Jamie
Goode's wines
of the year 2003, part 3 – my top picks
So
here it is: my top picks for the year. I've restricted myself to wines
that have been recommended on this site, and 12 in total. While it
might have been fun to list the 12 absolute 'best' wines I've tried
over the last year, this wouldn't have been much use to readers as
they'd probably be unfeasibly expensive (not everyone can afford the
£200 that Waitrose were asking for a tasty bottle of 1997 Yquem I
tried at their Spring press tasting), or they wouldn't be able to lay
their hands on them (I'd love to have included the new Douro
star wines like Pintas and Poeira, but these are made in tiny
quantities and aren't available in the UK).
This
is, of course, a highly personal list, but I've tried to include wines
that show some real personality and interest, and which offer good
value. Notable absentees are wines from the classic regions, such as
Bordeaux and Burgundy. You don't need me to tell you how good Latour,
Lafite, Mouton, Margaux, Haut Brion and Petrus are. And Coche-Dury,
Leflaive and Lafon sell pretty well without being plugged by people
like me. Besides, these wines have trophy value and are out of reach
of most people's budgets. Yes, there is value to be found in Bordeaux
and Burgundy, but I haven't tasted much recently that has shouted for
inclusion in these lists. But I reckon you'll have fun if you get your
hands on wines from this list below.
see
also: wines of the year part 1: wines
over £8; wines of the year 2003 part 2:
under £8
Château La Roque Cuvée les Vieilles Vignes de
Mourvèdre 2000 Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St Loup
Deeply impressive varietal Mourvèdre from leading Languedoc commune
Pic St Loup. Open, almost stern nose is savoury and intensely spicy
with a meaty edge that makes me think of the Northern Rhône. The
palate is firm, tannic and spicy with huge structure and nice acidity.
It avoids being austere: there’s enough ripeness to prevent this.
The spiciness and structure is typical of Mourvèdre, together with a
slight meaty character that is very appealing. Brilliant but quite
challenging; needs food. Very good/excellent (Tanners £8.95)
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)
Craggy Range Les Beaux Graviers Vineyard Chardonnay 2001, Hawkes Bay, New
Zealand
The first of the prestige range of wines from this pace-setting New
Zealand producer, this is fantastic. Deep coloured with a beautifully
elegant creamy, toasty nose and vivid fruit. The palate is very classy
with integrated fruit and oak, nutty complexity and an intense
character. Excellent (expected to retail around £20, contact
Capricorn wines on 0161 909 1300 for more details)
Inama Binomio 2000 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy
As well as making stunning Soave, Stefano Inama has turned his hand to
Montepulciano, and this concentrated yet elegant blockbuster red is
the result. It has an intense, exotic nose of ripe liquoricey fruit
with spice and menthol notes. The palate is super-concentrated and
spicy with intense berry fruit and some well integrated oak. Modern,
supercharged style but full of character. Excellent (contact
Winetraders UK on 01865 251 851 for availability details)
Inama Soave Classico ‘Vigneto du Lot’ 2001 Italy
Soave pacesetter Stefano Inama has hit gold with this brilliantly
intense white. From an experimental vineyard planted in 1993: instead
of pergola training, the Garganega grapes are grown in a permanent
cordon and are spur pruned. 50% new Allier oak is used. Striking rich
herby, toasty nutty nose. Rich exotic ripe palate with straw and herb
edge to the savoury nutty palate. Excellent (£16.50 available from UK
agents Winetraders, 01865 251 851 )
Le Due Terre Sacrisassi Bianco 2000 Colli Orientali
del Friuli, Italy
A blend of the indigenous Ribolla Gialla
with Tocai Friulano, together with some Sauvignon Blanc, this is a
remarkable white wine. The knockout pungent nose is almost wildly
aromatic – herby, fat and smoky with good intensity. The palate is
fat, fruity, herby and complex. Striking and intense this is dry with
layered fruit flavours and a hint of smoked bacon. Excellent (£14.95
Berry Bros & Rudd)
Niepoort
Batuta 2000 Douro, Portugal
It seems a shame just to recommend wines that are easily available;
from time to time you have to allow me the indulgence of including
something that relatively few will be able to find, purely on the
grounds of excellence. Batuta is Dirk Niepoort's flagship wine, made
from ancient vines at Quinta do Carril. Modern, intense spicy nose is
quite tight with some roast coffee notes. The palate is hugely
concentrated yet still quite elegant with firm spicy tannins and well
structured berry and black fruits. Needs time to fulfil its huge
potential. Excellent (Availability: selected independents - contact UK
agent Raymond Reynolds [danny@raymondreynolds.co.uk]
for details; if you see the debut vintage, 1999, then snap it up
promptly, it's sensational. £45 retail)
Ken
Forrester Chenin Blanc 2002 Stellenbosch, South Africa
I'm a fan of South African Chenin Blanc, and this is a very good
one. Deepish yellow colour. Rich toasty nose with a nutty edge. Great
concentration of nutty, herby fruit here with well integrated oak.
Lots of flavour in a rich, savoury style. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£6.99
Waitrose)
Ermitage du
Pic St Loup 2001 Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St Loup, France
Lots of interest here with this rich, meaty red - more than you'd
expect for the price. Beguiling nose of meaty, savoury red berry fruit
follows through with some fairly complex chocolatey fruit on the
palate. Drink with relish over the next couple of years. Very
good/excellent (Waitrose £5.99)
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)
Inama
Soave Classico Superiore 2001 Italy
Soave
is normally a dull, thin, joyless, cheap white wine. Not this example,
from one of the region’s leading producers, Inama. Made from the
little-known Garganega grape, it is a concentrated, richly flavoured
dry white wine with herby, minerally character. Distinctive and quite
individual, but worth every penny. Very good/excellent (£7.99
Sainsbury)
Vinos
Organicos Emiliano (VOE) Novas Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Colchagua, Chile
This organic Chilean red is a blend of 63% Carmenere, 34%
Cabernet, 2% Syrah and 1% Mourvedre, with roughly two thirds aged in
French and American oak barrels. Very deep coloured. A bit shy on the
nose initially, but on the palate it is a powerful, richly fruited
wine, with a spicy edge to the full textured palate. It is very ripe
with lots of blackcurrant and berry fruit, but there’s more to it
than just pure fruit with some nice structure. Very good+ (£5.99
Vintage Roots)
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