Excellent blend of 60% Syrah with 20% each of Mourvèdre & Grenache Mas de Cynanque ‘Acutum’ Saint Chinian 2010, Languedoc, France (£14.99 Cambridge Wine Merchants) It’s that Côte-Rôtie-like roasted character of Syrah that you notice first, but then other flavours get to have their say – plums, blackcurrants, strawberries and […]
Syrah/Shiraz
Some Priorat can be a bit bloated and plodding: not this one… Torres Salmos Priorat 2011, Spain (£18.99 Waitrose, vintagemarque.com) A lovely combination of exuberance and freshness, packed with plush berry, plum and damson, with an ever-so-slightly rustic raisinny note too, but there’s also an earthy coolness, presumably a product […]
Torres Salmos Priorat 2011
Perfect sausage-friendly mid-week glug Le Petit Chat Malin Rouge Pays d’Oc 2012, France (£5.99 Waitrose, Booths, Nisa, Budgens, Londis, Bargain Booze, Rhythm & Booze) It’s a bit jammy – jammy dodger biscuits to be precise – but alongside the berry and briar jam flavours, there’s some earthy freshness and even […]
Le Petit Chat Malin Rouge Pays d’Oc 2012
The first of a couple of 2013 rosés from Yves Grassa’s pioneering Domaine du Tariquet – watch for the Marselan some time next week (UPDATE – it’s now live HERE) Domaine du Tariquet Rosé de Pressée Côtes de Gascogne 2013, South West France (£9.40 Wineservice) Smells of sweet, just-cooked strawberries, […]
Domaine du Tariquet Rosé de Pressée Côtes de Gascogne 2013
Maby is best known for its Lirac, in which Grenache plays the starring role, but this little gem is just Syrah + Cinsault Domaine Maby ‘Baroques’ Pays des Coteaux du Pont du Gard 2012, Languedoc, France (£7.50 The Wine Society) Perky young whippersnapper, brimming with buoyant, crunchy blackcurrant, plum and […]
Domaine Maby ‘Baroques’ Pays des Coteaux du Pont du Gard ...
A potent blend of Shiraz, Durif & Petit Verdot, none of which could be described as ‘shy’… Deen de Bortoli Vat 184 Master Blend 2010, Riverina, Australia (£10.80 Australian Wines Online) A full, fleshy style, with bold jammy berry fruit and notes of liquorice, mint and eucalyptus. But despite the […]