Black plum, cranberry & pomegranate combine with hints of clove, cedar, iron, dry-aged beef & turned earth on the nose. The palate is tight, bright & pure, with flavours of cranberry & pomegranate. There is a marked minerality behind vibrant fine-grained, dry tannins. This is an elegant, tensile wine that is built to last a very long time. Structurally (and aesthetically) it seems to be somewhere between young Bordeaux & Barolo. After the early & short 2015 & 2016 harvests, 2018, like 2017 was back to our usual timing, beginning at the end of the first week of February & finishing at the end of the first week of March. Higher than usual early Spring temperatures brought early budding, but an unusually wet & cool November/ December affected flowering & fruit-set, resulting in particularly low yields
- far lower than the already low yields. A warmer than average February, combined with the very low yields, smaller berries & lighter bunches did however contribute to the riper more opulent style for the 2018 vintage, the resulting wines were deeper, fuller & more structured. The wine was aged initially for 10 months in 400 litre barrels, then 7 months in neutral 2000 litre Foudre. All 100% French Francois Freres Oak. 224 dozen cases were made in total.
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Aspalls flagship cyder & the first of the re-launched range to go to market in 2000. Premier Cru has been awarded Worlds Best Cider & Worlds Best Dry Cider in the 2008 World Cider Awards run by Beers of The World Magazine. It was described by the judges as an elegant & well bred dry cider, with a soft fragrant nose & enough earthy apple notes to keep its feet on the ground Premier Cru has also scooped first prize in the Quality Drink Awards 2008, receiving high praise from the judges who described it as the gewurztraminer of the cider world. Of mid straw-gold colour with a clean, light aroma of dessert apples, Premier Cru is dry, round & creamy on the palate with a good acid balance, pleasant soft tannins & an elegant, long finish. A champagne taste that embodies the essence of an orchard, it has enticed an admiring audience who describe it as pale, subtle & crisp, with a fresh aroma of English apples. An ideal partner for charcuterie & mild cheeses. Premier Cru also provides a very harmonious partnership with spicy foods, particularly curry. ...

Aspall's flagship cyder & the first of the re-launched range to go to market in 2000. Premier Cru has been awarded World's Best Cider & World's Best Dry Cider in the 2008 World Cider Awards run by Beers of The World Magazine. It was described by the judges as an elegant & well bred dry cider, with a soft fragrant nose & enough earthy apple notes to keep its feet on the ground Premier Cru has also scooped first prize in the Quality Drink Awards 2008, receiving high praise from the judges who described it as the gewurztraminer of the cider world. Of mid straw-gold colour with a clean, light aroma of dessert apples, Premier Cru is dry, round & creamy on the palate with a good acid balance, pleasant soft tannins & an elegant, long finish. A champagne taste that embodies the essence of an orchard, it has enticed an admiring audience who describe it as 'pale, subtle & crisp, with a fresh aroma of English apples.' An ideal partner for charcuterie & mild cheeses. Premier Cru also provides a very harmonious partnership with spicy foods, particularly curry. ...

This has an intense nose of grapefruit & other exotic fruits. It is fruity well balanced & generous with more citrus fruit flavours. ...

On the nose, blueberries & blackcurrants meld with hints of cocoa powder & a whiff of gamey venison. Spicy, peppery notes open up on the palate while layers of fine, supple tannins provide backbone & texture. A long, smooth finish completes the blend. ...

Citrus blossom, nectarine & almond/brioche notes, best describe the bouquet at this early stage of development. The promise of longevity comes from sheer palate weight, the firm back bone & a sleek, salivating, flinty minerality. Fully barrel fermented with indigenous yeasts, this 2014 release has excellent cellaring potential. ...

A bright, clear wine. More savoury than fruity, a faint hint of clove & fresh cardamom adds intrigue to the nose, with flavours suggestive of plum, cranberry & red liquorice coming through on the palate. The most seductive feature of this release is the wonderfully plush, velvety mid-palate, the fine, textural spread of tannins & the long, tight, spicy finish. ...

The superb 2013 vintage has yielded a beautifully balanced, fragrant example of Crimson with loads of very fine velvety tannin ...

A bright, clear wine. More savoury than fruity, a faint hint of clove & fresh cardamom adds intrigue to the nose, with flavours suggestive of plum, cranberry & red liquorice coming through on the palate. The most seductive feature of this release is the wonderfully plush, velvety mid-palate, the fine, textural spread of tannins & the long, tight, spicy finish. ...

This Pinot Noir has an enticing nose of mulberry & bramble fruits complemented by spice notes of tamarind paste & crushed sumac berry. The palate is long & textural with a thread of fine tannins. ...