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Chinon has been a long time coming to my website due to the fact that my memories of Chinon wine from 30 years ago did not match what I was tasting.Then I tasted this Chinon...Wow - Everything changed for me!Jean-Louis raises his wines in the most traditional manner imaginable and it comes through in his wines.Visually it's fun! the label on the bottle has an imprint of a wolf's paw in a wine glass to bring attention to the name of the plot of vines. The Wolves Gully... Nice name! Nice label!Then, the colour of the wine is warm and rich.The nose is full of summer fruit, raspberries, redcurrants, plums, etc.It's an easy quaff and keeps its nose and flavour right to the end of the bottle.It is delightful with most meat dishes, and tapas!Some people might want to chill the wine very slightly. I wouldn't.The age of the vines on average is 45 years and you don't want to upset them at that stage.But try it, by all means, if you'd like to...This is a traditional Chinon with all the flavour you'd expect from that.Like all our wines it is totally unoakedVegetarian and vegan friendly!You may find some residual gravel in the bottom of the bottle. It's just because it's made of grapes with very light filtering.
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Every now and then you want to open a really nice bottle of white Crémant that is as simple as it comes and that you don't have to think about - you just want to pop and enjoy! This is it! It doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. It is very dry! "BRUT" Tiny bubbles!Very clear in colour, and Oh So easy to sip!It's mainly the Chenin blanc varietal with just a touch of chardonnay to give that little bit extra, a smoothness that you can feel. The Chenin gives it a touch of honey in the back of the mouth, remember though that it is really dry!You can quaff it at any reception, celebration, dinner party, or just because you feel like having a glass of bubbly yourself! It is just gorgeous...This crisp, dry, elegant crémant has an apple bite with lemony and light toasty hints; delicious on its own as a celebration sparkler or match with savoury pastry canapés and seafood/white fish starters. Susy Atkins, wine critic and writer, 24/11/2020"Lemon/lime sherbet aromas, hint white pepper; a dry crisp and refreshing crémant."Susy Atkins; Three Wine Men, December 2019
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This astonishing medium-dry red Sparkling wine from the Saumur region is something that you don't find very often. It is truly delightful to the taste buds as well as totally unexpected.In essence, traditionally, it is for aperitifs, cocktails and receptions. Made 100% with the Cabernet Franc grape which is quite a tannic grape variety, the flavours of raspberries and blackcurrents come through and fill the mouth. With a gentle fizz in the background it is perfectly balanced with 49 gr/L residual fructose. Very much a medium-dry wine on the sweeter end of the scale. In fact, it is a pure delight throughout the whole meal. Especially barbecue lunch with grills and salads. Grilled pork chops, chicken wings and lamb chops too. It is just lovely throughout. It makes a change from a still red wine, and is as light as a feather! Because it is medium-dry (the sweeter end of the scale at 48g/1L) it can be paired with lots of different desserts too including trifle AND cranachan! Not many sparklers can be paired with trifle. Also strawberry and raspberry tart and custard. Even ice-cream!!! It needs to be opened a few minutes in advance. You do not want to lose the bubbles so better to put a stopper for sparkling wines on it. Serve well chilled from the fridge. 8°-10°. Joyful, medium-dry sparkler with juicy cherry and raspberry, lots of lively bubbles and a cleverly balanced sweet hint. One for chocolate cakes and summer barbecues! Susy Atkins, wine critic and writer, 24/11/2020 Domaine de la Guilloterie Sparking Red Fizz - Medium-Dry red fizz: Fruity, vibrant, refreshing and gorgeous. Such a treat with turkey and cranberry sauce. Olly Smith, wine critic and writer, December 2015 Perfect wine pairing - Scotts cranachan & red samur fizz. Fab! One for your list next yr @winematcher. Your ideas always good! Jane Kimberlin @Kimberlinwine January 2016 @AmandasWines
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Just a delightful Pinot Noir from this wonderful winegrower who makes the most marvellous wines from his small vineyard.The Sancerre red is a perfect example of unoaked Pinot noir.The colour is ruby red verging on brick.The nose is definitely Pinot! Cherries and sometimes almondy including some more earthy smells of mushrooms and wet leaves!The flavours match and therefore it's a pure delight with nutty flavoured cheeses like gruyère, comté, and some of the Pyrenees ewes cheeses such as Manchego.Pairs with chicken, duck, pork and fish... and of course mushrooms!Try it out with Chinese pork and chicken dishes... and nut cutlets!!!It's considered to be the healthiest grape variety due to the tannins about which they say the resveratrol preserves us from heart attacks and other cholestrol-linked medical problems.I need to say, however, that there is absolutely no scientific proof of this.In the meantime, it is really rather a nice summertime quaff!Especially slightly chilled...!!!!Totally UNOAKED as are all my winesSuitable for vegetarians and vegans
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This new 2020 vintage is probably the last of the absolutely outstanding vintages that we will have had in the Loire Valley, and other parts of France, since 2014. 7 years of outstanding vintages is just amazing! You'll be able to tell your grandchildren about this in time. This Sancerre keeps the elegance that we all know and love so well in Sancerre and it stands to attention just like it should. 100% Sauvignon blanc grape. This is definitely a food wine for the time being. It will become smoother over the next few months. Goes really well with all fishy dishes, you know... oysters, prawns, scampi, grilled barbecued fish... It's also really gorgeous with goats cheese, ham salads, roast chicken, in fact most white meats. It's really just scrumptious!!! All our wines are unoaked. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. La Gemiere Sancerre 2020: The new vintage of this fine Sancerre is refreshing and elegant, with plenty of lively fruit flavours, including softer melon and pear alongside crisper lemon and apple. There’s a mineral streak and just a touch of almond to it too. Bone-dry, it will suit many seafood and white fish dishes as well as lemony-dressed salads and goat’s cheese. Susy Atkins, wine critic and writer, November 2021
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At the foothills of the Chateau of Saumur is this fantastic little appellation. It is generally considered to be the strongest in flavour of all the reds from the Loire Valley. If you have visited the area you will, without doubt, have tasted some in a restaurant or with your picnic. 100% Cabernet Franc.The nose is chocabloc full of late, warm summer fruits - blackberries, blackcurrants and Victoria plums. (Remember the glorious summer we had? Still in the garden in late October or even early November!!!) The flavour is plummy - rich and plummy! The structure is without doubt superb! Not too tannic, not too flimsy. Whether you drink it now or like to keep you wines for a while, you will find this just gorgeous.This medium-bodied wine will pair with Sunday roast lamb or roast beef beautifully. You'll just love it!Suitable for vegetarians and vegansAll our wines are totally unoaked
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Yesss!!! it’s a really fresh, bone-dry white! Look no further… Made with the Chenin blanc grape variety, the first flavours are cool and refreshing and then you get my favourite flavours of Chenin… honey & pollen BUT it’s bone-dry! (For those in the know, that is 0g/1L) It’s really quite an amazing wine and undervalued at that. It easily matches all fish dishes, scampi, goats cheese and roast chicken. Actually, it is really nice with some easy quaffing tapas too! Greek mezes including taramasalata! Do you know what I mean? The tapas that are just a clam or two and some bell peppers in olive oil. Yumm! So easy! A stunning wine for Autumn evenings and drinks around the fire… dry perfection of white wine in a glass!!! All our wines are totally UNOAKED Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
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I get to taste many wines. I also taste the same wines from different vintages very often. So, when I went along to the grower to taste the new wines, I did not realise that I was about to be... WOWED! It happens when there is a stream of stunning vintages. There have been 6 stunning vintages some more stunning than other, but nevertheless stunning. So, I lined up the wines and as soon as I put my nose into the glass of this wine, I just knew it would be extraordinary!!! Initially, it is honey and pollen. Bone dry. Then, when the wine hits the tastebuds, it is pure butter!!! Yes, it is rich! It is that rich!!! I'm thinking about matching it with Dover sole in a cream sauce. Vegetable gratin. Asparagus in a cream sauce. Chicken dishes, and even some lightly spiced dishes (but only lightly spiced!) A delicious glass of wine for Autumn evening and drinks around the fire... All our wines are totally UNOAKED Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
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This gorgeous wine from the 2017 vintage is so yummy and it'll just get better and better.100% Cabernet Franc. The age of the vines is around 30 years.This is probably the lightest of all my cabernet franc wines. But for that it still has plenty of guts to it.The soft, elegant tannins make this wine warm and round and an easy match with so many dishes. The palate will love the finish of small red summertime fruit.It will pair beautifully with any lamb dish starting with the Sunday roast leg of lamb, but just imagine it with meze, kleftico, lamb & potato pie, mulligatawny soup, roast chicken or pork, cold cuts, farmhouse cheeseboard and, of course, the dinner with friends!Suitable for vegetarians and vegansAll our wines are totally unoaked!
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As soon as you see the wine poured you will love it! It is thick and black... 100% Cabernet Franc. The age of the vines is around 55-80 years. When you first look at the glass of wine you know you are going to love it - Intense...! The nose is powerful in it's complexity. Fruity! This wonderful cuvée is chocabloc full of rich red summer fruit. Blackcurrants and raspberries just fill the mouth and refuse to go away! And, just a hint of grilled nuts. Of course it will pair beautifully with any lamb dish starting with the Sunday roast leg of lamb, but just imagine it with meze, kleftico, lamb & potato pie, roast beef, venison, mulligatawny soup, the list is endless. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans Of course, totally Unoaked! Aromatic, with a lively raspberry note and a hint of blackcurrant leaf and pepper. A great match for aged Gouda, lamb meatballs and premium sausages. Susy Atkins, wine critic and writer, 24/11/2020
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Delightful bouquet of raspberries and blackcurrants, this Cabernet has loads of fruit supported by elegant, soft structured tannins, this is a must-have with all lamb and white meat dishes.A very versatile wine which will go with loads of dishes especially the Sunday roast. If you are in doubt as to which type of red wine to serve, this Cabernet will be the ticket!Awarded a Gold Star by Oz Clarke in 2008 at The Wine Show!At The 3 Wine Men 2014 Oz Clarke tasted it again and was overawed by the structured tannins, and the total taste of TERROIR. The fruit of the vines is prevalent as is the picture of the landscape where the vines are grown. He said it will last at least a further 10 years. What a wonderful quaff!In fact, we re-tasted this last summer, 2018, and WOW!This is real WOW factor for a wine which was always superb, then suddenly went mute!(Has that ever happened to you? A gorgeous wine stops talking to you while it is aging)Now it is just fabulous!!!Of course, it is no young chicken, nearly 15 years old and will beat all the newer wines hands-down...You can buy this wine all year round, but Christmas is particularly good.2005 was a stunning year anyway.It is full-bodied and ripe with black summer fruit.You really should give it a go!!!All our wines are totally unoaked!Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
“I remember tasting this wine with Amanda 10 years ago - it was fabulously fresh and powerful then. Now it’s still a beauty, with the irresistible extra graphite and undergrowth perfume of another 10 years lived in the calm serenity of Amanda’s cellar”
Oz Clarke; Three Wine Men, December 2019
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Jean-Marc Gallou has done it again - he has made the most wonderful Côt! 2011 was a piping hot year in the spring and the Côt has just loved it.It is just coming of age and is just beginning to find the fruit at the back of the tongue.Very soon it will be just lovely, maybe even for Christmas this year. Even so, it is still lovely and needs very much to be matched with food.You must think of a huge steak, or venison, or duck. It also loves strong, smelly cheeses - adores goats cheese! (Sometimes doctors tell patients with heart problems to have a small glass of a very tannic wine. This would be suitable)It is definitely a food wine!All our wines are totally unoaked!Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
