Wine Competition in association with WineDirect

Head over to our Facebook page now to be in with the chance of winning one of our brilliant freestanding wine coolers along with a wonderful tasting case worth over £180 featuring highly rated signature white wine varietals from some of the top wine estates in the world. The wine is courtesy of WineDirect.co.uk who are one of the leading fine wine retailers in the UK. Their website is definitely worth a visit for any wine lovers out there.

Along with the wine cooler pictured above, the lucky winner will wine 12 bottles of wine, 2 of each from the list below:

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2014 – £15.95 (New Zealand – Sauvignon Blanc)

The best ever vintage of this benchmark Sauvignon Blanc from legendary winemaker Kevin Judd, founder winemaker of Cloudy Bay now setting new standards of excellence at his own winery. The 2014 vintage was lauded with a 93 point rating from Wine Spectator magazine.. ”Smooth and succulent, with supple melon, peach and lemon meringue flavors that manage to be graceful and seamless while still packing a wallop of intense flavors. Spice, chamomile and lemon verbena details crescendo on the long, lingering finish.”

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Coto de Gomariz X Albarino 2013 – £15.95 (Spain – Albarino)

Just 5000 bottles are produced of this beautiful Albarino from Ribeiro on the eastern edge of Galicia. Shisteous, granitic and sandy soils, steep slopes, tiny yields and a unique microclimate make this spot ideal for growing the local varieties, of which the most famous is the Albarino grape. This 2013 received a 91pt Wine Advocate rating and is named after those schist soils (Xisto in Gallego) where the Albarino grapes are grown. It’s fermented with indigenous yeasts and kept in contact with the lees until bottling in July after the harvest. It’s very expressive, combining the Albarino fruit notes with the minerality of the soil, perhaps more on the fruit side this vintage. The palate seems smoother than in other years, with some apricot flavors making it quite approachable.

Domaine Pascal & Didier Picq, Chablis Dessus Carriere 2012 – £14.50 (France – Chardonnay)

The Picq family and their Domaine Gilbert Picq et ses Fils are based in the hamlet of Chichée, just 3km south of Chablis, and have been an established name in the region for several generations. Didier Picq is in charge of wine-making, while his brother Pascal looks after the vineyards. The Dessus la Carriere is made fom two lieux dits (Semon and Paradis) that sit above an abandoned limestone quarry. Classic in every sense with tart apple, lime, flint and great nervosity. An amazing value in village level Chablis. Rated 91 points by Antonio Galloni, the 2012 Chablis Dessus la Carrière may very well be the best wine in Picq’s range of 2012s. Fresh, vibrant and alive in the glass, the 2012 impresses for its energy and total focus. At the same time, there is plenty of texture and richness, two of the Picq signatures. Slate, crushed rocks and a host of mineral nuances inform the striking finish. This is a terrific showing.

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Tasca d’Almerita, Buonora Carricante 2013 – £15.95 (Italy – Carricante)

With its origins dating back to the 19th century, Tasca d’Almerita is on of the greatest wine estates in Sicily. The carricante grape, grown in precipitous vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna, has become synonymous with the dry, pungent and incredibly energetic white wines of this fashionable eastern Sicilian region. While Sicily is largely semi-arid and hot, Etna’s volcanic soils and altitude infuse Carricante with a ferocious mineral presence, aromas of pungent lemon oil, and a tensile structure; all of which belie the grape variety’s southern Meditteranean origins. This is a svelte white backed by well-cut acidity, this open-knit version offers a subtle mix of crunchy pear, mineral, fleur de sel, green melon and fresh ginger notes rated at 90+ points by Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling.

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Peter Lehmann, Wigan Rieslin 2009 – £14.95 (Australia Riesling)

Regarded as one of Australia’s greatest wines and named best Riesling in the world six times over the last decade, the Wigan Riesling has been the signature wine of Lehmann winemaker Andrew Wigan. Rated at 96 points by Australian critics James Halliday and Tyson Stlezer the 2009 Wigan Riesling captures breathtaking complexity with in a high-tensile frame, maintaining a bright, pale straw-green…and even at five years of age is testimony to the exacting precision of the exceptional Lehmann outfit. The wine has got everything going on, from glacé peach, mixed spice, dried fig and baked apple, to fresh kaffir lime zest and lemon juice, with a wonderful overlay of struck flint reductive complexity. Its acid line is breahtakingly youthful and vivacious, with a gentle mineral texture and immense persistence.

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De Morgenzon, Maestro White 2013 – £14.95 (South Africa – White Blend)

One of the start properties of Stellenbosch, De Morgenzon is a beautifully situated Stellenbosch estate, with vineyards ranging from 200-400 m, on mountain slopes with stunning views over the surrounding hills and the sea. With a 90pt Wine Advocate rating the 2013 Maestro White is a blend of 37% Chenin Blanc, 24% Roussanne, 24% Chardonnay and 15% Viognier from the estate, vinified in cement oak and matured in various sized wooden vessels including foudres and demi-muids. The Rhône graoe varieties come through nicely on the nose, lending the aromatics a sense of spiciness with hints of fennel and sage coming through. The palate is well-balanced with grapefruit, peach, nectarine and yellow flowers, crisp acidity, great depth and a touch of orange zest enlivening the finish that never becomes too heavy.

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