The best of the UK wine sales

Following my tips on buying from wine sales yesterday here are some of the independent wine merchant sales that are currently on and some of the bottles that I would consider buying from them (though I should stress that I haven’t had the opportunity to taste most of the wines). Remember an unsplit case is generally going to be cheaper than a mixed case but a bit of a risk if you haven’t tried the wine. Some deals may have already sold out by the time you read this.

Adnams
There’s a sale on in all 13 branches of Adnams Cellar & Kitchen which now include three stores in London and online including this quirky Spanish wine I mentioned yesterday. I’d also be tempted by Telmo Rodriguez Gago Red from Toro (down from £14.99 to £10. There’s also a couple of decent ross though the website doesn’t indicate what the previous selling price was.

Armit
Good offers on both unsplit cases and individual bottles, for instance the 2009 Momo Marlborough Pinot Noir from New Zealand down from £171.60 to £120.12 a 12 bottle case and Quercia al Poggio Chianti Classico 2007 from £92.38 to £73.90 for 6 bottles. You could also pick up the O Fournier Urban Malbec 2009 (£10.80) as part of a mixed case and get 20% off. Ring 020 7908 0660 to see what’s still available.

Averys
Again hard to see what some of the reductions are and some wines seem to need to be bought by the 12 bottle case but I’d be tempted by Avery’s Manzanilla at £22.47 for 3 bottles, the Atlantico 2010 from the Alentejo (£39.99 for 6 bottles) and Castano Monastrell Ecologico 2009 from Yecla (£39.99 for 6 bottles) and Durnberg Gruner Veltliner classic 2009 Weinviertl (£39.99 for 6 bottles). Avoid the mystery case and other sale cases where you don't know exactly what you're getting.

Berry Bros & Rudd
Savings of up to 37% on burgundy and other fine wine cases bringing wines like Domaine Emmanuel Darnaud’s Crozes-Hermitage Les Trois Chnes 2008 down to £12.50 a bottle instead of £19.85 or Domaine de Chevalier Rouge Pessac-Lognan 2007 from £35 to £24.50 a bottle if you buy an unsplit case

Great Western Wine, Bath
Still undergoing a process of rationalisation following its merger with Enotria last year so there are some very sharp prices on current vintages including Bodegas Santa Ana Torrontes 2010 (down from £7.50 a bottle to £5), the Intimo Blanco and Tinto from Humberto Canale in Patagonia (down from £8.35 to £6), Man Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (down from £7.60 to £6.50), Peter Lehmann Art series Semillon 2010 (£8.50 to £6.95) and Portrait Series Barossa Shiraz (£9.95 to £7.95) and Chateau Kefraya ‘Les Bretches’ 2008 (from £10.25 to £7). The sale only just started yesterday so there are still some good bargains.

Justerini & Brooks
So posh are Justerinis that their sale doesn’t feature on their website. I heard about it from them last week but was warned many of the best bottles had already been snapped up. There was some dazzling burgundy and some very good German wines on it though. Ring them or mail them and see what’s left or call in at their shop in St James’s Street.

Lea & Sandeman
This go-ahead London wine merchant has lots of good deals in their bin-end sale including two cracking sherry bargains - a Real Tesoro fino sherry for £4.95 and amontillado (£5.95). The Entorno Lot 2010 Vino de Mesa - a declassified rioja - also looks a steal at £4.95 as does the 2004 Palacio Fuente Verde from Vinedos Monfil in Carinena at £6.95. Some interesting Italian buys too.

Roberson
Majoring on claret in their ‘Massive Bordeaux Sale’ - an opportunity to improve your knowledge of Bordeaux at a relatively affordable price. Buy Chateau Potensac for £16.95 instead of £24.95 for example or Frank Phlan 2007 the second wine of Chteau Phlan-Segur for £19.95 instead of £24.95.

Swig
If you're not put off by damaged labels pick up a bottle of the lush A A Badenhorst Secateurs White for just £6.65 instead of £9.50. And there's 2010 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon for £15. Other good South African and Kiwi bargains but watch out for older vintages.

The Wine Society
The current ‘Great Savings’ offer has been going for a week now so you may find some of the best buys have been snapped up but there are still some great offers on unsplit cases starting at £4.75 a bottle - on current vintages like the Cortello Tinto 2009 (currently £62 for a case of 12) If you’re not already a member of the Wine Society I’d strongly recommend it. A lifetime’s membership costs £40.

Yapp Brothers
I mentioned the Jean-Claude & Didier Aubert Vouvray demi-sec 2009 yesterday but there are many other good French wine bargains including half bottles of André Vatan Sancerre Blanc Les Perriers 2009 (now £6.35 - Yapp is good on halves) and Coteaux d’Aix Domaine des Oullieres Rouge 2009 (down from £9.75 to £7.80 a bottle). Less dramatic reductions than some other merchants but easier to put a mixed case together.

If you’re a merchant and you’d like me to add your sale email me at fiona AT matchingfoodandwine DOT com highlighting what you think are the best buys.

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