Soalheiro Alvarinho 2011 (Vinho Verde) Portugal Vinho Verde wines are pretty much “must drink” white wines when the sun is out and temperatures are rising. I’d stop short of saying they should be compulsorily, mainly as it’d be a nightmare to enforce. They are though one of my most reliable summer drinking options. As a result I’ve not really had many for a while so when a sample of this arrived and the weather suddenly picked up it seemed daft not to crack it open. One thing that appeals to some people with Vinho Verde is that they tend to be relatively simplistic and drinkable wines. They don’t demand attention and just let you get on with enjoying the weather and watching the World go by. This one however has an added dimension. There’s more complexity on offer here than I was expecting, though at £17.99 you’d certainly expect more than just a simple glugger. I loved the citrus elements to this wine, initial sips reminded me of lemon sherbert. With time in the glass the wine became slightly more tropical. The level of acidity is very good, keeping the wine nice and refreshing and, importantly, good for summer drinking. I will admit I was surprised to discover this retails for £17.99 when I first looked it up. Having tasted it though it is certainly a quality wine. It’s a grown up Vinho Verde really. The problem is that there are lots of good Vinho Verdes for less. One thing this has taught me is that Albarino wines from Portgual may well be more my thing than the same wines from Spain. If you trawl through some of my more recent blog posts you’ll see a fair few Spanish Albarinos that have disappointed. This though is a wine I really enjoyed. So, if you’re already a fan of Vinho Verde wines and fancy trying an excellent example this is just the ticket. Or, if you fancy treating yourself and don’t really know what to drink in the summer you’ll find just what you’re looking for here. £17.99 from www.henningswine.co.uk  

Soalheiro Alvarinho 2011 (Vinho Verde) Portugal

Vinho Verde wines are pretty much “must drink” white wines when the sun is out and temperatures are rising. I’d stop short of saying they should be compulsorily, mainly as it’d be a nightmare to enforce. They are though one of my most reliable summer drinking options. As a result I’ve not really had many for a while so when a sample of this arrived and the weather suddenly picked up it seemed daft not to crack it open.

One thing that appeals to some people with Vinho Verde is that they tend to be relatively simplistic and drinkable wines. They don’t demand attention and just let you get on with enjoying the weather and watching the World go by. This one however has an added dimension. There’s more complexity on offer here than I was expecting, though at £17.99 you’d certainly expect more than just a simple glugger.

I loved the citrus elements to this wine, initial sips reminded me of lemon sherbert. With time in the glass the wine became slightly more tropical. The level of acidity is very good, keeping the wine nice and refreshing and, importantly, good for summer drinking.

I will admit I was surprised to discover this retails for £17.99 when I first looked it up. Having tasted it though it is certainly a quality wine. It’s a grown up Vinho Verde really. The problem is that there are lots of good Vinho Verdes for less.

One thing this has taught me is that Albarino wines from Portgual may well be more my thing than the same wines from Spain. If you trawl through some of my more recent blog posts you’ll see a fair few Spanish Albarinos that have disappointed. This though is a wine I really enjoyed.

So, if you’re already a fan of Vinho Verde wines and fancy trying an excellent example this is just the ticket. Or, if you fancy treating yourself and don’t really know what to drink in the summer you’ll find just what you’re looking for here.

£17.99 from www.henningswine.co.uk  

Fillaboa Albariño 2010 - Rias Baixas, Spain I’ve still not entirely gotten on board with Albariño. It seems to be everywhere at the moment but I don’t really see what it adds to my wine world. By now I must have had a good one but I don’t look particularly fondly on any of them. It seems to borrow elements from various other white grapes without exhibiting those elements as well as the other grapes. This wine certainly has some redeeming features. The apple and citrus notes are pleasant and I like the almost waxy texture of the wine. The slight dash of spice gives it a little character. This is certainly a food wine though, perhaps something Thai but not too spicy. Sadly I’m sat drinking this on the sofa and it doesn’t really have enough charisma to entirely entertain. It’s a nice wine but that’s really where it ends. I just don’t think I’m an Albariño kind of guy. If you are into Albariño I can see how you’d find this wine very enjoyable indeed. I’m on the fence a little and whilst I’d dearly love to leap off I think I’ll stay on my perch for the time being. £14.99 from Marks & Spencer.

Fillaboa Albariño 2010 - Rias Baixas, Spain

I’ve still not entirely gotten on board with Albariño. It seems to be everywhere at the moment but I don’t really see what it adds to my wine world. By now I must have had a good one but I don’t look particularly fondly on any of them. It seems to borrow elements from various other white grapes without exhibiting those elements as well as the other grapes.

This wine certainly has some redeeming features. The apple and citrus notes are pleasant and I like the almost waxy texture of the wine. The slight dash of spice gives it a little character. This is certainly a food wine though, perhaps something Thai but not too spicy.

Sadly I’m sat drinking this on the sofa and it doesn’t really have enough charisma to entirely entertain. It’s a nice wine but that’s really where it ends. I just don’t think I’m an Albariño kind of guy.

If you are into Albariño I can see how you’d find this wine very enjoyable indeed. I’m on the fence a little and whilst I’d dearly love to leap off I think I’ll stay on my perch for the time being.

£14.99 from Marks & Spencer.

Naked Wines head over the Pond….  I find myself sitting in the San Francisco departure lounge reflecting on 4 days spent tasting many wines in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. I came over as a guest of Naked Wines to help them locate new winemakers and wines to offer to their customers in the UK as well as in the US when they shortly launch their US website. I’ve accompanied members of staff, a few of their winemakers and some of their most vocal and loyal customers as we’ve travelled throughout Napa and Sonoma, tasting as we went. In the interests of full disclosure the trip was paid for by Naked Wines but they’ve not asked me to write this article or indeed mention the trip once. This is me talking… It’s worth taking a step back at this point to mention why Naked Wines have ended up stateside in the first place. UK based wine buyers will be familiar with the current state of exported American wines which tend to be low end mass produced rubbish or prohibitively expensive high end wine which looks suspiciously over priced. Being here has allowed me to understand the US wine model a little better which is perfectly set up to make a low priced wine ridiculously expensive. A cheap bottle of wine can very quickly find itself priced much higher once the various players in the Californian wine scene take their cut, be it suppliers, distributors, retailers with distributors or retailers all of whom add on average 33% to the cost from the previous stage. It’s a system that loosely originated following prohibition and somehow has managed to survive to this day. When you add the ridiculous level of duty on wine in the UK it’s enough to make you weep into your overpriced Cab Sauv. Rowan Gormley, the founder of Naked Wines, has this crooked system firmly in his sights. Rowan explained to me that by funding winemakers up front through the existing Naked Wines model they can work with these winemakers to produce wines, which by then will already have been “bought” by Naked Wines for onward sales to their customers. The various layers of the existing system will be bypassed and UK wine buyers will find themselves with a new supply of exciting Californian wine. Naked Wines are even investing in a winery where their winemakers can make the wine, adding further cost savings in the process. The quality of winemakers that Naked are working with should keep most cynics quiet. Names such as Ken Deis, Randall Grahm, Christina Pallmann and Jason Moore are signed up and ready to get to work. Robin Langton, an English winemaker based in California who counts Patz and Hall as a former employer is also making wines for Naked as well as acting as a consultant and point of contact for the winemakers in the network. Robin will be based at Naked’s winery and having tasted some of his wines he’s clearly a very safe pair of hands. We tasted around 60 wines on the trip with feedback being provided at the end in the way of a vote as to which wines we thought should come to the UK first. I won’t say what the result was but the final list made for very good reading indeed. It’s not just the UK that Naked Wines are focused on. They’ll be opening American and Australian websites in the same way they’ve done in the UK. American wine buyers will be able to buy wines from the same winemakers that Naked are using for their UK customers. It’s all go…. Soon American and Australian customers will have a new website to buy their wine from and most likely, a website very different to anything they’ve seen before. I’m confident these wines will go down well with Naked Wines’ existing customers. I just hope the rest of the wine community receives this new initiative well. Naked Wines get a hard time from the snootier corners of the wine world which frankly they don’t deserve. Their detractors are quick to cast them off as being naff or a con but if they bothered to talk to customers and the winemakers signed up to Naked Wines they’d soon see their arguments completely undermined. They need to be judged for what they are: a young and dynamic wine retailer who encourage interaction between winemakers and staff in a way that no-one else can match. They’re not trying to be the next Berry Bros and shouldn’t be judged as if they are. I’ve spent time in the past few months with two of Naked Wines’ winemakers (Stephen de Wet in South Africa and Ryan O’Connell in the Languedoc) both of whom love working with Naked Wines and interacting with their customers. Working with Naked Wines has changed their lives dramatically. The winemakers in the US seem just as keen. They deserve to be taken seriously as a wine retailer. In the meantime I’m going to sit back and wait for the wines I rated in Napa to hit Naked Wines’ cyber shelves in the near future at very competitive prices for the UK market. There are some cracking wines on their way and I for one am ready and waiting….

Naked Wines head over the Pond…. 

I find myself sitting in the San Francisco departure lounge reflecting on 4 days spent tasting many wines in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. I came over as a guest of Naked Wines to help them locate new winemakers and wines to offer to their customers in the UK as well as in the US when they shortly launch their US website.

I’ve accompanied members of staff, a few of their winemakers and some of their most vocal and loyal customers as we’ve travelled throughout Napa and Sonoma, tasting as we went. In the interests of full disclosure the trip was paid for by Naked Wines but they’ve not asked me to write this article or indeed mention the trip once. This is me talking…

It’s worth taking a step back at this point to mention why Naked Wines have ended up stateside in the first place. UK based wine buyers will be familiar with the current state of exported American wines which tend to be low end mass produced rubbish or prohibitively expensive high end wine which looks suspiciously over priced.

Being here has allowed me to understand the US wine model a little better which is perfectly set up to make a low priced wine ridiculously expensive. A cheap bottle of wine can very quickly find itself priced much higher once the various players in the Californian wine scene take their cut, be it suppliers, distributors, retailers with distributors or retailers all of whom add on average 33% to the cost from the previous stage. It’s a system that loosely originated following prohibition and somehow has managed to survive to this day. When you add the ridiculous level of duty on wine in the UK it’s enough to make you weep into your overpriced Cab Sauv.

Rowan Gormley, the founder of Naked Wines, has this crooked system firmly in his sights. Rowan explained to me that by funding winemakers up front through the existing Naked Wines model they can work with these winemakers to produce wines, which by then will already have been “bought” by Naked Wines for onward sales to their customers. The various layers of the existing system will be bypassed and UK wine buyers will find themselves with a new supply of exciting Californian wine. Naked Wines are even investing in a winery where their winemakers can make the wine, adding further cost savings in the process.

The quality of winemakers that Naked are working with should keep most cynics quiet. Names such as Ken Deis, Randall Grahm, Christina Pallmann and Jason Moore are signed up and ready to get to work. Robin Langton, an English winemaker based in California who counts Patz and Hall as a former employer is also making wines for Naked as well as acting as a consultant and point of contact for the winemakers in the network. Robin will be based at Naked’s winery and having tasted some of his wines he’s clearly a very safe pair of hands.

We tasted around 60 wines on the trip with feedback being provided at the end in the way of a vote as to which wines we thought should come to the UK first. I won’t say what the result was but the final list made for very good reading indeed.

It’s not just the UK that Naked Wines are focused on. They’ll be opening American and Australian websites in the same way they’ve done in the UK. American wine buyers will be able to buy wines from the same winemakers that Naked are using for their UK customers. It’s all go…. Soon American and Australian customers will have a new website to buy their wine from and most likely, a website very different to anything they’ve seen before.

I’m confident these wines will go down well with Naked Wines’ existing customers. I just hope the rest of the wine community receives this new initiative well. Naked Wines get a hard time from the snootier corners of the wine world which frankly they don’t deserve. Their detractors are quick to cast them off as being naff or a con but if they bothered to talk to customers and the winemakers signed up to Naked Wines they’d soon see their arguments completely undermined. They need to be judged for what they are: a young and dynamic wine retailer who encourage interaction between winemakers and staff in a way that no-one else can match. They’re not trying to be the next Berry Bros and shouldn’t be judged as if they are.

I’ve spent time in the past few months with two of Naked Wines’ winemakers (Stephen de Wet in South Africa and Ryan O’Connell in the Languedoc) both of whom love working with Naked Wines and interacting with their customers. Working with Naked Wines has changed their lives dramatically. The winemakers in the US seem just as keen. They deserve to be taken seriously as a wine retailer.

In the meantime I’m going to sit back and wait for the wines I rated in Napa to hit Naked Wines’ cyber shelves in the near future at very competitive prices for the UK market. There are some cracking wines on their way and I for one am ready and waiting….

Vidal Wine - Pinot Noir 2010 (Hawkes Bay, NZ) As one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries Vidal should know what they’re doing by now. I’ve enjoyed their wines before so saw no reason for concern in tucking into this one. I do wish in a way that I’d left this in the wine room for longer. It shows good promise and comes across as a very clean wine, but the depth of flavour I was looking for just wasn’t quite there. It tastes a little light and young. The fresh cherry notes are very good and it’s certainly a drinkable wine, I just wish I’d allowed it to age a little. So it’s my fault really. Or maybe the wine should be a little more drinkable a little earlier. Who knows? A slightly rambling blog and a slightly rambling wine to match.

Vidal Wine - Pinot Noir 2010 (Hawkes Bay, NZ)

As one of New Zealand’s oldest wineries Vidal should know what they’re doing by now. I’ve enjoyed their wines before so saw no reason for concern in tucking into this one.

I do wish in a way that I’d left this in the wine room for longer. It shows good promise and comes across as a very clean wine, but the depth of flavour I was looking for just wasn’t quite there. It tastes a little light and young. The fresh cherry notes are very good and it’s certainly a drinkable wine, I just wish I’d allowed it to age a little.

So it’s my fault really. Or maybe the wine should be a little more drinkable a little earlier. Who knows?

A slightly rambling blog and a slightly rambling wine to match.

Napa Trip - Day 1 I learnt two main things yesterday: (1) “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is a much better book than a film and (2) it’s cold at night in Napa during May! I arrived with the guys from Naked Wines in the afternoon and then crawled down the highway to Napa. After a quick change we were back out into Napa for a meal and the first wine of the trip. The wine we tried, from Ceja Vineyards, was their 2008 Chardonnay from Carneros/ Napa Valley and their 2008 Pinot Noir from Napa. Both were excellent to be honest. The Chardonnay was fresh and full of personality and subtle oak notes which pleased even the non-Chardonnay fans. The Pinot was my favourite of the two with a fantastically classic Pinot nose and gentle but pleasant red fruit notes and again, well integrated oak notes. Certainly bodes well for when the tasting begins in earnest tomorrow.

Napa Trip - Day 1

I learnt two main things yesterday: (1) “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is a much better book than a film and (2) it’s cold at night in Napa during May!

I arrived with the guys from Naked Wines in the afternoon and then crawled down the highway to Napa. After a quick change we were back out into Napa for a meal and the first wine of the trip.

The wine we tried, from Ceja Vineyards, was their 2008 Chardonnay from Carneros/ Napa Valley and their 2008 Pinot Noir from Napa.

Both were excellent to be honest. The Chardonnay was fresh and full of personality and subtle oak notes which pleased even the non-Chardonnay fans. The Pinot was my favourite of the two with a fantastically classic Pinot nose and gentle but pleasant red fruit notes and again, well integrated oak notes.

Certainly bodes well for when the tasting begins in earnest tomorrow.

Dom Perignon 2000 I’ll paint you a word picture; it was the eve of the wife’s 30th birthday. I was suffering the pre-giving of gifts nervousness. Had I got her good enough presents? Forget “good” even; had I got her enough presents full stop? There was of course one aspect of the evening that I was in full control of. The wine choice. Knowing the I had a bottle of this safely stowed away in my wine cooler provided plenty of comfort. I don’t think I’ve ever carried a bottle of wine downstairs quite so carefully. I’d probably have taken less care with a newborn baby. As far as icons go, Moët’s Dom Perignon champagne label is up there as one of the biggest in the wine world. Yes it’s a bit bling, but it’s champagne and that seems to be exactly the point half the time. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of the story of the monk named Dom Perignon discovering the champagne method, it’s still a wine steeped in legend, as well as being one of the most recognisable premium champagne brands. My first reaction was how youthful it seemed. I was expecting a dense biscuity treat but instead found a quite fresh and vibrant wine. The subtle hints of vanilla and caramel made this immediately appealing. The apple notes provided a refreshing edge to the wine. Slight oaky tones crept in with time in the glass. It was all just a bit classy to be honest! Despite all the bling of the brand and its history the wine itself is not “shouty” at all. Instead this is a quietly self assured wine. Exactly as I felt as I carried it downstairs as my weapon of choice. So there you have it. An awesome wine which can’t help but provide a conversation point. It’s just a shame it costs so much. Happy 30th Rach! Love you lots.

Dom Perignon 2000

I’ll paint you a word picture; it was the eve of the wife’s 30th birthday. I was suffering the pre-giving of gifts nervousness. Had I got her good enough presents? Forget “good” even; had I got her enough presents full stop?

There was of course one aspect of the evening that I was in full control of. The wine choice. Knowing the I had a bottle of this safely stowed away in my wine cooler provided plenty of comfort.

I don’t think I’ve ever carried a bottle of wine downstairs quite so carefully. I’d probably have taken less care with a newborn baby.

As far as icons go, Moët’s Dom Perignon champagne label is up there as one of the biggest in the wine world. Yes it’s a bit bling, but it’s champagne and that seems to be exactly the point half the time. Leaving aside the historical accuracy of the story of the monk named Dom Perignon discovering the champagne method, it’s still a wine steeped in legend, as well as being one of the most recognisable premium champagne brands.

My first reaction was how youthful it seemed. I was expecting a dense biscuity treat but instead found a quite fresh and vibrant wine. The subtle hints of vanilla and caramel made this immediately appealing. The apple notes provided a refreshing edge to the wine. Slight oaky tones crept in with time in the glass. It was all just a bit classy to be honest!

Despite all the bling of the brand and its history the wine itself is not “shouty” at all. Instead this is a quietly self assured wine. Exactly as I felt as I carried it downstairs as my weapon of choice.

So there you have it. An awesome wine which can’t help but provide a conversation point. It’s just a shame it costs so much.

Happy 30th Rach! Love you lots.

Henschke - Keynton Estate Euphonium 2005 (Barossa Valley, Australia) A proper blend this: Shiraz, Cab Sauv, Merlot and Cab Franc. Spot the odd one out. The Bordelais will be having kittens… This is tremendous stuff. At 7 years old it still feels very young. This has years and years left in it. It almost comes across as a little austere albeit with a bit of a tarty edge. The Cab Sauv does show up and the wine is very structured but there’s an obvious fruit presence too, notably cherries and dark berry notes. It’s not a cheap wine, it retails around £29 but if you can pick up a few of these it’ll be fascinating to see how they develop over the years. I suspect patience will be well rewarded. An iconic wine which drinks exactly as it should. I’d love to try another of these in a year or so…..

Henschke - Keynton Estate Euphonium 2005 (Barossa Valley, Australia)

A proper blend this: Shiraz, Cab Sauv, Merlot and Cab Franc. Spot the odd one out. The Bordelais will be having kittens…

This is tremendous stuff. At 7 years old it still feels very young. This has years and years left in it. It almost comes across as a little austere albeit with a bit of a tarty edge.

The Cab Sauv does show up and the wine is very structured but there’s an obvious fruit presence too, notably cherries and dark berry notes.

It’s not a cheap wine, it retails around £29 but if you can pick up a few of these it’ll be fascinating to see how they develop over the years. I suspect patience will be well rewarded.

An iconic wine which drinks exactly as it should. I’d love to try another of these in a year or so…..

Staete Landt - Dry Riesling 2008 (Marlborough, NZ) Thursday night marks the ramping up of my main wine consuming part of the week, ending on Sunday evening. As a result the choice of wine on a Thursday is very important indeed yet often ends up being something of a disappointment. Tonight however the wine I chose absolutely nailed it. This is one of the best wines I’ve had so far this year. It really is very good indeed. Ruud Maasdam and Dorien Vermaas from Holland purchased their 52 acre site in the Rapaura area of Marlborough in 1997. Riesling isn’t even their main focus so I’m now very keen to try their more staple offerings of Sauv Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wine itself is unmistakably Riesling on the nose. The slight hint of kerosene is as usual a dead giveaway. The flavours of pear and mandarin are intriguing and the finish is long and very pleasant indeed. The complexity and depth of this wine make it really interesting. So there you have it. A world class Riesling which has set the bar rather high for the rest of the weekend. Super stuff…..

Staete Landt - Dry Riesling 2008 (Marlborough, NZ)

Thursday night marks the ramping up of my main wine consuming part of the week, ending on Sunday evening. As a result the choice of wine on a Thursday is very important indeed yet often ends up being something of a disappointment.

Tonight however the wine I chose absolutely nailed it. This is one of the best wines I’ve had so far this year. It really is very good indeed.

Ruud Maasdam and Dorien Vermaas from Holland purchased their 52 acre site in the Rapaura area of Marlborough in 1997. Riesling isn’t even their main focus so I’m now very keen to try their more staple offerings of Sauv Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The wine itself is unmistakably Riesling on the nose. The slight hint of kerosene is as usual a dead giveaway. The flavours of pear and mandarin are intriguing and the finish is long and very pleasant indeed. The complexity and depth of this wine make it really interesting.

So there you have it. A world class Riesling which has set the bar rather high for the rest of the weekend. Super stuff…..

Laurence Graff Wines - Delaire Shiraz 2009, Stellenbosch, SA It would be very easy to declare this to be a diamond of a wine before then embarking on a host of other precious stone based gags. I will however fight the temptation. The reason of course is that this wine is from the relatively new estate on the outskirts of Stellenbosch created by Laurence Graff; godfather of the Graff diamond company. When I was in Stellenbosch in November 2011 they were landscaping the entrance to what is clearly a very impressive wine estate, or “lifestyle destination” to borrow a phrase from the vineyard. I actually sampled this wine about 6 hours down the coast in Stellenbosch in Knysna and was so impressed that I brought a bottle back in my suitcase. It didn’t last long…. There are excellent ripe fruit flavours here which are slightly sweet. The finish is long and raspberry filled. The hints of pepper add another dimension. It’s quite a manly wine I think. Not that I consider myself particularly manly of course. So. I’m glad I bought a bottle back. Now to find out where to buy it over here (if anywhere)….

Laurence Graff Wines - Delaire Shiraz 2009, Stellenbosch, SA

It would be very easy to declare this to be a diamond of a wine before then embarking on a host of other precious stone based gags. I will however fight the temptation.

The reason of course is that this wine is from the relatively new estate on the outskirts of Stellenbosch created by Laurence Graff; godfather of the Graff diamond company.

When I was in Stellenbosch in November 2011 they were landscaping the entrance to what is clearly a very impressive wine estate, or “lifestyle destination” to borrow a phrase from the vineyard.

I actually sampled this wine about 6 hours down the coast in Stellenbosch in Knysna and was so impressed that I brought a bottle back in my suitcase. It didn’t last long….

There are excellent ripe fruit flavours here which are slightly sweet. The finish is long and raspberry filled. The hints of pepper add another dimension. It’s quite a manly wine I think. Not that I consider myself particularly manly of course.

So. I’m glad I bought a bottle back. Now to find out where to buy it over here (if anywhere)….

Alpha Domus - “The Barnstormer” Syrah 2008, Hawkes Bay, NZ I’m not entirely sure about this one. It’s certainly pleasant, there’s nothing wrong with it but, ironically, it’s nothing barnstorming. It has a good plummy nose but on the palate it’s just a bit one dimensional. This is certainly a food wine as opposed to a sofa wine. It’s got a quite acidic impact. The finish is sadly a little short and the aftertaste a bit, sour really…. There’s just not the depth of flavour or complexity I like in this wine and whilst it’s pleasant enough my barn is remaining unstormed tonight.

Alpha Domus - “The Barnstormer” Syrah 2008, Hawkes Bay, NZ

I’m not entirely sure about this one. It’s certainly pleasant, there’s nothing wrong with it but, ironically, it’s nothing barnstorming.

It has a good plummy nose but on the palate it’s just a bit one dimensional. This is certainly a food wine as opposed to a sofa wine. It’s got a quite acidic impact. The finish is sadly a little short and the aftertaste a bit, sour really….

There’s just not the depth of flavour or complexity I like in this wine and whilst it’s pleasant enough my barn is remaining unstormed tonight.

Ridgeview “South Ridge” Blanc de Noirs 2009 It’s exciting to be involved in wine at a time when English wines, particularly the sparkling wines, seem to be getting better and better. Ridgeview for a while now have been one of the main flag bearers of this continuing onslaught of quality English wine. I’ll confess that if forced to choose between Blanc de Noirs (made from only the red grapes Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier) or a Blanc de Blancs (made from only Chardonnay) I’d plump for Blanc de Blancs more often. This however has convinced me to not be quite so rash when choosing next time! There’s a lovely light coppery hue to this wine and the flavours are long and deep. I loved the strawberry hints and slight notes of vanilla. It’s very dry and rich but pleasantly so. This is a fizz to produce when you want to make an impression. So, Ridgview continue to impress. Not the I expected anything else of course… Available exclusively from Laithwaites for the bargain price of £19.99. Take that Champagne…..

Ridgeview “South Ridge” Blanc de Noirs 2009

It’s exciting to be involved in wine at a time when English wines, particularly the sparkling wines, seem to be getting better and better. Ridgeview for a while now have been one of the main flag bearers of this continuing onslaught of quality English wine.

I’ll confess that if forced to choose between Blanc de Noirs (made from only the red grapes Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier) or a Blanc de Blancs (made from only Chardonnay) I’d plump for Blanc de Blancs more often. This however has convinced me to not be quite so rash when choosing next time!

There’s a lovely light coppery hue to this wine and the flavours are long and deep. I loved the strawberry hints and slight notes of vanilla. It’s very dry and rich but pleasantly so. This is a fizz to produce when you want to make an impression.

So, Ridgview continue to impress. Not the I expected anything else of course…

Available exclusively from Laithwaites for the bargain price of £19.99. Take that Champagne…..

Vionta Albariño 2010 - Rias Baixas, Spain Spanish whites have always left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. Not including sparkling wines of course. The still whites though have never really inspired me. It’s not as though I’ve undertaken any kind of pilgrimage of course, but the ones I’ve come across going about my usual business just haven’t worked for me. Albariño however is the grape that’s made the best progress in convincing me that there might just be something about Spanish whites after all. This one, from the dependable Rias Baixas region has continued along that path. There are plenty of apple notes here, easily the first thing that springs to mind in fact. I like the slightly herbal finish, which has almost a pinch of spice thrown in, slight ginger notes too. The nose is packed with melon hints and a floral whiff which make you keen to get the smelling over with and the tasting started. There’s a real aromatic quality to this wine which makes it interesting if not astounding. However this is one of the best Spanish whites I’ve had. Admittedly the field isn’t the strongest but that can’t be blamed on this wine! I won’t gloss over the Spanish whites quite so quickly next time I’m in their company….. The 2009 vintage of this wine is available for £12.49 from Majestic.

Vionta Albariño 2010 - Rias Baixas, Spain

Spanish whites have always left me feeling a little bit underwhelmed. Not including sparkling wines of course. The still whites though have never really inspired me. It’s not as though I’ve undertaken any kind of pilgrimage of course, but the ones I’ve come across going about my usual business just haven’t worked for me.

Albariño however is the grape that’s made the best progress in convincing me that there might just be something about Spanish whites after all. This one, from the dependable Rias Baixas region has continued along that path.

There are plenty of apple notes here, easily the first thing that springs to mind in fact. I like the slightly herbal finish, which has almost a pinch of spice thrown in, slight ginger notes too. The nose is packed with melon hints and a floral whiff which make you keen to get the smelling over with and the tasting started.

There’s a real aromatic quality to this wine which makes it interesting if not astounding. However this is one of the best Spanish whites I’ve had. Admittedly the field isn’t the strongest but that can’t be blamed on this wine! I won’t gloss over the Spanish whites quite so quickly next time I’m in their company…..

The 2009 vintage of this wine is available for £12.49 from Majestic.

Domaine du Murinais - Crozes-Hermitage 2009 (Northern Rhone, France) It seems that wherever you look, Luc Tardy of Domaine du Murinais is described as a “rising star” or “one to watch”. He’s either very good at the publicity side of things, or he is indeed a very good winemaker. Having now tried his Crozes-Hermitage ‘09 I’m fairly sure that the latter is the case, as this is a lovely wine. There’s an immediate sense of purity here. The typical Syrah notes are very concentrated leaving an impressive amount of fruit. This has made me wonder if I use the word “elegant” too freely in my blogs as this is certainly more elegant than some of the other wines I’ve recently given the same praise too. Maybe I should go back and add “quite” to some of my recent entries…. This is still relatively young but is already drinking very well and I’m chuffed that I bought a whole case of this en primeur. Super stuff…. Available for £14.90 p/b in cases of 12 from OW Loeb.

Domaine du Murinais - Crozes-Hermitage 2009 (Northern Rhone, France)

It seems that wherever you look, Luc Tardy of Domaine du Murinais is described as a “rising star” or “one to watch”. He’s either very good at the publicity side of things, or he is indeed a very good winemaker.

Having now tried his Crozes-Hermitage ‘09 I’m fairly sure that the latter is the case, as this is a lovely wine. There’s an immediate sense of purity here. The typical Syrah notes are very concentrated leaving an impressive amount of fruit.

This has made me wonder if I use the word “elegant” too freely in my blogs as this is certainly more elegant than some of the other wines I’ve recently given the same praise too. Maybe I should go back and add “quite” to some of my recent entries….

This is still relatively young but is already drinking very well and I’m chuffed that I bought a whole case of this en primeur. Super stuff….

Available for £14.90 p/b in cases of 12 from OW Loeb.

Cederberg “Five Generations” Chenin Blanc 2007  It’s not easy to sell a used car when the manufacturer, in my case Saab, has just gone out of business. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in their operation to begin with or in your ability to acquire the parts you’re most likely to need to keep the ting on the road…. So having sold the blood thing I was in the mood for a special wine to celebrate with. I decided against fizz on this occasion, and settled for this which I’ve had my eye on for a while whilst it laid patiently in my wine cellar. I’ve always seen Cederberg as a reliable producer, particularly at the top end. A nice contrast with Saab if you will…. This is one of their top Chenins. It costs around £20.00 in the UK but this vintage seems to be mainly sold out having had a quick look on Google. This was bought from Corks Out in the North West but they too seem to be out of this wine now. The price is explained by the small quantities. This comes from vines planted in 1978 which sadly have now been pulled out to make way for new vines. This wine remains a fitting tribute to them. From the very first mouthful you immediately notice the complexity and layer upon layer of taste that this wine possesses. There’s a slight hint of mandarin in there along with honey and lime. I also detected a certain smokiness which reminded me of a Margaret River Semillon. No bad thing at all…. If you’ve never really explored Chenin this is a great example of it at its top end. It may be more than you’re used to paying for it but it’s a real treat! RIP Saab……

Cederberg “Five Generations” Chenin Blanc 2007 

It’s not easy to sell a used car when the manufacturer, in my case Saab, has just gone out of business. It doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in their operation to begin with or in your ability to acquire the parts you’re most likely to need to keep the ting on the road….

So having sold the blood thing I was in the mood for a special wine to celebrate with. I decided against fizz on this occasion, and settled for this which I’ve had my eye on for a while whilst it laid patiently in my wine cellar.

I’ve always seen Cederberg as a reliable producer, particularly at the top end. A nice contrast with Saab if you will…. This is one of their top Chenins. It costs around £20.00 in the UK but this vintage seems to be mainly sold out having had a quick look on Google. This was bought from Corks Out in the North West but they too seem to be out of this wine now. The price is explained by the small quantities. This comes from vines planted in 1978 which sadly have now been pulled out to make way for new vines. This wine remains a fitting tribute to them.

From the very first mouthful you immediately notice the complexity and layer upon layer of taste that this wine possesses. There’s a slight hint of mandarin in there along with honey and lime. I also detected a certain smokiness which reminded me of a Margaret River Semillon. No bad thing at all….

If you’ve never really explored Chenin this is a great example of it at its top end. It may be more than you’re used to paying for it but it’s a real treat!

RIP Saab……

Vergelegelen “Mill Race” Merlot/Cab Sauv 2005 (Stellenbosch) The label recommends drinking within 4 years of vintage. Oh well…. This wine may have seen better days, certainly fruitier days but I thought this was a lovely wine indeed. It’s very Bordelais in nature (so it really must have lost its fruit….). This is a peppery and spicy mouthful that utterly divided our group. I was on the side of loving it. If you’ve got one of these I wouldn’t leave it much longer though. Drink up!

Vergelegelen “Mill Race” Merlot/Cab Sauv 2005 (Stellenbosch)

The label recommends drinking within 4 years of vintage. Oh well….

This wine may have seen better days, certainly fruitier days but I thought this was a lovely wine indeed. It’s very Bordelais in nature (so it really must have lost its fruit….).

This is a peppery and spicy mouthful that utterly divided our group. I was on the side of loving it. If you’ve got one of these I wouldn’t leave it much longer though. Drink up!