Domaine Muré, Clos Saint Landelin, Grand Cru, Vorbourg, Pinot Gris, 2016, Alsace, France
At over £40 a bottle this is not a cheap bottle of cheap but it is amazing, so subtle and elegant that Domaine Muré clearly know their stuff. A medium body wine with long length and flavours of citrus, pineapple and hints of grapefruit and apricot it wants you to savour every drop. Its not an every day wine for most people but I would recommend trying it on a special occasion.
Pondview Estate, Bella Terra Meritage, 2016, Ontario, Canada
Canadian wines are getting better and better and can age very well. This 8 year old red wine from Pondview Estate is a classic example. Red and black fruit is beautifully integrated with notes of oak, tobacco, vanilla and hints of an earthy under note. With great length and smoothness its a red wine that say to be sipped and enjoyed rather than to be guzzled. At CAD35 a bottle its decent value.
This Syrah from San Juanito in Mexico is pretty good. Bold and dry with reasonable length and rounded flavours of black fruit, oak and spice. Its a wine to try with friends and ideally with food, but its good enough to drink on its own in front of the fire.
Chapel Down, Bacchus, 2016, uk
You have to drink Bacchus young was what the experts say, which this Chapel Down Bacchus from 2016 proves is rubbish because at 8 years old is still stonking. Dry, and beautifully rounded with vibrant citrus and pineapple poking through. Excellent.
Lidl, Carinena, Monte Plogar, Gran Reserva, 2016, Valencia, Spain
It’s been a whole since I tried a good cheap red from a supermarket, but this one from Lidl is worth buying. At £6 a bottle, it was a pleasant surprise. Dry with soft tannins and decent flavours of plum, blackberry, cherry with hints of chocolate and a little oak in the background. It’s been left longer than the producer would have recommended before drinking but I think that’s helped soften it up. We had ot with a slow cooked beef joint and it was a perfect fit.
Vina Ardanza, Rioja Reserva, 2016, Spain
A standard Rioja or something super? Well this Reserva from Vina Ardanza is a cut above the usual. Dry, firm but well integrated tannins you get a pretty intense red wine with plenty of red fruit flavours, spice, cloves and liquorice all in a soft warm fizzy feeling package. Its a grown ups wine to be savoured. At £25 bottle it’s a little pricey but rather good.
Haskell II, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, 2016, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2 big grapes from Stellenbosch mean this red from Haskell II was always going to big and ballsy. Dry, rich, smooth, very smooth with black cherry and plum, leather and spice sitting in the background. It’s only problem is the price at £23 a bottle. Knock the price in half and you have a excellent wine at a decent price.
Chateau de Fesles, Cabernet Franc, 2016, Loire, France
This Chateau de Fesles Cabernet Franc is quite stunning. Theres plenty of ripe, soft, black fruit flavours. It’s dry, bold and not overly complex, meaning it’s an easy red to drink with or without food. Excellent with steak and a cheese board.. At £20 a bottle it’s very well priced.
Tenuta, San Giorgio, ‘Ugolforte’, Brunello di Montalcino, 2016, Tuscany, Italy
This could be described as the typical Tuscan quality red wine. At £35 a bottle it’s not outrageously expensive either. What it is though is too young. At 6 years old it needs another 3 to 6 years in the bottle to develop further. There’s nice black fruit flavours and notes of oak, blueberry vanilla and some freshness but it’s all a little lacking. All it needs is time and this will be great
Trump, New World Reserve, 2016, Virginia, USA
President Trump may be tea total but his wine maker can make a very good wine.
Madd with Cabernet Sauvignon this is a bold, dry red with good integration and fitm tannins. There’s plenty of black fruit with oak, chocolate, smoke and earthy undertone. At USD60 a bottle it’s expensive, good but too much. Then again it’s from an unconventional man.