Bored of Merlot? Then try Carmenère … It’s fast becoming one of my favourite red grape varieties; especially as the quality to price ratio is still so high in Chilean wines. This has a dark purple black colour with a youthful purple rim and a huge earthy bramble blackberry and savoury bell pepper aroma. Intense…
France produces a huge quantity of amazing sparkling wine and most of them have nothing to do with Champagne at all; I picked this up while traveling through the Burgundy Region a few years ago. Bright Medium lemon colour with a fine mousse; aromas of citrus, honey and yeasty brioche that lean into a intense…
As with most Beaujolais-Villages, this is more ‘mouth than trouser’… But the aroma is as moorish as it is simple and the texture/finish of this wine are batting above its weight and closer by far to one of the Cru Beaujolais (Brouille or Fleurie). Bright translucent ruby coloured wine bleeding to pink at the rim with…
Jumilla is a Spanish wine region to the southeast of La Mancha and specialises in wines made from Monastrell (Mourvedre). Ripe plum and red cherry aromas with hints of vanilla lead this elegant wine. On the palate it’s full of earthy red fruits (plum/cherry) still surprisingly ripe and forward for a wine with this much…
Barbera is one of Italy’s hidden grape variety gems from the north-eastern region of Piedmont, often overshadowed by expensive Nebbiolo biased wines (Barolo & Barbaresco)… which is good for us as Barbera makes awesome wine and it’s a whole lot cheaper! Soft pastel black cherry aroma with a hint of spice; ripe black fruit (black…
The Languedoc isn’t the first place I’d look in France for Pinot Noir, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be found. This medium-light bodied wine has far more character and personality to it than most from Burgundy around the same price (£10). It has raspberry/black cherry aromas with a hint of toast from barrel ageing,…
South Africa’s become a home away from home for Chenin Blanc and this wine is a great example of it. Intense concentrated fruit aromas (citrus, peach) and a honeyed edge lead to a medium full bodied weight on the palate that has a wonderful glycerol texture to it, full of stone fruit and buttery complexity.…
This is a ‘Marlborough’ Sauvignon Blanc that’s a cut above the average. This single estate wine has the classic pale yellow colour with green tints and a rich gooseberry fruit aroma that you’d expect from the region; though there’s a good amount of lees stirred ‘yeasty’ complexity added on top. A fresh acidity, that’s perfectly in…
It’s rare to see wines made with Muscat outside of France and Italy, so I was more than a little surprised to find one from Chile! A pale gold coloured wine with flecks of green; subtle peach and orange blossom aromas with a hint of rose water and lychee to them. Clean, fresh and crystalline…
Certain grape varieties only really come into there own when their vines are old and producing in small quantities… Garnacha or Grenache as it’s known in France is one of them. This wine is bright but dark translucent red in colour with a vibrant blackcurrant and raspberry aroma. Medium bodied but with intense fruit on…
It probably would have made sense posting the article on ‘Tesco’s Vs. Sainsbury’s’ before I started reviewing anything from them… but I haven’t finished it yet! Besides I was in Tesco’s the other day and this little puppy called out to me and pined… “I’m only £6.19 and in need of a good home”; so…
This is Pinot Grigio but not as you may know it… with a golden yellow colour and aromas of fresh pineapple, toasted brioche and more than a hint of yeasty goodness. Full bodied glycerol texture that coats the mouth with peach and Papaya fruit and a balanced acidly that cuts through the weight of luscious fruit;…
Until recently I’d never really gelled with lighter red wines and found them, especially those from Beaujolais, to be ‘all mouth and no trouser’ so to speak… promising much and delivering little. Wines from Morgon helped me to realise I’d clearly tried the poorest of what Beaujolais has to offer and this is one of…
Pale yellow with a honeyed ‘waxy’ citrus aroma, full/textured body and a fresh acidity to balance. This is a weighty wine with real depth to it; while still managing to be fruit driven and bright rather than confected or bogged down by oaky characteristics. Waxy lemon zest and a hint of freshly cracked almonds build…
This Pinot Gris has a bright pale straw colour with fresh subtle citrus aroma with a peaches and cream edge to it. There’s a surprising weight and buttery complexity to this wine, cut through with a sherbet lemon acidity that lingers before leaving a juicy clean finish. This wine is an exercise in balance and…
This dark ruby red wine (85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot), has intense vanilla and blackcurrant aromas and much more on the palate… with a side order of white chocolate. Tannins are noticeable but are well balanced with the intensity of fruit while still possessing some grip. There’s a long slow dry finish that that fades into…
The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2013 has an aroma of peach that literality hits you in the face as soon as the bottle is opened, combining with a little green house tomato spice on the nose and a stony breath of minerality. Fresh vibrant fruit and acidic intensity hit the Palate with elderflower blossom and gooseberry…