Friday 30 May 2008

Our June Deal of the Month case is now available!

30.05.08

We have just released our June Deal of the Month mixed Case online. A great deal this month with a saving of 21% on the retail price. The wines are perfect for summer drinking. All we need now is for the sun to keep shining! Enjoy!

Thursday 29 May 2008

Our latest Newsletter is now ready to view!

29.05.08

Our June/July 2008 Newsletter is now available to view. Just click on 'Our Latest Newsletter' in the left hand navigation box on the home page. This will open up a PDF document. Enjoy!

Wednesday 28 May 2008

Father's Day Gifts now available...

28.05.08

With father's Day around the corner, we have made buying a gift for your Dad so much easier this year! We have put together a selection of gift ideas that are sure to go down a treat!! There is no need to look any further...a gift from Dunell's is perfect!

Tuesday 27 May 2008

Keep the feedback coming!!!

27.05.08

We are really grateful to everyone who has taken the trouble to give us some feedback on the site so far. A number of people have given us some great ideas, many of which will be implemented in the next couple of weeks. We are very excited about the new changes and we are sure that you will be too! Thanks once again and if you have any more comments please send them via the customer comments tab on the home page.

Sunday 25 May 2008

A stunning wine dinner at Tassili...

Written by Liz 24.05.08

Liz attended the 'Katnook Estate' wine dinner at the Grand Hotel Tassili Restaurant on
23rd May 2008.

The evening started with a glass of Perrier Jouët Grand Brut in the elegant surroundings of the Champagne Bar at the Grand before moving into Tassili.

Fans of the wines from Katnook Estate in Australia's Coonawarra region may already be familiar with the name of Wayne Stehbens, who has been at the helm of winemaking duties since 1980, and is one of the most respected figures in the Australian wine industry.

Wayne who is the senior winemaker at Katnook was an entertaining & educational speaker & also really enjoyed table hopping & chatting at length to everyone who attended. It was Wayne`s second visit to Jersey but we did still have to tell him where Jersey actually was on the map of Europe!

I loved the amuse bouche which was a green pea soup with coconut foam and I thought the Katnook Sauvignon Blanc complimented this beautifully.

I do really enjoy the Katnook Estate Sauvignon Blanc (which Wayne describes as being quite Sancerre like in fruit flavour & structure) but as we started eating the Jersey Bay Mackerel & Oyster Veloute, Caviar & land cress (and as the Katnook Estate Chardonnay opened up in the glass) I then thought that the Chardonnay was the better food match of this pair of wines. It was interesting to note that the Chardonnay really shone after warming up a little in the wine glass, so this is one wine that really shows its class & range of flavours if it is served lightly chilled but definitely not too cold.

We had the Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon & the Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon Odyssey with the main course of Milk fed Lamb loin, confit shoulder & potato with Pan Juices. Both wines drank really well with this dish & the Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon really showed that hint on mint on the fruit flavour that is unique to Coonawarra Cabernets.

While chatting with Wayne during the evening we had a long discussion about how important the ‘drinkability quality’ is of wine & he mentioned that he was always told you know you have made a great wine if it is a ‘second bottle wine’ meaning if people are offered the choice of a second bottle of wine & they choose to have the same again (a second bottle of your wine) then as a wine maker you have succeeded it creating a good wine. It is something I also feel strongly about as during my time as a brewer I had to always consider the drinkability of a product, as it is actually considered when assessing beer in competitions. Wayne`s Katnook wines all have great fruit, but they also have balance & therefore elegance, which in turn means they have that elusive drinkibility quality. I enjoyed both wines with the main course - yes the Odyssey is a more complex wine but the Katnook Estate Cabernet showed very well beside its big brother.

The Katnook Shiraz Prodigy was very good with the cheese course and the apple jelly that was served with the Devonshire blue & ford farm cheddar cheese was simply delicious! It helped to add a little bit of sweetness that in turn helped the shiraz work with these cheeses. We all wanted to know how Chef Richard Allen made the Apple Jelly…but the secret has not been revealed to me yet..

We then had the Deakin Estate Moscato 5%alc with the delicious dessert of white Peach Trifle, Thyme Flower Ice Cream. The Ice cream was fantastic and the moscato was a nice light way to end the meal.

A really enjoyable evening with delicious food & great wines, that really showed how good Coonawarra is as a wine region & Katnook Estate as a producer.

Jersey Bay Mackerel, Oyster Veloute, Caviar And Land Cress
KATNOOK Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Bottle £11.95
KATNOOK Chardonnay 2004 Bottle £11.95

Milk Fed Lamb Loin, Confit Shoulder And Potato, Pan Juices
KATNOOK Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 Bottle £14.95
KATNOOK Cabernet Sauvignon 'Odyssey' 2002 Bottle £34.95

Devonshire Blue and Ford Farm Cheddar, Walnut Bread, Apple Jelly
KATNOOK Shiraz 'Prodigy' 2003 Bottle £34.95

White Peach Trifle, Thyme Flower Ice Cream
DEAKIN ESTATE Moscato 5%alc 2007 £4.95

Thursday 22 May 2008

Happy Birthday Neil!!

22.05.08

It's Neil's birthday today........Happy Birthday from all the team at Dunell's....only one more year to the BIG one....just you wait!!

Sunday 18 May 2008

Coming Soon from EuroCave....


Coming Soon to Dunell's from EuroCave is the Sowine system - The First Home Wine Bar. We have a limited number of Sowine systems on their way to us now. Totally new and unique, the system offers two major benefits:

1. Two bottles served at the ideal serving temperature
In order for wine to fully develop and reveal all of its flavours, it must be served at the correct temperature. Therefore, red wine needs to be served at about 18°C and white or rosé wine at about 8°C. The exclusive Sowine system offers:


• Two independent compartments

• Temperature control which is as simple as it is ergonomic

• A temperature indicator light for each compartment


2. Flavour qualities retained several days after opening your wine
Once opened, your bottles can be put back in a Sowine compartment. The innovative oxygen extraction system ensures that your wine is protected from any risk of oxidation up to 10 days after it has been opened:

• 2 independent oxygen extraction devices

• Oxygen is extracted by simply pushing down the plunger

• An indicator light lets you know that the oxygen extraction process is underway.
Please call us on 736418 for further details.

Coming Soon....

18.05.08

Having successfully launched Phase 1 of our website, we are currently working on Phase 2 to bring you even more.

COMING SOON

  • Dedicated Fine Wines Section
  • Ports, Sherries, Spirits and Liqueurs
  • Decanters, Funnels and Specialist Corkscrews
  • Magnums, Double Magnums, Jeroboams and more

Watch this space!!!

Saturday 17 May 2008

Join us at Tassili Restaurant at The Grand Hotel for a fabulous dinner on 23rd May 2008.....

17.05.08

Friday 23rd May 2008

Join us in the Champagne Lounge at the Grand Hotel for a glass of Perrier Jouët and Canapés from 7.30pm and a fabulous four course dinner awaits in the Tassili Restaurant at 8pm. Each will be accompanied with a different wine from the highly acclaimed Katnook Wine Estate from South Australia. Simon Hill, European Manager from Katnook will be joining us for what is sure to be a fantastic night!

Katnook Estate wines take their name from the domain where they are grown and made. They are limited release wines of great intensity of flavour, made with fastidious attention to detail.
Fruit for these single varietal wines is specially selected from older, distinguished sites in the company's extensive vineyards.

Katnook Estate wines have an enviable record of awards. They will be found on some of the best wine lists, and in some of the finest cellars, in the world, (often with several vintages of the same variety), representing the best from Australia's renowned Coonawarra wine district.


£75 per person to include Champagne, Canapés,
Four Course Dinner and Wines.

Please call Anna or Laura at The Grand Hotel on 722301 for make your reservation.
Enter 'Katnook' into our quick search facility on the home page to see the wines and purchase!

Friday 16 May 2008

Thank you for all the great comments so far!!

16.05.08

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has left comments on the site and for all the telephone calls and emails complementing us on the website. Your comments are really appreciated. Keep them coming, we love to hear your thoughts!! Have a great weekend! Neil

You have got to buy some of this!.....

Jane 16.05.08

Our 2005 En Primeurs have been arriving at the warehouse over the last few weeks and Neil has been spending very long hours together with our fantastic warehouse staff trying to unpack over 3000....yes 3000 cases from this outstanding vintage as well as a massive amount of other stock. A couple of nights ago, Neil brought home a bottle of Château Cos Labory Saint Estèphe Grand Cru Classé 2005 for us to try out. I now understand why this was one of his favourites when he went down to taste it 3 years ago. It is truly beautiful. Lovely warmth depth with gorgeous fruit and a very long finish that makes you go back for more. I will be putting this wine onto the website next week but take a tip from us and BUY BUY BUY!! Fantastic value for money too at £24.95. We would be quite happy to drink this now but it has tons of life in it and the expected maturity is 2015 to 2030!! Click on the link above to see more information and purchase!

NEIL PINEL 8/10 - Our Saint-Estephe of the vintage, quality and value for money wise. Excellent ripe, black wine gums and cassis aromas and flavours, Clean, creamy with good depth and length. Very, very good !

ROBERT PARKER ( 2008) 89 points 'One of the finest wines I have tasted from this estate, the 2005 Cos Labory exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue, aromas of road tar, blackberries, creme de cassis, forest floor, smoke, and graphite, medium to full body, and abundant tannin. It is a complete, dense effort with high tannins in the finish. Once the tannins melt away, it should represent an outstanding example of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.'

Tuesday 13 May 2008

Peter Ling joins our team

13.05.08

We are delighted to announce that Peter Ling has joined our team at Dunell's as one of our dedicated in-store Sales Advisors (12.05.08).

Peter entered the wine trade as a holiday job with G.Orange & Co in 1986. Following University he joined City Vintagers in London – as a management trainee – where he successfully sat the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Certificate, Higher Certificate and Diploma. His career continued with Victor Hugo Wines before taking up a half share in Leslie Rankin Trading Ltd, a small local agency company. Leslie Rankin was sold to G. Orange & Co in 1998 and he worked for the latter for a further two years.

Having seen all sides of the wine trade he feels very fortunate to work in an area he enjoys so much. Peter wrote: 'I am is looking forward to working at Dunell’s Premier Wines with its vast and varied selection of wines and spirits because it represents all I most value in the trade – traditional standards of service coupled with an innovative and exciting outlook.'

We are adding new wines everyday..

13.05.08

A number of people have been asking us when our full portfolio will be available to purchase online. We are adding new wines everyday so hopefully it won't be too long. Eventually it is hoped that you will be able to purchase waters, soft drinks and beers too. They're coming.......

New Mixed Cases now available!

13.05.08

Jane has been busily adding more mixed cases to the site that are ideal for al fresco drinking. Now that the warmer weather is here and hopefully here to stay, these cases will certainly appeal to those who love being outside and enjoying a glass of wine! The BBQ cases will be live tomorrow (14.05.08). Click here to take you to the cases and sort by 'New Cases'.

Friday 2 May 2008

Bordeaux 2005's - Robert Parker Report Just In!!

Neil Pinel - 02.05.08

Robert Parker has finally come out with his in bottle scores of the 2005 Bordeaux late last night, and he confirms that the vintage is the greatest he has ever tasted in 30 years of tasting Bordeaux. There are 66 wines with over 95 points, a huge amount, and a key comment from Parker is that he believes a lot of these ratings to be conservative!

“Tasting the 2005 red wines from the bottle, many of them three or four times, confirmed that this is the greatest vintage produced during my 30-year career. Some of my earlier reservations concerning the tannin levels in the northern Médocs were completely resolved by the tastings I conducted between March 22 and April 1, 2008. A great majority of the wines are far superior from bottle than they were from cask, confirming the quality of this remarkable vintage….Perhaps the most amazing revelation in my tastings was how sweet the tannins have become. Combined with the wines’ concentration levels, remarkable precision as well as freshness, it augers well for wines that will last for an incredibly long time. Yet I believe many wines will be drinkable earlier than my barrel tastings suggested….Believe it or not, most of the ratings that follow are on the conservative side, and I look forward to revisiting many of these 2005s in 5-10 years. I would not be surprised if they are even better then than the following laudatory comments suggest.” – Robert Parker, May 1st 2008

Please take a look at our En Primeur section on the site for more information and wines we currently have available.