The Wine Merchant's Blog

The 2015 vintage in the Southern Rhone is widely considered the best since 2010 with Jeb Dunnuck of the Wine Advocate calling it ‘exceptional’. The Brunier family is without doubt one of the most respected producers in the region. They have been producing wines in Chateauneuf du Pape for over 100 years. Their Vieux Telegraphe estate spans 65 hectares, […]

Once a year we’re able to offer JN Wine customers, an exclusive wine experience!  It’s a limited opportunity to pre-order the new vintages of three incredible, but very limited Mediterranean wines just before bottling starts! These IRRESISTIBLE wines find their origin on the picturesque Domaine de la Jasse, located near Pic St. Loup and the […]

Earlier this month I had the incredible opportunity to visit Bordeaux for the first time. This region has become the powerhouse of the wine-producing world, and I was hugely excited to experience it for myself. The entire wine-world descends on Bordeaux at this time every year to taste the barrel samples of the previous autumn’s […]

From 23rd to 30th April, JN Wine will be celebrating Spanish Wine Week in Ireland. Wines of Spain have launched their second annual week-long celebration of Spanish wines throughout Ireland and as a proud importer of many fantastic Spanish wines, we wanted to share some of our favourites with you. Throughout the week, we’ll be […]

Languedoc – Roussillon is huge region and if you want to push yourself further into the eclectic variety of wines, then this is the case for you. In the spirit of optimism, we have included a rose, the Flying Solo Grenache Cinsault Rosé. These classic red grapes from the region combine to offer soft, aromatic […]

The best way to know Languedoc-Roussillon is to try this alternative introductory case. Domaine Ventenac La Cuvée de Stephanie Merlot achieves the remarkable feat of being both sophisticated and approachable, giving this popular grape variety added kudos. The Cépage Grenache from Domaine Gayda is a beautifully rich and velvety red, smooth and full. Château de […]

The following is our selection of the best of Bordeaux 2016 wines from our tasting last week. Many of the wines were tasted three times, and almost certainly twice on different days. Outstanding Le Pin Calon Segur Petrus Vieux Chateau Certan Lafite Pontet-Canet Mouton Rothschild Margaux Pichon Longueville Tertre Roteboeuf Pavie Macquin La Fleur Petrus […]

There is a certain freedom to winemaking in the south of France. The warm Mediterranean climate, the long hours of sunshine, mild winters and warm summers mean that a sizeable number of both red and white grape varieties will thrive in your vineyards. Geographically, the Languedoc is enormous and there is plenty of scope for […]

Early April is when thoughts reflect on the latest vintage in Bordeaux. So last week we spent four 15 hour days searching out the gems from the 2016 vintage, covering more territory than the Trump election battle bus. We are now back home reflecting on the 400 wines tasted. It’s always necessary to set the […]

This great case unveils the breadth of styles available throughout this intriguing region. Discover Languedoc-Roussillon Twelve Pack Price £96 / €142 Six Pack Price £51 / €75 A newcomer to our range, the La Combe Saint Roch Rouge is a wonderfully smooth and soft red, representing the more approachable style of wine you can get […]

The vineyards of Maison Ventenac lie in the foothills of the ‘Black Mountain’, north of Carcassonne. The climate here is an interesting mix of Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. Alain Maurel established his winery here in 1973, blending classic Bordeaux varieties with their Mediterranean cousins. His son-in law Olivier joined him in 2009, bringing new ideas to […]

Chardonnay is the most widely-planted grape variety in the world, yet, unfortunately, not always the most popular. Quite polarising in fact. For me personally, it up there as one of my favourites – extremely versatile, it comes in many guises – cool, crisp and lean; rich and ripe with juicy fruit, full of texture and […]