Red Rhino Merlot/Shiraz 2011, Western Cape, South Africa (£6.49 The Drink Shop) Simple style, ripe, but a touch baked and volatile. C- Viña Casa Silva Silva Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère 2011, Colchagua, Chile (£7-8.95 Averys, Wine Rack) Combines the blackcurrant pastille of Cabernet with the more exotic herbal berry and […]
Australia
Viñalba Reserva Chardonnay 2012, Mendoza, Argentina (£10.99 Majestic) Weighs in at 14.5% but it carries it well, with perky peach and plumper melon flavours pepped up by a slightly nutty note. Like a rounder Mâcon wine. B(-) Panamera Chardonnay 2011, California (N/A in the UK) Slightly stolid style, with not […]
Wine Tasting Video: Chardonnay from Argentina, California, Chile, South Africa, ...
Tinpot Hut Steam Wharf Road Syrah 2008, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (£14.99 Tesco) As with many Hawkes Bay Syrahs, this starts well with lovely aromas of clove, pepper and vanilla, but then you wonder whether there is enough fruit to prop up the aromas. Here, there is – blackberries, plums […]
Wine Tasting Video: Five Syrah-based wines from New Zealand, Chile, ...
Tomàs Cusine Auzells 2011, Costers del Segre, Spain (£9.95 The Wine Society) A gentle cocktail of several grape varieties blending nutty, peachy flavours with the grapiness of Muscat and the stony citrus bite of Sauvignon Blanc. B+ Viña Real Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco 2011, Spain (£9.99 Majestic, Kingsgate Wines, Clifton […]
Wine Tasting Video: White wines from Spain, France & Australia
Errázuriz Aconcagua Costa Single Vineyard Syrah 2010, Chile (£19.99 Averys) Full bodied style, quite aromatic with notes of sage-tinted sausage meat and lavender, but there’s that tell-tale reduced blackcurrant pastille feel, and the finish is rather dry and lacking charm. B Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2009, Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, Australia (£16.99 […]
Wine Tasting Video: Syrah/Shiraz from Chile, Australia & New Zealand
Samuel Tinon Tokaji Szamorodni 2004, Hungary (£24.99 per 500 ml Hungarian Wine Society) Lovely combination of richness and pithy restraint, with honeyed barley sugar, raisin, nougat and vanilla flavours pepped up by orange-peel-rich marmalade acidity, sweet but so fresh, complete and confident. S+ Lyrarakis Malvasia of Crete NV, Greece (£17.75 […]