The wineanorak's wines of
the year 2001
Over the last couple of weeks I've been
going through the process of
picking the wineanorak's wines of the year. Each month, I've been
recommending wines in two categories, under £8 and over £8 (£7.99
seems to act as an important psychological barrier in UK wine
retailing), and from these I've selected a mixed case of my favourites, with
six wines from each. It's been a difficult job, but below is my
personal top 12 for 2001.
I'd emphasize that these aren't
necessarily the absolute 'best' wines I've tasted this year. Many of
the fine wines I've had the privilege of guzzling simply aren't
available on the market, or are so expensive that the value for money
isn't there. So there's a pretty good chance that you'll still be able
to buy many of the wines here from the outlets indicated, and the good
news is that none of them costs more than £20. Even in these days of
high wine prices, there are still a lot of very good yet affordable
bottles out there if you're prepared to search for them.
More expensive wines (£8 and over)
Ogier Côte Rôtie 1996, Northern Rhône, France
A profound wine from the Northern Rhône. Stunning nose: meaty,
herby, pungent, medicinal but at the same time delicate and with a
floral edge. On the mid-weight palate the firm tannins and high
acidity balance beautifully with the dense, earthy fruit. It's savoury
and delicious: the antithesis to the new oak, high alcohol, overripe
fruit international style that's so prevalent these days. Tried twice,
some months apart, with consistent notes. Excellent
(Berry Bros £19.95)
Domaine Gros' Noré Bandol Rouge 1999, Provence, France
Alain Pascal's Domaine Gros' Noré is now one of the leading Bandol
estates, and has catapulted to fame since releasing its first wines
just two years ago. I was impressed by the 1998, but if anything the
1999 is even better (and reports from someone who's tasted cask
samples of the 2000 say it's better yet). A deep purple/red colour. I'm very taken with the
intense nose, currently dominated by ripe, liquoricey fruit. The
palate is tannic and powerful; savoury and dry. There's a great
density of herby, olive-laced fruit. It's quite clean, but still
packed with character. Tried again, more recently: it's firming up a
bit, suggesting that this may be one for the long-haul. Excellent (£15 La
Vigneronne)
Montana Fairhall Estate Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 1997,
Marlborough, New Zealand
I think this is the first New Zealand red that I've recommended on
these pages, and it's a stunning effort. The rich, classy, complex
nose shows sweet blackcurrant and red berry fruit. On the palate a
lovely mineral character underlies the rich, spicy berry fruit.
Full-on but still well balanced. Excellent (£11.99, some Oddbins
stores)
Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico 1997, Tuscany, Italy
The first vintage of this, the new flagship wine of this estate,
made from Sangiovese and aged for 18 months in barrique. A
concentrated red/purple colour, this delicious wine shows a herby,
slightly medicinal nose with tar and leather notes. The palate is firm
and tannic, with lots of structure and dense red berry fruit. There's
a lovely savoury character and the finish is bone dry. Very
good/excellent (£18 Noel Young, £20 Chandos Deli)
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 1999, Walker Bay, South Africa
I'm a big fan of this wine, which is nicely poised between the new
and old world styles, as are many of the best Chardonnays from the
Cape. Wonderful toasty nose: complex, nutty and full. Rich and
balanced on the palate with an intense, savoury edge. Lovely stuff.
Excellent. As an aside, I've also tried the 2000 vintage on a couple
of occasions recently, and if anything it's a bit more full-on in
style. (Around £12, stockists usually include Bentalls, Fortnum
& Mason, Berry Bros, Oddbins Fine Wine and independent wine
merchants)
Bründlmayer Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben 1998,
Langenlois, Kamptal, Austria
A sensationally bold interpretation of Riesling. Pretty alcoholic
at 14%, but not unbalanced. Beautifully enticing smoky, spicy nose
(some botrytis here?). The concentrated, rich palate shows complex
notes of lime, spice and honey, with a bone dry finish. Quite
delicious. Excellent (Bibendum £18)
The bargain picks (under £8)
Anselmi San Vicenzo 2000, IGT Veneto, Italy
Soave with a difference (deliberately declassified to IGT status), I
recommended Anselmi's 1999 San Vicenzo here a while back; I'm pleased
to say that the 2000 is even better. A blend of Garganega, Chardonnay
and Trebbiano di Soave, it has a lovely, rich floral nose with a nutty
edge. The palate is rich, full textured, fruity and nutty. Delicious
stuff. Very good/excellent (c. £7, Fortnum & Mason, Chandos Deli,
Noel Young)
Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône 2000,
France
Nicely packaged in a heavy bottle, this is a deep purple coloured wine
showing great concentration. There's an attractive roast coffee/burnt
edge to the peppery nose. The palate is savoury, with grippy tannins,
peppery fruit and a drying, slightly green finish. There are also
hints of olives and coffee. A great food wine. The 1999 is still
around; this is a bit fleshier and probably more rewarding for currrnt
drinking. Very good/excellent
(£6.99 Handford, A&B Vintners)
Château Grande Cassagne 'Les Rameaux' 2000, Costières de Nîmes,
France
Pure Syrah, this is a brilliant wine for the money. Very deep coloured
with a delicious savoury nose displaying roasted, meaty notes and
spicy, coffee elements. Palate shows good concentration of rich, spicy
savoury fruit with a lovely liquoricey edge. Wonderfully rich and a
superb food wine. Highly recommended. Very good/excellent (La
Vigneronne £6.95)
Materne Haegelin Tokay Pinot Gris 1999, Alsace, France
I am really taken with the latest releases from Materne Haegelin, who
offer authentic Alsace wines at very good prices. The Riesling
Bollenberg and Gewürztraminer (also stocked by Majestic) are both
impressive, but my favourite is the beautifully poised Tokay Pinot
Gris. The nose shows notes of smoky bacon and herbs, with a fresh,
acidic lift, and leads to a richly textured palate that finishes dry.
A full-on food wine: one for the Christmas turkey? Very good/excellent
(Majestic £7.99, currently on offer at buy 2 save £2 = £6.99)
Tim Adams Semillon 1998, Clare Valley, Australia
Tim Adams refuses to work with Chardonnay; instead, he makes superb
Riesling and Semillon. A yellow/gold colour, this fine example of the
latter has a striking nose of lemony fruit, coconut and herbs. Complex
and savoury on the palate, with powerful fruit flavours and a savoury,
herby edge. Unusual stuff: with great concentration and intensity,
this is a super food wine. Very good/excellent (Majestic, Tesco
£7.99)
La Cuvée Mythique 1998, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France
A blend of Val d'Orbieu's best parcels of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre
and Carignan, this is a superb, dense, fruit-packed red at a very good
price. Deep coloured, it has a lovely nose of ripe fruit, herbs and
well-judged oak. On the concentrated palate there is sweet fruit and
oak, underpinned by firm tannins. In style, this sits somewhere in
between other new wave Languedoc reds (which tend to be more terroir-driven)
and Aussie Shiraz. It's a wine to buy by the case for drinking over
the next few years. This is now being replaced on the shelves by the
1999, which is good but not quite as substantial as the 1999. Very good/excellent (£6.49 Majestic, Waitrose)
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