wine


Miguel Torres Santa Digna Unoaked Chardonnay 2016, Valle Central, Chile (£10.49 Grape to Glass Wine Co, Discover Wine, Portland Wine Company, Roberts and Speight, Polygon Wines, Hailsham Cellars) Quite rich, almost oily-textured, with juicy peach and tinned fruit cocktail syrup flavours and a nutty edge to the finish. No shortage […]

Chardonnays from California & Chile


Two Kiwis to being with Seresin Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand (£17.99 The NZ Cellar, Wholefoods, Davy’s Wine Merchants, House of New Zealand Wines, Noble Green, Bon Coeur, Handford Wines, Hay Wines, Cheers Wine Merchants) 2015 Almost more Loire-like than New Zealand in style with quite precise herby stony […]

An assortment of white wines


…beginning in Portugal Quinta Nova Reserva Terroir Blend 2015, Douro, Portugal (£16.48 Portugal Vineyards) Smells like a port winery at vintage time, the air thick with heady aromas of berries, cassis, violet and herbs, buoyant, spicy dark fruit flavours in abundance and a backbone of citrus freshness and ripe tannin […]

A mixed bag of reds from around the world…



…beginning with sherry Barbadillo Manzanilla Pasada Pastora En Rama (2017 bottling), Spain (£9.99 per half Amazon, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Taurus Wines, Roberts and Speight, The Dorset Wine Co, Mumbles Fine Wine) Has the classic bracing briny edge of Manzanilla, but this is deeper in colour, and weightier, with pungest yeasty […]

A selection of sweet and fortified wines…


A variety of Italian wines, mostly red, beginning in the North West Renato Ratti Langhe Nebbiolo “Ochetti” 2015, Piedmont, Italy (£20.49 Hailsham Cellars, Hoults, CMT Wines, Larner Bros, Mumbles Fine Wines, Liquorice, Framlingham Wines, Banstead Vintners) Promising young wine, starts off with (reduced) aromas of blackcurrant pastilles but then open […]

An Italian Assortment


Beginning in Italy with Prosecco. Or not… Rivolto Zanotto Vino Bianco Spumante Extra Dry NV, Veneto, Italy (£10 Vino Beano) Fresh, satisfying fizz, not massively complex but scores for its dry caramel and green apple flavours, dangerously moreish… B+   And another Italian I didn’t film… Il Serraglio Saliceto Buzzalino […]

Sparkling Wine Round-Up