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Recommended wines Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
April 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|March
2001|
My rating
system explained
Bargain picks: wines under £8
Domaine des Aires Hautes Minervois La
Livinière 1998, Gilles Chabbert
La Livinière is acknowledged to be the best sub-appellation of
Minervois, and this is a delightful blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignan in
which the grapes have been allowed to express their origin by some
unintrusive winemaking. The nose mixes 'garrigue' herbal notes with sweet
fruit. On the palate there is earthy, minerally, liquorice-laced fruit with
good concentration and a herby character. Very good+ (Majestic £6.99)
Bagordi Rioja 1998, Spain
A rarity: an estate-bottled, organic Rioja. This is an impressive, fresh
young red with a sweetly fruited nose showing caramel and vanilla notes.
On the palate this is bright and fairly tannic, with bags of character. An
interesting, unusual wine, and not at all like the 'traditional' Rioja
style. Very good+ (Adnams £7.30, also available from Organic specialists
Vinceremos) 11/00
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet
1998, South Australia
Penfolds are the masters of multi-region blending, and the 1998 is the
best Koonunga Hill for a long time. A deep, satisfying wine, it shows
great balance between the rich, spicy berry fruit and well judged oak.
Classy and worryingly easy to drink, it is good value at £6.99, but an
even better bargain in Majestic's current promotion of 20% off any six
Penfolds wines. Very good/excellent
Bin 058 Hilltop Chardonnay 1999, Hilltop
Neszmély Winery, Quality Wine Minőségi Bor, Hungary
Rich and full flavoured with honey, apples and spice coming through,
after a touch of sulphur has blown off the nose. Grapefruit flavours and
prickly acidity provide balance to the fruit. This is lovely, authentic
stuff, a bit like a Mâcon white in character: it doesn't have that
technological edge that is common to most Chardonnay in this price
bracket. Very good+ (£3.99 Sainsburys)
Wines over £8
Château Musar 1994, Bekaa Valley,
Lebanon
A very attractive, forward example of Musar, one of the most
individual wines on the market. Light in colour with a browning rim. Full,
bold, dangerous nose (high volatile acidity that just stops short of being
faulty) with sweet, exotic herbal notes and hints of old leather and tea.
Spicy, rich palate is warm and sweetly fruited, with high acidity, very
little tannin, ripe cherry and strawberry fruit. Overall, beautifully
balanced and complete. Very good/excellent (Sainsbury, Majestic and
elsewhere, about £11)
Domaine de la Marfée, Les Champs Murmurés 1998,
Coteaux du Languedoc
A 'garage wine' from the Languedoc: Thierry Hasard apparently vinifies
this wine in the basement of his house in the centre of Montpellier, and
first vintage was in 1997. This is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault
A deep red/black colour, with a forward, smoky, liquorice nose. Complex
and full, this has a lovely, rich palate with firm, spicy tannins and a
nice mineral streak. With great balance, this is modern and delicious; for
the long haul. Excellent (£18.75 La Vigneronne)
De Wetshof Estate Bateleur Chardonnay 1998,
Robertson, South Africa
Geisenheim-trained Danie De Wet is a Chardonnay specialist, and this is
his top wine -- in my book this is a real winner. It has a stunning,
complex, nutty nose; not overblown, but quite restrained, with hints of
butterscotch, minerals and toast. On the palate the wine shows a spicy
complexity: it's mineralic, has good lemony acidity and is concentrated
yet lean. Thoroughly enjoyable, and not at all the typical new world
style, despite the relatively prominent oak influence. Excellent (£12
Fortnum & Mason)
Saint Jurosa 1998, Lis Neris - Alvaro Pecorari,
Friuli Isonzo, Italy
I've enjoyed other less expensive bottlings of Chardonnay from Pecorari,
and this is his highly impressive top effort with this grape. A
yellow/golden colour, it has an almost breathtaking nose of toasty, nutty
new oak and ripe, savoury fruit. The palate is classy, with good
concentration, lean-but-full fruit and plenty of oak. However, although
you'd certainly classify this wine as oak-driven, the oaking is very
sophisticated and is brilliantly integrated. Very good/excellent (Berry
Bros £13.95)
E-mail me with your recommendations or suggestions
at jamie@wineanorak.co.uk |
