Due in Lidl stores Nov 24th 2016 Sassi del Mare Beneventano Falanghina 2015, Campania, Italy (£7.99 Lidl) Lovely floral-tinged nectarine, ripe orange and fennel flavours, and a light almondy note, but just as impressive are the lightly gritty texture – gritty as in the texture of a just-ripe pear – […]
Yearly Archives: 2016
A superb wine, not just for International Sherry Week Fernando de Castilla Antique Amontillado NV, Spain (£23.99 per 50cl Virgin Wines*) Wonderful gentle yet complex style, with lush flavours of creamy butter toffee, tangy Christmas cake fruits and spices and a touch of herbs. Soft yet persistent and heady, with a […]
Fernando de Castilla Antique Amontillado NV, Spain
Kaiken Terroir Series Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot 2014, Mendoza, Argentina (£9.99 Wholefoods, Fenwicks, Cornelius Beer & Wine) Rich, juicy and ripe, with dark plummy baked berry flavours and notes of, vanilla and marzipan. There’s also a smoky note, maybe from the Petit Verdot, that stays just about the right side of […]
Two Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends from Argentina
Sauvion Crémant de Loire NV, France (£13.99 Oxford Wine Company, Flagship Wines) Balances a bracing green apple tang against honeyed richness to good effect, crisp zesty finish. B(+) Terroir La Baume Saint Paul Crémant de Limoux Brut* NV, Languedoc, France (N/A in the UK) Quite a plush, rich style, with […]
Four sparkling French wines – but no Champagne…
Château Haut-Mouleyre Bordeaux Sauvignon 2015, France (~£10 H T White) It’s mostly Sauvignon Gris here, which could explain why alongside the more conventional gooseberry, lime and grapefruit flavours there’s more exotic characters such as juniper and aromatic bark, and a weighty but still lively finish. S- Miguel Torres Las Mulas […]
Two Sauvignons (and not just Blanc) from Bordeaux & Chile
Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla, Spain (£6 per half/£9.50 per full bottle widely available) Punchy and pungent, lightly salty with a proving bread dough character and a persistent finish – make you crave nibbles… S- Barbadillo Manzanilla Pasada En Rama ‘Pastora’, Spain (£13 Taurus Wines, The Solent Cellar, Roberts & Speight, Baythorne […]