Campo Viejo, Reserva, 2015, Spain

Posted on by
Reply

 

Campo Viejo, Reserva, 2015, Spain

Campo Viejo, Reserva, 2015, Spain

Another Rioja, which let’s face it, it’s fairly standard for UK drinkers of red wine. This is actually pretty good and get red fruits on the nose.

It’s dry, relatively intense in the flavours of plum, redcurrants, oak and vanilla coming through with little bit of herbaceous notes.

It’s normally about £9 which isn’t bad, but get it when it’s 25% off and it becomes pretty good value. It’s not a red wine that’s going to embarrass you and for the summer good drinking.

Charles Joguet, Silènes Chinon, 2012, Loire, France

Posted on by
Reply
Charles Joguet, Silènes Chinon, 2012, Loire, France

Charles Joguet, Silènes Chinon, 2012, Loire, France

Charles Joguet, Silènes Chinon, 2012, Loire, France

Charles Joguet, Silènes Chinon, 2012, Loire, France

Charles Joguet makes some wonderful wines and I have been to the vineyard twice and tasted some of them. This 2012 Silènes Chinon, 2012 though should have been drunk a fee years ago.its not aged as I had hoped/ expected from a top producer making cabernet Franc wine. Theres little aroma of the red fruit, plum, tobacco and leather that should be there, the flavours are washed out with only hints of what should be. The tannins are there and the dryness too.

It’s a lesson to drink on an occasion rather than waiting for the perfect occasion.

 

 

Calmel & Joseph, Les Terroirs, 2019, Languedoc, France

Posted on by
Reply

 

Calmel & Joseph, Les Terroirs, 2019, Languedoc, France

Calmel & Joseph, Les Terroirs, 2019, Languedoc, France

Made with Syrah Grenache and Carignan this is a full on red which packs plenty of aromas flavours. It’s a bold dry my red with decent hit of acidity. There’s aromas of tobacco and chocolate and and sour cherry, you’re getting additional flavours of BlackBerry and redcurrent.

At £12 a bottle us a bit expensive but it’s well made with good length.

Copdock Hall, Rose, Suffolk, England

Posted on by
Reply
Copdock Hall, Rose, Suffolk, England

Copdock Hall, Rose, Suffolk, England

 

English Rose wine has come a long way in recent years and this one from Copdock Hall in Suffolk shows it it’s pretty good stuff. It’s not your light rosé in colour and this gives you a heads up on the flavour.

You get a real hit or strawberries and raspberries with this rose much more than you would a Provence. Its actually a nice change, I’m not sure I’d want a drink this all summer long but a few bottles in the storeroom sounds great.

 

Vagabond, Ortega, 2018, Oxfordshire, UK

Posted on by
Reply
Vagabond, Ortega, 2018, Oxfordshire, UK

Vagabond, Ortega, 2018, Oxfordshire, UK

There are some absolutely fantastic English wines but I’m not entirely sure this one made of Ortega grapes can be classed as one.

It’s clear and crisp but it’s very acidic and a little one-dimensional on flavour. There’s lots of lemon with bits of lime coming through but that’s it. This would be really good with seafood as the acidity is very high but we have tried better wines from the UK recently that are worth trying though.

 

Chateau Ste Michelle, Syrah, 2017, Columbia Valley, USA

Posted on by
Reply
Chateau Ste Michelle, Syrah, 2017, Columbia Valley, USA

Chateau Ste Michelle, Syrah, 2017, Columbia Valley, USA

The U.S. can produce up notch wine and this Syrah from Chateau Ste Michelle in the  Columbia Valley is a good example. It’s a bold,  dry red with aromas of black fruit, oak and chocolate with earthy notes. The flavours are well integrated with softness of plum, cherry and blackberry with licorice and herb hints.

Easy drinking yet perfect with a steak and under £20 it’s a compelling wine to try.

New Hall, Barons Red, 2018, England

Posted on by
Reply
New Hall, Barons Red, 2018, England

New Hall, Barons Red, 2018, England

New Hall in Chelmsford, Essex make a lot of wine. This red is a blend Pinot Noir, Acolon and Rhondo grapes. It’s a reasonably simple wine, dry with red fruit aromas and sour cherry flavour with an oak under note.

For an English red wine this is very good, easy drinking with decent flavour and £11 a bottle. Sure go to £25 a bottle and you can get Gusbournes Pinot Noir which is excellent but this is much easier on the pocket and very good.

 

Coteaux du Vendômois, Cuvée Prestige, 2014, Loire, France

Posted on by
Reply

 

Coteaux du Vendômois, Cuvée Prestige, 2014, Loire, France

Coteaux du Vendômois, Cuvée Prestige, 2014, Loire, France

This Cuvée Prestige from Coteaux du Vendômois is an interesting red. It’s made from Pineau d Aunis, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc and has soft flavours of red fruits such as raspberry and redcurrant and is pretty dry but the tannins are soft and this makes it a very easy wine to drink, no food needed with this red. Try with lamb, duck or tomato sauce based pasta if having with food.

It’s only Eur6 a bottle which makes it great value.

 

Black Sage Vineyard, Viognier, 2017, Okanagan Valley, Canada

Posted on by
Reply
Black Sage Vineyard, Viognier, 2017, Okanagan Valley, Canada

Black Sage Vineyard, Viognier, 2017, Okanagan Valley, Canada

Canadian wine is generally excellent and a lot of the time exceptional, which this Viognier from Black Sage Vineyard in the Okanagan Valley, Canada is. This us a dry, crisp wine. The aromas are clean minerals, citrus and hints of peach these follow through into the taste with lime.

This is a clean wine that has subtle flavours that are delightful, playful and long enough for you to say ooohhh.

CM by Carlos Muro, 2015, Rioja, Spain

Posted on by
Reply
CM by Carlos Muro, 2015, Rioja, Spain

CM by Carlos Muro, 2015, Rioja, Spain

Rioja produces an awful lot of wine and much of it drinkable and there are some truly excellent reds are produced but is this from Carlos Muro a drinkable or excellent one. The aroma is a little flat, you get some red cherry but that’s pretty much it. It’s a dry fairy bold wine with plum and strawberry flavours and soft tannins which I warmed too. This got a bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2018. It’s definitely better than most easy drinking and you don’t have to think about it which in many ways makes it a great drinking wine.

At about £20 a bottle it’s too much money though. I think they should really be a £10 bottle at the most.