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. […]
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Let’s see if we can understand why the Chileans mistook Carmenère for Merlot for so long… Montes Alpha Merlot 2012, Colchagua Valley, Chile (£12.99 Philglas & Swiggot, D.Byrne) Typical Chilean imprint of blackcurrant pastilles, also note sof rosehip and mulberry, but while the fruit is generally quite juicy, there’s also […]
Merlot and Carmenère – can you tell the difference?
Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2013, Adelaide Hills, Australia (£24.99 Majestic, Bentley’s Wine Merchants, CellarVie Wines, D Byrne & Co, Harrods, Leamington Wine Company, ND John Wine Merchants, Noel Young Wines, Ozwines.co.uk, Philglas & Swiggot, Provender Brown, Taylor’s Fine Wines, The Secret Cellar, Shills of Cockermouth, Slurp.co.uk, Winedirect.co.uk) Initially shy […]
Chardonnay from Australia, France, South Africa & California
Groszer Wein Blaufränkisch 2012, Südburgenland, Austria (£15.90 per litre Newcomer Wines) Lots of juicy ripe plummy berry and blackcurrant here, with earthy, meaty notes adding a savoury wildness, and herbs coming through in the finish. Tasty and slightly naughty. S(-) Groszer Wein Blaufränkisch ‘Vom Riegl’ 2012, Südburgenland, Austria (£22.90 per […]
Three Blaufränkisch-based reds from Groszer Wein in Südburgenland, Austria
A couple of Piedmont reds made with less-than-familiar grapes Tenuta La Pergola Freisa d’Asti 2012, Piedmont, Italy (£12.99 Red Squirrel Wine) Lovely vanilla-tinged strawberry (fresh and just-cooked) and summer pudding flavours backed up by a note of iron and a whack of earthy tannin. Reminds me of Portugal’s Baga, and definitely […]
Two Reds from Piedmont
Final post from the week in which Australia Day falls, with the accent today on Pinot Noir. Louis Latour Maranges 2012, Burgundy, France (£23.54 Spirited Wines) There’s gentle raspberry fruit in here, but overall, it’s rather fey, with not enough flesh and flavour to back up the stalky notes, and […]