B. Fouquet Aubuisieres Vouvray Brut
$22.94
Serious bubbles that are consistently the "best value in its appellation" - this is not just a great value, it is also a favourite of both Kensington Wine Market staff AND the staff of our next-door neighbour's Peasant Cheese!
Bernard Fouquet is now making some of the most highly regarded wines in the Vouvray region. He is now regarded in France and with the international press as one of the top Vouvray producers, yet that is not reflected in his prices, which remain extremely reasonable. He captures the mineral tones unique to Vouvray’s terroir, along with a harmonious balance of explosive fruit and the vibrant tension of the Chenin Blanc grape. This is one of our best-selling sparkling wines, year in and year out, and while it's the perfect wine to start any festive occasion it would also pair nicely with turkey.
Piron Beaujolais Villages
$21.59
Dominique Piron’s family has been growing grapes here since the 16th century, and Dominique took over the estate in 1971. Piron farms 45 hectares of vineyards scattered among several different crus in Beaujolais, namely Morgon, Chénas, Brouilly, Régnié and Moulin-à-Vent. He owns some parcels, rents others, and also buys 20 hectares worth of carefully selected grapes from their neighbours. Regardless of where the grapes are sourced, Piron is responsible for every aspect of quality control from the vineyard management to the marketing of the finished wine. They take such great care of each of their crus that even the simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines are carefully selected from single-vineyard parcels. Each of their terroirs is unique, yet they are all granite-based soils—the ideal grounding for the Gamay grape. Piron farms sustainably, although he has also been experimenting with organic methods to achieve a rich biodiversity in the vineyards.
Becker Family Pinot Noir
$37.39
We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
Grosjean Petite Arvine
$42.39
Valle d'Aosta is an Alpine region in North-West Italy known for expressive and mineral-focused wines. The first authentic records, found in the historic archive of the Valle d'Osta, state that the first appearance of the Grosjean Family name was around the 16th century. Originally from Switzerland, the Petite Arvine grape has adapted well to the valley’s conditions. Introduced to the region during the 1970s, it occupied the central part of the valley and was planted at an altitude between 600 and 900 metres above sea level. It has become well suited to their draining steep mountainsides. A recent study shows that the Petite Arvine seems to have a close link to the native Prié Blanc grape. Try it with appetizers, white fish and poultry.
B. Fouquet Aubuisieres Cuvee de Silex
$22.94
The Cuvee de Silex from Domaines des Aubuisieres is made from mostly hand-picked five-plus decade-old Chenin Blanc vines in the Loire Valley.
Soils for 'Cuvée Silex' are exclusively flint stone (silex in French means flint), imparting a smoky, mineral essence to the wine. Look for a bouquet of pear, green apple, quince, and melon that develops notes of mineral and honey. The wine is ever so slightly off-dry, which lends it a juicy freshness. Expressive and exceptionally well balanced on the palate with lots of lemon and a trace of anise. Great with turkey or salmon.
Tedeschi San Rocco Ripasso
$27.99
Ripasso wine is made using an ancient winemaking technique called "ripasso." (Some call it the poor man's Amarone!) The young Valpolicella wine is fermented with the unpressed but drained skins and lees left over from making Amarone. This adds flavor and intensity though Ripasso normally has a lighter taste than Amarone wines, which makes it easier to combine with food, and is often less expensive. Fruity, well-balanced and very well structured. Best food matches are: red meat, game and cheeses.
Wittmann Weisser Burgunder
$26.99
Wittmann is a highly regarded producer whose history dates back to the 17th century. The current winery was built in 1829 but the winemaking employs state-of-the-art viticulture. The vineyards are certified biodynamic and fermentations rely on natural yeasts. The fruit is manually harvested and sorted and all the press wine is transferred to tank via gravity flow. Wittmann has been highly awarded in the German wine press and now produces some of the most coveted wines produced in the country.
Mayu Rose
$16.99
Viña Mayu was established in 2005 in the Elqui Valley, the first fine wine producer to enter the wine business since 1998. Mauro Olivier was one of the pioneers, planting vines for fine wine production and sourcing grapes from the different vineyards in the valley. He started working on his family vineyards for table grape production at a young age; years later he began working in Pisco production (the national Chilean spirit, made from white wine). In 2000, he planted the first Carménère and Syrah vines in the valley. 5 years later, in 2005, he decided it was time to embark on his own wine project, under Mayu label. Mayu is an ancient INCA name for the Milky Way, literally meaning "creek of stars." The region lies 400 km (250 mi) north of Santiago, at the southern end of the Atacama Desert in the Coquimbo region, and rises to 2000 metres above sea level. These are great value wines produced from what is effectively a high- altitude desert. The hot arid climate allows for good ripening while the cold desert nights help preserve acidity.
Best`s Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz
$27.99
Bin No. 1 is a classic, cool-climate, aromatic Shiraz, made in a style that's floral, spicy and peppery yet retains generous fruit characteristics and intensity. It's a well-balanced wine where alcohol does not dominate, as it can do with some Aussie Shiraz. This is an elegant wine crafted to drink now and makes a great accompaniment to food.
James Suckling awarded it 95 points with the following review:"This is a traditional Australian Shiraz in the best sense, with a wealth of black, red and ripe orange fruit. Deep and rich, with a stunningly fine tannin structure and a lovely blood orange freshness at the long, structured and spicy finish. Excellent aging potential. Drink or hold."
And from James Halliday: "A vibrant, deeply coloured Shiraz with that distinctive Grampians peppery bouquet with briar, black cherry, mixed berry, aniseed and bush mint. Pepperiness lights up the palate which is supple and dark fruited, driving long." Rating: 92 Points
All in all, pretty impressive for a $33 bottle of wine.