“I desperately need to get my hands on more, but at a production of only 2,500 bottles per year, it is hard to find...” – Chris Dugdale, Gin Journey

If our word wasn’t good enough for you, how about the word of the world’s most pre-eminent wine critic Robert Parker? BI’s eagle-eyed social-media types spotted the following statement on Twitter: “a friend brought me back a bottle of Monkey 47 GIN, made from 47 botanicals in Germany's Black Forest - the greatest gin I have ever tasted.” We’re not sure if that makes it 100 points, but it’s the closest we’ve ever seen. If you haven’t been convinced already, surely this is enough to twist your arm...?

A little background for the geeks amongst you:
When Wing Commander Montgomery Collins found himself in the Black Forest, little did he know that he was soon to craft the greatest Gin on the planet. With a production smaller than Romanee Conti, we are over-the-moon to have a small allocation of the legendary Monkey 47. Crafted from 47 botanicals this Gin has won a ton of awards and makes the best G&T you can imagine...

How did the Monkey end up in the forest? The story goes like this...
Wing Commander Montgomery Collins, watch lover, cricket enthusiast and globetrotter, was born in 1909 in Madras to a British Diplomat. In 1945 he was posted to Germany following World War 2. It is said that “Monty” was deeply affected by the destruction of Berlin and in particular Berlin Zoo. During his work in rebuilding the zoo he came to sponsor an Egret Monkey by the name of Max. Following his time in the RAF, he opened a guest-house in the Black Forest, which he called “Zum wilden Affen”... the Wild Monkey. With Juniper in abundance and being English, Monty enjoyed his gin. Long after Monty was gone, during renovation of the guest house, a wooden box was discovered, with a hand-labelled bottle and some papers. The bottle’s label had a hand-drawn monkey with the words “Max the Monkey – Schwarzwald Dry Gin”. The papers included all sorts of notes, but critically a list of ingredients used to create the gin, many of which came from the Black Forest and India. The mark of Monty lives on...

This comes HIGHLY recommended by all at BI (AND Mr Parker himself)...

Colour	Vint.	Wine	Size	Status	Cs	Btls	Price	Per	Score	Basket
White	NV	Monkey 47 Gin (6x50cl)	50cl 47%	IB	0	232	£ 27	50cl 47%	NR	Add

“The neat gin is rich and aromatic, with a complex nose. Tasting rewards the mouth with an incredibly intense journey that encompasses herbal, floral, citrus, fruity and spice notes aplenty... The juniper is definitely there, but the supporting cast is like an orchestra. Clear among these is pine, or rather I suspect spruce, which supports the juniper with clear crispness...The floral and herbal notes are clear and powerful; there is a slight geranium taste and I think there is a honeysuckle/jasmine flavour identifiable. A hint of pomelo is present (redolent of Bloom and Whitley Neill). This is the fruitiest gin I have ever tasted and it is smooth to boot. Initially, I had thought that this was purely a sipping gin which would be a crime to mix, but trying it with tonic water was a revelation. The finer points of the aromatic flavours really come alive; the citrus comes out and the floral & herbaceous notes veritably explode. The finish is long, dry and spicy and herbal. Every stage, the attack, middle and finish of Monkey 47 is complex and different from the last. Each mouthful is an engaging roller-coaster of discovery and joy, and it never gets old. It is an intriguing gin and difficult to leave alone. I desperately need to get my hands on more, but at a production of only 2,500 bottles per year, it is hard to find... Monkey 47 gin is probably the most expensive in-production gin I have tried. Is it worth the price? Yes, but as a treat."
-Chris Dugdale, Gin Journey

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At BI we love a party – as we expect most people do – but the only trouble is the amount of Champagne you get through. You can never have enough good, grande marque Champagne in the cellar and thanks to our exceptional sales of the world’s finest fizz, we get access to deep stocks of non-vintage Champagnes from the top producers at fantastic prices. Plus, knowing our clients’ penchant for all things big, we always make sure we have a good mix of bots and mags. It’s also one of the great truths of the wine world that Champagne ages better in magnums – and even NV fizz has many years of potential maturation ahead of it after purchase.

We’ve chosen a selection of our favourite non-vintage Champagnes from our stocks: Pol Roger, Bollinger Special Cuvée and Ruinart Rosé, all available in bottles and magnums. Each of these wines comes highly rated and is immediately available for delivery from our warehouse.

Our recommendation is buy both: drink the bots, sit on the mags for a few years - do let us know if you need a top-up?

Colour	Vint.	Wine	Size	Status	Cs	Btls	Price	Per	Score	Basket
White	NV	Bollinger Special Cuvee 1846 bt - Bollinger	btls	IB	38	4	£ 315	cs	90	Add
White	NV	Bollinger Special Cuvee - Bollinger	mags	IB	29	4	£ 330	cs	90	Add

The NV Brut Special Cuvee is one of the finest and most consistently delicious entry-level Champagnes, as it is again this year. Brioche, hazelnuts and pears are some of the nuances the flow from this crystalline, pure Champagne. The Special Cuvee is the freshest wine in the Bollinger lineup, and shows only a touch of the warmer, oxidative notes that define the higher-end wines, but it is nevertheless an exceptionally fine, beautiful Champagne. Clean, mineral notes round out the finish.

The Special Cuvee is 60% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, with the addition on 5-10% reserve wines. This is Lot L932901. Disgorged September 11, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2015.
-90 pts, Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 23/12/2010
 

Colour	Vint.	Wine	Size	Status	Cs	Btls	Price	Per	Score	Basket
White	NV	Pol Roger	btls	IB	51	6	£ 250	cs	90	Add
White	NV	Pol Roger	btls	IB	51	6	£ 250	cs	90	Add
White	NV	Pol Roger	mags	IB	48	5	£ 260	cs	90	Add

Floral, citrus and yeasty nuances combine to create a champagne of elegance and pure class.
-91+ pts, BI

A particularly good value.
-90 pts, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate 23/12/1994
 

Colour	Vint.	Wine	Size	Status	Cs	Btls	Price	Per	Score	Basket
Rose	NV	Ruinart Rose	btls	IB	47	9	£ 360	cs	89	Add
Rose	NV	Ruinart Rose	mags	IB	24	2	£ 395	cs	89	Add

Orange-pink. Initially restrained floral and red berry aromas build dramatically, picking up notes of more exotic flowers and smoked meat while retaining vibrancy. Firm redcurrant and strawberry flavours offer impressive clarity and depth, with an exotic blood orange quality carrying into the finish. Really lovely stuff, offering an uncommon combination of flavour impact and finesse.
-92 pts, Stephen Tanzer

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2ND WINE OF 2009 LEOVILLE-POYFERRE