Taittinger Comtes De Champagne Rosé 2007
You can never go wrong when it comes to Taittinger and their 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé continues to showcase why they have the reputation they do. A must-discover for pink sparkling lovers. Strawberries, lime, roast coffee and cacao hit your nose with a soothing red and black berry palate. This rosé sits aging for 10 years before it even sees light, a testament to the complexity that winds up in each Grand Cru-driven bottle.
£142, available at The Finest Bubble.
Hambledon Première Cuvée
An emblem of English skill when it comes to wine. If you’re a fan of champagne then this is going to blow your mind like you never knew possible. Turns out our soil and climate is very similar to champagne and this aged English sparkling (most of the grapes coming from the 2014 harvest) packs a punch of delight. The blend of Chardonnay (67%), Pinot Meunier (22%) and Pinot Noir gives orange blossom, ripe nectarine and baked apple on the nose. Upon sipping, tarte Tatin, croissant and a creamy peach complexity. One of my favourites.
£43, available at The Wine Society.
Casa Dragones Blanco
These guys create another one of the ultimate sipping tequilas and arguably one of the ‘purest’ looking bottles I’ve seen too. I love to use these as water bottles once I’ve finished the nectar inside. Small batch, 100% blue agave which has been seven to nine years ripened to perfection in the rich lands of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The water is pretty neat too, beneath the earth’s surface in hundreds of 70-metre natural aquifers straight from the Volcano of Tequila! Perhaps that’s what gives it such a pure and distinct taste. Certainly, one of the best tequilas I’ve ever tasted.
£90, available at Home Tipple.
Château De Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Trio 2019
This trio of exceptional Burgundy Pinot Noirs stem from vines aged between 20 and 80 years old. Vines which have stood the test of time and, as a result, become the source of some of Burgundy’s finest and most expressive wines. Each wine derives from smaller parcels of vines and aged for 18 months in 20 to 25% new oak barrels. If you are looking to set down some Burgundy for the future, this is where you should be looking. Having tasted these in their youth, there is a colossal opportunity for them to grow and showcase everything we love about Burgundy and more with a fruit-forward palate that hits all the right spots.
Ranging from £73 to £137, available at Châteaude Pommard.
The Brollach Craft Irish Whiskey
The third release of one of Ireland’s most exciting and innovative whiskey companies is already sweeping up awards. Securing a ‘Master Medal’ from Spirits Business, this gem emits a nose of mocha and marmalade with a creamy honey palate, apricot jam and sticky ginger brioche. This double distilled gem is part of an ongoing series of quality-driven timeless releases that showcase the very best of Irish history and prestige. Craft Irish Whiskey is producing some of the best whiskey in the world and people are beginning to notice. One to watch out for and to add to your collection before it’s gone! Only 661 bottles have been released.
£4,700, available at Craft Irish Whiskey.
Crystal Head Vodka Pride Edition
This rainbow wonder is a special edition raising funds for a variety of LGBTQIA+- focused charities. The bottle itself contains the original blend crystal head has become famous for. Locally sourced Canadian corn is distilled four times before being filtered through Herkimer diamonds. Even the water used derives from the pristine natural sources of Newfoundland. The result is one of the purest vodkas you’ll sip, silky smooth with a hint of sweetness and vanilla. Drink well, do good!
£100, from The Whisky Exchange.
Royal Beluga Caviar & Louis Roederer Brut (Food & Drink Pairing Box)
Food and wine are a match made in heaven and there’s nothing quite like caviar and Champagne. This week I give you the ultimate pairing, Royal Beluga Caviar (50g) is considered one of the finest caviar in the world. Sustainably sourced with so much elegance, it works wonders alongside the dry sparkling beauty that is Louis Roderer Brut. This is the ultimate gourmet fix: once you try it, there’s no going back!
£275, available at Dukeshill.
The Glenallachie 30-Year-Old Batch 1
Only 2,000 bottles of this Scotch gem exist in the world. Batch 1 is a meticulous marriage between 1989 and 1990 vintage Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso hogsheads and puncheons with a small quantity of Chinquapin virgin oak casks intertwined for good measure. At 48.9% it’s cask strength, all natural colour and non-chill filtered ensuring only the best quality goes into each bottle. Rich mahogany in colour you’ll be introduced to a fruit cake, raisin and honey-mocha nose. The palate offers layers of dark chocolate apricot cake, figs, treacle and orange zest. I’m drooling just writing this.
£475, available at The Glenallachie.
