The Loire Valley produce a ton of wine and this Chenin Blanc is a little different to the mass produced wines.
There are aromas of flowers and pear with flavours of ripe fruit, hints of pineapple and lemon. I love the orange hint in the colour, well maybe a bit more than a hint. Its a medium style wine that is a front of fire,comforty chair wine. At £7 a bottle very good value.
Cave du Vendômois, Chant’ Grives, Coteaux du Vendômois, France
Germany makes great Riesling and this Riesling Spatlese from Dr Hermann is a great example. 13 years on and its wonderful, amazing, fabulous. Its good in other words.
There are aromas and flavours of honey, blossom, ripe tropical fruits and hints of spice and minerals. A rich yellow in colour and a little heavier in weight than many Rieslings this is a delicious, magical wine.
We tried to have this with a chinese meal but drank it far before the meal was ready. At £12 a bottle its amazing value too.
Dr Hermann, Urziger Wurzgarten, Riesling, Spatlese, 2007, Germany
Marks and Spencer, Alta Luna, Gewürztraminer, Italy
If all Hungarian Sauvignon Blanc was as great as this Aranymetszés Friss from Varga Pincészet I may never drink any other wine. Well not quite but this is AMAZING. Its a great easy drinking, medium style white wine with a lot of fresh peach, melon, lime, lemon and elderflower aromas and tastes with a bit of a sparkle in there. When its hot outside this is perfect. A bronze medal winner at the IWSC (a little stingy) the issue is getting it in the UK. There are better Sauvignon Blancs out there but this is a wine of a moment, a warm summers day, doing nothing.
Varga Pincészet, Aranymetszés Friss, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Hungary
I’ve not had many dry white Bordeaux wines and this one from Château Guiraud was tasted by me and 3 other, all socially distancing in the garden, on a warm Sept evening.
There’s aromas of smoke and hints of minerals and citrus, on the taste front you get notes of gooseberry and citrus and a big wack of grapefruit. Its this grapefruit that we had an issue with which over powered the other elements. The colour is a lovely lively lemon and the length is good and its a bit heavier in the texture than most white wine, which is good but its too unbalanced.
We had it with a few spring rolls but I think a creamy pasta dish or fish with lemon and herbs would be needed to make this worth drinking. At £16 a bottle is a bit pricey and there are better Bordeaux whites out there I was told.
hâteau Guiraud, Bordeaux Blanc Sec, 2019, Bordeaux, France
Shiny lemon is best described the color sparkling in the light. The aromas are of petroleum but but with a smokiness and flint note. Dry on the taste with grass, green apple and hints of citrus. There’s acidity but it’s subtle. Get past the smell and it’s a good wine.
Domains Du Sacre Coeur, Alsace, France
Albert Mann is a top Alsace producer and this Grand Cru Furstentum Gewurztraminer Vieilles Vignes shows why. its a soft, bold, semi sweet wine. There are aromas of lychee, apricot, blossom and pear.
There are flavours of tropical fruits, ripe pineapple, honey, apple and stone fruits. its a weighty wine in some respects but not as much as you may expect. There’s an elegance to this wine that you can’t help be grateful for because this may make those that won’t normally touch a Gertz actually like it. Pair this with asian foods, pork dishes or mild cheeses and this shines even more. Fantastic.
Albert Mann, Grand Cru Furstentum Gewurztraminer, Vieilles Vignes, 2011, Alsace, France
Dr Losen Is one Germany’s big but excellent producers, especially of Riesling. Even the off blue colour of the bottle and crisp label say class. I like to taste wine blind so you are not influenced by the label but in this case, who cares. Aromas of lychee and citrus with hints of petroleum. The taste is refreshing with fresh mineral notes coming through and lime popping out. The length is excellent and the underlying sweetness is beautifully integrated.
Dr Losen, Slate Hill, Riesling, 2016, Mosel, Germany
Made from local Chenin grapes from the Coteaux du Layon, Chaume area, this Premier Cru from Château de Plaisance is excellent, read on if you want, but this is excellent.
A lightish, medium wine with a fantastic dark orange colour this has aromas and flavours of citrus pineapple, lime, mango, apricot and an underlying honey note that has hints of orange, not so much rich in flavour or texture but nicely balanced. I’m tempted to say drink on its own but it went well with fresh fruit and the cheese board at the end of the meal.
At £20 a bottle is on the nose for value and has a long shelf life, we probably drank ours 5 or 6 years to early but is was wonderful.
Château de Plaisance, Coteaux du Layon, Premier Cru Chaume, France
Buy it. That could be the quickest review ever! Schloss Johannisbery is a top producer and this Silberlack Riesling is wonderful, from the mid golden colour to the aromas of apricot, peach, pear and floral notes on the nose that have hints of smokeyness. There are flavours peach, lemon, a little green apple with honey and a bit of spice. Its concentrated with a clean mineral taste that is long lasting and refreshing.
At £35 a bottle its not cheap but worth every penny.
Schloss Johannisberg, Silberlack, Riesling, Trocken, 2016, Germany