← Wine Picks
2026-03-01 · Case #1 · 6 bottles
March 2026
The inaugural case. Northern Rhône Syrah meets Piedmont Nebbiolo, a Portuguese white curveball, and a 25-year-old sherry for £17.
At a Glance
First month — no feedback history yet, so this case leans on the taste profile built from 113 Vivino ratings. Two Northern Rhône Syrahs at different price points, a Piedmont Nebbiolo, a Portuguese white for discovery, a comfort-zone Rioja, and an Oloroso Sherry as the wild card. Four countries, three colours, one deliberate surprise.
6 bottles
£135.50 total
4 countries
2 retailers
The Wines
Syrah
Northern Rhône, France
Splurge
The Wine Society
The centrepiece. Henry loves peppery, structured Syrah from South Africa — this is where that grape was born. Hermitage is the summit of Northern Rhône Syrah: concentrated, smoky, layered with black pepper, graphite, and leather. Ferraton (under Chapoutier's ownership) makes a rich, dark style that should hit every note he enjoys. 2020 was an excellent vintage. Give it 2–3 hours in a decanter and pair with something equally serious — braised beef cheeks or venison.
- Food pairing
- Braised beef cheeks, venison, aged hard cheese
- When to open
- Now (decant 2–3 hrs) or cellar 5–10 years
- Confidence
- High — his palate, new region
- Vintage
- 2020
Syrah
Northern Rhône, France
Discovery
The Wine Society
The affordable companion to the Hermitage. Crozes is the gateway appellation — less concentrated but still peppery and violet-scented, with black olive and garrigue notes. Deliberately included alongside the Hermitage so Henry can benchmark what £19 vs £54 buys in the same region. A useful education in Northern Rhône terroir.
- Food pairing
- Roast lamb, sausage casserole, mushroom risotto
- When to open
- Drink now or within 3 years
- Confidence
- High — approachable, in his wheelhouse
- Vintage
- 2023
Nebbiolo
Piedmont, Italy
Discovery
Berry Bros & Rudd
Henry rated a Barolo 4.0 but found it light — this Langhe Nebbiolo from a small family estate should offer richer, more immediate fruit while still delivering the grape’s signature tar, rose petal, and firm tannin structure. An introduction to Piedmont that plays to his love of backbone and complexity without the austerity of young Barolo.
- Food pairing
- Osso buco, truffle pasta, aged Parmigiano
- When to open
- Now (decant 1 hr) or hold 3–5 years
- Confidence
- Medium-high — tannin structure can divide
- Vintage
- 2023
Encruzado
Dão, Portugal
Discovery
The Wine Society
The curveball. Encruzado is Portugal’s most serious white grape — Burgundian weight and texture with a mineral, slightly waxy character. Henry barely explores whites outside Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. This bridges the gap: the body and complexity he loves in oaked Chardonnay, but from a completely different grape and terroir. If it clicks, it opens the door to Portuguese whites.
- Food pairing
- Roast chicken, seafood risotto, grilled fish with herb butter
- When to open
- Drink now or within 2 years
- Confidence
- Medium — a genuine stretch pick
- Vintage
- 2023
Tempranillo
Rioja, Spain
Anchor
The Wine Society
The safe pick. Henry rates Rioja Gran Reserva 4.7 — this is squarely in his comfort zone. The Wine Society’s Exhibition range is reliably excellent value, and Reserva 2020 delivers the vanilla, leather, and cedar notes he loves. Every case needs a familiar bottle, and this one also serves as a benchmark: is the comfort zone still comfortable, or is the palate shifting?
- Food pairing
- Roast pork, chorizo, manchego, barbecue
- When to open
- Drink now, or cellar 3–5 years
- Confidence
- Very high — known territory
- Vintage
- 2020
Palomino
Jerez, Spain
Wild Card
The Wine Society
The gamble. Henry rates Château d’Yquem 5.0 and old Rioja 4.7 — he already loves complex, oxidative, developed wines even if he doesn’t consciously frame it that way. A 25-year-old Oloroso is concentrated walnut, dried fruit, toffee, and savoury depth. At £17, it’s absurd value for a quarter-century of ageing. If he loves it, sherry becomes a whole new dimension. If he doesn’t, we learn something important about what “oxidative” means to him.
- Food pairing
- Blue cheese, roasted almonds, dark chocolate, or neat as a digestif
- When to open
- Drink now — it’s had 25 years
- Confidence
- Medium — genuine gamble, sound logic
- Vintage
- NV (~25 years old)
Order Summary
Hermitage Les Miaux, Ferraton 2020
£54.00
Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine Rousset 2023
£19.00
Langhe Nebbiolo, Fogliati 2023
£23.50
Quinta dos Roques Encruzado, Dão 2023
£23.50
Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2020
£18.50
Exhibition Oloroso Sherry NV
£17.00
Wine Society first-order discount
−£20.00
Total
£135.50
Ordered from Berry Bros & Rudd and The Wine Society. Wine Society delivery scheduled Tue 3 March 2026.