Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada

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Sumac Estate is east of Vancouver in British Columbia an area that does some excellent wine. This won’t let the side down but don’t expect trophy winning wine.

Aromas of green apple and a hint of lime are followed through with tastes of grass, lemon, stone fruit and a slight creaminess on the finish. Its light and crisp with high acidity and perfectly paired with shell fish. A little grassy and acidic for me but I can appreciate the work thats gone into making this wine. A bronze medal winner at the IWSC its a very good wine.

Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada

Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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St Clair, Estate Selection is a Sauvignon Blanc to rival the Cloudy Bay and Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc’s, not so much for the sheer quality but for the sheer value. This is a great wine wine, nipping at the heals of the other but at a £11 a bottle, the others are double or 50% more respectively.

The aromas are grassy notes with gooseberry coming through but the tastes change that. You get ripe pineapple, followed through with gooseberry and then a bit of lime and grass poking through. Its reasonably dry but the full fruit flavours hide the dryness and the acidity. The secret is to allow the wine to warm up a little to release the flavours.

This got a bronze medal at the Internal Wine Challenage which is a little stingy, silver medal in my humble opinion evey time.

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

    St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Orbelus Prima, Organic blended red wine, Thrace, Bulgaria

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Bulgaria makes some excellent wine and this organic one from Orbelus is a very good wine. Its a full bodied rich red with an underlying sweetness and fine but firm tannins.

Made with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Melnik (a local grape), there’s an earthy aroma with cherry, violets and oak notes that are joined with black fruits and spice with a hint of chocolate in there.

I really liked this for its well balanced fruit and smoothness.

Orbelus Prima, Organic blended red wine, Thrace, Bulgaria

Orbelus Prima, Organic blended red wine, Thrace, Bulgaria

Chateau De Berne, Rouge 2014, Provence, France

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We went to Chateau De Berne and carried this Rouge 2014 back from Provence.

Wine in a square bottle is a De Berne thing, thankfully it doesn’t adversely effect the wine. Made with mostly with Syrah and chunk of Cabernet Sauvignon this is a dry, medium red colour and reasonably light wine. You get a hit of black cherry and plum on the noise with a hint of herbacious in there. This follows through in the taste with medium tannings and a pretty smooth texture. This is a fruit driven wine more than big tannins that grip your mouth.

At about Eur20 a bottle its not cheap, its good but a little overpriced.

Chateau De Berne, Rouge 2014, Provence, France

Chateau De Berne, Rouge 2014, Provence, France

Habsiger, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Alsace, France

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Made with the Klevener, of which there is only 4.5 ha of grapes in the region, this is not you typical wine from Alsace but Habsiger have done a good job. Its a mellow, soft wine, aromas of melon and Lychee with a taste of lemon poking through. Its not yu usual cheap, crisp, highly acidic, white wine.

Pesonnally I would have this on its own so the subtle flavours can be tasted. At Eur7 or 8 a bottle its an interesting wine that’s well worth trying.

Habsiger, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Alsace, France

Habsiger, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Alsace, France

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