{"title":"The Wines that have Impressed the Press","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"blank-bottle-master-of-none-2023","title":"Master of None Blank Bottle 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eA madcap blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Pinot Noir and Pinotage, with 16% white grape varieties blended in too. Very juicy, very drinkable! Suited to serving chilled down - lots of strawberry juice, cherry and herbaceous and earthy notes too, blackcurrant leaf and pomegranate. It's a fun little wine to not be taken too seriously. Like Pieter's answer to a Beaujolais-villages and ultimate 'vin de soif.' This 2023 is clean, pure and brilliant. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEvery one of Pieter’s wines is a story, rather than a grape variety, and it’s the juice inside the bottle which reveals that story. He doesn’t own any vines, but instead scours South Africa’s winelands for top-quality fruit that has somehow slipped under the radar, now sourcing from nearly 70 sites. Some years he’ll make 20 wines, other years 35. With the benefit of anonymity, variety and regional identity take a back seat while parcel expression does the driving. These are some of South Africa’s most original wines, made by one of South Africa’s most original winemakers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BLANK BOTTLE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54940190704002,"sku":"A5046123","price":22.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/Blank-Bottle-Master-of-None-23.jpg?v=1786024733"},{"product_id":"valpolicella-classico-superiore-monte-santoccio-2022","title":"Valpolicella Classico Superiore Monte Santoccio 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-teams=\"true\"\u003e93 points. One of the top scoring Valpolicella's in Decanter. Such a lovely nose, and this feels so natural to drink. In this beautiful 2022 you get a scent of cherry, but it's not tight, it's open and charming, with some notes a bit, almost of Pinot Noir, and the weight of  Burgundy, but then there's a lovely hint of bitter herbs, but just faintly so, like in a vermouth. The palate is pure, fruity and elegant, although with a savoury element, too. It holds really well in the bottle once opened. Certainly for a few days. It's completely ready to drink on day one, but opens up and gets a bit better on day two, and then holds well for a few days. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSometimes you taste a good wine, decide to buy it – and that’s that. And sometimes, well, sometimes you change flights, rent a car, cancel several meetings, and get lost in the hills of Valpolicella in order to taste some wines that you just have a feeling about. Robin’s instinctive pursuit of Nicola’s wines was an adventure in itself - and one that was entirely worth it. Formerly an assistant to the legendary Valpolicella producer Giusseppe Quintarelli, Nicola Ferrari now makes (far too little of) his own wine from 3ha of organically farmed vines in Fumane. Production is very small, and we often hit the limits of our allocation far earlier than we’d like. Nicola’s Valpols and Amarones remind us of the very great wines of this region’s past. There’s none of the insipid sweetness that you find with the more modern versions – instead these demand attention, and reward it with complexity and proper depth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MONTE SANTOCCIO","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55093726052738,"sku":"A3726122","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/BC_Upload_00d31839-e80e-4414-b401-74c1ebde6a09.jpg?v=1743512365"},{"product_id":"clochard-la-calcinara-2024","title":"Clochard La Calcinara 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Nutty nose. A fine Italian substitute for white burgundy” \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eJancis Robinson MW.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo named Clochard, meaning vagrant in French for being produced from verdicchio vines that lie outside the Verdicchio Castelli DOC boundary. Never underestimate the outsider! This is really very smart- lime zest, spring hawthorn and apple blossom, with a fine, chalky element and touch of cardamon too. The palate is zippy and bursting with life - lime juice, a gentle bitter and creamy almond note, and briney freshness too, finishing long and with long, yellow-pepper accented tang. The calcareous soils of their land is certainly evident.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLocated in the rolling hills of Ancona in the Marche, on the eastern coast of Italy, La Calcinara is headed up by the high-spirited and talented Berluti siblings, Paolo and Eleonora.  Even spending just 5 minutes with them, their energy, enthusiasm and love of wine is infectious. Their 12 ha of vines and olive groves are farmed organically, and winemaking is minimal intervention, with only very low additions of SO2 at bottling.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LA CALCINARA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55554298216834,"sku":"A4326124","price":22.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/BC_Upload_e880840f-859f-473b-adc9-3200235ccb15.jpg?v=1786024531"},{"product_id":"chateau-la-cardonne-medoc-2019","title":"Chateau La Cardonne Medoc 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe picked Chateau La Cardonne out of a tasting of around 60 Cru Bourgeois 2023s as our favourite. We contacted the Chateau and it turned out they had some stunning older vintages.  We started off with excellent 2019. It's classical in style - subtle, a beautiful drink with finesse and freshness. Fine and sophisticated.  We love this style of Bordeaux. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most high of the gravel mounds in Bordeaux, and formerly owned by Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. When they were selling, a customer who liked the wine so much bought it from them. The winemaker of Lafite came with him, and subsequently they've had the former winemaker of Chateau Lynch-Bages, until vintage 2025. Soon, another Bordeaux winemaking luminary will be joining them to oversee vintage 2026, onwards. It speaks volumes for the terroir and vision of this Chateau that these top winemakers have wanted to work here. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chateau la Cardonne","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56254581178754,"sku":"A7096119","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/BC_Upload_8e7d31bd-7d58-43ff-a84b-09af2ca608a2.png?v=1769084852"},{"product_id":"rondavel-hills-chenin-blanc-tembela-wines-2025","title":"Rondavel Hills Chenin Blanc 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-teams=\"true\"\u003eFrom the winner of South Africa's New Generation Winemaker of the Year, Banele Vakele of Tembela wines! Rondavel Hills Chenin Blanc is delicious. T\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehe nose has melon and peach, with a hint of chalkiness and minerality that comes across on the palate as a nice streak of citrus. It's full but not too full, showing tension and restraint. It drinks so easily. We had it with chicken and courgettes and it could not have been a better match. In fact, it slipped down so easily that we reached for a second bottle.  This will be excellent with so many dishes. But it's gorgeous to sip and have with nibbles. And it's only 12.5% alc!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"im\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eOld vine Chenin grown in the Swartland, produces this rich, texture and joyous wine that is bright and so nicely balanced too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eBanele grew up in Cape Town's largest township, Khayelitsha. He still lives there, looking after four younger siblings, after his mum died. He earned a scholarship to a Constantia high school and his classroom looked out over a vineyard, he sat there daydreaming about what life in wine would be like. He got a degree at Elsenberg Agricultural College and enrolled on the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Protégé programme, where he did stints in Burgundy, Oregon and Yarra Valley. The final stage was with Savage wines. Such was Duncan's fondness and respect for Banele as a person and winemaker, he was there for 7 year. Banele's wine, Tembela, is named after his mother, which means faith, hope and belief. \u003cspan class=\"im\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBanele has chosen the name Rondavel Hills for his other wines, as it reminds him of the huts dotted around the rolling hills in the Eastern Cape where he was born.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Rondavel Hills","offers":[{"title":"DUTY PAID","offer_id":56318735024514,"sku":"A7016125","price":16.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/img.png?v=1772806723"},{"product_id":"lesprit-de-provence-rose-le-grand-cros-2025","title":"L'Esprit de Provence Rose Le Grand Cros 2025","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"\u003eThis is perfect, fresh, crisp, pale Provencal rose. From the upper stonier slopes of the Domaine, well exposed to the sun, but with fresh nights, that makes this wine more mineral and dry than some rose. Taut raspberry and lavender notes on the nose and palate. Beautifully elegant. It will keep fresh for a quite number of days, so there's no need to tank through it!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e#Tasting#\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLocated in the foothills of the Massif des Maures, the stunning Grand Cros estate is like something out of a feelgood Romcom, with the old manor house and vineyards surrounded by pine trees, olive groves and dry stone terraces. Owned by the Faulkner family since 1989, they're a traditional family run outfit who bowled us over with their integrity and humble genius, foregoing the marketing bumph of some of their neighbours to produce honest and delicious wines. And we're not the only ones who think so, in 2015, Decanter magazine selected their 2014 rosé as best rosé in the world, as well as the range catching the attention of none other than the queen of vino herself, Jancis Robinson, who has included their wines in no less than 3 of her top 10 lists for the year. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LE GRAND CROS","offers":[{"title":"DUTY PAID","offer_id":56494852047234,"sku":"A3756125","price":17.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/products\/L_espritlegrandcros_8dc56292-9db5-4bda-9ba0-0920f0fdeaf2.jpg?v=1786024344"},{"product_id":"the-frontier-grenache-blanc-glen-heatlie-2023","title":"The Frontier Grenache Blanc Glen Heatlie 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eOnly 1,400 bottles made! This 100% Grenache Blanc is a gorgeous drop for summer. Only the third vintage made by Joan Heatlie and it's a stunner. It has caught the attention of Decanter who say: 'This stunning new vintage shows spicy notes of ginger and dried pineapple, with quince, Golden Delicious apple and a note of macadamia coming through on what is a bone-dry, concentrated and texturally engaging palate. Gorgeously persistent and savoury to finish, it's a triumph.' and Platter's who say '...Sun-ripe yellow apple, quince \u0026amp; pineapple with baking spice nuance from wild ferment...Richness balanced \u0026amp; lifted by juicy acid, elegant dryness.'. We only have 90 bottles so grab some while you can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine comes from 9-year-old bush vines located on the east-facing “Agter-Groenberg” slope in Wellington, with vines oriented east to west. The site’s deep clay soils are rich in iron ferricrete at the surface. Fermentation is in 500 litre barrels with indigenous yeasts, it has Sur-lie contact for 15 months, with additional Grenache Blanc fine lees added at the 9 month mark. Minimal sulphur is added and there is no filtration or stabilization.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Glen Heatlie","offers":[{"title":"DUTY PAID","offer_id":56629219623298,"sku":"A7266123","price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/GlenHeatlieGrenacheBlanc.png?v=1786032138"},{"product_id":"la-despensa-boutique-estate-pais-2024","title":"La Despensa Boutique Estate Pais 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA beautiful wine, bursting with sweet strawberry and a tang of cherry. The fruit is lovely and generous, but it remains so light on its feet. the tannins are super fine, so that you feel and appreciate them, but they cause you no bother. A touch of cracked black pepper lingers on a super lovely, long finish. Gorgeous now, particularly with a light chill and it'll continue to please for the next few years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e#Tasting#\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatt Ridgway and La Despensa's story is one I think many people dream of; what started as back packing in South America, led to teaching English, working in real estate, then eventually settling in the foothills of the Andes, after meeting his Chilean wife Ana. What was started as a small planting project, where he could exchange fruit for finished wine, turned into a full operation, with the winemaking itch leading him to launch his own label in 2020.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's the true definition of Boutique winemaking, he has just 1 other full time employee and you'll catch Matt pruning vines, scrubbing out his steel tanks and labelling and wax dipping his bottles. I love projects like this, where tiny producers with big dreams produce characterful, artisanal wines that have the quality to rival giant operations. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"La Despensa","offers":[{"title":"DUTY PAID","offer_id":56940047532418,"sku":"A7646124","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/BC_Upload_1889164b-ba0e-4992-b4bb-210b47cb8fcf.png?v=1790248976"},{"product_id":"a-half-dozen-thats-impressed-the-press","title":"A half dozen that's impressed the press!","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe know our wines and back them to the hilt. However! It's hard not to get a little excited when the critics shower praise on a wine or producer you know and love. It doesn't get old. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe've made a mixed half dozen of wines loved by both us, and the most renowned and regarded critics and journalists in the wine trade. With both critic and Swig staffer tickled pink by these wines, we think you should be too!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swig","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56942689780098,"sku":"PRESSFAVEHALFDOZEN","price":136.85,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2466\/1541\/files\/5f3a3100-7a0d-4ce6-b37f-db6336f7635c.jpg?v=1790336618"}],"url":"https:\/\/swig.co.uk\/collections\/the-wines-that-have-impressed-the-press\/grape-molinara.oembed","provider":"Swig","version":"1.0","type":"link"}