Tag Archives: 2018

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand

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There are 2 types of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, cheap and expensive and this one from Framingham is the later. At £15 a bottle its not Greywacke Wild Sauvignon price but a lot of people will see this at twice the price of what they would expect when they taste it. At £15 you are into the standard Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc which is far superior.

There are aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry which are joined by flavours of lemon and hints of green apple. Its all a bit harsh and acid based rather than elegant. Its more like a £6.99 bottle from Tesco. Its not terrible but get a bottle of Greywacke and see the light.

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand

 

Varga Pincészet, Aranymetszés Friss, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Hungary

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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

Varga Pincészet, Aranymetszés Friss, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Hungary

Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile

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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

Yali, Wild Swan, Merlot, 2018, Chile

Chateau De Fesles, rosé d’Anjou, La Capelle, 2018, Loire, France

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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.

 

Viñalba, Selección, Torrontés, 2018, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

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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

Viñalba, Selección, Torrontés, 2018, Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina

Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany

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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

Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany

 

Marks & Spencer, Daniel’s Drift, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, 2018, South Africa

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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

Marks & Spencer, Daniel’s Drift, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, 2018, South Africa

Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany

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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

Reichsrat von Buhl, Bone Dry Rosé, 2018, Pflaz, Germany

Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada

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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

Sumac Ridge Estate, Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, British Columbia, Canada

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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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.

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

    St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand