Hey there,

Fionn on a Tuesday. Megan and I are expertly avoiding each other with our recent holidays. I’m sure she much prefers the calm of the warehouse more than I do. Anyway, with the sun finally showing its face this week I’m officially buzzing for SS25. It’s not just good weather we’ve got to look forward to but also a healthy splattering of events here at Dan’s!

In a couple of weeks, we’re welcoming Angus from Heinrich to taste through some of their biodynamic delights. Their ‘Naked’ range has been a staple since before my time. Not only are they delicious but the price is dreamy too. You’d be hard-pressed to find better quality farming and wine for around a score. Plus, there is something for everyone – all styles, all shades. To prove these guys can do it all, we’ll also be cracking open some of their big guns to show off their full range. Don’t sleep on this – tickets are flying out the door. Grab yours ASAP.

We’ve also secured a tasting with Langham, who might be producing some of the best fizz England has to offer. They’re all about quality, using estate-grown, hand-harvested fruit with only indigenous yeasts, extended ageing, and regular bâtonnage. Sounds good right? The house style leans into that slightly oxidative profile that is all the range across the pond. Sulphur and dosage are kept nice and low too, just the way we like it. We’ll be joined by the incredibly talented Tommy Grimshaw for the evening and it’s business as usual. Gr8 chat, gr8 wine, light snacks! Tickets here.

If you can’t make it or just can’t wait, we’ve got four of their cuvées in stock right now. Corallian is a white blend that shows off the lovely limestone-rich soils. Nice and linear but still showcasing the broad Langham house style. Culver is the red heavy blend with a serious strawberry shortcake vibe. It’s nice  and gastronomic, perfect for food, preferably something fresh out of the fryer. They do a Rose that is not your typical floral, limp pink bubbles. This one’s mature, structured, with notes of baked fruit and brown butter. The Blanc de Blanc is the real deal too. Only the best grapes make it and there is more barrel work. Very vinous. I will be personally offended if you put this in anything less than a proper glass. Flutes? Don’t even get me started.

Speaking of English wines… we’ve got a fab little pink from Sophie Evans. After a rough vintage (I mean, when aren’t they rough in England?), Sophie headed to Franconia to make some wine with good pals. We tasted this one at La Dive and it totally held its own against some of the world’s finest. It’s so cool seeing Sophie back on the biggest wine stage for the second year in a row. The wine itself is a blend of Domina and Muller-Thurgau. The fruit is very much watermelon and rhubarb-y whilst there is texture and acidity in spades. I opened a bottle on Friday to see if it was still as good as I remembered. Honestly, it might be tasting even better.

Plus, we’ve just secured some exciting Burgundy, as ever, in very tiny amounts. La Petite Empreinte is the exciting new domaine from couple Mélissa Bazin and Romain de Moor. Mélissa’s roots are in Ardèche and she’s done stints with legends like Sylvain Bock, Les Deux Terres, Jérôme Jouret and Gérald Oustric – to name but a few. Romain, on the other hand, is the son of Alice and Olivier de Moor. The two met while studying in the Jura, where Mélissa apprenticed at Domaine Labet and Romain worked with Jean-François Ganevat. He’s also had time with Mas del Perié and Marcel Lapierre. The combined CV reads like a dream.

All the winemaking happens in the cellar of Alice and Olivier de Moor and they’re bringing the same slow, precise approach to their own project. The wines are made with whole bunches, super low SO2, and lots of love. Tapis a Rouge is orange peel and kirsch-leaning, whilst Mas a Tierra is all Morello cherry and mint. The hype is very much real.

That is all, keep your eyes peeled though because as I type some HYPE Jura has rolled through the doors… Insta notification turned on.

LYSM

Fionn