A common fallacy among people who know 'a little' bit about wine is that the older it is, the better it is. This obviously isn't true for an estimated 99.8% of our wines, however, there are some wines that take time to unfurl, revealing new depths with bottle age. Sometimes these wines taste almost unrecognisable from their younger selves, and naturally, we find this kind of thing fascinating. We haven't gone for the oldest wines we can get our hands on with this case, but instead the most interesting set that doesn't rely on youthful allure for their attractiveness.We all know Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rioja can age, so why reprove the point. Enter Malvasia Istarska from Istria, Mondeuse from the Haute Savoie and a Friulian macerated Sauvignon blend... If your ears don't prick up at the sound of aged versions of these vinous oddities, you're probably in the wrong place. 

DARIO PRINCIC, VINO BIANCO TREBEZ, 2019
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc & Tocai Friulano
Dark amber in colour, the wine is full-bodied with serious texture and autumnal earthy notes of chestnut, caramel and honey and a long mineral finish.

ALICE AND OLIVIER DE MOOR, COTEAU DE ROSETTE, CHABLIS, 2017
100% Chardonnay
Straw yellow in the glass. Mandarin citrus notes are followed by scents of ripe melon, moss and wax. The palate is fresh, firm and mineral with a long finish and a beautiful acid shoulder.

COLOMBERA, COLOMBERA MALVAZIJA, 2016
100% Malvazija Istarska
Amber-hued wine with coppery notes, aromas of natural apple juice and ripe golden plums, warm and spicy in the mouth with a suggestion of wild herbs and rounded tannins on the finish.

CHATEAU DU CEDRE, CAHORS, 2014
Malbec, Merlot & Tannat
The fruit in this exceptional aged Cahors veers towards the stewed side- think red plums, and blackberries with a lovely background of leather, undergrowth and spice. The tannins are beautifully integrated and this drinks like a dream.

DOMAINE LUNEAU PAPIN, L'D'OR, MUSCADET, 2009
100% Melon de Bourgogne  
The top wines from Luneau Papin just get better with age. Peeling off the layers of coiled acids to reveal a softer, more honeyed core. 

LOUIS MAGNIN MONDEUSE VIEILLES VIGNES, CHIGNIN, SAVOIE, 1996
Mondeuse
From 80-year-old vines on red clay (glacial) soils. The grapes are fully destemmed and left in stainless steel for 15 days before ageing in the same for a further 18 months on their fine lees. Amazing chance to try an aged red from one of the Savoie's resident Mondeuse masters.

Price includes delivery, and case contents are subject to substitutions or vintage changes.