Friday 25 November 2016

Christmas Newsletter 2016

Christmas Newsletter 2016

In this issue:
Specially selected wines for Christmas
Spirit recommendations galore: whiskies, gins, brandies and many others
A selection of Port offers



Autumn is finally segueing into winter at D. Byrne & Co. and we have had our tasting glasses out to choose the wines for our Christmas cases.
We sent you our fabulous Christmas cases in our previous newsletter, but just in case you missed it the link is here CHRISTMAS CASES

Christmas Opening Times
We are open seven days a week in the run up to Christmas
8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Open late until 8.00pm on Thursday and Friday
8.00am to 6.00pm on Saturday
10.00am to 4.00pm on Sunday

Gift Vouchers
We have gift vouchers which can be made out to any amount you choose and can be posted on your behalf to anywhere in the UK.
  
For orders or enquiries about any of the cases or wines in this newsletter, please contact us by phone at the shop on 01200 423152 or 01200 422281,
thank you.

Recommended Wines For Christmas 

Champagne Lallier Brut NV (gift boxed) £19.99 
An absolute steal, this is a wonderfully elegant, precise Champagne from all Grand Cru vineyards in Ay. 
2015 Domaine de Vedilhan Serica Viognier £7.99 
Our new White Wine of the Year. Elaborately textured and full-flavoured with rich stone fruits and lightly tannic herbs. 
2014 Tabali Reserva Especial Chardonnay £8.59 
Such great value. Award winning 1er Cru Burgundy style at half the price – delicious! 
2015 Sileni The Straights Sauvignon Blanc £10.99 
A Marlborough classic, this over delivers on both flavour and finesse. Absolutely delicious with fish dishes. 
2015 Feudo Maccari Grillo £8.99 
A fresh, lightly floral dry white with savoury, nutty notes. 
2014/15 Domaine de la Motte Chablis £10.59 
Classic Chablis with real texture and flavour enhanced by around 10% barrel aged wine in the blend, yet still steely fresh on the finish. 
2014 Domaine Feuillat-Juillot Montagny 1er Cru £15.99 
A fine and elegant white Burgundy, and great value for money. 
2011 Turkheim Grand Cru Brand Gewurztraminer £12.99 
An amazing price for Grand Cru Alsace. Classic yet delicate fragrance of rose-petals, lychee and warm spice with rich, powerful complex fruit yet a fine structure and balance.  
2012 Naiadas £14.99 
A hedonistic barrel aged Verdejo with spice, fennel and creamy notes. From pre-phylloxera bush vines, this is one of Spain’s most celebrated white wines. 
2015 La Bascula Catalan Eagle Red £7.99 
Our new Red Wine Of The Year, and it’s an absolute cracker. Without doubt this is the finest £7.99 red wine in the UK, taste it and see for yourself.  
2014 Montresor Valpolicella Ripasso ‘Capitel della Crosara’ £9.99 
A generous fruity Ripasso with fresh Morello cherry and ripe plum fruit flavours backed by soft and spicy vanilla notes. A great price for our most popular Valpolicella. 
2013 Boutinot La Cote Sauvage Cairanne £9.99 
Fill your boots here, less than £10 for one of the southern Rhone’s finest Crus.  
2013 Chateau Mayne Vieil Fronsac £9.99 
This rich and plummy Fronsac is the perfect wine for those looking for a generous and accessible claret for Christmas. 
2013 Cline Cellars Nancy’s Vines Zinfandel £10.99 
Wonderful, fat strawberry fruit flavours with coffee and chocolate characters. This is unashamedly fruit forward and powerful, perfect with turkey and all the trimmings. 
2010 Contino Reserva Rioja £14.99  
A Rioja legend from a legendary vintage, really fine wine and a saving of £7 a bottle. 
2013 Montresor Amarone Satinata £18.99 
Hints of coffee and chocolate on the nose with ripe crushed berry, bitter cherry and sweet plummy fruit on the palate. Rich and warming yet fresh and well-balanced, lovely. 
2013 San Marzano 62 Anniversario Primitivo Riserva £19.99 
The follow up vintage of our biggest selling wine of Christmas 2015. A huge, flamboyant wine that continues to impress.  
2007 Chateau Sociando Mallet Haut Medoc £28.99 
A great price for what is consistently the finest of all the Haut Medocs. The 2007 is perfectly mature and drinking beautifully, this is very fine.

Spirit recommendations

Whisky Offers
Some fantastic prices on our whiskies for this Christmas.

Campbeltown Single Malt
GLEN SCOTIA Double Cask             Campbeltown £28.59
Opens with fudge and a little dusting of powdered sugar. Powerful, oily and a touch herbaceous with some German brandy character. Sherried notes come through more on the finish.
Highland Single Malts
OLD PULTENEY 12 Year Old Highland £23.99
Dry, medium-bodied and smooth, redolent of honey and cream, faintly salty with a slight spicy note and a sweet long-lasting finish.
GLENCADAM Origin 1825 Highland £24.99
Flavours of banana, pineapple, pear and boiled sweets merge with a delicious mix of soft spice from Sherry casks. Floral, creamy finish with subtle sweetness.
GLENGOYNE 10 Year Old Highland £24.99
Smooth, fruity and incredibly moreish. Fresh green apples, toffee and a hint of nuttiness. This is the taste of distilling slower than anyone else in Scotland, of barley they dry by air and hand-selected sherry casks.
THE ARDMORE Legacy Lightly Peated Highland £25.99
Light, silky peat-smoke and creamy vanilla, balanced with sweet honey and spice.
GLENMORANGIE 10 Year Old Highland £27.99
Firstly vanilla is detected on the tongue, before it ripples along the palate bringing a burst of flowery fruitiness. Clean and sweet aftertaste with hints of orange and peach.
TULLIBARDINE Sovereign Highland £28.99
A lovely balanced whisky exhibiting barley, pear drops and creamy chocolate notes which develop on the palate with a lingering finish.
GLENDRONACH 12 Year Old Highland £33.99
Rich, creamy, silky-smooth. Warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins, soft fruits and a touch of spice. Long, full and firm finish with slight nuttiness.
Island Single Malts
ARRAN Original Arran £25.99
On the nose complex and pungent, slightly salty and buttery, savoury and lightly peated. Soft entry and very easy on the taste with flavours of the nose above. 
HIGHLAND PARK 12 Year old Orkney £27.99
A uniquely smooth, balanced single malt, with a rich full flavour and gentle smokey finish. Beginning with syrup sweetness, it quickly moves on to sour and creamy wood, with more tropical chews, pineapple and smoked orange rind. Smoky wood on the finish, with malt syrup, green pine cones and woody spice.
SCAPA Skiren Orkney £29.99
Aromas of runny honey and fresh cream. Hints of apple and a touch of anise.  Continued honey warmth and richness. Sparks of juicy pear and lemon peel. Touches of oak develop further on, bringing some balancing spice.
Islay Single Malts
THE ILEACH Islay £22.99
Fantastic value, you’ll struggle to find an Islay malt at this price! Strong yet gentle, warm yet mellow, but with a maturity beyond its years. Robustly peaty, with that unmistakeable breath of the seashore.
BUNNAHABHAIN 12 Year Old Islay £29.99
Syrupy in texture with vanilla and a light smokiness, more woody than peaty. Water brings out more sweet creamy vanilla and some perfume from the wood, as well as some sticky glacé cherry. Finish is dry with woody spice.
LAPHROAIG 10 Year Old Islay £33.99
Really smoky and iodine rich. This has to be one of Scotland's most characterful drams. Laphroaig are known for their medicinal malts, and the classic 10 year old is no exception.
KILCHOMAN Machir Bay Islay £34.99
The distillers use whisky which has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso Sherry butts, resulting in a well-balanced flavour profile, with highlights of vanilla biscuits, light fruit and wafts of warm peat smoke. A top expression from Islay's farm distillery.
ARDBEG 10 Year Old Islay £36.99
Crackling peat, black pepper and sizzling cinnamon-spiced toffee. A wave of brine infused with buttermilk and currants. Smoke wells up bringing tasted marshmallows while espresso and tarry smoke develop.
Lowland Single Malt
AUCHENTOSHAN American Oak Lowland £24.99
Bounty bars, citrus peels and peaches. A little bit buttery, with golden barley and oak spice developing on the mid palate. Lasting notes of grapefruit and toffee pennies. 
Speyside Single Malts
SPEYBURN Bradan Orach Speyside £17.49
Outstanding price for Single Malt Whisky. On the nose it reveals green apples, honey, lemon and floral vanilla spices. It’s a wonderfully balanced, full-bodied whisky, with a long lasting finish.
TOMINTOUL Tlath Speyside £24.99
Light and creamy. Lively white pepper and some oak-driven spiciness dance on the tongue with background layers of nutmeg and toasted vanilla. Spicy with notes of shortbread and fresh mint.
AN CNOC 12 Year Old Speyside £25.99
Soft, very aromatic nose with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground. Sweet to start with an appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. A malt for every occasion.
GLENFARCLAS 10 Year Old Speyside £26.99
Delicately light, with a mouth-watering combination of maltiness, smokiness and sherry sweetness. Hints of dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves. Long, smooth and spicy finish.
TAMDHU 10 Year Old Speyside £26.99
Bursting with fruit and spice – gently yielding to toffee and the richness of sherry oak. Fruit and vanilla linger on the finish, becoming pleasantly drying with the merest wisp of peat smoke.
THE GLENLIVET Founder’s Reserve Speyside £27.99
Fruity, then sweet, with toffee, a touch of anise, then into milk chocolate flakes, banoffee pie and apple turnovers. Finish has creamy toffee to the fore now, a little oak and sweet barley sugar warmth too. Milk chocolate raisins linger.
BENROMACH 10 Year Old Speyside £27.99
Delicious Forest Fruits and creamy malt. A wisp of smoke and lingering luscious Sherry notes. Mouthwateringly bittersweet. Ginger, dry sherry, almost hoppy after a while.
ABERLOUR 12 Year Old Speyside £29.99
Heavily sherried character and fruity aromas balanced with a rich chocolate, toffee cinnamon and ginger spiciness. Warming and lingering finish. Sweet and very slightly spicy.
OLD BALLANTRUAN The ‘Peated Malt’ Speyside £29.99
Heathery smoke balanced with subtle floral aromas. Gentle ‘peat-reek’ flavours with hints of citrus tones and malty nuttiness. Lingering smoke and peat with a touch of malted barley sweetness. Bottled at 50%.
BALVENIE 12 Year Old Doublewood Speyside £31.59
Aromas of sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla. Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours ~ nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
GLENFARCLAS 15 Year Old Speyside £39.99
Rich golden amber colour. Very complex, sherried nose with light butterscotch aromas and a hint of dried fruit. The palate is very full bodied with super balance of sherried sweetness, malty tones and subtle peat flavours. Long lasting finish, glorious sherry flavours, fairly sweet with gentle smokiness. This is a great whisky drinker’s whisky
Blended Malts
BLAIRMHOR 8 Year Old Blended Malt £16.99
Well worth a try! On the nose it is full-bodied, sweet and spicy revealing floral and fragrant overtones complemented with honey and vanilla. Sweet and toffee-like with a beautiful smooth, long-lasting finish.
MONKEY SHOULDER Blended Malt £22.99
A superb blended malt whisky from William Grant, made with single malts from three famous Speyside distilleries. The result is a smooth, creamy, supple and very malty Scotch.
Rest of the World Whiskies
TULLAMORE DEW Blended Irish Blend £16.99
The legendary triple distilled Irish Whiskey. Early fresh fruit leads to a definite light spice followed by some toasted wood which evolves into a delicious vanilla sweetness.
BLACK BUSH Deluxe Irish Blend £21.59
A great blend from Bushmills, made up mostly of malt whiskey aged for 11 years in sherry casks before blending. Very soft and fruity on the palate with barley and biscuits on the finish.  
TEELING Single Malt Irish Single Malt £37.59
Made from 100% Malted Barley from a range of different ages including Malt whiskey distilled in 1991. Vibrant with notes of melon, figs, toffee and lemon on the nose. A balanced mix of dry fruits, citrus, vanilla, spice and cloves. Long finish with sweetness in harmony with dry tannins from the wood.
NIKKA Blended Japanese Blend £27.99
Nikka Blended Whisky offers an expression in the typical Japanese style. Extremely smooth and balanced, it has established itself as the most accessible of the Nikka blends. Rich mouthfeel, with pleasing candied orange peel, floral notes and just a hint of sweet spice. Well balanced and very drinkable.
PAUL JOHN Edited Indian Single Malt £29.99
For anyone who enjoys Islay whisky this is really worth a try. Peated Indian single malt whisky from John Distilleries that has great maturity for quite a young whisky. Toasted cereal, big barley and honey notes, Hob Nobs! Slightly vegetal peatiness, lemon and seaweed. Some beach bonfire but the peat isn't overpowering.
MACKMYRA Bruks Swedish Single Malt £37.99
Possibly the most surprising whisky I’ve tried this year. Fresh, delicate fruit aromas with vanilla pods. Pine nuts, pine needles, raspberry bushes and mixed peels. Subtle notes of Ryvita and Sesame Snaps. Subtle citrus fruit on the palate with light pear drops and crispy green apples. Delicate spiciness coming with a fine toffee and aniseed, ginger and sweet almond. A fine-light smoke is embedded in a whiff of spicy-peppery-feel: there but not there. Finishing with spicy oak and apple pie whilst remaining light and nimble. 

Gin Recommendations
Just a small and highly recommended selection from our range of over 300 gins.
CAORUNN Small Batch Scotland £23.99
A unique infusion of 5 Celtic and 6 traditional botanicals, the most unusual being Blush Apple. Clean, crisp, sweet and aromatic, with a long lasting, refreshing and slightly drying finish.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and a slice of red apple.
PUERTO DE INDIAS Strawberry Seville £24.99
Rapidly becoming a very popular style of gin. It's definitely the strawberries that make this gin so special. But they're not just any strawberries. Puerto de Indias uses strawberries from the region of Huelva in Andalusia, which are supposed to be the best of their kind in Europe.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water/pink lemonade and diced strawberries.
TWO BIRDS London Dry Leicestershire £26.99
The countryside spirit. A classic London Dry gin full of juniper flavour and distilled with 4 other botanicals (orris root, coriander, citrus and one unknown). Smooth and delicate, with a slight mineral quality.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and a slice of cucumber.
TANN’S Premium Barcelona £27.99
Distinguished by a predominant juniper taste, macerations of rose petals and coriander and a carefully selected grain alcohol. A later triple infusion of juniper berries, coriander, cucumber, rose petals, cardamom, mandarin peel, orange blossom, lemon peel, liquorice and raspberry contribute to its subtleties in mouth and nose.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and diced strawberries.
BATCH Premium Burnley £29.99
Lancashire’s finest handcrafted, micro-distillery gin. An adventurous blend of distinctive botanicals enhanced by frankincense and myrrh which make it sublimely rich, yet subtly spicy.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and either crushed raspberries and slice of lime or orange peel (brings out more spiciness).
FOUR PILLARS Rare Dry Gin Yarra Valley £29.99
A perfect, classic gin that would fascinate and delight even the most hardened gin fanatic. Whole oranges are used, which is unusual, but it supports the spicier botanicals like cardamom. Cinnamon and star anise add rich fruitcake tones. Tasmanian pepperberry leaf provides warmth rather than heat, and lemon myrtle is a beautiful alternative to lemon peel. A spicy gin but with great citrus. 
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and slice of pink grapefruit.
SACRED London Dry London £29.99
A creamy aromatic gin with a bouquet of juniper berries, fresh cut orange, lime & lemon combined with cardamom, angelica and enhanced by distilled frankincense (Boswellia Sacra) from which the name Sacred is derived.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water with slice of pink grapefruit and sprig of rosemary or perfect for a Martini.
WARNER EDWARDS Harrington Dry Northamptonshire £29.99
Lovingly distilled in their copper still ‘Curiosity’. They take grain spirit, pure spring water from their own farm, homegrown elderflower, plus ten other botanicals and transform them into a fantastically smooth and intensely aromatic gin.
Serving suggestion: Three different ones all with tonic and 1. Lemon makes it very refreshing 2. Lime still refreshing but bringing forward subtle spice 3. Orange Peel makes it much more savoury and more spiciness comes through.
POETIC LICENSE Northern Dry Sunderland £31.59
Expect a big punch of juniper that is finely balanced with green cardamom for a warm and spicy flavour. With undertones of lemon and eucalyptus, the inclusion of Persian lime intensifies the citrus feel while adding a note of perfume. As for the other botanicals, that’s a secret for now.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and slice of pink grapefruit.
POETIC LICENSE Old Tom Sunderland £31.59
This classic originating from the mid-1800s delivers a sweeter and more peppery taste in comparison with the Dry Gin. From the botanicals alone they nurture its sweet taste, while oak casks continue to add flavour and colour. The inclusion of rose petals infuses a distinct character to the sweetness as well as a slight rose gold tinge.
Serving suggestion: Ginger Ale and a slice of red apple and some cinnamon.
WARNER EDWARDS Victoria’s Rhubarb Northamptonshire £31.99
Queen Victoria grew the very same rhubarb that infuses their Harrington Dry gin in her garden at Buckingham Palace. It is now grown on a crown estate, in the Victorian kitchen garden style. The end result is a sweet and tangy rhubarb explosion.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water or Ginger Ale.
WHITTAKER’S Clearly Sloe Harrogate £31.99
Whittaker’s classic gin recipe (juniper, bilberry, bog myrtle, hawthorn and thyme) is laced with liquorice root and finest sloe berries, then allowed to gently macerate, creating a clearly rare artisan gin.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and sloe berries.
WHITTAKER’S Pink Peculiar Harrogate £31.99
Handcrafted with great skill and care in the heart of Yorkshire. An award winning contemporary gin with signature botanicals of pink peppercorns, pink hibiscus and cardamom with a hint of lemon citrus.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and pink peppercorns or a pink hibiscus flower.
CHASE Williams Elegant Herefordshire £32.99
Elegant 48 is made from scratch rare varieties of apples from their 200 year old bioganic cider orchards. The botanicals include juniper, elderflower, Bramley apple and angelica, plus secret wild botanicals from their meadow. Elegant and crisp with juniper and green fruits upfront. 
Serving suggestion: Tonic water and slice of apple or neat over ice.
NORDES Atlantic Galicia £32.99
Inspired by the eponymous fresh northerly Atlantic wind. Made using pomace from Albarino grapes, the botanicals include juniper, ginger hibiscus and liquorice, resulting in a unique, full flavoured and intriguing gin.
Serving suggestion: Grapes and a sage leaf.
SACRED Christmas Pudding London £33.99
Ian Hart, the founder of Sacred Microdistillery, created this limited edition gin after he was left with too much Christmas pudding, he steeped it in English grain spirit with juniper berries for three months then distilled it. The result is rich and satisfying gin that makes an elegant alternative to Christmas pudding after a large festive dinner.
Serving suggestion: Neat straight from the freezer.
POLLINATION Wales £34.99
Made with 29 botanicals including 19 which are locally foraged, which include chamomile, lemon balm, rowan berry and bramble. Others are obtained from the foothills of Mount Snowdon and around the Welsh county of Gwynedd. A creamy and herbaceous gin.
Serving suggestion: Tonic water with torn mint leaves and a twist of lemon peel.
DEATHS DOOR U.S.A. £37.99
Death's Door Gin is made with a base spirit of wheat from Washington Island and malted barley from Wisconsin, as well as a small selection of botanicals (juniper, coriander and fennel). Big but balanced notes of all three botanicals appear clear as day, carried on a clean, creamy spirit.
Serving suggestion: Soft enough to drink neat, perfect for Martini's or with tonic water and a slice of fennel and apple.

OTHERS – Just a few of the fantastic offers we have on hundreds of different spirits and liqueurs this year. We have many many more, if there is anything else you need, however obscure, we probably have it, just ask!

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum £16.99
Blended with the finest rums from the Caribbean and their unmatched recipe of natural spices. 
O.V.D. Old Vatted Demerara Rum £16.99
Matured in Guyana its mellow, rich, spicy, full-bodied taste is the choice of the discerning dark rum drinker. 
KRAKEN Black Spiced Rum £19.99
Imported Rum from the Caribbean blended with natural flavour. Kraken Rum is strong, rich, black and smooth.
DOORLY’S XO Oloroso Cask, Golden Rum £24.99
One of my all-time favourite Rum’s. A rich yet subtle rum surprisingly mellow. Demerara sugar, treacle, liquorice and aniseed on the palate. Fantastically smooth on it’s own but not too pricey if your mixing it also.  
DIPLOMATICO Reserva Exclusiva Rum £32.99
An exquisite sipping rum that is made almost entirely from sugar cane honey. Very chocolatey initially, like a chocolate sauce on dessert. Rich and full, bursting with the sweet toffee, fudge and tropical fruit flavours from the nose. The texture is very generous, rounded by the oak. Real mouth-watering depth of flavour here.
Belvedere Polish Vodka £29.99
The original and true expression of luxury vodka, created from 600 years of Polish vodka-making tradition. Full and round with a medium bodied weight and rich, velvety texture.
Torres 10 Gran Reserva, Spanish Brandy £13.99
Great price! Extremely rich, quite sweet and very smooth 
MAXIME TRIJOL V.S. Classic Cognac £22.99
Produced from young cognacs, the Maxime Trijol V.S. is rich in intense, fruity, floral aromas. The fruity aromatic balance makes this V.S. the ideal cocktail and long drink ingredient, but smooth enough to drink on its own.
MAXIME TRIJOL V.S.O.P. Grande Champagne £36.99
The VSOP Grande Champagne is blended from a large proportion of cognacs aged between 10 and 20 years. Distilled from grapes from the Grande Champagne region, this cognac offers rich aromas of rancio, with candied peels, stone fruits and aniseed. Delicious. 
JANNEAU V.S.O.P. Armagnac £25.99
Symbolic of the Janneau house style, the VSOP is a perfect blend of carefully selected eaux-de-vie, some matured for up to 20 years in new oak casks in our ancient cellars. Lively, tangy entry to a fruity-yet-dry medium-to-full body with white chocolate and caramel notes. Finishes with a lingering honeyed golden raisin, toasted and spice.
BARON DE SIGOGNAC 10ans Armagnac £29.99
The 10 year old Baron de Sigognac delivers an exceptional and rare taste. This is a beautifully crafted Bas-Armagnac. Very round and full; earthy with notes of dried fruit and toffee yet showing floral, woody and spicy notes. Long well balanced finish with hints of almonds and vanilla.
EVAN WILLIAMS Flavoured Bourbon’s, Liqueurs £18.99
Available in either Cherry/ Cinnamon/ Honey. All very rich and reasonably sweet but still with that Bourbon aftertaste. Perfect Winter Warmers.
BEPI TOSOLINI Saliza, Amaretto £18.99
The best Amaretto we’ve tried. A traditional Italian amaretto made with crushed almonds. Light, delicious and rounded on the palate with a fresh almond sweetness, but not too sugary.
KINGS Ginger Liqueur (50cl) £22.99
Our most popular liqueur for this time of year. A liqueur specifically formulated by Berry Bros. in 1903 for King Edward VII. Rich and zesty, the liqueur was created to stimulate and revivify His Majesty during morning rides in his new horseless carriage. Very warming and great as an after dinner digestive.

Port offers

Fonseca  
1998 Guimaraens – Single Quinta Vintage in a wooden box plus decanting funnel £22.99  

Graham’s 
Six Grapes Reserve Port –  £8.99 
2011 Late Bottled Vintage – £9.99 
2007 Crusted Port – In a gift carton £13.99 
2004 Quinta dos Malvedos – Single Quinta Vintage in a wooden box £19.99 
10 Year Old Tawny – In a gift tube £12.99 
20 Year Old Tawny – In a gift tube £26.99 
30 Year Old Tawny – In a gift tube £49.99 
40 Year Old Tawny – In a gift tube £74.99 
5cl Miniature Gift Pack – Containing five styles £9.99 
20cl Gift Pack – Containing five styles £29.99 

Krohn 
Lagrima White Port £9.99 
Rio Torto Reserva £9.99 
2011 Late Bottled Vintage £10.99 
2005 Quinta Retiro Novo – Single Quinta Vintage in a wooden box £15.99 
2003 Vintage – In a wooden box £29.99 
2001 Colheita £14.99 
1998 Colheita £16.99 
1995 Colheita- In a wooden box £19.99 
1982 Colheita – In a wooden box £38.99 
1976 Colheita – In a wooden box £59.99 

Smith Woodhouse 
1998 Madalena – Single Quinta Vintage in a wooden box £16.99 

Taylor’s 
10 Year Old Tawny – in a wooden box £17.99  

Warre’s  
2003 Bottle Matured Late Bottled Vintage – In a wooden box £14.99 
1998 Quinta da Cavadinha – Single Quinta Vintage in a wooden box £20.99 

The Byrne Christmas Beer Keg
As usual we have the D. Byrne & Co. Christmas beer Keg of gorgeous beer prepared specially for us by Bowland Brewery, at just £18.99
We also have a huge selection of bottled beers both local and international and beer gift packs which make excellent presents.



 

May we take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support throughout 2016 and wish you all a very Merry and Peaceful Christmas.





Thursday 24 November 2016

D. Byrne & Co. Seasonal Cases
We are delighted to announce our annual Seasonal Cases for 2016!

Each of the cases contain a fantastic selection of specially chosen bottles for all your seasonal drinking. They also make ideal presents, which can be collected from the shop or can be delivered to any address in mainland UK in time for Christmas. The cases also make excellent corporate gifts, please call us for details.

So whether you want to send a gift, thank a loved one, turn up with something special at a house party or simply light the fire, put your feet up and indulge, we have something for you.

Please note that due to the sheer quantity of wines being sold in our cases over the Christmas period, we reserve the right to substitute a wine or vintage for one of an equal quality if necessary.

Our full Christmas Newsletter full of goodies will be out in the very near future, watch this space.

For orders or enquiries about any of the cases or wines in this newsletter, please contact us by phone at the shop on 01200 423152 or 01200 422281, thank you. 

D. Byrne & Co. CHRISTMAS CASE

2015 Domaine Vedilhan Serica Viognier, Pays d’Oc
D. Byrne & Co White Wine Of The Year 2016/17
An extremely fine and richly textured Viognier with bitter-sweet aromas of crystallised orange peel, ginger and cream. Barrel-fermentation brings subtle texture and richness rather than a dominant oaky flavour, leaving rich stone fruits and fresh herbs to shine through.
2014 Clos de l’Eglise Macon Charnay, Bourgogne
An unoaked, fresh and elegant white Burgundy in the Chablis-style.
Delicate citrus blossom on the nose and a palate brimming with bright and lightly creamy fruit flavours. A classic food friendly Bourgogne Chardonnay with good depth and an underlying savoury minerality.
2015 Les Mains Noires Cotes de Rousillon Blanc, Vallee de l’Agly
A vibrant and easy drinking dry white from the black soils of Roussillon.
Made mainly with Grenache Blanc and a splash of Macabeu, this wine is lightly aromatic and has abundant green apple, citrus and floral notes that are balanced perfectly by a refreshing, appetising finish.
2015 Terrazze della Luna Nosiola, Trentino
Trentino’s native Nosiola grape produces wines of real character.
A lightly floral nose with pear and apple notes. Delicate and fresh on the palate with spicy green apple fruit balanced by zesty acidity. The textured and lightly nutty finish has a crisp green edge.
2015 Tabali Pedregoso Gran Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, Limari
Uniquely focussed Sauvignon Blanc from Chile's fantastic cool-climate region.
Intense, complex and elegant on the nose with citric notes and green aromas. The palate shows great volume with crisp, high acidity giving chalky minrality and a fresh, long, fruity finish.
2015 La Bascula Catalan Eagle Red, Terra Alta
D. Byrne & Co Red Wine Of The Year 2016/17
Weighty and complex yet retaining a bright freshness which is characterized by spicy blackberry and raspberry fruit. Old vine Garnacha and Carignan aged in French oak gives this wine a thoroughly modern feel while remaining firmly and typically Spanish. Outstanding quality and value for money.
2014 MOKO Black Pinot Noir, Marlborough
This is a lovely, lifted Pinot with plenty of fragrance and finesse. The wine displays the classic crunchy cranberry and red currant fruit flavours associated with this most noble of grapes, and although the wine is fruit driven and delicious on its own, there is enough bite and texture to be food friendly.
2015 Chateau de Belleverne Chenas ‘Le Chatelain’, Beaujolais
2015 was a truly exceptional vintage for Beaujolais and if there’s such a thing as Blockbuster Beaujolais, this is it; deep and beetroot-stained with a flowery aroma and a flavour of ripe Morello cherries, the palate is plush and generous with a velvety texture.
2015 Domaine Mas Barrau Cabernet Franc, Pays du Gard
Sensual, seductive and sophisticated Cabernet Franc from the Pays du Gard.
There is a wild ripeness of sweet orange-zest scented raspberry fruit twinned with an edgy woodland perfume. The palate is incredibly long and very rich with fleshy fruit flavours counterbalanced by a bitter, woody, character and a thread of honey.
2013 Boutinot ‘La Cote Sauvage’ Cairanne, Cotes du Rhone
For the La Côte Sauvage fully ripe Grenache and Syrah grapes are hand-picked from old bush vines on selected hillside slopes within Cairanne, a village which was recently elevated to cru status. With cherry and a touch of sweet spice on the nose, ripe berry, liquorice, chocolate, summer pudding and a hint of cinnamon spice on the palate, this wine is full flavoured and smooth with supple tannins.
2013 Cantina Nicosia Nerello Mascalese, Sicily
Nerello Mascalese is one of Sicily’s most serious red grapes, thriving on the slopes of Mt Etna. Ripe cherry and red berry fruit on the nose with spicy, savoury notes. Supple, juicy fruit combines with fresh acidity to give an attractive, easy to drink red - warm, rounded and medium-bodied with gentle tannins.
2013 Novas Gran Reserva Carmenere Cabernet, Colchagua Valley
A deliciously natural, black, muscular food wine, with a great sense of place. A deeply coloured classic blend of Carmenere and Cabernet, dark fruit aromas mixed with soft toasty notes. The palate is intensely rich with lots of herbal flavours, including mint. There is a slight salinity, with lots of fruit and dusty, clay earth and a beautiful stony finish.
£89.99 if collected from the shop or £98 delivered anywhere in mainland UK


CONNOISSEURS CASE 2016

2015 Pazo Barrantes Albarino, Rias Baixas
Very pale with green-gold lights. Full of aromas of wild flowers, white fruits and a hint of spice. A textured palate with plenty of palate weight followed by a fine stony finish. This is a very fine dry white from one of the very best producers in the Rias Baixas, superb with shellfish.
2015 Signos de Origen ‘La Vinilla’, Casablanca Valley
Elegant aromas of apricot, toasted almonds and hints of vanilla. The palate is full and smooth with subtle notes of flowers, luscious lemon meringue fruit and creamy oak with bright natural acidity and a refreshing savoury twist. A modern day Chilean classic which is wonderfully rich and powerful and a food matching dream.
2012 Turckheim Grand Cru Brand Riesling, Alsace
Archetypal Alsace Riesling; fine and dry with elegant pear and citrus fruit on the nose underpinned by hallmark petrol aromas. The palate is broader with rich fruits and a crisp, steely finish. Riesling may not be in fashion, but it is undoubtedly the most noble of noble grapes. A true connoisseurs wine in every sense.
2015 Domaine Roblin Sancerre ‘Terres Blanches’, Loire
Smokey, almost toasty aromas and fresh grass, mingle with just picked lemon and a hint of aniseed. The palate has more lemon, fresh grass, savoury notes, hay and hints of spice. It is round and full in the mouth, finishing with a pure intensity and zippiness that you'd expect in classy Sancerre.
2013 Villa Raiano Ventidue Fiano di Avellino, Campania
A rich and textural Fiano from Raiano's finest vineyard plots. Stone fruit aromas with some savoury, flinty and herbal notes. The palate is complex with peach, nectarine, mineral, and slight leesy characters. Textural, with crisp acidity and great length on the finish.
2014 Feudo Maccari Saia Nero d’Avola, Sicily
Awarded tre bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) for the past 4 years, the Saia Nero d’Avola is the wine that put Feudo Maccari on the map.  From selected plots of 30 to 40year old bush vines, this is a Nero of uncommon delicacy and perfume. Floral, violet aromas backed by spicy notes. The palate has layers of ripe plum fruit with smoke, mocha and more spice - a rich, ample wine backed by vibrant acidity.
2013 Waterkloof Circumstance Cabernet Franc, Stellenbosch
The hugely impressive Waterkloof estate is a certified bio-dynamic vineyard. The estate wines are produced in tiny quantities, and represent the very essence of the pristine landscape from which they are drawn. Cabernet Franc craves a slow, even ripening and its potential on the estates ocean-facing site shines through here. This is an exhilarating wine which must be decanted in order to fully appreciate its wonders, serve with lamb or pink duck.
2014 Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Mourvedre,
Tiny yields of two to three tons per hectare are drawn from Cline’s Contra Costa Mourvedre vineyards. This is hugely concentrated and opulent in style with flavours of dark plum and chocolate leading to a hint of oak and a smooth finish. Long, savoury and luscious.
2015 Wandering Beeste Syrah, Swartland
Mineral, fine and uplifting, with bright acidity and fine tannins that lift the ripe Syrah fruit to a freshness and vitality seldom found in Swartland. The mean, slatey soils give further minerality to the palate which finishes long, broad and bright. This is a wonderfully fresh and floral Syrah with a good dollop of pepper and spice, a brilliant food wine.
2010 Contino Reserva Rioja
All Contino wines are made from grapes exclusively grown on the 62 hectare estate located in Laserna, near the town of Laguardia in the Rioja Alavesa wine making region. This was the first single estate concept in the Rioja region and was established in 1973. This really is a Rioja legend from a legendary vintage, developed, mouth-filling flavours and incredible persistence.
2013 Chateau L’Ermitage Cuvee Sainte-Cecile Rouge, Costieres de Nimes
This is a warm, herbal-scented southern French wine that is immediately soft and developed.
A beefy Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache blend that is dark and distinctive with lots of ripe red fruit, sweet and savoury characters and roasted coffee flavours. Warm, southern, spicy fruit that is quite warming and appealing yet still rustic.
2014 Merum Priorati Ardiles, Priorat
The wine is deep and moody yet captures a brightness and elegance remarkable for such a powerful wine. Sweet mulberry fruit is surrounded by herbal notes of thyme and fennel and underpinned with a hint of vanilla. Very ripe, fine tannins allow the sweet, juicy fruit to dominate but with the seriousness of leather, tobacco and coffee notes adding complexity.
£150 if collected from the shop or £158 delivered anywhere in the UK



Andrew's Christmas Box

N.V. Emiliana Organic Brut Sparkling Wine, Casablanca Valley
We now have such customer interest in organic wines that this year I decided to draw up a separate list of purely organic wines, needless to say this sensational fizz is one of the real highlights. The first organic fizz from Chile’s leading organic producer. Persistent, fine bubbles provide a classic mousse. Aromas of green apples and papaya with notes of toasted brioche. The palate is impressively clean and balanced with moreish fruit driven character and a long, seductive finish.
2015 Diez Siglos Verdejo, Rueda
In order to select the wines for my wedding this year, Joseph organised a blind tasting of several candidates for Isabel and I to taste, we had already chosen the red so it was down to the white. And the winning white wine is…Diez Siglos Verdejo, wow!! And in such a star line up. You can imagine my surprise (not to mention elation), not only a great wine but it would also save me a packet. It is a widely acknowledged that women have superior palate’s for tasting wine and on this occasion I was only too happy to bow to my dearest’s superiority. Complex aromas of stone fruit, tangerine oil and citrus. A rounded and full flavoured palate, with notes of peaches and cream. Textural, though bright and pure with a long finish.
2015 Feudo Maccari 'Family and Friends' Grillo, Sicily
‘Family and Friends’ sums up the whole ethos of our wedding. A glitzy gathering of 99 Byrne’s, 50 Davie’s and countless friends packed into the warehouse to celebrate mine and Isabel’s marriage. And although I say it myself, this really was one of the most joyful occasions ever. From a selection of the finest Grillo grapes on the estate - fermented and aged 4 months in French oak. A restrained and complex nose with hints of dried fruit, orange peel and papaya. Ripe stone fruit characters and spicy oak lead to a creamy, textured palate and a long, savoury finish.
2011 Boutinot Cairanne ‘Les Six’ Côtes du Rhône Villages
In early summer this year myself and Isabel spent two weeks in Cairanne, we stayed as guests on the Boutinot estate. Our initial thoughts and intentions before leaving were to blend our own wine to serve at the wedding, I have put together some crackers in the past but on this occasion it wasn’t to be. Lurking in a dark corner of the winery was the last dusty palate of ‘Les Six’, and even better it was 2011. A tasting of the wine quickly followed and I was reminded of just how good this wine had been two years earlier. So that was that, I offered the estate manager Kim Tidy a princely sum for the whole palate and he duly accepted. Surely 700+ bottles would be enough to keep the guests happy, and I might even have a few left to enjoy over the coming years. Six varieties, some familiar, others less so, combine beautifully to make one superb Cairanne. In an appellation often dominated by just two varieties, ‘Les Six’ is a new style of Cairanne which, due to the ancient varieties of Carignan Noir (10%), Cinsault (10%) and Counoise (10%) included in the assemblage, is also a Cairanne whose heart holds dear the traditions of yesteryear. ‘Les Six’ is all about elegance and the expression of six different grape varieties; soft red fruits gently seasoned with a touch of oak.
Massaya ‘Le Colombier’, The Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley
Whilst I was in the Rhone I visited Daniel Brunier at the famous Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Daniel and his brother Frédéric, now make wines in the Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. The Massaya wines are a very popular range in the shop, offering the perfect mix of modern wine making and that captivating Lebaneese spice. A blend of Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Tempranillo, ‘Le Colombier’ is a fresh, thirst-quenching wine, distinguished by hints of spice, pepper and cedarwood. Ironically I did have the opportunity to visit the Lebanon in early October, but allas love conquers all and I had to decline the opportunity as it coincided with my wedding day!!
Krohn Colheita 1995
Krohn produce the most wonderfully silky and complex of all Colheita’s. The wines are disgracefully decadent, rich and impossible to put down, I will be enjoying mine by the fire with the last of our wedding cake. A stunning richly flavoured Colheita, drinking perfectly after nearly 20 years in barrel! From the very correct 1995 vintage. Deep brick red. A warm, rich, spicy nose, with aromas of plum cake, caramel and dates. The palate is generous with lots of rich, concentrated flavours, dried fruit, dates, raisins, nuts and plum. Stunning length and great balance.

£80 if collected in the shop or £88 delivered anywhere in mainland UK