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Theatre of Wine

Independent wine merchants

Staff Picks

Inama Campo del Lago Merlot 2017, Veneto, Italy

This has been one of our favourite Italian reds for some time now and having thought we had sold out of the most recent allocation months ago, we were both surprised and delighted to discover a forgotten reserve of a few more cases. The Inama family are among the best growers in Soave, but further south in the Colli Berici they have undertaken to revive this once-famous merlot vineyard. Made in a sumptuous but silky style, the wine is supple but also flamboyant with plum and myrtle fruit mingling with vanilla and cinnamon for a finish that is at once opulent and refined. A great bargain for Pomerol fans.

Vincent Paris Granit Blanc 2020, Rhone, France

Many of you will remember the brooding reds of Vincent Paris who is one of the stars of the Cornas appellation in the Northern Rhone, but his whites are something of an insider's secret. From a few small parcels of vines clinging to the cooler north-facing slopes of Cornas, there is never enough of this to go round and we bagged as much as we could. Made from a blend based on viognier, this is nonetheless unlike any other viognier that we have tasted, with its powerful nectarine, physalis and white balsamic aromatics combining with an intense and minerally-charged palate that develops notes of quince, creme brulee and toffee apple. Tradition would serve it with pike quenelles in a rich crayfish sauce, but anything that has the sweetness of shellfish would be perfect.

Argueso San Leon Manzanilla Classica Half Bottle NV Jerez

It may now be September, but since I haven't noticed summer start, it cannot possibly end. We are perpetuating that illusion by drinking gallons of this deliciously salty, tangy Manzanilla and dreaming of the coast of Sanlucar de Barrameda. Argueso's Manzanilla is a classic with chalk, button mushroom and macadamia lifted by a brisk sea spray character that builds towards the finish. Bone dry, salty, savoury, it's a great match for classic tapas or just as a smart aperitif to clean the palate before tucking into a spicy chorizo stew.