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Up to 25% off wines and spirits to enjoy in October | Save now
Bordeaux collection
Each year our expert Xenia Ruscombe-King MW selects the best of the region’s vintage en primeur. When matured, bottled and ready to enjoy, we release the collection right here – few other supermarkets do this. The wines make superb, thoughtful gifts whether as a single bottle, mixed case or presented in a smart wooden box when you buy six of the same
What is "On the QT"?
They're the shooting stars of the wine universe, the four-leaf clovers of the vineyards... they're a special collection of exciting, unusual wines that, once the parcel is finished, you'll never see again. And now they’re available here at Cellar.
Our wine buyer and Master of Wine, Xenia Ruscombe-King, wanted to shine a light on these one-off "on the quiet" bottles created by established winemakers experimenting with different production techniques and grapes. Thanks to her detective work, a passion for beautifully made wines with stories to tell, and a bit of luck, Xenia can share them exclusively on Cellar.
Stories from Cellar
Xenia Ruscombe-King MW, Cellar's dedicated wine buyer, tells us a little more about the fascinating history behind some "On the QT" wines and spirits, and how she discovered them
Louis Guntrum “On the QT” Bin 23: Cabernet Dorsa / Merlot Rheinhessen 2018 & Bin: 24 Wedding Cask Grauer Burgunder Nierstein 2019
Made by Louis Konstantin Guntrum in Nierstein, Germany
There are a lot of people called ‘Louis Guntrum’ in this business, it’s hard to keep up. But what this chronicles is the history, knowledge and passion that’s been passed from 1648 when the Louis Guntrum family settled in Rheinhessen, to Louis Jean George Guntrum who built the winery on the banks of the Rhein in 1923, to today’s owner, the 11th generation Louis Konstantin Guntrum. And it’s him who made these two unique “On the QT” wines of which fewer than 2,000 bottles of each exist...
One of the reasons why more of the unusual red blend cannot be produced is because the Cabernet Dorsa vineyard, which Konstantin leased in 2017, was ripped out after its first and last harvest of 2018. It was removed due to local land consolidation rules, but means there’s now one less vineyard in the world where the rare Cabernet Dorsa grape grows. The Dorsa is a hybrid of Cabernet Sauvignon and Dornfelder varieties and creates a dark, elegant, full-bodied wine that tastes of bramble fruit and blackcurrants, with complexity, structure and spice coming from the addition of 18% Merlot. Try it with pan-seared steak, slow-cooked stews and pasta tossed in a fresh tomato sauce.
One person who isn’t called Louis, is Stephanie. On the day that she married Konstantin in November 2003, the winery team presented the newly weds with a gift: a 1,200-litre oak barrel, to be used only for special cuvées. And the 2019 harvest of Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris), hand-picked from the picturesque vines along the river Rhein qualified for the ‘Wedding Cask’. There’s a charming character about this wine that comes from the barrel’s residual sugar – it ‘throws’ a bouquet of peaches, lemon zest and spice, and is the perfect match for cheese, grilled salmon, salads… and Stephanie’s roast chicken.
Domaine Jones "On the QT" Bin 25: Carignan Gris 2019
Made by Katie Jones in Tuchan, France
The full name of this rare white includes four words that perfectly sum up its location, its makers and its spirit: off the beaten track.
"When we first got this vineyard, I was like, why do we want this? It's on a stony riverbed, it's flat...,” explains Katie, who together with husband, Jean Marc, creates magic out of 60/70-year-old vines. “But this is one of those cases where the grape variety was more important than the location. Carignan Gris is very obscure. And we really like obscure, weird grapes at Domaine Jones."
La Roque is a little, organic vineyard near Tuchan, on the Languedoc-Roussillon border, about an hour's drive in a blue Citroën Dyane south of Narbonne. It’s a special place to Katie for many reasons, but also because this tiny parcel that measures one third of a hectare contains some of the rarest vines in the world. Only 1.4 hectares of Carignan Gris officially exist – in nearby Perpignan.
One of the reasons for the grape’s obscurity is because it wasn’t listed as an official variety until 2017. It’s no doubt been used in white blends, but probably as a way of using it up, rather than purposefully. And the reason for this, says Katie, is because “Carignan Gris is perhaps the most awkward grape variety to grow. It’s a real pain in the derrière, however beautiful it looks. And it takes forever to ripen." This means Katie and her team hand-pick the parcel twice. The Gris turns a lovely pale pink colour when it's ready to harvest in mid-October – a full month after the Noir (and six weeks after the other whites have been picked!).
It’s worth the wait. This 100% Carignan Gris is in a category all on its own. It’s a bright, straw colour with an earthy character that’s perfect for mushroom risotto, oven-baked asparagus, creamy Camembert or moules marinière (but serve it at room temperature, as it’s a little shy when chilled). It’s not particularly fruity, it is quite herbaceous, there’s lots of minerality and lovely freshness – and it’s this pure taste of a rare grape that drove Katie to making the 695 bottles of 2019. "Most people would run a mile from Carignan Gris, but we absolutely embraced it.”
Prior Terra "On the QT" Bin 21: Open Barrel Fermented Garnatxa Negra & Bin 22: Barrel Aged Garnatxa Blanca
Made by Judit Llop Gasull in Priorat, Spain
"It looked like Eden," said Xenia, as she stood in Judit Llop Gasull's compact, remote - and very experimental - vineyard in the hills west of Barcelona. "There were wildflowers, orchids and butterflies... it felt alive and vibrant." It's here the red and white Garnatxa (also known as Garnacha or Grenache) grapes thrive.
Judit's pioneering idea to use probiotics in the organic fertiliser on this tiny patch of Catalonia was inspired by her own recovery from an auto-immune condition which left her exhausted - much like the soil in many non-organic vineyards. Her idea flourished, as did the mini ecosystem around the plants. Other winemakers around the world are discovering similar probiotic techniques to restore the nutrients in the earth and produce healthier vines - and amazing, exciting wines.
Only a small amount of the red Garnatxa Negra was hand-harvested, crushed and fermented in three open barrels, which is a very natural, traditional way to produce wine. It was then left to mature for 12 months in the same three barrels before being lightly fined and bottled. The result is a unique, full-bodied wine with ripe black-fruit flavour and wonderful intensity. It’s also a wine made all the more special because it's so rare and Xenia was delighted to come across it after a mutual acquaintance introduced her to Judit.
In the same tiny winery, Xenia also tasted the Garnatxa Blanca. The region's intensely hot summers mean this variety is rarely used to make wine in Priorat, so Judit decided to experiment by partly fermenting the grapes in oak-aged barrels and partly in stainless steel barrels. She then handed the blending to (a very excited!) Xenia who came up with a 50/50 mix of the two. The result is a wine with the freshness of green apple, tropical citrus and a creamy, toasty complexity.
"On the QT" Bin 20 Single Barrel Vintage Palo Cortado
Made by Antonio Flores at Gonzalez Bypass, Jerez, Spain
"He is the vineyard. He was even born in the bodega," explains Xenia, by way of introduction to the legendary winemaker, Antonio Flores. Antonio has been storing individual barrels of vintage sherries for decades and these are normally either blended through a solera (fractionally blending the wine across multiple barrels of different vintages) or blended together to make single-vintage sherries. But Antonio also appreciated the particular nature of each of these individual barrels. So, he chose one single barrel from 2011, then left it alone. He neither blended and nor topped up to replace the natural evaporation. Apart from lightly fortifying, the wine is exactly the same as it was when originally put in the barrel.
This simplicity of unique-barrel sherry production had never come on to the market before. The style of this barrel is 'Palo Cortado'. Xenia explained, "It's neither a fino nor an amontillado - it developed its very own style. So the traditional way of naming it was to strike through the 'fino' identification on the barrel with a chalk line." And it's this chalk mark that's called 'Palo Cortado'.
Xenia came across the single, 500-litre barrel of this Palo Cortado by accident, while on a weekend in Jerez in 2019... and bought it. Or rather, bought the 320 litres that were left. "That's one very lucky angel," said Xenia, referring to the evaporated sherry - known in the industry as 'the angel's share'.
"On the QT" The Whisky Edition Auchentoshan 27-Year-Old Single Malt
Made by the Auchentoshan Distillery
If you’d describe yourself as a whisky enthusiast or a single-malt connoisseur, you might be interested in this story… Once upon a time in 1823, the Auchentoshan Distillery was built in the Lowlands of Scotland, 40 miles south of Loch Katrine, but close enough to the city for its spirit to be described as ‘Glasgow’s malt whisky’. The distillery’s name is from the Gaelic Achadh an Oisen, which means ‘corner of the field’ and if you’re wondering how to pronounce it, go for: ock-en-tosh-en (with emphasis on the ‘ock’ and ‘tosh’).
Auchentoshan is unusual in that it triple-distils all its whisky. But this "On the QT" edition, is uncommon for many reasons. It is the highest-proof distillate produced by any single-malt makers in Scotland - the result of which is a clean, clear whisky with subtle citrus and tropical fruit notes. And its ingredients - the purity of the water from Loch Katrine, and the gently kilned unpeated barley - enables the true character of the spirit and the barrel oak to shine. In fact much of its flavour and freshness comes from ageing for 27 years in this single (just one!) ex-bourbon oak barrel. Bottling took place on 25 June 2020 - at its peak of perfection - and once the angels had taken their share (a wonderful way of describing evaporation), there was enough whisky in that rare barrel to fill 141 bottles… which are available exclusively at Cellar.
It remains a mystery as to how or why this unique whisky came about - but our experts recognise treasure when they taste it. And what Xenia and spirits buyer, John Vine, do know is that now is the time to discover what astonishing softness, elegance and complexity comes with ageing for 27 years. So pour yourself a glass of Lowland history and enjoy delicate cereal, grassy then creamy aromas, flavours of spice, toffee apple and tropical fruit and a long, balanced, caramel-smooth finish.
Coming soon to "On the QT"
Watch this space, as we're on the hunt for more rare, exciting and unique wines...