Reliable, independent buying advice from the wine anorak
September 2003

Wines under £8 | Wines over £8

Previous months' recommendations: | August 2002 | September 2002 | October 2002 | November 2002 | December 2002 | January 2003 | February 2003 | March 2003 | April 2003 | May 2003 | June 2003 | July 2003 | August 2003

My rating system explained. Use www.wine-searcher.com to locate a stockist in your area. See also: the wineanorak's shopping list - recommended wines from each of the main UK retail outlets.

Bargain picks   

Goat d’Afrique ‘Indigenous Red’ 2002 South Africa
The latest addition to the Goats du Roam range is a dark, brooding Shiraz with a smoky, spicy nose and restrained black fruits. The palate is dense and concentrated with well judged spicy fruit and some firm tannins. Firm and quite rich but not overblown or confected. Very good+ 89 (£6.99 Oddbins) 05/03

Steenberg Semillon 2002 Constantia, South Africa
Lovely crisp, grassy lemony fruit combining well with subtle toasty oak. The palate is concentrated and well balanced with the oak providing a nice foil for the toasty fruit. Very good+ (£7.99 Waitrose) If you can find the 2003, then this is even better according to a tank sample I tried: Lovely racy, forward nose showing classy, toasty, nutty, bready oak notes. Very fresh and lemony. The palate is rich, full and gently herby, with well integrated nutty oak. Delicious. Very good/excellent 

Solorico 2001 Ribatejo, Portugal
The Ribatejo is emerging as a great source of flavour-packed reds at wallet-friendly prices. This wine shows ripe, liquoricey fruit with a spicy edge. Appealing. Very good+ (£4.99 Marks & Spencer)

Domaine Léonce Cuisset 2001 Saussignac, France
A sweet wine from the Dordogne that’s a blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Chenin Blanc. Lovely grapey, peachy nose with some subtle herby notes. Rich, sweet, thick-textured palate with lovely balance to the delicious ripe, herb-tinged fruit. Quite delicious and brilliant value. Very good+ (£6.99 Sainsbury per 50 cl)

Wines over £8

Wither Hills Chardonnay 2001 Marlborough, New Zealand
Screwcapped, this is an extremely impressive New Zealand Chardonnay. Lovely intense nose with ripe, tropical figgy fruit and some toasty, slightly coconutty oak influence. The palate is fruity and concentrated with some spicy, savoury oak. Brilliant balance and concentration of flavour is the key here. Very good/excellent 91 (£8.99 Oddbins) 

Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Chaume 2001 Loire, France
Another sweet wine recommendation for September, this is a Chenin Blanc from the Loire. It kicks off with an intense, waxy, straw-tinged spicy nose with some herby complexity. The palate is quite richly textured with limey, herby fruit, some spiciness and good acidity. Quite complex, and really needs some time to evolve more complexity. Challenging and unusual, this is wonderful stuff. Very good/excellent 90 (£8.99 Waitrose) 

Tin Shed Wild Bunch Riesling 2002 Eden Valley, Australia
Hand picked from sixty year old vines in the Eden Valley, whole bunch pressed and naturally fermented. This has an incredible nose: full, limey and fresh with great balance. The liminess isn’t over powering, and there’s some minerality here too, together with a touch of herbiness. The palate is concentrated and broad with minerally, lemony fruit. Quite brilliant – a profound effort. Very good/excellent (£10.49 available from The Cellar Door, No.9 Winchester Street, Overton, Hampshire, RG25 3HR, Tel: 01256 770 397 Fax: 01256 770 944, E-mail: info@thecellardoor.co.uk Website: www.thecellardoor.co.uk)

Spinifex Indigene 2001 Barossa, Australia
60% Mataro and 40% very old vine Shiraz. The ferment was plunged by hand in old milk vats three times a day, pressed around 3 Baume and then finished in French and American oak barrels. Deep coloured. Forward nose of sweet raspberry and plum fruit with lovely spicy complexity, but it’s still nicely savoury and not at all over the top. The palate is rich and concentrated, showing nice balance: good depth of fruit well supported by spicy structure and smooth tannins. The Mourvèdre character is evident. It’s rare to find a wine this concentrated but which is still in balance. This is a spectacular effort. Excellent (£14.99 available from The Cellar Door, details as above)

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