Wines

The Leather Bottle wine list

House white 125 ml Bottle
Crusan Columbard Sauvignon 2.75 14.75
A soft Sauvignon nose, this is crisp with a citrus lift, but the Columbard keeps it friendly.
Crisp, dry and refreshing
Marchesini Pinot Grigio del Veneto, Italy 2.90 15.95
Classic Pinot Grigio with a touch of almond make this a veritable quaff-meister.
Tierra Sauvignon Blanc, Maule Valley, Chile 15.95
This is herbaceous in style with a distinct nettley aroma: a fine demonstration of Sauvignon's varietal characteristics.
Armidale Estate Hill Grove Unoaked Chardonnay, Australia 3.10 16.95
Good Chardonnnay flavours which remain fresh throughout as a result of the absence of the old oak tree.
Fruity and aromatic
Riverstone Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 3.45 18.95
Classic Kiwi kit - gooseberries and asparagus, with lots of elegant tropical fruit that just keeps going and going.
Josef Brader Piesporter Michelsberg, Germany 2.75 14.95
From the cool heart of the Mosel valley comes this succulent mouthful of ripe nectarines and juicy pears.
Kleine Zalze Bush Vines Chenin Blanc, South Africa 2.90 15.95
Really rounded, silky, weighty and oaky but with a touch of lemon. Bags of yellow tropical fruit leap out like gazelles from the bush. One step up from dry, but it never cloys.
Etchart Privado Torrontes, Argentina 17.95
Juicy and fragrant lychees, melon and elderflower. If I had but twenty pounds left in the world, this is what I would do with it. Then I'd put the change on an accumulator at Lingfield so I could buy some more later.
Houghton The Bandit Chardonnay Viognier,Australia 19.45
This Chardonnay Viognier has aromas of peach, almonds, citrus and pear, with apricot and peach flavours to the fore, with a rich texture and a creamy finish.
Clean but rounded
La Campagne Viognier VdP d'Oc, France 16.95
This is clean and crisp, but rendered succulent with some delicious apricot overtones.
Pouilly-Fumeé Cuvée du Tronsec, Joseph Mellot, France 29.95
Massive gunflint on the nose, with a slightly citrus edge to the Sauvignon that keeps it fresh but rounded: an aristocrat.
Chablis Reserve Croix St Joseph, J.Moreau, France 34.95
Traditional old-school Chablis - it's as French as Gérard Depardieu in a beret with a string of onions round his neck, pedaling his bicyclette home from the rugby having lost to Les Rosbifs.
Rosé
Vendage White Zinfandel, USA 3.20 17.45
Strawberries and cream in a glass.
Pinot Grigio Rosato del Veneto, Marchesini, Italy 2.90 15.95
A classic picnic wine, this has juicy raspberry overtones and is most agreeable. Great on a sunny day.
Pudding wine
Brown Brothers Orange and Muscat and Flora (375ml) 5.75 16.95
Aromas of orange blossom to the nose and a fresh citrus hint to the palate, while the Flora contributes colour and texture. Yellow in colour with lifted aromas of citrus blossom, spice and musk, this is fresh and tangy with a zesty, long, clean, balanced finish.
Concha y Toro late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Chile 5.05 15.95
Papaya, peach, apricot and mango combine well with honey and spice on the nose. Rich but not cloying, this shows a nice touch of orange blossom. What a great way to end a meal.
House red
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Collezione Marchesini 2.75 14.75
A beautiful little Italian quaffer.
Light and fruity
Cote de Beaune Villages, Reserve des Jacobins Jadot, France 34.95
The earthy nose of cherry and liquorice tells you this is proper kit - the subtlety of this fine Burgundy is a welcome relief from those interminable New World fruit-bombs. '...a sniper's rifle amongst a sea of howitzers and mortars' (JC).
Chianti Rosso, Ruffino, Italy 3.35 19.95
Very drinkable. This is Chianti as it used to be, before they started stuffing it with Merlot to sell to jam-loving Americans. With its easy going nature, this is a quaff-meister.
Warm and spicy
Etchart Privado Malbec, Valle de Cafayate, Argentina 17.95
A very soft and juicy wine, with ripe damson and vanilla on the nose. Almost opulent in style.
The Pavillion Shiraz Viognier, Boschendal, South Africa 17.95
This is the blend made famous by Cote Roti in the Rhone, and the boys in Boschendhal make the wine sing in the glass. A gorgeous drop.
Smooth and earthy
Don Jacobo Crianza Rioja Tinto, Spain 3.65 21.95
Velvety vanilla, but balanced with a fresh kick of fruit.
Cotes du Rhone La Denteliere Caves St Pierre, France 3.10 16.95
Very palatable - compared to all those shouty Australian reds jumping up and down and waving their arms about, this is a harmonious male voice choir.
Luis Felipe Edwards Lot 40 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 19.95
This is Cabernet to the bottom of its Cuban-heeled boots, with cassis, bramble, a touch of mint and green pepper.
Chateau Lyonnat, Lussac, St Emilion, France 29.95
Cracking wine - old fashioned, traditional St Emilion. St Emilion proudly flies the Merlot flag, as copied throughout the New World, and this is absolutely on the button.
Rich and plummy
Errazuriz 1870 Teno Block, Chile 18.95
Medium-bodied, juicy Merlot. Rich and plummy aromas with a subtle hint of chocolate. Give this a nice warm home in your tummy.
Outback Chase Shiraz Cabernet 2.90 15.95
A rich and full blend: this is quintessentially Australian, but it avoids any cloying jamminess.
Berri Estates Merlot, Australia 3.20 19.95
This Aussie Merlot is everything you ever want it to be: it is luscious and fruity with a gentle caramel edge, but it stays clean right to the bottom of the bottle.
Sparkling wine and Champagne
Prosecco Sant Orsola 3.25 19.95
Good Prosecco nose with a salty tang, and good flavours with gentle overtones of stone fruit.
Louis Dornier et Fils Brut 39.95
This is full and rounded, with flavours to savour. A real find for us.
Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label, France 49.95
Well known for its full-bodied, biscuity style and fine finish.
Sparkling rose: Pinot Grigio Cuvee Rose Brut, Italy 19.95
This lovable Italian thoroughbred has the mereist lick of red grape that gives it a light blush. Dry, fresh and fruity, an all round well-balanced specimen.