Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
April 2003

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

Previous months' recommendations: March 2002 | April 2002 | May 2002 | June 2002 | July 2002 | August 2002 | September 2002 | October 2002 | November 2002 | December 2002 | January 2003 | February 2003 | March 2003

My rating system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com to locate a stockist in your area. 

Bargain picks

Dönnhoff Riesling QbA 2001 Nahe, Germany
Dönnhoff is a legendary name to fans of German wine, and is recognized by many to be the best estate in the Nahe region. This may only be a lowly QbA, but it is a lovely expressive wine. Savoury, intense nose leads to a lovely rounded palate which is rich and citrussy with good acidity. Good concentration and purity. Very good+ (£7.99 Lea & Sandeman, SWIG, Tanners)  

Hilltop Riverview Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio 2001, Tolna Region, Hungary
A wine that tries to hide its Hungarian origins a little, but which offers lots of flavour for the money. Clean, pure fruity nose with a hint of smoky bacon from the Pinot Grigio, and some fresh honeyed fruit. The palate is dry and crisp with good acidity and lots of character. Made in a modern style. Very good (£3.99 Tesco, Waitrose)

Viñas del Vero Chardonnay 1998, DO Somontano, Spain
Continuing a rather white theme to this month's recommendations, this is  an impressive Spanish expression of Chardonnay. The appealing forward, intense nose displays lots of barrel ferment character. Bready, toasty and rich on the palate, which is concentrated with lots of savoury nutty fruit and new oak. Quite an oaky wine but lots of flavour and intensity. Very good/excellent (£6.99 Oddbins)

Goats du Roam White 2002 Western Cape, South Africa
Brilliant commercial winemaking here. This white sibling of the highly successful red Goats du Roam is a blend of Cruchen Blanc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Muscat Frontignac. Lovely open fruity nose which is modern with an aromatic lift to the lemony floral fruit. The palate is rich and fruity with lots of personality. Very good+ (£4.99 Sainsbury)

Wines over £8

Knappstein Lenswood Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Australia isn’t known for its Sauvignons, but with more wines like this, things could be changing. Lovely full, aromatic crisp nose with ripe, grassy fruit. Very classy. Good concentration of bright fruit on the palate. Crisp and fresh, this is very expressive. There’s a dollop of Semillon (3%) in here, apparently, and the four blocks of Sauvignon are fermented separately. Very good/excellent (for stockists contact McKinley Vintners, 020 7928 7300; info@mckinleyvintners.co.uk)

Mas Foulaquier l’Orphée 2001 Pic St Loup Coteaux du Languedoc
A lovely expressive southern French red, showing a well defined spicy, leathery berry fruit nose with an appealing earthy, slightly meaty edge. The palate is savoury with a subtle herby edge to the fruit. Firm tannins and good acidity. Nicely judged. Very good/excellent (£8.95 Bentalls)

Villa Maria Riesling Reserve 2000 Marlborough, New Zealand
Ripe, almost exotic citrussy nose, with floral hints and a touch of melon. The palate shows brilliant balance between the ripe concentrated citrus fruit with a rounded texture. Quite structured, with just a hint of residual sugar. Brilliantly intense and drinking well now. Superb balance. Very good/excellent (£9.99 Oddbins)

Cartuxa Reserva 1997 Evora, Alentejo, Portugal
Lovely old-fashioned lifted herby nose with a sweet edge: quite expressive. Midweight palate is beautifully poised with caramel, spice and herby notes. Complex and expressive, I think this is wonderful albeit a little old fashioned. Very good/excellent (£16.95 La Vigneronne)

E-mail me with your recommendations or suggestions at jamie@wineanorak.co.uk