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 Clare Watervale Riesling 2011 (Clare Valley) 

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 blend together with Viognier (67%) and Grenache Blanc (14%).  It brings freshness and line to its Rhone companions, especially the Viognier with its lavish, fleshy core of stone fruits and honeysuckle lift, while the Grenache (part fermented on skins) is all about texture.  It’s remarkable value for money at £7.75 a bottle at Hailsham Wines  or £6.50 for members of The Wine Society, both of whose prices are a few quid less than other stockists.

AA Badenhorst Secateurs Red 2010

Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs White – a terrifically characterful, textured Chenin Blanc  – has previously featured on this page. The Red, a blend, is every bit its equal.  As with The Wolftrap White, the dominant partner  Shiraz (74%) provides a platform of vivid fruit, while Cinsault (10%) and unspecified amounts of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre are the seasoning.   The outcome?  A bright and juicy red-berried confection without confection – it’s reassuringly grown up and dry with its savoury and spicy undertows.  Love the waxy damask petal texture too.  £9.95 at Swig  (who incidentally charge this same price for The Wolftrap White).

I’ll be catching up with Kent and Badenhorst among other leading producers next week in the Cape so watch this space for more hot to trot wines from South Africa.

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 to the fold.  First it’s different.  Instead of going down the Swartland Rhone with a twist route, in cooler Stellenbosch Johan Reyneke has blended his Chenin with Sauvignon and Chardy.  Second, it comes in under a tenner.  Third, while it’s dried honey edge points towards a hands off approach, the fruit is deliciously pristine. Well groomed by oak, a muscular mid-palate shows rich, ripe peach and exotic mandarin.  A smart, sleek, poised wine.  13% abv.  £9.50 The Wine Society.

Torbreck The Woodcutter’s Shiraz 2009 (Barossa)

Torbreck’s Dave Powell is the man behind The Laird, Australia’s most expensive wine but, make no mistake, plenty of love, care and attention is lavished on each and every wine including this, his entry level Shiraz.  It’s a joyous affair with classic jube notes to its fleshy red and black fruits which are, less classically, lifted and layered with damask to nose and palate.  A fluid, perfumed, heady beaut.   Watch this space for my report of a fantastic tasting navigating the ins and outs of the Barossa presented by Powell.  £16.95 at Wine Direct

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 my video interviews with each producer.  And here are my notes on the wines:

Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2009

When I visited Cullen during the 2008 vintage, they’d just taken delivery of a new vibrating sorting table and basket press.  I tasted an experimental batch of Chardonnay that’d gone through the basket press.  It looked wonderful – seemingly more muscular and mineral, less fruity, than the pneumatic press component.  Back then, Vanya Cullen reckoned that the lower juice return from the infamously measly, miserly yielding Gin Gin clone meant it wasn’t economically viable to use the basket press for the Chardonnay.  But clearly Vanya was just as mesmerised by the basket press component as me because, in 2009 and 2010, the Chardonnay has been 100% basket pressed.  Inevitably the price has gone up, but let me tell you, from an already vertigo-inducing high base, Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay has just got even better.  The 2009 shows spicy cinnamon oak hints on the nose with perfumed, slinky pear on a lithe palate with zesty, lemon citrus acidity.  It finishes long and limpid and, though possessed of a cool restraint, it has tremendous underlying fruit intensity – that muscularity - well supported by oak, used for structure not seasoning.  An utterly compelling Chardonnay with a long life ahead – at least 10 years based on the vertical I enjoyed at last month’s 40th birthday celebrations.  Not sure if this has yet landed in the UK.  Contact Liberty Wines for details of stockists.

Lucy M Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010

I tasted four beautiful singing, single vineyard Pinot Noirs with Anton von Klopper, this one from his own biodynamically farmed vineyard (named after his daughter).  Planted in 2003 (own roots) and never sprayed, it’s located high in the hills at 500m, in the Basket Range region on red clay soils over sandstone and slate.  A firmer, seemingly drier, more skeletal and savoury Pinot than the others, I loved its  layered, taffeta tannins and tight knit red fruits, dusted with sweet cinnamon and coltsfoot/anise.  Lots of potential; a gloriously individual voice.  This wine is on the seas en route to UK distributor Les Caves de Pyrene.

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, juicy applely fruit.    Plenty of va va voom and a snip at £8.70 at RSJ or £13.50 at Adnams (2009 vintage).

Camel Valley Rosé 2009 (England)

This pale salmon blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 33% Dornfelder is svelte, creamy even, with sweet and seductive wild strawberry and ripe red cherry fruit well balanced by fresh acidity.  Very good indeed, with just the merest hint of leaf that serves only to emphasise its delicious fruit.   £11.95 at Camel Valley online shop; click here for my recent tasting notes on other Camel Valley wines.

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, in 2002, was put in charge of Leeuwin Estate’s new red wine programme aimed at refining the Cabernet and elevating it to the standard of Leeuwin’s iconic Chardonnay.  Job done.  Moreover firm but fine rather than fleshy, it’s been done without compromising  Leeuwin’s southerly (cooler) Margaret River roots.  It shows intense,well focused and defined blackcurrant and damson fruit with a savoury edge of cedar spice wed to firm but ripe tannins.  Long and cool, with earth and mineral notes to the finish, this is very much a food wine and Leeuwin recommend pairing it with roast duck breast, orange glaze and boulangerie potatoes.  Or roast beef would do! £29.95 at Wine Direct, £33.95 at Slurp and available via the importer, Domaine Direct (minimum order of one case, which can be mixed).

Vasse Felix Estate Chardonnay 2009/10

Though the Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay 2007 was in magnificent form (click here for Jeremy William’s report of the masterclass), for my Wine of the Month I’ve plumped for Vasse Felix’s Estate Chardonnay.  Anyone who has met winemaker Virginia Willcock will know she’s a human dynamo and, since joining Vasse Felix in 2007, she’s gone great guns withChardonnay, using wild yeasts and solids to great effect while letting the fruit sing, Margaret River style. What’s more, the Estate Chardonnay is on deal at Majestic at the mo so it’s not just the real deal, it’s also a real steal!   I tasted the 2009 vintage at the wine fair, which is tight, flinty and subtly (and deliciously) smoky/toasty/nutty on nose and palate with a beautifully focused citrus-fuelled palate of grapefruit and lemon, rock/canteloupe melon too - great length and line.  The 2010 vintage, which I tasted last week, shows slightly more ripe, perfumed rock melon notes, which juicily fleshes out that tight, citric Margaret River backbone of acidity.  Both are very good indeed. £12.49 or £9.99 when you buy any 2 Australian wines at Majestic (usual minimum purchase applies – 6 bottles in store/12 bottles online).

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 he was proud to work exclusively with Spain’s traditional bush vines.  And when it comes to his wines, he puts sense of place (“listening to the place”) over what he called “spectacularity” – great word – as OTT as some of the wines I suspect he has in mind! I’d assumed this powerful single vineyard Verdejo’s name was a reference to its aged bush vines transmission of terroir – Rodriguez was impressed by its loose gravel and limestone soil. In fact, it’s a reference to Rodriguez’s inspired solution to leave a radio on to keep wild boar out of the vineyard! At any rate, the site produces a muscular Verdejo.  Weighty yet lithe, penetrating and long, it’s no “head and shoulders” upfront Sauvignon Blanc-alike. Try it instead of a weightier Chablis.  It costs £17.99 at Adnams.

Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos 2008 (Bierzo, Spain)

Another Spanish leading light, Alvaro Palacio, has a hand in this pretty (in form and substance) Bierzo red made from the Mencía variety of which I’m a huge fan, so you’ll not be surprised to hear that it’s been linked to Jaen from the Dão and Cabernet Franc.  Equally no surprises then that it makes for an elegant, floral, silky mid-weight wine, with a lovely saturation of black and red fruits, well judged spicy oak and a mineral undertow.  £15.99 down to £12.79 on Majestic’s current Spanish deal – 20% off when you buy any 2 still Spanish wines between £5 and £20 – I snapped up 6 bottles!

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 because there’s a herbaceous edge suggestive of Sauvignon to these, my Wines of the Month, though both are 100% Semillon. 

David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner Semillon 2008 (Elim)

For those who enjoyed last week’s blog about Cederberg Bukettraube (see here) yes, this exciting wine is also made by David Nieuwoudt.  A pungent nose shows dried herbs, sweet talc, lemon zest and pea pod which racily follow through on a lively palate with good length and mineral persistence.  Great vitality and nuance. 13.5% abv.  £17.20 at Bancroft Wines (incidentally, I notice that the 2007 vintage [not tasted] is £13.29 at Waitrose)

Steenberg Semillon 2010 (Constantia) 

A rounder, riper textured palate shows subtle stone fruits, with hints of dried herbs, flint and smoke.  A lovely, long, very poised wine; beautifully textured.  13% abv.  £135.58 /case of 6 at Armit Wines. 

Incidentally, Steenberg also make a very powerful Semillon/Sauvignon blend, Magna Carta, the 2009 vintage of which I’ll be including in a report of the highlights of last week’s tasting.

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 citric core, savoury lees and smoky hazelnut notes put me in mind of really good Burgundy.  This vintage weighs in at an old Old World-like 13% abv too.  A beautiful wine – cool and poised, yet deeply satisfying.  And there’s no better time to buy it.  With 20% off when you buy two bottles of any South African wine at Majestic it works out at £15.99/bottle.  Suffice to say I’ve stocked up!

Raats Cabernet Franc 2007 (Stellenbosch)

Loire lover Bruwer Raats lavishes plenty of tlc on his Cabernet Franc vines and, just as importantly, respects the variety’s delicacy in the winery.  As he’s pointed out to me in the past “with its finer tannin structure and earlier ripening at lower sugars, Cabernet Franc has the right DNA to be elegant unlike Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz.”  This vintage, which I showed at Sip & Savour’s South African lunch at Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Tamarind (reported here), chimed perfectly with our sensually spiced, perfumed lunch and, specifically, with delicately spiced boneless lamb with browned onions, ginger and Kashmiri chillies.  A glorious nose with just a hint of dried green peppercorn leads onto a finely wrought palate saturated with cinnamon and cedar-edged black cherry and juicy plum.  Subtle earthy/gamy notes are starting to develop – perfect for the lamb.  £17.50 at Oxford Wine Co or £17.99 at Naked Wines.

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.    The results can be inspirational.

Take my Australia trip last year - leading young Shiraz Turks Alex MacKay of Collector Wines, Canberra and Dan Buckle of Mount Langi Ghiran are, as MacKay put it making Shiraz “more like Burgundy in the context of Australia…..fine-boned, medium bodied, aromatic and made a bit like Burgundy too.”  

For Buckle,  Australia’s Pinot Noir phenomenon has had a knock-on effect – “consumers are not looking so much at power and weight, which allows you to explore medium-bodied Shiraz in a way previously not possible.” 

And I was excited this week to discover a South African Shiraz, Syrah even, in the same vein, not least because it’s for a Sip & Savour tasting at Michelin-starred restaurant Tamarind later this month, so it’s critical that the wine’s tannins are soft enough to smooze spices and not rub them up the wrong way.  Hidden Valley Land End Cape Agulhas Syrah 2007 (pictured) is one of my wines of the month together with the super silky, perfumed Pó de Poeira Red 2008 from the Douro, Portugal. 

Hidden Valley Land End Cape Agulhas Syrah 2007 (Elim )

Bright ruby/crimson, with a delicate kiss, we’re talking brush of the lips, of spicy, cedary oak to its ripe red berry and cherry fruit supported by fine tannins.  A stylish, elegant Syrah with just a hint of black pepper spice on the finish, which builds in intensity on day two - a terrific expression of cool climate Syrah from a vineyard just 17km from Cape Agulhas, South Africa’s most Southerly point.   £203.36/case of 12 at Everywine

Pó de Poeira Red 2008 (the Douro)

One of my picks of the New Douro 2008 vintage tasting this relatively modest, silky, mineral-sluiced wine just sings with gorgeous violet top notes to its black cherry fruit and a subtle hint of spice.  Joyous!  Sadly it’s not available in the UK.  The Portuguese are keeping this one to themselves – €10.80 at Estado Liquido.