Author Archives: richardgore1200

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d’Isenbourg, Crémant d’Alsace, Brut, France

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This Crémant d’Alsace from Le Clos Château Isenbourg, is great example of a sparking regional wine. This has aromas of green apple and grass and additional flavours of lime and melon. Theres an underlying bready flavour that is very subtle and with the fine bubbles make a refreshing change to the overhyped and full on bread flavours champagnes.

With the high acidity pair with seafood, creamy cheeses or enjoy in the garden on a summers day. At Eur10 a bottle great value, great wine.

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d'Isenbourg, Crémant d'Alsace, Brut, France

Le Clos Château Isenbourg, Comtes d’Isenbourg, Crémant d’Alsace, Brut, France

La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, 2016, Italy

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ToYou get red fruits of stawberry, cherry, raspberry with chocolate and earthy notes on the nose that are then added to with vanilla, sour cherry and herbs. Its a medium body wine that has firm but not overpowering tannins.

Its a pretty classy wine, good flavours but “not to in your face”. At £20 a bottle its not cheap and I suspect that there are better Italian reds out there, but I’m not disappointed.

Have with red meat, tomato based dishes or strong cheese.

La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, 2016, Italy

La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, 2016, Italy

Donna Franca Ansaldi, La Divina Cipponeri N.V. Sicilia

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This red from Sicilia is BOLD. Its a big red with prenty of red fruit, cherry, plum and a chunk of earth thrown in. It reminds me of an over the top Bordeux. That not the criticism but its powerful in most respects, dry but not bone dry with medium acidity its best with food. Red meat, tomato dishes with plenty of flavours to balance the wine.

At Eur20 a bottle I can’t help this that this is overpriced for what it is. At Eur10/12 a bottle it would be good value, interesting wine but not really for me.

Donna Franca Ansaldi, La Divina Cipponeri N.V. Sicilia

Donna Franca Ansaldi, La Divina Cipponeri N.V. Sicilia

Mount Pleasant, Elizabeth, Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley, Australia

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Hunter Valley produce great Semillon and this Mount Pleasant one is no exception. Theres a petroleum note with ripe citrus and honey on the nose. Its a very dry wine with grass, honey and lemon on the palate with plenty of acidity and a texture of full cream milk, its a big wine.

At about £20 a bottle its not badly priced for a 10 year cellar aged semillon.

Mount Pleasant, Elizabeth, Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley, Australia

Mount Pleasant, Elizabeth, Semillon 2009, Hunter Valley, Australia

 

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

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This Argentinian Malbec from Luna de Finca is a typical supermarket dry red wine. In this case from Lidl.

Its dry, with pepper and black fruit aromas, grippy tannins and lighter than you may think when you taste it. This is not a big bold Malbec but a lighter style. There’s oak flavours with plum, chocolate and earthy notes. Its not bad, not great but at £7 a bottle its what you would expect.

Chuck it with BBQ meat and a bit of sun and it will all be drunk. Pay another £3 or £4 a bottle from Lidl and you could get a much better red for the first BBQ with friends as we come out of lock down.

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Luna de Finca, Agrelo, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

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Alsace make some amazing wines and this Pinot Gris from Domaine Zinck is a very good example, Zinck produce a fantastic range of wines by the way. Even though this is 9 years old its pretty good on all levels, reasonabe critus fruit aromas and a wonderfall deep yellow colour, very seductive.

This is a bold wine, not quite full bodied but rich in flavour with ripe flavours of pineapple, lemon and minerality. In reality it should have been drunk within 5 years but its still very drinkerable and at wat under £10 a bargin.

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

Domaine Zinck, Terroir Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France

 

Schmit-Fohl, Crémant de Luxembourg, Brut.

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Crémant de Luxembourg Brut is not something you get in the supermarket, let alone one from an excellent producer such as Schmit-Fohl .

This is made with Chardonnay and Auxerrois, its dry and has some green apple and brioche aromas, the flavours are light but refreshing with apple, grass and brioche flavours. There are loads of small, fine bubbles that show off the quality of the wine.

At £13 a bottle this is a great price and a great wine.

Schmit-Fohl, Crémant de Luxembourg, Brut

Schmit-Fohl, Crémant de Luxembourg, Brut

Schmit-Fohl, Crémant de Luxembourg, Brut

Schmit-Fohl, Crémant de Luxembourg, Brut

 

 

 

Chardonnay, Auxerrois

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

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Amarone was a wine that i could not see the point of the generally high price tag, this classico from Giusti shows why you may have to pay a high price to get a real cracker of a bottle.

At 16.5% alcohol strength this is a bold wine with a capital B. Its dry, but as about 30% of the grapes are dried you get a sweetness which is very seductive. There are aromas of cherry, plum, herbal and vanilla notes. These follow through in the taste and you get a long finish and real smoothness to boot

At about £40 a bottle is not cheap but its a great wine.

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Tarapaca +, Organic Red Blend, 2014, Chile

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Organic wine is seen as a bit “niche”, not main stream and a bit wacky but this red blend from Chile shows what fantastic, amazing and bloody great value wine you can get organically. The blend is usually made with a combination of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It has great balance of fruit flavour with acidity, ripe black fruit aromas with spice notes that are added to with red fruit flavours, tobacco and low tannins. Its smooth, so smooth, wonderful.

At under £10 a bottle this is brilliant value and a fabulous wine.

Tarapaca +, Organical Red Blend, 2014, Chile

Tarapaca +, Organic Red Blend, 2014, Chile

Weingut Bernhard Ott, Fass 4, Gruner Veltliner 2016, Austria

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Gruner Veltliner is an under drunk wine. This wine from Weingut Bernhard Ott has typical characteristics of apple, grass and white peach with a clean fresh smell and taste. There’s a mineral overtone and it has some wonderful green apple acidity. It has a beautiful green tinge to the colour.

Great one its own or with, fish and asian foods, such as sweet and sour chicken. At about £20 its not cheap but thats in part Austrian wine for you. A worthy bronze medal winner at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Weingut Bernhard Ott, Fass 4, Gruner Veltliner 2016, Austria

Weingut Bernhard Ott, Fass 4, Gruner Veltliner 2016, Austria