Main Divide, Pinot Noir from New Zealand

We spent the  on an old sailing barge that sailed out of Ipswich. On the way back to the train station we stopped off at the Majestic Ipswich store. They have a new system there where the wines are ordered in style rather than just country, which makes choosing a wine much much easier. Well done to Majestic for doing something that really helps the average customer.

Chris the manager showed us a wine he had opened for a previous customer called the Main Divide, a Pinot Noir from New Zealand. It had aromas of oak and smoke with black fruit. The the flavours were quite rich, black fruit, spice and a smokey undertone which was refreshing for a Pinot Noir. This was not a weak red but had character. At £20 a bottle it’s not cheap but it is a cracking wine.

Main Divide, Pinot Noir from New

Main Divide, Pinot Noir from New

Marani Kindzmarauli from Georgia

You can get some very nice wine from Georgia but I’ll be blunt,t is not one of them. Very rare will I throw a glass of wine away but in this case I threw the bottle away.

It was very one-dimensional with very jammy fruit, thought I might as as well being eating black currant jam straight from the jar. I can’t say if the issue was with the grape – Saperavi, or there was an error when making this wine. Sorry but one really to avoid.

Marani Kindzmarauli from Georgia

Marani Kindzmarauli from Georgia

 

 

Wine GB wine tour – Loire Valley 2019 – Day 5 – Saumur artesian wine making (the shed guy)

 

 

4 years ago we came across a little producer south of Saumur. Antoine Butet from Domaine De La Bruyere. Last time we met his father, this time we met the son, Antoine who is the. winemaker  The wines were crisp, clear with lovely taste of green fruit and pear flavours for the whites and subtle red fruit tastes, low tannins and easy drinking for the reds. We call him the shed guy because he literally works out of a shed, what looks like an old converted cow shed.

This may not be gold medal winning decanter wine, but it’s fantastic value at Eur4 or Eur5 a bottle and it will not embarrass you if you serve to friends, exactly what wine should be. Ps he also does 10 litre wine in a bag.

The shed guy

The shed guy

Domaine De la Bruyere

Domaine De la Bruyere