A good Christmas day wine line-up should contain a good fizz to kick things off. As it’s the first drink of the day it should be as good as you can afford! We usually have assorted nibbles with this aperitif. This year we have Veuve Clicquot Rose. Tasting notes: Notes of red fruits. Biscuity, brioche,…
McGuigan Founders Reserve Chardonnay
This wine is not one for the ABC brigade; it’s oaked and New World. However for lovers of Chardonnay this is good wine at a fair price. Tasting notes: Yellow straw colour. Lemon, honey and stonefruit notes. Fresh and zingy. Matured in oak. Region of Origin – Adelaide Hills Wine Colour – White Price –…
Winter whites for the festive season
These are the white wines for the festive season – and they’re all French. They’re not all Chardonnays from Burgundy, however – there’s a lovely Sancerre on the list! First up (left)is Signe Bourgogne Montagny Tasting notes: Notes of tropical fruits. Some minerality & creaminess on the palate. Elegant for the money. Good texture. Wine…
Marks and Spencer Piemonte Chardonnay
This wine, at £6 a bottle – is well made and good value. It’s attributed to M&S winemaker Jeneve Williams – who has selected and blended some excellent wines(particularly the whites) for M&S. She’s a Kiwi, who trained in Australia and has (for the last five years) travelled the world selecting wines for M&S. Tasting…
Gros Plant du Pays Nantais Sur Lie – Pierre Chanau
I’ve tasted my way from Nantes to Pouilly-sur-Loire over the course of several visits to the region. I’m a big fan of Muscadet in the summer; for me it’s the perfect wine to wash down moules mariniere. I wrote recently that Gros Plant was made from the Picpoul grape – however research for this article…
Pinot Noir Bouchard Aine & Fils
An attractive looking bottle from a well respected Burgundy producer. Tasting notes: Initially detected some earthy, toasty, oaky notes. Hints of berry fruits. Typical pinot noir texture. Wine Colour – Red Price – £12.66 Where do I get it from? Widely available Current Vintage – 2016 Producer – Bouchard Grape – 100% Pinot Noir Region/Country…
Bourgogne Chardonnay Bouchard Pere & Fils
We used to go to France every 2 months to stock up on food and wine. With declining Sterling rates, busier lives and Calais resembling a post-Apocalyptic bandit-zone we lost interest… Last week we returned. Calais is still not what it used to be; there’s high fencing, razor wire, and most of the roadside trees…
Isla Negra Sauvignon Blanc
I thought this was good, if not memorable Sauvignon Blanc. Very good value at £5, however and good everyday table wine. This comes from Cono Sur, another branch of Concha y Toro. Tasting notes: Initially detected some sharp, fruit notes. Hints of citrus fruits. Good texture. Dry (but not bone dry). Wine Colour – White…
Faustino VII Rioja
A familiar looking bottle – this wine is widely available. My local corner shop stocks it. There are several variations, featuring some kind of Cavalier – who has put me off for years. As an alternative to Campo Viejo, the market leading rioja I gave it a whirl. The standard was about the same and…
Burra Brook Chardonnay
An attractive looking bottle, this wine was ‘fine’. Nothing wrong with it. Quite nice. Damning with faint praise? Yep – I’d hoped for better; M&S wine can be really good. This was OK. Tasting notes: Straw colour. Not much on the nose. Initially some tropical notes, a little pineapple. Dry. Region of Origin – South…
Dark Horse Chardonnay
This wine comes from ‘California’ – which is a massive place and seems a bit vague… Not entirely sure what to make of this wine – I liked it and it’s one of only a handful of wines that have made me say ‘wow’ this year. Tasting notes: Straw colour. Wow! Butterscotch, caramel notes. Dry….
Finca Las Moras Malbec
The description on their website says that this wine is produced from grapes from San Juan & Cuyo and produced at their winery in Tulum. In other words it’s from a wide region of the Mendoza province – but for the price it’s good wine and goes very well with beef dishes. Tasting notes: Inky…
A Time for Wine 