Part 2 The
Reds
Majestic Wine Warehouses are the UK's foremost by the case
retailer, with more than 90 branches and an impressive range of wines.
At the recent press tasting unveiling the new summer 2001 range I
tasted some 120 wines, and in true anorak fashion, I'm publishing
full tasting notes together with my ratings. One of the strengths of
the Majestic range is that they stock a reasonable selection of
grower's wines, some of which are available only in selected branches
-- this is because of the small quantities available. Although some
customers may find this frustrating, I think it's a good policy, and
adds greatly to the interest of the range. Majestic are also to be
congratulated for their incredibly cheap but very good German
selections. My criticisms? Coverage of the Rhône is a bit patchy (but
which multiples get this right anyway?), and the mainstay of the
Majestic's Alsace range is the very disappointing line up from
Bott-Geyl. Overall, though, I was pretty impressed. Because
of the number of wines involved, the notes are published in three
installments: the whites, the reds, and the pick of the bunch. (See also the pick
of the bunch: my selection of 15 of the most interesting tipples; Part
1 The Whites) France
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages 1999
Reliable stuff: brightly coloured with a lovely cherry, raspberry and
bubblegum tinged nose, this is a rich, fruity glugger. Good/very good
(£4.99, buy 2 save £1 = £4.49)
Georges Duboeuf Brouilly 2000 (flower label), Beaujolais
Bright red/purple colour with primary summer fruits on the nose
and a full raspberry flavoured palate. Good concentration. (£6.99,
buy 2 save £2 = £5.99)
Jean Descombes Morgon 2000, Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais
A grower's Beaujolais bottled by Duboeuf, I've enjoyed previous
vintages of this wine. It has a powerful, intense raspberry nose with
a pronounced leafiness. The richly fruited palate has ripe berry
fruits and a touch of tannin. A substantial wine. Very good+ (£7.49,
buy 2 save £1 = £6.99)
Château du Grand Pré Fleurie 1999, Georges Duboeuf, Beaujolais
Bright raspberryish nose with some smoky complexity. The palate is
quite savoury: bright fruit is joined by some tannin in a more serious
style of Beaujolais. Very good (£7.99, buy 2 save £1 = £7.49)
Couly-Dutheil Chinon Les Garous 1999
Lovely herbaceous cherry fruit on the nose with an attractive
minerality. The palate is quite light and leafy, with high acidity and
some nice mineral character. A pleasant, light wine. Very good
(£5.49, buy 2 save £1 = £4.99)
Domaine Fournier 1998 Sancerre Rouge
This Loire Pinot Noir is a pale cherry red colour with a muted,
herbaceous nose showing a little bit of strawberry and cherry fruit.
The light but nicely balanced palate is quite attractive, but it
struggles to justify its price tag of £9. Good/very good (£8.99)
Laloue 1999 Sancerre Rouge
Not available until September, but worth waiting for. Bright
cherry red colour with a nice nose of sweet leafy cherry and
strawberry fruit with a herby edge. Nicely balanced palate with fruit,
tannins, and some spiciness and complexity. Very good+ (£9.99)
Bott-Geyl Pinot Noir Béblenheim 1999, Alsace
A disappointing Alsace Pinot. Pale, spritzy and a little bit thin,
it's currently very simple. May improve, but not recommended at the
moment. (£7.99, buy 2 save £1 = £7.49)
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 1999
Red Chassagne is usually much less impressive (and about half the
price) of its white counterpart, but Majestic have secured three
pretty decent examples this year. Full, deep purple colour with a
complex spicy/fruity nose. Firm spicy character on the palate. Quite
impressive and still youthful-tasting. Very good. (£10.99)
Badeur-Mimeur Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge1999
Deep purple colour with a powerful raspberry nose. The palate is
richly flavoured and currently still dominated by primary fruit, with
a touch of caramel and spice. Potential for some development here.
Very good (£10.99)
Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 1999
The nose shows bright, pure raspberry/cherry fruit. The richly
fruited palate is still youthful with a fair whack of tannin. It's
very primary and may be worth laying down for a year or two. Very good
(£10.99)
Domaine de Richard 2000, Vin de Pays de L'Aude
This is a real step up from bog standard plonk and is an ideal
party wine, worth buying by the case. The nose shows smoky cherry
fruit and there is rich, soft fruit on the palate. Good/very good
(£2.79)
Château de Luc Corbières 1999
A lovely full-on Southern French red. Deep red/black colour. The
rich nose shows medicinal fruit and a touch of caramel, leading to a
rich, soft, herby palate. Attractive. Very good (£5.49, buy 2 save
£1 = £4.99)
Château Giot Costières du Nimes 2000
A youthful deep red/purple colour, this is an impressive Southern
French red with bags of character. The intense smoky/herby nose leads
to a richly fruited palate with some tannic structure to it. Very
good+ (£4.99, buy 2 save £1 = £4.49)
Château Pech Redon Sélection La Clape, Coteaux du Languedoc
A blend of Grenache and Syrah, this has a lovely, slightly pungent
nose with real depth of fruit. The youthful, firm palate has a savoury,
slightly medicinal complexity. Impressive stuff showing real
character. Very good+ (£6.99)
Château du Trignon Côtes du Rhône Villages Sablet 1999
Bright raspberryish nose leads to a bright, fruity palate. Modern
styled and young. Good/very good (£6.99)
Château du Trignon Gigondas 1999
Very bright red fruit on nose with some herby undertones. Modern
fruity palate with bright raspberry/cherry fruit. Nice enough, but
overpriced and not typical of the appellation. Good+ (£9.49)
Domaine de Rochevine St Joseph 1997 Cave de St-Désirat
In an expensive-looking, heavy bottle, this has a nice savoury,
herby nose with a meaty edge. Fruity and youthful on the palate with
good concentration. Quite interesting. Good/very good (£8.99)
Domaine du Pégau 'Plan Pégau' NV
Don't be put off by the fact that this second wine from
Châteauneuf producer Pégau is non-vintage: it's an excellent wine in
its own right. A youthful colour, this is rich and savoury with an
attractive herby/medicinal nose and complex meaty notes. The
attractive palate shows soft, herby fruit. Very good+ (£6.99)
Clos St Marc Châteauneuf du Pape 1996
1996 was a difficult year in Châteauneuf, producing
lighter-styled wines which are drinking very well now. Very pale
orange/red colour with sweet herbs, tea and leather on the nose. Soft,
evolved palate with peppery complexity and caramel notes. Quite nice
in a light style, but needs to be drunk up soon. Very good+ (£9.99)
Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf du Pape 1998
Very deep coloured for a Châteauneuf. Bright fruit on the nose
with some medicinal notes and ripe complex elements. Firm tannins on
the palate with spicy richness. Very youthful and with potential to
develop, but almost absurdly expensive. Very good (£22.99)
Calvet Reserve Claret 1999
Nicely packaged, this is a big seller, but most of the purchasers
obviously have no palate at all. Although there's some attractive
leafy fruit, it is a bit green and stalky. Light and overpriced; plonk
dressed up as decent wine. Good+ (£5.99, buy 2 save £2 = £4.99)
Château Robin Côtes du Castillon 1998
Rustic but attractive caramelly nose. Leafy fruit and firm
tannins, but unsatisfying for the price. (£8.49)
Château La Fleur Plaisance St Emilion 1998
A deep coloured, firmly tannic claret with youthful fruit. May
develop. Good/very good. (£9.99)
La Bahans du Château Haut Brion 1995 Pessac-Léognan
Complex, expressive nose with soft, ripe fruit underlain by
minerals. The palate shows a lovely cedary, leathery complexity, and
the tannins are still quite firm. It's evolving nicely, but there's no
need to rush to drink this classical-styled claret soon. Very
good/excellent (£29.99)
Italy
Pasqua Sangiovese di Pasqua 2000, IGT
Bright red/purple colour with youthful strawberry/cherry fruit on
the nose. Simple and fruity palate. Good+ (£2.99)
Masseria Monacia Copertino 1998 DOC
This Southern Italian red is mostly Negroamaro with a touch of
Malvasia Nera. The nose has some ripe medicinal complexity; the palate
is spicy and attractive. A good pizza wine. God/very good (£4.99)
Barone Cornacchia Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 1998
Pronounced herbal nose with a touch of stink (urine?). Cherryish
fruit on palate. Odd (£4.99, buy 2 save £1 = £4.49)
Banfi Col di Sasso 1999 IGT Toscana
A blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a dreadful
label. Muted, stony nose and soft, rich, spicy fruit on the palate.
God/very good (£4.99, buy 2 save £1 = £4.49)
Vengazzu Loredan Gasparini Cabernet Sauvignon del Montello 1998,
DOC Veneto
A varietal Cabernet Sauvignon fermented and aged in stainless
steel tanks, I like this Lovely leafy, blackcurrant and mineral nose;
quite Cabernet Franc-like. The palate is ripe and rounded with soft,
leafy fruit. Tasty. Very good+ (£4.99, buy 2 save £1 = £4.49)
Sicila Accademia del Sole Calatrasi Sangiovese Syrah IGT 1999
This characterful red is a super bargain at less than a fiver. A
blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Syrah, it has a wonderful nose of ripe
fruit with a menthol and caramel edge. The rich, spicy, oaky palate
has great concentration, and tasted blind you could be forgiven for
thinking this was a £10 wine; the only give away is that it is a tiny
bit rough round the edges. Very good+ (£4.99; buy 2 save £1 =
£4.49)
Caltrasi Selian Carignan Tunisia 1999, Sicily
A slightly bizarre concept: because Tunisia is Islamic and
prohibits wine making, Aussie Brian Fletcher shipped these Tunisian
grapes over to Sicily to make the wine. The result? A deep purple
colour, this has a powerful, modern herb and menthol nose with a
smoky, sawdusty edge (oak chips?). There's rich, classy, modern fruit
on the palate. Very good (£6.99, buy 2 save £1 = £6.49)
Conti Cortese Rosso Cornero 1998
Made from the Montepulciano grape in the central Marche region of
Italy, this is a useful food wine. Deep coloured with rich spicy fruit
on the nose; firm tannins and bold fruit on the palate. Good value.
Very good (£5.49, buy 2 save £1 = £4.99)
Antinori Santa Cristina 1999, Tuscany
90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. Deep coloured wine with rich, spicy
caramel fruit on the nose. Savoury and tannic on the palate with good
acidity, cherry fruit and spicy, savoury complexity. Very good
(£5.99, buy 2 save £2 = £4.99)
Carpineto Dogajolo 1999, IGT Toscana
A nice, savoury food wine. Smoky nose with savoury cherry fruit
and some medicinal notes. The complex palate shows spicy fruit and
drying, dusty tannins. Pretty good for the price. Very good+ (£6.99,
buy 2 save £1 = £5.99)
La Casetta de Ettore Rignetta Valpolicella Classico Superiore
Ripasso 1997
Ripasso is the term that describes the winemaking trick where the
wine is beefed up a bit by fermenting it on the lees of Amarone. This
deep coloured wine has a nose of sweet herby cherry fruit with caramel
undertones. The palate shows dense, sweet, herby fruit. Impressive
concentration and approachable now. The 1998 vintage, also stocked by
Majestic, is similar in character but the 1997 just edges it in my
book. Very good/excellent (£7.49)
Vigne Le Coste Cornacchia Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 1998
An opaque purple/black colour this has an attractive herby nose
with tea-like notes and sweet fruit. The lovely complex palate has
great concentration, combining dense, powerful flavours with an
appealing softness. Very good/excellent (£7.99, buy 2 save £1 =
£7.49)
Banfi Chianti Classico 1998
Another cheesy label from Banfi, but a textbook example of Chianti
Classico. Lovely savoury rich nose with typical Sangiovese characters
of herbs and spice. Good concentration on the palate with dry finish
with spicy tannins. Very good+ (£7.99, buy 2 save £3 = £6.49)
Banfi Rosso de Montalcino 1997
Although this is the little brother to the famed Brunello de
Montalcino, it's a lovely wine in its own right. The lovely
spicy/herbal nose is taut and expressive with tar and leather notes.
The medium-bodied palate shows savoury, spicy fruit. Complex and
delicious. Very good/excellent (£9.99, buy 2 save £5 = £7.49)
La Mora Barolo 1997
A respectable effort for bargain basement Barolo. Pale brick red
colour (a characteristic of the Nebbiolo grape) with a herbal,
medicinal nose. It's quite light in style with non-fruit characters of
leather, herbs and firm drying tannins. If you like this style, it's
very good. (£9.99)
Australia
Coldridge Estate Shiraz Cabernet 2000
Bright fruity nose almost reminiscent of Beaujolais, with a
medicinal edge. The attractive, juicy fruity palate is quite rich and
full. A bargain and a real crowd pleaser. Very good (£3.49)
Bethany Grenache 1999, Barossa Valley
Pungent, youthful nose, with easy drinking sweet fruit on the
palate. Remarkably soft and sweet, this is a great wine for non-wine
lovers. Good/very good (£6.49, buy 2 save £1 = £5.99)
Ironstone Shiraz Grenache 1998, Margaret River
The second label of Cape Mentelle, this is a deliciously rich red
with real class. Lovely powerful nose of rich berry fruit, with a
beguiling edge of menthol and herbs. Rich and full on the palate with
sweet fruit and good balance. Lovely rich texture. Very good+ (£6.99,
buy 2 save £2 = £5.99)
Tatachilla Grenache/Shiraz 2000 McLaren Vale
This is a big wine, made in the forward, full-on style that
typifies the Tatachilla approach. The nose shows pungent ripe fruit
with a nice herbal edge. Rich and boldly flavoured on the palate;
still very youthful but probably going to develop. Very good (£7.49,
buy 2 save £1 = £6.99)
Oxford Landing Limited Release Shiraz 1998
Modern, full-on nose with ripe fruit and menthol notes. Dense,
concentrated fruit on the palate. Tastes expensive, and may have the
potential to improve. Very good (£6.49)
Noble Road Shiraz 1999, Murray
Sweet, modern fruit on the nose combines with more sweet fruit on
the palate to produce a very forward, easy drinking wine. Good/ very
good (£5.99, buy 2 save £2 = £4.99)
Noble Road Merlot 2000, Murray
Herbal and sweetly fruited, this is very modern stuff. Attractive
easy-drinking style. Good/very good (£5.99, buy 2 save £2 = £4.99)
Yalumba Barossa Merlot 1999
Well made and very Australian, you can jut about pick up the
varietal Merlot characteristics on the nose, which shows menthol-like
sweet fruit with a subtle herbaceousness. The palate has a real depth
of sweet, luscious fruit, with good acidity. Very good (£7.99, buy 2
save £1 = £7.49)
Amberley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 1998, Margaret River
Wonderfully attractive nose of sweet berry fruit: luscious and
menthol-laced, with some minerally spiciness. There's lush berry fruit
and spicy oak on the palate. It's impressive for the price; a good
example of the Margaret River style. (£8.99)
Tatachilla Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 McLaren Vale
The Tatachilla wines are all pretty impressive in their full-on,
no-holds-barred style, but this is probably my favourite. This opulent
Cabernet is an opaque purple/black colour with a full nose of
blackcurrants and herbs. The dense palate shows sweet blackcurrant
fruit and some minerality. Very good/excellent (£7.99)
Kangarilla Road Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 McLaren Vale
This bold red is dense, rich and full flavoured, with lovely ripe
berry fruit, backed up with spicy complexity. Very good+ (£8.99)
New Zealand
Delegats Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1999, Hawkes Bay
The nose shows blackcurrant fruit and lots of new oak. On the palate,
the attractive fruit shows nice concentration, but it's currently a
bit swamped by the oak. Chunky stuff, this may integrate with time.
Good/very good. (£8.99, buy 2 save £3 = £7.49)
Delegats Reserve Merlot 1998, Hawkes Bay
A deep coloured wine, this is very modern-styled with ripe fruit
and lots of new oak. May develop some more interest after a few years
in the bottle. Good/very good (£8.99, buy 2 save £3 = £7.49)
Chile
Vistasur Merlot 2000, Chile
Clean and modern, the leafy green notes on the nose carry through to
the palate. Good. (£4.79, buy 2 save £1 = £4.29)
Vistasur Cabernet 1999, Chile
Showing lots of clean, primary blackcurrant fruit but there's a
slightly off-putting green note on the nose. God concentration,
though. Good+ (£4.79, buy 2 save £1 = £4.29)
Santa Rita Merlot Reserva 1999, Chile
Nice leafy blackcurrant fruit on the nose with some spicy, herby
complexity. Well balanced palate showing sweet spicy fruit and good
concentration. Very good+ (£6.99, buy 2 save £2 = £5. 99)
Valdivieso Barrel Selection Merlot 1999
There's a touch of leafiness to the nose. The palate shows nice
bright fruit and some careful oaking, but perhaps a touch unripe?
Good+ (£5.99, buy 2 save £2 = £4.99)
Valdivieso Single Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Franc 1999
A concentrated red/purple colour, this is a lovely full-on wine in
a modern style. Opulent, exotic nose with ripe sweet fruit and menthol
new oak notes. Youthful palate has firm tannins. Very good (£7.99)
Argentina
Weinert Carrascal 1997, Argentina
Weinert developed quite a reputation a few years ago, mainly due to
some inexplicably high ratings from Robert Parker. It's a traditional,
old-style producer. This wine shows a restrained, leafy, sweetly
fruited nose with notes of tea and leather. The palate is
unremarkable, with relatively firm tannins. A bit dull. Good+ (£6.99,
buy 2 save £2 = £5.99)
Cavas de Weinert 1996
Quite old world in style. A deep red colour with a brick red rim.
The nose shows sweet herby berry fruit and tertiary leather-like
aromas, and the palate is relatively complex in an old-fashioned sort
of way. Very good (£9.99)
Contact details: see the Majestic
Wine website to find your closest branch, or order online.
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