South African Chenin Blanc has a decent reputation of being consistently good quality and good value. This is no exception.
This is the second vintage of Chenin Blanc produced by Rustenberg and they are doing things right. There are aromas of pear and pineapple with wood on the nose with follow through in the taste but are added to with lemon, lime and lychee. This is a crisp, dry white that at £10 a bottle is good on taste and value.
Rustenberg, Chenin Blanc 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa
This Vik wine is made for Majestic and at £15 a bottle when you buy a mix 6 (any 6 bottles) you expect something pretty good. Is it good?
Well its got big flavours and aromas of blackcurrant, coffee and cassis with hints of vanilla and firm tannins that grip the mouth. Its a wine that I would want food with. Meat or strong cheese to allow it to cut through the foods fat and bring balance.
Its a little pricey for me, its good but £15 a bottle its a bit much.
Vik, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chile
A half decent dry Riesling is one of the best white wines in my book. This was quite a surprise for me. I can’t remember having a Chilean Riesling before or least it wasn’t memorable. This is subtle, aromas and flavours of lemon and lime and its light which is refreshing. The acidity is very well balance with the flavours and i found this was great on its own. Put it was shellfish and you have a winner.
At about £12 a bottle its right on the ball for summer drinking,
Lo Abarca, Riesling 2018, Chile
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is easy to spot, loads of gooseberry and in your face.
French Sauvignon Blanc is more subtle and this is where this one from South Africa sits. There’s citrus notes with hints of gooseberry on the nose. When you taste it there’s flavours of green apple, citrus, floral hints and a crispness. The acidity is high and there is a cleanliness on the finish that makes this pretty good. The finish is a little short which is a shame.
I liked this wine and at about £7 a bottle its good value. For the summer this will be a great BBQ wine, open, pour and drink.
Klein Street, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, South Africa more
The Pais grape was one of the first grapes bought to Chile. The variety was once the most planted in Chile and used for table wine. Morande is big producer that has spent millions of dollars on their winery and production, so I had high hopes for this wine. This is a light, fresh fruity wine with lots of raspberry, cherry and strawberry on the nose but its light on those flavours when you taste it. This is no Pinot Noir or beaujolais wine but I liked it. This is a great summer wine.
At £8 a bottle this is a good value red wine for the summer.
Morande, Reserva One to One, Pais 2016 from Chile
This wine is made from the naturally occurring yeast in the grape skins. In the past such wines have been subtle and fresh. There are aromas of lemon, pineapple chunks of oak. This wine has additional flavours of stone fruit, apricot and creaminess but its the oak that is an issue. The oak is a little too much for me when drinking this on its own but if you had chicken or seafood it would be pretty good.
At about £13 a bottle its a little pricey for me.
Errazuriz, Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2018, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Domaine de la Perruche, Terroir de Craie 2018, Saumur-Champigny, France
So what’s the wine like after 10 years sitting in the bottle just doing it’s thing. Made with Tempranillo this is a vibrant dark looking wine. On the nose theres expressive black fruits, lots of blackberry, spice and oak under notes. Taste wise it’s dry, with excellent soft tannins. Complex flavours of blackberry, plum, cherry, vanilla, black pepper, and a hint of earthiness.
It’s a great wine, although at £25 a bottle it should be punching above the standard Tempranillo’s out there. Is it worth it? Yep.
Hacienda Zorita, Abascal Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Made with Saperavi grapes the first thing notice is the smell, quite distinctive, huge amounts of blackcurrant and yet this deeply dark red wine has initial flavours of red fruit. Theres the redcurrant but some herb , raspberry and strawberry in there as well. It’s dry and the tannins are not too heavy, although I would like them to be smoother. I understand that the Saperavi wines can be aged and I would like to taste when it’s over 6 years old to see if those tannins softened.
I’ve had a few bottles of Georgian wine now and I think I can safely say that the quality is very good, it may not be to cru standards of France but I did have this over three nights and enjoyed this very much.
At about £10 it’s reasonable value.
Teliani Valley, Saperavi 2016, Georgia.
Desert wine, its a marmite wine this, you either love it or hate it. The main issue I have is by the time desert is served you’ve had a few wines and think, its it worth opening another different wine?
Its got a beautiful rich lemon colour. There’s lots of ripe citrus, pineapple, lychee on the nose and taste. it has 100g of sugar, a dry wine has 5 or 10g as a comparison, but the acidity and sweetness balance is excellent. Its not a sticky desert wine but fresh and light. I liked it on its own but cheese and crackers at the end of the evening would be a great pairing.
At £6 a half bottle its great value.
Vistamar, Late Harvest, Moscatel 2017, Limari Valley, Chile