Château Filhot 2009 £31.00
Region: Sauternes
Availability: stores
Abv: 13.5%
Winemaker: Gabriel de Vaucelles Winery: Château Filhot
Residual Sugar: 165.0g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 60% Sémillon, 36% Sauvignon and 4% Muscadelle
Viticulture/ Vinification: Classified a second growth Cru Classé in 1855, the Château Filhot vineyard originally dates back to 1709. Now covering 62 hectares on deep gravel, sand and clay soils, Filhot displays the classic characteristics of Sauternes produced from low-yielding, nobly-rotted grapes in-dividually picked by hand. This year harvest was carried out from mid-September to the end of Octo-ber. Fermentation took place in small stainless steel tanks at a low temperature and the wine was then aged for 12 months in oak barrels, 30% of which were new. The wine was aged for a further year in bottle prior to release. No additions or treatments were used during the winemaking process.

Holy moly, this smells wonderful. Like newly cooked vanilla slices or those Portuguese custard tarts. . Very sweet, but with fruity acidity and light finish.



Dry Old Amontillado NV £7.49
Region: Jerez
Availability: 277 stores
Abv: 18.5%
Country: Spain
Winemaker: Manuel Lozano Winery: Emilio Lustau
Residual Sugar: 1.0g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 100% Palomino
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine come from the Montegilio vineyards, which grow on albariza soils. The vines here are traditionally trained and manually harvested. Hand harvesting began in the last week of August and continued into early September. Once sorted the grapes were cooled and then pressed. A first fermentation took place in stainless steel vats, and after being fortified to 15.0% the Amontillado spent approximately four years ageing as a fino in a reductive solera system with flor. The sherry was then removed from the solera system and refortified to 18.0%, before being added to the first criadera in a separate solera system for Amontillado. Here it spent a further four years ageing with oxygen. The wine spent an average of eight years ageing and was millipore and earth filtered prior to bottling.

Sweet, caramel and barley sugar nose. It says bone dry but is very caramelly on the palate. The palate is tangy and nicely dry on the finish. Good price and pretty nice.



Dry Old Palo Cortado NV £7.49
Region: Jerez
Availability: 231 stores
Abv: 19.0%
Winemaker: Manuel Lozano Winery: Emilio Lustau
Residual Sugar: 0.5g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 100% Palomino
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine come from the Montegilio vineyards, which grow on albariza soils. The vines here are traditionally trained and manually harvested. Hand harvesting began in the last week of August and continued into early September. Once sorted, the grapes were cooled and then pressed. A first fermentation took place in stainless steel temperature controlled vats and the wine then spent five years in American oak casks in a Fino solera system with flor. The flor was then destroyed by the addition of alcohol and the wine spent an additional five years ageing with oxygen. The wine was millipore and earth filtered prior to bottling.

Dark, figgy nose. Just a hint of sweet caramel initially and then a dry finish. Good.

Dry Old Oloroso NV £7.49
Region: Jerez
Availability: 284 stores
Abv: 20.0%
Winemaker: Manuel Lozano Winery: Emilio Lustau
Residual Sugar: 6.0g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 100% Palomino
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine come from the Montegilio vineyard, which grow on albariza soils. The vines here are traditionally trained and manually harvested. Hand harvesting began in the last week of August and continued into early September. Once the grapes were sorted, a first fermentation took place in stainless steel temperature controlled vats. The base wine was then fortified to 19.0% and transferred to oak casks for around six months. The wine then entered the oloroso solera system in American oak barrels and the wine spent an average of eight years ageing. Prior to bottling, the wine was millipore and earth filtered.

Label says Very Rare, where others say Dry Old. Sweet, nutty, woody nose. This does have some residual sugar and the alcohol is predictably fiery. Rather lovely on the finish, though.


Hermit's Hill Botrytis Semillon 2008 £7.99
Region: Riverina
Availability: 219 stores
Abv: 10.5%
Country: Australia
Winemaker: John Coughlin Winery: De Bortoli
Residual Sugar: 175.0g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 100% Semillon
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine were sourced from both De Bortoli’s own vineyards and a handful of vineyards belonging to selected growers. The juice from each vineyard was fermented separately in stainless steel tanks prior to clarification and stabilisation. 54% was fermented on French Oak stave, with a further 12% matured in one and two year old French oak barriques. The remaining 32% was left unoaked.

Sweet, barley sugar nose. Nice tang of pithy acidity. Orangey aftertaste. Lovely.

Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina 37.5cl 2003 £6.49
Region: Tuscany
Availability: 219 stores
Abv: 17.0%
Winemaker: Gualberto Grati Winery: Fratelli Grati
Residual Sugar: 131.2g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 35% Trebbiano, 35 % Malvasia and 30% San Giovese
Viticulture/ Vinification: The vines here grow on clay soils at an altitude of 200-400m, and benefit from Southern and South-Eastern sun exposure. They are trained on the Guyot system and manually harvested. Manual harvest took place in mid September and for the passerillage the grapes were laid out on straw mats in warm ventilated rooms until December. Fermentation took place during the winter at approximately 18-20°C and the wine remained on lees. Once this became sediment the wine was transferred to small wooden casks, where it remained for 10 years. No potassium was used during the stabilization process and no sulphur dioxide was added during bottling.

Rather an off, mushroomy nose. Quite a truffly taste. Not sure this is quite healthy, but I’d love it with a piece of stinky cheese.

Martinez Marsala Superiore Riserva Dolce 5 Year Old NV £6.49
Region: Sicily
Availability: 115 stores
Abv: 18.0%
Winemaker: Domenico Trapani Winery: Martinez
Residual Sugar: 100.0g/l
Grape variety/ varieties: 80% Grillo and 20% Inzolia
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine come from the Martinez vineyard in Western Sicily, which grows on calcareous soils. The vineyards are laid out from north to south to allow the Scirocco and Maestrale winds to eliminate residual humidity. The Tendone vineyard system is used and the vines are watered manually throughout the hot summer months. Harvest took place between the second half of August and the first half of September. The harvest was added to the must of late harvest grapes, whose fermentation was stopped by the addition of alcohol and cooked must. The wine was then placed in oak casks and aged for several years before being filtered and fined for four months in steel caskets prior to bottling.

Not often you get Marsala as a drink rather than an ingredient. Woody, slightly musty raisined nose. Tangy, with sharp alcohol which balances. Be nice, drunk alongside zabaglione or with soft cheese (not blue). Nice and worth getting in.


Finest Reserve Port NV £12.99
Region: Douro
Availability: 710 tores
Abv: 20.0%
Winemaker: David Guimaraens Winery: Quinta & Vineyard Bottlers Vinhos SA
Residual Sugar: <130.0g/
Grape variety/ varieties: Tourigo Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Amarela
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow on steep hillside vineyards where no irrigation is permitted. Manual harvesting took place between mid September and mid October, and the grapes were then trodden by foot in traditional granite "lagares". Natural yeasts converted approximately 50% of the sugar to alcohol, before grape spirit was added to stop the fermentation. The wine was aged for three years in large wooden vats and was filtered before bottling.

Sweet and dark nose. Intense, dark and plummy palate. Rather good.

Late Bottled Vintage Port 2008 £14.99
Region: Douro
Availability: 381 stores
Abv: 20.0%
Winemaker: David Guimaraens Winery: Quinta & Vineyard Bottlers Vinhos SA
Residual Sugar: <130.0g/
Grape variety/ varieties: Tourigo Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Amarela
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow on steep hillside vineyards where no irrigation is permitted. Manual harvesting took place between mid September and mid October, and the grapes were then trodden by foot in traditional granite lagares. Natural yeasts converted approximately 50% of the sugar to alcohol, before grape spirit was added to stop the fermentation. The wine was aged for three years in large wooden vats and was filtered before bottling.

Very savoury, woody palate. Lovely.

10 Year Old Tawny Port NV £25.00
Region: Douro
Availability: 292 stores
Abv: 20.0%
Winemaker: David Guimaraens Winery: Quinta & Vineyard Bottlers Vinhos SA
Residual Sugar: <130.0g/
Grape variety/ varieties: Tourigo Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Amarela
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow on steep hillside vineyards where no irrigation is permitted. Manual harvesting took place between mid September and mid October, and the grapes were then trodden by foot in traditional granite lagares. Natural yeasts converted approximately 50% of the sugar to alcohol, before grape spirit was added to stop the fermentation. The wine was then aged in small oak pipes for an average of ten years prior to bottling.

Some milk chocolate on the nose. Fabulous palate. All chocolate, wood, raisined fruit and brown sugar. I adore this.



20 Year Old Tawny Port NV £15.99
Region: Douro
Availability: 277 stores
Abv: 20.0%
Winemaker: David Guimaraens Winery: Quinta & Vineyard Bottlers Vinhos SA
Residual Sugar: <130.0g/
Grape variety/ varieties: Tourigo Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Amarela
Viticulture/ Vinification: The grapes for this wine grow on steep hillside vineyards where no irrigation is permitted. Manual harvesting took place between mid September and mid October, and the grapes were then trodden by foot in traditional granite lagares. Natural yeasts converted approximately 50% of the sugar to alcohol, before grape spirit was added to stop the fermentation. The wine was then aged in small oak pipes for an average of twenty years prior to bottling.

Smells beautifully perfumed. I’d dab this on my wrists. OK, now, seriously, if you can find the extra £18 quid, this is way, way better. There are so many different flavours on this. Bright fruit acid and intensely perfumed.

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mel