Wine
Opus Launch
12 wines tasted at the launch of a significant new wine book
12
wines shown at the launch of The
Wine Opus, a new book from Dorling Kindersley that I was a
contributor to. (In the USA this will be called Opus Vino.) They all
feature in the book, and are all available in the UK from The Wine
Society (www.thewinesociety.com).
Saladini
Pilastri Falerio dei Colli Ascolani 2009 Umbria, Italy
13% alcohol. This is a blend of Passerina and Pecorino from central
Italy, and it’s a total bargain. Lively and fresh with bright,
minerally citrus fruit with some grapefruit pith notes. Very crisp,
bright and pure. 89/100 (£6.25 The Wine Society)
Pieropan
La Rocca Soave Classico 2008 Veneto, Italy
Lovely taut citrus and herb nose with some waxy notes. The palate is
quite lovely with some mandarin character and beguiling waxy
complexity. Nicely savoury and quite beautiful. 93/100 (£21 The
Wine Society)
Grosset
Springvale Watervale Riesling 2009 Clare Valley, Australia
Intense, pithy, mineral nose is very limey. The palate is
concentrated and intense with powerful citrus flavours and a nice
spicy character. A bold, beautiful wine. 92/100 (£21 The Wine
Society)
Kumeu
River Chardonnay 2006 West Auckland, New Zealand
Very fine, toasty refined nose with real intensity. The palate
is complex and taut with nice toastiness and lovely herby, figgy
fruit. Rich but balanced, this is just lovely. 92/100 (£15.50
The Wine Society)
COS
Pithos 2008 IGT Sicilia, Italy
A blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, fermented in clay
amphorae. Lovely aromatic, spicy dark cherry nose with some savoury,
subtly meaty notes. A beautifully perfumed wine. The palate has
spicy structure and fresh fruit with a bit of grip and good acidity.
Thrilling stuff. 94/100 (£17 The Wine Society)
Viña
Leyda Garuma Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2009 Leyda Valley, Chile
Beautiful aromatics here: fresh, mineral and lively combining
tropical fruit with grapefruit notes. These carry through to the
palate which has a bit of green herbiness, but the defining feature
is the lively citrus and grapefruit freshness. Great value for
money. 90/100 (£7.95 The Wine Society)
Susana
Balbo Brioso 2005 Mendoza, Argentina
13.5% alcohol. Very impressive: with its heavy bottle, I was
expecting this Bordeaux-style blend (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, with
Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) to be a big,
overripe blockbuster, but instead it is restrained and quite
elegant. Spicy and minerally on the nose with a chalky edge to the
nicely focused plum and blackberry fruit. Very focused and nicely
savoury on the plate with blackberry, plum and blackcurrant fruit,
finishing a bit gravelly. Some Bordeaux character here. 93/100 (£20
The Wine Society)
Ben
Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2007 Barossa Valley, Australia
Rich, dense, fresh, spicy and meaty with some creamy vanilla oak
playing a supporting role to the intense fruit. Nice texture with
some subtle sappiness and hints of tar. Still bright despite the
richness and ripeness of the fruit. 91/100 (£17 The Wine Society)
Josmeyer
Gewürztraminer Les Folastries 2005 Alsace, France
Ripe, fresh, fruity and aromatic. This has some of the grapey,
lychee characters typical of Gewürz, but also some savoury, herby
citrussy notes, adding a bit of seriousness. It’s honeyed and
off-dry – a distinctive wine. 91/100 (£14.95 The Wine Society)
Catena
Alta Chardonnay 2005 Mendoza, Argentina
Current release is 2007, but there was a little bit of this
left, and it’s drinking well now. Complex, bold, rich and toasty
on the nose. The palate is bold, rich and dense with lovely fruit
and some bready, toasty complexity. Has developed nicely over the
last few years and is now peaking, I reckon. 92/100 (£17.50 The
Wine Society)
Fontodi
Chianti Classico 2007 Tuscany, Italy
Dense, spicy and savoury with nice dark cherry fruit, some
plummy depth and firm spiciness. Lively and nicely savoury with good
acidity. An impressive Chianti. 91/100 (£16 The Wine Society)
De
Martino Legado Carmenère 2008 Maipo, Chile
A big, concentrated wine with intense blackcurrant and
blackberry fruit, some lushness, real depth and a spicy, gravelly,
chalky edge. It’s a bit of a blockbuster, but there’s some
interest here beside the size. Brilliant value for money. 91/100 (£7.95
The Wine Society)
Wines
tasted 09/10
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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