More wines like this please Priorat Maius Classic Priorat 2011, Catalunya, Spain (contact Ellis of Richmond) Captures the warm dustiness of Spain, with dried herbs and a touch of raisinned fruit making their presence felt. But there’s also a fresher side, with red berry, plum and damson flavours, some rose-hip […]
Spain
Miguel Torres Santa Digna Estelado Rosé Sparkling NV, Secano Interior*, Chile (£14.49 Cambridge Wines, Telford Wines, The Wine Store, Windermere Wine Stores, Roberts & Speight) Crisp, gentle style, with plenty of fresh strawberry flavour and a lightly dusty, even sandy edge to the finish. (B+) Miguel Torres Reserva de Pueblo […]
Talking Pais with Miguel Torres Jr
Champagne Comtesse de Bellefleur NV, France (£29.99 Laithwaites) Rich with a slight nuttiness, but it looks like that richness seems to come from high dosage rather than extended aging or a good base wine. OK, but not much class. C(-) The Society’s Champagne Brut (Alfred Gratien), France (£29.50 The Wine Society) […]
Four Sparkling Wines – Champagne, Cava & Tasmania
Encino Bierzo 2013, Spain (£13.99 Naked Wines) Starts off a bit stinky (something I’d say about rather a lot of Bierzo) but after a while and some judicious swirling, a juicy wild and spicy wine emerges, with soft berry and plum fruit pepped up with a hint of gingerbread. Good […]
Spanish reds from Bierzo, Tierra de Castilla & Montsant
Albanta Albariño 2013, Rías Baixas, Spain (£12 Asda) Showing the exotic side of Albariño, this has a rich, almost Viognier-like nut kernel character plus notes of peach, passionfruit and lychee, but just when it was in danger of going a bit wobbly, a stony citrus side chips in to provide […]
Three Albariños from Spain and California
Lovely wine to waft in the faces of those whose Spanish wine explorations begin and end with Rioja El Pajaro Rojo Bierzo 2013, Spain (£10.97 Asda) Needs a little time to shake of the slightly rubbery edge of reduction – or in English, slosh it round a jug, it’ll taste […]