Why We Like It

Interesting story coming soon…

What To Expect

It’s great! 

Proper tasting note coming soon… 

Chardonnay / 12% / Champagne, France / 75cl

Why We Like It

Having moved from the music industry into wine ourselves, we feel a certain kinship with Westwell winemaker Adrian Pike. The two go hand in hand; both an endlessly spiralling black hole of genres and regions, artist and producers, vintages and albums, record labels and well… labels.

Westwell finds itself situated on Kent's chalky soils, perfect for planting the three Champagne varieties that go into their wonderful NV. But the main reason we were first attracted to them was a review of their amphora aged Ortega that flagged it as one of the most interesting wines in England. A couple of taps on a keyboard later, this orange blossom scented textural delight had us converted.

Digging a little deeper, is seems Adrian may have left the music industry behind, but kept with him the undying urge to discover something new. Whether that's making pink pet nat, or finding the best way to work as sustainably as possible in England's wet climate.

Westwell are making some of the best, and still somehow under the radar, wines in the UK. If you want taste of what is to come from the vineyards of England, have a try of Westwell yourself.

What To Expect

Simply put, this is England's answer to Muscadet. With strict attention to detail in the vineyard and forward thinking winemaking from Adrian, this unloved and forgotten German variety is coaxed into a precise, mineral and crisp wine that will be perfect with a plate of freshly shucked oysters.

Ortega / 11.5% / Kent, England / 75cl

Why We Like It

Usually we try to write everything in these blurbs ourselves, but Craven themselves sum it up so succinctly; ‘Honest, pure wines from single sites’. Tasting their 2022 Chardonnay was a bit of an epiphany of us. Such precision and purity at an ABV of 11.5% was not something we had experienced before. On that basis, we ordered across the board.

It’s also very important that we say here, these are not your typical big, bold, oaked Stellenbosch wines. The name of the game here is expression of fruit and site. Winemaking is hands off; no cultured yeast, fining agents or enzymes get anywhere near Mick and Jeanine’s wines.

We implore you to give them a go, you’ll see a side to Stellenbosch you might not have experienced before.

What To Expect

With this wine… quite literally, the unexpected. A skin-contact Pinot Gris with a gorgeous rich pinky orange colour. It’s a textural experience backed up by ripe citrus, orange peel and nectarine. Chill it down as an aperitif, or let it warm up a bit with food. It’s a curiosity that is immensely moorish.

Pinot Gris / 12% / Stellenbosch, South Africa / 75cl

Why We Like It

‘Incredible. MUST BUY!’

Jean Baptiste Souillard’s Viognier is the wine to which this particularly emphatic tasting note refers… and the rest of his wines aren’t exactly lacklustre either.

When you do a little digging, it becomes clear why these bottles are quite so inspiring; this vigneron takes his winemaking incredibly seriously. With six winemaking diplomas to his name and vintages at Latour in Bordeaux and Comte Armand in Burgundy (with Benjamin Leroux), Jean Baptiste is obviously a serious winemaker.

It’s the time spent in Burgundy that defines the approach he refers to as the ‘Cistercian Method’, i.e. one plot, one wine. Since 2014, this approach has led him to become a micro-negotiant sourcing grapes from excellent plots in Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Peray and Cornas amongst others, focusing on granite soils to ensure he gets concentrated fruit, not necessarily found on other terroirs. He also makes VdF Viognier and Syrah blends that act as a fantastic entry point to the Souillard style.

The winemaking, as you would expect, focuses on quality of fruit and place with ageability firmly in mind. Fermentation in stainless steel and ageing in neutral oak are the norm. The reds are predominantly whole cluster to retain their vibrancy, pressing is gentle and filtration minimal, so as not to obstruct the full character of the wine.

What To Expect

Still made with the same skill and attention as his single parcels, the single varietal blends are a fantastic entry point to Jean-Baptiste’s wines. A blend of two parcels in the southernmost limits of the northern Rhône, Souillard’s deft winemaking here nails those peppery, smokey, and black cherry notes that we expect from the region. This is Plouf to a tee.

Syrah / 13% / Rhone, France / 75cl