Ramos Pinto LBV Port 2011, Douro, Portugal (~£19 widely available) LBV is supposed to be ready to drink on release, but this is a bit of a pup, and seems to be built to survive another decade or more. Dark, young and juicy, packed with blackberry, blackcurrant and damson flavours, […]
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Goring Brut NV, Sussex, England (£31.45 Corking Wines) I love the gentle, ripe lime, apple and even raspberry flavours in this perky young wine. It’s crisp but never scrawny, and alongside the toasty notes, there’s a light hedgerow character to remind you of its origins. Good now but feels like […]
Assorted Sparklers from England & Italy
Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Curicó, Chile (£28.99 Soho Wine Supply, Portland Wine Company, Hoults Wine Merchants, Telford Wines) A dark, brooding beast of a wine when you first open it, still crouching and waiting to pounce. But soon it comes to life, showing some classic Chilean […]
Miguel Torres Manso de Velasco Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Curicó, Chile
Would love to report that these were great, but they’re only OK… The Doctors’ Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9-£10 Waitrose, Booths) Reasonable mix of citrus and passionfruit with a touch of rhubarb, slightly on the soft side, due perhaps to age (2016 is current vintage in NZ), or […]
The Doctors’ Lower Alcohol Duo from New Zealand
Château d’Esclans Garrus Côtes de Provence Rosé 2014, France (£70-£80 check Wine-Searcher for stockists) Delicate but persistent style, shows the slightly salty tang, along with touches of spice, smoky oak and vanilla to start with but these fade with time allowing the peachy but precise flavours tinged with herbs to […]
A selection of wines from Château d’Esclans in Provence
Triunfo Cariñena 2014, Cariñena, Spain (£8.49 Laithwaites) Ripe, sweet, juicy red that stays just about the right side of raisinny, with dark fruit flesh, a hint of brown sugar and a fresh, spicy finish – good pizza glug. B+