Casillero del Diablo Brut Reserva NV, Limarí, Chile (£7-11 Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco.com, yourfavouritewines.com) Rather classy fizz, quite full in flavour with hints of apple crumble and a toffee-ish richness, but then a seam of minerality and zesty acidity kicks in, ripe but refined, great value. S- Miguel Torres Pinot […]
Chile
Casillero del Diablo Merlot 2010, Rapel, Chile (£6-£8 widely available) Quite a flashy, fleshy style, with rich ripe blackcurrant and blackberry plus touches of vanilla, but there’s also a more restrained leafy, cedary edge to add some freshness. B+ Groote Post Merlot 2010, Darling, South Africa (£11-13 Francis Fine Wines, […]
Wine Tasting Video: Merlot & Malbec from the southern hemisphere
Panamera Cuvée Napa 2007, Napa Valley, California (N/A in the UK) OK dark deep baked berry, but overdone smoky bacon oak, which lingers when the fruit has begun to fade, ripe but overblown and clumsy, with nothing in the way of freshness. C- First Drop ‘Mother’s Ruin’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, […]
Wine Tasting Video: Cabernet-based reds from Chile, California, Australia & ...
The second batch of Sauvignons I’ve tried recently – the first is here Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9.99 widely available) Classic style, a touch off-dry with a mix of juicy grassy citrus and riper, more exotic tropical fruit, a good zesty crowd-pleaser. B(+) The […]
Wine Tasting Video: Sauvignons from Australia, Chile, New Zealand & ...
UPDATE: just tried another batch of Sauvignons – the video’s here Prestige de Calvet Sémillon/Sauvignon 2010, Bordeaux, France (£10.49- £10.99 Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons) OK pithy lemon character but finishes in rather flat, drab finish, and doesn’t improve with time open. 0 Spar Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d’Oc NV, France […]
Wine Tasting Video: Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, Spain & France
Best set of mid-priced Chilean wines I’ve tried in a long time – very little of the reduced blackcurrant pastille character that blights so many of the country’s reds, lots of layers beyond the vibrant fruit, and a welcome absence of brash, winemaker-injected flavours. Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva […]