Duplico, Puglia Rosso, 2019, Puglia, Italy
This red from Duplico in Puglia is very good. It’s best wine I’ve tasted all month.Dry, medium acidity with fine tannins theres plenty of black and red fruit flavours with spice just sitting in the background. It’s rich in depth and soft giving you a warm cosy feel when you drink it. Pair it with a joint if beef or a rich pasta dish. At £15 a bottle it’s not a bad price.
Le Quattro Terre Bianco, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, 2019, Piemonte, Italy
This is a different blend than many white wines from Italy with Chardonnay making up 60 % and Nebbiolo making up 40%. Dry and crisp with rich aromas it’s fresh and ‘pointed’ in that its flavours ard there from the beginning but fade a bit quick. Lemon and citrus are thd main flavours with a hint if nuttiness in there.
At £15 a bottle it’s too expensive.
Aurora Creek, Rock Ferry, Pinot Noir, 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand
Aurora Creek, Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand is good example of where New Zealand Pinot Noir is at the moment. Dry with light tannins, flavours of cherry, redcurrant with a little oak and earthy note poking through. It has good length but it’s £22 a bottle which for me is far to expensive.
Coastal Reach, Bacchus, 2022, England
Made for Grape Passions in Essex this is sold in a Michelin restaurant in London and a big seller all round and I can see why. Madd by an ex Cloudy Bay wine maker it’s hot excellent qualities. Off dry with high acidity there are flavours of citrus, apple, tropical fruits, hints of gooseberry and grapefruit. There’s a creaminess sitting around and a chunk of sweetness, yet light and fresh. At £22 a bottle it’s way over priced though.
Bio Full, Sauvignon Blanc, Organic, 2022, France
Sauvignon Blanc has become a well known grape thanks in part to New Zealand making gallons of wine from it but France was there decades earlier making good quality wine from this little grape. Made from organic grapes it’s less gooseberry than New Zealands typical offers with more grapefruit and hints of lemon and citrus in the background. I liked thd dryness and high acidity but there was a hint of sourness that stayed a bit long for me. At £13 a bottle it’s a bit overpriced.
Masia Bou, Brut Cava, NV, Spain
Cava is the new Prosecco for many in the UK Nd this Cava from Masia Bou shows why. Clean, fresh with decent aromas and flavours it delivers something a bit more than your usual Prosecco. It’s dry with high acidity. Lemon and sherbet come through but it’s light if a little tart on the back palette. At £11 a bottle it’s reasonable value too, worth a bottle for when friends pop over.
Domaine de la Croix Salain, Macon Villages, 2022, France
Domaine de la Croix Salain in the Macon Villages area makes some lovely Chardonnay. Clean, crisp, fresh with lemon and citrus notes. A little stone fruit pops through with a little creaminess. At £16 a bottle from Majestic Wine it’s good value. Great with seafood or try with cheese.
Terra Argillosa, Syrah, 2019, Marche, Italy
Yep another italian red wine, granted its rather good, in some ways quite excellent. Reasonable dry, solid tannins but not overly so with a “presence” that’s comforting. With red and black fruit flavours and smoke and oak notes it’s all well integrated It’s no Gold medal winning wine but that’s where I think it scores. It’s a wine that red drinkers will like, not have to think about and be happy to open a second bottle. 😊
At about £18 a bottle it’s a bit pricey and that’s the down side.
Herdade De Comporta, Rosé, 2021, Portugal
It had to happen one day, a Portuguese wine that failed to impress. Unfortunately this rose from Herdade De Comporta is non descript on all fronts. Aromas and flavours are lacking, there’s a tartness and acidity but nothing to recommend it. Sorry, it’s a shame as the colour is pleasant. At eur24 a bootle is a definite no from me.
47 Degrees, Chardonnay, Moldova
47 Degrees, Chardonnay from Moldova is a pretty good example of a decent white wine from Moldova. It’s an off dry Chardonnay that’s soft on the palette with immediate aromas of honey and flavours of pineapple, lemon, honey and an underlying oak layer. It’s the oak I wasn’t a big fan off but saying that I did like it.
At £7 a bottle from Majestic Wines It’s pretty good value.