At The Oxford Wine Company we spend our days surrounded by thousands of delicious wines, spirits and beers. But which of them do we decide to drink at home? Take a look below for our team’s top picks for this month.
What We’re Drinking in April
Ted Sandbach, Owner & Chairman
Clos Del Rey La Noia Grenache Noir, IGP Côtes Catalanes 2023 – £21.25 £19.13 – Delicious red fruit notes with a touch spice with soft tannins and great length, all wrapped in a velvety mouthfeel. What value – one of the best wines I’ve enjoyed recently . A real treat!
John Shuckburgh, WSET Educator
Frog’s Leap Zinfandel, Napa Valley 2022 – £39.50 £35.55 – A classy Californian classic. Intense and smoky with luscious cherry and raspberry fruit flavours leading to savoury prunes , cedar and licourice. This rivals a decent claret!
Boschendal Brut Méthode Cap Classique NV – £16.00 £14.40 – Fab Fizz! Cap Classique – One of the best Traditional Method sparkling wines available in this price bracket. Well done S.A.!
Manda Joyce, Wine Advisor
Champagne Gosset Zero Dosage NV – £57.50 £51.75 – Gosset’s first ever Champagne with no sugar added after disgorgement. Based on the 2013 vintage, delivers Gosset’s signature lean, pure fruit but with extended lees ageing bringing perfect balancing richness. A standout.
Tiefenbrunner Anna Weissburgunder 2022 – £25.50 £22.95 – Pinot Blanc from alpine Northern Italy. Ripe, floral and citrussy, with a lingering finish. Pop a bottle in your picnic basket and head for the nearest meadow.
Domaine Gayda La Minuette, Pays d’Oc 2024 – £13.75 £12.38 – Rosé from the south of France, bright, lively, redolent of summer fruits, with a minerality and elegance well above its price tag.
Katy Barker Hill, Retail Marketing Manager
Beyra Natural Biologico, Beira 2021 – £23.50 £21.15 – New to our range, this is a Portuguese red made from a field-blend of native varieties. Incredibly vibrant and bright with f flavours of small red berries and bramble fruits. Can also enjoy slightly chilled!
Odessos Urban Winery Kavarna Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2024 – £24.75 £22.28 – Cabernet Franc is one of my favourite varieties and this one from Bulgaria does not disappoint! Packed with juicy notes of blueberry, blackcurrant & raspberries, the perfect balance of richness and freshness.
Mark Warde-Aldam, Shop Manager
Tenuta Del Pajaru Picuraru Primitivo, IGT Puglia 2024– £21.50 £19.35 -If you are a Primitivo fan then check this out. Rich, violety, chocolatey and smooth.
Luberon Rosé ‘Sans Pretention’, AOP Luberon 2024 – £12.75 £11.48 – Spring is in the air. Provence rosé price are rising. Try this out. From the beautiful Luberon hills just north of Provence.
Bodega Atamisque Serbal Petit Verdot, Tupungato, Uco Valley 2024– £16.00 £14.40 – Single variety Petit Verdot is rare. Normally part of the Bordeaux blend.
Min Yee Tseu, Corporate and University Account Manager
Barboglio De Gaioncelli Franciacorta Brut NV – £31.00 £27.90 – The perfect mid-week treat to add a little sparkle!
Villa Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling, Pfalz 2021 – £18.50 £16.65 – Riesling is one of my favourite varieties and this is an excellent (dry and affordable!) expression from the famous Erni Loosen.
Thom Allinson, Operations Director
In Situ Laguna del Inca, Aconcagua Valley 2019 – £22.50 £20.25 – I defy anyone who enjoys red wine to not enjoy a glass of this belter from Chile.
Zuccardi Apelación Chardonnay, Tupungato 2021 – £20.50 £18.45 – Lots of fruit, and careful use of oak in this well rounded new world Chardonnay. Serious value for money from one of the greats in Argentina
Thymiopoulos Xinomavro, Macedonia 2022– £18.75 £16.88 – Finally some Xinomavro again…! Made by one of the experts on the grape over in Macedonia, this is full of red and black fruit with vibrant acidity. Perfect for BBQs, should the weather permit.
Emma Bristow, Wine Advisor
Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée NV – £50.00 £45.00 – Launched by Champagne Taittinger, this wine is named after Charles de Saint-Evremond, a prominent French poet whom is credited with introducing Champagne to England in the 17th century. The vineyard sits on chalk soils with south facing slopes in Kent with a hugely similar terroir to that of Champagne. Crafted using the traditional method from a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Pleasing aromas of lemon and green apple with developing notes of peach, brioche and almonds. Fine creamy bubbles with a crisp, well balanced complexity. When I close my eyes I think apple strudel in a glass! Delicious!
Domaine Peter Sichel Montanha Grenache 2024 – £19.50 £17.55 – Mostly Grenache but with a touch of Syrah create this delicious wine. From the Cucugnan valley in this mountainous region in France. A super bright ruby colour with notes of wild strawberries, red cherries and fresh herbs. Fine and elegant with silky tannins and a vibrant freshness. This wine will pair beautifully with Roast Lamb or other roast poultry dishes.
Duncan Laing, Wine Advisor
Château de Carles Fronsac, Bordeaux 2018 – £25.50 £22.50 – A Merlot-dominant blend from a stellar year for Bordeaux. Lush black fruits, silky tannins, and a hint of spice showcase an exceptional growing season. Enjoy now or cellar for further development.
Vouvray ‘Le Haut Lieu’ Sec, Domaine Huet 2022 2022 – £34.75 £31.28 – A delightful Chenin Blanc from one of Vouvray’s most celebrated producers. Wonderfully aromatic with zesty notes of apple and lemon on the palate.
Lucy Harrison, Retail Operations Manager
Bratanov Pop up Syrah Viognier, Sakar Mountain 2024 – £22.50 £20.25 – A Côte-Rôtie style red from Bulgaria, which is a bargain at this price if you are a fan of the Northern Rhone like me! This is one of my favourite discoveries of the year so far so grab a bottle before I drink them all!
Ilha do Pico Frei Gigante, Azores 2018 – £34.50 £31.05 – A delightful new addition to the shelf! A blend of indigenous grapes from the Azores, this white is textured and zippy, with notes of lemon, melons, apples and pears, with a touch of honey from bottle age, as well as a saline finish. Try with seafood!
Georgiev/Milkov Funky Mavrud Pét-Nat, Thracian Valley 2023 – £19.75 £17.78 -The latest pink pét-nat addition to the shelf made from Mavrud, an indigenous Bulgarian grape. Expect juicy red fruits and a touch of fresh herbs all carried by a gentle fizz.
Clare Lobo, Events and Tasting Manager
Domaine Jean-Max Roger Sancerre Rosé Cuvée Clocher d’Amélie 2024 – £22.50 £20.25 – Rosé season is on the horizon, and this is a standout for me. It’s super fresh and pretty, but with a bit more going on than you might initially expect. Made from Pinot Noir in the Loire Valley, it is finesse in a glass, with lovely minerality and crunchy red fruit.
Zuccardi Los Olivos Malbec, Mendoza 2024 – £14.25 £12.83 – A juicy Malbec from one of the world’s top award-winning wineries! Packed with plum and blackberry, lifted by some spice and vanilla from 10 months in French oak. If you needed an excuse, it’s the perfect glass to raise on World Malbec Day (Friday 17th April, since you asked).
Domain Henri Gouges, Bourgogne Pinot Blanc 2023 – £39.75 £35.78 -A refined white wine from one of Nuits-Saint-Georges’ most historic domaines. Silky and precise, with fresh apple and pear and a subtle mineral edge. Made from Pinot Blanc, a mutation of Pinot Noir first identified by Henri Gouges in the 1930s, it’s a wine with real poise.
Chris Campbell, Wine Advisor
Jordan Cobblers Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2021 – £42.50 £38.25 – A South African grower visited the shop and she recommended this to me from one of her neighbours. She was absolutely right. It’s a lovely Bordeaux style blend of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Ready to drink now or will keep for a few years.
Guido Porro Barbera d’Alba DOC Santa Caterina 2023 – £26.75 £24.08 – It’s so easy to over look Italy’s wonderful Barbera grape in favour of Sangiovese or Nebbiolo. Please don’t and give this a try. This Barbera has vivid red fruit and a plush, intense palate. A wonderful companion to tomato-based pasta, charcuterie, or aubergine parmigiana – this is a wine made for the Italian table.
Quinta do Soalheiro Granit Mineral Selection, Monção e Melgaço 2024 – £25.75 £23.18 – If you like an intensely fresh clean white wine this is for you. The clue is in the name “Granit”. The Alvarinho grapes are grown on granite soil in the Portuguese mountains and this delivers a crisp minerality. A gastronomic wine which complements Mediterranean cuisine such as grilled fish, or delicate Asian dishes such as sushi.
Tanya Little, Shop Manager
Moordenaarskloof Chenin Blanc 2022 – £23.75 £21.38 – A delicate, yet well-structured Chenin Blanc from my previous home-town, this wine is always a great trip down memory lane for me. Fermented in French oak barrels, it has a lovely creamy mouthfeel but still allows the bright tropical fruit flavours to shine through. Pairs well with roast chicken or pork, but honestly I’d just pair it with good company and great banter!
Vinos del Viento Aventura 2023 – £13.50 £12.15 – I love the ethos behind the Vinos del Viento range: characterful wines from native varieties, using sustainable vineyard practices…and the best bit is they also taste amazing! The Aventura is a blend of Garnacha and Syrah, showing luscious dark fruits and spices, with a touch of Tempranillo and Cabernet lending tannins and structure.
Champagne Arnaud Tabourin Blanc de Blanc Premiere Cru Millesime 2015 – £35.00 £31.50 – I never need an excuse to indulge in some bubbles. This Premier Cru Champagne is amazing value for money, showing great complexity with notes of crisp green apple, pear and citrus all wrapped up in a rich toasty brioche character. Perfect for a celebration, or even just a mid-week treat for yourself.
Klara Zhao, Wine Advisor
Vina Progreso Revolution Tannat, Uruguay 2023 – £18.75 £16.88 – A robust and fantastically complex wine made from the national grape of Uruguay—smoky, plumy, with notes of vanilla spice, and deliciously pairs with a steak dinner!
Lindemans Kriek Cherry Lambic – £4.75 £4.28 – For those who like fruit beer, this cherry bomb is sure to please!