La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, 2016, Italy

Posted on June 30, 2020 by richardgore1200

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

Donna Franca Ansaldi, La Divina Cipponeri N.V. Sicilia

Posted on June 27, 2020 by richardgore1200

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

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Posted on June 15, 2020 by richardgore1200

Amarone was a wine that i could not see the point of the generally high price tag, this classico from Giusti shows why you may have to pay a high price to get a real cracker of a bottle.

At 16.5% alcohol strength this is a bold wine with a capital B. Its dry, but as about 30% of the grapes are dried you get a sweetness which is very seductive. There are aromas of cherry, plum, herbal and vanilla notes. These follow through in the taste and you get a long finish and real smoothness to boot

At about £40 a bottle is not cheap but its a great wine.

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

Posted on June 4, 2020 by richardgore1200

Made with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot its a good blend. 10 years old you may feel that this red is ready for drinking, esp as its a “Grand” Bordeaux. Its just part of the name, its not a grand vin. That said there is much to commend this wine.

Its still got a dark purple colour but the aromas and flavours are quite light for a Bordeaux. You get blackberries and cherries on the nose and in the taste, some oaky notes and smooth tannins but its the lightness that I’m liking. In reality it should have been drunk 2 or 3 years ago to get a bolder hit of flavours and aromas.

At about £10 a bottle its reasonable value for a lighter red but if you want a full Bordeaux you will be disappointed.

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

Claudio Alario, Barbera d’Alba Valletta, 2017 from Piemonte, Italy

Posted on May 22, 2020 by richardgore1200

Claudio Alario makes some great wine. This “Valletta” is made with 100% Barbera grape from the Barbera d’Alba DOC in Piemonte, Italy.

You can read what comes next or you can just buy it, it’s absolutely beautiful, wonderful, magnificent.

Its a bold, dry with a big hit of balanced acidity that makes it so smooth. There aromas of cherry, smoke and plum thats joined with vanilla, pepper, sweet spices, nutty, cassis and dried fruit flavours, so much going on. Its the wonderful balance and smoothness that I love.

At £23 a bottle its not cheap but so worth it, Magic in a bottle.

Claudio Alario, Barbera d’Alba Valletta, 2017 from Piemonte, Italy

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Posted on May 13, 2020 by richardgore1200

2009 Bordeaux from Chateau de Camensac is almost a typical Bordeaux.

Almost! its over 10 years old and this wine has fine characteristics. Its very dry, pretty bold, smoothish tannins, they are definitely there. On the nose you get vanilla, cherry, blackcurrant, a bit of tobacco comes through. these feed into the taste but you then get red fruits and spice notes popping up and hints of earth.

This should have been drunk 2 or 3 years ago but it is very nice, at £16 a bottle it would have been good value 2 or 3 years ago, now a little bit over and a bit overpriced, my fault not the producers.

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

Posted on May 5, 2020 by richardgore1200

Made with Cabernet Franc this is a typical Loire red wine, pretty good too getting a bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Its not got the most intense aromas, you get cherry, plum and undertones of pepper and tobacco. Its dry, a decent hit of acidity and firm but not overpowering tannins. You get red and black fruits flavours adding to the aromas.

We had it with and without food and found it equally good. At £16 a bottle its not cheap and a little over priced but its nice.

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

Arzuaga Navarro, Arzuaga Crianza 2017, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Posted on May 1, 2020 by richardgore1200

Made with 95% Tempranillo with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, 5%.

Aromas of blackberry, smoke, tobacco that follow through in the taste with cherry, blackcurrant, oak undertones and tannins that are super smooth but firm. This review may be short but there’s not much more to say, this is a very good red wine.

Ar £17 a bottle its great value for what you get.

Arzuaga Navarro, Arzuaga Crianza 2017, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

Posted on April 28, 2020 by richardgore1200

This dry, Syrah based red wine is quite something. You get a bit of blackfruit on the nose but its when you taste it that you think this is actually really rather good.

The flavours are soft and subtle but all there. Plum, black cherry, blackberry with pepper and hints of vanilla from the oak its been left in. It feels grown up with good integrated tannins and is a delight to savour at the end of the day. We had this partly on its own and partly with roast lamb. excellent on both occasions.

At about £12 a bottle its very good value and worth trying again.

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

Ontinium, Capitan Julian, Tempranillo 2015, Spain

Posted on April 16, 2020 by richardgore1200

Capitan Julian, Tempranillo is dry, bold with a dollop of oak. You could sum up this wine like that, but there’s more.

There’s black fruit on the nose and oaky notes. Its smooth on the palate with blackberry, vanilla, spice and hints of tobacco with firm, but not overly powerful tannins. Steak went very well with this wine and even a few days later it was easy drinking on its own.

Its the price that’s the issue here. At £6 a bottle its ridiculously cheap. how, why they are selling it this cheap is a mystery. Brilliant for the drinker though.

Ontinium, Capitan Julian, Tempranillo 2015, Spain

The accidental drinker

Wine talk and reviews by an accidental drinker

Category Archives: Red wine – Europe

La Gerla, Rosso di Montalcino, 2016, Italy

Donna Franca Ansaldi, La Divina Cipponeri N.V. Sicilia

Giusti, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012, Veneto, Italy

Château Grand Billard, Bordeaux 2010, France

Claudio Alario, Barbera d’Alba Valletta, 2017 from Piemonte, Italy

Château de Camensac, La Closerie de Camensac 2009, Bordeaux, France

Domaine de Rocheville, Le Prince, Saumur-Champigny, Loire, France

Arzuaga Navarro, Arzuaga Crianza 2017, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Château de Cazeneuve, Le Roc des Mates 2013 from Pic Saint Loup, France

Ontinium, Capitan Julian, Tempranillo 2015, Spain