Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2008, Margaret River (£20.50 Domaine Direct) Rich but refined style with tangy apple and nectarine flavours set against a creamy leesy richness. More forward than the Art Series bottling, but still a classy mix of richness and restraint. S- Xanadu Chardonnay 2008, Margaret River (£12.85 AG Wines, […]
Adelaide Hills
Prestige de Calvet Bordeaux Semillon/Sauvignon 2009, France (£5.24 Sainsbury’s) Nice juicy honest wine, with slightly catty Sauvignon to the fore at the moment, good rounded guava and greengage flavours, with Semillon giving pithy weight. B (Dear Calvet – you must have a web site, let me know where it is […]
Wine Tasting Video: Four Aussies, Four Frenchies – who comes ...
Second batch of a range of Sauvignons I tried early in 2011 – the first lot (from New Zealand & South Africa) are here. Château Le Payral Bergerac Sec 2008, South West France (£8.99 The Bottle Bank) Typical smoky tinned pear of the region, and a grapey perfume too, just […]
Wine Tasting Video – Sauvignons from Bergerac, Chile & Australia
Jacob’s Creek Reserve Riesling 2010, Barossa (£9.99 Booths) Perky young wine, floral aromas plus a dusting of icing sugar, also lots of sappy citrus flavours and pithy minerality. Good now but has at least 5 years ahead of it. S- Jacob’s Creek Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Adelaide Hills (£9.99 Tesco, […]
Wine Tasting Video: Jacob’s Creek’s new Reserve range
Tenutae Lageder Beta Delta Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio 2008, IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy (£14.50 Bibendum) Clean, clear and fresh, one of those wines that is as much about texture as flavour. So the pithy citrus, guava and underripe mango flavours are underpinned by a pleasing creamy nuttiness. Not showy but very […]
Chardonnays from Italy, France, Australia & South Africa
Been in France for most of the last fortnight, but managed to find time last week to host a tasting of Henschke wines for the enterprising West London Wine School. Afterwards I sat down with proprietor and professional hat-wearer Jimmy Smith to talk about what we’d been tasting. First three […]