Swig manages to find delicious wines you’d never come across in your normal walk of life, and it is this ability to sniff out hidden gems that makes them such an important fixture in the elite UK wine landscape. The wines I’ve chosen for July are no exception. Each bottle seems to have a few familiar traits, but then there is a little twist or turn which makes each wine unique and Swig-style. Chosen for top level summer dining, all six of these wines should be drunk chilled. The trick with the reds is to take them out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving them, so that the acidity is slightly heightened and the fruit is trim. These wines can then blossom in the glass as they breathe and unravel.
Cheers!
Matthew Jukes | MoneyWeek Wine Editor
How it works
This collection is available to buy online, or you can place your order by phone via Swig - call them direct on 0800 0272 272 and quote “MoneyWeek” to benefit from exclusive MoneyWeek savings and FREE UK delivery.
Prices shown below are per case of 12 bottles. This collection is also available as a mixed case, giving you two of each bottles for just £150 - it’s a chance for you to try them all, and always the most popular choice with fellow MoneyWeek readers!
2017 La Valse des Mansengs, Domaine Horgelus, Gascony, France
£13.50 £9.95 per bottle
Unlike any other white wine that has graced these pages, this is a curio which celebrates the two quirky Manseng grapes, Gros and Petit, which together make the famous white wines of Jurançon. Horgelus grows these two magically perfumed white grapes, too, and they cleverly tighten up the finish of this white with the addition of 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The result is a floral, exotically perfumed wine with hints of violets and stone fruit, a sleek, plush palate and a long, dry, mineral finish. It’s luxurious and tastes like no other wine on earth!
CASE PRICE: £119.40 - saving £42.60 - BUY NOW
2018 Ardina 300, Loureiro, Vinho Verde, Guapos, Portugal
£12.50 £9.95 per bottle
Vinho Verde is one of my (many) vinous guilty pleasures. This inexpensive essence of summer is Portugal’s answer to Muscadet, Txakoli, Verdicchio and every other bright, crisp, seafood-friendly white. Drunk ice cold and very young (be sure to finish your bottles by the end of the year), this is an awesome aperitif style, with a devastatingly refreshing character. Loureiro is a delicious white grape with sea-spray notes and I cannot think of a better wine to start a feast than this palate-primping wine.
CASE PRICE: £119.40 - saving £30.60 - BUY NOW
2014 Rosso No1, Tenuta Tobia, Seggiano, Monte Amiata, Tuscany, Italy
£18.95 £15.95 per bottle
Made by Brit Toby Owen, this is a spectacular wine, putting many Brunello di Montalcinos to shame with its lush, power-packed palate and insultingly low price. Made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, this is such an impressive wine I drank the whole bottle rather than just tasting it and moving on. The depth of fruit and volume of flavour conjures up images of expensive Super Tuscan-style reds, and yet wines with this degree of sophistication cost somewhere between £50 - £100. If I could have one wish this month it would be for every MoneyWeek reader to order this wine – then you could all see what I see in this incredible creation.
CASE PRICE: £191.40 - saving £36 - BUY NOW
2016 Paisajes, Viñedos Ruiz Jiménez, Rioja, Spain
£14.95 £12.50 per bottle
This is a wonderful wine and it uses the Garnacha grape exclusively in its makeup. In terms of shape and size, it is a blast from the past - medium-weight, silky and honed. There is none of the woodwork or massive inky notes found in new wave Rioja and, if anything, tastes more Burgundian than it does Rioja. The aromatics are arresting and the red fruit is soothing and satisfying with herbal accents and a lovely long finish. This is yet another classic Swig wine – unusual, unexpected and unerringly rewarding.
CASE PRICE: £150 - saving £29.40 - BUY NOW
2018 Little Beauty, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
£17.50 £14.50 per bottle
This wine’s name also acts as a perfect two word tasting note! Made by former Cloudy Bay winemaker Eveline Fraser, this is a fantastic Kiwi Sauvignon. It is stripped back to its raw ingredients, showing little tropical fruit or unnecessary ripeness. It’s dry, smooth, citrus-themed and discreet. It is as euro-style as you can get in New Zealand and this makes it a desperately attractive style of wine. I love the wet pebble freshness and keen acid edge - this is not only a racy wine but also a crisp and energetic number, too. Notice I haven’t sloppily mentioned the expression little beauty in my notes either…
CASE PRICE: £174 - saving £36 - BUY NOW
2018 Bourgogne, Les Truffières, Domaine de Mauperthuis, France
£17.50 £15.95 per bottle
This is a very unusual find: not in terms of taste, but where it comes from geographically. Made by a Chablis producer, but coming from a vineyard west of the region in the greater Auxerre environs, this wine tastes a little like a cross between a classy Premier Cru Chablis and a silky Mâcon Blanc. The Chardonnay grape is on fine form here with little oak intervention. This is a succulent style tailor-made for early drinking. Give Chablis a break and try this wine this summer. It will not let you down.
CASE PRICE: £191.40 - saving £18.60 - BUY NOW
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