This is a rather ‘generic’ wine. It’s in an attractive bottle and is from the wide region of Burgundy (a large area, that). Tasting notes: Translucent, pale ruby colour. Primary red fruit notes. No secondary notes. Faint earthy tertiary notes. Balanced acidity. Short finish. Light, smooth. No tannins. Not particularly complex. Needed food. Region of…
ARA Grüner Veltliner
I love Austria. The skiing, the frittaten suppe, schnitzel & strudel… I’ve been going there for years, usually in the winter, but last summer we stayed for a week in the mountains. I was there again eight weeks ago and am back again in five weeks time. As I say, I love Austria. Its wines…
Veuve Cliquot Vintage 2008
Veuve Clicquot is one of those champagne labels that denotes quality. At £59 a bottle, however it is only for very special occasions… I reviewed their rose champagne here. Tasting notes: Biscuity, aromas of lemon, dried apricots, peach and pastry. Notes of almond on the palate, a hint of oak. This also had bite as…
Tesco Finest Torrontes
One of the best wines I have tasted was an Argentinian Torrontes which I reviewed here. My love of Argentina and its wines is documented here. Torrontes is known in Argentina as ‘the liar.’ This is because its aromas often differ from the taste. Torrontes is a bit of a ‘marmite’ wine… The worst wine…
Sainsbury’s ‘Taste The Difference’ Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio remains the World’s favourite white wine grape. Is the Sainsbury’s offering any good…? At £6 – yes… Tasting notes: It’s appearance is pale lemon in colour. Citrus notes on the nose. Well balanced. Medium finish. Medium body. Some complexity on the palate; citrus and stone fruit flavours, some ‘nutty’ notes. Short to medium…
German ice wine harvest destroyed by warm winter.
In the summer I visited Germany and travelled widely. I tried a number of excellent sweet wines and am saddened to learn that Germany’s harvest of Eiswein – produced from grapes that have frozen whilst still on the vine – has failed this year because the winter has been so warm. None of Germany’s 13…
Chapel Down
The Chapel Down vineyard is near Tenterden in Kent. It was started in 1995 and 25 years later it is England’s leading winemaker. English wine has been in the ascendancy for several years, gaining public support, critical acclaim and international accolades. My first experience of English wine was Denbies near Dorking – a beautiful spot,…
Louis Latour Pinot Noir ‘Valmoissine’ 2015
Pinot Noir Domaine de Valmoissine Louis Latour There are two theories regarding the ‘Pinot’ name. One is that it came about because their bunches are similar in shape to a pine cone (pinot in French). It may derive, however, from a place name in France such as Pinos or Pignols from where cuttings were obtained….
Fortnum & Mason Brut Reserve Vintage Champagne
Britain’s ‘prosecco boom’ could be over. Sales of sparkling wine in the UK have fallen for the first time since 2012, according to new figures. New sales numbers from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, reported by the Financial Times, show sparkling wine sales in Britain fell by 5% in 2019. The drop is equivalent…
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle is a blend of three different vintages of premier cru champagnes – it is classified as NV as a result but it’s so much more than that. The magic here is in the winemaking; the blending of different vintages to create something which is greater than the sum of its parts. I…
Time…
It’s been a while! After a sabbatical I’m back to writing. My sabbatical has involved much travel; France, Spain, Austria (twice), USA, Germany – and a number of countries which don’t produce wine. I also took two WSET courses and attended a number of tastings – totalling hundreds of wines. I was invited to Paris…
Wolf Blass Red Label Chardonnay Semillon 2017
Wolf Blass Wines is one of Australia’s greatest success stories. From a humble tin shed in the legendary Barossa Valley in 1966, Wolf Blass has grown to become one of Australia’s most successful and awarded winemakers. I have a lot of affection for this brand – but had read recently that the winery was on the…
A Time for Wine 