{"title":"John's wines","description":"\u003cp\u003eWines to stimulate the tastebuds\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"domaine-olivier-hillaire-cotes-du-rhone-vieilles-vignes-2023","title":"Domaine Olivier Hillaire Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eOlivier Hillaire grew up on his parents’ Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard, and started making wine aged 18.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe also played rugby for Grenoble and Bayonne - in the equivalent of the Top 14 back in the day. Although he told me back then there was \u003cem\u003e‘plus de bagarre que le rugby’ \u003c\/em\u003e- more fightin’ than playin’.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe’s built like a bull, but played at inside centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhich is exactly how you could describe his wines - strong, powerful, but with a lightness and deftness which is the signature of great Grenache wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eOlivier makes this Côtes du Rhône in exactly the same way as his Châteauneuf-du-Pape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlder vines, grown with organic principles and harvested manually - to promote the freshness and purity of fruit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA long fermentation in tank - to develop complexity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd a long maturation in oak and concrete - to add softness and structure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah - so you get the red fruit and juiciness of the Grenache, along with the spice and power of the Syrah.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’d been looking for a great value southern Rhône red for yonks - and as soon as I tried this at a wine fair in Paris, I knew I’d found the one.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50842445021515,"sku":"HCDRVV23","price":17.67,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0122.jpg?v=1731685562"},{"product_id":"mantel-blanco-verdejo-2024","title":"Mantel Blanco Verdejo 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eRueda is a high, hot and wild region in north west Spain - the perfect place to make refreshing whites like Verdejo. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHot sunny days ripen the grapes with loads of flavour, while chilly nights keep them crisp and fresh.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd I have a confession to make... Verdejo is my guilty pleasure white wine. It’s fresh, crisp and delicious, slips down easily and you don’t feel guilty opening a cheeky midweek bottle given the price.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe good ones rarely make it over here, given they can’t compete with Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon on price. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSo I made it my business to find a top notch Verdejo for WineSpark.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eStep forward Pilar Garcia, who I found through my friend Franck Massard. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s fair to say she's a bit of a white wine nut. She only makes white wine. Her husband makes white wine. She’s a lecturer in the University of Valladolid, teaching students about the chemistry of white wine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo if you’re a fellow white wine lover, you’re in good hands with Pilar!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSpeak to any Spanish sommelier and they’ll tell you Verdejo is the most versatile white wine - unbelievably drinkable on its own, but goes with so many dishes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it's always worth having a bottle in the fridge!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51620397351243,"sku":"MBVERD24","price":14.17,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Mantel_Blanco_Verdejo.jpg?v=1722438838"},{"product_id":"a-coroa-godello-2024","title":"A Coroa Godello 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eImagine the perfect Spanish white wine… and I might just have found it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake the citrusy freshness of an Albariño, and the richness and lip-smacking minerality of a good Chablis, and you’re pretty close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Godello grape thrives on the slate soils and warm weather of Valdeorras - producing white wines with loads of flavour, balance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Coroa is one of the region’s oldest and most respected wineries. The winemaker, Ángel Sánchez, was one of the first winemakers in Valdeorras in the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis secret, like all great wines, is in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheirs yield 40% less than the region’s average, so you get a much richer and more intense expression of Godello and the land that it comes from.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose here is fresh and zippy, loaded with juicy limes and pears. On the palate it's refreshing, clean and lifted, with lovely florals, apples and a touch of peaches and cream. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m constantly on the hunt for more better value wines for you. And thanks to my experience and contacts in places like Spain, I’ve landed another gem.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52546352382283,"sku":"ACGDLO24","price":18.47,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/ACoroaGodello2022.jpg?v=1716302504"},{"product_id":"martinelle-beaumes-de-venise-2023","title":"Martinelle Beaumes-de-Venise 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eBeaumes-de-Venise is a real hidden gem in the Rhône valley - it’s best known for producing long-lived fortified wines made from the Muscat grape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut up in the foothills of the imposing Dentelles de Montmirail, you’ll find pockets of vineyards ideally suited to making amazing red wines - capable of giving nearby Vacqueras and Gigondas a serious run for their money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinemaker Corinna Faravel found two such magical plots for sale in 2006 and snapped them up immediately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyards are based on a mixture of limestone, clay and oxidised iron - this gives a vivid red colour to the soils. Corinna says this soil gives a lovely freshness and concentration to the fruit - it never tastes jammy or overcooked, no matter how hot the weather gets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe farms the vineyards organically which preserves and enhances the lovely raspberry, herbaceous and balsamic flavours in the fruit, which is a blend of Grenache and Syrah. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the hard work done in the vineyards, there’s nothing complicated left to do in the winery. It’s aged for 10 months in old oak barrels to give it serious power and muscle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like an unapologetically big southern French red, like a good Châteauneuf-du-Pape, then you have to give this a try!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52658563809611,"sku":"MRTBDV23","price":22.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/MartinelleBeaumesdeVenise2022.jpg?v=1716285400"},{"product_id":"folium-marlborough-sauvignon-blanc-2024","title":"Folium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTakaki grew up in Tokyo drinking European wines, and loved their character and how each year they tasted nuanced and different. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSomething that’s impossible to find in a big commercial region like Marlborough.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHe reckoned the difference was water - 99% of Marlborough vineyards are irrigated, while many old European vineyards get their special character from having to survive without regular water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSo the first thing he did when he bought his new vineyard in the Brancott Valley was to turn off the taps.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe vines, usually happily watered and producing lots of fruit, regressed and produced next to nothing for 3-4 vintages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eHis neighbours told him he was crazy - he probably was. But Takaki kept the faith and kept the taps off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnd then something wonderful happened. The vines picked up and started producing incredible fruit. Fruit with complexity, purity and texture unlike anything he’d come across in Marlborough before.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis wine has all the fruity intensity of a Marlborough Sauvignon, but with the finesse and smooth texture of a great Sancerre.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn a big region like Marlborough, dominated by enormous companies churning out mass-produced Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is a breath of fresh air.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53339701150027,"sku":"FOLSVB24","price":20.22,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0141_1.jpg?v=1729089927"},{"product_id":"cillar-de-silos-ribera-del-duero-crianza-2022","title":"Cillar de Silos Ribera del Duero Crianza 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eRibera del Duero is a wild and remote part of northern of Spain, right next to Rioja. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWith its baking hot days and chilly nights, it’s an unforgiving place to live, let alone grow grapes. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e‘Three months of summer, nine months of hell’, is how the locals describe it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut these extreme conditions, combined with a patchwork of old vines, are exactly what Tempranillo needs to make truly world-class wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOscar describes this as his signature wine. Dozens of high-end restaurants and bars across Northern Spain rely on it as a big seller, so it needs to be consistently brilliant every single year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Tempranillo grapes for this are sourced from 40-80 year-old plots across three villages around Oscar’s winery. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt spends 13 months ageing in second- and third-use French oak barrels, which were first used for Oscar’s iconic Torresilo wine. It’s then aged for a further year in bottle to bring all those fruity and oaky flavours together.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is an amazing example of affordable and approachable Ribera del Duero, whether you’re new to Ribera or a complete convert like me.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55811068592459,"sku":"CDSCR22","price":22.92,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0211.jpg?v=1729091539"},{"product_id":"domaine-boucabeille-monte-nero-2022","title":"Domaine Boucabeille Monte Nero 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eMany moons ago, I spent a month picking grapes in the south of France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was in the Côtes du Roussillon, to be exact. It was a tough experience, and one that I’m not keen to repeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA couple of years later I returned and bought a few bottles of the actual wine whose grapes I’d picked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnfortunately it was pretty dreadful stuff, and I felt as if all my toil had been in vain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFast forward 18 years, and I finally have my hands on an amazing Côtes du Roussillon that I couldn’t be prouder of.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd all I had to do to find it was travel to wine fair in Montpellier and discover it.\u003cbr\u003eMonte Nero means ‘Black Mountain’, and it’s on the slopes of this imposing peak that you’ll find the grapes for this wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe other interesting thing about winemaker Jean Boucabeille’s wines is that they’re all grown on schist soils.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis gives a delightfully punchy and spicy character to the wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, and its dark and brooding fruit and impressive power really jumped out at me at the fair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like your reds unapologetically big, then you have to give it a try!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56028908945739,"sku":"BOUCMN22","price":21.3,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/MonteNero.jpg?v=1716285358"},{"product_id":"tim-smith-barossa-shiraz-2022","title":"Tim Smith Barossa Shiraz 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\" data-mce-style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTim has 35 years’ experience working in the Barossa - so he has long-standing agreements with some of the best growers of fruit in the region.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it’s this amazing quality fruit that shines in this, his flagship wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike many of the truly great Australian wines, it’s a blend of multiple vineyards, located in the Barossa and Eden Valley. Each vineyard adds something unique to the blend, and their age ranges from 30 to 145 years old!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine is aged in 500 litre French oak barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered - preserving all the amazing flavours and textures from the fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like powerful reds you’ll love this - it’s meaty and leathery on the nose, with layers of pure dark fruit. Then on the palate, it’s spicy, gamey and silky. It’s got loads going on but slips down so easy - a slam-dunk winner of a big red.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56321509261643,"sku":"TSBRSZ22","price":22.76,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Tim_Smith_Barossa_Shiraz_2021.jpg?v=1722437003"},{"product_id":"tim-smith-bugalugs-shiraz-2024","title":"Tim Smith Bugalugs Shiraz 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eTim says every good winemaker should be judged by their entry level wine - and he goes above and beyond with his own version here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was first made for a UK friend who was supplying restaurants in London - Bugalugs is a term of endearment (or so I’m told!) in Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd it’s Bugalugs by name and Bugalugs by nature… Tim makes it in a style that makes it drinkable from the get-go (unlike a lot of Barossa Shiraz) - but it would also reward time in bottle for another few years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s classic Aussie Shiraz - ripe, bold and powerful, with plenty of sweet dark fruit and a savoury edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTim takes premium Barossa fruit that would normally go into wine that fetches a far higher price - and declassifies it into Bugalugs. So that people can get a taste of his wines at a much more accessible price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt means you’re getting sensational value for a wine of this quality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56321520304459,"sku":"BUGSHZ24","price":18.53,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/TimSmithBugalugsShiraz2022.jpg?v=1716300973"}],"url":"https:\/\/winespark.co.uk\/collections\/johns-wines.oembed","provider":"WineSpark","version":"1.0","type":"link"}