Wine of the Month

Red Wine 

Batasiolo Barbera D’Alba Sovrana 2015: Piedmont, Italy.

£15.00

Barbera d’Alba is found in the northwest region of Piedmont, Italy. The wine is produced from 100% Barbera planted in and around the town of Alba, on the steep slopes of vineyards which often share soil with two other famous Italian grape varieties, Nebbiolo and Dolcetto. Barbera is an ancient grape which has thrived in the region for centuries and as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy. This wine is a tasty little example which both surprisingly and pleasantly recently outdid a Batasiolo Barolo. Deep ruby in the glass, well balanced acidity and a long finish, the wine provides flavours of dark fruit, leather and with red ripening berries with mushroom notes. Decant for a good two hours to allow the subtle integration of oak, vanilla and mocha on that long finish. A red wine to complement red meat, game and cheese!

Sparkling Wine 

Wiston Estate NV Sparkling Rose: Pulborough, Sussex.

SBT Edition Price £23.00

Made right here in Sussex by the hugely talented winemaker Dermot Sugrue, this Wiston Rosé NV captures the essence of summer, with fragrant notes of rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant, wild roses, lemon zest and a touch of sherbet on the finish. Underlying all of this is a backbone of crushed oyster shells – think subtle minerality, some savoury qualities and salinity – which reflects the pure chalk terroir where the vines are grown. For those brave souls who might like to pair this wine with food, then tuna and salmon steaks, shrimps and prawns, duck and Charcuterie or a Red Berry Fresh Fruit Salad are ideal. Either way, with or without food, this is a superbly elegant wine with tiny, persistent bubbles and a refreshing acidity that makes one go back for more. Well, why wouldn’t you?!

Sponsored by  Bouquet Limited, Purveyors of Fine Wines. 

Well, with May on the horizon and the days becoming perceptively longer, we at Bouquet Ltd thought it only right to think about celebrating the later spring and early summer days by turning our attention to some of England’s finest sparkling wine and in deference to the family roots of our esteemed publisher, a fine bottle of Italian red reminds us that some steaks, roasts and casseroles aren’t totally out of our seasonal minds just yet. 

Bouquet Ltd are thrilled to be asked to sponsor this month’s “Wine of the Month.” We are suppliers of a wide range of wines from “Popular and Modern” through to “Fine and Rare” to both the trade and private clients. After forming an alliance with Top Shelf Wine Services, we offer tasting experiences from within the comfort of your home to major corporate events, bespoke sourcing of wines upon client’s requests and broking portfolio sales along with help in auction placement for client’s collections.