One of its key lessons stuck with me:

“Consult with wise men. Secure the advice of those experienced in the profitable handling of gold.”

In other words, trust your treasures only with people who truly understand their value.

Many of us have wine tucked away at home that isn’t stored in professional conditions, which instantly reduces both its value and potentially its quality.

If you want your collection to mature properly, it needs to be looked after by those who live and breathe wine.

(And if you already have your wines stored professionally, ask yourself this: are you happy with the service and price you’re currently receiving?)

That’s where Seckford Wines come in. Here are some of the many benefits of storing your wine at their bonded warehouse:

• Incredible rates: currently £12 per 12x75cl case per annum, pro rata

• HMRC-approved bonded warehouses

• Temperature controlled

• Secure online portfolio management

• Insurance included

• No receipt, handling or processing charges

• State-of-the-art 24/7 security

• Store your wines from other merchants

• Photography and condition reports

• Experienced Cellar and Private Reserves team

• Quick delivery of your wines 2-5 days

Wine storage often sounds/feels complicated, which is why Seckford’s offering stands out - clear, transparent and genuinely helpful.

Please email the team at reserves@seckfordwines.co.uk to discuss your options.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers, Luke

Last week we had three open from the iconic Rioja estate - López de Heredia.

Our task: to taste them over a few days until they ran out of steam, and report back. If we loved them, they are available. If not, they aren’t - as simple as that.

A quick intro if you’re new to LdH: they’re the OGs of Rioja, founded in 1877 and still family-run. Their wines are named after their individual vineyards with the flagship being, Viña Tondonia - trad Rioja at its purest.

Here’s the verdict:

Viña Cubillo Crianza 2017 - £110 per 6 In Bond
Youngest of the bunch. Fresh, soft and so easy to drink, but with that tell-tale López savoury edge lurking. Held up beautifully over four days.

Viña Bosconia Reserva 2014 - £135 per 6 In Bond
A step up in depth. Darker fruit, cedar, and a gentle smokiness. Day three was my favourite: the tannins melted and it just glided through.

Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013 - £160 per 6 In Bond
The icon for a reason. Six years in oak six years in bottle. This has López savoury edge for sure but it’s full and generous at the same time. It’s a Rioja masterpiece. Will age well for a couple of decades. Days 1, 2 and 3 were my favourite.

Verdict?

I’m personally going to buy some Cubillo and Tondonia. Cubillo to pull out when friends/family are around. It’s a touch of class having eight years of age from a top producer that doesn’t cost the earth.

On the other hand, for a Friday night, full-blown Rioja experience then I’ll be cracking open the Tondonia.

If you’d like some for yourself please email hello@seckfordwines.co.uk with your desired quantity (by the case only) (just be sure to mention my name).

And don’t forget Seckford have great storage rates if you’d rather keep them at their base.

Stay tuned for my next assignment!

Cheers,
Luke

It worked. We grew quickly and beyond expectations.

Over time though, the importers we worked with grew too. Their wines became more visible, showing up in more shops and online. At the same time, costs across the board kept climbing (as we all know). Before long, you could often find the same wine for less elsewhere. Not ideal.

We looked at solutions. One was to import directly and build a portfolio for trade in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. But, with the growth of my personal brand leading to opportunities such as becoming a digital ambassador for Wines of Portugal and Oakley Wine Agencies. That path needed a team fully committed and it was not the right move.

So the answer was Seckford Wines. Our long relationship with them made perfect sense. They have what we lacked:

• An incredible and unique range

• Professional storage

• Logistics team

• New website

• Experienced longstanding team

• And more…

The only gap is visibility. Not enough wine lovers know about them.

That is where we come in. Pair Seckford’s strengths with our communication, and we are building something with real purpose.

We will be sharing it all. From icons to admire, to gems that deliver huge value. Breaking down the world of fine wine.

We will be of course also letting you know when stumble upon our own parcels as well.

The supermarkets and Majestic already own the sub £13 space.

This is about drinking better and enjoying quality wine.

More recommendations coming soon.

Cheers,
Luke

Remarkably, over 6,477 different lines at last count (as of two minutes ago when Charlie (the MD) downloaded the Excel sheet).

To make sense of it all is difficult (even for a seasoned wine buff); it would take years to build up the knowledge.

Thankfully, I have spent the last few years doing exactly that.

This means I can give you my top recommendations that I truly believe in (tried and tasted) without having to talk about ones that didn’t hit the spot.

The first wine I’m introducing you to is:

Jean-Marie Fourrier's, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, 2021 - £492 inc-VAT for a case of 12 (£41 per bottle)

It’s high quality Burgundy Pinot Noir that you simply can’t find in the supermarket.

Jean-Marie Fourrier’s wines are adored by everyone in the Seckford offices and most have them in storage.

After tasting them myself on several occasions I can understand exactly why.

Silky, pure Pinot Noir.

And his classic Bourgogne is a pleasure to drink.

The 2021 vintage hails from a slightly cooler vintage (might not see too many of these again), making it delicate, soft and perfect to enjoy right now.

If you want a wine for a Friday night to switch off with, this is perfect.

Cheers,
Luke

PS this vintage sold out last week but the team held some back for me. Only 9 cases available.

Long time no speak…

In fact, it’s been six months since our last email.

Why the pause?

As my personal brand has grown and new opportunities have taken centre stage, our retail offering has taken more of a back seat.

During this time we’ve carefully been working out what the next steps for Flunder Wines should be, and I’m now very proud to announce that going forward we are joining forces with Seckford Wines.

In a nutshell, this means we will no longer be selling wines via our own platform - instead we will be recommending the very best picks from Seckford’s offerings.

If you haven’t heard of Seckford Wines, they’re a Suffolk-based fine-wine specialist with a stellar reputation for sourcing the world’s most sought-after wines and providing secure, professional storage.

They’ve also just launched a new website that makes buying, selling and managing your cellar effortless.

That’s why this partnership makes perfect sense. For more than six years we’ve worked closely with the Seckford team—stocking many of their wines —and now we’re cutting out the middle man… us! (as strange as that might sound).

What this means for you:

• We’ll make choosing and finding wines from their range exceptionally easy with tailored recommendations and introductions to offers.

• We will act as your point of contact, helping with any questions or queries.

• You’ll benefit from Seckford’s competitive pricing and professional storage options.

• You’ll enjoy a seamless online experience to buy, sell and track your collection.

It’s the same Flunder Wines service, now paired with Seckford’s unmatched range of wines.

👉 Create a Seckford Wines account here

So sit tight—we’ll be in touch soon with exciting recommendations and info - helping make the world of fine wine easier to navigate.

If you have any questions, please email me directly at luke@flunderwines.com.

Thank you for your continued support.

We’re excited to share this next chapter with you.

Warm regards,
Luke and the Team
Flunder Wines Ltd

Welcome to my Christmas Case: a handpicked selection of wines inspired by my travels and tastings this year.

Inside the case, you’ll find - 7 x red / 3 x white / 1 x sparkling / 1 x dessert wine.

I’m personally picking/packing each case, so numbers are very limited.

If you have any questions or want to tweak the selection, drop me a message at luke@flunderwines.com.

Cheers,
Luke

Previously we have struggled to communicate these parcels with you as by the time we have written the email, crossed all the “t’s” and dotted all of the “i’s” - they are gone.

Now using the Substack platform we can share these with you in an instant. Our aim is to keep it straightforward and simple for you to discover great wines!

The world of wine can be a confusing place and this will give us the opportunity to take the hard work out of the equation and narrow down the options for you.

Here is the first drop:

Available: 4 cases (6 x bottles/case)

Price: £270per case (£45 a bottle)

Barbaresco Montefico Bric Mentina, 2014, La Ca Nova 

The Headline - great reviews, great price, super wine.

The Story - The Piedmontese DOCG zone of Barbaresco is responsible for some of Italy’s finest wines. It occupies the same region and uses the same grape (Nebbiolo) as Barolo, but is a third of the size (only 640 hectares versus Barolo’s 1,700 hectares). It is also 50 years younger, having produced wine labelled Barbaresco since 1890. It earned its DOCG in 1980, largely thanks to the efforts of Angelo Gaja.
 
For the last 5 or 6 years wines from La Ca Nova have achieved top tier Barbaresco reviews, regularly beating illustrious competition such as Gaja, Giacosa and Vietti.

Pricing still remains very fair for a region growing in popularity.
 
The wines are intensely aromatic, with classic structures built on fresh acidity. If you love Barolo but don’t love the price this is a super option.

Check out the reviews and the product here:

CHECK OUT THE WINE HERE

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