This Tali, Wild Swan Merlot from Chile is produced by I’ve been out that is a champion wildlife preservation and it is under £8 bottle from the co-op in the UK. It’s a pretty typical supermarket Merlot lots of fruit, plum, cherry and redcurrant with notes of blackberry and minerals. You can taste the heat of the Central Valley in the fruit. Low to medium tannins and reasonably dry. It’s easy drinking and cheap which sometimes what you need.
Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile
Deep strawberry color with an orange note this is quite an aromic wine with notes of strawberry, redcurrant, orange and hints of grass which feed into the taste. It’s a sweeter wine on the taste buds but it’s quite dry and acidic. It’s a bigger rose wine in some ways, heavier and more complex than you may think, it’s not a drink and guzzle wine, more a sit and sip with food. A wine for cheese and biscuits certainly.
At about £12 a bottle it’s reasonable value for something that is a bit different.
This Torrontes from Vinabla, Lujan de Cuyo in Argentina is a text book Torrontes and that is not a bad thing, dry and bold but with masses of fruit that balances it all. Wth smells of tropical fruit and blossom, there’s lots of flavours in there too, pineapple, mango, melon and peach which went very well with a chicken biryani with vegi curry.
At £9 a bottle its spot on the money and taste.
Viñalba, Selección, Torrontés, 2018, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina
Reichsrat von Buhl know a bit about making Riesling, they made enough of it over the years and rather well. This 2018 bone dry rosé is pretty good, made with Pinot Noir it’s dry. Amazing colour draws you in and there are aromas of strawberries, redcurrant and a creaminess in there, a bit of cream soda. The dryness gets you on the flavour, masking the redfruits which are pushed back, they are there but not pronounced enough. Finish is a bit short but it’s a refreshing wine which I wanted a second glass of and then a third glass.
At about £14 a bottle it’s s little pricey but enjoyable.
Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany
South Africa produces a lot of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay and this Daniel’s Drift from Marks & Spencer is pretty typical. At £7 a bottle (£5 on offer) or part of the M&S meal deal this is an easy drinking white wine.
Its light in colour, fresh and crisp on the nose with smells of ripe melon, apple and hints of citrus. There’s more in the flavour with grass, gooseberry and more lemon coming through. It’s a dry wine table wine with goes well with a supermarket meal or on a summer afternoon sitting in the garden.
Decanter gave it a bronze medal at the 2019 awards with 87 points which on reflection and most of the bottle is spot on and great if you can get it at £5 a bottle.
Marks & Spencer, Daniel’s Drift, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, 2018, South Africa
Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé it’s not what you might think of a German rose wine. It’s a beautiful dark rose colour with hints or orange, with slight aromas of strawberry and redcurrants and this follows through in the flavour with a little citrus undertone. It’s bone dry and it’s the finish makes this refreshing and slightly different to what you may expect.
At £15 a bottle it’s not cheap but very enjoyable.
Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany
Sumac Estate is east of Vancouver in British Columbia an area that does some excellent wine. This won’t let the side down but don’t expect trophy winning wine.
Aromas of green apple and a hint of lime are followed through with tastes of grass, lemon, stone fruit and a slight creaminess on the finish. Its light and crisp with high acidity and perfectly paired with shell fish. A little grassy and acidic for me but I can appreciate the work thats gone into making this wine. A bronze medal winner at the IWSC its a very good wine.
Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada
St Clair, Estate Selection is a Sauvignon Blanc to rival the Cloudy Bay and Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc’s, not so much for the sheer quality but for the sheer value. This is a great wine wine, nipping at the heals of the other but at a £11 a bottle, the others are double or 50% more respectively.
The aromas are grassy notes with gooseberry coming through but the tastes change that. You get ripe pineapple, followed through with gooseberry and then a bit of lime and grass poking through. Its reasonably dry but the full fruit flavours hide the dryness and the acidity. The secret is to allow the wine to warm up a little to release the flavours.
This got a bronze medal at the Internal Wine Challenage which is a little stingy, silver medal in my humble opinion evey time.
From central Spain this is a light, dry white. With flavours of apple and citrus, esp lemon and lime its quite refreshing. Simple in many ways but that’s OK because you will want to drink this as a summer quencher. Best with chicken or pork dishes if you have having this with food, personally I would drink it on its own.
Cuatro Rayas, Cantarranas Verdejo 2018, Spain
This Vik wine is made for Majestic and at £15 a bottle when you buy a mix 6 (any 6 bottles) you expect something pretty good. Is it good?
Well its got big flavours and aromas of blackcurrant, coffee and cassis with hints of vanilla and firm tannins that grip the mouth. Its a wine that I would want food with. Meat or strong cheese to allow it to cut through the foods fat and bring balance.
Its a little pricey for me, its good but £15 a bottle its a bit much.
Vik, Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Chile