Wine Tastings
| Style | White |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire |
| Grape | Sauvignon Blanc |
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Coteaux du Giennois, Domaine de L’Oselier
£14.95
The Giennois appelation came into being in 1998 and is effectively a northern extension of Pouilly Sur Loire.
The Sauvignon grapes are planted on Silex soils as in the best vineyards of Pouilly-Fume and Sancerre and the wine shows the real class of those wines, without the price tag to match. Impress your friends with wine-geek knowledge and delicious wine to boot. A relative bargain!
An elegant accompaniment to simple grilled fish.
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Vermentino di Sardegna ‘Manzanile’, Gabbas, Sardinia
The Gabbas estate has been part of the Gabbas family for generations. Winning a string of Gambero Rosso awards, Giuseppe Gabbas is now one of the most renowned winemakers in Sardinia. His wines are best known for being true examples of traditional Sardinian styles. The estate consists of 20 hectares of vines, predominantly Cannonau de Sardegna making up of 80% of their cultivation, alongside Vermentino and another local variety called Muristellu.
The farm sits in the Locoe valley at the foot of the Supramonte mountains, in Barbagia, the heart of Sardinia. The climate here is hot and dry but the cooling breezes from the surrounding sea and the proximity of the mountain ranges provide these hillside vineyards with protection and temperature control. The granite soils help to retain moisture, so much so that even in drought they can continue to nourish the vines. These special conditions not only provide a perfect micro-climate for the grapes to ripen but also they allow for minimal intervention; the use of pesticides and fertilizers here is very little.
The Vermentino grapes are fermented in steel vats at a controlled temperature of 26 ° C for about 15 days; the wine is aged in steel tank and bottle for about 5 months.
An elegant nose; floral, citrus notes and almond. Smooth and well rounded with zesty acidity and lovely minerality. A nice long finish with a lingering taste almond.
Perfect with light fish dishes or soft goat or sheep cheeses
Hay Shed Hill Chardonnay
Former winemaker at Howard Park and Madfish, Michael struck out on his own when his dream vineyards in the key quality region of Wilyabrup came up for sale. With more than 30 years of winemaking under his belt, and 12 years going solo with Hay Shed Hill, this man is one of the most experienced, respected and revered winemakers in Australia - and rightly so.
He likens Margaret River`s climate to "Bordeaux in a perfect year", and attributes the region's success to its maritime climate, meaning a low diurnal range, very important in a country that is known for its extremes in temperature, and pretty much everything else!
Michael explains. "I make single vineyard and single block wines because they express a particular character - otherwise what`s the point?" All of the vines are dry farmed and made from free run juice only. The vineyards are around 20 years old and they are all farmed organically, but without certification. The Chardonnay sees 25% new oak and represents the `modern Australian Chardonnay`, in the words of its maker. Fun fact. There is a higher annual rainfall in Margaret River than in London!A great match for poached salmon with a buttery sauce
Southend Chardonnay, Newton Johnson
This family farm was founded in the mid-1990s by Cape Wine Master, Dave Johnson and his wife, Felicity (Née Newton) and within the past twenty years has built a reputation for producing some of the Cape’s best Pinot Noir. Dave’s CWM thesis was on the variety. Right from the outset, Dave and Felicity’s offspring were involved and today it is very much Gordon, partnered by his wife, Nadia, who are responsible for the winemaking, with brother Bevan looking after the commercial side.Southend is a single vineyard that is owned and farmed by Newton Johnson's neighbours, the Pringle
family. It is a notably cooler slope, a stone’s throw across the river from NJ, with less sunshine
and consequently slower ripening. It produces wines with sparkling clarity, high-toned fruit
flavours, compact structure, and vibrant acidity. They preserve these features by fermenting in
larger format casks that often ferment slowly in to the winter.The oak is barely noticeable here, the wine is just fresh and juicy; such an elegant style of Chardonnay by one of the New World's best Chardonnay producers. If you know people who are adamant that they do not like Chardonnay, get them to taste this!
A great all-rounder, suiting simple fish and shellfish dishes as well as salads and grilled vegetables.
‘Chiaraluna’ Viognier, Muralia
Muralia is a beautiful organic winery in the Maremma region of Tuscany, owned and run by Stefano Casali, who is an absolute perfectionist when it comes to wine!This is a very elegant Viognier, with clean, pure stone fruit flavours and without the heaviness that sometimes comes with that grape. One of the best expressions of Viognier I've ever tasted (from anywhere!).Absolutely delicious with poached salmon or lobster.
Finca Suarez Chardonnay
The Suarez family connection with Paraje Altamira goes way back. Juanfa Suarez' great grandfather, Leopoldo, bought the finca in 1920 and established an experimental winery for varietal micro-vinifications.
Leopoldo's son started planting in earnest in the 1960s and made good quality bulk wine for the domestic market, but the economic crisis that ensued commoditised wine in a way that made it commercially non-viable and he was forced to plant apples, pears and other fruits instead.
The finca stayed in family hands and Juanfa's father finally returned the land to vines in the 1990s, initially just to sell the grapes. Today, most of the fruit (around 80%) is sold to other producers and Juanfa uses his best plots to make his own wines. His first vintage was 2013 and in a short space of time his wines have emerged as being really rather special.
Simply one of the best Argentine Chardonnays we’ve ever tasted, this stunning, under-stated wine is verging on ethereal. The nose is fresh and delicate with notes of apple blossom, peach and mandarin and just the faintest suggestion of oak. The palate is pristine and precise, tidy and stylish. The amazing fruit quality at Juanfa’s disposal, the complete lack of malolactic fermentation and the fact that only 15% of the wine is aged in French barrels for 12 months, makes for a wine that is simultaneously lean and luscious.
A great roast chicken wine. Or Turkey. Or any number of fish dishes. Creamy sauces. Pork Chops. All would be great matches.
Le Carillon de Vendome, Cave Co-op du Vendomois
The Vendomois region is located along the banks of the river Loir (a tributary of the Loire proper) to the north of Touraine.This Co-operative makes great value wines and this Chenin Blanc is a great example. It comes from a single vineyard and has all the lovely Chenin qualities of food-friendliness and complexity.A great wine for fish pie or fish and chips!
Terlaner Cuvee, Cantine Terlano
Cantina Terlano is well known in Italian wine drinking circles for producing Italy’s longest lived white wines. Many memorable wines from the 1950s and 1960s, which rank amongst the greatest white wines of the world, were made here.
Located in the heart of the Terlan wine-growing region and founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest Alto Adige cooperatives. At that time, 24 growers set themselves the goal of joint production and sales marketing. Recognition and prosperity blossomed from there. Today Terlano has approximately 100 members, it farms 150 hectares and has an annual production of roughly 1.2 million bottles.
Under the expert eye of winemaker Rudi Kofler, the wines are sold and marketed according to three different quality categories. Furthermore, special older vintages have been stored in the valuable 'vinotheque', so that today roughly 12,000 bottles from 1955 to the present day are stored and some date back to even earlier days. This wine collection of older vintages is absolutely unique in Italy and proves that Terlano’s wines are able to age harmoniously for decades.
Brilliant pale yellow colour with green nuances. On the nose green apple and white peach combine with fine nuances of lemon balm and mint to create the typical aroma of the classic Terlano. On the palate the peach is very strong, too, lending the Terlano its lively but at the same time very mellow character. The multifaceted, well structured flavor derives from an interplay of freshness and minerality and also has a wonderfully persistent finish.
Great now, but this wine will gain richness and complexity with ageing. A perfect match for grilled fish and asparagus but this very food-friendly wine is remarkably versatile and can stand up to strongly flavoured dishes.
Organic Macabeo, Castano, Yecla
This is a great value certified organic wine from the Castano family in South East Spain. This Macabeo (known as Viura further north in Spain and Macabeu in France) is a lovely light, fresh wine with good depth of citrus flavours. A versatile food wine with enough flavour to stand up to some spice but also delicious on it’s own!
