Barossa Valley Estate GSM 2014, Barossa Valley, Australia (£13.49 Wine Rack, Sainsbury’s) Juicy, gentle style, very supple – you could lightly chill this in summer – with clove and liquorice notes adding character to the gentle red berry fruit. Good honest glug, stays the right side of jammy. B+ McGuigan […]
Australia
Oenomancy Red Blend 2014, Paarl, South Africa (£12.99 Laithwaites) Warm and ripe with a dusty plummy character and a touch of chocolate wafer biscuit. There’s also a slight edge of volatility when you smell it, but while this blends in with the fruit flesh, the tannins are just a touch […]
Shiraz from South Africa and Australia
Penfolds Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz 2013, South Australia (£19.99 Waitrose) Was looking forward to this, but it started off showing a slightly overripe sweetness, like jammie dodger biscuits. A little more time and a more serious earthy liquorice edge emerged, although the jammy side remained. The following day, it was […]
Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia, Chile, South Africa & Spain
Cape Heights Shiraz 2015, Western Cape, South Africa (£5.69-£6.95 Rannoch Scott, D&D Wine, Worth Brothers, Connollys) Dark earthy chocolate, gentle generous berry and plum, very much in that soft warm earthy South African feel, with a bit of the Cape bake and a savoury plum/tomato edge. Maybe the finish is […]
Spicy reds from Australia, France, South Africa & Spain
Tahbilk Marsanne 2014, Nagambie Lakes, Australia (£11 Armit Wines, Taurus Wines) With its floral apple crumble character, dry mineral zestiness and touch of honey, there’s plenty going on in this wine. Drinking well now, but from past experience of this wine, I know it’s going to give pleasure for several […]
Assorted Whites from Australia, England & Italy
Blind Spot Pinot Noir 2014, Yarra Valley, Australia (was £9.50 The Wine Society) Soft, gentle, quite mature and very moreish, this is made by the talented Mac Forbes, whose wines seem to have retained the freshness they’ve always had, but now seem to offer a little more joie de vivre. […]