We concentrate on top-domaine wines from Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Southern France, working very closely with such sought-after winemakers as Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Jean-Marie Fourrier, Gérard Gauby and Daniel Ravier (Tempier), amongst [...]]]> A&B Vintners claim to be one of the leading independent specialist wine merchants with a focus on specific areas of France:

We concentrate on top-domaine wines from Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Southern France, working very closely with such sought-after winemakers as Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Jean-Marie Fourrier, Gérard Gauby and Daniel Ravier (Tempier), amongst many others.

Such focus allows us to visit the regions and growers on a regular basis, in the cellar and the vines. As a small team, we are all very familiar with the wines upon which we stake our reputation and the personalities who make them. In short, we sell the bottles we enjoy and drink ourselves at home.

This is a merchant for those afficionados who know their wines and are prepared to pay premium prices for premium wines. The 2010 Wine List is on the website, but online ordering is not offered and is probably not appropriate for such select wines.
But the site does offer some great content on the selected growers, including videos of discussions with winemakers in the atmospheric surroundings of their cellars.
UK Delivery = £18.00

No tastings currently offered
A&B Vintners Little Tawsden, Spout Lane, Brenchley Kent TN12 7AS   t: 01892 724977

Waitrose will be featuring 13 specially sourced small parcel wines from a wide range of less well-known appellations like Quincy, Bergerac, Provence and Lirac and the [...]]]> The French Wine Festival at Waitrose (online and in its stores) runs from 26 March to 27 April 2008 and will feature a total of 48 wines.

Waitrose will be featuring 13 specially sourced small parcel wines from a wide range of less well-known appellations like Quincy, Bergerac, Provence and Lirac and the wonderfully unusual Pierre Boniface Domaine des Rocailles Apremont de Savoie 2007 and La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2005 Provence.

Some highlights:

Champagne Taittinger Rose NV, save £7, £38.99 – £31.99 (A delightfully fresh and youthful pink champagne with mouth-wateringly delicate flavours of crushed wild raspberries and red cherries, perfect forearly summer as an aperitif or with strawberries. )

Vouvray AC Champteloup Vieux Vauvert 2006/07 Vouvray, 20% off, £5.99 – £4.79 (A fine, medium Chenin from the tuffeau terroir properties around the towns of Vouvray and Rochecorbon, famous for the production of these deliciously soft-textured, waxy wines.)

Bergerac AC Domaine des Eyssards Bergerac Rouge 2005 25% off, £5.99 – £4.49 (Another brilliant wine from Pascal Cuisset of Domaine des Eyssards in Bergerac. A traditional Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend yet with a soft,almost modern generosity in the mid-palate.)

Mercurey AC Blanc 2006, Philippe Hardi, 20% off, £13.99- £10.99 (A Burgundy Chardonnay using a combination of modern cool-ferment vinification followed by malolactic in barrel where the wine stays for a year, with regular lees stirring, to achieve theunmistakeable classic Burgundy signature with some modern fruit expression.)

Quincy AC (Loire) Domaine de la Pierre qui Danse 2006 Quincy, 20% off, £8.99 – £7.19. (Simple delicate, grassy style from this Domaine with its pretty name, the land of the dancing stones.)

Apremont de Savoie AC Pierre Boniface Domaine des Rocailles 2007, 20% off, £7.49 – £5.99 (a refreshing citrus acidity and a light grapefruit flavour.)

Lirac AC Domaine du Joncier 2005 Rhône, save 1/3, £8.99 – £5.99 (The Domaine is run by the charming Marine Roussell, who featured last year in Oz and James’ Great Wine Adventure. The wine is dense and beefy, with a good deal of brooding rich fruit and great concentration.)

Bandol AC La Bastide Blanche 2005 Provence, 25% off, £11.99 – £8.99 (Hugely impressive example of this most remarkable of appellations using the traditional Mourvedre grape as the backbone to the wine. …it encompasses the spice and complexities of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan as well as the black, damson fruit of Mourvedre andSyrah.)

Minervois AC Château Maris Organic Syrah 2006, 25% off, £7.99 – £5.99 (An extremely lively Syrah from the irrepressible Bertie Eden at his Biodynamic estate in the Minervois. This is full of bright and peppery raspberry fruit, with a twist of liquorice and is a highly drinkable style.)

Waitrose Wine Direct

For one week only, we are offering 15% off a large selection of wines from our main list. This is no ordinary sale and these [...]]]> Online French specialists Leon Stolarski Fine Wines offer new classics from Languedoc, Roussillon, Southern Rhone and Beaujolais (and South West France, Loire, Alsace…..) and have a special offer available:

For one week only, we are offering 15% off a large selection of wines from our main list. This is no ordinary sale and these are not bin-ends, but represent genuine reductions on 60-odd of the very best wines from our core list. But hurry – this offer ends on 31 March 2008!

You can download their sale price list HERE – but hurry as the sale only lasts until 31 arch 2008!

This mouth-filling red is packed with rich, juicy [...]]]> A red Cotes de Ventoux AOC (France) from Paul Boutinot called “Chat-en-Oeuf” (roughly translated as “cat in egg”, but also a word play on Chateauneuf”) is now available and with every bottle purchased you help the RSPCA in its mission to protect animals.

This mouth-filling red is packed with rich, juicy and ripe berry fruit flavours, a touch of soft tannin and a subtle twist of spice. It is made from selected parcels of old vine Grenache and Syrah (aka Shiraz) – two grape varieties grown extensively in the Rhône region of France.

Chat-en-Oeuf is available in Waitrose, Morrisons, Budgens, selected Spar stores, EH Booths and NISA stores. Alternatively, you can place an order online at www.buythecase.co.uk and take advantage of an exclusive RSPCA customer offer!

Several branches of Oddbins have or are in the process of being converted to the Nicolas brand (Henley-on-Thames, [...]]]> The Nicolas chain, is a French company owned by Casel, the same parent company of Oddbins. They have only recently broken out from their London heartland and now list 51 stores in the UK.

Several branches of Oddbins have or are in the process of being converted to the Nicolas brand (Henley-on-Thames, Beaconsfield for example); a shame in my opinion as the range is vastly smaller and, apart from a smattering of New World wines, is nearly exclusively France focused.

The website, has an English language version, (I dread to think what they mean by “Caution ! We do not go up the goods in the floors !” though) with prices listed in Euros.

All the French regions are covered – Champagne, Rhone, Alsace, Bordeaux etc – with good ranges across the board, although nothing from Pic St Loup is listed. Several pages of fine wines and Armagnac’s are available if you are feeling flush, while at the other end of the scale there are many special offers.

Each wine has basic details attached – a brief suggested food match, grape composition and perfunctory tasting notes (simply full bodied and the like). One indication of a wines popularity are the user votes. A pop-up box allows a grading of 1-5 grapes. I do wonder how many people can be bothered to go back and vote on a wine once consumed mind.

Many of the cheaper wines are listed with a six bottles minimum purchase, more expensive products are not restricted. Delivery to the UK costs 1 to 6 bottles : 19 EUROS TTC which I assume means multiples of 6 bottles attract the charge. No mention of free delivery with large orders.

The on-line wine list appears broader and more in-depth than the UK based stores. While not familiar with the wines listed the new store opening near me will be an excellent opportunity for exploration. Keep an eye on Spittoon for specific wine tasting notes.