The Wine Detective Archives: Wines of the Month
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1 March 2010
A pair of Secateurs
Ex-Rustenberg man Adi Badenhorst’s Paardeberg Rhone blends, white and red, were one of my finds of the 2008 Cape Fair (see here). A A Badenhorst Family Red 2006 received plenty of plaudits when I showed it at my “Cape Rhone blends with a twist tasting” last summer (reported here). The only grievance? That it wasn’t [...]
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1 February 2010
Rieslings to be cheerful, part 1,2 not 3…
A cheeky reference to Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll, the excellent Ian Dury biopic? Yes and no. We’re into February, not my favourite month of the year, and I’d love to be transported somewhere warm and sunny. So if my monthly selection, two Rieslings, seems a bit perverse, there’s your answer!
Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling [...]
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4 January 2010
Two skinny Loire stars: French Connection Classics Saumur Champigny 2008 & Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-sec 2002
The New Year ushers in a fiscal tightening of the belt and resolutions of the type aimed at tightening actual belts, so how about a cut price, trophy-winning red which weighs in at a feather-weight 12.5%?
French Connection Classics Saumur Champigny 2008 is made by Eric Laurent, the gifted winemaker at the Cave de Saumur, an [...]
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7 December 2009
A Christmas selection box…naughty and nice!
It’s that time of year to go for it on the wine front and, if you’re in need of some vinous inspiration, here are some of my favourite wines of the year for each of my areas of focus and a couple more besides, starting with Champagne of course!
Champagne
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne 1998 – very [...]
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3 November 2009
Two top notch Coonawarra Cabernet vintages from Katnook
I’ve posted tasting notes of some terrific Australian verticals lately (de Bortoli, Shaw & Smith and Clonakilla). My wines of the month for November – Katnook Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 & 2005 - give you an opportunity for your own Oz mini-vertical because both are currently available from their UK distributor, Bibendum.
The double-barrel release marks Katnook’s [...]
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18 September 2009
Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007 & Rustenberg John X Merriman 2006
Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007, Margaret River, Western Australia – I must declare an interest, albeit minor…my biceps played some part in the batonnage when I did 2 weeks cellar ratting at Cullen in 2007. I well remember the floral and grapefruit perfume of the Chardy room and the meditative tonic of lees-stirring in [...]
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27 August 2009
Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc & Kooyong Pinot Noir
Kleine Zalze Bush Vines Chenin Blanc 2008 (South Africa)
This is a great value example of a rich, ripe, wooded Chenin brimming with honeyed, lipsmacking tropical citrus fruit. With a deft touch of residual sugar it perfectly offsets the heat of a Cape Malay fruity curry and, closer to home, I’ve found it a great match [...]