Chapel Down Chardonnay 2010, England (~£14 – ’09 is current vintage, but ’10 should be available from chapeldown.com, slurp.co.uk, Majestic) (from vineyards in Kent, Sussex & Essex) Pale and very interesting style, quite bracing, and showing easy yeasty bruised/baked apple flavour with a nutty undercurrent – think Mâcon fruit, Chablis […]
Clare Valley
Some wines I filmed before Christmas when I’d been banished to one of the darker rooms in the house… Wakefield Estate Merlot 2009, Clare Valley, Australia (£9.99-£10.99 Cheers, Constantine Stores, Majestic, Nidderdale Fine Wines, Oliver’s Beer and Wine, Saxty’s, Sommelier Wine Co) Reasonable ruddy berry and plum fruit with a […]
Wine Tasting Video: Cabernet & Merlot from Australia, Italy and ...
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Syrah 2008, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (£13.99 Oddbins, Wine Rack, nzhouseofwine.co.uk) Fragrant and elegant to start with, showing touches of pepper (white & black), berry and plum, but then a slightly thoddy vanilla edge intrudes, and there’s just this feeling of incompleteness, as if it would […]
Wine Tasting Video: Shiraz from Australia, New Zealand & Argentina ...
Wakefield Riesling 2010, Clare Valley, Australia (£10.49-£12.99 Waitrose, www.slurp.co.uk, Nidderdale Fine Wines, Oliver’s Beers and Wines, Wadebridge Wines, Wine in Cornwall, Wines of the World, Sommelier Wine Company, Victor Hugo Wines) Good mix of the full, fleshy plummy rhubarb flavour with more sleek and tangy citrus notes. Add in some […]
Wine Tasting Video: Rieslings from South Australia & the Rheingau ...
Mas des Montagnes Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2008, France (£6.99 Majestic) Gutsy young red, with lots of herby wildness (esp. juniper) and plush plummy raisin/Christmas cake flavours, pepped up by a hint of vanilla. S- Château de Pennautier Cabardès ‘Terroirs d’Altitude’ 2008, Languedoc, France (£9.99 Majestic) A more polished style […]
Wine Tasting Video: Spicy reds from the Languedoc, South Africa ...
Hugel Gentil 2009, Alsace, France (£10.49 Cambridge Wine Merchants, The Oxford Wine Company, Rhythm & Booze) Fragrant but still fresh and dry, with gentle lychee, rose petal and citrus (with the peel) pepped up with nutty toasty spice notes, a touch of woodsmoke and a taut pithy finish. B+ Tim […]