2015 Sula Vineyards Jewel of Nasik Shiraz/Tempranillo
A rich, medium-bodied red with vivid dark cherry and blackberry aromas, and engaging savoury notes on the palate. An enticing marriage of the rich intensity of Tempranillo and the spiciness of Shiraz. Winemaker Jeneve William’s travels in India have led her to the unique region of Nasik, high up in the hills of Maharashtra northeast of Mumbai. Here, at the highly progressive and pioneering Sula Vineyards, she has teamed up with specialist local winemaker Ajoy Shaw and dynamic owner Rajeev Samant to create this fabulous red blend. Sula’s grapes are sustainably grown and harvested during the dry season, to avoid the monsoon, and at night, when the warm days give way to chilly hillside evenings; Grape Variety: 70% Tempranillo, 30% Shiraz
2001 d’Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz
(Aug 2003) Robert Parker 98 points Drink: 2008 – 2033
Readers should be on the look out for the 2001 The Dead Arm Shiraz, one of the greatest examples of this cuvee. Its dense black/purple colour is accompanied by celestial
aromas of melted liquorice, graphite, blackberries, cassis, incense, anise, and toasty oak. Fabulously concentrated, with great purity, an unctuous, viscous texture, and an
amazingly long, 60-second plus finish, this fabulous baby will need 5-6 years of cellaring, and should drink well over the following 20-25 years.
2019 Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi
KAKHETI, GEORGIA. An opulent ruby colour. Bouquet of black mulberry, blackberry and cherry. A palate with echoes of exuberant soft oak, yet velvety tannin, meaning a well-balanced, expressive wine. An organic wine but not registered. Saperavi is Georgia’s endemic varietal and has all the noble character making it one of the World’s most outstanding reds. Saperavi is a rich, varietal, fruity wine of bountiful body and great length
2020 Shotley Vineyard Bacchus
Classic Bacchus – elderflower, gooseberry and lime, super fresh. This single estate Bacchus is the second vintage to come from the vineyard since its revitalisation at the hands of new owners, Craig Mills and Charlotte Davitt-Mills. It displays fantastic typicity: floral notes of elderflower on the nose, and crisp acidity on the palate with distinct gooseberry and lime flavours. This wine pairs beautifully with chicken or seafood. The vines at Shotley Vineyard were planted in phases since the 1990s, with the Bacchus vines, of which there are over 3,000, planted in 1997, 1998 and 2003. Having fallen into abandonment, Craig and Charlotte took it over in 2017, and embarked on the laborious process of restoring it. The vineyard is beautifully situated overlooking both the Orwell and Stour estuaries, against the backdrop of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
2011 A.C. Guilin Sameiras
Tasted at Hextable Wine Club 18/9/13. Interesting blend of 55% Treixadura, 20% Albarino, 12% Godella, 8% Lado, 2& Loureia, 2% Torrontes and 1% Caino Bianco. A complex nose, with the aromaticity of the Torrontes in subtle evidence. Complex white fruitiness on the palate, gentle long finish. Superb 90 points (CJH)
2011 La Stoppa Ageno Malvasia di Candia Aromatica
Who would have thought that a defiantly tannic orange wine made with 30 days of maceration would triumph in this tasting? Yet triumph it did, proving that Malvasia di Candia Aromatica (the dominant variety here) takes to skin contact like bees to a honeypot. La Stoppa’s 50 hectare organic estate in Emilia-Romagna has been established for more than a century, with the enigmatic Elena Pantaleoni its grande dame for the past 23 years. She prefers the term ‘artisanal’ to the more nebulous ‘natural’ for her wines. A full bodied, spicy and honeyed wine with haunting aromas of rose, musk, chamomile and thyme. Full of deep, pure, head-turning flavours, modulating from rose-water charm through clean apple-orchard fruit, oranges and rhubarb. Notes of cinnamon and ginger come through on the memorable finish. Somehow more than the sum of its parts, the orange hued Ageno is made from 35 year old Malvasia di Candia, Ortuga & Trebbiano vines and spends 10 months on skins giving a wine of incredible perfume and explosive flavour 94 points, Decanter May 2017, Drinking Window 2017 – 2020
2004 Andre Brunel Les Cailloux
The 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape is elegant, with notes of sweet strawberries and cherries, Provencal herbs, and a hint of nori (the sushi seafood wrapper) along with some plum and fig. This is a fruity, rich, medium to full-bodied, soft and velvety 2004 to drink over the next 7-8 years. Andre Brunel has always been one of the most progressive and brilliant proprietors of Chateauneuf du Pape and the good news is that he has purchased 40 hectares (that’s over 100 acres) of high-class Cotes du Rhone
vineyards near Chateauneuf du Pape, so we can expect to see larger quantities of serious wines emerge.
2000 Ch.Musar
The 2000 vintage of Chateau Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan – approximately one third of each. The colour is a deep dark red, perhaps darker than usual at Chateau Musar. The nose is a complex intriguing mixture of figs, prunes, leather, dark tea, tobacco, black olives with spices and a certain earthiness. On the palate, you will find ripe black cherries, figs, damsons-even chocolate and olives. There is good acidity with nice smooth tannins resulting in a wine which full-bodied, rich and velvety with very long length; perhaps more Bordeaux like in character.
2004 Turkey Flat Butcher’s Block Grenache-Mourvedre, Barossa Valley
A fabulously rich blend of 93% Mourvedre and 7% Grenache with lots of brambly fruit, leather, spice, tannin and a touch of oak. Drink over the next 10 years. Rated 92pts and 93pts by James Halliday and Robert Parker respectively.
Wine Advocate # 167 Oct 2006 Robert Parker 93 Drink 2006 – 2016
A superb blend of 93% Mourvedre and 7% Grenache, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2004 Butchers Block exhibits full body, sweet but high tannin, abundant glycerin, and a distinctive terroir (earth, leather, spice, and minerals). Drink it over the next decade or more.
2005 Heartland Winery Director’s Cut Shiraz
A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from Limestone Coast, Southeast Australia, Australia
The 2005 Shiraz “Director’s Cut spent 14 months in 100% new oak, 70% French and 30% American. It reveals a thick, saturated opaque purple color, a brooding nose of plum, blue and black fruits and full-body. It has layered ripe fruit and flavors but narrows on the mid-palate and the finish is compact. With 5-7 years in the cellar, it may well fill out and then my score will appear to be conservative.
2016 Jim Barry The Cover Drive Cabernet Sauvignon
The older vintages were lovely, archetypical Cab Sauvignon, delicious, wonderful value.
2016 L A Cetto Zinfandel
In 1928, Don Angelo Cetto, an immigrant of Italian descent, moved to Baja California. He brings with him a solid oenological know-how. The country was then politically stable and allowed him to start growing vines. Three generations later, Luis Alberto Cetto runs the estate, which covers 600 hectares and makes it the unmissable producer of Mexico. The wines of L.A. Cetto owe a lot to their winemaker: Camillo Magoni, an Italian graduate who has been in the property for more than 30 years. All wines have received numerous medals in international competitions. Zinfandel comes from grapes from El Escondito vineyard in Baja California and is aged 6 months in barrels and 6 months in bottles.
2002 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling
Wine Advocate #151 (Feb 2004) Pierre Rovani 92 points Drink 2005-2020. The 2002 Riesling Spatlese Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck displays lily, violet, and chalk aromas. On the palate, this medium-bodied offering reveals a gorgeous expanse of sweet limes infused with red currants. This elegant, concentrated, silky-textured wine exhibits a long, flavourful finish. Projected maturity: 2005-2020.
2014 ColleMassari Melacci Vermentino
Citrus flowers and Mediterranean herbs on the nose. Fresh and sweet fruits on the palate with lively acidity. We really enjoyed the 2011 in 2017, lovely almond finish and so elegant.
About the producer: Colle Massari. A very modern Tuscan Domaine which covers three different estates Colle Massari established in 1998, Grattamacco established in the late 1970’s and Poggio di Sotto established in the 1980’s. All were founded by and are still run by brother and sister Claudio Tipa and Maria Iris. Colle Massari was voted winery of the year 2014 by Gambero Rosso – Italy’s world famous food, wine and travel guide
2010 Dom. Pietri-Geraud Banyuls Blanc, Grenache Blanc
Vin doux naturel – we liked the Coume del Mas but could not get any more so got this instead!
2005 Domaine La Cabotte Vielles Vignes GSM
A must for Châteauneuf fans, why not treat yourself to a few bottles? Very Limited Availability. Only a tiny quantity of this Chateauneuf is produced by the Cabotte estate, from grapes which are hand selected at picking, then transported to the winery in 25 kilo trays. The grapes then undergo a second selection in the winery, where they are fermented and partially aged in 600 litre oak barrels. The wine has elegant and subtly spiced aromas, with an unctuous mouth-feel which reveals both freshness and a firm structure. The ripeness and purity of the fruit mean this can be approached now, but the quality and structure ensure it will improve over the next decade. A superb wine.
2007 Bernard Baudry Chinon Cabernet Franc
Both these tasting notes from 2015……..
2007 was not the best vintage for red Chinon so we approached the wine with some reservations. However, the wine is very drinkable if not utterly ripe or complex. Nice nose with paprika, a touch of worn leather, some red fruit and mouth with grainy tannins and enough fruit to be interesting. That kind of wine that, being from Bordeaux, we would call “a luncheon claret”. But it costs 1/3 of the price. Popped, breathed in bottle 45 minutes, consumed over next two hours. Drank beautifully from the start and gradually opened further, revealing more nuance. Layers of red and dark fruit, leather, bell pepper, tobacco. Wonderful balance, satisfying finish. Would love to revisit this in ten years, but it will be tough to keep my hands off my other bottle from this vintage.92+
2011 Ch. Musar Jeune Rose Columbard
That’s all there is, folks – try this one and comment.
NV Adgestone Something Blue
Made from the Phoenix grape and coloured with extracts from Rondo skins. Make your own mind up!