WHAT DOES RAJ DRINK ON HIS DAYS OFF?

Character & Tasting Notes — Rich red fruit characters over a chalky minerality and green apple freshness.

Frédéric Savart makes another appearance in a Clink Clink bundle; truly demonstrating the incredible nature of his wines across the range. L’Accomplie is a blend of two villages, Villers-aux-Noeuds and Ecueil, and is a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. It’s partially aged in large barrels, with half aged in stainless, before going to bottle. The style which Fred aims for is one of depth & complexity, through his use of barrels and fastidious work in the vineyard, whilst retaining freshness. For a former football player that didn’t touch a drop of alcohol until he was 19, he’s certainly solidified himself as one of the most exciting vignerons presently within Champagne.

Character & Tasting Notes — Layers of exotic spice, white peaches & wild mint over an iron-rich minerality

The wines of Savoie have only recent entered the radar for even the most ardent of wine drinkers, with their consumption mainly being in the surrounding alps and for a long time of mediocre at best quality. Such producers as Belluard have changed the paradigm of quality form the region, being known as the ‘Saviour of Gringet’ with half of the 20 hectares of Gringet belonging to Belluard. It is a versatile grape that is made into both still and sparkling examples; often showing delicate aromatics and floral characters. Belluard’s Le Feu comes from their oldest vines planted in red, iron-rich soils adding depth & complexity to the wine, with layers of exotic spice over a crunchy minerality. A truly unique example of a grape that almost ceased to be.

Character & Tasting Notes —Pure fruited expression of Chardonnay, with ripe stone fruits, vibrant citrus and a distinctive minerality.

The estate of Bernard Bonin was born in 1998, when Veronique Bernard Bonin’s grandfather split his domaine, Domaine Michelot, into three with Veronique taking vines from her mother’s vineyards to create Domaine Bernard Bonin, with her husband Nicolas Bonin. The estate is based in Meursault, as are most of their 7-hectares of vines. Their strict work in the vines allows them to let the wines express themselves in the cellars, with as little intervention as possible. The use of only natural yeasts, no fining or filtering and minimal sulphur combined with restraint use of new oak allows their wines to shine through with a purity of fruit and flavour. The fruit for their Bourgogne Blanc comes from a single parcel located up the slope between Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet, and given the same attention in the cellars as all of their other plots. An incredibly exciting estate to try and get your hands on.

Character & Tasting Notes — Wild berries & rhubarb flavours sitting atop a distinctive granitic flavour on the palate

Jean-Louis Dutraive represents the fifth generation of Domaine de la Grand’Cour, joining his father at the estate in 1977. The family’s total holdings comprise of 11.5 hectares, all farmed organically, with additional grapes being purchased from fellow local growers. Carolon, an example of purchased grapes, is a high-altitude vineyard in the north-west of Fleurie, within Beaujolais, on granitic soils. This steep vineyard with shallow soils leads to a distinctive minerality running through its core of vibrant wild berry character. The wine is aged in very large format oak, to not impart oaky-characters but to impart further texture to the wine and help the flavours further integrate.

Character & Tasting Notes — Red berry fruits balanced by a savoury edge

Envinate, which literally translates as ‘wine yourself’, is the project of four passionate young winemakers: Roberto Santana, Jose Martinez, Laura Ramos and Alfonso Torrente. The four met while studying oenology in 2005 and formed a collective based on a shared philosophy of wine and a desire to explore the ancient, Atlantic influenced terroirs of western Spain. Their exploration takes them Spain’s Canary Islands to Ribeira Sacra, which is where their Lousas Mencia comes from. Lousas is the local Galician for ‘slate’, with a distinct nod to the slate-driven soils of the region. Several vineyards come together here to produce the Lousas, with each of them being over 60 years old. The wine is technically a blend of Mencia and an array of local varieties to the region, being roughly 90% Mencia. The wine is aged in a combination of barrels and concrete for around a year, and bottled aiming to capture the freshness of the wine with lifted red fruits balanced by a savoury edge.

Character & Tasting Notes — Nuances of bacon fat and violet aromas of Syrah from the Rhône

For over 25 years now, Hervé Souhaut has been producing wines under his eponymous label. Based in the Rhône, his Vin de Pays Syrah comes from a parcel along the Doux River where the vines have an average age of almost 50 years. Long fed-up with wines that take 5 to 10 years to become drinkable, Souhaut’s style is marked by youthful approachability and drinkability. His use of whole bunch fermentation helps to create an overall softer expression of Syrah.