Flights of Fancy Menu #8
For our final Flights of Fancy to take us through the Bank Holiday weekend and into September we've got another new selection of 18 wines featuring among them an interesting pair from a terrific organic Prosecco producer, a trio of antipodean favourites and brilliant Romanian 'orange' wine which is a real bargain and wonderfully easy drinking.
Open from 4pm Friday, 12pm Saturday and on Sunday afternoon. Call us to make a booking, or just rock up.
Just £8 per flight of 6 tasters. Scroll down for the full selection.
It's a great chance to try something you wouldn't normally go for!
Organic wines wines are a speciality of La Jara as is their sparking wines and Proseccos. This terrific rosé which is pink Prosecco in all but name is made by adding a just enough of the red grape Rabaso to give it an irresistible pale coral colour. It's got loads of fine persistent bubbles, fresh apply aromas and ripe red summer fruit flavours running all the way though. Very easy to appreciateand really refreshing too.
So easy to get on with it's worth always having a chilled bottle of this to hand. Perfect with pudding too.
Cederberg Wine Cellars are one of the highest wineries in the Western Cape located at over 1000m above sea level located in the beautiful and rugged Cederberg mountains. With their own fresh mountain water source, isolated location and fantastic range of soils their sustainably managed vineyards are virus and disease free allowing them to grow a range of varieties and one of their oldest plantings is the block of Chardonnay used to make this Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique. The Methode Cap Classique (MCC) is the same way of making sparkling wine as they use in Champagne and there are some fantastic examples being produced, of which this is certainly one. A Brut (dry) style with a delicate mousse and fine bubbles, aromas of citrus, green pear and apricot lead onto a fresh, crisp and zesty palate with a long and dry finish. Top example of a Cap Classique from this amazing region.
Perfect as an aperitif, or try with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Also works well with feta and goat's cheese.
La Jara, whose vineyards are on the hillside slopes of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene make a quite impressive array of organic sparkling wines of which this, their extra dry Prosecco is a stand out example. Satisfyingly fizzy, refreshingly dry but with a touch of richness and a lovely velvety texture this certainly has plenty going on and the aromatics and delicate fruit flavours are more than you'd expect from many of its peers.
Served nicely chilled it's an ideal aperitif and will also match well with things like risottos or light pasta dishes.
Buitenverwachting are specialists in Sauvignon Blanc in what is a cooler climate part of the Constantia wine region. However in this blend they add in a little Chenin Blanc and Semillon which gives an extra dimension to this delicious white. Crisp and medium-bodied it has the gooseberry and tropical characteristics of a good sauvignon Blanc, but there are also some ripe peachy flavours, a few herbal notes as well which adds more layers of interest on the palate. It has a warm, soft feel in the mouth, but the acidity is nicely fresh and keeps things held together very well right through to the finish.
A very versatile choice which is delicious by itself and also a good partner to most fish and shellfish recipes.
A well made, well balanced and appealing Sicilian white. We've been looking for a well priced, but serious example of Grillo, a native Sicilian grape, for a while but to no avail
until we tasted this one. Bright and fresh at first then developing some citrus and stone fruit flavours before the characteristic biscuit and earthy notes come through.
Fish steaks and meaty grilled fish go well with this.
The cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills is recognised as prime Sauvignon Blanc territory and Shaw + Smith are acknowledged as one of the best producers. Over the years this wine in particular has become something of a benchmark by which other premium Aussie Sauvignon Blancs are measured. Since it first appeared in the 1990s it's remained fresh and aromatic with a trademark pink grapefruit character. Allied to this is lots of fruit and a good weight on the palate alongside a crisp acidity and a brisk freshness.
Reliable and very moreish it's one that can be banked on. Great as an aperitif, or with all kinds of shellfish and salads.
Elisabath Prataviera is the winemaker at Domaine Menard situated in the small village of Gondrin in the Côtes de Gascogne and is one of the new wave making really interesting wines from this part of the world. The terroir for Cuvée Marine has a particular type of subsoil comprising decomposed ancient seashells - the inspiration for the wine's name - which allows the Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Gros Manseng to fully express their minerality. It's an expressive and aromatic wine packed with ripe stone fruit, lychee, grapefruit and pinapple aromas and flavours. And it's got good weight and an excellent concentration of ripe fruit balanced by fresh, clean acidity and finishes in nicely lengthy and style.
On one hand it's a nice light and fresh glugger and on the other a good partner for grilled chicken and fish.
Framingham's Riesling vineyards date back to the 1980s when winemaking in the region was in its infancy and in that time they've earned a reputation as the region's leading exponents of the grape. This, their Classic Riesling has an elegant pale gold colour and, on the nose, is fragrant and complex with notes of honeysuckle, jasmine and quinine. It's rounded out with stone fruit flavours and a hint of beeswax and creaminess to give a welcome touch of viscocity.
Classic in name and nature it's a perfect match to Asian cuisine and seafood.
This style is nowadays referred to as an 'orange' wine and is made by allowing the grapes to macerate on their skins as in red wine making. The result is a wine full of extra layers and complexity. This delightful Romanian example is made primarily from the indigenous grape Feteasca Alba with additional Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. With a deep colour it has rich quince aromas whch lead to a structured and quite tannic with subtle stone fruit flavours.
For food matching these are wines that go well with robust meaty, even fatty dishes - an oxtail stew would be a good example.
Puglia is known for producing great value reds full of flavour, particularly from their native Primitivo grape, but come the summer and sunshine we might want a rosé, or rosato, so step forward top co-op Produttori di Manduria's Aka. Light pressing and skin contact of about six hours results in a bright coral pink colour in the glass with aromas of fresh cherries, pomegranate and red apple with strawberry and raspberry notes. The palate is dry with loads of juicy, crunchy red fruit flavours, a crisp minerality and refreshing, balancing acidity. For those who want a bit of flavour and punch to their rosé.
Try with seafood risotto, grilled salmon or vegetables, or salads.
This ripe and soft rosé is grown in the vineyards of the Pfalz region, one of Germany's biggest wine producing areas from where some good quality wines come in the hands of good producers like Ernst Loosen's Villa Wolf Estate. This isn't a bone dry rosé and its softness and richness which give it a really appealing character have always made it a favourite on our shelves. It's crisp and lively with a delicious layer of ripe red fruits and strawberries always shining through. It looks fabulous, tastes devine and is superb value for money.
Light, but mouthfilling this is a perfect lunchtime, or picnic rosé and is great for drinking just by itself on a lazy summer's afternoon.
Chateau La Mascaronne set in beautiful Provençal rolling countryside has been working sustainably for over 20 years and is now fully certified organic. Biodiversity is at the core of the estate with olive trees running along the vineyard edges and old oak forests surrounding the estate. Good terroir and vineyards lead to good grapes which in turn lead to good wine, which is certainly what we have here. Classically pale in colour with floral, white stone and red fruit aromas rising from the glass. Dry, soft and fresh on the palate with great balance and a crisp finish.
Of course perfect as an aperitif or with a light, cold lunch but also try with grilled tuna, crab, or goat's cheese.
The native Langhe grape Pelaverga is incredibly rare yet produces some of the lightest and most enjoyable wines to come out of the region. The Verduno Pelaverga DOC is based around the small village of Verduno in the north of the Barolo commune and Michele Reverdito's is produced using the admired Pelaverga Piccola variety. Hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness and aromatics this naturally young wine is super pale cherry red in the glass. Intense, lively and crisp floral, wild strawberry and spicy pink pepper aromas jump out leading onto a fresh, smooth and delicate palate with pretty red fruit notes, light, fine tannins, balanced acidity and clean finish.
Drink ever so slightly chilled outside and watch the contents of the bottle vanish. Try with salads and cold cuts, tomato based dished, cheeses, as well as fish.
Masi Tupungato are an offshoot of the the well known Amarone specialist Masi in the Veneto. They established this, their sustainably run, organic Argentinan estate, to make wines that combine the best aspects of Argentina's climate and soils with some of the winemaking techniques of the Veneto. Passo Doble is made with 70% Malbec which is re-fermented with 30% Corvina in the Apassimento style and results in a big and powerful wine with ripe cherry and sweet spicy aromas which lead onto a palate of ripe fruits of the forest flavours with notes of prune and liquorice wrapped up with soft tannins and finishing with a lengthy sign off.
A versatile wine with easy appeal, it's great with grilled and roasted red meats
The new world are producing some cracking Pinots at the minute and sensible prices and this Chilean example from the Aconcagua valley is a bit of a gem. An intense and complex nose of raspberries, red cherries accompanied with floral notes and framed by a delicate toastiness. A vibrant and fresh palate with ripe raspberry and strawberry fruit flavours backed up by touches of spice and fine tannins. A wine with good structure and tension due to the excellent acidity.
An excellent red to drink on its own it also goes well with most grilled, or roasted meat, casseroles, or mature cheese.
This excellent value wine is made from 100% Gaglioppo, a variety indigenous to Calabria and not seen much outside. As with this one, good examples have an appealing fragrance and perfume. Fermented in stainless steel the wine is aged in concrete vessels which retains the characteristic aromas and freshness of the fruit. Really good depth of flavour of ripe red and dark fruit along with crisp acidity and nicely intergrated tannins which makes for a really versatile wine.
A fresh, fragrant and fruity mouthful. A great allrounder, drink it alone or pizza and pasta.
Not a common wine we know, but this Durif from Rutherglen in Australia really does pack a punch. After fermentation it spent 18 months in French and American oak puncheons. Known for its powerful tannins this is usually a robust wine that requires some ageing however Campbells have produced here a medium-full bodied example that is a cracking drink right now. Flavours of blood plums, blackberry jam, and touches of vanilla oak combine with black pepper and earthy notes, robust tannins, and a clean, minerally core result in a complex, and well-made red.
This is one that can easily age for 10 years is you wished and it's definitely a wine to drink with beefy red meat dishes.
A brilliantly smooth and easy drinking red blend from Roussillon in the Catalan south of France. This Syrah, Grenache and Carignan blend is hand harvested on the slopes of the high Agly Valley in Roussillon. It's a soft and really approachable wine with fresh berry fruits, spice and smooth integrated tannins.
Goes well with both classic Mediterranean cuisine or hearty red meat dishes.
