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February Wines of the Month: Clos Clare Watervale Riesling 2011 & Filipa Pato Nossa Calcario Branco 2010
There’s a common thread between my February Wines of the Month. Both are made by producers from famous winemaking stock. Clos Clare is made by Sam, Tom and Olivia Barry whose dad is Peter Barry of Jim Barry (their grandfather), while Filipa Pato is Luis Pato’s daughter. Here are my notes on the wines: Clos [...]
Continue reading...November Wines of the Month: two top Autumnal Cape wines, each under a tenner
Posted Wednesday 2nd November 2011
They say that dogs reflect their owners. If my ebullient November Wines of the Month, both extreme good value, are anything to go by, I reckon the same is true of wine! Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap White 2010 At last, Marc Kent has succumbed to the virtues of Chenin Blanc, which comprises 19% of this [...]
Continue reading...October Wines of the Month: Reyneke Organic Chenin/Chardonnay/Sauvignon 2010 & Torbreck The Woodcutter’s Shiraz 2009
Posted Tuesday 4th October 2011
September is an intensive month in the London tasting calendar so it’s no easy task to single out my October Wines of the Month, but here they are: Reyneke Organic Chenin/Chardonnay/Sauvignon 2010 (WO Coastal) South Africa’s white Chenin based blends excite me and the Reyneke – in its maiden release – is a worthy addition [...]
Continue reading...August Wines of the Month: Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2009 & Lucy M Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010, naturally.
Posted Monday 8th August 2011
Did I mention I’d been to Australia recently?!?!? My August Wines of the Month both made a deep impression on me and, excitingly, represent elements of Australia’s wine “industry” that you don’t hear so much about. Cullen are certified biodynamic and Von Klopper is a natural winemaker, who also tends his vineyard bidoynamically. Click here and here for [...]
Continue reading...July Wines of the Month: Domaine du Clos Roussely Le Clos Touraine Sauvignon 2010 and Camel Valley Rosé 2009
Posted Friday 1st July 2011
Call me an optimist – be nice to see more sunshine and less showers – for July’s Wines of the Month I’ve selected two delightfully fresh, summer wines. Domaine du Clos Roussely Le Clos Touraine Sauvignon 2010 (Touraine) From the French man who makes “Les Bag-in-Box,” Vincent Roussely’s modern (bottled) Loire Sauvignon shows great concentration and clarity of mouthwatering, [...]
Continue reading...June Wines of the Month: Margaret River calling, old dogs new tricks…
Posted Wednesday 1st June 2011
Last month’s London International Wine Fair threw up a couple of Margaret River beauts that make the cut for June’s Wines of the Month. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 This proved a big hit at a masterclass I presented on behalf of Margaret River Wine Industry Association – hats off to winemaker Paul Attwood who, [...]
Continue reading...May Wines of the Month: a pair of Spanish stars, El Transistor & Petalos
Posted Monday 2nd May 2011
This month, unusually, I’m venturing into the other Iberian country, Spain, but not without good cause! Telmo Rodriguez El Transistor Blanco 2008 (Rueda) At the weekend, I met one of Spain’s finest winemakers, Telmo Rodriguez. Though his reputation is for innovation, concerned that the trellis “is destroying his country’s landscape and tradition,” Rodriguez told us [...]
Continue reading...April Wines of the Month:Ghost Corner Semillon 2008 (Elim) & Steenberg Semillon 2010 (Constantia)
Posted Thursday 31st March 2011
I’ve written a good deal about Hunter Valley Semillon from Australia lately and with good reason! But a South African tasting last week reminded me that the Cape can produced very accomplished Semillons too. Quite different from the Hunter, the Cape’s cool climate regions produce wines which are closer in style to Margaret River or Bordeaux, perhaps [...]
Continue reading...March Wines of the Month: Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2009 & Raats Cabernet Franc 2007
Posted Tuesday 1st March 2011
A dynamic duo from the Cape this month, the first of which is on deal at Majestic at the mo! Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2009 (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley) This consistently impressive South African Chardonnay was one of five Chardonnays from around the world which made the cut for the Sommelier Journal’s Top Releases of 2010. Its tightly structured [...]
Continue reading...February Wines of the Month: Hidden Valley Lands End Cape Agulhas Syrah 2007 & Pó de Poeira Red 2008
Posted Friday 4th February 2011
As you’ll have picked up from this week’s posts about Pinot Noir (here and here), it’s not for no reason it’s dubbed the heartbreak grape. Nonetheless, its perfume and slinky elegance have seduced winemakers not just to make it or drink it, but also to capture some of its super sensual qualities when working with other varieties. [...]
Continue reading...January Wines of the Month: Niepoort Ladredo 2008 & Crying Vine Margaret River Old Vine Chardonnay 2009
Posted Tuesday 4th January 2011
Niepoort Ladredo 2008 (Ribeira Sacra, Spain) Though made by Portugal’s Dirk Niepoort this wine didn’t qualify for my top five Portuguese wines because it’s from Spain, but it’s a great wine with which to kick off 2011′s Wines of the Month because it was a tasting highlight of 2010. A really beautiful wine whose floral, white pepper and [...]
Continue reading...December Wines of the Month: sweet, sticky and seasonal from Philippe Delesvaux & Seppeltsfield
Posted Thursday 2nd December 2010
For my December Wines of the Month I’m going to start as I mean to go on, with a daily December drip feed of seasonal treats of the fortified, sweet or sparkling variety. Domaine Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Saint Aubin Passerillé 2009 (Loire) – passerillé tells you that this Chenin Blanc owes its sweetness to [...]
Continue reading...Gurus and high watermarks, OK Waterfords: November Wines of the Month
Posted Monday 1st November 2010
November’s Wines of the Month are the latest releases of two consistently high performers. Wine & Soul Guru, one of the Douro’s top whites, is made by husband and wife team Jorge Serodio Borges and Sandra Tavares da Silva. First made in 2004, it just gets better and better every year – though never an ugly duckling, [...]
Continue reading...October Wines of the Month: Old World New World?
Posted Monday 11th October 2010
Great wines came so thick and fast on my Australia trip that I couldn’t get my ahead around which wines to select for October’s Wines of the Month. Too hard! Anyway, I’m back home and, on due reflection, have selected a Chinon, the perfect autumnal red, from a new, cutting edged producer which The Wine Society’s Loire [...]
Continue reading...September Wines of the Month: a Majestic pair
Posted Wednesday 1st September 2010
My September Wines of the Month are a Majestic pair in every sense of the word: Altano Douro Organic 2008 (Douro) – this blend of Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca is the second vintage of Altano’s organic wine from 7ha at Quinta de Assares, one of three vineyards the Symington family own [...]
Continue reading...Turning Portuguese
Posted Monday 2nd August 2010
My August Wines of the Month are the real McCoy from Filipa Pato, one of 3 bargainful Bairrada beauts I tasted last week at The Wine Society (see here for my report). My red, on the other hand, hails from the Cape but it’s an exciting blend of Syrah with Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira made by David Trafford. [...]
Continue reading...Two refined, single vineyard Aussie reds
Posted Thursday 1st July 2010
I know that last month featured two Aussie wines, but I make no apology for selecting two more Aussie wines, both reds, for my July Wines of the Month, they’re so darned good. La Violetta La Ciornia 2008 (Denmark, Great Southern) – signals loud and clear that Western Australia can make really exciting Rhonish reds. [...]
Continue reading...Abercrombie & The Florita on overdrive: finesseful Aussies
Posted Tuesday 1st June 2010
My June Wines of the Month reflect an inspiring month of tasting really great Australian wines. Both these wines come from members of Australia’s First Families of Wines about whom I’ve already blogged here and here, with detailed tasting notes of several vertical tastings yet to come. These are, however, recent releases, indeed, yet to [...]
Continue reading...Vinho Verde, variety and variety
Posted Sunday 2nd May 2010
Most Vinho Verde is a blend of several varieties, but if there’s a stand out grape, it’s got to be Alvarinho (known over the border in Galicia, Spain, as Albarino). The variety is spreading its wings outside Vinho Verde and fast assuming the mantle of Portugal’s flagship white grape variety. Take Poeira Pó de Poeira [...]
Continue reading...Bordeaux blends Margaret River-style
Posted Thursday 1st April 2010
Last week I discovered that “hair of the dog” is as applicable to holidays as hangovers. The evening after I returned from a particularly fabulous break in Western Australia (see my top 10 tips here), I presented a Western Australia tasting – a great opportunity to extend that holiday glow and flash my rapidly receding [...]
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Posted Wednesday 1st February 2012
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