Makaraka, Pinot Noir, 2022 Marlborough, New Zealand
Purchased from Aldi for the reduced price of £5 I was not holding out much hope that this Pinot Noir from Makaraka would be any good. I was right too. Its a red wine and thats the best I can really say. Some red fruit flavours and sourness make this wine a no from me. It needs much more flavour and depth with a better overall structure, its flabby with no direction. Sorry Aldi but its not a good wine.
We had this sailing down the Orwell river on an old barge celebrating a 70 birthday and 50 wedding anniversary. This is from one of the largest champagne houses and typicaly has a house style that is replicated year on year.
There are aromas flavours of citrus and floral notes. The usual heavy bready, yeasty notes found in champagnes are missing, only a subtle hint of yeast in the background. For me this is why I like French crements, I don’t want a mouth full of toast, I want to taste the fruit, character of the grapes. So if you want a fruit driven champagne this is the one. Best of all with discount it came to £18 a bottle at Tesco.
Laurent Perrier NV Brut champagne
I have an issue with red wine from Portugal, I have yet to have a bad bottle. Why is this an issue? I open the Portuguese bottle first over most other countries and hence have limited bottles. Made with Tina Roriz, Castelao and Touriga Nacional (used in Port) this is a good example of a cheaper red that delivers jammy fruit flavours, low tannins and is quick drinking. Can’t think this would win a gold medal, silver nor bronze is more like it but this is a drink it now wine and at £8 a bottle worth buying.
Porto 6 – Red Portuguese
Canadian wine is normally decent. It’s hard to get a bad bottle. This wine from Phantom Creek in the Okanagan Valley is amazing. I’m likely to die poor and pickled because of this one. Tannins are very well integrated, soft but there in the background.
There are aromas and flavours of black fruit, cherry and plum. Put your feet up in front of the fire or lay back in the garden on a summers night and gently sip this. The world suddenly seems ok after all.
At CAD75 a bottle it’s not cheap, very expensive for most people but exquisite.
Phantom Creek Syrah 2016, Okanagan Valley Canada
From a quality vineyard you expect quality wine. This has raisins & cooked fruits on the aroma and when you taste. Silky smooth, rich flavours and if you like a Rutherford desert wine bloody marvelous. A worthy silver medal winner at the Decanter World Wine Awards this is great with cheese or on its own. At about £15 a bottle it’s very good value.
Stanton & Killeen Rutherford Muscat
Pinot Grigio, Ortrugo are the grapes that make this up rather nicely round wine. There are definite Grigio notes on the nose and the taste, but there is a real softening which is so refreshing. Peach and tropical notes come through. I can’t conclude if this is one of the best easy drinking white wines I’ve tasted in a long time or the best easy drinking wine. Its a wine you drink in the summer, don’t need to think, just drink and enjoy the sun. At well under £10 its good valve.
Borgo fulvia Bianco 2016
New Zealand Pinot Noir is becoming very popular in recent years. There are various reasons for this – Prices are coming down, quality has been good to excellent and people are seeing Pinot Noir from outside Burgundy as being worth drinking. There are aromas of redcurrant and raspberry which come through in the taste. The flavour lasts a reasonable time and the dry, light texture is excellent with or without food. Pair with chicken or fish and at £10 bottle its excellent value.
Villa Maria – New Zealand Pinot Noir 2016