep-gravel central plateau, ventilated by the nearby Gironde. Pagodes is drawn from plots identified for it rather than from whatever the grand vin leaves behind. Grapes were chilled on arrival and cold-macerated, fermented at low temperature to avoid harsh extraction, with pump-overs run by gravity, then aged in French oak, 30% of it new. 2016 delivered 62% more rain than usual to the end of June before a warm dry finish, giving a long slow ripening and wine of natural richness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with rib of beef, barbecued short rib, roast venison, or aged Gouda. Drinking well now and through to around 2035; give it two hours in a decanter.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cos d'Estournel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476138430847,"sku":"HNW-4252616A","price":62.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4252616A.jpg?v=1789919440"},{"product_id":"2015-cru-bourgeois-medoc-chateau-preuillac","title":"Cru Bourgeois, Médoc, Château Preuillac 2015","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlump red berry fruit with a delicate edge of oak spice, fine and elegant rather than powerful. Medium-bodied and silky, with refined tannins and a long finish. Merlot 70%, Cabernet Franc 25%, Cabernet Sauvignon 4%, Petit Verdot 1%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Preuillac stands in the heart of the Médoc, ten kilometres north of Saint-Estèphe, in a château dating from 1869, and was included in the 1932 Crus Bourgeois classification. New owners have renovated the cellar and installed conical fermenters, with Nathalie Billard making the wine. The 30-hectare vineyard sits on a single block planted in the 1970s, now averaging 40 years of age, over soils that are half clay, limestone and gravel, a quarter gravel and a quarter sandy gravel; work follows la lutte raisonnée, with green harvesting and debudding done by hand. Fermentation took place in thermo-regulated wooden tanks over eight to ten days, beginning cool and finishing at 28°C, after which 70% of the wine spent 12 months in French oak from several cooperages, with part of the malolactic fermentation in barrel. The 2015 season gave generous flowering, a hot dry early summer, a cooler damper August and fine September weather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, rib of beef, duck breast, or a hard cheese such as aged Gouda. Decant for half an hour before serving. A decade on, the wine is drinking now and should hold for around five more years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Preuillac","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476144656767,"sku":"HNW-4228115A","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4228115A.jpg?v=1789919456"},{"product_id":"2012-chateau-cantenac-brown-grand-cru-classe-margaux","title":"Château Cantenac Brown, Grand Cru Classé, Margaux 2012","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA complex, roasted bouquet of red fruit, blackcurrant and blackberry with liquorice running through it. Medium-bodied and silky, tight without excess, juicy and voluptuous across a textured palate. Cabernet Sauvignon 65%, Merlot 35%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Cantenac Brown is one of the Médoc's odder buildings — a Tudor-style château put up by John-Lewis Brown in the early 19th century as a nod to his Scottish origins. Its seventy-five hectares are spread across the Margaux and Cantenac plateaus on gravel shot through with clay and sand, ringed by a biodiversity reserve of rare trees left over from the founder's interest in nature. Owner Tristan Le Lous and technical director José Sanfins began building a raw-earth cellar in 2020, using the earth's thermal inertia and humidity to age the wine. Double Guyot vines are pruned, de-budded, thinned and yield-controlled by hand, with only moderate plant-based fertiliser. Hand-harvested fruit was sorted and destemmed, fermented in steel at 26–27°C, put through malolactic in a mix of barrel and vat, then aged fourteen months in French oak, 60% new and 40% one year old, racked every three months and fined with egg white. 2012 was a late, challenging year, wet through spring and rescued by a hot dry summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 17–18°C. Good with roast lamb, rare beef, guinea fowl, or a wedge of Comté. Drinking at its peak now and over the next five to eight years; an hour in a decanter helps.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Cantenac Brown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476152750463,"sku":"HNW-4114612A","price":73.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4114612A.jpg?v=1789919489"},{"product_id":"2003-2eme-cru-classe-saint-julien-chateau-leoville-las-cases","title":"2ème Cru Classé, Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Las Cases 2003","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe blackcurrant leads, with pencil shavings, chocolate, violets and a chalky mineral edge underneath. Full-bodied and expansive on the palate, with ripe tannins and the concentration a very hot vintage brings, and it builds in the glass rather than showing everything at once. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Léoville Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest classified growths in the Médoc and the leading estate in St-Julien, partitioned in the 1800s from its sister properties Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton and held by the Delon family since the late 19th century. The heart of the 54-hectare estate is the Grand Clos, a walled vineyard next door to Château Latour, on Quaternary gravel over gravelly sand and clay, with the Gironde estuary tempering ripening and holding frost off the vines. Grapes were selected by hand and fermented with selected yeasts in French oak vats, then matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, half of them new, and fined with egg white. The 2003 summer was exceptionally hot and dry, forcing some of the earliest picking on record and low yields, and giving a concentrated wine with powerful tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast rib of beef, rack of lamb with herbs, slow-cooked venison, or a board of hard aged cheeses such as Comté. Drinking well now and with decades of life still in front of it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Léoville Las Cases","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476212879743,"sku":"HNW-4247003A","price":238.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4247003A.jpg?v=1789919907"},{"product_id":"2017-saint-emilion-grand-cru-chateau-beau-sejour-becot","title":"Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2017","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBramble fruit and crème de cassis lead, with dark chocolate and a lift of mint behind them. Medium in weight, the tannins plush rather than firm, and the finish mineral and energetic. Merlot 80%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Beau-Séjour Bécot is a Premier Grand Cru Classé estate in Saint-Émilion, run by the third generation of the Bécot family with Juliette Bécot and Julien Barthe at its head and Thomas Duclos consulting. The 17.24 hectares sit on the clay-limestone asteria plateau west of the town, planted at 6,600 vines per hectare with an average vine age of 45 years and yields held to 37 hl\/ha. Fruit is hand-picked and sorted on tables, then vinified plot by plot in 70-hectolitre stainless steel vats using gentle infusion extraction under an immersed cap, with part of the crop fermented whole in 600-litre oak; maturation runs 16 months, 65% in new barrels and the rest in ageing vats, amphora and a 20-hectolitre cask. In 2017 the Merlot came in between 14 and 22 September and the Cabernets on 28 and 29 September, a classic year that gave structure, good acidity and concentration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast rib of beef, duck breast, mushroom risotto or a plate of hard sheep's cheeses all suit it. Drinking well now and through the next decade.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Beau-Séjour Bécot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476215370111,"sku":"HNW-4247417A","price":74.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4247417A.jpg?v=1789920009"},{"product_id":"2015-margaux-chateau-giscours","title":"Margaux, Château Giscours 2015","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCassis, blackberry and redcurrant, with cedar, rose and graphite sitting behind the fruit. Full in weight with fresh acidity and refined tannins, and a finish that runs on. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Giscours is a Third Growth in Margaux, transformed over the past two decades under Alexander van Beek, with Didier Forêt making the wine. The estate covers more than 400 hectares of which 160 are vines, set on deep Garonne gravel hilltops near the Gironde estuary; the oldest plots date from 1923 and are renewed by interplanting young vines among the old rather than replanting wholesale. Farming is sustainable and precision-driven — no herbicides or insecticides, cover crops, sexual confusion, eco-pastoralism and low-input copper and sulphur — and the site holds Natura 2000 certification for its ecosystem. The 2015 fruit was hand-picked plot by plot, fully destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete and stainless steel after a cold pre-fermentation maceration, extracted gently with limited pump-overs and no aeration, then aged 17 months in 225-litre French oak, around half of it new. A warm, dry summer broken by timely August rain gave thick skins and even ripening, especially for Cabernet Sauvignon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast lamb, ribeye, venison or a wedge of aged Comté all work well. Drinking now and with a decade or more ahead of it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Giscours","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476243779967,"sku":"HNW-5670115A","price":76.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5670115A.jpg?v=1789920037"},{"product_id":"2015-saint-julien-chateau-talbot","title":"Saint-Julien, Château Talbot 2015","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBramble fruit with pencil shavings and graphite, and cocoa dusted over the dark fruit at the centre. Full in weight, though the tannins arrive as a caress rather than a grip, and the finish lifts with mineral and wild herb notes. Cabernet Sauvignon 66%, Merlot 31%, Petit Verdot 3%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau Talbot is a Fourth Growth in Saint-Julien, held by the Cordier family for over a century and led today by Nancy Bignon Cordier, with Jean-Michel Laporte as general manager since 2018 and Jean-Max Drouilhet making the wine since 2007. The 110 hectares form a single unbroken vineyard on alluvial gravel hilltops laid down by the Dordogne, planted at 7,700 vines per hectare with an average vine age of 50 years, trained on the Médoc double Guyot and held to 50 hl\/ha; the estate carries Haute Valeur Environnementale Level 3 certification. Grapes are hand-harvested, passed through a warm-air tunnel to dry them, then sorted manually, optically and by flotation before parcel-by-parcel fermentation in temperature-controlled French oak vats, followed by 15 months in French oak barrels, half of them new. The 2015 season was sunny and dry across Bordeaux and gave concentrated, powerful wine with intense fruit and refined tannins.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour before pouring. Roast beef, rack of lamb, pigeon or a mature Cheddar suit it. Drinking well now and good for another ten to fifteen years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Talbot","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476244631935,"sku":"HNW-5670015A","price":96.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5670015A.jpg?v=1789920065"},{"product_id":"2015-pauillac-chateau-clerc-milon","title":"Pauillac, Château Clerc Milon 2015","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFresh, elegant aromas of ripe Morello cherry with liquorice and toast, opening onto crisp red fruit, dark chocolate and dried flowers. Full in weight but silky with it, the tannins finely chiselled and the finish rich and harmonious. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFifth Growth Clerc Milon sits between Château Lafite and Château Mouton and belongs to the same Rothschild stable, which bought the estate in 1970 and has rebuilt it steadily since — a winery powered by photovoltaic panels, a gravity-fed vat room and a new tasting room among the investments. The 41 hectares overlook the Gironde on a terrace of windblown gravel and sand resting on a clay-limestone base, facing south to south-east, with natural drainage from the slope and sea breezes that flatten out temperature swings; most of the vineyard was planted in the early 20th century and one plot of Carménère, among the oldest in Bordeaux, dates from 1947. Fruit is hand-harvested into small crates and fermented parcel by parcel in gravity-fed stainless steel vats, and the Grand Vin is then aged 18 months in French oak barrels, half of them new. A dry spring and early summer in 2015 left small berries and a short crop, and late August and September rain carried ripening through a harvest that stretched across 23 days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast lamb, beef fillet, duck or aged Gouda are all good matches. Drinking well now and with a decade or more still in front of it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château Clerc Milon","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476245287295,"sku":"HNW-4251515A","price":108.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4251515A.jpg?v=1789920094"},{"product_id":"2012-chateau-l-evangile-pomerol","title":"Château L'Evangile, Pomerol 2012","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn exquisite bouquet of ripe Morello cherry and raspberry with mocha behind it. The attack is powerful and concentrated, the tannins dense and very ripe, and the palate mature and rich through to a silky finish carried by real freshness. Merlot 93%, Cabernet Franc 7%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eChâteau L'Evangile is one of Pomerol's oldest estates and among its most highly regarded, owned since 1990 by the Rothschild family of Château Lafite and advised by Michel Rolland. The 22 hectares sit on a plateau southeast of Pomerol, close enough to the Saint-Émilion border that little more than a road separates them, and are divided into 43 plots named for their location across swelling clays, gravel-clay and sandy soils; the vines are 79% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, with grassed rows, beehives and two kilometres of hedgerows. Vinification took place in temperature-controlled cement vats of 35 to 81 hectolitres with gentle pump-overs and controlled maceration, malolactic conversion in barrel, and roughly 18 months of ageing in an average of 70% new French oak alongside clay amphora. The 2012 season opened cold and wet with uneven flowering and heavy yield losses, then warmed through August and September to bring in healthy fruit over a harvest spread across three weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16–18°C and decant an hour ahead. Roast duck, beef short rib, truffled pasta or a washed-rind cheese all suit it. Drinking at its peak now and holding for another five to ten years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Château L'Evangile","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476248301951,"sku":"HNW-4246112A","price":185.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/4246112A.jpg?v=1789920154"},{"product_id":"2022-syrah-limnio-estate-red-ktima-gerovassiliou","title":"Syrah\/Limnio, Estate Red, Ktima Gerovassiliou 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA pronounced bouquet of black fruit, ripe plum and wild cherry with a hint of spice, turning savoury towards dark chocolate and coffee. Full-bodied and concentrated, the tannins gentle against considerable fruit intensity, the finish long, spicy and persistent. Syrah 60%, Limnio 20%, Merlot 20%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eKtima Gerovassiliou is the work of Evangelos Gerovassiliou, who began the revival of his family's vineyard by planting the almost-extinct Malagousia in 1981. The single private vineyard on the slopes of Epanomi now runs to 100 hectares of certified sustainable planting, on mainly sandy soils with a few clay substrates and calcareous rock rich in marine fossils, cooled by sea breezes off a coast that surrounds the estate on three sides. The three varieties were vinified by classic red fermentation methods, aged roughly 12 months in French oak barrels and bottled without fining or filtration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with grilled lamb, ribeye, barbecued beef and hard sheep's cheese. Drinking now and over the next five to eight years; an hour in a decanter helps it open. Sealed with DIAM. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ktima Gerovassiliou","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476271468927,"sku":"HNW-5915622A","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5915622A.jpg?v=1789920701"},{"product_id":"2019-te-kahu-gimblett-gravels-craggy-range","title":"Te Kahu, Gimblett Gravels, Craggy Range 2019","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eConcentrated cassis, black olive and dried tobacco on the nose, then a palate of red fruit and liquorice with dark chocolate running through the tannins. Medium-bodied and energetic rather than heavy, the structure firm but fine-grained. Merlot 61%, Cabernet Sauvignon 22%, Cabernet Franc 9%, Malbec 4%, Petit Verdot 4%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCraggy Range was established in 1998 by Terry and Mary Peabody, who picked out the land below Te Mata Peak from the summit itself, and the winery now farms estate vineyards across Hawke's Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough; it is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Te Kahu means ‘the cloak’ in te reo Māori and refers to the mist that envelops the Giants winery in the Tukituki Valley; the fruit comes from the Gimblett Gravels, the old bed of the Ngaruroro River, exposed when the river changed course in 1867. Greywacke stones run over silt and sand to a depth of at least forty metres, absorbing heat by day and radiating it back at night and draining fast enough to keep vine growth in check, which makes this the warmest site in Hawke's Bay while stopping short of the heat that would cost the fruit its floral aromatics. The grapes were both hand and machine harvested, the hand-picked portion sorted and all of it destemmed, fermented with selected yeasts in closed-top stainless steel tanks, then matured sixteen months in oak barriques of which 18% were new.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Try it with rare roast beef, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, a steak off the barbecue or an aged hard cheddar. Drink over the next five to ten years, and give it an hour in a decanter first. Under screwcap.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Craggy Range Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476409389439,"sku":"HNW-5469019A","price":29.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5469019A.jpg?v=1789921755"},{"product_id":"2022-sophia-gimblett-gravels-craggy-range","title":"Sophia, Gimblett Gravels, Craggy Range 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubtle wild thyme and sage woven into plum, fruit cake and brioche rather than sitting on top of them. Medium-bodied, with an enticing suppleness and sweetness of fruit through the middle of the palate and a long, easy finish. Merlot 77%, Cabernet Franc 23%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCraggy Range was established in 1998 by Terry and Mary Peabody, who looked down from Te Mata Peak onto the land the winery now occupies and set out to make wines that evoked the landscape and heritage of the region. It remains family-owned, works estate vineyards in Hawke's Bay, Martinborough and Marlborough, and is certified by Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. Sophia comes from the Gimblett Gravels, a district lying on the ancient bed of the Ngaruroro River, which changed course in 1867 and exposed the soils to viticulture: small to medium greywacke stones over layers of silt and sand to a depth of at least forty metres, absorbing sunlight by day and radiating heat at night. It is the warmest site in Hawke's Bay but never excessively hot, so the floral aromatics in the fruit survive. The fruit was hand harvested, meticulously sorted and fully destemmed, fermented in French oak vats set aside for this wine every year, then matured for the most part over seventeen months in French barriques, a third of them new, in an underground cellar chosen for its stillness.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBest at 16-18C, with an hour in a decanter. It suits roast lamb, braised beef short rib, duck with cherries and an aged Gouda, and should drink well for five to ten years. Sealed under screwcap. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Craggy Range Winery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476410405247,"sku":"HNW-5469622A","price":74.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5469622A.jpg?v=1789921770"},{"product_id":"2022-merlot-groot-constantia","title":"Merlot, Groot Constantia 2022","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eJuicy plum fruit with vanilla and a hint of mocha and chocolate from the barrel, and a green capsicum edge behind. Medium-bodied and generous, the tannins fine-grained, the finish long. Merlot 100%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGroot Constantia is South Africa's oldest wine estate, founded in 1685 when Cape Governor Simon van der Stel built a farm in the foothills of Table Mountain and named it Constantia; Napoleon, Bismarck and King Louis Philippe of France were among its buyers. The estate covers 165 hectares, 87 of them vines planted between 60 and 280 metres and farmed sustainably under Integrated Production of Wine certification, and this Merlot comes mostly from one block on the steep eastern slopes of Table Mountain, 67 to 95 metres up and facing south to south-east, on deep red clay and loam of granitic origin, with pruning, canopy work and picking all done by hand, biological pest control and winter cover crops. The grapes were picked at 25.5 to 26° Balling, fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel with pump-overs every four hours, left two weeks on the skins and put through malolactic conversion, then matured for 15 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, 35% of them new.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C, with half an hour in a decanter. It goes with roast beef, lamb chops, a mushroom risotto, or mature Cheddar. Drinking now and over the next three to five years. Sealed with a technical cork. Suitable for vegetarians.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Groot Constantia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476518703487,"sku":"HNW-5557422A","price":26.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5557422A.jpg?v=1789922584"},{"product_id":"2024-merlot-cabernet-franc-quercegobbe-toscana-petra","title":"Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Quercegobbe, Toscana, Petra 2024","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild red fruit and blueberry with a citrus lift, then thyme, rosemary and a balsamic thread of Mediterranean scrub. Dense but agile on the palate, medium-bodied with energetic tannins and a fresh, faintly sanguine finish. Merlot 88%, Cabernet Franc 12%.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePetra was founded by Vittorio Moretti after a 1996 trip to the châteaux of Bordeaux sent him looking for the right ground in Italy; he and his second daughter Francesca settled on the district between Castiglione della Pescaia and Suvereto, in the Maremma among the hills of the Val di Cornia overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, and in 2001 began building the winery designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta into a hillside. This wine comes from the Quercegobbe vineyard at San Lorenzo, where flysch a palombini soils of calcareous clay full of stones and pebbles, along with the blue clay of the Apennines, limit vigour and keep acidity up; the vines were planted in 1998 at 6,200 per hectare, Guyot-trained, with yields kept deliberately low. Parcels were selected precisely, optically sorted, handled as whole berries and macerated for a total of 45 days, then matured 12 months in French oak barriques with 30% new wood and six months in concrete before bottling. In 2024 a mild winter refilled water reserves and a steady spring brought even flowering; a hot, dry summer tempered by cool nights preserved aromatics, early September rain balanced sugar and acidity, and the fruit came in before the later rains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, herb-crusted pork loin, pasta with a tomato and sausage ragù and semi-hard sheep's cheese. Drinking well now and will hold five to ten years; half an hour in a decanter suits it. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Petra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476538757503,"sku":"HNW-5277624A","price":34.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5277624A.jpg?v=1789923377"},{"product_id":"2024-hebo-toscana-petra","title":"Hebo, Toscana, Petra 2024","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack cherry, ripe red fruit and blueberry, with violet, a mineral edge and the herbal note of maquis scrub behind them, and a clear balsamic lift that is this wine's signature. Medium-bodied and fresh, with balanced acidity and fine, well-tailored tannins running to a long, savoury finish. Merlot 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 20%, Sangiovese 15%, Cabernet Franc 10%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eVittorio Moretti came back from a trip to the châteaux of Bordeaux in 1996 looking for Italian land to match them, and found it in the district between Castiglione della Pescaia and Suvereto, in the Maremma hills of the Val di Cornia overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea; construction of the Petra winery, designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta and built into a hillside to limit its impact on the landscape, began in 2001, and the estate was realised by Moretti with his second daughter Francesca. Its vineyards sit across four sites — Suvereto, Riotorto, Piombino and Massa Marittima — all on hilly, maritime ground of distinctly calcareous soil rich in ferrous material, with the blue clay of the Apennines holding winter water and releasing it slowly through the summer; the vines went in during 1998 at 6,100 per hectare, Guyot trained, with yields kept deliberately low. The grapes were destemmed and fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel, held on skins for ten to fifteen days depending on the variety, then given eight months in concrete vats to keep the fruit clean. 2024 opened with a mild winter that refilled the water reserves and a steady spring; a hot, dry summer followed, tempered by cool nights that held the aromatics, and early September rain balanced sugar and acidity before picking came ahead of the later rains.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16 to 18°C. Good with grilled lamb chops, a rare steak, pasta with tomato and sausage, or a board of young pecorino. Drinking well now and for three to five years; half an hour in a decanter opens the herbal edge. Sealed with a DIAM closure. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Petra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476539150719,"sku":"HNW-5277524A","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5277524A.jpg?v=1789923403"},{"product_id":"2016-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-macula-tandem","title":"Cabernet Sauvignon\/Merlot, Mácula, Tandem 2016","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCloves, black pepper and pipe tobacco on the nose, with dark chocolate, balsamic notes and a scrubland, herbal edge behind them. Powerful without being heavy, it has firm tannins, fresh acidity and a long, concentrated finish. Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 40%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTandem is the project of José Maria Fraile and Alicia Eyaralar, two established names in Navarra winemaking whose wines critics have called the region's cutting edge; the estate was certified vegan in 2019 and carries the European Vegetarian Union's V label. The vines lie in the Yerri Valley, on clay loam soils and trained to Guyot, dry-farmed to save water and green-harvested for lower yields, with treatments limited to sulphur and copper and the tractor used just twice a year. The two varieties were fermented separately over thirty days at 30-31°C, the cap plunged rather than pumped, then racked by gravity into underground concrete vats for malolactic conversion and natural fining by settling, and matured for eighteen months in 300-litre French oak casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C with roast beef, venison, slow-cooked lamb shoulder or a hard sheep's cheese. It is drinking well now and has another four or five years ahead of it; an hour in a decanter suits it. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tandem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476540232063,"sku":"HNW-5111116A","price":26.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5111116A.jpg?v=1789923430"},{"product_id":"2021-toscana-rosso-petra","title":"Toscana Rosso, Petra 2021","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePronounced wild blackberry, black cherry and currant, layered with the balsamic note of Mediterranean brush and subtler black pepper and toasted coffee. Full on the palate, with supple tannins that carry a long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePetra was founded by Vittorio Moretti after a 1996 trip to the châteaux of Bordeaux sent him looking for the right ground in Italy; he and his second daughter Francesca settled on the district between Castiglione della Pescaia and Suvereto, in the Maremma among the hills of the Val di Cornia overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, and in 2001 began building the winery designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta into a hillside. The estate's vineyards lie across Suvereto, Riotorto, Piombino and Massa Marittima, all with a maritime aspect on hilly, distinctly calcareous soils rich in ferrous material, with the blue clay of the Apennines acting as a winter water reservoir that releases through summer; the vines went in during 1998 at 6,100 per hectare, Guyot-trained, with yields kept deliberately low. The destemmed grapes were fermented with selected yeasts in temperature-controlled 100-hectolitre oak vats below 28°C, left 20 to 28 days on the skins depending on vintage and variety, then matured around 15 months in French barriques, new and second fill, before blending. The 2021 was a season of extremes: abundant winter rain built reserves, a cool, frosty spring delayed budding, rain in May and June with mild temperatures brought the vines on evenly, and July rain with wide day-night swings ripened the fruit, giving concentration alongside the acidity that carries freshness and structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with grilled ribeye, slow-cooked beef short rib, barbecued lamb and aged hard cheese. Drinking well now and will hold five to ten years; decant an hour ahead. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Petra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476543181183,"sku":"HNW-5277721A","price":51.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5277721A.jpg?v=1789923512"},{"product_id":"2018-tempranillo-cabernet-merlot-ars-nova-tandem","title":"Tempranillo\/Cabernet\/Merlot, Ars Nova, Tandem 2018","description":"\u003ch3\u003eHow it tastes\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRipe black fruit with mocha and spicy vanilla from the barrel, and savoury notes of black olive and roasted red chilli underneath. Full-bodied and warm, with moderate acidity and fine, well-covered tannins carrying the length. Tempranillo 40%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 20%.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe producer\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eTandem is the work of José Maria Fraile and Alicia Eyaralar, two of the leading figures of the Navarra wine scene; in 2019 the estate was certified vegan and accredited with the European Vegetarian Union's 'V label'. The vines lie in the heart of the Yerri Valley, recognised as the region's best area for quality wine, dry-farmed and Guyot-trained on clay loam soils and green-harvested for lower yields, with treatments limited to sulphur and copper and picking carried out in the coolest hours of the day. Fermentation ran at a controlled 28°C with slow extraction by cap submersion and no pumping, after which the wine was racked by gravity into concrete vats for malolactic conversion and natural clarification by decanting; it was neither cold-stabilised nor fined, and spent a minimum of 24 months in concrete followed by nine months in 300-litre French oak barrels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFood and drinking\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eServe at 16-18°C. Good with roast lamb, ribeye off the grill, chorizo-spiked stews and aged Manchego. Drinking well now and over the next three to five years; give it half an hour in a decanter. Sealed with a screwcap. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tandem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58476546064767,"sku":"HNW-5111018A","price":20.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/4192\/4998\/files\/5111018A.jpg?v=1789923551"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.edkawines.com\/collections\/merlot-wine.oembed","provider":"Edka Wines","version":"1.0","type":"link"}