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...
Blackwood Clayhill Chardonnay 2017, 11.5%, England (£18.50, blackbookwinery.com) This is a wine that gets us excited - for many reasons. Firstly, it's made from Chardonnay. We're aware that may be problematic for those many people traumatised by soupy, sickly, revolting Chardonnays of the past. But this isn't just any...
This was a fascinating panel tasting for Decanter back in January 2019 (published in the June 2019 edition). The focus was 'icon' bordeaux-style blends from South America. In other words, some of the continent's most expensive and highly vaunted wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec...
Louis Guntrum Pinot Noir 2017, 13.5%, Rheinhessen, Germany (£13.99 down to £10.49 until 16.7.2019, Waitrose Cellar) Is Pinot Noir the wine lover's ultimate grape? And, if so, where do you find great value bottles of the same? A short while ago, I posed these questions on social media. In answer...
Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2014, 12%, Sussex, UK (Enquiries via website) One of the wonderful things about working in wine is the potential for making new discoveries. Roebuck Estates is my most recent. Until mid-June, I hadn’t heard of Roebuck. It was only after chairing the WineGB Awards...
Denbies The Brokes Botrytis Ortega 2016, 10%, England (£60 for 375 ml, Denbies) ‘Celebrating the sparkling success of English still wine’ is an inspired turn of phrase, and it belongs to Ruth Simpson. It was uttered at a masterclass I was hosting on English still wine together with...
Chapel Down Bacchus 2018, 12.5%, England (from £12, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Waitrose) Bacchus is a fascinating grape. It's originally from Germany but the UK seems to have co-opted it as its own and now it's England's answer to Sauvignon Blanc - aromatic, tangy and seemingly able to capture...
Nero Oro Appassimento 2017, 14%, Sicily, Italy (£8.99, Majestic) For those who like their reds a bit smoother and richer, this is for you. It makes a really versatile drinking partner for many dishes – partly because the appassimento (drying the grapes) gives a bit of richness and...
Naoussa Single Vineyard Xinomavro 2016, Apostolos Thymiopolous 13.5%, Greece (£15.50, The Wine Society) The Greek grape variety Xinomavro literally translates as ‘sour black’. So this gives you some idea of the kind of punch it can pack. (Susie describes it as, ‘like Nebbiolo on speed’.) This rendition is pretty...
Oreinos Helios Agiorgitiko Seméli Dry Rosé 2017, 13%, Greece (£8.50, The Wine Society) Wow! The colour on this wine is something else – vivid rich cherry red, really deep for a rosé, which gives you a hint of what’s to come… This is a pink wine that packs a...