Syrah/Shiraz


All these are from a tasting I was supposed to be doing for James Nicholson in Northern Ireland in early May 2010 – it was postponed due to volcanic ash travel problems but is due to be rescheduled very soon… (and it’s also a video I did in my office […]

Six Southern French wines from James Nicholson


No particular theme, just four wines that needed tasting…. Tahbilk Viognier 2009, Nagambie Lakes, Central Victoria, Australia (£9.99 The Wine Society, Jeroboams, City Beverage, Stanton Wine Company, Morecambe Bay Wine Company, www.everywine.co.uk, Goodrich Wines, Posh Plonk, Rodney Densem, Cambridge Wine Merchants) Quite heady, almost creamy peach kernel aromas, but then […]

Shiraz and Viognier from Australia + reds from Rioja and ...


Onda Nova Syrah 2007, Algarve (£9.99 www.mollybrownswinelist.co.uk) A full-flavoured, fleshy youngster that speaks of a warm climate with its plummy dark chocolate flavours, but which never goes overripe and remains fresh. Nice meaty finish and potential to develop further. B+ Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima Tinto 2008, VR Tejo (£8.40 […]

More Portugal – a trio of reds from Tejo and ...



A couple of wines from a well-known (in the UK at least) singer’s estate in the Algarve plus a rather unusual sweet wine from the Ribatejo – or Tejo, as we should now be calling it. Onda Nova Verdelho 2008, Algarve (£9.99 www.mollybrownswinelist.co.uk ) Clean, fresh, tight peach, citrus peel […]

Portugal – white, pink and sweet


La Cuvée Mythique Blanc des Vignerons de la Mediterranée 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France (£7.99 The Co-op – down to £3.99 10th Feb – 1st Mar) (Would love to give a  link to the two Cuvée Mythique wines, but in classic French fashion, there’s no obvious web site…) Nice […]

Four drafts of the warm south – a quartet from ...


Australia Day + 1, so a few hangers-on from the haggis adventure, plus a moody but not all that magnificent Italian… Jacobs Creek Grenache Shiraz 2008, South Eastern Australia (£5.99 Tesco, Asda, Ocado) Quite light, almost refreshing, sweet raspberry aroma and flavour, slightly jammy, but then the more earthy gravitas […]

More Aussie reds + a Brunello wannabe