🧃DURRMAN IN DALSTON 🧃

Hey folks, Fionn again this Thursday!

First on the agenda is some rather boring housekeeping. On the 1st of August, there was a change in the duty on booze, meaning an increase on most wine. This duty increase will affect a vast majority of not only our wines but ALL small indie retailers. This means that sadly some wines will either have increased ever so slightly (50p here and there) or will do so over the coming months. Whilst we are not thrilled by this new change in legislation, it has now become our reality and we wanted to keep you in the loop. We’ve done our very best to ease the immediate effects by taking on as much stock as possible before the changes were implemented. This meant we literally took in four, yes four, whole pallets on the last day of July. It was A LOT of wine and my poor back might not ever recover. But that’s how much we like you. Apart from the tiny increases as ever we’re still in the business of getting good wine to good people at good prices. This will never change!

Enough of the boring stuff, now let's crack on with some tasty new arrivals we’ve had land over the past week, and boy has some tasty gear hit the shelves. As a long-time admirer of the wines from Domaine Durrmann, I’m pretty chuffed that we managed to grab a few bottles of their latest releases. Based in Andlau, Alsace the Durrmann family were one of the first to practise organic farming in the region and they make hand-off expressions in this northerly corner of France. Firm believers that great wine is made in the vineyard, just like us, they produce juicy yet dry expressions of Alsace. High drinkability, and with an ethereal nature to them these are wines that just make you smile.

Their Pinot is jam packed full of summer-pudding fruit followed by a pleasing mineral finish. Despite 2022 being the hottest year on record in Alsace, this retains all the signature freshness the Durrmann’s are known for. Coming in at a nimble 11.7% you should chill this down, and grab a straw. It looks like summer might finally be around the corner! Their Ron-Rond Rouge is equally as easy. Here Pinot Noir is joined by its cousin Gris for one whole litre of Alsatian joy. Cherries and cranberries galore plus a whisper of lightweight granular tannin takes me back to drinking Ocean Spray straight from the carton. Proper summer reds. Cop ‘em before they’re gone.

Since in Alsace, we’ve picked up a couple of whites for good measure too. First up we have Zegwur, which is a bone-dry expression of Gewürztraminer. It’s really really hard trying to find Gewürz that doesn’t taste like walking into LUSH. Often it can be all too heady like cheap perfume, but certainly not here. This leans more into the tropical fruit side of things without any of that sticky sugar. This is giving off serious LILT (RIP) vibes and would be killer with something spicy, or even better from the paddling pool. I highly recommend checking out their entire range here. Their Gaz de Schistes has to be one of the most complex pet-nats I’ve tasted. Great if you’re into the weirder side of wine. Plus tiny quantities remain of their litre bottling of white. Just in time for some long overdue sunshine.

Also, I simply must mention that a teeny tiny amount of Tissot landed this week. These Jura legends hardly need any introduction and if you don’t know then you need to get to know them fast. When I say tiny, I mean like barely any and certainly not enough. Patchwork is my go-to bottling, a steal too, seeing as it's a blend of fruit sourced across their many immaculate vineyards. Two more single-site offerings really start to highlight the unique complexity each of their different parcels bring. Les Graviers from limestone soils is reminiscent of the finest Burgundy whilst Les Bruyères from blue-marl is quite literally smokin’. Plus we’ve got a topped up Savagnin for all of you acid heads. I cannot stress this enough - these are going to fly. So I’d pull the trigger and pop ‘em in the cellar ASAP. Future you will be thankful. That’s all this week!

Take it easy

Fionn

XOX