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An expressive red wine from Bergerac. Perfect for a barbecue!

Château Bel-Air, Bergerac 2020 (France)

This expressive red wine from Bergerac in the Dordogne, just to the east of Bordeaux, is a very good example of the high-quality, good value wines from this appellation. 

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this Château Bel-Air 2020 is an elegant, well-balanced wine with generous tannins and a long finish. With plum, cherry and black fruits on the nose, and blackcurrant, plum and vanilla on the palate, this is an excellent match for a grilled or roast meat dish, or with roasted vegetables. Perfect for a barbecue!

Available from Majestic (£8.99; Mix Six £7.99)

With the approach of spring, it’s time to try something a little lighter …

Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 (New Zealand)

As the days gets longer and the weather warms up a little, a Pinot Noir is a very good choice to herald the return of spring. Typically, pale to medium in colour, with high acidity and low to medium tannins, it is a wine that has red fruit flavours which may be complemented by subtle oak-derived notes of smoke and cloves. A versatile grape, it pairs well with a variety of dishes – from salmon and tuna to roast chicken, lamb and duck. It also goes well with a tomato-based pasta dish or pizza.

The Mud House Pinot Noir 2020 hails from Central Otago in New Zealand. Located inland in the foothills of the Southern Alps, the climate in this area is continental but is protected from sea breezes and rains by the mountains, resulting in intensely sunny days and cool nights. Ideal conditions for Pinot Noir to flourish.

This wine has red cherry, raspberry and bramble aromas, with a hint of peppery spice, on the nose and fresh fruit flavours of raspberry and redcurrant on the palate. It is a well-balanced medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and a medium finish, which can be drunk by itself or with food – it goes particularly well with lamb or duck.

Available from Majestic Wine £13.99 (Mix Six-£10.99)

If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay, then this is for you …

Bread & Butter Chardonnay, 2019, California

Chardonnay may not be everyone’s cup of tea, or rather choice of tipple. Some wine drinkers swear by it and won’t drink anything else; others will drink ‘Anything But Chardonnay’. Nevertheless, Chardonnay is one of the most widely-planted and versatile grapes in the world and comes in a range of styles, depending on its provenance and the winemaker’s approach to wine production. Although wine drinkers may prefer one style or another, or indeed not care for it at all, one of the pleasures of exploring the world of wine is discovering what Chardonnay has to offer.  

Cooler climate Chardonnays from regions such as Northern Burgundy, Oregon and Tasmania tend to have more acidity, and more citrussy, minerally flavours. They are generally leaner, with lower levels of alcohol. Warmer climate Chardonnays from more southern areas of Burgundy, and most of California and Australia, tend to be fuller-bodied with higher levels of alcohol and less acidity. These wines have riper, stone-fruit and tropical fruit flavours such as peach, pineapple and banana. 

In addition to the primary flavours related to climate, the winemaker’s judicious use of malolactic conversion (MLF) and oak barrel fermentation can introduce dairy flavours of butter and cream, and oak flavours of smoke, vanilla and coconut.

This particular Chardonnay is a rich, bold wine from California. It is a blend of grapes grown in Monterrey and the cooler Los Carneros, and has notes of apple, vanilla, butter and peach, and flavours of butter, honey, toast and tropical fruit. Soft and creamy with a long, smooth finish, it is a well-balanced wine. If you like smoky, oaked Chardonnay with plenty of body, this is a fine example and well worth trying.

It is a wine that will go well with a creamy chicken dish, a rich pasta dish or soft cheese.

Available from Majestic (£15.99, Mix Six £13.99)

Three recent discoveries to tempt your palate as we start the new year …

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year and looking forward to sharing new discoveries with you in 2022!

Why not kick the year off with something a little different? Here are three interesting wines to tempt your palate …  

Eight Thousand Lakes 2019 Riesling (USA)

Although we might automatically think of Germany when we think of Riesling, the grape is very adaptable and is grown in many different parts of the world. The common denominator is its preference for cooler, more temperate environments, where the longer growing times enable the grapes to retain their characteristic acidity as they ripen. The Ancient Lakes region of Columbia Valley in Washington State is one such environment.

Here, the higher elevation, relatively low rainfall, cooler climate and wider diurnal temperatures help preserve acidity in the grapes, and this high acidity is a signature characteristic of wines from this region.

The Eight Thousand Lakes 2019 Riesling is a very good example of a fresh, vibrant, aromatic Riesling. It’s an off-dry wine with refreshing acidity and has aromas of apple, pear and honey on the nose, and lemon and peach flavours with a touch of minerality on the palate. A smooth wine with a long finish, it can be drunk by itself or paired with seafood or a slightly spicy Asian dish. We had it with salmon with a Japanese twist and it went down a treat. 

Majestic (£12.99, Mix Six £9.99)

Somborne Estate Reserve Red 2014 (England)

One of the things I enjoy most about exploring English and Welsh wines is the opportunity to try unusual grape varieties. And if you’re looking for a little treat to help you get into gear as we start 2022, this delightful Rondo wine from Somborne Valley Vineyard in Hampshire, ticks all the boxes.

Rondo is a hybrid grape variety, created in 1964 when Zarya Severa, a grape variety of Russian origin, was crossed with St Laurent from Austria. Given its hardiness and high resistance to winter frost, it generally fares well in Northern Europe and is widely cultivated in the UK. It typically produces rich, deeply-coloured wines with good fruit flavours. This one is no exception.

Deep ruby in colour, this is a rich, smooth, medium-bodied wine. It has blackberry, plum and black cherry aromas, with notes of cinnamon and vanilla, on the nose, and rich black fruit flavours with savoury notes on the palate. It is a wine with depth and complexity, and very well-balanced.

This is a wine to sit and relax with, or to enjoy with lamb chops, beef casserole or your favourite cheese.

Available from Grape Britannia (£15.99)

Domaine la Hitaire ‘Les Tours’ 2019 (France)

Quite apart from the obvious choices, France is a wine region that never fails to surprise and delight. And Gascony in southwest France is a quiet corner of the country that punches above its size. Here you can find a real abundance of interesting and unusual grape varieties, and this blend of Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Gros Manseng is a little gem. 

The three grape varieties complement each other very well. Ugni Blanc is a relatively bland grape variety on its own but in a blend, can contribute its natural acidity and floral notes. Colombard brings with it flavours of peach and nectarine and Gros Manseng is an aromatic grape variety bringing crisp, faintly spicy flavours to a blend.

This is a dry wine with relatively low alcohol and a crisp, refreshing acidity. It has aromas of lemon, grapefruit and apple, with floral and herbaceous notes on the nose, and flavours of peach, nectarine and lychee, with a hint of spice on the palate.  Well-balanced with a long finish, this is a perfect apéritif wine, and will go well with goat’s cheese, seafood, or a slightly spicy dish.

Available from Majestic (£8.99, Mix Six £6.99)

Three recent discoveries to tempt your palate this New Year …

Why not try something different this New Year? Here are three interesting wines to tempt your palate …

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year and looking forward to sharing new discoveries with you in 2021!

Felsner Moosburgerin Grüner Veltliner 2019 (Austria)

For something a little different this New Year, this Grüner Veltliner white wine from Niederösterreich (Lower Austria) serves as an excellent aperitif and is a very good match for a seafood dish. A dry wine with medium (+) acidity, it has aromas of apple, pear, lemon and grapefruit, with a hint of pepper and peach on the palate.  It is well-balanced and has a long finish, and is a very good example of the high-quality yet reasonably priced wines you can find from Austria these days. Waitrose £12.49

Carménère 2019, Rapel Valley (Chile) M&S Classics 27

This M&S Classic Carménère 2019 is a very good example of Chile’s signature wine variety. A dry wine with medium (+) acidity, medium (+) tannins and medium (+) body, it has pronounced aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry with notes of vanilla, cedar and menthol on the nose; and hints of chocolate, spice and plum on the palate. The wine has a medium (+) finish and will pair very well with a hearty meat dish and/or roasted vegetables. It’s a steal at £8. Marks & Spencer.

Le Sabbie Dell’Etna Rosso, DOC Etna 2018 (Italy)

Italian wines never fail to surprise (and delight) me, and this is a little gem. Dry, with high acidity and medium tannins, this wine from the slopes of Sicily’s Mt Etna is a blend of Nerrelo Mascalese and Nerrelo Cappucio, and has pronounced aromas of redcurrant and red cherry, with hints of cedar and a touch of earthiness, on the nose, and intense flavours of raspberry and redcurrant, spice and cloves on the palate. A medium-bodied wine with a medium (+) finish. If you are looking for something to brighten up your new year, this is it! Waitrose (£12.99)

Il est arrivé. It’s here – the 2020 Beaujolais Nouveau is out!

Made from Gamay grapes grown on the alluvial plains  of the Beaujolais region of Eastern France, Beaujolais Nouveau is specifically made for early drinking. Bottled just weeks after the grapes have been harvested, and using a wine-making technique known as carbonic maceration, the wine is typically lighter-bodied, fresh and fruity. 

The wines cannot be released for sale until the third Thursday in November … today … and though this year’s celebrations will be rather muted, typically Beaujolais Day is a good excuse to party, whether in Lyon, Paris, London, Tokyo, New York or elsewhere. 

I ordered my bottle of Jean Loron Beaujolais Nouveau 2020 in advance and was able to enjoy it earlier today. Here are my thoughts –  

the wine is medium purple in colour and has intense aromas of raspberry, strawberry and cranberry with a hint of bubble gum on the nose, and intense red fruits flavours on the palate. Dry, with low tannin and medium + acidity, it is a light bodied wine with a medium finish. It’s a perfectly agreeable wine, fine to enjoy by itself or with something light to accompany it. We had it with gyoza (Japanese dumplings).

I hedged my bets and ordered two bottles. I’m so glad I did – I can now look forward to enjoying the second bottle in January or February when we’re in the depths of winter and I need something to put me in a cheery mood!

But for now, let’s celebrate the Beaujolais harvest.

Happy Beaujolais Day!

Three warming reds for Bonfire Night!

It’s the time of year when the air is usually filled with the smell of bonfires and the sound of cracks and bangs as fireworks go off. Unfortunately this year, we are all likely to be limited to the back garden with a few sparklers … but that shouldn’t stop us enjoying a warming glass or two of red wine afterwards …. Here are three to consider:

Château Caronne Ste.Gemme Haut-Médoc, 2015

This is a well-balanced Bordeaux red from the Left Bank. A Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend, it has bramble, cooked fruit and blackberry aromas on the nose, with a hint of vanilla, toast and spice.  There are pronounced stewed fruit flavours on the palate, together with a hint of earthiness, and this is a medium bodied wine with medium alcohol and high tannins. It is a very good wine, and just the ticket on a chilly autumn night.  Majestic Wine £16.99 (£14.99 Mix Six)

Two Hands ‘Angels’ Share’ Shiraz, Australia 2019

This is a very good full-bodied wine from McLaren Vale with high alcohol, medium tannins and a nice long finish. Pronounced blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry aromas on the nose, with hints of white pepper and chocolate, and a rich black fruitiness intermingled with a light spiciness on the palate. A well-balanced wine which will go well with a beef casserole or other substantial dish. Majestic Wine £21.99 (£17.99 Mix Six)

Casillero de Diablo Reserva 2017, Central Valley, Chile

A straightforward Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the warm Central Valley region. Notes of blackberry, red cherry, bell pepper and cloves on the nose, with quite intense fruit flavours of blackcurrant and plum on the palate. A dry wine with high acidity and medium tannins, it has medium alcohol and a medium finish. Not a complex wine, but perfectly fine for mid-week, with or without the fireworks! Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, around £8.

Stump Jump Shiraz 17 d’Arenberg

This is a full-bodied deep ruby wine from McLaren Vale, Australia. Minty and fragrant on the nose, and concentrated with lashings of pronounced black fruit as well as liquorice and sweet spice on the palate. A smooth wine with a nice long finish. It works well with your Sunday roast, and is a good match for a steak and pepper sauce or something similarly robust.

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