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 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 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
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
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
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.
Cantine di Dolianova, Anzenas Cannonau di Sardegna, Sardinia, Italy
This red wine from Sardinia is not going to set the world alight, its not a gold medal winner but Cantine di Dolianova has produced a well rounded red just to drink. Its dry, medium tannins and good length of flavours. There’s plum, blackcurrant and cherry in there. Pair with a tomato pasta or red meat dish. My only issue is at £15 a bottle it’s pricy for what it is.
Altar Uco, Edad Moderna Blend, 2022, Argentina
This red Bordeaux blend from Altar Uco in Mendoza is rather good. There’s lots in this dry red wine with firm tannins and plenty of black fruit with tobacco, leather, oak, coffee and a slight earthy undertone all integrated very well.
With Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec it makes the most of each grapes strengths. That said at £17 a bottle it’s not cheap, that’s a shame.
This is my first Colombian wine and Vina Sicilia has done a good job on it. It’s dry with good fruit concentration and decent length. Black cherry and plum are your primary flavours with hints of oak and raspberry poking through. It’s not a subtle red wine but it would be a good pairing for a BBQ or Sunday roast beef dinner. At about £12 a bottle it’s OK value.
Louis Pommery, Brut, Sparkling Wine, England, UK
The French of started to taking English vineyard seriously and Louis Pommery has started to make wine in Hampshire and it’s pretty good stuff. Its dry, fresh, but classy with more citrus fruit than toasty notes in French Champagne. I’ve you like the new style of sparkling or a good cremant sparkling wine then this is for you.
At £25 a bottle it’s good value for champagne although a cremant is usually much cheaper at £10.