Adega Ponte de Lima, Rosé, Portugal

Adega Ponte de Lima, Rosé, Portugal

Adega Ponte de Lima, Rosé, Portugal

 

It’s hard to get a bad bottle of Portuguese wine in the UK and while this is acceptable its not inspiring. Sure at £10 a bottle it’s decent enough value. Dry, crisp with some red fruit flavours it’s a drinking wine in the summer at the BBQ. Don’t over think it and you’ll be back for another glass.

Bindi Sergardi, La Ghirlanda, 2018, Chianti Classico, Italy

    Bindi Sergardi, La Ghirlanda, 2018, Chianti Classico, ItalyBindi Sergardi, La Ghirlanda, 2018, Chianti Classico, Italy

Bindi Sergardi in their La Ghirlanda have produced a wonderful Chianti Classico. Dry, full bodied with well integrated tannins and masses of black and red fruits. There’s spice and oak undertones knitting in perfectly.  The down side is the £28 price tag, although I have seen it at a very reasonable £18 for the 2016 variety. Very much worth trying even at the higher price, but better at the lower price of course 😉

 

Martín Códax, Albariño, 2022, Spain 

Martín Códax, Albariño, 2022, Spain

Martín Códax, Albariño, 2022, Spain

This Albarino from Spain is a great example of the grape, dry, light with a good dope of acidity.  You get lemon, citrus and hints of peach on the flavours side. This would go very well with sea food, pasta in a white source or a zesty salad.  At £13 a bottle it’s decent value.

 

Concilio, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Solaris, 2021, Italy

Wine made with the Solaris grape is usually found in England as its a grape that grows very well here. In England it produces a crisper wine with green apples, grass and hints of gooseberry.  This wine from high in the Dollomites in Italy produces something different. Its dry, crisp with citrus and stone fruit flavours and a hint of gooseberry and very clean.

At £8 a bottle at Majestic Wines It’s got to be the best value white wine of the year, absolutely cracking.

 

Concilio, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Solaris, 2021, Italy

Concilio, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Solaris, 2021, Italy

Kellerei Bozen, Cantina Winery, Mumelter, 2019, Italy

Kellerei Bozen, Cantina Winery, Mumelter, 2019, Italy

Kellerei Bozen, Cantina Winery, Mumelter, 2019, Italy

 

From northern Italy, this Cab Franc and Cab Sav blend is rather good, dry, smooth and booasting great length and flavours of black fruits, chocolate, coffee, leather with a earthiness and smokey undertone. The down side is at £24 a bottle it will prevent some from trying it. Sub £20 it would be highly recommended, but over the £20, there are others that are as good but cheaper.

Vigneti del Salento, Negroamaro, Italy

Vigneti del Salento, Negroamaro, Italy

Vigneti del Salento, Negroamaro, Italy

 

Vigneti del Salento make a lot of wine, although thats partly expected as Puglia in Italy make more wine than Australia. This though doesn’t taste like a mass produced red wine. Its dry, medium tannins with excellent length. There’s plenty of black fruit with a bit of spice and a freshness that’s very welcome as it lifts the wine a little.

Great with red meat or a tomato sauce pasta it’s what this region does well.

Casal de Ventozela, Vinho Verde, 2022, Portugal

Casal de Ventozela, Vinho Verde, 2022, Portugal

Casal de Ventozela, Vinho Verde, 2022, Portugal

 

Casal de Ventozela, Vinho Verde is almost the perfect rose wine for the summer. For me it has more than a Provence rose which is welcome but there is something missing. Dry, crisp with flavours of cranberry and raspberry it’s excellent value for £10 a bottle. I would like a bit more subtle flavours but it’s £10 so what can you expect.

It got 86 points and a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023 which is a bit mean. Personally I think 90 points and a Silver is more like it.

Ugalde, Rioja, Crianza, 2019, Spain

Ugalde, Rioja, Crianza, 2019, Spain

Ugalde, Rioja, Crianza, 2019, Spain

 

This Rioja from Ugalde is a great example of a young Rioja, age around 6 months in oak it’s dry, high in tannins and acidity, got massive amounts of black and red fruit flavours. There’s leather, chocolate, coffee notes in there with a slight earthy undertone all integrated very well.

At zbout £11 a bottle it’s excellent value and paired with a winter roast or BBQ in the summer it’s an all year round wine.

 

Chapel Down, Rosé, 2022, England

Chapel Down, Rosé, 2022, England

Chapel Down, Rosé, 2022, England

 

It’s summer, the sun is out and Rosé is on the table and this Rosé from Chapel Down is just the one to show what England can produce. Dry with decent acidity and lots of red fruit flavours, it has good length and is easy drinking, perfect for the summer. At £14 a bottle it’s not cheap but its a cut above your usual Provence stuff.

Wildekrans, Barrel Select Reserve, Pinotage, 2014, South Africa

Wildekrans, Barrel Select Reserve, Pinotage, 2014, South Africa

Wildekrans, Barrel Select Reserve, Pinotage, 2014, South Africa

 

This is the best Pinotage i have tasted, Wildekrans, Barrel Select Reserve, 2014 is stunning. Purchased during a trip to the vineyard in 2017 its a dry red with well integrated tannins, incredible smooth and luxurious in the month. Red and black fruit flavours with oak and vanilla notes, a little spice and overall softness made it a wine to sip over a few evenings, which is rare in our household.  At £25 a bottle in 2017 I wish I had brought more home.

The vineyard also did a honey and wine tasting,  a wonderful experience.