Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV (£30.99 Waitrose)
Dainty, lively wine, with pineapple flavours and biscuity richness kept in check by taut apple and citrus acidity. Classy and elegant, very tasty. S(+)
The last in a series of three videos on red wines that – according to a range of wine merchants in the Yorkshire Dales – might not be averse to a spell in the fridge, and which could be served in Spring with lamb. The first and second are here. and here. This selection sees the Bordeaux grapes pressed into action…
Moulin de Gassac Merlot Pays d’Hérault 2011, Languedoc, France (£8.75 Terroir Languedoc)
Big, plump & plummy but still with a fresh herbal edge to the dark berry fruit, not afraid to show a little tannin but ends up refreshing and perky. S
Foncalieu Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Saint Marc Pays d’Oc 2011, Languedoc, France (£6.30 Yorkshire Vintners)
Reasonable berry and blackcurrant flavours, but let down by a clumsy, dusty sawdust and vanilla oak edge which smothers the juiciness of the fruit. C(-)
Domaine Mas Barrau Cabernet Franc Pays du Gard 2011, Languedoc, France (£6.99 Booths)
Starts off in sulky, sulphury fashion. This dissipates after a while, allowing the tar and berry flesh to come through, but while there’s some of the Cab Franc fragrance, there’s also a baked character, and not enough freshness – it’s 15% alcohol… C(+)
Grant Burge Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet NV, Barossa Valley, Australia (£22.50 Nidderdale Fine Wines)
Fascinating style combining the mature soft leathery toffee characters of traditional Barossa reds with something softer and more perfumed, almost as if there was Moscato or Viognier in the blend. Maybe not as brawny as some sparkling Aussie reds, but as a result all the more gluggable. S-
Champagne Jacquart Rosé NV, France (£27.95 Slurp.co.uk, Great Western Wine)
Quite subtle with some biscuit maturity to its raspberry and strawberry flavours, an elegant style, but given richness by a level of dosage which may be a touch to high for some. B+
Les Pionniers Champagne 2004 (£25.99 Co-operative)
Young, lively and fresh style with broad, rich citrus fruit flavours and a green apple bite, not huge complexity, but a rich, honest juicy style. B(+)
Champagne Duménil Brut Millésime 2004 (N/A in the UK)
Smells as if it’s going to be quite sleek and elegant, with notes of brioche, crystallised pineapple, citrus and apple, but actually quite full in body, with additional notes of chocolate and coffee, all kept in check by precise freshness and acidity. S
Champagne Duménil Cuvée Prestige Vieilles Vignes Brut NV (N/A in the UK)
Pale and very interesting style, combing the svelte edge of Chardonnay with nutty/toasty richness. Plenty of flavour – walnut, pear, peach, pineapple, very ripe apples – but again with elegance. Good for shellfish. S(-)
Champagne Duménil Amour de Cuvée Blanc de Noirs Brut NV (N/A in the UK)
Quite rich and full bodied, with a peppery note to the red berry and pineapple flavours, and a touch of gingerbread too. Very wine-y style of Champagne, would be great with some game. S-
Chapel Down Rosé Brut NV (£22.99 Majestic, chapeldown.com, simplywinesdirect.com, slurp.co.uk)
Reasonable citrus, apple and red berry notes, but there’s a smoky elderflower note that speaks of underripeness, and a slightly burnt edge too. C+
Chapel Down Three Graces 2008 (£24.99 chapeldown.com)
This is more like it, lovely balanced style, combining a toasty, caramelised richness with the tang of Bramley apples (fresh and stewed), lemon and grapefruit, and finishing with crisp, elegant aplomb. S
Chapel Down Blanc de Blancs 2007 (RRP £26.99 Harvey Nichols, chapeldown.com)
Svelte style, lean but never scrawny, and with a smoky note to its juicy green apple and citrus flesh. S
Chapel Down Pinot Reserve 2006 (£22.99 chapeldown.com, Berry Bros & Rudd, simplywinesdirect.com, slurp.co.uk)
Quite bready and rich, but while I don’t mind the cooked apple and pear flavours and citrus bite, it seems just a little stolid after the two previous wines. B
Harvey Nichols Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore NV, Veneto, Italy (£15.00 Harvey Nichols)
Friendly young wine, with the classic peach and apple of Prosecco, a touch of pumice and a toffee-like richness. B(+)
Codorníu Cava Reina Maria Cristina Blanc de Noirs 2008, Catalonia, Spain (£14.99 Majestic)
Remember Fruit Salad chews? Lots of citrus and cranberry flavours, but with the ripe flesh reined in zesty freshness and crisp minerality. S-
Coates & Seely Blanc de Blancs NV, Hampshire, England (~£26 www.coatesandseely.com)
Classy style, fresh but rounded with ripe citrus and green apple (fresh and cooked) and citrus, touches of the hedgerow (blackberry and hawthorn) and a yeasty/bready/uncooked cake mix note too. S(+)
Domaine Pfister Crémant d’Alsace Blanc de Blancs Brut NV, France (£18.50 Slurp.co.uk)
Rounded, soft and yeasty with a touch of spice, the apple charlotte flavour is pleasant, but I just wish it were a little more prominent. B(-)
Aurora Espumante Chardonnay NV, Serra Gaucha (~£12 Go Brazil Wines)
Light and refreshing with a touch of yeasty/toasty complexity, but the slightly smoky elderflower notes speak of underripeness. Good but not great. B
Casa Valduga Espumante 130 Brut NV, Serra Gaucha (~£23 Go Brazil Wines)
Classy mature wine, with honeyed, biscuity complexity, ripe pineapple and hazelnut flavours and a touch of toffee. Very grown-up style S(-)
Monte Paschoal Brut Rosé Espumante NV (N/A in the UK)
Reasonable red fruit notes plus a touch of apple, but slightly let down by a cheesy edge and a touch too much strawberry cordial-like sweetness. B-
Sanjo Nubio Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Serra Catarinense (N/A in the UK)
Decent citrus fruit tinged with elderflower, but there’s also a nutty/toasty character that reminds me of over-sulphured Loire wines (have tried three further bottles since this tasting – all were similar). ???
Lidio Carraro Da’divas Chardonnay 2011, Encruzilhada do Sul (~£15 Go Brazil Wines)
I like the fresh apple, mango and melon flavours, the zesty citrus bite and the yeasty/creamy edge from lees ageing, but it’s just a touch simple for real class. B(+)
The Spee’Wah Cuvée Chardonnay NV, Murray Darling (£9.50 The Drinkmonger, Bibendum)
Simple, sherbetty style, has a honeyed edge to the cooked apple fruit, quite broad and biscuity, but lacks freshness. C
Jansz Tasmania Premium Non Vintage Cuvée (£13.99 see below for stockists)
Fresh, elegant style, strawberry, raspberry and apple, with a dusting of cocoa and a zesty citrus note on the finish, classy style, plenty of flavour but nicely reined-in. S(-)
D’Arenberg DADD NV, Adelaide Hills (£21 Bibendum)
Can’t fault it for delicacy, but if anything it’s a little too subtlee. Touches of sherbet, citrus fruit and brioche, refreshing but just a little hollow. B(-)
Petaluma Croser Brut 2007, Piccadilly Valley (£20.50 Bibendum)
A fresher, more mineral style than the previous vintage (see here), still has that pineapple edge (and some cocoa), and the rich, bready yeastiness, plus notes of dried apricot and burnt sugar, combines ample flavours with high cheekboned restraint. S+
Jansz Tasmania Premium Vintage Cuvée 2006 (£19.99 see below for stockists)
A more forward, fruity style than the Croser, with a floral note to the jolly red berry and citrus flavours, exuberant and tasty, and still feels like it could develop, but hard to resist now. S
Jansz Tasmania Premium Non Vintage Rosé (£13.99 see below for stockists)
Gentle style, nice depth of red fruit flavour with citrus zing to keep it fresh, generous and rounded, pleasant but maybe lacks the class of the other 2 Jansz wines. B+
La Castelia Prosecco NV, Veneto, Italy (£11.99 selected Co-operative)
Slightly vague, confected style, touches of apple and little stony character, but not great. C-
Follador Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry 2010, Veneto, Italy (£14 Oddbins)
Just off-dry, but still a precise, fine-boned style with the tangy apple, citrus and just-ripe peach flavours underpinned by stony minerality, has freshness, bite and life. S-
Chapel Down ‘Chapter Two’ 2008, Tenterden, England (exclusive to Roast restaurant)
Fresh and bracing, with reasonable lemon zest and a touch of red berry, but the smoky elderflower note speaks of underripeness. C+
Champagne Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002, France (£39-£55 widely available)
Broad-shouldered, rich and (melba) toasty, lovely citrus and crystallised pineapple flavours pepped up with yeasty, biscuity hazelnut notes, not the most elegant of Champagnes, but I love its ruddy honest flavour. S+
Champagne Billecart Salmon Cuvée Brut Sous Bois NV, France (£56-£65 James Nicholson, Bottle Apostle, Corks Out)
Feels like there are two wines here – a fat creamy one with buttery malolactic notes and peachy flesh, and a crisper, more refined one with green apple and citrus notes. The two elements do come closer together with time, but for me it slightly misses out on the joy, and is ultimately intriguing rather than really classy. S-
Champagne Canard-Duchêne Charles VII Grande Cuvée Le Victorieux NV (£35 Majestic)
An odd mix of honeyed biscuity maturity with rather tart green apple immaturity, not hugely classy, but honest and quite tasty B
Champagne Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial NV (£28.99 widely available)
Rather heavy, earthy style, does have some citrus, pear and apple flavours, but not very complex, and on the scrawny side. C(+)
Champagne Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV (£32.99 widely available)
A more rounded and confident style, again not majoring on complexity but offering satisfying ripe green apple and pear flavours with a touch of nougat and quite an elegant finish. S-
Les Pionniers Champagne 2004 (P&C Heidsieck) (£22.99 selected Co-operative stores)
Another with elements of young and old, this combines vibrant, crisp apple and citrus freshness with bready maturity, and finishes in nutty confident style. B+
Champagne Thiénot Brut 2004 (£38.95 Corks Out)
Starts off showing its sleek and elegant face, with floral citrus notes to the fore, then a richer, almost creamy/buttery side reveals itself, along notes of pineapple and toasted almond. Nice wine, and good for another few years. S
