2008 Château d’Anglès Classique Blanc, La Clape
A white that shows: a) just how good the white wines of Languedoc can be (and this is the cheaper of the two Anglès whites); and b) why blends can be so much more than the sum of their parts. It’s based on bourboulenc, with some grenache blanc, roussanne and marsanne, and is lightly aromatic with floral and citrus notes; the palate is ripe and honeyed with creamy, peachy fruit, but with the richness off-set by lovely citrus zing. Château d’Anglès, in its present form, is the creation of Eric Fabre who bought the estate in 2001 after 25 years in Bordeaux, eight of them as technical director of Château Lafite. If you don’t know Essentially Wine, now is the time. There are two shops, Chipstead in Surrey (blue plaque moment: I was brought up there) and Richmond, which is a rather larger and better known town in Surrey.
£10.49, Essentially Wine
2008 Fabre Montmayou Phebus Cabernet Sauvignon, Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza
Full-bodied but sleek Argentine cabernet sauvignon – and all the better for being unoaked to show off its perfume and purity of fruit. Aromas and flavours of violets, raspberries and cassis around a core of ripe yet fresh fruit and a satin-smooth texture. The vineyard altitude – 1050 metres – doubtless goes a long way to explain the finesse and the effortless way the wine carries its 14.5% abv. That, plus wines of a decent middling age (average 15 years) and the expertise of Bordeaux-born owner Hervé Joyaux Favre. 13.5% abv
£7.99, Waitrose
2008 Clos des Cordeliers Cuvée Tradition, Saumur-Champigny
I hadn’t come across the Ratron cousins' Clos des Cordeliers until I tasted this at Richards Walford’s January tasting. What a find – invitingly fresh, red and green-pepper fragrance with rounded raspberry fruit and the supplest of tannins. Medium-bodied, beautifully balanced essence of cabernet franc. 13.5% abv £9.99, Adnams Cellar & Kitchen
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 19 March 2010
2009 Domaine La Bastide Roussanne, Vin de Pays d’Hauterive
A lovely lime and floral perfume, bristlingly fresh lime and sweet-apple flavours and a rounded, smooth texture. Hauterive is in the Aude department, covering part of the Corbières area. 13% abv.
£7.99 (or £6.99 if you buy two or more bottles), Majestic
2008 Tasmanian Pinot Noir
Intensely fragrant, juicy and fresh, with black fruit as well as red berry flavours. Medium-bodied with fine acidity and just a touch of tannin. Not a complex pinot noir, but pure and aromatic and at a giveaway price. Made for M&S by Andrew Pirie’s Tamar Ridge Estates. 13% abv.
£7.99, Marks & Spencer
2007 Hacienda El Espino 1707 Syrah, Almansa
Expressive, raspberry-scented old-vine syrah from vineyards at 750m in Almansa, southern Spain. Full and round with succulent fruit, touches of spice and well-balanced oak (3 months in American and French barrels). Polished, persuasive syrah. 13.5% abv.
£8.49, The Real Wine Company
A lovely lime and floral perfume, bristlingly fresh lime and sweet-apple flavours and a rounded, smooth texture. Hauterive is in the Aude department, covering part of the Corbières area. 13% abv.
£7.99 (or £6.99 if you buy two or more bottles), Majestic
2008 Tasmanian Pinot Noir
Intensely fragrant, juicy and fresh, with black fruit as well as red berry flavours. Medium-bodied with fine acidity and just a touch of tannin. Not a complex pinot noir, but pure and aromatic and at a giveaway price. Made for M&S by Andrew Pirie’s Tamar Ridge Estates. 13% abv.
£7.99, Marks & Spencer
2007 Hacienda El Espino 1707 Syrah, Almansa
Expressive, raspberry-scented old-vine syrah from vineyards at 750m in Almansa, southern Spain. Full and round with succulent fruit, touches of spice and well-balanced oak (3 months in American and French barrels). Polished, persuasive syrah. 13.5% abv.
£8.49, The Real Wine Company
Friday, March 12, 2010
WINES of the WEEK, 12 March 2010
2008 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley
Vivid, racy Australian riesling – tangy lime, apple and peach with a hint of spice; dry, but a little less steely and mineral than you find in Clare. 12.5% abv
£9.99, Oddbins
2009 Tesco Finest Darling Sauvignon
Stylish Cape sauvignon with the sweetness and freshness of sugarsnap peas, a finely textured mid-palate and faintly salty, mineral finish. 13.5% abv
£6.99, Tesco
2008 Tesco Finest Malbec, Mendoza
Medium-full with dark, spicy, slightly smoky plum flavours, subtle oak, fine tannins and a dry, clean finish. A very well balanced, well-judged wine, made by Catena. 13.5% abv
£6.98, Tesco
Vivid, racy Australian riesling – tangy lime, apple and peach with a hint of spice; dry, but a little less steely and mineral than you find in Clare. 12.5% abv
£9.99, Oddbins
2009 Tesco Finest Darling Sauvignon
Stylish Cape sauvignon with the sweetness and freshness of sugarsnap peas, a finely textured mid-palate and faintly salty, mineral finish. 13.5% abv
£6.99, Tesco
2008 Tesco Finest Malbec, Mendoza
Medium-full with dark, spicy, slightly smoky plum flavours, subtle oak, fine tannins and a dry, clean finish. A very well balanced, well-judged wine, made by Catena. 13.5% abv
£6.98, Tesco
Friday, March 5, 2010
WiNES of the WEEK 5 March 2010
All under £8 this week.
2009 The Foundry Grenache Blanc, Coastal Region
The white wines coming out of South Africa just keep getting more and more exciting. Chris Williams makes a terrific Viognier, but this is the first time I’ve tasted his Grenache Blanc. It’s fairly full-bodied and has a smidgen of Viognier, which gives a perfumed apricot edge to the apple, pepper and mineral flavours, but it’s a less showy wine than the Viognier, as you’d expect. There’s a little bit of oak to round it out and round it off and the finish is clean and dry. 13.5% abv
£7.95, The Wine Society
2008 Cruz de Piedra Garnacha, Calatayud
Ebullient, young Spanish red made from 60-100 year old garnacha growing high up in the Calatayud mountains southeast of Rioja. Juicy, sweet-tomato and red-berry fruit spiced up with lots of earthy white-pepper flavours; medium-full, dry and fresh. 13.5% abv.
£5.25, The Wine Society; £5.99, Adnams Cellar & Kitchen
2007 Château La Bouscade Old Vine Carignan, Minervois
This is 14.5% abv, it’s been aged in oak barrels for 16 months and it’s carignan. Sounds like a recipe for the sort of heavyweight you can stand a knife up in. It’s certainly full-bodied, but it’s perfectly balanced and if there were any rustic, grating carignan tannins they’ve have been planed to smoothness by the oak. It has a lovely raspberry fragrance and fruitness, alongside stony, mineral, spicy flavours.
£7.99, Majestic; £6.99 when you buy two or more.
2009 The Foundry Grenache Blanc, Coastal Region
The white wines coming out of South Africa just keep getting more and more exciting. Chris Williams makes a terrific Viognier, but this is the first time I’ve tasted his Grenache Blanc. It’s fairly full-bodied and has a smidgen of Viognier, which gives a perfumed apricot edge to the apple, pepper and mineral flavours, but it’s a less showy wine than the Viognier, as you’d expect. There’s a little bit of oak to round it out and round it off and the finish is clean and dry. 13.5% abv
£7.95, The Wine Society
2008 Cruz de Piedra Garnacha, Calatayud
Ebullient, young Spanish red made from 60-100 year old garnacha growing high up in the Calatayud mountains southeast of Rioja. Juicy, sweet-tomato and red-berry fruit spiced up with lots of earthy white-pepper flavours; medium-full, dry and fresh. 13.5% abv.
£5.25, The Wine Society; £5.99, Adnams Cellar & Kitchen
2007 Château La Bouscade Old Vine Carignan, Minervois
This is 14.5% abv, it’s been aged in oak barrels for 16 months and it’s carignan. Sounds like a recipe for the sort of heavyweight you can stand a knife up in. It’s certainly full-bodied, but it’s perfectly balanced and if there were any rustic, grating carignan tannins they’ve have been planed to smoothness by the oak. It has a lovely raspberry fragrance and fruitness, alongside stony, mineral, spicy flavours.
£7.99, Majestic; £6.99 when you buy two or more.
Friday, February 26, 2010
WiNES of the WEEK 26 February 2010
2009 TyDy Sauvignon, Vin de Pays du Val de Loire
Great value, zingy, aromatic Loire Sauvignon – a combination of new and old worlds. Greengage and mango on the nose; ripe goosberries, nettles and a faint suggestion of chalk and minerals on the palate. 12.5% abv. Shown alongside Vacheron’s 2009 Sancerre at the SITT tasting in London this week, the Vacheron (at two-and-a half times the price) was exciting, but this didn’t look remotely shabby.
£6.95, Stevens Garnier Wine Merchants, 01865 263303
2008 Domaine Verpoix, Clos de la Chapelle des Bois, Fleurie
Just what you hope Fleurie will be: fragrant with cherries and roses, juicy, sweet strawberry fruit on the palate, a little bit of substance and texture, but not too much, the lightest of tannins and an effortlessly fresh finish. 13% abv. If you want something a little bit more structured, try the 2007 Regis Champier Brouilly (£11.99) or the Laurent Gaulthier Morgon Grands Cras (£12.99).
£12.99, Oddbins
2009 Tahbilk Viognier, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria
This is fresh, ripe and lemony on the nose with just a suggestion of flowers and exotic fruit, but it isn’t strikingly viognier (which is perhaps why I like it). The palate is full, with a lightly creamy, leesy texture, ripe citrussy fruit and a really fresh, zesty finish. 14% abv.
£9.95, Jeroboams
Great value, zingy, aromatic Loire Sauvignon – a combination of new and old worlds. Greengage and mango on the nose; ripe goosberries, nettles and a faint suggestion of chalk and minerals on the palate. 12.5% abv. Shown alongside Vacheron’s 2009 Sancerre at the SITT tasting in London this week, the Vacheron (at two-and-a half times the price) was exciting, but this didn’t look remotely shabby.
£6.95, Stevens Garnier Wine Merchants, 01865 263303
2008 Domaine Verpoix, Clos de la Chapelle des Bois, Fleurie
Just what you hope Fleurie will be: fragrant with cherries and roses, juicy, sweet strawberry fruit on the palate, a little bit of substance and texture, but not too much, the lightest of tannins and an effortlessly fresh finish. 13% abv. If you want something a little bit more structured, try the 2007 Regis Champier Brouilly (£11.99) or the Laurent Gaulthier Morgon Grands Cras (£12.99).
£12.99, Oddbins
2009 Tahbilk Viognier, Nagambie Lakes, Victoria
This is fresh, ripe and lemony on the nose with just a suggestion of flowers and exotic fruit, but it isn’t strikingly viognier (which is perhaps why I like it). The palate is full, with a lightly creamy, leesy texture, ripe citrussy fruit and a really fresh, zesty finish. 14% abv.
£9.95, Jeroboams
Thursday, February 18, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 19 February 2010
Having bought Lay & Wheeler last year (until then, family-owned and run), Majestic showed some of the L&W wines at a press tasting for the first time last week. There were a couple of rather stinky (bretty) wines, but overall it was a good line-up. I was particularly struck by these three reds.
2006 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Côtes du Rhône
Excellent Côtes du Rhône from a top Châteauneuf producer. Fragrant, nutty, raspberry nose; succulent fruit on the palate with savoury, stony, peppery flavours; full and dry with polished tannins. 13% abv. This is a great way to get a flavour of the domaine’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape at a fraction of the price, the 2006 of which would set you back upwards of £26 a single bottle.
£10, Lay & Wheeler.
2007 Gianni Voerzio Dolcetto, Piedmont
If only more dolcetto was like this – appetisingly fresh and fruity with a touch of licorice on the nose, and mouthfilling, juicy, sweet cherry fruit and softly chewy tannins. Just what the textbooks promise, but so few dolcetto deliver. 13% abv.
£14.25, Lay & Wheeler.
2004 Château Paloumey, Haut-Médoc
This is lovely, fragrant, fresh, cedar-scented Médoc with gently sweet fruit and supple, well-integrated oak. Well-balanced and perfect for drinking now and over the next three years. Martine Cazeneuve is the very hands-on (and charming) owner here. 13% abv.
£11.75, Lay & Wheeler.
2006 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Côtes du Rhône
Excellent Côtes du Rhône from a top Châteauneuf producer. Fragrant, nutty, raspberry nose; succulent fruit on the palate with savoury, stony, peppery flavours; full and dry with polished tannins. 13% abv. This is a great way to get a flavour of the domaine’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape at a fraction of the price, the 2006 of which would set you back upwards of £26 a single bottle.
£10, Lay & Wheeler.
2007 Gianni Voerzio Dolcetto, Piedmont
If only more dolcetto was like this – appetisingly fresh and fruity with a touch of licorice on the nose, and mouthfilling, juicy, sweet cherry fruit and softly chewy tannins. Just what the textbooks promise, but so few dolcetto deliver. 13% abv.
£14.25, Lay & Wheeler.
2004 Château Paloumey, Haut-Médoc
This is lovely, fragrant, fresh, cedar-scented Médoc with gently sweet fruit and supple, well-integrated oak. Well-balanced and perfect for drinking now and over the next three years. Martine Cazeneuve is the very hands-on (and charming) owner here. 13% abv.
£11.75, Lay & Wheeler.
Friday, February 12, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 12 February 2010
2008 The Society’s Exhibition Tasmanian Chardonnay
I meant to recommend this in the autumn, but it slipped off the radar and it’s now £1 more expensive. But who cares? It’s well worth the higher price and, as my tasting note ended with the comment ‘probably even better in 2010 and 2011’, now is the time. It’s rich and creamy in taste and texture, but off-set by intense lemon-peel acidity, together with a lovely nutty flavour and real depth and complexity. It’s made by the Freycinet winery and beats many a Côte d’Or burgundy for the money. 13.5% abv.
£12.95, The Wine Society
2008 Seresin Leah Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Very pure, very impressive and still young. This is fragrant with roses and summer berries and has a palate of sweet red fruits, savoury mineral flavours, polished oak, a fine acid structure, length and intensity. The hand on the label signifies hand-grown, hand-picked and hand-made (which includes wild yeast fermentation and 11 months maturation in French oak barrels). Drink over the next four years. Gives red burgundy a run for its money. 14% abv.
£18.99, Armit (sold by the 6-bottle case).
2007 Agricola Punica, Montessu, IGT Isola dei Nuraghi
Deep-coloured, full-bodied Sardinian red with a lush aroma of ripe raspberries and a generous, fleshy palate with spicy, liquoricy, black-fruit flavours, hints of fresh herbs and the grip of gently chewy tannins and acidity. It’s 60% carignano with 10% each of syrah, the two cabernets and merlot and it was aged in French barriques. Agricola Punica is a new agency for Armit; both sides must be feeling pretty chuffed. 14.5% abv.
£15.90, Armit (sold by the 6-bottle case).
I meant to recommend this in the autumn, but it slipped off the radar and it’s now £1 more expensive. But who cares? It’s well worth the higher price and, as my tasting note ended with the comment ‘probably even better in 2010 and 2011’, now is the time. It’s rich and creamy in taste and texture, but off-set by intense lemon-peel acidity, together with a lovely nutty flavour and real depth and complexity. It’s made by the Freycinet winery and beats many a Côte d’Or burgundy for the money. 13.5% abv.
£12.95, The Wine Society
2008 Seresin Leah Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Very pure, very impressive and still young. This is fragrant with roses and summer berries and has a palate of sweet red fruits, savoury mineral flavours, polished oak, a fine acid structure, length and intensity. The hand on the label signifies hand-grown, hand-picked and hand-made (which includes wild yeast fermentation and 11 months maturation in French oak barrels). Drink over the next four years. Gives red burgundy a run for its money. 14% abv.
£18.99, Armit (sold by the 6-bottle case).
2007 Agricola Punica, Montessu, IGT Isola dei Nuraghi
Deep-coloured, full-bodied Sardinian red with a lush aroma of ripe raspberries and a generous, fleshy palate with spicy, liquoricy, black-fruit flavours, hints of fresh herbs and the grip of gently chewy tannins and acidity. It’s 60% carignano with 10% each of syrah, the two cabernets and merlot and it was aged in French barriques. Agricola Punica is a new agency for Armit; both sides must be feeling pretty chuffed. 14.5% abv.
£15.90, Armit (sold by the 6-bottle case).
Friday, February 5, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 5 February 2010
2007 Saint-Romain
Nutty, creamy, wheatmeal flavours with subtle, yet bright, fruit, a leafy freshness and creamy texture. Beautifully balanced, persuasive white burgundy. In fact, it’s always worth looking at any Saint-Romain because it can be such good value. I haven’t put the producer in the wine name above, because Saint-Romain and the vintage is all you see until you peer closely at the label, but it was made for M&S by Fabrice Lesne at Les Senteurs, with input from Nicolas Potel. 13% abv.
£10.99, Marks & Spencer
2007 Pedro Basta, Alentejano
Dark, dense, full-bodied, with ripe, spicy, red-berry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of licorice, chocolate and vanilla; fine chewy tannins. A red with southern Portuguese flavours, but Douro polish, from an estate – Quinta do Centro – belonging to UK wine writer Richard Mayson. You can drink it now, but it should be good for another four years. 13.5% abv.
£12.50, The Wine Society. For other stockists, go to the ‘Quinta do Centro and Sonho Lusitano’ page of www.richardmayson.com
2006 Castello di Rubbia Terrano, Venezia Giulia
A youthful purple colour with a fresh, minerally smell of wet-earth, damsons and licorice; fairly full-bodied with juicy damson and licorice flavours and acidity but almost no tannin. The terrano grape may or may not be refosco (depends who you read) but, either way, the wine is from Carso in Gorizia, close to the Slovenian border, and it coped manfully with bacon-wrapped roast pheasant and slow-cooked red cabbage with apple and juniper. Many a red would have been floored by the sweetness and sharpness of the cabbage. It would also go well with charcuterie, hams, sausages etc. 13% abv. Colasanti is a small, relatively new Italian specialist with some interesting wines.
£16.80, Colasanti
Nutty, creamy, wheatmeal flavours with subtle, yet bright, fruit, a leafy freshness and creamy texture. Beautifully balanced, persuasive white burgundy. In fact, it’s always worth looking at any Saint-Romain because it can be such good value. I haven’t put the producer in the wine name above, because Saint-Romain and the vintage is all you see until you peer closely at the label, but it was made for M&S by Fabrice Lesne at Les Senteurs, with input from Nicolas Potel. 13% abv.
£10.99, Marks & Spencer
2007 Pedro Basta, Alentejano
Dark, dense, full-bodied, with ripe, spicy, red-berry and blackcurrant fruit and touches of licorice, chocolate and vanilla; fine chewy tannins. A red with southern Portuguese flavours, but Douro polish, from an estate – Quinta do Centro – belonging to UK wine writer Richard Mayson. You can drink it now, but it should be good for another four years. 13.5% abv.
£12.50, The Wine Society. For other stockists, go to the ‘Quinta do Centro and Sonho Lusitano’ page of www.richardmayson.com
2006 Castello di Rubbia Terrano, Venezia Giulia
A youthful purple colour with a fresh, minerally smell of wet-earth, damsons and licorice; fairly full-bodied with juicy damson and licorice flavours and acidity but almost no tannin. The terrano grape may or may not be refosco (depends who you read) but, either way, the wine is from Carso in Gorizia, close to the Slovenian border, and it coped manfully with bacon-wrapped roast pheasant and slow-cooked red cabbage with apple and juniper. Many a red would have been floored by the sweetness and sharpness of the cabbage. It would also go well with charcuterie, hams, sausages etc. 13% abv. Colasanti is a small, relatively new Italian specialist with some interesting wines.
£16.80, Colasanti
Friday, January 29, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 29 January 2010
Two Cahors to convert the reluctant. Anyone who is a fan already (or becomes one) should consider laying down some of Château de Chambert’s excellent 2007 Grand Vin, even though owner Philippe Lejeune and consultant Stephane Derenoncourt say that the 2008 wines are better and the 2009s better again. The 2007 will easily keep another ten years.
2007 Château de Chambert Cahors Malbec
Ink-dark, dense and ripe, with a plum and blackberry perfume, light smoky oak, thick but ripe, velvety tannins and a mineral-fresh finish. Try it with confit de canard (a doddle to make, by the way) or a steak. Or cellar it for another five or more years. 13% abv.
£14.50-£14.99 Halifax Wine Co, Noble Rot Wine Warehouses, Cornelius Beer & Wine, Liberty Wine.
2007 Clos La Coutale Cahors
Various vintages of this have been my house-wine when I’ve been staying in the region over the years. It’s a softer, lighter, more approachable style than many, but light is a relative term in Cahors – and this is still unmistakeably Cahors. Spicy blackberry fruit, a soft, savoury graphite note and rounded tannins. 13% abv.
£7.25, The Wine Society; £8.45, or £7.60 by the case, Berry Bros & Rudd.
Domaine Aubert Vouvray Mousseux Brut
Snappy, fresh, yeasty and appley on the nose, with flavours of apricot and apple, a hint of honey and lemony acidity; appetising dry, not penitentially dry. I’d much rather drink this Loire fizz than most of the semi-sweet, banana-flavoured Prosecco that are on the shelves.
£11.95, Yapp Brothers
2007 Château de Chambert Cahors Malbec
Ink-dark, dense and ripe, with a plum and blackberry perfume, light smoky oak, thick but ripe, velvety tannins and a mineral-fresh finish. Try it with confit de canard (a doddle to make, by the way) or a steak. Or cellar it for another five or more years. 13% abv.
£14.50-£14.99 Halifax Wine Co, Noble Rot Wine Warehouses, Cornelius Beer & Wine, Liberty Wine.
2007 Clos La Coutale Cahors
Various vintages of this have been my house-wine when I’ve been staying in the region over the years. It’s a softer, lighter, more approachable style than many, but light is a relative term in Cahors – and this is still unmistakeably Cahors. Spicy blackberry fruit, a soft, savoury graphite note and rounded tannins. 13% abv.
£7.25, The Wine Society; £8.45, or £7.60 by the case, Berry Bros & Rudd.
Domaine Aubert Vouvray Mousseux Brut
Snappy, fresh, yeasty and appley on the nose, with flavours of apricot and apple, a hint of honey and lemony acidity; appetising dry, not penitentially dry. I’d much rather drink this Loire fizz than most of the semi-sweet, banana-flavoured Prosecco that are on the shelves.
£11.95, Yapp Brothers
Friday, January 22, 2010
WINES of the WEEK 22 January 2010
2009 Greywacke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Debut vintage under Kevin Judd’s own label after he’d made 25 vintages of Cloudy Bay. It’s as good as you would hope – aromatic and intense, full, tangy and sustained, with gooseberry, herb and mineral flavours, a hint of spice and a fine, chalky texture. The grapes come from several vineyards in the southern Marlborough valleys, including those with soils full of greywacke river stones, and the fermentation includes a small proportion in French barriques with wild yeasts.
£11.85-£12.99, Rannoch Scott Wines, slurp.co.uk, Noel Young Wines, Nebuchadnezzar Wines, The Halifax Wine Co, The VineYard.
2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc, Napa Valley
I can’t remember when I last tasted a Mondavi Fumé Blanc (barrel-aged sauvignon blanc), but from memory this is a more polished wine than the last I tasted. It’s both smoky and fresh on the nose and full-bodied but lively and zesty on the palate, with flavours of lemon verbena, grass and melon edged with smoky oak. The alcohol, at 14.5% abv, is high, but actually it’s balanced.
£9.99 when you buy two (until February 1), Majestic, which is a good buy. (The full price, £14.99, is a bit steep.)
2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir, Carneros
Full-bodied, ripe and succulent with sweet raspberry fruit, coffee and toasty oak flavours and a smooth, clean finish. Not subtle, but crowd-pleasing, fleshy, pure pinot noir. 14.5% abv.
£9.99 when you buy two (until February 1), Majestic, which is a good buy. (Full price, £14.99.)
Debut vintage under Kevin Judd’s own label after he’d made 25 vintages of Cloudy Bay. It’s as good as you would hope – aromatic and intense, full, tangy and sustained, with gooseberry, herb and mineral flavours, a hint of spice and a fine, chalky texture. The grapes come from several vineyards in the southern Marlborough valleys, including those with soils full of greywacke river stones, and the fermentation includes a small proportion in French barriques with wild yeasts.
£11.85-£12.99, Rannoch Scott Wines, slurp.co.uk, Noel Young Wines, Nebuchadnezzar Wines, The Halifax Wine Co, The VineYard.
2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Fumé Blanc, Napa Valley
I can’t remember when I last tasted a Mondavi Fumé Blanc (barrel-aged sauvignon blanc), but from memory this is a more polished wine than the last I tasted. It’s both smoky and fresh on the nose and full-bodied but lively and zesty on the palate, with flavours of lemon verbena, grass and melon edged with smoky oak. The alcohol, at 14.5% abv, is high, but actually it’s balanced.
£9.99 when you buy two (until February 1), Majestic, which is a good buy. (The full price, £14.99, is a bit steep.)
2007 Robert Mondavi Winery Pinot Noir, Carneros
Full-bodied, ripe and succulent with sweet raspberry fruit, coffee and toasty oak flavours and a smooth, clean finish. Not subtle, but crowd-pleasing, fleshy, pure pinot noir. 14.5% abv.
£9.99 when you buy two (until February 1), Majestic, which is a good buy. (Full price, £14.99.)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
WINES OF THE WEEK, 15 JANUARY 2010
2007 Tabalí Encantado Chardonnay Reserva, Limarí Valley
Stylish chardonnay from one of Chile’s new(ish) cool climate regions – citrus fruit, creamy texture, an underpinning of nutty oak and long, fresh, faintly salty, mineral finish. 14% abv.
£8.99, Waitrose
2008 Storks’ Tower Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo, Castilla Y Leon
Impressive, modern, commercial white wine from Spain combining the international sauvignon blanc with the native verdejo grape. It has a ripe, nutty, lime-cordial nose, flavours of lime, herbs and smoky, orange marmalade and it’s fleshy and round, but with springy acidity and a soft, off-dry finish.
£34.86 for 6 (£5.81 per bottle), www.tesco.com/wine
2006 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, IGT Rosso Veronese
This is a sort of mini Amarone della Valpolicella made by the talented Franco Allegrini using a combination of Ripasso and Amarone techniques. The result is plump, polished and velvety, nutty and chocolaty, with lovely fresh cherry and kirsch fruit. It’s not bone-dry and all the better for it. It would go well with all sorts of meaty dishes and hard cheeses. 14% abv.
£14.95-£15.49, Bennetts Fine Wines; Noel Young Wines; Quaff
Stylish chardonnay from one of Chile’s new(ish) cool climate regions – citrus fruit, creamy texture, an underpinning of nutty oak and long, fresh, faintly salty, mineral finish. 14% abv.
£8.99, Waitrose
2008 Storks’ Tower Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo, Castilla Y Leon
Impressive, modern, commercial white wine from Spain combining the international sauvignon blanc with the native verdejo grape. It has a ripe, nutty, lime-cordial nose, flavours of lime, herbs and smoky, orange marmalade and it’s fleshy and round, but with springy acidity and a soft, off-dry finish.
£34.86 for 6 (£5.81 per bottle), www.tesco.com/wine
2006 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, IGT Rosso Veronese
This is a sort of mini Amarone della Valpolicella made by the talented Franco Allegrini using a combination of Ripasso and Amarone techniques. The result is plump, polished and velvety, nutty and chocolaty, with lovely fresh cherry and kirsch fruit. It’s not bone-dry and all the better for it. It would go well with all sorts of meaty dishes and hard cheeses. 14% abv.
£14.95-£15.49, Bennetts Fine Wines; Noel Young Wines; Quaff
Friday, January 8, 2010
WINES OF THE WEEK, 8 JANUARY 2010
Isn’t this weather great? I don’t even to have to put white and fizz in the fridge. I just leave them in the hall.
2006 Gapsted Victorian Alps Riesling, King Valley, Australia
Mouthwatering, textbook, lime-peel flavours and the beginnings of some minerally, petrolly bottle-age, together with a touch of riper peach-cum-apple on the finish. Medium-dry with refreshing acidity. Great as an aperitif or with food. Try it with some lightly spiced prawns, smoked meat or fish or some (rather unseasonal) grilled Mediterranean veg – red peppers, aubergine, tomatoes – with pesto. It comes from Victoria’s cool-climate high country and is 12.5% abv. Find Wine started last year and sells small parcels of wines which are organized by style, rather than region or grapevine. Theirs was a very popular table at The Wine Gang Christmas Fair. Well worth a look.
£8.99, findwine.co.uk
2001 Taltarni Pyrenees Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Victoria
Mature, but very much alive Australian cabernet, with a minty fresh note (no, not unripe), black-fruit sweetness, a little bit of dark chocolate and oaky, smoky, licoricey maturity. A powerful, well-structured wine with a long finish. 14% abv.
£9.99, findwine.co.uk
2005 Hans Lang Barrique Pinot Noir, Rheingau
Germany’s answer to red burgundy and better than many a burgundy at the price. It’s medium-bodied with supple, red-berry fruit, a fair bit of vanilla-oak and a crisp finish. 13.5% abv. If a third of Germany’s vineyards are planted with red wine grapes, why don’t we see more German red wines here? Thirsty domestic market.
£11.99, Virgin Wines
2006 Gapsted Victorian Alps Riesling, King Valley, Australia
Mouthwatering, textbook, lime-peel flavours and the beginnings of some minerally, petrolly bottle-age, together with a touch of riper peach-cum-apple on the finish. Medium-dry with refreshing acidity. Great as an aperitif or with food. Try it with some lightly spiced prawns, smoked meat or fish or some (rather unseasonal) grilled Mediterranean veg – red peppers, aubergine, tomatoes – with pesto. It comes from Victoria’s cool-climate high country and is 12.5% abv. Find Wine started last year and sells small parcels of wines which are organized by style, rather than region or grapevine. Theirs was a very popular table at The Wine Gang Christmas Fair. Well worth a look.
£8.99, findwine.co.uk
2001 Taltarni Pyrenees Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Victoria
Mature, but very much alive Australian cabernet, with a minty fresh note (no, not unripe), black-fruit sweetness, a little bit of dark chocolate and oaky, smoky, licoricey maturity. A powerful, well-structured wine with a long finish. 14% abv.
£9.99, findwine.co.uk
2005 Hans Lang Barrique Pinot Noir, Rheingau
Germany’s answer to red burgundy and better than many a burgundy at the price. It’s medium-bodied with supple, red-berry fruit, a fair bit of vanilla-oak and a crisp finish. 13.5% abv. If a third of Germany’s vineyards are planted with red wine grapes, why don’t we see more German red wines here? Thirsty domestic market.
£11.99, Virgin Wines
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