Rankine Fine Wines

NEW RELEASE - POL ROGER BLANC DE BLANCS 2000

2011-04-13T14:54:00.001+01:00

I am delighted to offer the newly released Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2000. A speciality of the house, made from 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte des Blancs: Cramant, Le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Oiry. It represents fantastic value for money for what is, essentially, a prestige cuvee.

"If I were to choose just one house from which to source a vintage champagne to lay down, there is no question that I would choose Pol Roger." - Tom Stevenson, wine writer and Champagne expert.

"...one of the great Blanc de Blancs of Champagne... This is perhaps the sexiest, most seductive of all the Pol Roger Champagnes..." - Robert Parker

Although this beautiful Millennium vintage will benefit from time in bottle, it is incredibly seductive and ready for drinking this Spring / Summer...

Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2000 // £440.00 in bond per case of 12*

Pale lemon with fine, steady mousse. A touch of maturity, more brioche than toast. Elegant, mineral, citrus driven. Needs a little time to open out. Lovely weight in the mouth, love acid balance. Very primary. Elegant, long finish. Delicious!

*Available in 6-packs

With kind regards,

Stuart

Stuart Rankine

Rankine Fine Wines

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7193 2907

Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 79 79 39

Email: info@rankinefinewines.co.uk

http://rankinefinewines.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com//RankineFineWine

Brook Cottage

Petworth Road

Chiddingfold

Surrey

GU8 4UA

Terms - please note our new delivery charges:

* All cases are 12 x 75cl unless otherwise stated.

* Minimum delivery is one case of 12 bottles or two cases of 6 bottles.

* Payment on receipt of invoice – cheques or bank transfers only.

* All wines are offered subject to final confirmation E&OE.

* If you are not satisfied with any wine on delivery simply return any unopened bottles to me for a full refund.

* Any breakage must be reported to me within three days of receipt.

Delivery Charges:

Address	Quantity	Charge
Inside M25	1-8 cases	£15.00
	9+ cases	£2.00 per case
	1 case	£15.00
Other UK Mainland Addresses	2-7 cases	£19.00
	8+ cases	£2.50 per case

BORDEAUX 2010 - WEEK SUMMARY

2011-04-08T14:54:00.001+01:00

From Ditton Wine Traders...

As the en primeur tasting week ends, wine merchants and critics have started to collect their thoughts on the Bordeaux 2010 vintage.

Patrick Schmitt wrote for the Drinks Businesses that the majority of these wines will last and prices are unlikely to fall, signalling good news for wine investors.

He explained that this is led by the low yields produced from a dry season, which has led to high acidity, alcohol and ripe tannins from a wide selection of 2010.

"The upcoming en primeur campaign will produce prices no cheaper than the last due to lower yields and higher demand," he predicted, with US buyers expected to return after dropping during the recession and even greater interest from China and other parts of Asia.

Indeed, critics are now suggesting that 2011 could also be a great year, which would make three good vintages in a row.

Meanwhile, Decanter.com's consultant editor Steven Spurrier has suggested that The Graves will be the top vines of 2010, with Haut-Brion particularly highly praised, as well as Domaine de Chevalier, Malartic Lagraviere, Smith-Haut-Lafitte and Pape Clement.

BARGAIN CLARET - POTENSAC 2005

2011-04-08T13:31:00.002+01:00

Good value, mature, drinking Bordeaux is becoming very thin on the ground in these times of soaring prices. However, after close inspection, I am delighted to say that one or two relative bargains still exist.

Chateaux Potensac represents fine value for money in almost all vintages and one of the best is from the revered 2005 vintage. The world’s most influential wine critic, Robert Parker, describes this modest wine as “very impressive” behaving like a Cru Classé. And all for under £25.00 a bottle!

Already drinking beautifully, this is a perfect table claret to enjoy over the next 10 years or so. Grab yourself a bargain whilst stocks last (and prices remain sensible.)

With kind regards,

Stuart

Chateau Potensac 2005, Medoc // £220.00 in bond (£290.00 inc. VAT) per case of 12

“A superb value for Jean-Hubert Delon, the 2005 Potensac has a deep ruby/purple color, a classic bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, as well as gorgeous texture and purity. Medium-bodied and concentrated, this wine behaves like a Medoc cru classe. Moreover, it will age very well for 10-15 years. Very impressive!” 90 points, Robert Parker

Stuart Rankine

Rankine Fine Wines

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7193 2907

Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 79 79 39

Email: info@rankinefinewines.co.uk

http://rankinefinewines.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com//RankineFineWine

Brook Cottage

Petworth Road

Chiddingfold

Surrey

GU8 4UA

Terms - please note our new delivery charges:

* All cases are 12 x 75cl unless otherwise stated.

* Minimum delivery is one case of 12 bottles or two cases of 6 bottles.

* Payment on receipt of invoice – cheques or bank transfers only.

* All wines are offered subject to final confirmation E&OE.

* If you are not satisfied with any wine on delivery simply return any unopened bottles to me for a full refund.

* Any breakage must be reported to me within three days of receipt.

Delivery Charges:

Address	Quantity	Charge
Inside M25	1-8 cases	£15.00
	9+ cases	£2.00 per case
	1 case	£15.00
Other UK Mainland Addresses	2-7 cases	£19.00
	8+ cases	£2.50 per case

13 Unpalatable Truths about UK Wine Duty

2011-03-28T18:26:00.002+01:00

Below is a great article by Gavin Quinney - Bordeaux wine grower at Chateau Bauduc - http://blog.bauduc.com/

March 24th, 2011

Psst. Don’t mention the wine.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, didn’t say the word once in his UK Budget speech yesterday, on 23^rd March. He simply said that there would be no further increases to alcohol duty beyond the measures already in place.

The media relayed the apparent good news as ‘no increase in alcohol tax’ but a few tweets later and a quick glance at the HM Treasury budget statement (page 61) showed that wine has gone up 15p a bottle, from this Sunday. Even a 4p annual increase used to get mentioned in every Budget overview. Now, a 15p rise doesn’t even get a look in. So, forgive me, but this calls for a rant.

It is, of course, all the previous Government’s doing:

“The government will continue with the plans announced in the March 2010 Budget (i.e. Labour’s last) to increase the rates by 2 per cent above inflation each year to 2014-15.” Budget June 2010

So we now have a situation where none of the three major parties will criticize the policy towards alcohol duty.

Here are 13 unpalatable truths about UK duty on wine:

1. The UK now has the highest duty on wine in Europe.

2. Only four countries (UK, Ireland, Finland and Sweden) have duty of over 50p a bottle. In France, it’s 3p.

3. From April 2000, our first spring here, to March 2008, UK duty on wine went up by a total of 15%. In the last three years, duty has gone up a whopping 36%.

4. Duty will increase by 2% above inflation each year until 2015. It went up 7.2% in this budget from £1.69 to £1.81. It is misleading though to say that wine has gone up 12p + VAT to the consumer, because every retailer, merchant and restaurant treats duty as part of the cost, just like the wine. Duty is charged upfront by HMRC, when the wine is taken out of customs, so it’s a real cost. Every merchant I know, except of course those that are selling ‘In Bond’, takes the cost of wine, plus the cost of freight/distribution and the duty as the basis of the cost of the wine, before adding their gross margin to cover their costs and to make a profit.

5. UK duty, and VAT on the duty, is over £26 a case at £2.17 a bottle. It will be £30 a case in two years at the current rate of inflation. VAT, which also went up in January of course, is charged on duty and the wine, so there’s a double whammy. (Update: in fact, the double tax increase in Q1 means that a £5 bottle on 1st Jan is up 25p to £5.25, a £7.25 bottle is 30p up to £7.55 and there’s 36p more tax to add to a £10 bottle.)

6. On sparkling wine or Champagne, duty is more at over £33 a case and by 2014, it’s likely to be £41 a case. It’s worth noting that GB is the biggest export market for Champagne. £40 more for a case in the UK than in France? This rate also applies to the increasingly successful sparkling wines from England.

7. 53% of a £5 bottle of wine today is tax, as is £3 on a £7 bottle, give or take 2p. The average retail spend is just £4.47 a bottle (57% tax now).

8. UK off-trade wine sales by value, 75cl: 32% under £4, 36% £4-£5 and just 32% over £5. Source: Nielsen. This tweet from the London Evening Standard’s wine critic, Andrew Neather @hernehillandy to fellow writer, Tim Atkin MW, says it all:

@Timatkin 12p/bottle hike - scandalous. Add in 5%+ inflation and we’re looking at even crappier wine for supermkts to hit lower price points.

9. £9 retail (from a shop or a merchant) is the starting price at which a bottle might cost the same as the tax - around £3.30, assuming no tricks to con the consumer. Shipping, warehousing, distribution, admin, operating margin and a slim profit fills the bit in the middle.

10. Spend £5 on a bottle retail, and the cost of the wine from source is under £1. Spend £10 and the cost price of the wine goes up fourfold, assuming similar shipping costs and % margin. Not that £10 for a four quid wine is a particularly good deal, in my opinion.

11. The trouble is, how do you know if a £10 wine in a supermarket isn’t being set up for a ‘50% off’ deal, meaning it should really be £5 anyway? The wine on the right was subsequently ‘50% off’ - no surprise, given that the bulk wine that went into it costs a euro a litre. Anyone pay a tenner? You were done. Sorry.

12. Meanwhile, here’s a breakdown of a £20 bill for a bottle of wine in a restaurant, listed at £17.80: 12.5% service, 20% VAT, 69% restaurant gross margin, 27% wine merchant gross margin, 25p delivery, £1.81 duty, 39p freight and storage. Cost of the bottle, including wine and packaging, ex-cellars? 90p - half the cost of the duty. (So a high rate tax payer has to earn forty quid to pay for a bottle that the producer flogged for less than a pound.)

13. On the last point, I’ve assumed that the restaurant is buying, ahem, through a merchant, of course. Restaurants generally buy ‘DPD’ or ‘duty paid delivered’ prices, so they don’t normally see the true breakdown. The cost of duty, which is often higher than the wine, has a huge impact on the price of cheaper wines on the list. If that’s the case, as No 12 above, does the old adage of ‘always buy the house wine’ still hold true?

At least with our stuff, you know your money’s coming to the producer. And to George, obviously.

Rant over.

Liv-ex presentation: Investing in fine wine.

2011-03-14T10:02:00.002Z

Liv-ex Director James Miles gave a presentation at the Family Alternative Investment Conference in London yesterday on the ins and outs of investing in fine wine. You can view the full presentation below.

Wine Investment

View more presentations from liv-ex.

Wine's Finest Time | Chicago Business Today

2011-03-08T09:08:00.001Z

The Liquid Asset that outperforms - Wine

2011-03-02T17:02:00.005Z

Tue Mar 1, 2011 8:57am EST

(Reuters) - Drinking it in moderation might be good for your health but before you uncork, consider -- fine wine is also a better investment than equities and commodities.

The graphic below shows there has been no hangover for buyers of quality reds.

Using Thomson Reuters Datastream, it tracks the Live-ex Fine Wines Investible Index against the MSCI developed world stock index and the Goldman Sachs Commodities Index over the past five years.

Wine has more than tripled from a 100 base in 2006 to over 300 while equities are around 125 and commodities have actually fallen on a total return basis.

Wine not only managed to weather the recession and stock market crash, it thrived in comparison with the others.

The popularity of wine as an investment has risen in recent years on the back of new money coming in from mainly Asian emerging markets.

Auction houses sold more than $350 million worth of wine worldwide last year, an amount roughly in line with or exceeding their pre-recession levels of 2007.

New York houses credited their sales in Hong Kong or on Asian buyers in general for the spike in sales figures.

The Liv-ex Fine Wine Investables Index tracks wines commonly found in a wine investment portfolios based on a mid-price.

The index consists only of Bordeaux red wines from 24 leading chateaux, which is perhaps a bit surprising as this second graphic -- rebased to 1995 -- looks bubbly enough for Champagne.

(Additional reporting by Leslie Gevirtz. Graphics by Scott Barber. Written by Jeremy Gaunt, jeremy.gaunt@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 1028; Reuters Messaging: jeremy.gaunt.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Fine wine investment market starts 2011 with strong performance

2011-02-10T15:50:00.000Z

Written by Ray Clancy - Investment International

Thursday, 10 February 2011 08:36

The fine wine market started 2011 with a strong monthly performance with positive returns in January while other stock markets have remained relatively weak, according to a new report.

The Liv-ex 100 rose by 2.9% and the Claret Chip by 3.4% and year on year, the indices are up 40.8% and 52.4% respectively.

Evidence is emerging that the market is in a new phase in terms of favoured brands. Lafite, in particular, has underperformed the other first growths for two months in a row, and at precisely the time when Chinese demand might have been expected to be high in advance of the New Year celebrations.

Lafite prices have risen, but only around 2.5% over the two months on average across a range of vintages. It is a welcome trend according to Andrew della Casa, director of The Wine Investment Fund as the concentration of Asian demand on this particular brand has distorted index returns over the last 18 months and led to a number of misleading stories about conditions in the wider market.

The spotlight in January was taken by Haut Brion and Mouton Rothschild, both increased by an astonishing average of around 9%. Some specific vintages rose by much more, notably 1995 and 1996. Mouton 1996 recorded a remarkable 32% increase in just one month. ‘Mouton is now emerging as the most likely candidate to be the next Lafite, no doubt at least in part due to shrewd marketing associated with the presentation of its bottles. However, over the last six months Haut Brion is the strongest performer of the five first growths,’ explained della Casa.

The Wine Investment Fund (TWIF) experts anticipated these trends. They rebalanced many of their portfolios to increase the proportions of Haut Brion and Mouton, and reduce the proportion of Lafite. TWIF’s performance in January was +6.53% net of all fees and expenses.

‘This is an extremely impressive result both in absolute terms and compared to the Liv-ex 100 index. TWIF maintains more balanced portfolios than is reflected in the composition of the Liv-ex indices, which have tended to be Lafite-heavy. As the broader market outperforms Lafite, so TWIF’s portfolios tend to benefit to a greater extent,’ said della Casa.

He expects that the shift to Haut Brion is likely to continue. ‘Looking across vintages, last month saw maturing, higher quality vintages from the 1990s finding buyers. Along with the shift in the favoured chateaux, this provides some evidence that either demand from traditional markets is now becoming more significant, or Asian palates are maturing, or both. The pattern is by no means clear cut, as some weaker vintages, particularly 1997 and 2001, continue to perform well,’ he added.

The auction market also returned with a bang in January. Three major sales in Hong Kong realised a combined US$25 million.
TWIF has repeatedly stressed the importance of exchange rates, particularly between the renminbi and sterling, on the fine wine market, which remains predominantly a UK market. ‘A rising renminbi allows Chinese buyers to pay more in sterling terms without affecting the cost to themselves. In this context it is interesting that China last month confirmed that its policy was to allow a continued gradual strengthening of the renminbi. While the target currency for the increases will be USD, all other things being equal a similar effect would be seen in relation to GBP. With Chinese demand constituting a majority of the business of major wine merchants, this would only lead to further upwards pressure on prices,’ said della Casa.

Last month saw the China’s state owned agriculture and food company Cofco buy a minor Bordeaux property, Chateau de Viaud in Lalande de Pomerol. Although the property itself is relatively insignificant, this is perhaps an indicator of a wider long term cultural commitment to the region and to fine wine in general, he commented.

'With this backdrop we retain our central forecast of 21% growth in prices for 2011 as a whole. Given January’s results we think our upside or optimistic scenario of 30 to 40% is somewhat more likely than previously, and conversely that our pessimistic scenario of 0 to 5% is somewhat less likely,' added della Casa.

Hong Kong auctions kick off 2011

2011-02-01T16:18:00.001Z

Hong Kong auctions kick off 2011 (As posted on the Liv-ex blog.)

The 2011 auction calendar kicked off in earnest this past weekend, with Hong Kong playing host to three headline sales in just two days. The Sotheby’s Lloyd Webber (LW) auction on Saturday sold 100% of its 746 lots, attracting HK$41.8 million (£3.4 million), whilst the Sotheyby's Winebank (WB) sale on Sunday amassed HK$68.8 million (£5.6 million). Meanwhile, Acker Merrall sales on the 21st and 22nd saw bidders splurge HK$84.6 million (£6.8 million) on more than 1,200 lots of premium Bordeaux and Burgundy.

These Hong Kong auctions’ success is yet another patent indication of the Bordeaux market’s current buoyancy in Asia. If we compare auction prices (including buyer’s premium) with Liv-ex trade prices (represented by the Liv-ex Mid Price, our mark-to-market value), we see that buyers in Hong Kong were willing to fork out an average 15% premium for the First Growths.

Twenty-five wines were sold across all three auctions in the 12x75cl unit size, giving us an interesting chance to compare the results. Although the best prices were generally achieved at the Sothebys WB sales, there was a great deal of volatility in the prices achieved, with all three auctions seeing their share of winners and losers.

Overall, buyers payed 9% above the Liv-ex Mid Price at Acker, 8% above at Sotheby's LW and 22% above at Sotheby's WB.

Of course, the results below include the buyer's premium; 22% at Acker and 25% at Sotheby's. If we remove this and look solely at the hammer prices, we find that the sellers actually achieved around 10% less than the Liv-ex Mid Price at the Acker and LW sales and achieved little more than a par score at the Bordeaux WB sale.

*Most recent available: for First Growths 1996-2007, 25/01/2011, for all others 31/12/2010.

Asian wine investment 'not evenly spread'

2011-02-01T15:51:00.001Z

Asian wine investment is not evenly spread across the market, but is concentrated on a small number of specific wines, one expert has noted.

Chris Smith, investment manager at the Wine Investment Fund, explained that because of this, while the fine wine market rose by around 40 per cent last year, many Lafite vintages increased 60 to 100 per cent.

This, he explained, wine investors can use to their advantage and time purchases and sales appropriately.

While reports have commented on the huge surge in wine investment from Chinese buyers, Mr Smith also remarked that other Asian 'tigers' such as Singapore and Korea are also keen investors.

However, he explained that "sales of Bordeaux to China have doubled every year since 2005, overtaking the UK and Germany to become the number one destination for exports of Bordeaux by volume".

In addition, as 80 per cent of Asian buyers drink these wines, Mr Smith noted that this is "good news for the investment market because it means that the dynamic of falling supply as the wine is drunk continues to operate".

fine wine prices, bubble and currencies

2011-01-19T16:32:00.001Z

Mark Schuringa’s fine wine blog - Ditton Wine Traders… making fine wine accessible

NEW YEAR BIN END SALE

2011-01-07T12:38:00.000Z

A quick reminder of my BIN END SALE of fantastic, hand-crafted wines.

ONE WEEK TO GO - OFFER CLOSES FRIDAY 14^TH JANUARY. Stocks are very limited so please let me have your orders as soon as possible.

With kind regards,

Stuart

WINE	VINTAGE	PRICE per doz	SALE PRICE

Bollinger Grande Annee	2000	~~£580.00~~	£528.00	6bts left

Noble Hill Viognier, Paarl	2006/7	~~£156.00~~	£120.00	2cs left
Racetrack Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch	2006	~~£120.00~~	£96.00	1cs left
Noble Hill Sauvignon Blanc, Paarl	2008	~~£108.00~~	£84.00
Fryer’s Cove Sauvignon Blanc, Bamboes Bay	2008	~~£132.00~~	£108.00
Klein Steenberg Rose, Constantia	2009	~~£90.00~~	£72.00	1cs left
Constantia Uitsig Unwooded Chardonnay	2009	~~£150.00~~	£132.00

Meerlust Merlot, Stellenbosch	2004/5	~~£216.00~~	£168.00	2cs left
Meerlust Pinot Noir, Stellenbosch	2004	~~£228.00~~	£180.00	6bts left
~~Meerlust Red, Stellenbosch~~	~~2005~~	~~£132.00~~	~~£108.00~~	Sold out
Topaz Syrah, Somerset West	2005	~~£144.00~~	£120.00
Muratie Merlot, Stellenbosch	2005	~~£120.00~~	£90.00
Muratie Shiraz 2006, Stellenbosch	2006	~~£132.00~~	£108.00	1cs left
Muratie Ansela 2006, Stellenbosch	2006	~~£144.00~~	£120.00
Boschkloof Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch	2006	~~£144.00~~	£120.00
Fryer’s Cove Pinot Noir, Bamboes Bay	2007	~~£132.00~~	£96.00

All prices include VAT.

Stuart Rankine

Rankine Fine Wines

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7193 2907

Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 79 79 39

Email: info@rankinefinewines.co.uk

http://rankinefinewines.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com//RankineFineWine

Brook Cottage

Petworth Road

Chiddingfold

Surrey

GU8 4UA

Terms - please note our new delivery charges:

* All cases are 12 x 75cl unless otherwise stated.

* Minimum delivery is one case of 12 bottles or two cases of 6 bottles.

* Payment on receipt of invoice – cheques or bank transfers only.

* All wines are offered subject to final confirmation E&OE.

* If you are not satisfied with any wine on delivery simply return any unopened bottles to me for a full refund.

* Any breakage must be reported to me within three days of receipt.

Delivery Charges:

Address	Quantity	Charge
Inside M25	1-8 cases	£15.00
	9+ cases	£2.00 per case
	1 case	£15.00
Other UK Mainland Addresses	2-7 cases	£19.00
	8+ cases	£2.50 per case

NEW LIST & POL ROGER 2000

2010-10-22T13:15:00.004+01:00

Rankine Fine Wines - October 2010

Name/Description	Region	Vintage		Price
				per case
				(12) inc VAT
Reds:

Topaz Syrah	Somerset West	2005	75cl	£ 144.00
Classically built Rhone-style. Herbaceous, peppery and firm structure.
Scali Syrah	Voor Paardeberg	2004	75cl	£ 180.00
Just beginning to get into it's stride. Black pepper and black fruits with meaty complexity from bottle age. Great wine.
Scali Syrah	Voor Paardeberg	2006	75cl	£ 198.00
Fresh, sweet herby nose with a hint of mint and distinctive spiciness. The palate is savoury and pure with robust, spicy, slightly earthy structure. Ripe, full and quite robust.
Scali Pinotage	Voor Paardeberg	2005	75cl	£ 180.00
This wine shows what Pinotage (a Pinot Noir and Cinsault cross) can do if made well. Full of vibrant, bramble fruit with balanced acid and tannin.
Scali Pinotage	Voor Paardeberg	2006	75cl	£ 198.00
The palate is fresh and savoury with warm, sweet herbal notes under the spicy fruit. Quite elegant and bright with some smooth, warm, subtly earthy notes. A lovely wine.
Meerlust Red	Stellenbosch	2008	75cl	£ 132.00
Meerlust Red is the baby brother to the more expensive and world-renowned Rubicon. Produced largely from younger vines in the same vineyard, it is excellent value, having a lot of the class of the Rubicon at a far more attractive price. A bargain.
Meerlust Pinot Noir	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 228.00
Exhuberent floral and gamey nose with hints of violets, cherries and baking spice. The palate is youthfull with bright acidity, juicy red fruit flavours and silky, supple tannins giving the wine a good length.
Meerlust Merlot	Stellenbosch	2005	75cl	£ 216.00
Made in the 'right-bank' tradition, this is a blend of 89% Merlot with 11% Cabernet Franc added for structure and aromatic complexity.
Meerlust Rubicon	Stellenbosch	2004	75cl	£ 240.00
Meerlust, one of South Africa's leading lights, make one of the country's top Bordeaux blends in the form of Rubicon. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc are expertly blended to produce a wine every bit the equal of top Bordeaux. As one might expect, this is delicious now but ages extremely well.
Meerlust Rubicon Magnums	Stellenbosch	2004	150cl	£ 250.00	per 6

Fryers Cove Pinot Noir	Bamboes Bay	2007	75cl	£ 120.00
Delicious soft, strawberry fruit, soft tannins and medium weight. A good quaffer and delicious from the fridge.
Muratie Shiraz	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 132.00

Muratie Shiraz	Stellenbosch	2007	75cl	£ 156.00
Lovely violet Syrah colour. Ripe, powdery red and black berry fruit. Pepper spice complexity and sweet tannins. Great oak integration and balance. A long, lingering finish. Drink or keep for 8+ years.
Muratie Melck's Red	Stellenbosch	2009	75cl	£ 108.00
Lovely, soft, red fruits and perfect for everyday quaffing.
Muratie Ansela Van de Caab	Stellenbosch	2007	75cl	£ 168.00
A Cabernet dominated nose, Bordeaux-esque with minty complexity. Velvety tannins balance the fruit and fresh acidity follows in the finish. Cedar, chocolate complexity already as well as pure black fruit . Alcohol in check. Drink or keep for 10+ years.
Muratie Merlot	Stellenbosch	2005	75cl	£ 132.00

Muratie Pinot Noir	Stellenbosch	2008	75cl	£ 156.00
A Pinot worthy of this great estate. Fresh strawberry and cherries on the nose. Some Pinot earthiness. Gentle oaking. Harmonious and elegant finish. Drink now and over the next 2-3 years.
Muratie Cabernet Sauvignon	Stellenbosch	2007	75cl	£ 156.00
Old World restrain on the nose. Good concentration of cassis fruit with pencil lead complexity. Firm tannins give structure. Fresh acidity on the finish. Great overall balance and only 13% alcohol. Drink or keep for 8+ years.

Muratie 'Cape Vintage' Port	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 144.00
SA's version of an LBV port style - with great results.
Boschkloof Cabernet	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 138.00
Classic New World Cabernet with cassis and chocolate / minty complexity. Rich but balanced. Very good.
Boschkloof Conclusion	Stellenbosch	2004	75cl	£ 192.00
Cabernet Sauvignon 59%, Merlot 18%, Cabernet Franc 14%, Petit Verdot 5%, Shiraz 4%. Cassis fruit with cedar, chocolate complexity and a long finish.
Rudi Schultz Syrah Reserve	Stellenbosch	2005	75cl	£ 180.00
A limited, reserve wine with great depth and structure. Will age well.
Rudi Schultz Syrah	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 144.00
Almost exotic, with nearly flashy raspberry ganache, braised fig and bittersweet cocoa notes. But the buried acidity is superfresh, and the long, graphite-filled finish lets the fruit, black tea and spice notes hang on nicely, while leaving a mouthwatering feel. Impressive. Drink now through 2012. 93 Points, Wine Spectator
Rudi Schultz Syrah	Stellenbosch	2007	75cl	£ 156.00
Gorgeous and pure, displaying blueberry, raspberry and boysenberry fruit that is well-harnessed by cocoa powder, red licorice and mineral notes. Nice fresh acidity carries the racy finish. - J.M. Wine Spectator, July 2010
Keermont Estate	Stellenbosch	2007	75cl	£ 258.00
40% Cabernet, 40% Merlot and the rest Syrah. Very pure cassis fruit. Classic structure, fine-grained tannins, concentrated and a very long finish. Keep 5-10 years
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir	Walker Bay	2007	75cl	£ 294.00
Rich, Cotes de Nuits style Pinot. Silky texture with savoury French oak. SA's best Pinot?
Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block	Franschhoek	2009	75cl	£ 228.00
A big, bold, new world red made in the style of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but showing its own distinctive character, that has seen this become one of South Africa's most sought-after 'cult' wines.
Sadie Family Vineyards Sequillo	Swartland	2005	75cl	£ 174.00
Only the third release of this rich Swartland red, where old vines and naturally low yields are an essential part of the character and complexity of the wines. Organically produced, this syrah-dominant blend, with 30% mourvèdre and 10% grenache to add freshness is more reminiscent of Languedoc than Southern Rhône.

Cotes-du-Rhone, St Cosme	France	2008	75cl	£ 129.00
With respect to Barruol's negociant line of wines, called Saint-Cosme, the very good 2008 Cotes du Rhone is primarily Syrah, much of it coming from such cool areas as Vinsobres. Attractive notes of creosote, blackberries, black currants, licorice, and truffles are followed by a medium-bodied, admirably textured wine with excellent fruit and definition. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Whites:

Constantia Unwooded Chardonnay	Constantia	2009	75cl	£ 150.00
Fresh citrus fruit and crisp acidity in this youthful white. Lovely balance of fruit and minerality.
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay	Walker Bay	2009	75cl	£ 225.00
The competition to make the Cape's best Chardonnay gets more ferocious by the vintage, but Hamilton Russell is still (just) out in front. This is a deliciously Burgundian style white, with oak, minerality and citrus fruit in near perfect harmony.Tim Atkin MW, The Times
Meerlust Chardonnay	Stellenbosch	2008	75cl	£ 204.00
"Complex, appealing nose with quince, citrus and floral notes developing into lemon cream, oatmeal and marzipan richness. On the palate the wine is full bodied & generous, but still balanced by crisp acidity. There is ripe tropical fruit & creaminess balanced by a pure minerality typical of the variety. The wine has a long , very pleasant lingering finish indicating the richness and persistence of the vintage." Chris Williams, winemaker.
Racetrack Chenin Blanc	Stellenbosch	2006	75cl	£ 114.00

Boschkloof Chardonnay	Stellenbosch	2009	75cl	£ 120.00
Delicious and elegant Chardonnay made in a fresh style with gentle oak. Combination of tropical and citrus flavours with a lingering finish. Good balance.
Noble Hill Viognier	Paarl	2009	75cl	£ 156.00
Full-bodied with peachy, nutty varietal aromatics and flavours. Good balance, freshness and a long finish.
Noble Hill Sauvignon Blanc	Paarl	2010	75cl	£ 108.00
Fresh asparagus and nettles. Green, crisp style. Good quaffer.
Fryers Cove Sauvignon Blanc	Bamboes Bay	2008	75cl	£ 132.00
Grassy, green pepper and mineral. Breadth and generosity avoiding the 'green' style of many Sauvignons. Long, intense finish.
Fryers Cove Sauvignon Blanc	Bamboes Bay	2010	75cl	£ 138.00
One of the Cape's best kept secrets. Made on the Atlantic coast. A cool climate, steely style with white asparagus and grassiness. Persistant length. Stunning Sauvignon.
Steenberg Rose	Stellenbosch	2008	75cl	£ 90.00
Syrah based, everyday rose. Lovery berry fruit and crisp, dry finish.
Muratie Melck's White	Stellenbosch	2009	75cl	£ 96.00
Crisp, everyday Sauvignon.
Muratie Isabella Chardonnay	Stellenbosch	2009	75cl	£ 132.00
In many ways this is the estate's piece de resistance. An elegant, Burgundy style with good integration of creamy French oak. (7 months in 30% new barrels.) A combination of tropical and citrus fruit with balancing acidity. 13% Drink now and over the next 2-3 years.
Scali Blanc	Voor Paardeberg	2007	75cl	£ 168.00
70% Chenin, 20% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, with three days on the skins, and some foot treading. Deep gold colour. Very rich apricot, herb, spice and marmalade nose. The palate is lively with intense tangerine fruit and notes of herbs and nuts. Amazingly alive with real freshness and some structure. A brilliant wine. 94/100

Champagne:

Beaumont des Crayeres NV		NV	75cl	£ 264.00
Lovely, golden color and an attractive, rich and biscuity nose. An award-winning Champagne with fine bubbles and an excellent concentrated flavor on the palate.91 points. The Wine Spectator

Beaumont des Crayeres NV		NV	150cl	£ 270.00

Pol Roger		NV	75cl	£ 354.00
The blend the usual one-third each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, and the dosage 10 g/l. A very pale hue in the glass, fresh and crisp and feminine in style, followed by a rather rich and fleshy style on the palate. Quite accessible at present, more so than expected from that crispy-fruit nose, with a broad and fresh presence of fruit here, highlighted by a beautiful floral character. Very fine.
Pol Roger Vintage		2000	75cl	£ 471.00
And so to the wine, the Pol Roger Brut 2000, which has a rich, soft golden glow in the glass, with a good central bead surrounded by plenty of small-to-moderate sized bubbles. The nose is just gorgeous, broad and seductive, with elements of brioche, toasted almonds over notes of sweet stone fruit, white peach and more. The palate is just as the nose suggests it will be, generous but not flabby, soft and welcoming like a plumped-up down-filled pillow, enveloping the tastebuds and gently caressing them one by one. And yet it remains bright and lively, with a very linear core of acidity flanked by a finely poised mousse. This is absolutely delicious stuff, so approachable and easy-going and yet clearly of very fine, well-defined quality too. This, to my palate, is ready now - so I suggest you drink on. I've certainly been doing so! 18+/20 (28/6/10) The Wine Doctor


Stuart Rankine
Rankine Fine Wines
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7193 2907
Mobile: +44 (0) 7968 79 79 39
Email: info@rankinefinewines.co.uk
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Brook Cottage
Petworth Road
Chiddingfold
Surrey
GU8 4UA

Terms - please note our new delivery charges:
* All cases are 12 x 75cl unless otherwise stated.
* Minimum delivery is one case of 12 bottles or two cases of 6 bottles.
* Payment on receipt of invoice – cheques or bank transfers only.
* All wines are offered subject to final confirmation E&OE.
* If you are not satisfied with any wine on delivery simply return any unopened bottles to me for a full refund.
* Any breakage must be reported to me within three days of receipt.

Delivery Charges:

Address			Quantity	Charge
Inside M25			1-8 cases	£15.00
			9+ cases	£2.00 per case
			1 case	£15.00
Other UK Mainland Addresses			2-7 cases	£19.00
			8+ cases	£2.50 per case