Red Wine


Piccini ‘Orange Label’ Chianti 2010, Tuscany (£6.99 Sainsbury’s) Fruity youngster that wouldn’t object to 20 minutes in the fridge before serving, with vibrant plum and cherry freshness, a touch of almond, some spice & herbs, and just the right amount of tannic bite to the finish. B(+) Umberto Cesari Yemula […]

Wine Tasting Video: Sangiovese from Tuscany & Emilia Romagna


Best set of mid-priced Chilean wines I’ve tried in a long time – very little of the reduced blackcurrant pastille character that blights so many of the country’s reds, lots of layers beyond the vibrant fruit, and a welcome absence of brash, winemaker-injected flavours. Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva […]

Wine Tasting Video: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon


First Drop Wines ‘The Big Blend’ Nebbiolo/Barbera 2009, Adelaide Hills, Australia (£18.99 Secret Cellar, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Hanging Ditch, Harvey Nichols, The Sampler) The bold berry fruit verging on the jammy dodgers, the note of liquorice and the aromas of mint and eucalyptus betray its Aussie origins, and despite a […]

Wine Tasting Video: Three reds with northern Italian accents – ...




Henry Fessy Beaujolais Villages 2009, Burgundy, France (£7.99-£9.49 Bon Coeur Fine Wines, yourfavouritewines.com, everywine.co.uk) Yummy, welcoming wine, with joyful summer pudding flavours, an aroma like warm earth/brick and a juicy, fragrant finish – some merguez sausages please… S(-) Bishops Head Pinot Noir 2008, Waipara Valley, New Zealand (£15.11 Private Cellar) […]

Wine Tasting Video: Two Pinot Noirs and a Beaujolais


Mas des Montagnes Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2008, France (£6.99 Majestic) Gutsy young red, with lots of herby wildness (esp. juniper) and plush plummy raisin/Christmas cake flavours, pepped up by a hint of vanilla. S- Château de Pennautier Cabardès ‘Terroirs d’Altitude’ 2008, Languedoc, France (£9.99 Majestic) A more polished style […]

Wine Tasting Video: Spicy reds from the Languedoc, South Africa ...