David & Nadia Aristargos 2018, Swartland, South Africa, 13.5%, (£25, Justerini & Brooks) We cracked open this voluptuous but energising white to mark South Africa’s Heritage Day (24th Sept). You can see a short vid we filmed for the occasion, as below. Many wine industries around the world...
So what would YOU go for if you had to choose three desert island wines? It's the question every true wine lover fears. Yet we gamely took it on in the name of entertainment...
Dog Point Chardonnay 2017, 13.5%, Marlborough, New Zealand (£26, Berry Bros & Rudd) Hello. We're Susie and Peter. And we have a problem...
Sidewood Isabella rosé 2014, Adelaide Hills, Australia (£21 or AUS$32, www.sidewood.com.au) Owen Inglis’s Sidewood Estate in Australia’s Adelaide Hills is a new discovery for us. Although the estate produces both still wines and ciders, it was the current releases of Sidewood’s sparkling wines that we were recently sent...
Saint Veran Domaine Trouillet 2018, France, 13.5% (£17.99 or £15.99 when you ‘mix six’, Majestic) Majestic Wine has been through a pretty rocky patch of late and it’s left most of us wondering what exactly is happening with one of the country’s favourite wine retailers. The company first...
Château Tayet Cuvée Prestige Bordeaux Supérieur 2015, France (£38.50, Private Cellar) Last week saw The Bunch’s annual tasting at which Private Cellar (new to the group) showed this magnum of Château Tayet. It's a blend of 55% Merlot with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, described as...
This fascinating tasting, which featured in the September 2019 edition of Decanter, took the temperature of Blanc de blancs sparkling wines from around the world. And would you believe it but top of the tree emerged...
Salicornia Dão Reserva 2016, 13%, Portugal (£6.99, Aldi) This was my pick of the bunch from a recent Aldi tasting (Sept 2019). As the nights draw in and we all start to crave characterful, comforting reds to sink into, this one ticks all the boxes. It’s Portuguese (made from...
As the English wine bandwagon trundles steadily onwards and upwards, attention has been shifting from sparkling wine onto still. While the quality of the fizz is no longer in doubt, many wine lovers seem to remain wary of the still wines. Perhaps they've been scarred by dodgy...
I had a fascinating trip to Australia at the end of 2018, in particular looking at the cooler climate regions like Western Australia, Yarra, Mornington and Tasmania. Australia has never made finer wines in a more diverse range of styles than now. It's a hugely exciting...