Nyetimber Rosé NV – Wine of the Month March 2020
The perfect wine for a summer wedding – it looks great and has lovely fresh strawberry and raspberry flavours without being overly acidic. It’s from the greatest wine region in the world, Sussex (yes, I am biased) and is a blend of classic grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a dash of Meunier. At the time…
Pinha Ribeiro Santo 2018 – Wine of the Month February 2020
Portuguese wine often represents great value for money and this is a prime example. A lovely rich black fruit flavour, it originates from the Dao region blending typical grapes from that area – Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta-Roriz. £10.99 from Hennings
Leftfield Rose Hawkes Bay 2019 – Wine of the Month January 2020
This was my favourite from the recent New Zealand Wine tasting in London. An interesting blend of Pinotage, Arneis and Merlot. It had ripe strawberry and redcurrant fruit, fresh but not too acidic. Drink on its own or with some salmon. This winery also showcased a very good Sauvignon Blanc from Nelson, a nice Albarino…
New Zealand in a Glass
New Zealand Wine ran an interesting tasting this month. In amongst the gallons of Sauvignon Blanc there were two really good feature tables – one for rose and one for “unexpected” grapes. For the former see my WOTM; however the latter had some great examples of Gruner Veltliner, Viognier, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. They’re worth…
Fonseca Bin 27 Fine Reserve – wine of the month December 2019
I tried a number of ports in the run up to Christmas and this is my personal favourite. It’s sweet and rich with intense plum and damson fruit and some chocolate and raisin. Try with Stilton or just sip it on its own. £13.99 from Virgin Wines.
Pinot Gris Classic, Famille Hugel 2017 – wine of the month November 2019
A lovely Alsace Pinot Gris, a bright lemon green colour with aromas of primrose, lemon, pear and peach. Will be great with seafood. Harvested by hand from vineyards on clay and limestone soil. 2017 was a difficult year for growers in Alsace but this shows what could be achieved despite that. At just £7.50 for…
Le Bertarole “Le Filagne” Valpolicella DOC Classico – wine of the month October 2019
I had the pleasure of visiting the winery and meeting Marco, the winemaker. Although they make really good Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto, it was the standard Classico that stood out from other wineries in the area. A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone, it is a light but satisfying wine with red cherry flavours, good…
Provence Wine Weekend
Recently enjoyed 3 nights away as a guest of www.provencewineweekends.com which I thoroughly recommend. We visited wineries in Provence and Luberon – La Verrerie; Vallon des Glauges; La Vallongue and Chateau Fontvert. In a region known for rose, I found the reds and whites more interesting.
Oxney Organic Estate NV – wine of the month September 2019
My favourite of the English sparkling wines from the recent Wine GB tasting. They have added seyval blanc to the classic varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier. I got flavours of red apple, peach and grape with a good cream soda like finish. It’s organic and vegan.
Bolney Estate Lychgate Bacchus 2018 – wine of the month August 2019
Another fine English still wine using what is becoming this country’s signature grape. Apparently this example was hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and cool fermented in stainless steel. A good alternative to sauvignon blanc it has gooseberry and passionfruit flavours and a nice long finish.