Palazzona di Maggio, Le Armi, 2019, Romagna, Italy
This Sangiovese red wine from Palazzona di Maggio has been a highlight in recent months. Dry, smooth, beautiful cherry and plum with floral notes and a little bit of tobacco and chocolate mixed in, it is a fantastic wine. At £25 a bottle it’s worth every penny. Its like getting a Bentley for the price of VW Golf 😀.
Baron De Las Vinas, Rioja, 2024, Spain
Another cheap dry red wine from Aldi and for this Rioja it does show unfortunately. So what do you get for £5? It’s a thin red wine with cherry and redcurrant flavours. Chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes and drink it when the weather is baking hot, like sangria is my suggestion.
Ca La Bionda, Amarone Della Valpolicella, Classico, Ravazzol, Veneto, Italy
This classic Amarone from Ca La Bionda, is made from grapes on one particular hill in the vineyard – Ravazzol and is kept in oak vats for 42 months. Its a fabulous wine, rich and valopuous, full of black cherry and plums, dried raisins, vanilla poking though with a little chocolate in the background. This only issue is the price, at Eur70 a bottle it’s not cheap. Its like buying a top of the range Mercedes but wondering if mid range one would have a better buy. Excellent wine at the end of the day though.
Strewn Vineyard, Strewn Three, 2015, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada
This flag ship blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Strewn Vineyard shows how good Canadian wine is. Beautifully crafted there’s wonderful red and black fruit flavours, oak and chocolate notes, warm spice lingering in the background and soft tannins. Its a delicious red wine that should be sipped and enjoyed.
Orsogna, Nican, 2009, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Italy
This got a mixed review from various wine awards but I’m leaning towards a Silver medal from the Brussels Awards because 17 years old this red wine from Orsogna, in the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo region of Italy is fresh and full of ripe black flavours which are on the jammy side. Its this jammy side that is splitting me. That said there are oak and chocolate notes and the tannins are soft and subtle. Its a wine to drink with food. We had a slow cooked roast beef joint and it paired wonderful. At Eur75 a bottle it’s rather over price for me, it also means many people won’t get to taste it, that’s a shame. Its like an aging Rolls Royce, still excellent but expensive.
Chateau De Targe, Rose de Targe, 2021, Loire Valley, France
The french do make great Rosé wine and this Rose de Targe from Chateau De Targe, in the Loire Valley is a perfect example. Now it’s no Gold medal winning wine, more like solid Silver. Its got lots of redcurrant flavour with a cleaness that’s refreshing. I think what’s missing to make it gold is that crispness that us brits expect from a french rose wine. Worth a case though 😀.
Vinea Domini, Cesanese Del Puglio, 2018, Central Italy
A rather good italian red wine is best how to describe this Vinea Domini, Cesanese Del Puglio, Central Italy. Although it’s 8 years old, it has good structure, defined black fruit flavours with oak and spice notes. It’s a like a VW Golf car, good around with no downside.
Berton Vineyard, Winemakers Reserve, Fiano, 2017, Australia
Wow, this 2017 Fiano from Berton Vineyard in New South Wales is not what I was expecting. Although i have been told that Fiano can be aged, its usually drunk young . It’s 8 years old yet still fresh and zingy. Loads of citrus flavours, pineapple, lemon, lime with a solid petroleum flavour underlining it all. It got a bronze medal at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards (89 points). 6 years after that marking it seems very stingy. We loved it, great grown ups white wine.
Super Nanny Vineyard, Pinot Noir, 2018, Central Otago, New Zealand
Wonderful, fantastic, amazing are words you could use to describe this Pinot Noir from Super Nanny Vineyard in Central Otago. Solid red fruit flavours with superb integrated tannins and structure. Soft and subtle with a presence of greatness. It only got a bronze medal (89 points) at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards which is very stingy, although at £35 a bottle it’s not cheap. Its like VW Golf 😀
Felsina, Berardenga, Chianti Classico, 2006, Italy
We first had this Chianti Classico about 15 years ago from a sale by Grape Passion in Witham, Essex. This was the last bottle that was hidden away from that order. It’s still pretty good, dry, soft and very integrated. Subtle red fruit flavours that make it understated but very drinkable still. At £25 a bottle for the latest vintages it’s classic Chianti. Its like a classic Porsche, when drive slowly.