Andrew Peace ‘The Unexpected’ 2014, Victoria, Australia (£5.99 The Co-op) Young fresh Aussie blend, with a minty note in among the berry and blackcurrant flavours, does have a bite of acidity and some spice, but veers towards the jammy dodger – fair enough at £6. C+ Mission Estate Cabernet/Merlot 2013, […]
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For those who like their wines to make a bold first impression… Pillitteri Estates Vidal Icewine 2012, Niagara, Canada (N/A – the 2013 is £10.99/200ml at Laithwaites, £14.99/375ml at Lidl) Exotic cocktail of crème brûlée, dried apricot, crystallised orange and rich caramel, there’s lots of fruit, and it’s intense and […]
Pillitteri Estates Vidal Icewine 2012, Niagara, Canada
Christmas morning fodder? Champagne Thiénot Brut Rosé Édition Limitée NV, France (£40.49 Champagne & Châteaux) Quite a rich, yeasty, almost creamy young wine with crisp citrus and apple to the fore, and hints of darker fruit – cherries and raspberries, plus an almost Cab Franc-like blackcurrant leaf character – in […]
Champagne Thiénot Brut Rosé Édition Limitée NV, France
Not the most subtle of Champagnes, but I like the honest rich flavours here Champagne Duménil Amour de Cuvée Blanc de Noirs NV, France (N/A in the UK) A rich, savoury edged Champagne, quite wine-y, with a mature brioche character and rich mouthfilling red fruit flavours. Almost too much to […]
Champagne Duménil Amour de Cuvée Blanc de Noirs NV
Same price, same region, but not same flavour… Château Haut Courneau Graves 2011, Bordeaux, France (£10.00 Oddbins) I like the sweet fleshy plummy berry flesh and hint of cedar; I’m less keen on the touch of greenness and slightly baked character, and I don’t think it’s going to get any […]
Two Bordeaux reds from Graves
Frares Priorat 2013, Catalunya, Spain (£13.00 Marks & Spencer) Plenty of burly plum and damson jam flavour plus dark berry flesh, but there’s still freshness form somewhere, despite the 15% alcohol. Add in warm dustiness, some smoky bacon and a wild, spicy element and you have a fascinating young and […]