2010 Tingleup Vineyard Great Southern Riesling, Western Australia
Latest vintage of this consistently good wine – surely one of Tesco’s best own-labels (it’s in the Finest range). Petrol, zesty lime and flowery notes on the nose and a mouthwateringly fresh, fruity palate with apple and peach, then spicier apple and lime on the finish and racy acidity which makes it seem drier than it is. No petrol on the palate, incidentally. A perfect aperitif, but also good with smoked fish, salads, slow-roast tomatoes, capers etc. And only 11% abv. tesco.com/wine has the 2009 at £38.40 for 6 (£6.40 a bottle), which is probably a bargain. I haven’t tasted the 2009 for a while, but this wine usually keeps well.
£9.29, Tesco
2010 Domaine Houchart Côtes de Provence Rosé, France
Everything a dry pink from Provence should be – lively and refreshing with juicy red fruit flavours, a touch of spice, a supple mid-palate and a crisp, dry finish. The only thing it’s emphatically not, which so many Provence rosés are, is expensive – in fact it’s great value. It’s a grenache-based blend, with some cinsault, mourvèdre, cabernet, syrah and other bits and pieces, and the grapes are directly pressed, except for 10% which is free-run juice from a cold-maceration of red wine grapes. 13% abv. The estate is at the foot of Mont Saint Victoire and the current owner, Geneviève Quiot (Quiot of Châteauneuf fame), is the great granddaughter of the founder Aurélien Houchart, who was, apparently, a lifelong friend of Cézanne. I love connections like that.
£6.95, The Wine Society
2007 Castello della Paneretta Chianti Classico Riserva, Italy
A dark, young, but very approachable riserva, with sweet, spicy, smoky sandalwood aromas, ripe cherry fruit, a nutty, smoky richness and softly grainy tannins. It’s 90% sangiovese and a comparatively high (for Chianti Classico) 10% of the traditional canaiolo. 14.5% abv. Ready now, but there’s no hurry to drink it. I was going to recommend it last week as a perfect match for Easter lamb or capra, but I got waylaid by other wines. Still, there’s no law against eating lamb or kid this week too, and it would go equally well with a steak, a butter bean and chorizo stew, a really good pizza, Comté, Manchego etc.
