Ghost Creek, Showcase, Riesling, 2017, Canada
I do like Canadian wine, they don’t make much of it but what they do make is generally very good. This Riesling from Ghost Creek is excellent. Dry with a distinct petroleum note to the nose there’s flavours of citrus and stone fruit with a little peach and hints of honey. The biggest thing I get is just how clean and fresh this is 7 years on. Excellent, truly excellent.
At £20 a bottle it’s decent value too.
Dagernova
Dernauer Schieferlay Spätburgunder
Most of the German Pinot Noirs you get in the UK are pretty good. This one from Dagernova is excellent. Light, dry with soft tannins and well integrated fruit flavours of cherry and red current. This a little oak and hints of earthiness poking though. Delightfully subtle and easy drinking it’s hard not to drink the bottle in one go.
Black Sage, Viognier, 2017, Okanagan Valley, Canada
Can you get a bad bottle of Canadian wine? Probably but not this one because this is excellent. A little heavier in texture to most white wines this has plenty to taste, apple, melon, hints of citrus and honey. It’s dry and with balanced acidity works well with fish or chicken dishes. At £15 a bottle it’s reasonable value too.
Amisfield, Breakneck, Pinot Noir, 2017, Central Otago, New Zealand
Another excellent Pinot Noir from New Zealand this ‘Breakneck’ from Amisfield is dry, smooth, with firm but well integrated tannins that makes this a joy to drink. Plenty of flavour with red cherry at the front and hints of oak, a subtle earthiness and all with long length.
Sure at £60 a bottle it’s not cheap but then again quality like this is often expensive. It’s a shame as many people won’t get to try it.
Enrique Foster, Ique, Cabernet Franc, 2017, Mendoza, Argentina
This Cab Franc from Enrique Foster, Mendoza, Argentina is a bit different to the usual Cabernet Franc wines I drink. There’s the typical black fruit flavours with hints of tobacco and leather but it’s also very oaky and austere. The flavour hits the front palette and stops. It’s got reasonable length but at £15 a bottle it’s pricy for what it is. The wife on the other was very pleased so that’s a benefit.
St. Michael-Eppan, Montiggl, 2017, Riesling, Italy
Riesling is not a wine that I would expect to come out of Italy but this one from St Michael Eppan is pretty good. It’s a dry wine, fairly bold with good length on flavours. On the flavours and aromas side rheres peach, green Apple, lemon, hints of grapefruit and undernotes of minerals with a little honey in a background, a very pleasant surprise.
At £25 a bottle it’s to much at recommend, good but not that good.
Chateau De Targe, Clos de Moulin, Cabernet Franc, 2017, Loire Valley, France
Tried at the 40th anniversary of the Colchester Cellar Club this is Chateau De Targe Clos de Moulin is a very grown up Cabernet Franc. There’s the usual red fruit, plum, with oak and vanilla but it’s all very smooth, dry and structurally tight. It’s very good but you need food to get the best out of it and at £35 a bottle it’s not cheap. The cuvee Ferry Cabernet Franc that they do is better for me.
Catherine Marshall, Peters Vision, 2017, South Africa
Made with cab franc and merlot this is good morning red from South Africa. So pretty bold wine reasonably smooth with Titanic’s and very dry. You have flavours and aromas of black fruit, oak and herbaceous notes but with a leather and earthy undertone.
It’s one to drink with food definitely a good steak or tomato based pasta and at £25 a bottle it’s a little bit on the pricey side that said it’s a very good bottle.
San Pedro, Altair, 2017, Cachapoal, Chile
San Pedro know how to make wine and this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with a smaller proportion of Cabernet Franc and Syrah is quite amazing. There lots of black and red fruit, tobacco and coffee notes which have great length and smoothness on the taste buds. Its like an electric car, quiet, smooth and making you wonder why you have not got a cellar full of it. Then the price rears its head – at £40 a bottle that’s why you don’t have a cellar full of it. But a bottle or 2?
Klet Krsko, Classic Zeleni Silvanec, 2017, Slovenia
I like trying different wines and this Silvaner grape base white from Klet Krsko in Slovenia is quite good. Its very green and flinty with quite aromatic on the taste but quite neutral on the nose. It’s like a ford fiesta, to be used or in this case drunk but think of it too much.
Its a white wine that is best with food, fish would be good but as the summer is on us then a zesty salad would be a good choice. At under £10 its decent value.