Madeira is one of the few places left on earth where there
remains a treasure trove of historic wine, and Pereira
dâOliveira is without a doubt the best source. Founded
in 1820, the estate has always been owned and run by the same
family, meaning that whether you open a bottle from 1850 or 1993,
the wine inside was made by a dâOliveira. The wines have spent
their whole lives slowly maturing in cask, only bottled when
required. We have access to a wide range of vintages straight from
the cellars near Funchal going back to 1850, all these vintages and
all the different varietals maintain the house style of power,
structure, richness and a unique tangy freshness. It allows for an
incredibly exciting opportunity to not only own a piece of history,
but to experience this astoundingly complex wine in a variety of
different stages of life.
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When the first wave of Australian wines hit the UK market in the
1980s, they were met with an abundant amount of success from the
marketplace who welcomed their super-ripe and uncomplicated style
as well as their even easier to understand labels which clearly
identified the grape varietal (in English, no less!). With a highly
favourable exchange rate and the reliability of trusted and easily
identifiable âcritterâ brands, like Yellow Tail, wine buyers pushed
their Australian suppliers for large volumes at lowest possible
prices. The flaw in this cheap and cheerful strategy of selling
bulk Australian wine was recognised in 2001 when a combination of
factors began to deteriorate the strength of the Australian wine
export market; including a massive over-production of bulk wine and
the increase in value of the Australian dollar.
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This week we had the pleasure of hosting Vincent Avril, current
proprietor of the illustrious family owned Chateauneuf property
Clos des Papes. The estate hardly needs much
introduction, with a deserving reputation built on the focus of
each generation in producing the best single expression of the
multitude of terroirs under their stewardship. Indeed Vincent is
right in stressing the importance of the scattered nature of their
vineyard holdings. These allow him access to the fruit of
twenty-four distinct plots; each with their own character from
their particular cocktail of galet stones, gravel, sand, clay and
limestone.
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We are now entering that time that we look forward to all
winter⦠leaving work when it is still light out, long, lazy
evenings sitting outside with friends, eating asparagus,
strawberries and steaks on the barbie. Itâs summer, and we are just
so glad it's back. Just as whatâs on the menu changes at this time
of year, so too should the wine in your glass. Fresh, vibrant,
wines that show off the charms of warm-weather cuisine. Here is
what we are especially enjoying at the momentâ¦
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Dominik Huber and his son
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One of the most exciting things about the trade of wine &
spirits is the capacity of these products to age. A collector may
gather wines and spirits for many reasons, but one of them is for
the history. Wine, when bottled is a living, breathing thing which
changes and develops over time, rarely successful in living beyond
20 years except in the most exceptional cases. With brandy and
whisky however, the liquid in the bottle is like a snapshot in
history. Virtually unchanged since the day the golden spirit flowed
from the cask into the bottle, the oldest and rarest bottlings
offer a rare glimpse into the past.
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Glorious, wondrous wine, desert-island wine, a cooling drink
on a hot day, or a complex, contemplative masterpiece to rival any
of the finest Burgundies, or a rich, botrytis-tinged, sticky-sweet
number to end a banquet. Madeline Mehalko - Senior Buyer -
champions Austrian wines as amongst the finest in the
world.
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Abigail Friedman â Senior Buyer â introduces four
Tasmanian producers.
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Madeline Mehalko â Senior Buyer â
introduces her discovery Dominio del Aguila and
shares the tale of how this Ribera del Duero rising star
became the most Exciting Launch of the Year as a UK Cru
Exclusive.
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