Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
July 2002

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

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

My rating system explained

Bargain picks

CVNE Vine Real Monopole Rioja Blanco 2000, Rioja, Spain
This interesting white is made from the Viura grape, with just a touch of Malvasia, barrel-fermented in new American oak. It has a very expressive oaky nose with smooth, creamy vanilla notes. The palate is fresh, dry and savoury, with lemony fruit and high acidity. An unusual style of wine with real appeal. Very good+ (Waitrose £5.99, on promotion through July at £4.99)

Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2000, Paarl, South Africa
I'm generally quite a fan of South African Chardonnay, and this example does it for me. Lovely, classy nose displays brilliantly integrated lemony fruit and nutty oak, with a complex smoky edge. The palate is fresh and bright with focused, creamy fruit and some complexity. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Unwins, Morrisons)

Domaine Plantade Syrah Merlot 2001 Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
I'm aware that recent recommendations here have tended to favour pricier wines, so here's a good cheapie to redress the balance. The forward, spicy fruit on the nose is very attractive, with a slightly mineral edge. Savoury, chewy palate shows good concentration. Brilliant commercial winemaking. Very good+ (Majestic £4.49, currently on offer at £3.99 if you buy two)  

Wines over £8

Venica & Venica Collio Tres Vignis 2000, DOC Collio, Friuli, Italy
Friuli is part of the larger Collio region in the far northeast of Italy, on the border with Slovenia. A blend of Tocai, Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes, half of which is fermented in large oak barrels. Just 4000 bottles produced. Tight-knit herby/floral nose leads to a complex, rich herby palate. This is a fresh wine with a nice texture: it succeeds in being full flavoured yet at the same time delicate. Very good/excellent (£10.99 contact UK agent Alfie Fiandaca for details of stockists, tel 020 8752 1222, af@fiandaca.freeserve.co.uk)  

Silvio Jermann Afix Riesling 2000 IGT Delle Venezie, Italy
The second Fruili wine to make this month's selection. Silvio Jermann named this wine after his son (no, he’s not called Afix; this is a name taken from parts of his two first names). Quite a beguiling, delicate floral/fruity nose. It’s quite ‘pretty’, with good density. The palate is rich and rounded showing great balance between the fruit, acidity and the touch of residual sugar. A complex, full flavoured wine, this is mineralic and slightly spicy. Perfectly poised, and brilliant stuff. Excellent (£14.95 La Vigneronne)  

Léon Beyer Riesling Eguisheim 2000, Alsace, France
Riesling gets a rough deal. It probably achieves greatness more often than the world's favourite white grape, Chardonnay, yet it is forced to live in the shadow of its more showy peer. If you want to get a feel for what Riesling can achieve, then I suggest you go and buy a bottle of this super example from Alsace and the next recommendation, a good Mosel Riesling, and compare the two. Marc Beyer is the winemaker at this established family firm. This elegant Riesling has a quite lovely, expressive floral nose. Good concentration on the palate: quite rich, rounded and citrussy. Tight and well balanced, this satisfying food-compatible white wine finishes dry. Very good/excellent (Berry Bros £9.25)

JJ Prüm Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 1999, Mosel, Germany
Continuing a decidedly white feel to this month's picks, this is a lovely Mosel Riesling. JJ Prüm is one of the leading Mosel estates, established in 1911 and since 1969 run by Manfred Prüm. 33.5 ha of vines are planted on steeply sloping schist soils. Pronounced rich mineralic high-acid nose is quite striking with a strong almost meaty savoury edge. Concentrated palate is rich, spicy and mineralic. Not particularly sweet but very rich. Quite a serious wine. Very good/excellent (Berry Bros £13.45)

Contino Reserva Rioja 1982, Spain
Yes, this wine is expensive, but it's very, very good and drinking at its peak now. Contino is a single-estate Rioja, linked with CVNE by part shared ownership but autonomously run. Mid-coloured with a touch of fading at the rim. Lovely rich exotic nose of sweet herbs and spices, with a touch of tar and smoke. The palate shows great balance: it’s quite exotic and rich with a lovely leathery edge to the sweet fruit that is still there. Drink now. Excellent (£35.00 La Vigneronne)

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