Songbird Wines

02/04/2025

Well this is bloody exciting. Organic and minimum sulphite 'Mountain Wine' from just outside Priorat. 50/50 Garnacha/Carinena this has loads of juicy red fruit and is a great example of the new modern direction Priorat is taking. An absolute bargain at sub £20 soon to Songbird Wines - get in!! RIP Val - you did a great Jim 💪

20/03/2025

Gorgeous Bandol - The Classiest Rosé You'll Taste Sub £20 - https://mailchi.mp/39e8aef27639/2022-louro-godello-new-allocation-14193204

13/03/2025

Tonight's birthday red. I'd planned to have 2011 Sassicaia but vibe wasn't right. I'm so pleased I opened this as it's just soooooo giving. Young but complex it's just delivers every time I taste it. I boldly said to Mrs. Songbird that this was my firmly in my top 5 wines. "I'd be interested to hear what the other four are," she keenly asked...
Luckily the record playing needed turning over at that very moment....I don't do lists.

13/03/2025

Yesterday I had lunch with Angelo Gaja. Admittedly there were also another 70 people present, but that is a sentence that a humble wine merchant like me never thought he'd write. Once a rebellious winemaker who put many of the Piemonte old guard noses out of joint, such is this man a legend in the world of vino, if wine was rock n'roll then it was the equivalent of meeting Keith Richards. His 'babies' (wines and children) are also amazing with Giovanni telling the story about this exciting Bolgheri Super Tuscan. Thank you to the Gaja family, Hatch Mansfield and Alba restaurant for an unforgettable lunch to launch the delicious 2022 Ca'Marcanda - a gorgeous wine that drinks beautifully already with elegant perfume and finesse. Amazing decanter work too by the Sommelier!
Great to catch up with some old faces over a cleansing post lunch pint of Guinness and support London pubs!

09/03/2025

Had a lovely pre-birthday dinner with some very old friends last night. Vino wise it wasn't about blockbusters but wines from great producers that are as solid as the friendship that sat round the table. We're all getting on and didn't quite polish off every bottle. The Gratallops was too closed to follow the Ignacio so I recorked it and it went down a treat with tonight's pork chop. Nice!
Countdown to the start of my mid-fifties begins....
I really am dipping through the days at lightning speed.

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07/03/2025

Another wonderful dinner at Cafe du Soleil and yet again my only snaps are empty bottles and a discarded menu. Every wine shone and perfectly matched the superb food. I'm sure there are some photos out there somewhere, but perhaps everyone was having too much fun to think about social media - perish the thought!

02/03/2025

Our Montalcino offer is now live, featuring not only the just released 2020 Brunellos but also some gorgeous Rosso di Montalcinos and Sangiovese di Toscanas from some very exciting estates. This beautiful 2020 Rosso from Siro Pacenti doesn't feature (it was released last year) but is a great example of the superb value this region can provide. Link to offer in bio.

02/03/2025

There's a lot of amazing sherry out there but when it comes to a simple aperitif at Sunday lunch, this is hard to beat! Fresh, nutty and vibrant - just like I used to be.

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27/02/2025

26/02/2025

Next week's Rioja Dinner now sold out. Great to see such enthusiasm is still there for this wonderful region. If you didn't get tickets for this, then see you at the next one!

20/02/2025

Cracking night out in Newcastle for Mrs. Songbird's birthday. Dinner at the always superb French Quarter where the superb 2018 Coudoulet de Beaucastel was at a bargain price. The delicious food was eaten far too quickly to bother with photos, but if you're ever in the area I highly recommend a visit. It was absolutely buzzing on a Tuesday night in February! A pre-dinner pint at the splendid Crown Posada is also a must - check out those windows.

17/02/2025

Just a few of the highlights (and there were many) from tasting earlier today. A very relaxed vibe, so many delicious wines and a superb view of one of my favourite London landmarks (no giant white kitten spotted though). Mortimer House really is a lovely venue.
Wine of the day? 2022 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo, Tenuta delle Terre Nere, absolutely knock out. Everything you want from an Etna Rosso, and then some!

13/02/2025

Wine Dinner Alert!
Three weeks to the day I'll be hosting a Rioja wine dinner at Café du Soleil and tonight I'm just doing a bit of 'research'. Featuring some superb back vintages from Bodegas such as CVNE, Casa Primicia & Valenciso, it will be a cracking night. Scroll right for the full menu. Tickets were released today and we now have just 8 spaces remaining. DM to book this gastronomic treat!

10/02/2025

Tasting this brace of beauties today was worth the train fare alone. I'm very excited about the 2020 Brunello vintage and the 2019 Riservas are looking superb. And then there's the new Rossos...
Oh, Montalcino, you do spoil us!

29/01/2025

Well, if there's a finer bottle of red than this listed at circa £60 a bottle in central London then I'll be damned - and that's before I go to the foot of my stairs. And no, it wasn't buttery 😉
Another superb lunch at Andrew Edmunds - not a lot of dry January going on there today.
Music choice relates to tomorrow's anniversary, just a stone's throw from west Soho - those that know, know.edmunds

31/12/2024

A relaxed New Years Eve at home (once the crazy boys went to bed) to reflect on a rewarding year - I'm a lucky man, I love what I do. Anyway, the wines....
The 2006 Deutz was epic - beautifully honeyed but with a crisp apple finish. The 2009 Haut Batailley was giving as much away as a teenager on their phone so that's been recorked for lunch tomorrow and Rosso di Montalcino yet again saved the day. It's 11.30, the missus is asleep in the armchair and I'm not far off heading the same way - a perfect New Years Eve. Looking forward to a morning cuppa, New Year's Day walk and pint!

12/12/2024

Just can't get enough of Nebbiolo at the moment. This latest 'school night' Barolo is from the elegant 2021 vintage. Didn't decant - didn't have time - but it has delivered from the off. Classic Nebbiolo flavours of red cherry, rose petal and fennel but with grippy tannins. Said tannins were immediately softened by the mushroom & bacon tagliatelle that this washed down. I haven't tasted the winery's premium wines yet, but I certainly will soon. This is circa £24 a bottle on the Songbird Wines website and worth every penny 👍

29/11/2024

A fab turn out for the Songbird Wines Christmas Tasting on Wednesday in Canterbury. We had an extra showing of delicious Riojas to celebrate the end of Rioja Wine Month. Every wine was banging so big thanks to producing such lovely vino!
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