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Recommended wines Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
March 2001
Wines under £8 | Wines over
£8
Previous months' recommendations: July
2000|August 2000|September 2000|October 2000|November 2000|December 2000|January 2001|February 2001
Bargain picks: wines under £8
Domaine Terre Mégère 'Les Dolomies' 1998,
Coteaux du Languedoc
One of the best red wine bargains around. Mostly Syrah, this is a wonderful,
rustic, meaty wine of great character. Deep, rich, smoky nose with a meaty depth to it.
Concentrated, earthy, rich palate: this is impressive stuff with a slightly wild,
animal-like edge. Very good/excellent (£6.95 La Vigneronne)
Hardys Stamp of Australia Chardonnay
Semillon 2000, South East Australia
Some people have an almost religious objection to branded wines, but to give credit where
it is due, this is attractive Aussie white plonk at its best. The Semillon contributes a
nice citrussy crispness to the fuller, riper fruit flavours of the Chardonnay. There's
also a nice smoky edge to the fresh fruity palate. Full flavoured with good balance. Very
good+ (£4.49, Tesco, Sainsbury)
Graham Beck Lone Hill Chardonnay 1998,
Robertson, South Africa
A classy barrel-fermented Chardonnay at a good price (100% barrel fermentation in French
oak; 50% new, 50% second use). Full lemony nose with an edge of vanilla and toast. On the
palate there is ripe, rich fruit with nice oaking (nutty and rich-textured), and there's
some lemony acidity. Quite a modern-styled wine, but very well balanced and extremely
sophisticated for the price. Very good+ (£5.99, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up, Thresher)
Wines over £8
Ogier Côte Rôtie 1996
A profound wine from the Northern Rhône. Stunning nose: meaty, herby, pungent, medicinal
but at the same time delicate and with a floral edge. On the mid-weight palate the firm
tannins and high acidity balance beautifully with the dense, earthy fruit. It's savoury
and delicious: the antithesis to the new oak, high alcohol, overripe fruit international
style that's so prevalent these days. Excellent (Berry Bros £14.95)
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Nippozano Reserva
1997 Chianti Rufina
A serious Chianti with some structure, this has a savoury nose of herbs and olives. On the
palate there are savoury, spicy, herby notes, good fruit (damsons and cherries) with great
balance and some complexity. It has a spicy edge and dry tannins that are firm enough to
suggest that this wine will age nicely. Very good+ (£8.99 Oddbins)
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 1999, Walker Bay, South
Africa
I'm a big fan of this wine, which is nicely poised between the new and old world styles,
as are many of the best Chardonnays from the cape. Wonderful toasty nose: complex, nutty
and full. Rich and balanced on the palate with a rich, savoury edge. Lovely stuff.
Excellent. (Around £12, stockists usually include Bentalls, Fortnum & Mason, Oddbins
Fine Wine)
De Bortoli 1996 Rare Dry Botrytis Semillon,
South Eastern Australia
De Bortoli are famous for their sweet botrytised 'Noble One', but they also make this
oddity, a dry white wine made with a proportion of botrytised grapes. It's a full golden
colour, with a remarkable nose of honey, citrus fruit, spice and marmalade. The palate is
spicy and bone dry, with more of the distinctive marmalade/apricot botrytis character. A
very unusual wine, but one with real appeal -- so unusual, it is likely to make just as
many enemies as friends. Personally, I love it. Very good/excellent (£8.95 Berry Bros)
E-mail me with your recommendations or suggestions
at jamie@wineanorak.co.uk |
