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December 2004
Previous months' recommendations: November
2003 | December 2003 | January
2004 | February 2004 | March
2004 | April 2004 | May
2004 | June 2004 | July
2004 | August 2004 | September
2004 | October 2004 | November
2004
My rating
system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com
to locate a stockist in your area and my directory
of UK wine merchants for details of those listed here. See also: the wineanorak's
shopping list - recommended wines from each of the main UK retail
outlets. These recommendations are truly independent: I don't accept
payment or other favours for inclusions, nor do I sell wine.
Alain
Brumont Gros Manseng 2002 Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
,
France
A superb white wine, this. Very full expressive nose with herby, full,
rich fruit. It’s lemony fresh but at the same time fat, creamy and full.
The palate is full, rich and fruity with notes of straw, herb and vanilla.
Amazing for a sub-£6 wine – almost profound. Very good/excellent 91/100
(£5.49 Les Caves de Pyrene, www.lescaves.co.uk)
Jacobs
Creek Shiraz Cabernet 2002 South Eastern Australia
I’m normally a critic of branded wines, which often disappoint. This
is surprisingly good, though. Quite a forward, ripe, spicy tarry nose
displays sweet berry fruits. Very rounded and balanced. The palate is
brilliantly balanced with the spicy, tarry notes offsetting the ripe berry
fruit very well. A rich, generous, fruity wine that’s ripe with just a
hint of greenness, and even that isn’t offputting. (Tesco £5.49, but
it’s available just about everywhere)
Domaine
de Gravillas ‘Vous en Voulez En Voilà’ 2003 Vin de Pays des
Côtes de Brian,
Languedoc,
France
This elegantly packaged wine is a blend including a third Carignan from Nicole and
John Bojanowski in the Languedoc’s Minervois region. It’s a fairly serious, brooding red that needs
some time to show it’s best. The tight, deep nose shows hints of ripe
raspberry and blackberry fruit, with a liquoricey, mineral edge. The
palate is savoury and dense with lots of ripe red fruits cloaked in a
rather minerally, taut structure. It’s got lots of appeal but not in a
forward, showy style: it’s more guarded and beguiling. Very
good/excellent 90/100 (£7.50 Les Caves de Pyrene, www.lescaves.co.uk)
Podere
Ai della Macina ‘Pogio Roncone’ 2000 Morellino di Scansino,
Tuscany,
Italy
I don’t know a lot about this wine other than I think it’s great.
Deep coloured. Wonderful expressive nose of perfumed black fruits with a
tarry, herby edge. Very nicely defined. The palate is savoury and quite
spicy, with elegant dark fruits, a herbal edge (although this is well
interated and avoids being overtly green) and some structure from the good
acidity and tannins. Very fresh and expressive. Very good/excellent 91/100
(£9.99 Jeroboams)
Huet
Le Haut Lieu Vouvray Sec 2002 Loire, France
Dry Chenin Blanc at its very best, from biodynamic producer Huet. Deep
yellow gold. Lovely savoury, intense nose of straw, melon and honey with a
slightly lifted acid edge. Brilliant. The palate is dense and savoury with
great concentration and good acidity, together with challenging herbal
flavours with a nutty, almost cheesy edge. A brilliant, extreme wine. Very
good/excellent 93/100 (£10.99 Waitrose)
Carrick
Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Central Otago, New Zealand
This is pretty serious. Aromatic yet taut grassy, slightly herbal
nose. Assertive, savoury and quite intense. The palate is concentrated and
full. It’s not showy but intense and grassy. Subtly herbaceous with good
acidity. Almost lean and even minerally; a very useful food wine. Very
good/excellent 91/100 (£12.50 Hellion Wines, www.hellionwines.com
- a small retailer specializing in boutique NZ wines)
Quinta
do Noval LBV 1998 Douro, Portugal
Christmas is coming so it's time to stock up on some Port. I'm
including three
recommendations at varying price points. First, an LBV that tastes
like a single Quinta Port. Dark
colour. Firm, dark spicy nose with blackfruits and an earthy edge. The
palate is concentrated and full with lovely spicy, smooth tannins. Sweet,
but nicely balanced: a fairly serious LBV. Very good/excellent 91/100 (£9.99
Oddbins)
Dow’s
Quinta do Bomfin 1995 Douro, Portugal
This single Quinta port shows a very sweet, open, pure blackcurrant
fruit nose. The palate is sweet, ripe, soft and seamless: drinking
brilliantly now. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£21.09 Tesco)
Quinta
do Vesúvio 2001 Douro, Portugal
Vivid purple colour. Very expressive spicy, taut fruit on the nose.
The palate is concentrated and rich with lots of structured fruit. Not
overly sweet but very powerful with brilliant fruit quality. Fantastic
stuff. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£34.99 Sainsbury’s Wine)
Barbadillo
Sticky Toffee Pudding Wine NV, Jerez, Spain
This is a sweet Pedro Ximenez sherry, cleverly packaged to appeal to a
broad audience. It is a bit of a beast of a wine – liquid Christmas
pudding, if you like. Sweet, open grapey nose with herb and caramel depth
leads to a toffee and raisin palate that’s viscous and hugely sweet. A
lovely wine. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£6.49 50 cl, Sainsbury)
E-mail me with your recommendations or suggestions
at jamie@wineanorak.co.uk
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