Monday, April 23, 2018

April 2018. Unusual Grape Varieties, Phil Miles


As it was the AGM, Our Chairman, Phil Miles presented a set of wines made from obscure grape varieties. And these are obscure! Amazingly they are also readily available – M&S or Laithwaites and inexpensive. For those who don't know the first 4 are whites, the rest reds.

Apostolos Thymiopoulos
Thiva
Malagouzia
Central Greece
2016
12.0%
£10.00
M&S
Le Revelation
Carcassonne
Chasan
France
2016
13.0%
£11.00
Laithwaites
Chateau Mukhrani
Kartli
Rkatsiteli
Georgia
2015
13.0%
£10.00
M&S
Lyrakakis
Heraklion
Dafni
Crete
2016
13.0%
£10.00
M&S
Cabeza De Toro
Utiel-Requena
Bobal
, Spain
2015
12.5%
£8.50
Laithwaites
Aluado
Lisbon
Alicante Bouschet
Portugal
2016
13.0%
£9.50
Laithwaites
Pillastro
Puglia
Susumaniello
Italy
2015
13.5%
£11.00
Laithwaites
Alexis Machua
Paphos
Maratheftiko
Cyprus
2015
13.0%
£9.00
M&S

The whites were all fine, but this is one of the problems with modern whites – clean fresh, well made etc... Nothing to complain about at all, except they are all a bit same-y. But you won't be dissappointed either.

The reds were more interesting. The Alicante Bouschet is a very particular taste, but deep, deep red. Itsoften added to other wines to add body and colour. Many liked it. The Susumaniello was widely liked – full bodied, well rounded, and a real star. The Maratheftiko however was really quite tannic, too tannic for most.

That being said, all of these wines are a good buy, and worth a punt to see if oyu like them, and are after something a little off-piste.