4 ouJ -ët ree PBirlreel - Cocktails | Food | Swansea · Show aromas of white flowers, pink grapefruit and Cox’s apple: the palate displays melon and guava flavours with a crisp

It’s time for spring-like red wines to burst forth. Let’s have a change from the

robust, mature and savoury reds of the properly cold months and see some lighter styles blossom. Going into the coming months – especially on slightly warmer, brighter evenings – we are after a red with a spring in its step: juicy, succulent, youthful and fresh.

Beyond the well-known regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, you can find

some really fresh, light, and guzzle-able red wines all over France. With low tannins and usually no oak aging, these reds are perfect in spring and summer, and it’s even ideal to serve them after 20-30 minutes in the fridge.

In Beaujolais, red wine is made from the Gamay grape, which is high in acidity,

earthy, and delicious with roast chicken. There are 10 “crus” in Beaujolais, meaning special sites marked for their superior terroir, and wines from these sites can age quite well. The Loire Valley of Northwest France makes red wines in the “glou glou” style, meaning deliberately low-alcohol, fresh, and easy to drink; the native grape Pineau d’Aunis is often made in this style and it benefits from being naturally high in acidity as well. And in Eastern France, the region of the Jura produces light reds made from Trousseau and Poulsard, as well as Pinot Noir. Enjoy one of these light French reds at your next BBQ. We recommend our Rare Vineyards Pinot Noir Vin de France, great value at £16.95 a bottle perfect with our Warm Salad of Bulgar Wheat, Roast Squash & Broccoli. OM

Wines by the glass are served in 125ml/250ml measures.

1 Chio Prosecco, Italy 5.00/25.00A wonderfully refreshing with vibrant citrus and green fruit flavours. It has fine bubbles and a lingering crisp finish.

2 Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut, Champagne 50.00A blend of 80% Pinot Noir and Meunier, split evenly, and 20% Chardonnay selected from around 30 crus which spends a minimum of three years maturing on its lees. Grand Brut has a fine, consistent bead of bubbles, which release deliciously floral, slightly honeyed fruit aromas. It shows fresh fruit such as white peach on the palate, and has an elegant finish. GOLD (NV) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2014 SILVER (NV) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2011

3 Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé, Champagne 65.00Intense salmon-pink with coppery highlights: elegant aromas of raspberry, wild strawberry and rose petals. Red fruits and citrus flavours on a fine, steady stream of bubbles. A generous portion of the Chardonnay comes from the village of Cramant, renowned for the quality of this variety. BRONZE (NV) SOMMELIER WINE AWARDS 2014 BRONZE (NV) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2011

4 Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Brut, Champagne 130.00The famous Emile Gall? designed Art Nouveau bottle with its painted anemones has to be one of the most beautiful presentations on the market. The equally impressive contents have the classic elegance and finesse of great Champagne. Made from a blend of approximately 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir and 5% Pinot Meunier sourced from top vineyard sites such as Cramant: aged for a minimum of five years, usually much longer, prior to release.

5 Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut, Champagne 75.00Well known for both its full-bodied, biscuity style and its consistency. A black grape dominated blend, using 50% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier together with 30% Chardonnay. A blend of over 50 crus, mostly Premier and Grand Cru, with over 25% reserve wines. BRONZE (NV) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2011

6 Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut, Champagne 85.00Unquestionably the brand leader in this category. Made, unusually, using 100% Pinot Noir grapes from Grand Cru villages. The grapes are allowed only three days brief contact with the skins to give the wine that glorious pink colour. Bottled in the distinctive ‘dumpy’ bottle. SILVER (NV) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2011

CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING WINES

7 Short Mile Bay Chardonnay SE Australia 2.70/5.30/14.95Cool-fermented in stainless steel and bottled early to retain the freshness: a citrussy Chardonnay with a crisp finish.

8 Da Luca Pinot Grigio, Terre Siciliane, Italy 3.30/6.20/17.95A richly flavoured Pinot Grigio, which has benefited from ripening in the Sicilian sunshine, some Viognier is included in the wine, about 15%, which gives it aromatic notes. Show aromas of white flowers, pink grapefruit and Cox’s apple: the palate displays melon and guava flavours with a crisp acidity and a note of richness.

9 Waipara Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, NZ 3.70/6.80/19.95Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc sourced from vineyards in both the Wairau and Awatere valleys of the Marlborough region. Settled juice is fermented with a range of yeasts at cool temperatures for about three weeks: a period of resting off the lees is followed by bottling. A generous and lifted style, showing powerful aromas of melon, nettle and snow pea: the palate bursts with fresh citrus, grapefruit and melon notes, the fruit carrying through to the aromatic finish. BRONZE (2013) SOMMELIER WINE AWARDS 2014

10 Don Jacobo Rioja Blanco, Bodegas Corral, Spain 19.95Made entirely from Viura grapes, cool-fermented in stainless steel tanks and bottled young to preserve maximum aromas and crispness. COMMENDED (2010) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2011

11 Gavi, Enrico Serafino, Italy 20.95Made from Cortese grapes grown in the hills in the south-east region of Piemonte. Unoaked, but aged briefly on its lees, this refreshingly dry wine shows subtle floral notes on the nose, and has a tangy, minerally palate.

12 Chablis Gloire de Chablis, J. Moreau et Fils, France 35.00Bone-dry white Burgundy from Chablis’ most famous House. Classic Chablis flintiness with no oak-ageing. A wine reserved for the on-trade exclusively available from Matthew Clark.

ROSÉ WINE

13 Antonio Rubini Pinot Grigio Rosé delle Venezie, Italy 3.00/5.70/15.95A copper, or ‘ramato’, coloured ros? made from Pinot Grigio grapes grown in north-east Italy. The nose shows aromas of wild flowers, vanilla and strawberry: the palate is refreshing with delicate fruit flavours.

14 Vendange White Zinfandel, California, USA 3.00/5.70/15.95A delicious, medium-sweet ros? made using Zinfandel grapes from the North Central Valley. Allowed only a short maceration on the skins to impart the beautiful salmon-pink colour and then cool-fermented to retain freshness and acidity.

15 Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Château de Beaulieu, France 22.95Located close to the historic town of Aix-en-Provence. Produced from local varieties such as Syrah and Cinsault, which have had a short period of skin maceration to extract a beautiful pink hue. Bottled in the traditional curvaceous bottle.

WHITE WINE

Wines by the glass are served in 125ml/250ml measures.

16 Short Mile Bay Shiraz SE Australia 2.70/5.30/14.95Deep-coloured and full-bodied with lots of rich berry fruit on the palate and a pinch of pepper spice so typical of Shiraz.

17 Tierra Merlot, Central Valley, Chile 3.00/5.70/15.95The Mediterranean climate with its warm summers and low rainfall is ideal for producing premium quality grapes. This wine, from selected vineyards across the valley, aptly demonstrates this fact with its deep colour, rich, spicy fruit and smooth tannins. The ten month maturation in American oak barrels adds a hint of subtle oak to the finish.

18 Rare Vineyards Pinot Noir Vin de France 3.20/5.90/16.95The Pinot Noir grapes come from vineyards located in the south-west of Languedoc Roussillon, close to the Pyr?n?es Mountains: about 30% of the blend is aged in French oak. The smooth, velvety palate shows cherry and blueberry flavours backed with a hint of sweet oak spice. COMMENDED (2012) INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE 2014

19 Malbrontes Malbec-Torrontés, Mendoza, Argentina 3.70/6.80/19.95An interesting blend and a spin on the trend of adding a touch of Viognier to Syrah-based reds: a point noted by Jancis Robinson’s Summer Favourites in the Financial Times June 2010, ‘Beefy but scented Argentine Malbec with some white Torront?s grapes following the C?te R?tie habit of adding some Viognier to Syrah. Velvety and fun.’

20 Viña Pomal Centenario Rioja Crianza, Spain 22.95Made from 100% Tempranillo grapes grown in traditional, low-density, bush vine trained vineyards. After destemming, maceration and fermentation, the wine is aged for a year in American oak before spending a minimum of six months in the bottle prior to release. Deep morello-cherry red with violet hues: black fruit, liquorice and subtle mineral notes, cocoa and toasty notes from barrel ageing: supple and balanced with a refreshing finish. BRONZE (2005) INTERNATIONAL WINE & SPIRIT COMPETITION 2014

21 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, Bolla, Italy 40.00Bolla was the first winery in the Veronese region to bottle and market ‘Amarone’ back in 1953 although the tradition of using semi-dried grapes to increase the concentration of the wine goes back 1,500 years. A blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella grapes, matured in oak barrels for three years and a further year in bottle. Dark ruby-red with garnet rim and an ample complex perfume of black cherry, prune, raisin and cedar spice with balsamic hints and a long, elegant finish.

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RED WINE

Wines by the glass are served in 125ml/250ml measures.MC78014SW