La Torricella Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Dosso’ 2013, Piedmont, Italy (£9.99 Red Squirrel Wine) Honest, tasty and eminently gluggable young wine, full of crunchy red berry flavours, with a light candied character and some earthy, herby notes chipping in for good measure. S Villa dei Ladri Langhe 2013, Piedmont, Italy (£13.99 Laithwaites) […]
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Roc St Vincent Bordeaux Sauvignon 2013, France (£8.25 Sainsbury’s) Fresh sappy style, nettles and cut grass to the fore, Grannie Smiths apples and grapefruit close behind, and a touch of Alka Seltzer-like minerality to add further zest. B(+) Château Gaillard Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Loire, France (~£10 Vintage Roots, Sip […]
Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, the Loire and Marlborough
Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port, Douro Portugal (£15.70 Planet of the Grapes, New Street Wine Shop, Cambridge Wines) Gentle, soft, juicy style, round and mellow with a wealth of plummy berry and damson flavour and warming spirit giving it some fire in its belly. Maybe a touch simple but very […]
Fortified wines – Port & Madeira
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
Two different French takes on Syrah Vidal-Fleury Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2012, Rhône, France (£16.95-£17.95 The Square Wine Company, Hailsham Cellars, Whole Foods Market) With its ripe berry (red and dark) character and hints of vanilla, there’s almost a New World feel here, but then the peppery finesse kicks in, along with […]
French Syrah from the Rhône and Languedoc
Bit of a mish-mash – but a nice mish-mash… Cantina Gadoro Beneventano Fiano 2013, Campania, Italy (£8.99 Waitrose) Reminds me of a white Bordeaux with a dollop of Viognier in there. Tinned pear, nutty, peachy exuberance and a touch of vanilla all reined in by a spine of herbal freshness. […]