Top Selection was launched by Ákos and Michelle Forczek from the spare bedroom of their house in Balham in 2000, 24 years on and they now represent over 100 producers from 21 countries.
The list is filled with boutique, family-owned wine estates that not only appeal to fine wine collectors and prestige restaurants but also offers great value, off-the-beaten-track wines that deliver quality for those looking for attractive price points.
The list is a delight for any oenophile with names like; Egon Müller, Charles Krug, Duckhorn, Kosta Browne, Penfolds, Trimbach, Szepsy and Yves Cuilleron all included. But it is not all about the famous names, we sent Roger Jones to its Autumn tasting that was held in the magnificent Maxwell Library at the IET Savoy Place to get a full insight to their list.
All prices are Recommended Retail Prices
Mountfield Winery, East Sussex, England
This is a rare, fully integrated boutique winery set on an English estate that has been in the family hands since 1850, with the winery evolved over the past 12 years by the owners Simon and Lucinda Fraser and winemaker Ulrich Hoffmann. These wines offer excellent value for this quality of sparkling wine.
Mountfield Winery Classic Cuvee NV £37.00
This has benefitted from both ageing the still wine and then extended ageing on lees to give a fabulous sparkling that is full of depth, luxury and precision. There is a lovely freshness to this whilst still having layers of texture. It is fresh and focused with delicate biscuit notes, crisp orchard fruit and zingy citrus notes – a wine of great elegance.
Mountfield Blanc de Blanc NV RRP £40.00
Mostly 2016 with 15% reserve wines from 2015, this is focused, linear with a clean creamy back note, restrained stone fruit, dry and pure; has great potential with age.
La Fête Wine Company, South of France
A recent addition to the portfolio (for an in-depth look click here) which goes under the motto “La Fête is a party, and everyone is invited.” Made in St Tropez and the South of France but, most importantly, searching to help with diversity in the industry.
La Fête du Blanc IGP Mediteranee 2022 RRP £28.00
Rolle, Viognier & Colombard. 100% Stainless steel fermented giving a fresh, clean-cut, seamless, mineral-led wine that shines in the glass. There is an exotic uplift to this wine, giving it a lovely vibrancy with apricots, peaches and nectarines.
La Fête du Rose AOP Mediteranee 2022 RRP £25.00
Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah combine well to give plenty of savoury depth and freshness to this rosé which would bring a glow of sunshine to a Sunday roast leg of lamb on a gloomy winter’s day.
Pares Balta, Penedes, Spain
A family-owned business which has five estates in the Penedes mountains,; led by brothers Joan & Joseph Cusine, with the winemaking in the hands of their wives Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas.
Cava Gran Reserva ‘Rosa Cuisine’ Brut Nature 2017 RRP £37.00
100% Grenache, delicate and refined bubbles, this is a beautiful sparkling rosé that excels with delicate, refined fruit with fresh nutty notes – a mouthful of joy. Sensational.
Amphora Rioja 2021 RRP £37.00
100% Xarel.lo and, as the label states, it is fermented in clay amphorae, this pale yellow wine oozes with grilled white stone fruit. Layers of complexity, brioche, golden sultanas, quince and peaches. Luscious with plenty of forward flavours.
Electio Barrel Fermented 2021 RRP £47.00
Again 100% Xarel.lo, but sourced from a 90-year-old single vineyard. Electio, (“the chosen one”), delivers a focused, linear restrained bright vibrant white wine that shows real class. A concoction of glorious fruit and savoury notes, peaches and blood orange, jasmine tea and spice, floral and nutty.
Capannelle, Tuscany, Italy
This Italian winery founded in 1974 by Raffaele Rossetti is famous for being the other half of the 50&50 Toscana IGT 2018 RRP £152.00, a joint venture with Avignonesi from Montepulciano producing a red wine that is a blend of Capannelle, Sangiovese and Avignonesi Merlot. A beautiful seamless wine.
However, the singular wines from this estate are equally compelling, I was hugely impressed with the Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016 £48.00 with eight years of age was a beautifully structured Chianti, as was ‘Solare’ IGT 2012 RRP £60.00 made from Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera, this was a sublime dark and moody wine – forest floor appeal, truffles, dark cherries, cassis, cocoa but full of juicy bright focused fruits. My favourite was the Chardonnay IGT Toscana 2019 RRP £53.00 which highlights how good Italian Chardonnay can be with that clean cut purity, minerality, focus and depth. Hints of lavender and honey, freshened by the purity of nectarine and white peach juice.
Alves de Sousa, Douro, Portugal
These wines, especially the white port, blew me away. This 5th generation-owned bodega moved away from bulk supply in 1987 to concentrate on its own label with great success.
Gaivosa ‘Primeiros Anos’ 2021 RRP £22.50
A multi-blend red wine gives a vibrant nutty feel with dark fruit, juicy notes in abundance, fresh and clean. A great introduction to its red wines and delivers well.
Abandonado 2019 RRP £95.00
Made from 80-year-old vines, a beautifully balanced complex wine that still offers great freshness and purity, dark notes with balsamic, licorice, grilled damson and blackberry crumble
Quinta da Gaivosa Port 10 Year Old White RRP £30.00 (50cl)
Made from Malvasia Fina, Viosinho and Gouveio; golden nectar, perfect marmalade notes with tangerine and clean, juicy nectarines. Luscious and bright.
Quinta da Gaivosa Port 20 Year Old White RRP £58.00 (50cl)
Another step up in depth and purity, giving precision and classy drops of honeyed, nutty, tangerine essence.
The Caldas Special Reserve Tawny Port at a RRP £21.00 offers an attractive entry into this great port house and is a luscious, fresh, vibrant port that is easy to enjoy, especially chilled. The Quinta da Gaivosa 20 Year Old Tawny Port 50cl RRP £55.00 was a seductive masterpiece, notes of Campari, orange peel, smoky, cedar, damsons, pure and long, I was also impressed with the Quinta da Gaivosa LBV 2017 RRP £32.00 which delivers well at this price, again leading with fresh, clean, focused fruit, nutty complexity and vibrant finish.
One helpful set up at the Top Selection tasting was a free pour set up of some 50 white wines and 70 red wines placed in varieties, showcasing different price points. Interesting it did not embarrass the best value wines, in fact it highlighted the quality throughout the range.
White Wines
Remy Grasser Cremant d’Alsace Brut NV RRP £29.00
Bright, fresh, clean with delicate bubbles, focused, there is plenty of spice and depth to this sparkling made with the classic Alsace grapes Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling; a refreshing change to the norm and a great aperitif.
Yves Cuilleron ‘Les Vignes d’a Cote’, Marsanne VDP 2022 RRP £21.00
Buttery, white flowers, herbaceous, creamy, a delicious mouthful of spring sunshine.
Pavillon de Trianon Blanc 2023, Bordeaux, France RRP £21.50
This classic White Bordeaux with Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon really delivers; lemon posset with clean bright notes, textured, olive oil, lingering, herbaceous – a winner especially with winter dishes such as Guinea Fowl with Wild Mushrooms. An uplifting wine.
Angel Seqeiros Albarino Quinta Gavineira, Spain 2021 RRP £27.00
There was also the ‘Foudre’ Albarino 2017 RRP £55.00, which was beautiful, but for me the cheaper wine offers something quite special at this price point. Yes it is funky with saline notes, juicy nectarine balanced with herbaceous floral notes and a hit of zippy citrus tangerine peel.
Szepsy ‘Hun’ Furmint 2021, Tokaji, Hungary RRP £21.00
Pear and nuts, textured with a luscious lime curd, spiced and moreish, clean and focused.
Fontanassa ‘Marin’ Colli Tortonesi Timorasso DOC, Piedmont, 2020 RRP £30.00
Perfumed rosebud nose, peeled white nectarines, nettles, roquette salad, pink grapefruit, a lovely balance lightly dancing on the palate.
Monterosso Volcano Bianco DOC, Sicily, RRP £39.00
Nougatine, lime, floral, chalky then a lovely textured balance, vibrant clean-cut wine with hints of minerality and wild heather.
Tement ‘Kalk & Kreide’ Sauvignon Blanc, Austria, 2023 RRP £32.00
Loved this Austrian Sauvignon Blanc, fresh clean and vibrant – just right.
Peccavi Sauvignon Blanc, 2017, Margaret River, Australia RRP £38.50
Wow one of the best Sauvignon Blancs I have had from the New World, up there with Dog Point Section 94. A complete wine, outstanding purity and focus, stone fruit, crab apple, quince, herbaceous, shaved fresh asparagus, hints of tarragon.
Domaine Lequin-Colin Vin de France Chardonnay, Burgundy, 2022 RRP £25.00
A Burgundy at this price! This has an oily texture then juicy concoction of melon and guava, toasty and rich, delivers.
Dorrance ‘Cuvee Anais’ Chardonnay, Western Cape, South Africa 2022 RRP £32.00
The French owner (from Normandy) was more famous once for strutting himself on a catwalk in his Speedos but now concentrates on great wines in Cape Town, after arriving there to sell premium French barriques in 1995, and released his first wine in 2000. This is a spectacular wine, glowing with character, rose bud perfume, grilled peaches, croissants, juicy white nectar, glorious.
Two Macon-Chardonnays from Domaine des Crêts both intrigued me and at RRP £32.00 offer great value for this quality of wines from Burgundy. Domaine des Crêts L’Echenault de Serre 2022 had that tropical fruit note, pineapple, nutty feel, honeyed and plush whilst the Domaine des Crêts ‘En Bout’ 2022 was more refined – pure class, a stunning, glowing, shimmering, white Burgundy.
Remy Gresser Gewurztraminer ‘Kritt’, Alsace, 2022 RRP £30.00
Classy, great value Gewurztraminer that delivers that perfect balance of sweet and savoury and Cadbury’s Turkish Delight.
Chateau de Fosse Seche ‘Panthalasa’ 2020, Loire, France RRP £135.00
Wow this is a wonderful Chenin, albeit at a wonderful price, the purity focus and sheer delight in tasting this wine is a treat. Lemon zest, lychee, white peach essence, tangerine oil, delicate spice. This is unique in that it is made from botrytised Chenin but vinified as a dry white wine. Owned by the church for many centuries before it was purchased by the Pire family in 1998.
Red Wines
David Duband Coteaux Bourgogne Rouge 2021 RRP £28.00
Gamay and Pinot Noir combine well in this wine to give juicy, fresh, vibrant young Burgundy that will sit well on and restaurant list.
Domaine Rene Lequin-Colin Santenay Rouge Vielle Vignes 2022 RRP £30.00
This was actually served in magnum at the tasting and was an instant hit, so for those looking for larger formats this would be a great choice at RRP £60.00 My notes say; ‘beautiful, clean, easy drinking leaving a lovely savoury fruit finish, great value’. I was also impressed with the Domaine Rene Lequin-Colin Santenay 1er Cru ‘La Comme’ 2020 RRP £37.50 which delivers purity in abundance.
Domane Laurent Boussey Monthelie Rouge ‘Les Hauts Brins’ 2019 RRP £41.00
Raspberry ripple and delicate berries, with a hint of savoury forest floor in the background, with five years of age this is relative bargain in Burgundy terms.
David Duband had a Nuits St Georges 2020 RRP £73.50 and Gevrey Chambertin 2020 RRP £85.00, both of these showing class.
Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot 2021 RRP £135.00
Delicate cocoa spice, dark red berries, pure refined elegance, sheer class. Cloves and cinnamon, but what I love about these Pinots is the refreshing lightness.
Domaine de Pera Merlot IGP Pays d’Oc, France 2022 RRP £13.00
A fabulous chunky, fruit-driven, juicy Merlot.
Domaine Magalanne Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2022 RRP £17.00
Fresh savoury notes with vibrant red and dark berries, juicy mid-palate with layers of fresh glowing berries.
Aldonia VME Rioja 2021 RRP £22.00
Garnacha and Tempranillo, this chunky Rioja has essence of lambs’ offal balanced with cranberries, juicy fruit and cedar notes whilst the Aldonia ‘100’ Rioja 2017 RRP £29.00 100% Granacha delivers a cleaner, focused, aged style that is rather good, with lots of vibrancy and still some tannin to help it to age further.
Dorrance Rouge 2022, Swartland South Africa RRP £16.00
Possibly the bargain on the list this 100% Cinsault is a stunner; clean cut, crushed cranberries, bilberries, cedar notes, fresh; a classy style of Cinsault that would be a great asset to any wine list.
Pavillon Trianon, Bordeaux Superior 2020 RRP £21.50
Another bargain that delivers a good mouthful of Bordeaux and a must for a wine list that has ambition but no big Sugar Daddy. Cassis, cedar, violets, crunch, and lingering notes on finish.
Domaine de Chevalier L Espirit de Chevalier 20198 RRP £45.00
Elegance and pretty seamless, this is drinking so well, violets, cassis, cedar, black fruit with clean red berries lifting it, gentle perfume on the nose with that hint of inky and charcoal notes.
The Decoy range offers great value at below RRP £40.00, and the Duckhorn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 RRP £99.00 shows real class.
The Syrah and Shiraz range included a fun, easy drinking Casa Mariol Syrah Reserva 2019 RRP £20.00 from Terra Alta in Spain, which was more New World in style, whilst the David Traeger ‘Three Centuries’ Shiraz 2016 RRP £24.50 for an eight-year-old Shiraz was full of cocoa, spices, blackberries, a great balance of dark richness and light, fresh acidity all in balance.
Château Pech-Latt ‘Reflexion’ by Vincent Pastorello 2022 RRP £45.00
Last, but not least, was this marvel of a wine from top sommelier Vincent Pastorello, just 5000 bottles of this 45% Grenache, 35% Carignan, 17% Syrah and 3% Cinsault were made. Pure, clean, focused wine that highlights fruit purity, the mineral essence of the land and delicate spices all balanced by a beautiful acidity.
There were many more wines that I tasted including some sublime sweet and fortified wines, such as the sublime Szepsy Tokaji Cuvee Anastasia 50cl 2017 and not forgetting the Ron del Barrilito Rum from Puerto Rico which is aged in sherry barrels.
