Clos Rocailleux Gaillac Blanc 2013, South West France (£11.99 Red Squirrel Wine) A wine of two halves, the bracing citrus and herb aromas and bready/yeasty character seem promising, but when you come to taste it, it seems to be lacking freshness, offering up bruised green apple flavours with nutty overtones. […]
France
Christmas morning fodder? Champagne Thiénot Brut Rosé Édition Limitée NV, France (£40.49 Champagne & Châteaux) Quite a rich, yeasty, almost creamy young wine with crisp citrus and apple to the fore, and hints of darker fruit – cherries and raspberries, plus an almost Cab Franc-like blackcurrant leaf character – in […]
Champagne Thiénot Brut Rosé Édition Limitée NV, France
Not the most subtle of Champagnes, but I like the honest rich flavours here Champagne Duménil Amour de Cuvée Blanc de Noirs NV, France (N/A in the UK) A rich, savoury edged Champagne, quite wine-y, with a mature brioche character and rich mouthfilling red fruit flavours. Almost too much to […]
Champagne Duménil Amour de Cuvée Blanc de Noirs NV
Same price, same region, but not same flavour… Château Haut Courneau Graves 2011, Bordeaux, France (£10.00 Oddbins) I like the sweet fleshy plummy berry flesh and hint of cedar; I’m less keen on the touch of greenness and slightly baked character, and I don’t think it’s going to get any […]
Two Bordeaux reds from Graves
Clefs du Pontif Grenache/Syrah Pays d’Oc 2014, Languedoc, France (£9.99 Averys) Young, crunchy wine, juicy berry and plum with a hint of spice, I can’t fault its intensity, but it just feels a bit correct, too ‘made’. C+ Ess & See Mataro 2013, McLaren Vale, Australia (£15.99 Virgin Wines) Boisterous […]
Spicy Reds from the Languedoc & Australia
Domaine Saint Gayan Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2014, France (£10.50 Yapp Brothers) Bright and breezy style with juicy apple and strawberry flavours, and a slightly salty edge to the finish. Not hugely complex, but it’s a decent fresh quaff. B- Père Anselme La Grivelière Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2014, France […]