Special wine offer

I’m a big wine lover. That said, I don’t often post on wine, mostly because there are so many great wine blogs and bloggers out there who are already doing a fantastic job, and doing it much better than I ever could. I’ve been lucky, over the years, to have had the chance to taste some excellent wines and more recently to get to know some great winemakers, retailers and distributors. A recent chance-meeting at a dinner party has given me the opportunity to work on something really exciting with a team of really passionate wine distributors based in Singapore.

In partnership with my new friends, I’ve helped put together two mixed lots of wine that are available for purchase. The first is a “starter kit”, i.e. a really (really) affordable collection of six fantastic wines. They’re perfect for buying and drinking right away. They are also perfect if you are just getting into wine. The second lot is more serious. It’s a “collector’s case” of twelve amazing wines from tiny, boutique vineyards in France. These are all special wines which you can buy, store and then open for those special occasions.

For info on how to purchase these, please click over to my Shop page. There you will find info on whom to contact, plus the prices for the two kits. Below is some detailed info on the various wines that we have selected for each of the two kits. Happy drinking!

Chubby Hubby Starter Kit
6 bottles, 3 bottles of red wine and 3 bottles of white wine.

These are the reds:
2003 Chateau Haut Barreyre (Bordeaux)
This wine comes from an estate that has been producing fine Bordeaux wines since the 18th Century. This sauvignon/Semillon grapes is a yummy wine which drinks well now but also ages well, increasing in depth and richness. It is well balanced with cherry-chocolate fruits and a fine acidity.
2003 Chianti Classico, domaine Castello di Rampella (Tuscany, Italy)
This yummy Italian is 85% San Giovese and 15% Cabernet Francs. It is a full bodied style with blackcurrants and spices and is very well balanced. It is a fantastic wine to pair with any meat course.
2001 La Chapelle de Bebian (Languedoc)
Prieure Saint Jean de Bebian has been leading the push to produce incredible wine in Languedoc since the late 1970s. The Grenache, Carignan and Syrah blend has a nose marked by leather and spices. The wine itself is soft and fresh with a taste of stewed fruits.

Here are the whites:
2003 Bourgogne Blanc, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Another stunner from this crazy garagiste. This wine is 100% Chardonnay. It has a ripe and floral nose and is round and fresh on the palate.
2003 Ch. Barreyre (Bordeaux)
This estate has been producing fine Bordeaux wines since the 18th century. This Sauvignon-Semillon blend is perfect to start your meal with.
2004, Muscadet Expression d’Orthogneiss, Domaine de L’Ecu (Loire Valley)
Owner Guy Bossard is one of the pioneers of Bio Dynamic viticulture in France. He has also helped raised Muscadet wines to an astounding level of quality. This wine is very ripe and fresh.

Chubby Hubby’s “Collector’s Case”
12 bottles, 8 reds and 4 whites.

The reds:
2003 Beaune 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
From one of Burgundy’s top garagistes, this wine is made only from “old vines” (which means they are pre-phylloxera vines, unlike those planted and used by most vineyards in France). This 100% Pinot Noir wine is bursting with flavour and has a nice finish.
2003 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Vaucrains, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Another stunner from Laurent. This 100% old vines Pinot Noir comes from one of the best parcels of land in Burgandy. The wine has a lovely texture and a character marked by blueberries, blackberries and strawberies.
1989 Chateau Du Puy (Bordeaux)
This estate, farmed by the Amoreau family for 400 years, is located in the Cotes de Francs appellation next to Saint Emilion. Bio dynamic viticulture and careful vinifications bring us a wine with great length, complexity and elegance.
2000 Chateau La Negly, L’Ancely (Languedoc)
A new expression of Languedoc wines made from Mourvedre and Grenache grabes. This is a powerful wine that has been aged in new oak for 24 months which helps concentrate the fruit and gives the wine a nice ripeness. The tannins are robust and give the wine a muscular structure.
1998 Prieure Saint Jean de Bebian (Languedoc)
This Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend is one of the most elegant wines made in the Languedoc region. It has a superb ripeness and notes of black fruits, cinnamon and black pepper on the nose.
2003 Le Clos des Fees, Domaine du Clos des Fees (Roussillon)
From one of the most promising estates of Southern France, this Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre blend is vinified in large and small French oak barrels. This very concentrated wine impresses with its silky texture, very fine tannins and its phenomenal length, revealing intense black fruits and aromatic herbal notes.
1995 Mas de Daumas Gassac (Languedoc)
Since the 1970s, Damas Gassac has been behind a push for better and better wines from Languedoc. An unusual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, this wine is a striking demonstration of the relevance of planting Cabernet outside the usual Bordeaux area. The wine displays Southern France’s wild side yet remains elegant.
2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, Tardieu-Laurent (Rhone)
Michel Tardieu is one of the most talented winemakers in the Rhone Valley. In partnership with Burgundian Dominique Laurent, he produces gorgeous wines. This Chateauneuf, made of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grown on “old vines”, is very rich and possesses a superb texture and fruit purity.

The Whites:
2004 Pouilly Fume Pur Sang, Didier Dagueneau (Loire Valley)
After 20 years of farming and vinifications, Didier Dagueneau is now reaching a cult status among white wine lovers around the world. Made of 100% Sauvignon grapes, these wines display an amazing blend of fruits, mineral and spices. They are truly in a league of their own.
2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes blanc, Tardieu-Laurent (Rhone)
Made of Grenache blanc and Roussanne, this wine displays very fresh notes of fruit, spices, fenel and dill, without the heaviness sometimes found in white Chateauneufs. Great ageing potential.
2004 Anjou Vignes Francaises, La Sansonniere (Loire Valley)
Mark Angeli is one of the most important producers in the Loire Valley. For the past 15 years, he has questioned bad viticultural habits and has been promoting a return to more natural and sensible farming methods. This wine, made form 100% Chenin French vines not grafted on US rootstocks displays a pure blend of ripe white and yellow fruits underlined by spices. On the palate the wine is full and round with an amazing lightness.
2003 Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Dominique Laurent (Burgundy)
Celebrated for his great red wines, Laurent is also a very talented white producer. Grown in one of the few Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy, this 100% Chardonnay Corton Charlemagne possesses superlative density and ripeness. The hallmark minerality of Corton Charlemagne is for the moment hiding behind the fruits, but a few years in bottle will bring the wine to a balanced glory.