The wine world is big. And though I have been drinking wine in earnest for a long time, there are some bits that are new to me. These are the…
A superb, inexpensive Ventoux
Continuing in my theme of brilliant wines under £10, here’s a Ventoux that I was seduced by. It’s one of those wines that manages to hold the sweet fruit and…
Old vine Garnacha from Domaines Lupier, Navarra
Two impressive, potentially ageworthy Garnacha (Grenache) wines from Navarra. They’re quite difficult to assess right now because they are just so tannic and primary, but I think they will be…
A lovely Grenache Gris from Domaine Jones
A while back I was enthusing here about Grenache Blanc, and several people told me to keep an eye out for Grenache Gris. Well, I found one – it’s from…
Serious Spanish Garnacha from Artadi
Impressed by this. It’s made by high-end Rioja producer Artadi’s Artazu estate in Navarra. It’s expensive, yes, but not when compared with its qualitative peer group. Artadi Santa Cruz de…
A brilliant, natural California Grenache
Now this is a superb wine. Before opening it, I admit I was expecting something very sweet and ripe, in the new world mould. But what I got was something…
A brilliant value Garnacha from Navarra
Garnacha, aka Grenache, is a variety that can tend to soupy lushness when it’s grown in warm climates. Here, in Spain’s Navarra, from old vines, it has produced a really…
A lovely Gigondas
I’ve neglected the Southern Rhone a bit of late. Here’s a good one, from father and daughter team Bernard and Celine Chauvet of Domaine Grapillon d’Or (www.domainedugrapillondor.com) Domaine Grapillon D’Or…
Two contrasting Rhone-style wines from California and Australia
Two rather different takes on the Rhone here, one tending towards old world elegance; the other, unashamedly ripe and new world in style. They’re both from UK supermarket (or, to…