Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

I’m back from the Loire Salon in Angers via Australia – the Australia Trade Tasting in London that is.  Bibendum’s Winter Sale started on 2 February and, though it’s mighty rare for anyone these days to understate their deals, I did find more than 50% off a few wines, including Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay 2003 – one of my picks of the Loire and Australia bunch.

Here are my hot Australia and Loire tips and see Bibendum’s site here for more details of their sale.

The Loire

Domaine de la Cotelleraie Saint Nicolas de Bourgueuil 2008 – as the Salon confirmed, 2008 is an uplifting, lifted vintage for Cabernet Franc (and 2009 has put a big fat smile on winemakers’ faces too – Christophe Daviau of Domaine Bablut says 2009 is even better than 2005!!!)  Anyway, I digress.  Gérald Vallée of Domaine Cotellaraie is an accomplished Cabernet Franc man – his Le Vau Jaumier and the flagship old vine L’Envolee 2008 made the cut for February’s La Revue de France Top 30 Loire Cabernet Franc list.  At the Salon, he was just showing his more expensive 2008 cuvées (La Croisee, Les Perruches and Le Vau Jaumier), which beautifully showcase his succulent, black cherry fruited style and gravelly terroir. At 28% off and £7.99/bottle this, the baby wine, looks like a very smart buy for drinking now and over the next 3-5 years.

Australia

There are some interesting older vintages here, none of which I’ve tasted recently, but I reckon they’re worth a pop:

Howard Park Riesling 2000 – this I tasted in March 2008, when it showed good purity of fleshy citrus fruit animated by vibrant acidity with dried honey and nutty edges lending a sweet and savoury note. Should be a good example of a mature Western Australian Riesling, perhaps developing some of the honeyed peach notes I find in older wines – see my report of a Howard Park Riesling vertical here.

Howard Park Cabernet Sauvignon 1994 – 1994 was a terrific red wine vintage and, though I’ve not tasted the straight Cabernet, the 94 Cab/Merlot is an outstanding wine – a highlight of my 2007 Western Australian visit.  My note says “super intense, with concentrated blackcurrant, coal soap/boot polish a mineral undertow and layered, tafetta tannins – still plenty to deliver – excellent.”   The straight Cabernet 1994 is 13% off – £30.46 a bottle.

Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay 2003 – this has a whopping 55% off and, for a Chardonnay of this class, it’s a snip at £20.67 (this same vintage is at Tesco at £38.99).  A vertical a couple of years ago left me in no doubt about the ageing potential of Petaluma’s Chardonnays – see here.  I haven’t tasted this vintage, but 2003′s low yields produced powerfully structured Chardonnays in the Adelaide Hills.

Finally, next Monday 8 February, Bibendum are slashing prices on some 250 fine wine odd bins and, in their so-called “Fine Wine Price Drop Sale,” sale prices will drop further on Wednesday and, should there be any wines left, prices will plummet again next Friday.  Find out more here.