Your wines should not be predictable

published 13 March 2018

I have known Swig, a charming acronym for the term serious wine imbibers group', since the day this company was born over twenty years ago. Founder Robin Davis and I both worked under the tutelage of the late, great James Rogers in the late eighties, and not a day goes by when I don't thank my lucky stars that he helped me to establish my palate and teach me how to taste wine. I know Robin feels the same way, too.

Fast forward three decades and Robin and his excellent team at Swig manage to unearth fascinating wines from all over the world with unerring accuracy. Nothing is predictable at Swig wines come at you from all angles made from varieties you've never heard of, from recently discovered, niche regions and maverick winemakers. This constant yearning for discovery makes their wine company one of the most energetic in the country, and this gripping collection is testament to their skill and dynamism. See the full collection here.

Cheers!

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Matthew Jukes

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Prices and savings below are exclusive to MoneyWeek readers and are based on ordering a case of 12 bottles. You can also buy a mixed case, giving you two bottles of each wine, for just £174, saving you £19.40. You'll enjoy FREE delivery on all orders. Offer ends 2 April 2018.

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2016 Riesling, Trocken, Weingut Winter, Rheinhessen, Germany

£15.95 £14.50

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Today is the day that you order your very first case of German Riesling. Believe me, this wine is worth it and this is because it is truly dry, magically tangy and citrusy and also the proud possessor of a stunning perfume. While I was tasting this wine my cousin and her pal rocked up and they both grabbed a glass they were so shocked at the flavour I wish I had taken a photograph to capture the pleasure on their faces. Winter is a specialist in making wines that send a glorious shiver down your spine. Take the plunge you will not regret it!

2016 Nai e Seora, Albario, Val do Salns, Ras Baixas, Galicia, Spain

£14.95 £13.64

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Nai e Seora means mother of the land' and the label on this bottle depicts this noble woman. The Albario grape is on top form in this aromatic wine. With a floral nose and touches of exoticism on display, the palate tightens up with citrus tones and strolls on for a long while. Albario walks a tightrope between heady perfume and white-knuckle drama; Nai manages to make this spectacle look simple. You'll adore this wine; great with seafood and fresh fish. Leave your Sauvignons behind while you pamper your palate with a little aromatherapy.

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2016 Yantra, Tenuta Sette Cieli, Monteverdi Marettimo, Tuscany, Italy

£19.95 £17.49

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My wife Amelia, who is herself in the wine business, tipped off Swig to this epic estate and they grabbed the portfolio of incredible wines with greedy hands. Made high up in the hills overlooking Bolgheri, where fat Super-Tuscans lazily ripen in the haze, the wines from Sette Cieli combine vivacity and intensity with exquisite accuracy. This is my favourite newcomer to the Tuscan scene and this Merlot / Cabernet blend sees no oak whatsoever. It retains scintillating freshness and drive thank to its lofty, breezy position and also the ultra-organic attitude of their fearless team. This is an estate to keep a very close eye on because it is tipped for super-stardom and Yantra is the perfect way to meet and greet the range.

2016 Chianti Rufina, Cedro, Fattoria Lavacchio, Tuscany, Italy

£15.95 £13.94

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Here's a stunning budget Chianti which proves Swig can do traditional Tuscany just as well as modern. With a red cherry and cranberry nose leading the way it seems that this wine might be a little slender, but it blossoms on the palate and rounds out to reward the drinker with juicy blackberry notes and even a touch of lavender and liquorice for good measure. This is a beautiful wine and it's drinking perfectly already.

2015 Autocarro No 27, Torro, Pennsula de Setbal, Portugal

£12.95 £11.94

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New wave Portuguese reds are all the rage and as this country drags its vinous offering into the 21st century a handful of talented wineries have broken from the traditional pack and are using their indigenous grape varieties to great effect. Unique, fascinating and stuffed with blackcurrant fruit and spice, this is a mighty little chap with more bravado and cheek than many wines twice its price. I can't recommend this wine enough, not least because it has wonderful grin-inducing qualities.

2014 Bur, Vendimia Seleccionada, Ribera del Duero, Spain

£16.95 £15.49

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Made from 50-year-old Tinta Fina' (Tempranillo) vines and grown at 890m above sea level, this wine's vital statistics are impressive. It sees six months in French oak and four months in American oak and so there is even some complexity woven into its woodwork regime. So enough of the facts, what does it taste like? I have no doubt that this is the most exuberant and plush Ribera del Duero I have ever tasted! These wines usually take aeons to soften and lose their tannins Bur is ready to go with stunning depth and richness and an ample, mellow finish.

PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW via Swig's website, or call them direct: 0800 0272 272 and quote "MoneyWeek"

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Matthew Jukes has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books.

Matthew regularly lectures, judges, speaks at wine conferences and runs masterclass tastings for both corporate and private clients all over the world. Matthew is also the creator of his ground-breaking initiative, the One Day Wine School, an indulgent day of tasting and learning first performed in 2006.

He has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006 and has written a weekly column for the Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine since 1999. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website, www.matthewjukes.com.

Matthew is one of the world’s leading experts on Australian wine and, with Brisbane-based wine writer Tyson Stelzer, runs an annual competition in Australia to find ‘The Great Australian Red’. He was made Honorary Australian of the Year in the UK at the 2012 Australia Day Foundation Gala dinner.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.