(2026) From Touraine and the family-owned Domaine Joel Delaunay, this blends Gamay with 30% Pineau d’Aunis. Quite pale with a blush pink hue, there's an understated but quite classy nose, nothing too peardroppy or strawberry-sweet, more restrained citrus and small red berries. Really quite dry but nicely savoury and balanced, this is more of a gastronomic style than some, with plenty of acid to offset the subtle herb and pepper character to the dry berry fruit.
(2026) Always a great value wine where 50% is barrel fermented, including 20% new oak. Herbal and green apple notes, with riper pear and juicy golden apple notes coming through. Bright and focused palate, with real intensity though the creamy oak texture eases that. This will age gracefully as it always does. There are quite a lot of retailers of this wine, though many are still on the 2024 vintage at time of review. Use the wine-searcher link for latest stockists and prices.
(2026) From one of South Africa’s most historic estates, this was fermented in barrel with fine solids (the yeast, pulp, etc., rather than fermenting only squeezed juice). It was matured in a mix of 30% new, 33% second fill and 32% third fill barrels with 5% in concrete tanks. As is traditional with Meerlust it is a ripe and relatively big-scaled Chardonnay, just easing into the buttery and golden spectrum, but there are distinctive flint and Brazil nut notes and, in the mouth, abundant ripeness and sweet stone fruit flavours. But this is always buttressed by oak and defined by a crisp, lean and flinty acidity, giving good length and lovely balance. It's a very classy and competent Chardonnay. Watch the video for more information.
(2026) A wine from DOC Menfi that is a 50/50 blend of Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Franc, aged in oak barriques for six months. It comes from silty soils 90-150 metres above sea level. There's more intensity to this than the DOC Sicilia Nero d'Avola for sure, deeper, smokier with more of an earthy spice character - though still plenty of fruit. Much drier and the tannins really grip on this one, the fruit through the mid palate edged with liquorice and dried Asian plum, good acid in the finish.
(2026) 100% Nero d'Avola from organic certified vineyards, this is a DOC Sicilia wine from limestone soils and made in stainless steel. Fragrant, lifted and buoyant with cherry and violet scents, this is an immediately gentle and appealing style. In the mouth there is abundant sweetness of fruit, real juiciness with crunchy acidity driving the finish more than tannin. Summer pudding flavours run nicely through the mid-palate to a dry finish. Price and stockist at time of review are for the previous vintage.
(2025) Not Pinot Noir as you might guess, but a more Rhône-like, biodynamic blend of one-third Grenache, with Carignan, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Shiraz and Counoise making up the balance. Fermented with 50% whole bunches and wild yeast, it was assembled and aged in older French oak for seven months. It is a perfumed style of red wine, some twig and hessian notes but more about berries and light floral nuances. There's a coolness of redcurrant and cranberry. In the mouth the fruit is sweet and the texture silky, with smooth tannins and nicely balanced cherry pit acidity. A harmonious wine, sippable for sure, or try with duck or roast chicken. Watch the video for more information.
(2025) From nine selected rows of a vineyard planted in 1985, on red volcanic soil. The fruit was whole bunch pressed and fermented in new, one and two year old French oak barriques where it matured for 11 months with monthly stirring. We're in the pungent and flinty spectrum here, Brazil nut and oatmeal smoothing the picture and juicy stone fruits in the mix. The acid punch on the palate is welcome, as it shears through quite exotic, lychee and mango fruit. A distinct kumquat, bitter orange acidity is set against a little barrel toast. Price and stockist for an older vintage at time of review.
(2025) Those who have tasted Musar's top level pink will know it is an idiosyncratic rosé, made from two local varieties, Obaideh and Merwah and fermented in oak. The 'Jeune' range is more orthodox and made for earlier drinking, but this 2022 rosé made from 85% Cinsault and 15% Mourvèdre still bucks the trend: it is three years old, much darker than is fashionable, and has a coppery tone to its colour. On the nose it is determinedly not Provençal, with a grilled meat or roasting chestnut nuance, almond and cream to red fruits. The palate is smooth and vinous - this strikes me as a 'serious' sort of rosé rather than a patio quaffer, finishing with spice and bright acidity to match with a salad Niçoise or Middle Eastern mezze. Watch the video for more information.
(2025) From the Doña Margarita vineyard, six miles from the Pacific Ocean. The wine was aged in French oak barrels, 33% new, and fermented with indigenous yeasts. Full, rich, with bramble and blackcurrant aromas, it's a bold style. The barrel adds smoky, chocolaty spice, and the bottle age of this 2018 has added a subtle earth and undergrowth touch. In the mouth it is textured and supple, plenty of oak showing still but the fleshy density of the fruit carries the wine into a spicy finish, freshened by cherry pit, dry acidity.
(2024) Having first planted this variety in a coastal vineyard in Sonoma, that proved too cold to ripen this variety, even though it famously reaches it's peak in the Atlantic-influenced Galician region of Spain. It was re-planted and thrives in the Russian River Valley. Fermented with indigenous yeast and with extended time on the lees, there's a delightfully floral aspect to this - somewhere between floral and leafy, soft green herbs, firm white fruit aromas. Nicely textured, this burst with juicy citrus on the palate, but there's plenty of dazzling acidity. Something a little like green fig shows ripeness, in a fresh and delightful Albariño.
We use cookies to ensure you enjoy the best experience on our website. Click OK to continue.
