Sparkling Wine & Champagne

Santa Margherita tell me this wine is basically the same as their other rose spumante, although it is from a different cuvee/vintage. This one with the new presentation is set to replace the more traditional bottle.

However the wines are different with this being a bit paler in a lighter fresher style, doubtless because the older one has a few months more bottle age. We tasted them back to back at Carlo's where they both went down very well. The quality of both is excellent, opt for this if you prefer the lighter style, opt for the other if you prefer more concentration of flavour. They are both worthy replacements for the limited edition "52" which has just about finished.

Santa Margherita Prosecco "P" D.O.C. is an excellent prosecco from one of the region's finest producers. A fine mousse, full of fruit with balanced acidity and a crisp dry finish. This is good quality wine at a great price.

James Suckling 92 Points

Franciacorta Ca del Bosco Prestige Cuvee Brut Rose is a stunning sparkling rose wine with extremely limited availability. Ca del Bosco make quite a bit of their excellent white Franciacorta Cuvee Prestige Brut, and it is a beautiful wine. But for this Rose version production is much more limited.

Ca del Bosco is part of the Santa Margherita Group of wineries, all of whom produce high quality wines. The Ca del Bosco still wines are very highly rated and highly sought after, but it is their excelent Franciacorta that they are best known for. Indeed they have helped establish the reputation of Franciacorta as the best region for sparkling wines in Italy - referred to by some as "Italian Champagne".

Gambero Rosso - Due Bicchieri

Please note this is genuine UK tax paid stock unlike many other internet retailers  

Ca del Bosco Franciacorta Prestige Cuvee Brut is a spectacular sparkling wine, one of Italy's best, and in my opinion far better than many Champagnes double the price!

Fresh stock just landed (April 2020)

Santa Margherita 52 Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. is the top Prosecco from this excellent winery, from the premier region of Valdobbiadene. Whilst called " Extra Dry" it is fruity and almost sweet on the palate with a bone dry finish. It is delicious!

Gilbert & Gaillard Wine Guide - Gold Medal

Linard Gontier Brut Champagne is a fantastic Champagne at a cracking price. Way better than the vast majority of branded Champagnes at twice the price!

Soligo's notes state:

The grapes are hand-picked in September. At the winery, the grapes are gently pressed and then undergo a slow fermentation process in stainless steel tanks using selected yeasts. The Charmat technique is used to produce this sparkling wine.

Straw yellow with greenish reflections.

Dry, intense and persistent with freshness and sapidity that lead to a fruity finish.

I believe we are the only stockist of this wine in the UK.

Franciacorta Riserva Ca del Bosco Anamaria Clementi 2008 Vintage Collection.

The same exceptional care as with their other top Franciacortas. This wine was aged sur lies for nine years! Exceptional.

Franciacorta Riserva Ca del Bosco Dosage Zero Noir 2008 Vintage Collection.

The grapes are sourced from three small Pinot Noir vineyards at Ca del Bosco's Belvedere estate at 460 metres altitude just south of Lake Iseo. The grapes were picked by hand on September 2nd 2008. Then bunches were hand selected. They are extremely careful at pressing to extract only the clear juice and no pulp, so in fact they only get 50% or less from each grape! The wine is then fermented and matured in small oak casks for 5 months before a short period in steel tanks. Then the blend of the three vineyard wines is made and subsequently aged on the lees for a further eight years and three  months!

Costes Cirgues Cremant de Marinas Blanc is  a new wine from David. Please note it does say "contains sulphites" on the label. This is because some sulphites are produced naturally during the secondary fermentation. However these are in tiny amounts and harmless so the wine can still be treated as sulphite free.

Independent English Wine Awards - Silver Medal

A new biodynamic sparkling wine for us, from England!

This Laverstoke Farm 2015 Brut was made in the traditional Champagne method, with extensive lees ageing for four years. It is also made from the traditional Champagne grapes of course, in this case dominated by Pinot Noir which is how I personally prefer my vintage Champagnes.

It is excellent, easily as good as any vintage Champagne at this price point, Really fine mousse, big biscuity flavours, toasty with a long finish.

It's also very natural being biodymically certified by Demeter, with the benefit of organic and biodynamic farming. As it's a sparkling wine the naturally produced CO2 acts an antioxidant so it is very low sulphite too.

I strongly urge you to give ait a try and support our domestic wine industry!

Domaine Mayrac Cremant de Limoux is a superb organic sparkling wine, more in the style of Champagne being rich and biscuity, rather than the fruitier, greener Prosecco style - if you want that style opt for their Blanquette instead.

Domaine Mayrac Blanquette de Limoux Demi Sec is a delicious organic sparkling wine, very low in sulphites in the sweeter "demi sec" style.

Domaine Mayrac Blanquette de Limoux Brut is a superb sulphite free, organic dry sparkling wine.