We are in the midst of a proper summer in England, with sunshine and wasps. It’s time for rosé… I have tried and will review several rosés, ranging from £6-£20. This wine is from Southern Provence about 30 miles from the sea and about 30 miles from where Whispering Angel (to be reviewed next) is…
Campo Viejo White Rioja -2019
I met with the winemaker, Elena Adell at a Decanter magazine tasting at Michelin starred Ametsa with Arzak Instruction at Como The Halkin Hotel in Belgravia a few years ago. Their white rioja was up for tasting and I really liked it. The Tempranillo grape has been used in red rioja for ever. Seventeen years…
Blanc Neuf La Bastide – Laithwaites
Blanc Neuf La Bastide 2018 is another unusual proposition – a blend similar to a white Côtes Du Rhône – but from Languedoc… A previous vintage was named ‘World’s Best White Blend’ under £11 by the Decanter World Wine Awards. It’s been compared to a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I see that; similarly this ought to be…
Lisboa Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
Portuguese wines are not big sellers in the UK – Sainsburys offers 13 ports – but just a single red wine. Portuguese reds can be great (Porta 6 acquired something approaching cult status a few years ago – read my review here). Tasting notes: Appearance is deep purple. On the nose black fruits. Closed –…
Côtes Du Rhône White, Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
The Côtes du Rhone appellation is one of the world’s largest wine-producing regions. The variety of grapes is amazing. The standard can vary and price is no guarantee of quality. Produced by Gabriel Meffre, Waitrose sell a white Côtes du Rhone under the Meffre label for £9.99, often reduced to £7.50. I think it’s identical…
La Nuit Blanche Cabernet Blanc 2019
La Nuit Blanche Cabernet Blanc 2019 presented me with an unusual proposition – a grape I had never tried (or even, I must confess, heard of…). A winemaker discovered a few rows of Cabernet Blanc in the Languedoc in 2016 which belonged to a grower near Béziers who had been working with Swiss (aren’t they…
Santa Julia Malbec 2019 – UPDATE
This Malbec bares the name of Zuccardi (albeit discretely) – excellent producers of Argentinian wines. Their wines are produced responsibly, organically and fairly – which is important in what is essentially a developing world economy. The Argentine economy has been turbulent for years. We visited in Autumn 2016 and prices for hotels, food and wine…
Trivento Reserve Malbec 2018 – UPDATE
The Argentine economy has been turbulent for years. We visited in Autumn 2016 and prices for hotels, food and wine were slightly more expensive than the UK. Not any more. The Peso is (at the time of writing in June 2020) worth a fifth of what it was three years ago. Great news if you…
Visionario, Bianco Trevenezie 2019 – Laithwaite’s
My most recent delivery from Laithwaite’s had this more recent vintage of ‘Visionario’ with a label change. Is this any different from the 2018 vintage? No. It’s still the aromatic, rather confected (it’s dry, but not bone dry, and has notes of childhood sweets) wine which Laithwaites have sold for years now. Tasting notes: Its…
Grüner Veltliner – Adler
This is one of three Grüner Veltliner stocked by Lidl – and this is unusual as it’s Italian, albeit from the mountainous north near Austria. It’s Lidl’s most expensive Grüner Veltliner – but is it their best? Sadly not… Tasting notes: Medium intensity, pale lemon colour. Primary apple and citrus notes. No secondary or tertiary…
Loris – Giordano
Giordano wines are a mixed bunch – this one was pretty good and well priced. It’s a shame that they devote so much time to selling you wine and then so little to delivering you the wine you bought. After ordering 50+ bottles, they regularly substitute 3 bottles in a case for something else (no…
Provobis Vino Frizzante Secco – Giordano
Giordano wines are a mixed bunch; the wines are variable in quality but are at the cheaper end of the spectrum. This wine was as usual very vague about details. Giordano took just under a month to deliver my last case. Laithwaites and Virgin take 2-3 days. This wine is decent enough and as part…
