Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
August 2002

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

Previous months' recommendations:  July 2001 | August 2001 | September 2001 | October 2001 | November 2001 | December 2001 | January 2002 | February 2002 | March 2002 | April 2002 | May 2002 | June 2002 | July 2002

My rating system explained

Bargain picks

Nagyréde Estate Chardonnay 2001, Hungary
This simple but pure unoaked Chardonnay is a brilliant summer wine. It displays a fresh nose of grapefruit and lemon, with just a hint of peach. The palate is delicate and nicely textured, with pure flavours and good acidity. Satisfying, crisp and clean. Modern but not at all confected. Very good+ (£3.49 Waitrose)

Tesco Palo Cortado Sherry, Jerez, Spain (Bodegas Sanchez Romate) 
This is quite an interesting, complex sherry. The complex nose shows notes of toffee, nuts and raisins with an interesting acid lift. The palate is rich and quite savoury with good acidity, some 'old' woody notes and a slightly cheesy, salty edge. The overall impression is quite warm and rounded, but it's not sweet. Very good/excellent (£4.99/half)

Wines over £8

Silvio Jermann Vinnae 2000 IGT Venezia Giulia, Italy
A blend of Ribolla, Riesling and Malvasia. Very minerally, savoury nose is tight and complex, with a slightly creamy edge. Concentrated, rich-textured mineralic palate, with good acidity and finishes dry. Nicely structured and will no doubt develop. Superb stuff: not showy but very elegant. Excellent (£13.00 La Vigneronne)

Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 1998, Tuscany, Italy
A blend of 90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from Fonterutoli's Siepi (250 m altitude) and Fonterutoli (450 m) vineyards. Deep coloured. Full, striking nose is savoury and exotic at the same time, displaying rich, sweet spicy fruit with lush menthol notes. The palate is concentrated, rich, spicy and savoury with firm tannic structure and good acidity. Very serious. Excellent (£24.99 Swig, La Reserve, Tesco, Noel Young, Edencroft, Jeroboams, Wimbledon Wine Cellar)

Fairview Oom Pagel Semillon 2000, Paarl, South Africa
Chilled well down this has a knockout nose, showing herby, lemony complexity, a bright acid lift and some well integrated toasty oak. The palate is fresh and savoury with honey-tinged lemony, herbal fruit, a rich texture and good acidity. This is a big wine, with lots of flavour and quite a bit of alcohol, and the only slight flaw is a touch of bitterness on the finish. Very good/excellent (Oddbins £8.99)

Bründlmayer Grüner Veltliner Ried Käferberg 2000 Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria
From a vineyard with clay soil, and harvested late, this impressive Gruner Veltliner weighs in at a heady 15% alcohol. The nose shows lovely ripe, sweet herbal fruit with a lemony lift. The palate is rich textured and complex, with a spicy finish and a lovely fat texture. Very full bodied and finishes dry. Very good/excellent (contact UK agent Bibendum for availability details)

Château Musar 1996, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
I just had to include a recco for the current release of Musar, one of the wine world's idiosyncracies. If you see either the 1994 or 1995 on the shelves, snap them up, though: while this 1996 is impressive, these preceeding vintages probably have the edge. Fairly pale coloured with a brick red rim. Unmistakable Musar nose—although this is at the cleaner end of the usual Musar spectrum—with sweetly herbal fruit, a slight volatile edge and notes of tobacco and eastern spices. On the palate this is quite light with sweet fruit and spicy tannins on the finish. Lovely combination of sweet and savoury. Very expressive and brilliantly balanced. Very good/excellent (widely available £11.50)

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