Ladies and gentlemen, drum roll please, no pushing at the back, let’s hear it for… The Bunch! Yes, The Bunch! If you don’t know who I’m talking about, you’re in for a treat. And if you do know, you’ll realise why I’m so excited.
A loose coalition of six of the UK’s finest independent wine merchants (Corney & Barrow, Haynes Hanson & Clark, Lea & Sandeman, Private Cellar, Tanners and Yapp Bros), The Bunch was set up some 35 years or so ago in response to scandals surrounding the likes of Hungerford Wine Company and Mayfair Cellars, with its founders vowing to abide by a strict code of conduct that, quite simply, puts the punter first.
That’s the boring bit. The fun bit is they’re all great friends rather than rivals; they hold the jolliest wine tastings, they boast almost 600 years of experience (and some 15,000 wines) between them, and they focus on small independent growers whose bottles you’ll rarely, if ever, see in the supermarket.
They all have easily negotiated websites, they offer UK-wide delivery, and they couldn’t be nicer to deal with. I can’t think of a single reason not to buy from one (or all) of The Bunch’s merchants. I’ve picked one bottle from each.
The Bunch’s founders vow to abide by a strict code of conduct that, quite simply, puts the punter first
The 2023 Tiefenbrunner Merus Müller-Thurgau (1), from Tanners, proves just how tasty this much maligned grape – once notorious as a component of dread Liebfraumilch – can be in the right hands. Here, on the steep slopes of Italy’s Alto Adige, under the care of Christof and Sabine Tiefenbrunner, it positively shines.
With fresh mountain herbs and a touch of spicy, white pepper on the nose, it’s clean, crisp and correct in the mouth, and a second gulp is hard to resist. £18.20.
The 2022 Francois Carillon ‘La Bergerie’ Chardonnay (2), from Corney & Barrow, shows exactly why one should buy from such a canny, well-connected merchant. Produced by fabled 16th-generation vigneron François Carillon, known to some as the Prince of Puligny, from fruit sourced in the Gard, it’s a Chardonnay of stunning style and finesse, all juicy stone fruit and just a whisper of oak. This is what Chardonnay-lovers in the know drink. £19.50.
The 2024 Ch Julia Assyrtiko (3), from Private Cellar, is an old favourite of mine. Private Cellar might be best known for their excellent range of classic Bord ’n’ Burg but they can spot a well-priced beauty from further afield too and snapped this up a while back, before Greek wine became all the rage. From Drama in the country’s north-east, it’s a beguiling pale yellow and full of fresh, unoaked citrus notes with a keen, mineral heart. Bring on the mezze! £21.20.
Lea & Sandeman have an enviable list of Italian wines and the 2024 Le Piane Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo (4) is a cracking example of what they’re about. Made by Christoph Künzli using minimal intervention, and all but biodynamic practices in the hills of north-east Piedmont, it’s Nebbiolo with just a dash of local Vespolina, and is full of enchanting rose petals, cherries and even violets. Aged for nine months in stainless steel, it’s fresh and inviting with surprisingly gentle tannins. £23.95.
Nobody knows the Rhône, the Loire and the hidden folds of France better than Yapp Bros do and the 2020 Domaine Saint Gayan Gigondas (5) from the southern Rhône is one of their tastiest discoveries. Produced by the Meffre family (who did much to make Gigondas the celebrated appellation it is today) from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, it’s big, bold and uncompromising with wonderful depth of intense, inky plum and liquorice flavours. £24.
Finally, the 2022 Eisenstadt Tinhof Blaufränkisch (6) from Burgenland, Austria, courtesy of Haynes Hanson & Clark. The Tinhof family have been growing grapes and making wine here, 40 or so miles due south of Vienna, for 11 generations, and Blaufränkisch, Austria’s second most widely planted red grape, is in their blood. Similar in style to Pinot Noir, it’s light, fresh, juicy, soft and, gosh, instantly appealing. £24.75.
The mixed box (7, available through Yapp Bros) has one bottle of each wine and delivery, as ever, is free. Individual wines can be purchased from the relevant merchant’s website.
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