…both good adverts for the region Château d’Auzanet Cuvée des Abeilles Bordeaux 2015, France (£7.99 The Co-op) Refreshing, juicy almost crisp young claret, there is some tannin and a toasty edge to add backbone, but the main event is the sappy, earthy blackcurrant plum flavour. Not huge concentration, but the […]
Cabernet Franc
Paumanok Prestige Cuvée 2012, North Fork of Long Island, New York State, USA (£18.49 Laithwaites) This smells like 10-year-old, mid-price red Bordeaux, with its gentle, slightly leafy blackcurrant and berry flavours. It tastes a bit younger, with a sweet, almost cola-like edge to the fruit, a lightly briny note, and […]
Paumanok Prestige Cuvée 2012, North Fork of Long Island, New ...
Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut 2013, France (£11.99 Ocado) Curious but not unattractive mix of lush, sherbetty strawberry character with more bracing, pithy citrus acidity. Perhaps too sharp to drink by itself, but wouldn’t mind it with some seafood. B Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Réserve NV, France (£26.99 widely available) Manages […]
Sparkling French wines from Bordeaux & Champagne
Les Songeurs Cabernet Franc 2015, Pays d’Oc, France (£10.49 Laithwaites) I like the sweet blackcurrant and blackberry flavours, and the leafy-fresh fragrance and tar-like character of Cab Franc, but there’s too much of an oak imprint (with a green edge too) for it to be a real success, and this […]
Les Songeurs Cabernet Franc 2015, Pays d’Oc, France
Castèllo Solicchìata 2011, Sicilia, Italy (£22 Laithwaites) Slightly rustic volatile aroma initially but this diminishes with time to show Morello cherry and blackcurrant flavours pepped up with hints of tar and leafy tobacco. Fresh finish, but there’s a slightly dry, raisinny feel, as if some of the grape were a […]
Castèllo Solicchìata 2011, Sicilia, Italy
Altaïr Sideral 2014, Cachapoal, Chile (£20 Hanging Ditch) Desperately young wine, very Chilean in its blackcurrant intensity, and with the imprint of new oak still to the fore, but behind the currently shouty youthful flavours, there are notes of spice, tobacco and herbs, and enough of a backbone to support […]