As a sometimes-weary veteran of tastings where 200+ wines can be shown, my first reaction on seeing the mere 36 at Davy’s recent Spring tasting was mild incredulity.
“Should be out of here in no time” I said to myself.
But less can be more and that was very much the case here. This was a carefully selected range of quality wines from a variety of different grapes and regions, in styles from easy and accessible to complex and full bodied. But it was much more than that – it provided a revealing insight into what makes Davy’s, founded in 1870 actually tick. A glance at its DNA, so to speak.
Davy's tasting Boot and Flogger, April 23, 2025
The venue, The Boot and Flogger, is Davy’s oldest original wine bar, just near Borough Market, launching the modern wine bar chain in 1965 although the building itself dates back much earlier. An old-fashioned Dickensian warren of book-lined rooms and spaces, you almost expect to see Bob Cratchit in a corner, writing with his quill, worrying what poor Tiny Tim will have for supper.
It still has the original barrels from which it served wine, underlining the fact that this business is still very much a two pronged one, with wine wholesaling and the wine bar business equally viewed as key.
“The last few years have thrown a lot at us - Brexit, COVID, the shift to work from home, the new excise duty system and now a possible trade war. Things are tough but we’re still here and I’m happy to say, doing pretty well,” says fifth generation owner James Davy.
“Being niche has helped us." James Davy
OK, the wine bar business isn’t what it was, despite the purchase of the iconic Fleet Street El Vino ten years ago (there are now five El Vino tapas and wine bars focused on Iberian cuisine and wine) just 16 against the peak of 45 in 2000, and unsurprisingly, some are more successful than others.
Davy is philosophical.
“Work patterns have changed a lot; people don’t eat and drink much at lunchtime so the focus is on after work. And working from home can make even that quite tricky.”
Which makes the wine wholesaling business all the more important.
“We may be 155 years old but because we didn’t wholesale for 40 years, in many ways this feels like a new business. In fact, we only really started it in earnest after the year 2000. And people have been recognising us for what we are trying to achieve. Our main focus is and will always be on family-owned producers. We love working with people we know, who have a great story to tell and handcraft their wines.”
And the wines on show today? Not a single duff one among them, with the whites in particular overdelivering in terms of quality and value for money. Quite a few offered something distinctive/unusual on top – for example: a 99% Syrah/1% Grenache from the Rhône (Domaine de Pieblanc Côtes du Rhône Bourdon); a Rioja made from 100% Mazuelo (the always excellent Miguel Merino); amphora ageing and rare indigenous varieties (Bojador); and some natural wines - further underlying Davy’s artisanal approach in selecting its producers. Andrew Chudley, Davy’s MD and head wine buyer admits it was hard making the selection.
“We aimed for around 30 but kept adding at the last minute. The aim was to really show what we’re about as a company.”
Here’s 11 standouts
Duménil Rosé Vielles Vignes Brut NV (France)
Family owned for five generations this Premier Cru Champagne producer is located in the heart of the high-quality Montagne de Reims region and this delicious NV wine, contains 50% reserve wine and aged on the lees for three years, is a stunner. One third each Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, it also contains 8% still Meunier, accounting for its copper-pink appearance. Lovely structure and length.
Montauto Vermentino 2023 (Italy)
From Maremma this fresh Vermentino is a joy, screw-capped (unusual for quality Italian wine) organic. with four months of bottle maturation giving complexity and character. The long-eared hare on the label is a take on owner Ricardo Lepri’s surname, which is Italian for the animal.
Casa da Passarella Somontes Colheita Branco 2023 (Portugal)
One of the great producers of Dao this lovely well-balanced blend of Encruzado, Malvasia Fina and Verdejo is a charmer, given extra freshness by the high-altitude grapes (800m) and maturing on fine lees in concrete and stainless steel. Very good value at under £14 retail. The red counterpart Somentes Colheita Tinto 2022 made from four local red varieties is also worth seeking out and equally good value.
Little Beauty Limited Edition Dry Riesling 2022 (NZ)
If ever a wine’s name explained its character, this one does. Freshness, acidity and balance are all here in this single vineyard wine from Marlborough, made with whole bunch fruit and free-run juice. Further evidence the Kiwis are making great wines these days aside from Pinot Noir and SB.
Bojador Vinho de Talha Branco 2021 (Portugal)
The Alentejo has rediscovered Talha - clay pots in which wines are fermented with extended skin contact and the sealed with olive oil to prevent oxidation - and Espaco Rural, a personal project run by Pedro Ribeiro and his wife, was one of the pioneers. This is an unusual but enjoyable organic white comprised of rare local varieties including Perrum, Rabo de Ovelha and Mantuedo, alongside more familiar Roupeiro. Just 11.5%, distinctive and good value.
Domaine les Hautes Cances Cairanne Cru Blanc 2023 (France)
Maybe because I had absolutely no preconceptions, this wine turned out to be one of the unexpected joys of the tasting. A rich, complex and floral blend of five Rhône varieties, led by 40% Clairette but with the 15% Viognier somehow quite dominant, it showed great evolution in the glass with hints of jasmine and honeysuckle on a long palate. Luxurious and memorable.
Phelps Creek Lynette Chardonnay 2019 (US)
Phelps Creek has established itself as one of Oregon’s leading producers and its Pinots are outstanding but so are its Chardonnays, which it produces in a range of styles. This is a rounded, quite full-on style but with just 12.5% alcohol, named after producer Bob Morus’s wife. There is lots of complexity here, reflecting the careful winemaking and six years in bottle.
Roodekrantz Donkermaan Chenin Blanc 2023 (South Africa)
Old vines and low yields lie at least in part behind the appeal of this fabulous artisanal wine, of which just 720 bottles were made, part of South Africa’s Old Vine project. This is a broad, generous style, the wine given extra intensity by resting on its fine lees for almost a year before bottling. Around £29 a bottle retail but worth every penny.
Durigutti Inframundo Red Blend 2023 (Argentina)
Everyone at the tasting seemed to love this wine and I can see why. A natural blend of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Bonarda aka Charbono, this is a fresh, accessible wine, generous in depth and flavour, with a long cassis finish. Moreish in other words and good value at around £22.
Durigutti’s other wines are also worth exploring, notably the Pie de Monte Malbecs which are carefully produced from centennial vines by the winemakers Hector and Pablo Durrigutti: the Finca Zarlenga 2020 is an outstanding Malbec, very intense, complex with a long dark-fruit charged finish.
Josep Grau El Pas de l’Estudiant 2022 (Spain)
Montsant, surrounding the better known Priorat region, has become increasingly trendy, focusing on Garnacha, Carignan and some rare native varieties and Josep Grau is one of the producers leading the trend. This is delicious, balanced but intense, produced from old vines planted just after the war, with 90% of the blend Garnacha Peluda, or Hairy Garnacha, so called because this drought resistant grape (related to Garnacha Tinto and native to Catalonia) has hairy leaves. Delicious and unexpected, soft tannins support a long and elegant finish.
It's also well worth exploring Josep Grau’s other wines notably Granit 2022, a complex, white flower and almond charged white made from scarce Garnacha Blanca.
Stonyridge Airfield 2022 (NZ)
Waiheke Island’s reputation as a wine destination continues to grow, led by the likes of Man O’War and Stonyridge’s pricey but impressive Bordeaux blend Larose (which Davy’s also imports) so it was great to come across Airfield. This is Stonyridge’s second wine, made from four Bordeaux varieties led by 45% Merlot, and delivers great flavour and intensity at £46 retail or less than one third of the price of Larose. Very complex, lots of dark berry and cherry fruit, and great length. One to drink now with great enjoyment or to lay down.
In conclusion
So, a great selection ahead of Davy’s main annual tasting event on June 4 at which around 150 wines will be shown, doubtless mostly of the same high quality.
James Davy admits times in the industry are tough – “costs are all one way and frankly we just take each year at a time” – and have been made more so by the government’s bewildering and costly changes to excise duties. These have already made big importers like Majestic cut small producers from their offering because the paperwork is simply too costly, and many are focusing on lower ABV wines simply because of the lower excise duties. He stresses this will not be his approach.
“Being niche has helped us. You really need to believe in what you do, in the quality of what you are selling - shared ethos is important. Even in the toughest of times, you can find opportunities.”
Davy’s Portfolio Tasting 2025
There's still time to register for Davy’s full portfolio tasting to be held on June 4th at Royal Overseas League, Mayfair, London 11-17.00. Over 25 of its exclusive producers will be there with new additions to the range, including Domaine de Piéblanc from the Southern Rhône and Nine Oaks Vineyard from Kent.
