South American Syrah tasting

Is Syrah the Cinderella of South American wine? That's the question I ask at the start of this piece, noting how often Syrah is overlooked in favour of more glamorous rivals (Cabernet, Malbec, Tannat etc). But it's a shame because Syrah has huge potential in South America,...

Aristargos 2018

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...

Eyrie Original Vines Pinot Noir 2016

Eyrie Original Vines Pinot Noir 2016, Dundee Hills, Oregon 14% (£80-90, Savage Selection) This was a lockdown wine to remember. And remember we did, because we only had about 100ml of the stuff (whole bottles tend to interfere with memory, we find). That's because this wine was part of...

Top South American Chardonnay under £20

According to the US parenting website BabyCenter, the girl’s name Chardonnay (with connotations of ‘popularity’) saw its usage peak in the 1990s, at 47 babies per million. Its frequency has declined since, to the point where Parents.com ranked it as the fourth worst baby name...

Exquisite Collection Organic Malbec 2019

Exquisite Collection Organic Argentinian Malbec 2019, 13.5% (£6.99, Aldi) This juicy, fresh, easy-going red will give a lot of drinking pleasure. It’s worlds away from the body-builder reds that have fallen out of fashion in Argentina lately. This is upbeat, friendly stuff that also happens to be organic....

Neyen Malbec 2016

Neyen Malbec 2016, 13%, Apalta, Chile (c £50) I wasn’t supposed to taste this wine. The producer was supposed to send another wine. But somehow it was this very particular Malbec – just one of 762 bottles made – that ended up being despatched. Serendipity, I guess you’d call...

Clusel Roch Traboules 2017

Clusel Roch Traboules 2017, Coteaux Lyonnais, France (£12.67, Justerini & Brooks) Clusel Roch is an excellent producer best known for its excellent northern Rhône reds, including some delicious Côte Rôties.  This Traboules is an intriguing and utterly delicious oddity. It's from the south of the little-known Lyonnais appellation, not...