Our top 5 Christmas Suggestions 2016

'Tis the season to be jolly! Here are our top 5 Christmas/New Year wine suggestions.


Gift Packs
Christmas is all about giving after all. We have some great gift packs ready to be sent. We can send to you or to the gift recipient. We can include a personalised note.

We also have digital gift cards at various price points that can be redeemed on line.

Jump on line or give Helen a call on 0260 206 016 or 0414596395 for ideas.

Champagne

Many of us look forward to a glass or two of bubbles with friends and family over Christmas. This one is fantastic. Its being poured in some great restaurants in Australia and around the world.  Its well-priced enough to pour a glass for your family (well maybe!) By the bottle its $54 or $49 in a six pack.

Rosé
We are thrilled to see the rise and rise of dry rosé. Rosé sales now exceed white wine in France, and it has really taken off in Australia in the last few years. We have 4 lovely rosé wines. 

Chateau Rollan de By 2008

This is a special wine that would go perfectly with turkey and ham and everything festive. It recently out scored the famous Chateau Margaux and Chateau Cheval Blanc (featured in the movie Sideways) in a blind tasting. Both these wines sell for >$1000 per bottle. We heard its being served on Air France business class! This is $59. A special wine to enjoy over the holiday period. Limited stocks. Find it here.

Mixed packs

We have some great mixed packs at various price points with a mix of rose/whites/reds and dessert wines. 

Don't forget we can send to your holiday address. 

Some clever customers have done this in previous years and had a case of their favourites delivered to their holiday accommodation/agents. Brilliant! Click here to buy.

Courier deadlines are approaching so please jump on line and order ASAP.

Whatever you are doing this holiday season, eat and drink well but drink responsibly.

Chateau Rollan de By 2008

If you are looking for a very special (but affordable) red wine, read on! 

Chateau Rollan de By 2008 is one of our current favourites. Drinking superbly now but could repay several more years in your cellar.

Winner of the Best Sommelier in the World in 2007, Andreas Larsson, reviews the wine in this short video.




This red is  Cru Borgeois Bordeaux at its best. We think this is wine with a WOW factor for taste and value for money. Currently being served on Air France A380 Business Class. It received two stars in the French wine review bible, Guide Hachette and four stars in Decanter Magazine (UK).

More details here.

Crus Bourgoeis wines of 2012: more producers meet the standard

The Classification of Bordeaux wines can seem complex. Vineyards of the Médoc were classified in 1855 by the government of Napolean III, which was seeking to rank the best vineyards/producers for a trade exposition in Paris. Since then the structure of this system, with 5 levels of classified "grand cru" producers, has been more or less maintained.

However the classification of some Bordeaux wines is not based on historical quality but has to be earnt each vintage. "Cru Bourgoeis" represent the best quality, and often the best value, of the wines produced in the Médoc region of Bordeaux. Since 2009 the title of a cru bourgeois wines is based on a blind tasting of samples provided each vintage.

Right across Bordeaux, the vineyard practices and winemaking techniques have resulted in a vast improvement in quality across the region. High quality wines are produced by many more producers than ever before.  As a consequence these wines called Cru Bourgoeis consistently represent good value-for-money wines.

On September 19th 2014, the association for Cru Bourgoeis wines announced the wines that could be called Cru Bourgeois for the 2012 vintage. 267 wines were included- the highest number yet. These producers come from the many sub-regions of the Médoc eight prestigious AOCs : Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis en Médoc, Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estèphe. The increase in numbers reflects the increase in quality of production methods.

We were pleased to see some of our favorite producers retained in the 2012 classification Chateau Rollan de By, Chateau Greysac, Chateau Tour Séran, Chateau Semeillan Mazeau. Click on these links to have a look at  the recent vintages of these producers that were given the classification of Cru Bourgeois. 

And if all of this still sounds complicated, don't worry! We only stock wine that we can vouch for, would happily buy for our own cellars and serve to our friends and family. At the end of the day we hope that you are able to trust us, or other wine merchants, to search for the best value wines of this fantastic region.