Majestic Wine - recommended reds

Hello all!

Majestic Wine have currently got a cracking little deal on, 20% off any two bottles from Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Italy (Oh and Beaujolais but I didn't get any of those!) so I thought I'd give some recommendations for the ones we've liked over the past few weeks. Reds this week, whites next week. Obviously this is just a small selection (we'd loved to have bought the whole lot, but funds and sense prevailed) so there's plenty more on offer, I suggest you take a look. Enjoy!

From Spain we have...

...the excellent and great value (£6.99) Sangre de Toro 2008 from Torres.  Superbly fruity with plum, blackberry and violets with some spice (8/10). Two decent Riojas in the form of the CVNE (pronounced "Coonay") Crianza 2007; (£9.99) very light weight with bright, spicy raspberry, cherry, vanilla and oak (7.5/10) and a Gran Reserva 2003 from Berberana Vina Alarde (£10.99). Delicious with that lovely mellow, smooth, strawberry flavour of aged Rioja and a creamy vanilla woodiness from the oak. (7.5/10). Last up a lovely Ribera del Duero 2006 from Emilio Morro; (£13.99) caramel, chocolate, vanilla and red berries on the nose followed up by bright red fruit, "grippy" tannins and lots of creamy blackberry - superb 8.5/10.

From New Zealand we had some beauts...

The Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera Pinot Noir 2009 (£12.79) was mind-blowing! Bright, clear ruby red smelling of sweet caramel and vanilla, cherry and raspberry - like a berry cheesecake, amazing. The texture was pure silk and abundant fruit on the palate; raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant, blackberry, black cherry, the whole gamut followed by a long, dry and herby finish. First class 9/10! Another Pinot was the Villa Maria Cellar Selection 2008 (£10.79) which had a blueberry, violet and cinnamon whiff about it with plenty of bite and grip in the mouth. Blackberry and dark cherries flowed and although great at 7.5/10, paled in comparison to the Te Tera. The Craggy Range Te Kahu 2008 (£12.99) Bordeaux blend had the typical smoky plum, cherry and blackcurrant of its Cab, Merlot, Malbec and Cab Franc grapes. Smooth tannins and lots of black fruit, powerful and long, but ever so slightly hot  7.5/10.

From Italy we had...

Yes! A Pinot from Italy! And it was great! The Bacaro 2009 was £4.99!!! It smelled of blackberries and oaky spice and delivered with silky tannins, lots of dark fruit, cherry, blackberry and a long finish. With fresh acidity this could age well for a few years too (7.5/10). AMAZING VALUE!

From Chile we had...

A very good 2008 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon. (£9.99) Intense, smoky, oaky blackcurrant and cedar and in the mouth it was warming, tannic (a good food wine) and had lots of dark fruit; blackcurrant, blackberry and plums but a little hot. 7.5/10. 

And last-up, from Oz, we had...

a respectable Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz 2009. Classic nose of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate and oak. In the mouth it was smooth and bright with a crunchy texture. Plenty if plum and bramble fruit with hints of coffee and mocha. Tasty 7.5/10.

So, there we have some great reds from Majestic from their current offers. Next week, we'll be polishing off the whites so stay tuned.

As always, speak to you soon!

Cheers

WBFTF

A Week's Respite

Hello All!

As you may (or may not) have noticed, I did not post last week due to a week's respite. Thanks to the bank holidays and Royal Wedding we made the most of the time off, making a grand journey of 15 miles to the local Hilton, which would be our base for a few days of wine-addled relaxation.

House Champagne

We kicked the week off in style with some Champagne. D and I are trying to work out what our favourite is. We think it's Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV but we need to properly compare that to as many others as we can, just to be sure! It's an expensive search, so we don't tend to do it that often. However, being holiday-week; "When in Rome...".

We saw Piper on sale in the local Co-Operative supermarket for £17 so naturally had to grab one or two. For comparison we bought a bottle of Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV (the brand behind the £150-a-bottle Cristal) from Majestic Wine for £28 (on offer from £33).

Both were pale gold with watery-white rims. The Piper was a bit reticent, smell-wise but did display some fruit and biscuity aromas while the Loius Roederer had more honeyed fruit, Chardonnay dominated but again with a biscuity sweetness. Taste is where the Piper comes into its own; Lots of bready/biscuity tastes but absolutely stuffed with fruitiness, from citrus zing to Cidery orchard fruit. A long, delicious finish leaves a great taste in the mouth and a tingle from the popping and fizzing bubbles. Superb 8.5/10. The Louis Roederer had a less aggressive mousse but very fine. The taste was equally toasty/biscuity sweet and again had superb fruit but more citrussy and tropical from the Chardonnay (Piper has more Pinot Noir content). Mouthwatering zing and a long finish similar to a sweet Gala apple. The Louis Roederer exudes class (it even comes in a very smart box) but, finished a close second to the Piper in our books at 8/10. 

So, Piper still remains champion but there are a lot of Champagnes we haven't compared it to yet!

Eat until we burst!

On the way to the Hilton we stopped off in the Yorkshire Grey for a leisurely 3-course lunch. This is a great little place if you're in the Worcestershire area; great food, nicely presented but not pretentious or poncey in any way. They do a 2-Course lunch for £10 but we decided to go for pudding as well. I had great garlic mushrooms in creme fraiche on a crostini, beer battered fish and chips and a superbly presented cheesecake to finish. D had stuffed potato skins, a lovely lasagne and the same cheesecake. Highly recommended! I had a lovely grassy Chilean Sauv Blanc (about £4 a glass) and D had a nice oaky Aussie Shiraz (about £5). My belt was complaining about the size of my gut after this, which would unfortunately be something of a recurring theme for the rest of the week!

Settled-in at the Hilton we headed to the pool for a dip before dinner. Having worked off a small fraction of the lunch calories we sat down to dinner with a glass of...have a guess...Yes, Piper Heidsieck Brut NV (a slightly painful £8.05 a glass), delicious as ever. We both started with a very nice tomato and basil soup. D had a honey and mustard glazed gammon steak which was superb and I had a coffee-rubbed Bavette steak (I had to ask what Bavette was...turned out to be a type of cut, popular in France but more commonly known as flank or skirt steak over here!). Anyway, having fresh finely-ground coffee granules in the same mouthful as steak surprisingly worked really well together. We washed these down with a light bodied Emporium Shiraz 2009 from Sicily (13%). At £22 a bottle I fear it was priced at a 300 to 400% markup, but nevertheless enjoyable and easy-drinking. Puddings followed; a superb (and huge) chocolate macaroon for D and a summer fruit roulade for me. We swapped half way through. Again, with belt straining we retired.

A trip into Tewkesbury the following morning resulted in the discovery of a cracking little independent wine shop; "That Wine Place" on the High Street. Having re-learned that Hilton wine prices are obscene, we bought a bottle of Greyrock Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir 2008 (Marked down to £8.99 from £13.99) to consume in our room later that evening (Sshh - I don't think you're allowed to do that...?). The proprietor was even kind enough to give me a free cigar cutter when I bought a cheap cigar. This was a lively, red-fruited wine with silky texture. Decent value and very drinkable 7/10. I'll definitely return to get a bottle of Esk Valley Merlot/Cab/Malbec 2007 that was stocked there. 

The Three Choirs Vineyard

Having finally dragged D out of a second hand book shop that had, what seemed like, a million books inside we headed back to change before heading to the Three Choirs Vineyard in Newent (see D's pic below).

You can get a tour of the vineyard and a tasting of 5 (out of a selection of many) wines and also three beers and two ciders for £8. There's also a restaurant and accommodation although we opted for a simple (and free) walk around followed by the tasting (£3.50 each). As I'm not a fan of sweet wines apart from when accompanying a teeth-destroyingly sweet dessert, we opted to sample all of the dry whites, the Rosé, sparkler and of course a beer and still cider. I wasn't expecting a great deal from £8 English wine but was pleasantly surprised by a few; the 2009 Bacchus (£13.10) was bone-dry, herby and had plentiful fruit with whiffs nettles and asparagus. 7/10 We bought some. The Classic Cuveé NV Brut sparkling wine (£11) was pleasant with rich apples, pears and a sweet bread pudding finish. Nice fresh acidity. 7/10 We bought some. The winner for us however, was the 2009 Rosé; which smelled of caramel and rose petals. The taste was generous amounts of sweetish strawberries balanced by a fresh acidity. 7.5/10 and we bought some. I can also recommend the hoppy Cats Whiskers dark beer and the Medium Still Cider was great.

More Eating...

Soaking up the sun on our balcony, we decided on a pub-dinner. We found an awesome riverside pub; the Fleet Inn at Twynning, recently refurbished. Just the two courses tonight and no wine (yet) as I was driving. D had a delicious chicken/bacon salad with balsamic reduction and I had a roasted pepper and tomato soup. Both delicious. As mains, we both chose lamb. Perfectly cooked and with amazing  mash and a red wine jus. Great food, well presented and again, not poncey! With dinner polished, we returned to the hotel to drink the Pinot and crash out after a tough few days of eating, drinking and putting our feet up.

More Pinot...

Returning home we decided to finish off the week with some more Pinots stocked up from recent purchases. The first was the Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Pinot Noir 2008 (£15 Majestic Wine). I was afraid that this might have been tainted with smoke from the much-reported forest fires at the time but was happy to note that it was clean. It did however, have the most bonkers alcohol level for a Pinot that I have ever seen. 15.5%! Clearly not one for the faint hearted. Dark purple with a silky sheen this had aromas of dark cherries, raspberries, some Dr. Pepper (or root beer) type spice and alcohol. Way too apparent. The taste was initially tongue-stingingly hot, like a mouth-burning whisky, again, due to the alcohol level, but it was redeemed somewhat by the plentiful raspberry and cherry fruits. Not bad, even perhaps enjoyable overall 7/10 but someone needs to have a word with Bob! Cool it down fella!

 

A bit more sensible was the ARA Composite Pinot Noir 2008 from Marlborough. £9 from the Co-Op and 13.5%. A translucent ruby red with crimson highlights, this smelled of red berries and cherries with a hint of meatiness and leather. Truly an amazing smelling wine! The texture was silky with very fine tannins and plenty of bright red fruit. The acidity was sharp and it had a complex oaky bitterness on the finish. Not quite as good as it smelled but pretty good 7.5/10.

So that ended our week of enjoyment. Staring down the barrel of impending work now, the only salvation being that we're off to a tasting on Friday at The Oxford Wine Company.

I'll write up my findings next week.

As always,

Speak to you soon.

Cheers

WBFTF

The Wine Society - Exhibition New World Classics - Reds

Hello all,

Regular readers might recall I did a feature on the Wine Society's own wines not so long back (here:) and found them to be of superb quality and value. In addition to the basic "own label" range (although basic is the wrong descriptor) they offer some other wines that are bottled under the Society's name but known as the exhibition range. Described on the website thus; "Exhibition wines are selected to be flagship examples of their regions and styles and are frequently exclusively made for, or offered to, The Society by some of the world's top winemakers". Obviously these come at a slight premium when compared the standard own-range wines, but judging by what we tasted last time around, I thought they might be worth a look. Top winemakers' wines, re-badged and sold cheaper than their usual offerings? Sounds like a frugal opportunity...

The case that caught my eye was a 6-pack of the Society's Exhibition New World Classics, although a more accurate description would be something like "Australasian Classics" as the case is comprised entirely of wines from New Zealand and Australia! I can't for the life of me remember how much the case was (not very frugal I know, but "Do as I say, not do as I do" is what my mothers' overweight doctor would say...) but I will base it on individual bottle prices. If memory serves, they were about £11 or £12 each as a case-average, so yes, they are a bit more "upmarket".

Anyway, to the wines...Reds this week, Whites to follow next week:

The Society's Exhibition Victoria Shiraz, 2009

This is made by Mount Langi Ghiran in the Grampians who produce some serious high-end wines, notably Shiraz. They've been there since the 1870's! Langi's vineyards are high and cool which should lend some Rhone-style spice to this and also a nice bit of bottle age being an '05! Looking forward to this...but a massive 15% could be hot...

The Look: Super-dark, black plum skin coloured, almost opaque and showing some lovely age with a red/brown rim.

The Smell: Lots of blackberry, smoky, pencil-graphite. Some more "reduced" raisiny hints and some complexity/secondary aromas from the age.

The Taste: Smoothly textured. It is hot but not obtrusively so (this is a big Aussie Shiraz after all!). Lots of concentrated blackberry, violets, raisins,  and lots of oak. Nice acidity, bright red fruits appear also. A leathery complexity turns to delicious chocolate after a while.

The Score: Very good. Nice to see a bit of age showing through. 7.5/10. Recommended

VFM: This is £14.95 normally, so not on the cheap-side. VFM is mediocre at 0.50 but I would recommend this over a similar-scoring similarly-priced wine from a more recent vintage to taste the complexity.

The Society's Exhibition Martinborough Pinot Noir, 2009

This is made by Craggy Range. I must admit, I love the Syrah from Gimblett Gravels (one of the few wines to score 9/10) so I await this with baited breath. This is from the Southern tip of the North Island and  very big for a Pinot at 14.5%!

The Look: A lovely translucent ruby red with plum-purple at its core and strawberry red at the rim.

The Smell: Smoky. Initially violets and blackberry. Alcohol is apparent. Blueberry. Meaty, peppery notes. Developed a smoky cherry niff too. Deceptive - smelling blind I would have said Shiraz!

The Taste: Smooth, silky texture. Too hot initially but did fade slightly. Opulent fruit, cherry, blackcurrant, peppery. Acidity is bright but balanced, not overpowering. Old, over-ripe, soft plum. Shiraz-like! Long finish.

The Score: It's nice, but confused? I really did question whether they'd put the Syrah in the bottle and mis-labelled it! Good if you fancy a BIG Pinot with a little difference? 7/10.

VFM: This is  £12.95 normally, so again, not cheap. VFM is mediocre at 0.54.

The Society's Exhibition Central Otago Pinot Noir, 2009

This is made by the same crew at Craggy Range but from Central Otago vineyards - probably the most revered of all NZ Pinot regions? Slightly more modest, but by no means shy at 14%!

The Look: D.A.R.K. Dark! Plummy, black-purple, not quite opaque, much darker than the Martinborough one.

The Smell: Oaky, smoky, blackberry, slight violet, alcohol, very similar but without the meaty-pepperiness.

The Taste: Lovely but again not typical Pinot finesse. Spicy cherry, black cherry and raspberry. Warming, not quite as hot as the Martinborough effort.

The Score: Again, very good but confused. Where is the finesse and silkiness? It doesn't detract from its delicious flavour but this could have been immense! If only... 7.5/10. Recommended

VFM: This is  £12.95 also, giving a slightly better VFM of 0.58. 

So there we have the Reds. All very good wines, the Shiraz I could drink again anytime. The Pinots I had trouble picking between them. Both shocked me in a way by being too big and hot. Maybe that's the way NZ Pinot is going, but I remember far more finesse and silkiness. Maybe it's just Craggy...? No way, that's sacrilege! Mental note: Try more NZ Pinot.

Anyway, next week: The Whites. Two from NZ (again!) - a Chardonnay from Kumeu River no less, and a Sauv Blanc from Hunters! Plus a Tasmanian Chardonnay who's producer escapes me but will be revealed next week...

As always,

Speak to you soon.

Cheers

WBFTF

Supermarket Sweep: Reds from the Co-Operative

Hello All!

Bit of a change of plan this week; I was due to review the Mystery Case from Laithwaites but our timetable has been a bit disjointed over the last week or two so we haven't got round to glugging them yet. However, a few friends have been recommending wines from the Co-Op recently so I decided to pop in and have look. Well, pop in and loiter in the wine section for an hour and a half... Twice.

Going back what feels like a few years ago, I used to regularly get wines form the Co-Op. That's when I was into the big brands. It's probably more than a few years by now; time goes so quick when you get older... Anyway, once I'd passed through my Blass, Hardys, Gallo et al phase, there really wasn't much else for them to offer (or so I may have thought back then) and didn't give them a second look until recently. Bloody hell, things have CHANGED! Oh, but they don't do online sales (yet?) so you'll have to do it "old-school" and get yourself down there.

Ok, so they still do the big brands; obviously, being the massive sellers they are, but there's so much more! And offers! Lots of them. At the front door I was greeted by a rack of £4 wines. I almost dismissed them in a "Pfft...four quid? Yeah right, what a load of boll...." but "Oh wait...St. Hallett Riesling? Hmmm...  2005 Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, £7?  Prosecco, £4?  Cava Rosé, £4. I best get myself to the proper wine section, quick!". I basketted the Riesling and Bordeaux and moved swiftly on. And there I spent the next hour and a half, mesmerised.  So much so, that I had to return the following week to pick up more.

We did drink the Riesling (and it was great, 7/10, amazing for £4) but as this is a reds review, I'll keep that one for next time. Anyway, to the wines...No pictures this week I'm afraid, due to "logistics" shall we say. Some might say forgetfulness, like binning the bottles before taking pictures?

For those who like to drink with a clear conscience, the Fairtrade wines aren't too bad. The 2009 Malbec Reserva from Argentina was a decent fruity bottle with smoke, vanilla and dark berries (6.5/10). The 2009 Shiraz, also from Argentina just pipped it at 7/10 - a good value example of the grape with warming spicy berries. Both opened up with more fruitiness after an hour so give them time. Both also under £7.

The Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2008 (£8.99) I was surprised to see. I love VM wines and don't really see them as a "Mega-Brand" although I'm probably looking through rose-tinted specs when it comes to their wines. It was however, initially a slight let-down, not in the league of their Whites but was good nonetheless with summer berries and some black cherry. Very bright, almost harsh acidity straight from the bottle but did mellow to acceptable levels after a few hours and food. It developed into a lovely wine but remained sprightly acidic. (7/10). 

If bright acidity is your bag then the Piccini Sigillo Rosso Chianti Riserva 2006 (normally £8.99 but only £5.29 on the day - bargain). This was recommended by a good friend (Cheers Willmot!) and although mouth-puckeringly acidic to start, was delicious. Showing signs of bottle age with tawny and brick red tinges to the dark ruby core, it exuded cherry and oaky spice on the nose. Again, cherry flavours dominated the palate but with raspberry, vanilla and peppery spice. A bit too acidic for my palate, but good nonetheless and a good candidate for putting away for a few years for it to mellow. Have it with food. 7/10. 

After enjoying an immense Cab Sauv from Trio (D's favourite wine!)  I spotted the Concha Y Toro Trio Merlot/Shiraz/Cab 2009 (no price for this I'm afraid but it was sub-£8). This was almost black! Very intense for a Merlot blend. Ripe, sweetish red berries in abundance and enhanced by chocolate/toffee hints. Fresh acidity and a long finish which brought out the Cab Sauv. Lovely 7.5/10. Another Merlot was recommended by a friend (thanks Ailsa!) from Chile's Rapel Valley, the Anakena Merlot 2009 (£5.99). Very light, I literally thought it was a Rosé on pouring, it looked like a fairly robust Garnacha Rosé. Plenty of strawberry and caramel on the nose and followed up by bright red fruit, sweetness but with a fresh, balancing acidity. A slight bitterness on the finish let it down, but at this price...you can't really complain? 6.5/10

The Cru Bourgeois was the Chateau Dasvin-Bel-Air 2005 (£7 on offer) and was a plummy-purple, showing some age with a brick-red rim. Blackcurrant, cherry, cedar, blackberry, graphite and oak on the complex nose and tasted very similar. Very bright acidity, plenty of tannin yet to shed and abundant fruit. I wish I'd picked up a few of these to put away for a year or two. A medicinal/menthol finish added to the complexity - delicious 7.5/10.

The Cline Californian Syrah 2005 was immense, a deep opaque purple and a lipstick rim. Immediately meaty, with loads of blackberry and pepper. Great taste, akin to a NZ Syrah, or even the Northern Rhone with pepper, spice, dark berries, full and lush. 8/10.

The Yering Station Little Yering Pinot Noir 2006 comes from a famous stable. The oldest winery in Victoria, Yering Station's top Pinots and Shiraz-Viogniers go for upwards of £50 a bottle. This "little brother" was £9.99. A nice bit of age showing although this was a young-pup. Initially, meaty forest floor odours gave way to red berries and caramel. Cherry and a cinnamon-like spice were evident. Similarly on the palate, lots of strawberry, cherry and cinnamon lead to a long finish of bright red fruit. Very bright and acidic although not in the least bit overpowering. This will last for a good few years yet and will improve well-past its 7.5/10 mark, tasting better the second day (screwcap put back on for 24hrs).

Finally, the St. Hallett Faith Shiraz 2008 from the revered Barossa Valley was a gem. £9.99 and well worth it. An intense inky-black-purple, was a bit shy at first but then fumed with blackberry, violet, caramel, toasty oak and pepper smells. On the palate it was super-concentrated; a small sip explodes in the mouth. Intense, very ripe black fruit combined with plenty of fresh acidity, some tannin and a long, warming, fruit-driven finish. Chocolate and smoothness developed after a while and was even fresh the following day (again with the cap on for 24hrs). Maybe not everybody's cup of tea; it's big, bold, powerful, intensely fruity, maybe even a much-maligned "fruit bomb" but has the complexity and quality to shed that moniker, in my humble opinion of course. 8/10.

So, there you have a small summary of some of the Reds available from Co-Op. I will return. I need to try the Whites, Rosés and Sparklers and there were still a few Reds I wanted to get but my wallet disagreed, groaning already under the strain of the bulk-buy. Of the remaining reds that showed promise were the Steakhouse Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Oregon USA,  EOS Petit Sirah 2006 from Paso Robles I believe, Chateauneuf du Papes 2007, 2003 Bordeaux, Montes Alpha Malbec, Barbera di Asti, more Chilean stuff; Carmen, Santa Rita 120 etc. Loads more, and that's only the reds.

I highly recommend you take a look. But don't spend an hour and a half there (twice) unless you can put up with whispers from other customers (and staff) along the lines of "Wino!", "Alky!" and "Is he nuts?". LOL.

As always,

Speak to you soon.

Cheers

WBFTF

Birthday Celebrations 2

Hello all!

So, Sunday was my birthday. That meant wine! Plus we've been doubly-celebrating both D's, and mine in the last few weeks. Anyway to cut a long story short; I was spoiled. Treated to filtered coffee and pastries for breakfast and then had Steak Diane cooked for me in the evening (although I was responsible for the roasted sweet potatoes!). As an aperitif we had a great bargain champagne; Charles de Ravon Brut NV. I can't remember where I had this one (possibly Tesco), or how much it was , but I'm sure it was only about £12! It was a pale watery lemon colour, light citrussy nose but had great apples and pears, lively bubbles and a bit of toasty/biscuity complexity. A great marriage of fruit, acidity, bubbles and a touch of sweetness. Absolute bargain, 7.5/10 and Recommended. 

We had a bit of a Shiraz/Syrah week as I've been stock-piling a few lately. We also had a nice Pinot Gris from NZ (embarrassingly I always used to think this was pronounced "Peen-oh Grease" rather than the correct "Peen-oh Gree").

Tinpot Hut, Pinot Gris, Marlborough, 2009

Another name for Pinot Grigio but more often than not called Pinot Gris in NZ (similar to the way they only call it Syrah not Shiraz). This one's from Slurp. 13%

The Look: Medium lemony yellow.

The Smell: Apples. The typical  varietal aroma (for me anyway) of  "fruit salad sweets".

The Taste: Lovely freshness. Apples. Some tangy passion fruit with a minerally edge to it too. Very balanced and refreshing.

The Score: Good. Very good. There's nothing not to like. 7.5/10. Recommended.

VFM: At £9.95 the value-quotient is pretty good at VFM = 0.75. It's not the cheapest Pinot Gris/Grigio but if you've yet to try the NZ style then give it a go.

Vidal, Gimblett Gravels Syrah, 2008

From the spiritual home of NZ Syrah (Hawkes Bay) and the revered Gimblett Gravels area. It's no secret that fantastic wines are made here and this is a real value offering at just over £10. Vidal is one of the oldest producers in the area. Another from Slurp and again, 13%...let's see if it's any good...

The Look: Deep, dark purple with a slight violet rim.

The Smell: Smells of dark berries; blackcurrant and blackberry with hints of violets and pepper.

The Taste: The taste is very similar, blackberry, violets and some peppery spice but BY GOD; the acidity is sharp!!! It made me wince and I could almost feel it eating the enamel off my teeth! A good one for Chianti fans...

The Score: Good. Tasty, but too acidic for my palate. I think it needs a year or two to dim the acidity a bit - which is entirely possible as this should keep for a few years yet. 7/10. 

VFM: At £10.50 the VFM is reasonably good at = 0.66.

 

Waterford Estate, Kevin Arnold Shiraz, Stellenbosch, 2007

A "luxury" Shiraz here from South Africa's Stellenbosch region. This was recently listed in Decanter's top 50 Syrahs for under £25.  This one has 10% Mourvedre in the blend. Another from Slurp . Big at 14.5%

The Look: A very silky sheen to it. Opaque purple with only the slightest rim of violet. Big and clingy on the glass it exudes quality, to the eye at least...

The Smell: A peppery warmth of black fruit with some nuttiness, woody and smoky. Hint of cherry-drops.

The Taste: The lightness was surprising; a "barely there" ethereal quality in the mouth. Spicy, warm, black and red fruit combine and fade to a dark chocolate finish. Still very young. Sharp, bright acidity (a little too much for me) suggests that this needs another few years in bottle.

The Score: Definitely drunk too young, but this could be "class in a glass" in a few years.  7.5/10. Highly Recommended. if you can wait. I'd like to revisit the 2007 in a few years, but do I really want to spend another £20? Hmmm....

VFM: At £19.55 the VFM is obviously going to be fairly poor at = 0.38., but this was a treat. You can probably match the taste quality for £12 to £15, but not perhaps the overall feel and experience? This is one to nurture and return to I think...

D.V. Catena, Syrah, Mendoza, 2007

From the Catena Zapata stable. This one is named after  Domingo Vicente Catena who married Angelica Zapata in 1934 creating the Catena-Zapata tradition. Or so the bottle says anyway...This is from Majestic . 13.5%

The Look: A dark, inky black-purple with a slight rim of violet. Opaque.

The Smell: Smoky black fruit, pepper, sawn-wood and dark chocolate.

The Taste: Again, a combo of blackberry, violets, pepper and some chocolate. Bright acidity, apparent tannin and still a bit in-your-face. Could do with a year or two...Very long finish.

The Score: Delicious, but again, perhaps drunk a little too young  7.5/10. Recommended.

VFM: At £11.99 the VFM is reasonable at 0.63 but there is a buy-2-for-£9.99-each deal on at the moment.

So, that ends our celebrations for the time being. We're both another year older. Maybe not entirely wiser.

 

Back to normal frugality next week as I start reviewing the "Society's Top Sellers" case from the Wine Society. It's a mixed-12 of their "own label" stuff but made by some very serious players; Villa Maria and Concha Y Toro to name but two!

So, as always;

Speak to you soon,

Cheers

WBFTF

Some In-betweeners and Upcoming Celebrations

Hello all!

So we're between cases right now, while we wait for some wines from The Wine Society. I chose some of their own-label type stuff in a mixed case entitled the "Society's Top Sellers" - anyway, I'll elaborate on all that and what it was like shopping with them when we get stuck into the wines.

I think we're going to have a pause from the formulaic "mixed-12" reviews for a short while, and indulge ourselves a little. D and I both share February as our Birthday month so I thought we might have a couple of special bottles. Nothing too extravagant mind, it's not like we're going to be tucking into the Mouton or any of our other investments, or anything like that. No, nothing flash, but possibly something that may not be considered entirely frugal. So yes, if you can bear with us, for the next week or two, there might be a little change of focus, price-wise, but overall, my working class sensibilities will have the ultimate say on how much we spend!

Everything we drink over the next two weeks will be written up. I've bought D a few of the Concha Y Toro Trio Cab Sauv 2008 that she loved (maybe I'll make her write a tasting note for it!). I've been collecting the odd "nice bottle" with every order we've placed so far, so have a reasonable stock built up from Majestic, Oddbins, Laithwaites, Slurp and Virgin.

We started the ball rolling this week with the superb "Ladies Shiraz" as the staff at Oddbins called it. We bought two of these before Christmas and they were supposed to go into the cellar (i.e. wardrobe) for a few years. But....as you can guess, we couldn't resist. The other one is staying there though... Honestly.

Plunkett Fowles, Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz, 2008

A kind-of "Artisan" producer, blending cool wines in the awesomely named "Shire of Strathbogie" in Australia's State of Victoria. This is sold at Oddbins. Big at 14.5%

The Look: Super-dark, inky black-purple. 100% opaque and dense almost to the rim.

The Smell: I could pick out blackberry, plum, white pepper and bitter dark chocolate.

The Taste: Big and bold. So much fruit! Initial tastes were blackberry, smoky plum, violet and dark chocolate. Warmth but not "hot". Not an incredibly long finish but decent length. Fruit intensifies with time leading to intense black berries and a chocolate/coffee/mocha finish. Superb. Great balance.

The Score: Intense. Fruit first. Complexity second. Perfect amount of both. Could have been longer but very good indeed. 8.5/10. Highly Recommended.

VFM: Ok so VFM really isn't the main concern during this period of "treats" but what the hell...Normal price is £16.99 giving a VFM = 0.5 but when purchased with 5 other bottles (of anything) the 20% discount applies meaning £13.59 and a more palatable VFM = 0.63. Well worth it!

So after our Birthdays pass we'll return to more frugal ways and a nice mixed case from The Wine Society... Although we may need a dry week to sober up, in-between! I'll let you know how we get on!

As always...

Speak to you soon!

Cheers

WBFTF

Naked Wines - £40 off Voucher (post-xmas value wines)

Hello All!

If you're anything like me, then you have a large black hole in your wallet after Christmas. However, you also love wine and don't really want to give it up. You also don't want to drink crap for the next few months while your balance recovers. The solution is to drink Frugally; keep an eye out for offers, sales and bargains etc. Most places are holding off on the VAT rise until the end of January so now could be a good time to stock up and save.

One such offer I was keen to try was the £40 off a case at Naked Wines. You need to spend £79.99 or more on a case to get the £40 off but even then, with delivery, a case of 12 works out at only £45. Bargain. Oh, and if you're anything like me and bought some Christmas presents on Amazon, then you will have received the same offer, telling you to go to http://www.nakedwines.com/amaz4007 enter the code AMAZ4007 and password VINEYARD to claim your discount. I am also going to be looking at great value offerings from Slurp very soon too. They have an enormous range and some great names.

Anyway, I opted for the "Wine Advisor's Top Picks" mixed case which was £94.99. Even with delivery (£4.99 next-day), after discount this worked out at £60 for 12 bottles. £5-a-bottle: Not too bad at all.

I must admit, I was very apprehensive of Naked Wines. They support the small growers (nothing wrong with that!) that can't get noticed or do not have enough funds to market their wines properly. The burning question in the back of my head was; "Why are they small?". Is it because the wines are crap and don't sell? Anyway, things weren't helped by the fact that Naked seem to put their own labels on most of the wines, with quotes supposedly straight from the Winemaker's mouth, conspicuously all saying the exact same thing; "I hope you enjoy drinking this as much as I enjoyed making it". Yeah, right. Oh and they're badly glued on, like someone in Goods Outwards got bored of Prit-Sticking them on, one Friday afternoon.  Most were nearly falling off. If the winemakers can't afford to put labels on then..... "Oh dear, here we go..." were my thoughts as I tried my best to keep an open mind and let the wines speak for themselves...

...and I was pleasantly surprised! There were some real gems, most were at least drinkable to good and there were no real turds. The best are below:

Rimbaldi, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2009 

The Look: A deep, opaque purple with a violet rim.

The Smell: Smells lovely, smoky, spicy and red fruit such as strawberry, raspberry and cherry.

The Taste: Beautiful, fresh, bright acidity. Refreshing for a red, lots of fruit including strawberry and under-ripe plum. Not harsh in the slightest. Some hints of cinnamon or clove or something reminiscent of mulled-wine. Similar in style and weight to a good Rioja, but cheaper! 

The Score: Superb for the money. Best Italian Red so far in the Blog's history. 8/10. Highly Recommended.

VFM: At the case price of £5-a-bottle this is cracking value at VFM = 1.6. 

Classic South, Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, 2010

The Look: A medium lemony yellow with some pale green tinges.

The Smell: Classic NZ Sauv Blanc; citrus, tropical fruit, grass, peas in the pod, gooseberry.

The Taste: Wow! Lots of fruit! Bursting with pink grapefruit, lemon/lime and tropical fruits. Zesty acidity. Balance. A real mouthful of fruit. 

The Score: Great. You can't get better for £5. Fact. 8/10. Highly Recommended.

VFM: Again, at the case price of £5-a-bottle this is amazing value, VFM = 1.6. 

 Brewery Hill, Shiraz, S.E. Australia, 2009

The Look: A super-dark, inky, opaque purple with a violet rim.

The Smell: Black fruit, plums, spice, peppery and some caramel sweetness.

The Taste: Superb. Smooth, dense mouthfeel. Plenty of fruit, blackberry and cherry with peppery spice. More "Syrah" in style than "fruit-bomb" Aussie Shiraz. More complex. Hints of  menthol and well-integrated tannins.

The Score: Stunning. I don't know whether I'm in a particularly generous mood today, but this could be one of the best Aussie Shirazes we've had. So much more than fruit and alcohol.  8.5/10. Highly Recommended.

VFM: At £5, this is probably as good as you're going to get, VFM = 1.7.

Vivolo di Sasso, Pinot Grigio, Veneto, 2009

The Look: Pale, watery lemon with definite greenish hues.

The Smell: Very intriguing, a varied blend of whiffs including Almonds, Marzipan, honeycomb, fruitcake and banana? Yep, banana!

The Taste: All the smells translate to tastes as well; A superb sweetness/acidity balance. Banana, fruitcake, honey along with an indistinguishable, smooth, sweetly acidic fruit, apricot? Maybe peach or mellon also? D said; "Creamy banana cheesecake!". Seriously complex with a spicy/minerally finish too. A big surprise as we weren't expecting much from this!

The Score: Very good. Knocks spots off the Gallons of crappy Pinot Grigio on the supermarket shelves for £5.  7.5/10. Recommended.

VFM: At £5, this is great value, VFM = 1.5.

 

It was great to be surprised when you're not expecting much. It happens all-too-often the other way around, when you're expecting great things from a wine and it disappoints. Anyway, the rest of the case wasn't too bad either;

 

Getting 7 out of 10 were the Calicata Malbec 2010 from Mendoza, very fruity and drinkable, just not that complex - a good introduction to Malbec maybe, and the Domaine la Serre Picpoul de Pinet 2009 that I whipped out in the Wine-Off. Great with fish.

Getting 6.5 out of 10 were a brace of wines; Foley's Corner Reserve Merlot 2008, Aussie Merlot, big, smoky plums, alcohol a little hot but not too bad. It did turn to "Port" by the following day! Cristia Grenache Syrah 2009, very smooth French blend with lots of raspberry and cherry. Very refreshing, light red and easy to knock-back! Mistral Chardonnay 2009 from Chile's Central Valley. Restrained and minerally, some tropical fruit but in all a bit too bitter on the finish. Better with food. Villebois Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from the Loire.  Very drinkable and fruity for a French Sauv Blanc. Grassy and minerally dry finish. Decent and drinkable. 

Getting a 6/10 was the Australian Semillon/Chardonnay/Viognier blend D'Aquino Cuvee Zina Reserve 2009. Tasted of pear but had a very harsh acidic finish and the alcohol was overtly apparent (even at only 12.5%).

The bummer of the pack was Mistral Carmenere 2009 getting 5.5/10. Bright acidity with plum and redcurrant. Ok, but not great. Bitterness on the finish let it down. This seems loved by Naked 's customers. I don't know, maybe it was a Root Day?

So that's it. If you're after some bargains then I'd suggest the recommended 4 above, and be sure to use the £40 voucher. I'll be taking a look at some bargains from Slurp very soon, all between £6 and £9 a bottle to aid the post-xmas light wallet.


If you're interested in investing in wine then you can read about our experience of entering the market here:


As always...


Speak to you soon.


Cheers


WBFTF

Majestic Wine - Part 1

Welcome to the first part of the Majestic Wine case, handpicked mixed-12 according to my rules. A quick summary of what I chose can also be found here:

We Had 3 reds and a white this time.

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By the way, for any new readers unfamiliar with my blog, please see my other posts over to the right and down a bit or read my introduction here:

Chateau Musar 2002

Lebanon may not be synonymous with wine to most of us (sadly, most of us probably are aware of it due to the war-torn political landscape), however, wine has been abundant here for over 6000 years and is even quoted in the Bible. From fertile plots, 1000m up in the Bekaa valley, the sons of the founder (Gaston Hochar) produce a unique blend every year, although heavily Cabernet dominated. 14% alcohol.

The Look: A deep, plummy purple with brick red edges and some brown hints, nicely showing its age..

The Smell: Powerful smell. Lots of aromas. Cabernet fruit, blackcurrant and some blackberry maybe some cherry with some tobacco and sweetness. Took on more blackberry aromas after a few hours.

The Taste: Decanted and hour before drinking: Initial taste is bright red fruit, suprisingly still very acidic but in a good way! Some blackcurrant, black cherry, some tannin and some spice. Good length. Plenty of life in this yet! After an hour or two, more blackberry fruit developed and jammy black fruit.

The Score: Still tannic and young but very good indeed. It should develop nicely over the next few years. 8/10. Highly Recommended.

VFM: At £17.99 a bottle this is was a treat and not really for "value drinking". The resulting VFM  is naturally low at VFM = 0.44 but at the case average of just £8.39 it is well-worth-it! (VFM = 0.95)

Finca Las Moras, Viognier, Mendoza, 2009
From the San Juan province of Argentina, typically hotter and drier than Mendoza. A big one here at 14% alcohol.

The Look: A pale medium-yellow.

The Smell: Some peach and mellon immediately apparent with also some floral smells and maybe some grapefruit or even pineapple.

The Taste: The taste was lovely initially, smooth mouthfeel, peach, plenty of fruit and acidity. However, there was a slight bitterness on the finish, somethin akin to chewing on orange rind, which let it down.

The Score: A bit rough around the edges, but a decent introduction to Viognier. 6/10.

VFM: At £5.99 a bottle you can't really argue with a VFM = 1.0. A decent, drinkable bottle but for £2 or £3 more you could get something a bit more pleasing.

Yarra Hils, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarra Valley 2008

A Cabernet from the cool climate Yarra Valley in South Eastern Australia. Matured for 6 months in French Oak. 13%% alcohol.

The Look: A deep, blackish purple, opaque but lightening to a violet at the rim.

The Smell: Quite an array of aromas; blackberry jam, graphite or wet stone, currants, some toffee and violets.

The Taste: Blackcurrants, violets with some blackberries and spice. At first it seemed a bit harsh but did mellow. More complex than I first thought.

The Score: Not too bad at all. Open an hour before drinking. 6.5/10.

VFM: At £7.49 a bottle this is pretty good value, giving VFM = 0.93.

Corona de Aragon, Shiraz, Cariñena, Spain, 2008
From Cariñena in Northwest Spain. Unusual to see a varietal Shiraz with Spain on the label., so this pricked my interest... Aged in American Oak 13.5% alcohol.

The Look: A very dark purple.

The Smell: Blackberries, raisins, coffee and graphite with a slight sweetness.

The Taste: Good taste, raisiny, blackberry, spice, good tannin and balanced acidity. Better after an hour with more intense blackberry and some spice developing.

The Score: Again, not too bad at all. 7/10. Recommended

VFM: At £7.49  a bottle this is again gives VFM = 0.93. Good value stuff!

So, not a bad start to the Majestic case. A lovely treat in the form of Musar 2002 and a good-value Shiraz from Spain. The other two were half decent. I look forward to supping on the rest of them. As always...

Speak to you soon.

Cheers

WBFTF

Oddbins - Final Part & Case Summary

Welcome to the final part of the Oddbins case, handpicked mixed-12 according to my rules. We finish off with a Rosé, a Red and two Whites.

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By the way, for any new readers unfamiliar with my blog, please see my other posts over to the right and down a bit or read my introduction here:

Benchmark Rosé, South Australia, 2009
This Rosé is produced by Grant Burge and is made from 100% Shiraz.  13% alcohol.

The Look: Quite an intense raspberry red, which hopefully, you can see from the picture!

The Smell: Bright red fruit with some toffee apple and some citrus. Definitely some Pinot or Gamay hints as well.

The Taste: Quite an array of flavours - apple, strawberry, some raspberry and spice. There's a definite sweetness (off-dry) but also some acidity and minerality. There are hints of white wine - the citrus, acidity and minerality and red wine with the darker fruit and spice. A sort-of halfway house if you can't decide between either!

The Score: Good, but just shy of a recommendation. 7/10.

VFM: At £8.49 a bottle this gives pretty good value for money at VFM = 0.82.

 

El Furioso, Tempranillo, Castilla Y Leon, 2007

100% Tempranillo here from Spain's Castilla Y Leon region. This has undergone ageing in steel vats for 6 months rather than oak barrel.  An Oddbins' exclusive. 12.5% alcohol.

The Look: A medium ruby-red with some tawny brown and a light purple at the rim. Not opaque.

The Smell: The initial smell was quite reticent, some red berries and cherry. Some sweetness and spice. After a few hours though it developed a lovely smell of coffee and tobacco.

The Taste: The initial taste right out of the bottle is very spicy, bright, acidic red fruit with a distinct cherry taste on the finish. Smooth in the mouth and still quite tannic. Not loads of flavour. However, after an hour or two and with food it really opened up - darkened with more black fruit and coffee with just a hint of bitterness. 

The Score: A good food wine. It may age well but check it often. 7/10. Maybe in a year or two it will have improved and get a recommendation.

VFM: At £6.49 a bottle you really can't go wrong! Great value at VFM = 1.08.

 

DeBertoli, Vat 7 Chardonnay, South East Australia, 2008

A barrel fermented Chardonnay here from a "Big Name".12.5% alcohol.

The Look: A pale lemony yellow.

The Smell: Quite sharp - citrus, tropical fruit, grapefruit minerality.

The Taste: Nice creamy smooth mouth feel, plenty of fruit, good acidity and a long refreshing grapefruity mineral finish. Went great with a creamy Stroganoff that D made. On the second glass it softened, creamier, more mellon and peach tastes, almost Viognier-like.

The Score: Lovely. Nothing wrong with it at all. 7.5/10. Recommended

VFM: At £9.99 a bottle this gives pretty good value for money at VFM = 0.75.

 

Andrian, Gewurztraminer, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2009

I have to admit, I know little of this wine. From the Italian side of the Alps bordering on Austria. A big white at 14% alcohol.

The Look: A lovely golden yellow with light green tints.

The Smell: A powerful nose, chock-full of aromas. Elderflower, Lychees, melon, peach and some other floral whiffs. Really one of the best-smelling wines we've had for a while!

The Taste: A lovely burst of fruit, tangy, tingly acidity. Smooth mouthfeel drenched in lychee, peach and reminiscent of elderflower-wine. Exotic. D reckons "strange"! Very alluring - you want more...

The Score: Very good indeed 8/10. Highly Recommended

VFM: At £15.49 a bottle this is pretty steep. Use your 20% off wisely! Before discount gives VFM = 0.52 but at the case average of just £8.14 it is well-worth-it! (VFM = 0.98)

 

So that's it. Oddbins done and dusted. Out of 12 wines - 1 Corked, 3 Highly Recommended and 5 Recommended. That is a bloody good testament to their range. I'm sad to see them go because there were some great wines (we'll definitely be going back!) but glad that I had them. Next up is Majestic wine...


Speak to you soon.

Cheers

WBFTF