11.5% ABV

Cote de Gascoigne

This wine is made by Domaine Pellehaut in the South West of France. It is clean fresh and with great white stone fruit that it tends not to feel bone dry but technically speaking it is.

These guys know what they are doing and have been firm favourites of St john for many years.They are family owned and run and are a delight to be with.

They also have a heard of d'Aquitaine cows who's manure comes in very handy in the vineyard...

12.5% ABV / 37.5cl

Appellation Chablis Controllee

Chablis sells itself. It is often said by customers in restaurants "I Love Chablis but I hate Chardonnay". Chablis is Chardonnay. Chablis is a region and Chardonnay is the grape. The reason people say this is because they don’t like oaked Chardonnay and Chablis is famously un-oaked. Chablis is known for its freshness and steely minerality and this wine has both.

13% ABV

Vin de Pays d'Oc

5 years ago a friend of Juliens asked him to make a wine for a gypsy jazz festival in Paris and Cabu-a famous caricature was asked to design the labels. It was a great success and although the jazz fair was a one off the wine has continued. Les Temps de Gitans’ is ‘the time of the gypsies’ and the wine is a fun wine to be enjoyed with friends. It is organic, well made, has personality and a clarity of fruit not oftn found at this price point.

13% ABV

Appellation Sancerre Controllee

We are of the firm belief that a lot of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume available today have become generic Sauvignon style wines. The differences in terroir and therefore character between the two appellations should be a textbook example of how in wine making soils affect the final product. In short Sancerre should taste like Sancerre and Pouilly Fume like Pouilly Fume.

The wines from Francois and Carine Crochet are some of the most precise and refined Sancerre we have tried. Their power and accuracy, green herbaceous purity are what sets them above most from this appellation. The 2008 has more fruit than the 09 and a little more acidity.

9% ABV

Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Libron

13.5% ABV

Appellation Menetou-Salon Controllee

Menetou Salon is almost like Sancerre’s less well known cousin and because of this is great value. It has all the minerality and finesse of a lovely sancerre but is slightly more feminine with blossom as well as citrus, This example has the purest palate I’ve seen and doesn’t have excessive acidity which can often happen in the Loire. Menetou should be recognised in it’s own right more, it is beautiful, bone dry and the terroir shines through every glass.

11.5% ABV

Appellation Coteaux du Libron Controllee

Francois Pugibet Chardonnays have been highly regarded for years. They were the first to bring oak barrels to the Languedoc and to drive quality and innovation throughout the region. They keep the alcohol levels sensible and the wines are always very fresh and vibrant.

12% ABV

Appellation Alsace Controllee

In Eric's words: "The edelzwicker is the only blended wine in Alsace. Each winemaker has his own Edelzwicker. In the one that concerns me, theris is 50% Sylvaner, that’s my base….Then I blend with some Pinot Blanc (for literally ‘chubbiness’ but weight may sound better!), some muscat (for the fruit), some Riesling for acidity and sometimes some Gewurztraminer.

It’s not a grand wine, but it’s a wine of social interaction/friendliness, fresh, light, easy drinking….

The proportions are never the same one year to the next but the point is to try and propose a wine (nearly) that represents one year over the other.

To know, that if a winemaker decides, he can make an Edelzwicker with a single grape or several.

This is why, the Edelzwickers are really about the winemaker and are all different! (and there are some really bad ones!!)".

I think it is fab, at a great price and I think not available anywhere else. I have never seen one of these anywhere else in London

13.5% ABV

Vin de Pays D'oc

Fresh zippy Viognier which sings the hot terroir of the south without bringing out too much weight and perfume that can often be the case with viognier. The vineyards are surrounded by olive trees and garrigues which come through thoughtfully in the wine.

12% ABV

Vin de Pay de Franche Comte

12% ABV

A perfect example of what Muscadet should be. Crisp mineral notes but also equally balanced with a limey quite elegant fruit. This estate still harvests by hand, ensuring the fruit is brought in in the best possible condition.

12% ABV

Appellation Muscadet Sevre et Maine Controllee

A really chewy mineral muscadet. Very different! It has much more texture and weight that one would normally expect from Muscadet. It almost like you can feel the minerality flowing through the vines. It’s complex without being showy and is almost like the grapes are a vehicle to expressing the terroir in its purest form.

13% ABV

Appellation Chablis Premier Cru Controllee

Premier Cru is the next stage up from straight Chablis and one stage below Grand Cru. What identifies these wines as 1er cru is the vineyards they are planted in and their surroundings or ‘Terroir’. All of Chablis’ Grand Cru vineyards and many of their better Premier Cru vineyards are planted on primarily Kimmeridgean soil which is believed to impart more finesse and structure to the wines. Montmains is one of those.

 A very crisp, defined mineral edge to this wine. Quite powerful really with hints of old wood use and a salty, mineral intensity.

12.5% ABV

Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes

Light, fresh, floral, elegant Muscat notes of lychee, blossom and citrusy fruits. It is well balanced by a nice crisp acidity and has a soft velvety peach quality.

12.5% ABV

Appellation Cote du Rhone Controllee

Midweight, aromatic and dry...

Eric Texier doesn’t like being put into a box. He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionately outspoken in what he does. He does the best for his vineyards and doesn’t want to be labelled organic, biodynamic or natural although he uses a little of all three methods in his winemaking. He does what the grapes tell him rather than fashion!

12.5% ABV

Appellation Alsace Controllee

Light, fresh citrusy notes - very fruity with that tell tale gewurz lychee, aromatic blossom character.

Very easy, fresh and fruity without suffering from that over unctuous oiliness that can be associated with this grape.

13.5% ABV

Appellation Cote du Rhone Controllee

Herbacious, slightly oily peach notes on the nose. Savoury on the palate with a good apple crunch to it. Some soft citusy notes and more of those herbs follow. Refreshing.

11% ABV

Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone

Organic Production

Fresh and crispy exotic fruit. Gentle, soothing, ripe body - a delightful easy wine.

12.5% ABV

Vin de Pay du Var

13.5% ABV

Appellation Saint-Veran Controllee

A pretty Chardonnay, made just as carefully as some of the bigger burgundies further down the list but is unoaked. This is wine may not be as complex but the quality of fruit is there and it is bottled with a more youthful and fresh approach without the use of new oak barrels.

13% ABV

Appellation Cassis Controllee

Sebastiens father is the Major of Cassis, one of the most picturesque seaside towns in France. The wines reflect the sea breeze that ripens them. Lovely citrus fruit with a warm citrus mid palate and oily fresh finish. Trevor’s favourite white on the list...

12.5% ABV

Appellation Chablis Controllee

 Chablis sells itself. It is often said by customers in restaurants "I Love Chablis but I hate Chardonnay". Chablis is Chardonnay. Chablis is a region and Chardonnay is the grape. The reason people say this is because they don’t like oaked Chardonnay and Chablis is famously un-oaked. Chablis is known for its freshness and steely minerality and this wine has both.

It is so rare to find good, traditionally styled Chablis at a reasonable price these days. This wine is crisp and mineral as you would want from this region but the 09 also has a rich, almost peachy quality.

12.5% ABV

Appellation Bourgogne Controllee

Spicy, exotic peach and pears on the nose. The palate is just as exotic but the fruit is soft, almost luscious with a good crunch to its edges. The mid palate has a lovely weight to it but again the citrus crisp edges cut through. The finish is long and very appealing.

13.5% ABV

Appellation Sancerre Controllee

We are of the firm belief that a lot of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume available today have become generic Sauvignon style wines. The differences in terroir and therefore character between the two appellations should be a textbook example of how in wine making soils affect the final product. In short Sancerre should taste like Sancerre and Pouilly Fume like Pouilly Fume.

The wines from Francois and Carine Crochet are some of the most precise and refined Sancerre we have tried. Their power and accuracy, green herbaceous purity are what sets them above most from this appellation. The 2009 is more green and lean at the moment but has razor like minerality and precise ripe citrus fruit from the warmer 09 vintage.

13% ABV

Appellation Pouilly Fume Controllee

This cuvee comes from the limestone-clay slope of Pouilly.

A little shy to start with, they obtain their full power and expression after a year of ageing.

The Sauvignon character is very pure and powerful, with notes of white flowers, blackcurrant buds and green grassy elderflower.

12.5% ABV

Appellation Anjou Controllee 

The harvest for this wine includes 5-10% of grapes affected by botrytis - the mould which is used to make sweet wines, but fermented into a dry wine. This results in a glorious, rich tanginess. Full apple characteristics with a lovely crunch and well balanced acidity. Underneath is an interesting smokiness that gives this wine another dimension.

A long and involving rich finish.

13.5% ABV

Appellation Coteaux du Languedoc Controllee

The Grapes are aged in oak with the exception of Vermentino. The wine has pretty fruit and is succulently, fresh. The name means Stones of silver and refers to the stones in the vineyard that reflect the sun, keep the vines roots cool in summer and reflect the light onto the grapes to help them ripen.

ABV: 12%

Appellation Vouvray Controllee

This is slightly off dry and with a gentle variating fizz, perfect as an aperitif.

Moustillant- The wine ferments only once in bottle.

Champagne-Ferments twice, once to make a still wine (so not in bottle) then more yeast is added to still wine and it ferments again (in bottle) closely monitored and controlled.

Explanation of what happens to Moustillant:

Yeast feed off of the sugar in the fruit, turn the sugar to alcohol and as a bi-product of this process called alcoholic fermentation, CO2 is released and when it has nowhere to go, as it trapped in the bottle it goes into the wine thus creating a fizz in the wine.

Because the yeasts are wild (naturally occurring rather than out of a packet) every bottle is different and will ferment in a different way. The more naturally occurring yeasts there are the drier the wine (as more sugar has turned to alcohol) and the more fizzy it will be (as there will be more CO2 to go back into the bottle).

Conversely, if there are less wild yeasts the wine will be slightly sweeter and less fizzy for the same reasons as above.

This is part of the beauty of the wine, it is natural, unpredictable and everyone is unique. I think it should be celebrated for this...!

12.5% ABV

Appellation Macon Bussieres Controllee

80-100 year old vines.

This is a powerful, intense Macon. The depths have hints of spicy Christmas pudding layered over deep mineral crunch. It is very rounded with a lovely balanced acidity. Really interesting stuff!

12.5% ABV

Appellation Savigny-les-Beaune Controllee

Only 5% of Savigny is planted with white grapes, of that most is Chardonnay. This has a touch of Pinot blanc in it to (upto10%).

This is such pleasing chardonnay...Plenty of elegance and structure coupled with ripe juicy fruit. The Pinot Blanc gives the wine a gentle, elegant finesse.

13.5% ABV

Appellation Alsace Controllee

A very punchy intense gewurz character. 

A soft, rounded, full texture to the body of this wine with a 'off dry' ripeness. But it actually shows real restarint and elegance in its long and interesting finish. Great balance - one for real gewurztraminer fans.

13.5% ABV

Apellation Alsace Grand Cru Controlee

This is Eric's Grand Cru Riesling. It is stunning, bone dry, will age and age but as with all great riesling is great now too. The primary fruit is still showing with fine slaty minerality and white stone fruit.

13% ABV

Appellation Macon-Villages Controllee

Beautifully supple rich fruit driven Chardonnay that is a joy to drink on its own as well as with food. 100% biodynamic and been like that for 20 years! You can taste it, everything happens in the vineyard and then in the winery the grapes are just pressed and bottled, no oak. The acidity is balanced well so the complexity of the fruit shines forth. At face value it is a joy and the more you think about it the more complex it gets.

 13% ABV

Appellation Pouilly-Fuisse Controllee

Terres du Menhir is a lieu dit spread over 4ha and on argilo calcaire soil.

The 2010 is very mineral almost Muscadet like and very mouthwatering. Lime and white blossom flowers. Still chardonnay but very clean fresh and mineral, light, pretty.

12.5% ABV

Vin de Pays des Coteaux du Libron

14.5% ABV

Vin de Table de France

This wine is very different....fabulous but different. It tastes like an incredible fino sherry or a 'Vin Jaune' from the Jura, I thought it was Madeirised when I first took a sip but it has way to complex a flavour to be Madeirised.... It spends amore than two years in barrel without "ouillage" (filling up of casks to replace evaporated wine and prevent oxidation) so that a white film of yeast, called "voile" (veil), forms on top of the wine giving it its distinctive "gout de jaune" (yellow flavour). The flavour is like that when it is put in the bottle and will stay like that. It is a great wine to have as a point of difference with a cheese plate (to go with the fresher creamier cheeses) alongside a good bottle of red (for the hard and blue cheeses). Try chicken also with cream and mushrooms or andouillettes if you dare...!

12.5% ABV

Appellation Cote de Provence Controllee

14.5% ABV

Appellation Jurancon Sec Controllee

13% ABV

Appellation Cote du Rhone Controllee

The nose is almost like toasted sour dough with heather honey. The palate has that wonderful old vine complexity and just keeps evolving. It is warm , rich citrus, with a long, mineral and oily weight to the mid palate and then the blossom and citrus come back on the finish.

13% ABV

Appellation Sancerre Controllee

The French love a good play on words ‘Jeu de mots’ and this is no exception. Excils is an anagram of Silex, Silex is the name given to the soil the vines grow on which is Flinty over a clay and limestone base. This lends itself well the the mineral, pure gun smoke flavours you can find in great Sancerre and in this wine. The length goes on and on with citrus fruit and a great expression of the terroir. It is absolutly stonking at the moment.

12.7% ABV

 Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes

One of the most exciting white wines we've recently tried. An elegant and refined mix of crisp, exotic citrus fruit, overtones of orchardy elements and a delicate star anis touch. This wine is a real enthusiasts wine & we make no excuse for it. Every mouthful gives you another elemant to explore.

13.5% ABV

Vin de pays des Bouches du Rhone

This is a wine to give a Burgundy lover, to show them the other side... It is as elegant, charming supple and mouth filling as many an 05 white Burgundy but has a sense if intrigue about it. It is different, not in a look at me aren't I crazy way but in a carefully , respecting the terroir and observing the surroundings way. The results are really pretty superb. Honeyed, heady aromatics with very well integrated oak lending a full rich, fully integrated beautiful glass. I tasted it most recently (30 November 2010) at staff lunch in the restaurant with the team. We were having stinking Bishop pasta with peas and broccoli...it worked. It not only stood up to the pasta but lent a cleansing mineral angle to the beast that is Stinking Bishop Cheese.

13% ABV

Appellation Pouilly-Fuisse Controllee

The parcel of Sur La Roche lies on the South East of the rock of Vergisson, in the highest vineyards of the village. The vines are over 40 years old and situated on calcaire (limestone) soils. The plot is 0.7ha and is there top, most rich wine.

"There is a very special micro-climate here that imparts a very special quality to the wine. Fermentation and ageing takes place in 1-7 French barrels with long lees contact to enhance the richness".

La Roche 08 is developing well, the fruit has softened and the palate become more broad, round and laden with soft citrus fruits.

 13% ABV

Appellation Pouilly-Fuisse Controllee

The parcel of Sur La Roche lies on the South East of the rock of Vergisson, in the highest vineyards of the village. The vines are over 40 years old and situated on calcaire (limestone) soils. The plot is 0.7ha and is there top, most rich wine.

"There is a very special micro-climate here that imparts a very special quality to the wine. Fermentation and ageing takes place in 1-7 French barrels with long lees contact to enhance the richness".

La Roche 09 is a wine capable of ageing well, yet in youth the fruit is so vibrant and mouthwatering the weight of the terroir marry well in infanct too. As the wine ages the fruit will integrate further into the wine and the soil and structure of the wine will develop weight.

13.5% ABV

Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes

Organic production

This wine is named after the ‘D’ road that leads out of Calce the little village in the Roussillon where Olivier works his magic. The D18 is also alongside the vineyards where his vines grow and how the road that starts the wines on their journey to us. It is made in tiny quantities and aged in oak for 12 months. The resulting wine develops and changes as the bottle opens up and is a real joy with such good bottle age restaurants can rarely afford.

13% ABV

Appellation Fixin Controllee

Alex describes the 2005 vintage as an absolute pleasure to harvest - the grapes were in such good condition. Yields were good and because of the quality coming off the vineyards the wine has a lovely powerful citrus and orchard fruit concentration and depth. Rich minerality and a hint of something spicy give this wine an extra dimension.

 13% ABV

Appellation Savennieres Controllee

12% ABV

Appellation Jasnieres Controllee

Organic production

A lovely honied, wild flower nose - fresh fruit, crisp almost wild meadow like character. This follows onto the pallet which is rich and complex but all the senses compliment each other - nothing sticks out of line. Very long and intriguing finish. 

15% ABV

Vin de pays des Cotes Catalanes

14.5% ABV

Vin du Pay des Cotes Catalanes

13% ABV

Vin de Table

 Very nosey, very full on the nose. Ripe but nicely balanced. It's actually quite easy on the palate but ripe and voluptuous as well. A real impressive body one of the best white 03's from the Loire we've tried.

Maybe easier introduction for Chenin Blanc beginners?

13% ABV

Vin de Table

Quite a broad, rich example of Chenin on the nose, some straw and even tobacco notes.

Masculine and sensible on the palate with more of that lovely richness. This wine has a real sense of place and time. An experience!

13% ABV

Appellation Meursault Premier Cru Controllee

Rich, buttery, honeyed and long...

There are no Grand crus in Meursault as in Chablis and Les Charmes is one of the top 1er cru’s made and even more celebrated as the producer is excellent. Meursault vineyards make the most rich, decadent wines with great elegance.

12.5% ABV

Appellation Cote de Provence Controllee

Plush ripe fruit with a velvety luscious feel. The sunshine drips out of this wine but it still retains its crisp, crunchiness.

So moreish...

12.5% ABV

Appellation Cote de Provence Controllee

13% ABV

Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes

Tom’s domaine is in the same town as Olivier Pithon. Toms wines are much more Burgundyesque and a great recommendation for a Burgundy lover wanting to dabble in the lesser known wines of the Roussillon. The age has given it time for the oak and fruit marry fully but without losing any balance.

12.5% ABV

Appellation Chablis Controllee

Chablis sells itself. It is often said by customers in restaurants "I Love Chablis but I hate Chardonnay". Chablis is Chardonnay. Chablis is a region and Chardonnay is the grape. The reason people say this is because they don’t like oaked Chardonnay and Chablis is famously un-oaked. Chablis is known for its freshness and steely minerality and this wine has both.

12.5% ABV

Appellation d'Origin Controllee

13% ABV

Vin de Table

An almost sherry like dry, steely richness. But some broad depth behind - finesse, some soft honied fruit. Very elegant with that beautiful rich/savoury interplay. Exciting and intriguing

 13% ABV

Appellation Meursault Controllee

This is to me a perfect example of Mersault. And my favourite vintage to drink at the moment. As taken from The Great Domaines of Burgundy; a fine Meursault should have concentration, grip and backbone, in addition toto its natural open, 'peaches and oatmeal' tones. This does, and then some.

13% ABV

Appellation Chablis Premier Cru Controllee

Premier Cru is the next stage up from straight Chablis and one stage below Grand Cru. What identifies these wines as 1er cru is the vineyards they are planted in and their surroundings or ‘Terroir’. All of Chablis’ Grand Cru vineyards and many of their better Premier Cru vineyards are planted on primarily Kimmeridgean soil which is believed to impart more finesse and structure to the wines. Montmains is one of those.

 A very crisp, defined mineral edge to this wine. Quite powerful really with hints of old wood use and a salty, mineral intensity.

 13.5% ABV

Appellation d'Origine Controllee

13% ABV

Appellation Meursault Premier Cru Controllee

Rich, buttery, honeyed and long...

There are no Grand crus in Meursault as in Chablis and Les Charmes is one of the top 1er cru’s made and even more celebrated as the producer is excellent. Meursault vineyards make the most rich, decadent wines with great elegance.

13% ABV

Appellation Jasnieres Controllee

Serious stuff here on the nose, some really interesting, involving, rich and honied botrytis and savoury spice notes. Intense.

A beautifully balanced wine, so much more on the palate with that honied, savoury thing playing off against itself.

Unlike anything we've tried before.

I've just gone weak at the knees...

13.5% ABV

Appellation Condrieu Controllee

La Roncharde is the name of the 'Lieu-Dit' where the vines are planted. It is also a very steep slope (steeper than Tupin!) and quite a crazy place to grow anything really, facing south west which confers them a very high maturity without the excess of heat in the wines which produces such a fresh and digestible Condrieu, very far away from the majority of wines produced in this appellations unfortunately. Condrieu is the king of white wines for the Rhone. It is a very full bodied wine but focussed, honey and very pure. This wine has spent 12months in barrel and the oak comes through but marries well with the fruit and richness of the grape. Jean Michel’s son designs all the labels. He is now 7 I believe!