L’AUTUNNO features a collection of savoury, complex wines to complement autumn’s larder. Offering layers of depth and intrigue, they are perfect for celebrating around the table with the best the season has to offer.
ALEX DELLA VECCHIA
Pedecastello Rosato Frizzante 2022
Veneto, Italy
Pinot Nero from young vines planted some six hundred metres above sea level at the foot of the Dolomites. The fruit spent twelve hours on the skins, before being pressed off to tank to rest until the following spring when it was put into bottle with a concentrated must made from passito grapes to cause a second fermentation in bottle. A hazy shade of pink in the glass, this dry, delicate sparkling wine offers refreshing notes of alpine strawberries, minerals and herbs, and screams aperitivo time.
Pinot Nero
VINYER DE LA RUCA
Nespola 2024
Roussillon, France
A blend of Vermentino and Grenache Blanc from old vines planted on terraces of granite and schist in Port-Vendres. Whole bunches of the former infused in the fermenting juice of the latter Grenache Blanc for a fortnight, before a short rest in concrete. Golden straw yellow, its stone fruits are framed by a touch of tannin, salt and spice.
Vermentino, Grenache Blanc
AJOLA
Bianco 2023
Umbria, Italy
A blend of Procanico and Trebbiano from vineyards planted over clay and limestone in Pitigliano. The grapes fermented as whole bunches for a week, before being pressed to vats for a year. A deeper shade of amber, this is a little more full, with firm tannins and savoury notes of baked citrus, earth and spice.
Procanico, Trebbiano
LES ÂNES AILÉS
Kik-Off 2022
Roussillon, France
Mostly Grenache Gris, with a touch of Grenache Blanc and Noir planted alongside, this comes from a remarkable north-facing parcel of seventy year old vines planted over shale high in the hills of Banyuls. Harvested at full maturity, the grapes were either kept as whole bunches or destemmed by hand before a week of maceration. After pressing, the wine rested in barriques until the following spring. A gorgeous, hazy shade of purple in the glass, it draws you in with soaring aromas of wildflowers, blood orange and spice, whilst the palate displays a wonderful density of fruit and an intense, stony quality. A fascinating expression of a remarkable terroir.
Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir
BENOIT CAMUS
Château Roulant 2023
Beaujolais, France
Gamay from vines up to sixty years old, from a number of parcels and terroirs. This spent two weeks macerating as whole bunches, before being pressed off to concrete and cuve for a short élevage. From a cooler vintage, there is a luminous quality to the deep cherry-red fruit and an earthy mineral note from the varied soils that make this incredibly moreish.
Gamay
FRANÇOIS BLANCHARD
La Presse 2019
Loire, France
A blend of equal parts of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc from fifty year old vines planted over clay and silex in La Grand-Cléré. The grapes fermented together as whole bunches for a month, before a year of rest in cuve. Showing plenty of old vines complexity, the generosity of fruit is framed by firm tannins and vibrant acidity, suggesting a long life ahead.
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon