http://www.swig.co.uk/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:02:26 GMT Reduced to a special price of £39.00 from £46.00 for MoneyWeek readers (& Swig customers) 2008 Ombrone, Cupano, Tuscany  I am a massive fan of the Brunello di Montalcinos from Cupano and Ombrone is their ‘Super Tuscan’ incarnation. It is made from 50% Cabernet, 35% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese and in my wildest imaginations I would never have guessed that this wine would be so unbelievably impressive. It didn’t take me to long to discover incontrovertible proof as to why Ombrone could work such unexpected wonders on my palate. Its owner/winemaker, Lionel Cousin, is one of the most dedicated men in the business and he learnt his trade from none other than the late, great Henri Jayer (of Vosne-Romanée fame). Arguably the most famous man in the history of modern winemaking, and someone with whom I enjoyed a life-changing dinner with many years ago (the single greatest moment of my career to date), Jayer’s impact on Cousin is embedded into every sip of his wine. Lionel works his entire estate by hand. He has carried tonnes of rock up from the Ombrone river to give better support and drainage to his vines. He planted every single vine by hand and he works between the rows using a horse and plough. He spends hours every day walking through the vines, meticulously pruning his bunches with a pair of nail scissors! He is wholly dedicated to Cupano – this is why his wines are worth their weight in gold.Matthew Jukes, Money Week, Feb 2012 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=32 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=32 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:10:03 The Guardian "In a world of big brands, it's easy to forget that wine is about individuals. If a winemaker is passionate about his or her vineyards and the quality of their grapes, their wines tend to be equally expressive. http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=30 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=30 Sat, 22 Oct 2011 09:55:16 The Christmas edition of Decanter Magazine has highlighted a few wines from Swig, but perhaps the most seasonal is our fantastic vintage Prosecco from La Jara, an exciting new organic producer making fine, stylish sparkling wines. http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=18 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=18 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:52:46 In the Feb 25th edition of Moneyweek, Matthew Jukes writes: "I would wager that you have already heard of the prowess of the 2009 vintage in France.  This, of course, means that at the top of the wine ladder there are a load of frighteningly expensive, totally rare wines that we will never get to have a go at.  What a shame.  However, the clever and well-informed among us also appreciate that these vintages also bring us untold bounty in the lower price reaches, too.  This is where I often hunt in search of everyday drinking stars with obscene over-performance stats.  Châteauneuf-du-Pape is on top form in 2009 and so the finer Chnf producers are likely to have made excellent CdRs.  Janasse has long been a favourite of mine and this year’s entry level wine from this reliable estate is a stunner.  At a recent tasting of around a hundred new releases, at all price points, from all over the world, this was the one wine that I remembered clearly at the end of the day.  It is beautifully balanced, pure, smooth, classy and authentic.  It’s just about drinking now but it will look smashing for another three or four years.  This is a great Côtes-du-Rhône and that means that it is an essential member of your everyday drinking armoury." http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=24 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=24 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:18:18 In her list of top wines for Christmas, Jancis Robinson choses one of our favourite white Burgundies, St-Aubin Clos de la Chatenière Premier Cru, Dom Hubert Lamy 2008, and, in the same breath, confirmed our belief that his wonderful Saint Aubins are better than many of the more famous names in white Burgundy. This backs up our whole philosophy! * http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=20 http://www.swig.co.uk/press_article.aspx?id=20 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:01:34