Louis Moreau Chablis 2008, Burgundy, France (£9.99 Marks & Spencer) Has the lean, keen green apple backbone you expect of Chablis, along with a pleasant nutty character, but it lacks the substance to stand up to the structure. OK, but not fine. B(-)
Louis Latour Mâcon-Lugny 2009, Burgundy, France (£8.99 Majestic – £7.99 when you buy two bottles) Has an exotic, almost Viognier-like peachiness, along with equally flesh notes of cream and hazelnuts. OK, but just a touch flabby – but blends rather nicely with the above Chablis! B-
Marquis de Pennautier Chardonnay ‘Terroirs d’Altitude’ 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France (£8.99 Majestic) Quite weighty melon, peach and tropical fruit flavour, along with a clean fresh finish but is spoileded by slightly crude toasty/sawdusty oak, which doesn’t seem to fade with time. B-
Crossroads Chardonnay 2008, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (£9.50 Mentzendorff) Rich, fleshy style, the fruit is nicely underplayed, blending to good effect with a complex mealy/yeasty edge from barrel-ageing, but just that bit too alcoholic for great success, with a slight butterscotch sweetness muddying the finish. B+
Botham Merrill Willis 25th Anniversary Chardonnay 2007, McLaren Vale/Coonawarra, Australia (£14.99 Christopher Piper – £2.50 from each bottle goes Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research) Simple, honest rather old-fashioned style, with that oily, tinned pinepapple/fruit cocktail syrup edge, hints of cream and honeysuckle edge , it’s OK, but lacks both the intensity and complexity of the Crossroads. B-
You’ll see I’ve given all these five wines bronze medal marks. However, the Crossroads with B+ stands well above the others with B(-) and B-. Translating these into a 100-point scale, that’s 86, compared with 83 and 82. Feel free to leave comments on my marking system (bit more about it on this page). It works for me, but do others find it confusing?
The 2009 vintage in Beaujolais is being touted as the best in living memory. Hype? Well, this sextet from Georges Duboeuf, the region’s most famous producer, didn’t disappoint. It’s a little early for most of these to be in the shops, and that’s no bad thing, as they’re all wines that will improve with a few more months (and sometimes considerably more) in bottle. The UK importer is Berkmann Wine Cellars.
Château des Vierres Beaujolais-Villages (£8.99 in various independents) Confident, crunchy stuff, with refreshing plummy raspberry fruit tinged with touches of earth and spice, gluggable chillable friendly red wine. B
Juliénas Flower Label (~£9-£10) More power & intensity here but there’s also a violet-like fragrance, and more depth of plum & strawberry flavour. Finish is quite voluptuous, but still juicy and refreshing. S-
Chiroubles Flower Label (current vintage 2008 £8.99 Waitrose) Not quite as fragrant as the Juliénas, with the fruit having more of an earthy forest-floor-feel – blackcurrants brambles, cherries and wimberries. B(+)
Fleurie Flower Label (current vintage 2008 £8.29-£10.99 Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Majestic, Wine Rack) Quite full-bodied and powerful but still packed with vibrant, earthy raspberry, blackcurrant and cherry flesh, with violet and mineral notes on the finish. S-
Brouilly Flower Label (current vintage 2008 £7.99 Sainsbury’s) More backward and less fragrant than the Fleurie, with more of an iron-tinged mineral edge, cherries and berries emerge over time, quite structured and solid but still refreshing. S-
Brouilly Château de Nervers (current vintage 2007 £8.95 The Wine Society) Even more backward, but delve deep and there’s notes of truffley undergrowth, violets, dark forest fruit, and that iron-rich minerality. Still a pup, with the potential to improve for two more years, and age for another five beyond that. S
Château de la Terrière Beaujolais Villages Vieilles Vignes 2008 (£8.99 Majestic) Light, simple aromas with a touch of bubblegum, OK raspberry flavour, but finishes rather thin & scrawny. C
Domaine des Nugues Beaujolais Villages 2007 (£8.99 Majestic) More depth of flavour, some plump plumminess but has lost the crunchy freshness of youth. C(+)
Chanson Père et Fils Fleurie 2007 (£9.99 Majestic) Showing its maturity, with a cooked edge to the plummy red berry fruit, plus a touch of tomato, doesn’t have the structure for further ageing, but a decent drink now. B-
Villa Ponciago Fleurie La Réserve 2009 (£14-£15.99 Huntsworth Wine Company, Handford, Lewis & Cooper) Lively sappy young wine, with crunchy, earthy cherry and raspberry flavours, exotic but lively and never overripe, and with a framework of tannin and acidity that will keep it in fine fettle for another couple of years at least. S
Villa Ponciago Fleurie Les Hauts du Py 2009 (£18-£19.99 Handford, Charles Steevenson) Dumber but richer and more fragrant than the previous wine, opens up to show lush, juicy violet-scented raspberry and black cherry flesh, warm spice and hints of chocolate, earth and toasty oak, quite full-bodied, but with brain as well as brawn. S+
Château de Pizay Morgon 2009 (£8.99 Majestic) Young, vibrant and boisterous, with crunchy dark berry and plum fruit, tangy acidity and chewy but ripe tannins, good and with it’s best still to come. S-
Jean Foillard Morgon Côte du Py 2007 (£22.99 Les Caves de Pyrene, Cooden Cellars, Whole Foods Market) Wild, feral wine, has some brett but it merely adds character to the flavours grilled meat, warm, slightly cooked strawberry/cherry fruit and touches of kirsch and damp petals. Drinking well now, but has the power and structure for another 3-4 years at least. S(+)
Cono Sur Pinot Noir 2009, Central Valley (£6.99 Oddbins, Majestic, Asda, Booths, Budgens, Londis, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Somerfield, Tesco, Waitrose) Refreshing, young, almost chillable Pinot, with plush plum, raspberry and cherry flavours and a soft, earthy finish. B(-)
Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserva 2008, Casablanca (£7.99 The Co-op, Tesco) Lighter but finer than the basic Pinot, also more aromatic, with raspberry, blackcurrant and cherry flesh and an earthy, iron-like minerality. S-
Casas del Bosque Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2008, Casablanca (£12-13 Awin Barratt Siegel, www.everywine.co.uk) Rich & intense, starts off with prominent smoky chocolate wafer oak, and then the fruit emerges – fresh and slightly cooked red berries and plums – and there’s a touch of spice on the finish. Very tasty and promising. S(-)
Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir 2008, Casablanca (£20.99 Oddbins, Tesco, Waitrose) Gentler and finer than the Casas del Bosque, confident in its lithe juiciness, and with more subtle oak, rich but always fresh, with gentle plum, ripe tomoato and black cherry flesh and a yummy finish. S(+)
Domaines Brocard Petit Chablis Sainte Anne 2008 (£10.99 Oddbins) Bracing young wine, fresh and flinty, with creamy citrus fruit and a briny note to the finish. B+
Chablis Domaine des Manants 2008 (£10.79-£13.49 Balls Brothers, House of Townend, SH Jones, Grapevine (Cockermouth), Vineyard (Isle of Man), Weavers of Nottingham) Bigger, fleshier wine with some quite exotic guava, passionfruit and prach flavours, but still with a cool calm feel, and the rapier-like backbone. S-
Chablis Premier Cru Selection Domaines Brocard 2008 (£12.99 Sainsbury’s) Feels simple after the Boissonneuse. There’s still the keen backbone and citrus/apple flesh, along with a hint of cashew, but it lacks the extra mile. B+
Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2007 (£36.99-38.98 Balls Brothers, SH Jones, Weavers of Nottingham) The most backward of the sextet, but also the most powerful, with waxy lanolin notes, firm fleshy fruit, with again that tangy tension between the exotic (crystallised pineapple) and the tauter flavours of citrus and Grannie Smiths. Long minerally finish – this was splendid and more than held its own the day after with barbecued prawns. G-
Tesco Finest Sonoma County Chardonnay 2006 (£9.99 Tesco) Ripe and oaky, but not OTT in either respect, this has freshness and zing missing in virtually all similarly priced competitors, touches of pineapples and peaches, with mealy nuttiness and just the right amount of toasty oak. B+
Wild Boy Chardonnay 2008, Santa Barbara (£19 Latitude Wine, Berry Bros & Rudd) Leaner but finer than the Tesco wine, with cool, fresh flavours of ripe green apples, pears and stone-fruit, subtle and very lightly oaked, tasty now but looking good for the next 2-3 years. S(-)
Au Bon Climat Chardonnay 2008, Santa Barbara (£20.50 The Vineking, Slurp.co.uk, Reid Wines, Berry Bros & Rudd) More concentrated than the Wild Boy, but with a straighter spine. Similarly keen fruit flavours and subtle oak notes, but there’s more poise and minerality here. Very good, and with 5yrs+ of life ahead of it. S(+)
Louis Latour Marsannay Blanc 2007, Burgundy, France (£12.99–£14.99 Majestic Wine Warehouses; Ann et Vin, Newark; Flagship Wines, St Albans; Forth Wines, Scotland; Magnum Fine Wines, London; William Mason Fine Wines, Norwich; Duncan Murray Wines, Market Harborough; La Zouch, Ashby de la Zouch; The Southwell Vintner, Southwell) Not in the same class as the previous 2 Californians, there’s a pleasant green apple note, but it’s let down by a slightly cheesy note, and lacks the concentration to back it up. B
Blason de Bourgogne St Véran 2008 (£9.99 Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose) Quite lively aromas, with peach and citrus coming through strongly, but the wine is actually quite restrained. Simple but fresh and honest, nice drink and good value. B(+)
Domaine Eugénie Carrion Chablis 2008 (£10.95 fromvineyardsdirect.com) Starts of rather dumb, but then begins to uncurl and reveal flinty lime and green apple fruit, a vaguely nutty character and a sappy and refreshing finish. Best still to come. S-
Jean-François Protheau Rully 1er Cru ‘Gresigny’ 2007 (£14.95 fromvineyardsdirect.com) Healthy modern style, not afraid to show some oak, and with punchy peach and guava flesh reined in by crisp limey acidity. Young and quite full-bodied, not complex but tasty and well-made. S-
Louis Latour Meursault 1er Cru La Goutte d’Or 2001 (from £32.99 Ann et Vin, T Wright, Whole Foods Market Kensington, Partridges, Bablake Wines) Successful mix of tense, herb and fennel scented citrus and pineapple flavours with the hazelnutty, honey and honeysuckle notes of maturity, also a creamy oatmeal edge. Very tasty now, but still bags of life ahead of it – seems to get younger the longer it’s been opened. S+
A rather diverse sextet of sparkling wines that I’ve just tried from various parts of France and northern Italy…
Blason de Bourgogne Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé NV (£9.99 Waitrose) Slightly bitter edge, but then opens up to show ripe raspberry and cherry. Not complex but a nice drink. B-
Réserve de Sours Sparkling Rosé NV, Bordeaux, France (£10.98 Private Cellar) Sl confected, rather sweet and simple strawberry fruit, OK, but a bit young and raw. C
Bisol Desiderio Jeio Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut NV, Veneto, Italy (£9.15 Bibendum) Fresh, frothy, almost sherbet-like, soft peachy fruit, attractive but very simple style. B-
Bisol Crede Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut 2008, Veneto, Italy (£14.57 Bibendum) Less frothy but more grip and minerally character here, one of those wines that creeps up on you, an almost volcanic minerally note. B+
Champagne Moutard Champ Persin Côte des Bar Chardonnay NV (£25.99 Woods Wines, Ashbourne Wines, Sommelier Cru) Quite toasty, a lemony edge that’s almost like Semillon (!), quite ripe and plush, not fine but honest, balanced and tasty. B+
Champagne Moutard Vignes Beugneux Côte des Bar Pinot Noir NV (£25.99 R Campbell & Sons, Hanslope Wines, Woods Wines, Kevin O’Rourke Wines) A smoky edge here, ripe, even spicy fruit with a creamy/yeasty richness, very ‘wine-y’ Champagne, rich but dry, with an almost briney tang to the finish. S-
(an experiment with a different video camera that didn’t work as well as I’d have liked – normal service wil be resumed etc)
Casillero del Diablo Pinot Grigio 2009, Limarí, Chile (£7.49 Majestic – £5.99 until end of Jan 2010) Young, fresh and appealing, tangy but not much beyond youthful citrussy crispness, CFDN, although it does have a bit of weight. C+
Simonnet Febvre St Bris Sauvignon 2007, Burgundy, France (£8.49-£8.99 Majestic, Waitrose) The creamy, nutty edge of Burgundy combines with the grassy citrus pungency of Sauvignon Blanc to give an unusual but attractive, fish-friendly white. B+
Tahbilk Marsanne 2007, Central Victoria, Australia (£8.75 Sainsbury’s, The Wine Society, Philglas & Swiggot) Tangy young wine combining pithy greengage, fig and citrus flavours with a richer honey and honeysuckle edge. Lovely clean fresh finish, lots of potential for future devlopment. S-
Circumstance Viognier 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£9.99 Boutinot) Quite pronounced toasty oak, some peachy Viognier pungency behind, but also a rather odd smoky/charred edge, as if there’d been a bush fire nearby. A curate’s egg of a wine. ???
Bodegas Naia ‘Naiades’ 2006, Rueda, Spain (£19.99 Boutinot) Smoky, soft, nutty, white Bordeaux meets white Burgundy, guava, pinepapple, tinned pear, fresh but with a creamy undertone, very subtle, beautifully balanced, very classy wine. G-
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Something on the other two Naia wines I mention in the video. K-Naia 2008 (£8.99 Noel Young, Woodwinters, Reserve, Corks of Cotham) is wonderfully zingy, zippy wine, brimming with confident rhubarb and guava flavours reined in by and citrus acidity. Silver. Naia 2008 (£10.99 Woodwinters, Bacchanalia) is partially oak-aged and spends longer on the lees. For me, it doesn’t work as well – the wine is weightier, but while it has some of the same pungent flavours, it’s lost its vibrancy. Bronze(+)
Christophe Cordier Viré-Clessé Clos du Château 2008, Burgundy, France (£13.51 Domaine Direct) Very forward and ripe for young Burgundy, with richness of fruit and toasty oak to the fore. But there’s also acidity, along with citrus, pear and apple flavours, and the oak’s not OTT. Good intro to Burgundy. B+
Domaine Cordier Pouilly-Fuissé Cuvée Première 2007, Burgundy France (£17.83 Domaine Direct) Less ‘in yer face’ but also more restrained and relaxed than the Viré-Clessé, toasty oak making its presence felt, but in harmony with the rhubarb, ripe lemon and pear flavours and a cashew-like nuttiness. Classy and promising. S
Château Redortier Côtes du Rhône ‘Côté Dentelles’ 2008, Rhône, France (~£9 Smart Wines) Refreshing peppery/stalky notes – you could almost chill this in summer – backed up by lovely rounded plump damson, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit surrounding, earthy iron-edged finish with a touch of herbs. S-
Château Redortier Gigondas 2006, Rhône, France (~£15 Smart Wines) Riper and fleshier than the Côtes du Rhône, but never descends into overripe bimbo-dom. There’s a grilled meat type character, along with more of the iron edge, and there’s wonderful tangy black fruit in abundance. Very tasty, very moreish. S(+)
