Author Archives: richardgore1200

Denbies, Cubitt Reserve, 2010, UK

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Denbies make a lot of wine, sparkling and still and do it well. This is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, your traditional grapes for Champagne. Dry and crisp with medium acidity and clean tasting with aromas and flavours of lemon, green apple and vanilla. Yes there’s yeasty notes but there’s more to it and its refreshing, bringing you back for glass after glass, unless your wife says stop!

Its at a similar price at Champagne its a better bet for me.

Denbies, Cubitt Reserve, 2010, UK

Denbies, Cubitt Reserve, 2010, UK

Denbies, Cubitt Reserve, 2010, UK

Denbies, Cubitt Reserve, 2010, UK

Hartenberg, Occasional Riesling, 2016, South Africa

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We went to Hartenberg on our last trip to the Western Cape, South Africa and its still as great as when we first tried. There’s a big hit of petroleum on the nose with hints of ripe tropical fruit. Its an off dry riesling that comes across sweeter on the taste with floral, pear, tropical fruits it there. The texture is fuller than many white wines but below that of a traditional german Riesling. Excellent with a vegetarian sweet and sour meal and at £13 a bottle, fair value.

Hartenberg, Occasional Riesling, 2016, South Africa

Hartenberg, Occasional Riesling, 2016, South Africa

Luigi Bosca, Gala 2, Mendoza, Argentina

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Luigi Bosca produce a range of reds and this Gala 2 is a Bordeaux blend. This is made up of  Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Cabernet Franc (10%) and Merlot (5%). It’s dry, smooth, really smooth with aromas of cherry and tobacco and flavours of plum, redcurrant, vanilla hints and a herby note in there. It’s elegant in many ways but it’s just do enjoyable.

At £24 a bottle it’s not cheap but it’s very good, excellent and worth the money. Something for a special occasion.

Luigi Bosca, Gala 2, Mendoza, Argentina

Luigi Bosca, Gala 2, Mendoza, Argentina

Crows Fountain, Shiraz, Merlot, 2018, South Africa

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South Africa does some really good Merlot and Shiraz and this blend brings some good qualities. That’s not a huge amount of aromas  on this blend but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You do get flavours of raspberry and plum with more red fruit in there.

It’s a decent red just for drinking ?.

Crows Fountain, Shiraz, Merlot, 2018, South Africa

Crows Fountain, Shiraz, Merlot, 2018, South Africa

Fourth Wave Wine, Farm Hand, Organic, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, NSW, Australia

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I had never heard of Fourth Wave Wine or their Farm Hand, Organic, Cabernet Sauvignon but I certainly like it. You get a hit of blueberry and then blackberry on the nose with additional flavours of cherry and this is a very fruit driven, soft but very dry red wine. It’s not complicated, just well rounded and very easy drinking.

It only got a commended at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020 which is stingy, bronze medal surely! At £9 a bottle it’s great value and worth a case any day.

Fourth Wave Wine, Farm Hand, Organic, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, NSW, Australia

Fourth Wave Wine, Farm Hand, Organic, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019, NSW, Australia

Les Clos de la Seigneurie, Cabernet Franc, Loire, France

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The Loire valley produce some of the world’s greatest Cabernet Franc and this Les Clos de la Seigneurie, Cabernet Franc is half decent. Not amazing but worth drinking. It’s very dry and there’s aromas of cherry and redcurrant with flavours of sour cherry that seem to take over from the other red fruit that’s there, it’s just there other flavours are too subtle. It’s cheap Cabernet Franc that’s drinkable and easy going with food, in our case steak and ale pie with veg in front of the Christmas tree.

Les Clos de la Seigneurie, Cabernet Franc, Loire, France

Les Clos de la Seigneurie, Cabernet Franc, Loire, France

 

Morris, Black Label, Muscat, Rutherglen, Australia

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Rutherglen produce some great desert wines and many are different to the sticky white wines.

This is the shortest review I’ve done – this is a dark, sweet, rich, with raisin abound flavours and utterly delicious. Great with cheese and rich deserts. Oh Christmas is a great time to try this!

At £20 for 500ml, its great value and quite fabulous, but it did evaporate in the glass!

Morris, Black Label, Muscat, Rutherglen, Australia

Morris, Black Label, Muscat, Rutherglen, Australia

Minghu, monluxe II, 2014, China

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  • China has come a long way in recent years in many areas including wine and this red from Minghu is not bad. It’s not get either but drinkable, I think! There’s lots of red fruit on the nose and it’s a deep red colour that looks quite wonderful. The taste is where things gone screwy. Jammy red fruit, concentrated like ribena on steroids. A bit heavy and thick but it won’t kill you!
Minghu, monluxe II, 2014, China

Minghu, monluxe II, 2014, China

 

Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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New Zealand does great Pinot Noir and pretty good Sauvignon Blanc. It can do Chardonnay but this one from Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay is not one to drink. The aromas are oak followed by oak followed by oak. There are notes of condensed lemon in the nose but not a great initial feeling. It doesn’t get any better when you taste it, far too much oak. The wife thinks it should have been laid down for a few more years and that should allow the flavours to come out.

At £10 a bottle is not expensive for NZ wine but for a drink now wine it doesn’t work.

Stoneleigh, Repairs Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand