We love Jane MacQuitty’s Times top 100 Summer series
Every year we look forward to Jane’s top 100 series, and we were thrilled that no less than five of our wines were chosen this year for her summer selection:
“Bishops Head’s home is Waipara, just north of Canterbury on the New Zealand south island where the cool climate produces grand pinot noir and riesling. Indeed the winery gets its name from the giant limestone rock face in the Waipara gorge known as the Bishops Head. In the stampede for Kiwi sauvignon, Kiwi rieslings have almost been ignored, which is a pity becausePeter Saunders, of Bishops Head, has made a cracking off-dry, tongue tingling, racy, steely, floral riesling.”
Château Lamothe-Vincent 2009
"Since 2000 it has been reassuring to see the Bordelais treat their white wines as seriously as their reds, with standards rising greatly. Last year was a great Bordeaux vintage, yet not quite so starry for whites as it was for reds. Even so, any one lapping up this lively herb-laden white, made predominantly from sauvignon blanc grapes topped up with sémillon, will have no complaints.”
Sancerre André Dezat et Fils 2008
“André Dezat is one of the great producers in Sancerre from a long line of vignerons dating back to the 1550’s. André and his sons, Simon and Louis, moved with the times though and were among the first producers in the 1950’s to plant pinot noir and make Sancerre rouge and rosé. With old vines planted on Sancerre’s Chalky, Flinty and stony oils, the Dezat style is complex and concentrated with this elegant, floral, verdant’08 oozing delicious gooseberry fruit.”
“The Matrot estate, one of the largest and most important properties in Meursault, now run by Thierry and his wife Pascale, is one of the oldest Domaine bottlers in Burgundy. Size is not everything but Matrot’s mature vines, averaging 30 years of age, and their low yields produce some wonderful wines. Enjoy this majestic red burgundy with its fine, ripe, velvet, gamey strawberry fruit with roast lamb.”
“West of St Emilion en route to the sleepy quayside town of Libourne, a tiny estate produces the St Emilion Grand Cru Fleur d’Arthus and its second wine, Château Le Cèdre d’Arthus. The latter is only designated a humble Bordeaux Supérieur as its vines are outside the appellation. Expect lots of terrific mature, gamey, leathery, sandalwood-scented, right bank claret elegance from this dinky, tiny vineyard. Perfect with rare roast beef salads. “
