Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
November 2002

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

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

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

Bargain picks

DFJ Segada Branco 2001 Ribatejo, Portugal
Portuguese whites have a pretty low profile, but this is a lovely example from the Fernão Pires grape, at a bargain basement price. It is a full flavoured fruity white with a slightly smoky edge to the apple and lemon fruit. Lots of nutty savoury character here and even a touch of minerality. In a modern style but full of flavour. Very good/excellent (£3.99 CWS Group, Oddbins) 

Graham Beck Estate 2000 Roberston, South Africa
Good value this, at just under a fiver. The nose displays sweet berry fruit with a herby caramelly character. The palate is chunky and chewy with some spicy tannins. It's not refined, but it is an interesting, concentrated, burly effort. Very good+ (£4.99 Asda, Safeway, Sainsbury)

Gérard Bertrand Viognier Collection 2001 Vin de Pays d’Oc, France
Stunning varietally true nose is quite pretty with aromatic, peachy, floral-edged fruit. The palate shows a lovely richness of fruit with the relatively soft texture well supported by the acidity. Very good/excellent (£5.99 Majestic, buy 2 save £1 = £5.49)

Tim Adams Semillon 1999, Clare Valley, Australia
The complex lemony/toasty nose is quite fresh and bright. It leads to a rich, full flavoured palate with savoury, nutty, intense fruit, spicy oak and good acidity. A lovely full flavoured food wine that is concentrated but still has a lightness of texture. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Majestic, Tesco)

Wines over £8

Alpha Domus 'AD' Chardonnay 2000, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Complex creamy, bready toasty nose. The palate is rich and concentrated with good acidity and a spicy finish. Savoury and rich with lots of oak, but lots of fruit too. Needs time to settle down but lots of potential. Very good/excellent (£11.99 Harrods, The Haslemere Cellar, Martinez Fine Wine)

Cune Viña Real Gran Reserva 1995, Rioja, Spain
Compania Vinícola del Norte de España, abbreviated to CVNE but known as ‘Cune’, is one of the leading traditional Rioja producers. This Gran Reserva stood out at a recent tasting of their range. Really attractive spicy complexity on the nose. The complex, chunky palate exhibits herbs, caramel and leather notes with a spicy edge to the fruit. Very expressive, dense and with an intriguing complexity, this is a brilliant wine. Excellent (£17.99 Majestic, but £14.39 if you buy any two Cune wines)

Chocapalha 2000 Estremadura, Portugal
Chocopalha is an exciting new arrival on the Portuguese wine scene. Sandra Tavares is the winemaker at Quinta do Vale D. Maria in the Douro, but she also makes this wine from a property owned by her parents in Estremadura. Mainly Touriga Nacional, It has a very forward vivid spicy nose with a big blast of herby fruit and meaty, almost animal undertones. The palate shows juicy, herby meaty character with a pepper spice edge. Drinking well now, this is a full-on, enjoyable wine. Very good/excellent (£12.50 Corney & Barrow)  

De Bortoli Gulf Station Pinot Noir 2001 Yarra Valley, Australia
Fading colour. Undergrowthy, animal edge to the cherryish fruit on the nose. Plenty of herby and earthy complexity on the mid-weight palate, together with good acidity. Attractive stuff. Very good/excellent (£8.50 Wine Society, Everywine)  

Stonier Pinot Noir Reserve 2000, Mornington Peninsula
A serious effort. Wonderful savoury herbal complexity on the nose, with medicinal and undergrowth notes – very classy. The palate shows good concentration of elegant cherry and berry fruit with spicy oak and a herby, earthy richness. Excellent (£15.99 Majestic, Wimbledon Wine Cellars, Peckham & Rye)

De Toren Fusion V 2000, Stellenbosch
This is one of the new South African 'cult wines', and while I wouldn't confer iconic status on it just yet (like some seem to be doing), it's certainly a very classy effort and deserving of a recommendation. The nose shows tight-knit berry fruit with refined spicy oak notes. There’s a structured, chocolatey edge to the taut berry fruit on the palate, which is balanced and has a firm, spicy tannic structure. Very well made. Very good/excellent (£15.99 James Nicholson, Handford)

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