August 2022. Wines of South Africa by Phil Miles

 

South African wines by the Chairman, Phil Miles

Phil has travelled extensively in SA for his work in the Tourism industry and together with his love of wine has seen a lot of the SA wine industry. Here are 8 wines presented by Phil

One comment he made was that quite often Red wines are less difficult to make – White need a lot more care, so are often that bit more expensive. I think that showed in this tasting with the reds being better VFM. 

 

Whites:

Ernie Els Big Easy Chenin Blanc 2021. Penderberg, Paarl. 13.5% £13.50.

7.5/10. Straightforward white, clean fresh, but cant be said to be VFM

Steenburg Farm Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2021. Constantia Valley Cape Town. 13.5% £15.50

7/10

As above

Glenkelly Glass Collection Unoaked Chardonnay 2020. Idas Valley, Stellenbosch 12.5% £14

5/10

This had a quite off smell and not a great taste. Apparently has been made with a novel and special technique. It appears to have not worked.- Post meeting note. On discussing with other members, there were 3 bottles, and only this one bottle showed this flaw. It does very much appear that it was a duff bottle. We should have sorted this out at the meeting, but somehow failed to do so. 😢

Catherine Marshall Red Slate Riesling 2021. Elgin Valley 11% £12

8/10

A decent level of acidity with a hint of lemon. Pretty good. 

 

Reds

Rustenberg Stellenbosch Merlot 2020. Idas Valley, Stellenbosch. 14% £13

7.5/10

Oaked? Cedar & Cigars. Smooth & well balanced.

Darling Cellar Reserve black granite Shiraz 2020. Darling west coast. 14% £10

9/10

A very smooth Shiraz from Old Vines. Well balanced. Good VFM

Guardian Peak Cabernet Sauvignon 2019. Stellenbosch. 14.0% £12

9/10

As above

Kaapzicht Rooiland Pinotage 2020. Bottelary Hills Stellenbosch. 14.5% £18.50

8.5/10

Pinotage can be hit & miss. This one’s a hit, if pricey.

Wines of Chile: Mimi Avery

Wines of Chile, Presented by Mimi Avery, of Averys of Bristol

Sadly, I wasn't there, on holiday drinking German Wine….

So, for the record, these were the wines.

• Atakarma Sauvignon Blanc 2.25 litre Wine Box 2021 £22.50

• Casa Silva Paredones Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc 2021. £17.49

• Riversong Viognier 2021. £10.99

• Casa Silva Chardonnay Semillon 2021. £11.99

• Pencahue Estate Pais 2019. £10.99

• Admiral Thomas Carmenère 2021. £9.99

• Alta Tierra Syrah Gran Reserva 2017 £16.99

• Le Dix de Los Vascos 2017 £45.00

 

June 2022. Austrian WInes from Robin Goldsmith - thewritetaste.co.uk

Austrian wines, Presented by Robin Goldsmith - thewritetaste.co.uk.

Robin is wine writer, and presents very well. An entertaining evening.

The wines are from the Clear Wine Company, except where noted. All the prices are approximate, depending on the deal from the CWC.

It does have to be said that at these prices, these are not everyday drinking wines.

Whites:

Lenz Moser, Niederosterreich (lower Austria) . Selection Austrian Chardonnay 2020. 12.5%, Aldi. £6.99. 7.5/10

Polz, Sudsteiermark (Styria) – Sauvignon blanc. 2020. 12.5%, £16. 7.5/10

R&A Pfaffl, Niederosterreich (lower Austria) Sonne Riesling 2020 . 14%, £16. 7/10

Stift Klosterneuburg, Niederosterreich (lower Austria) - Ried Steinriegel gruner veltliner reserve 2020. 13.5%, £17-20. 8/10

Reds

Artisan Wines – Burgenland. Sankt laurent reserve. 2018 13.8%, £16. 9/10

Robert Goldenits – Burgenland. Zweigold, 100% Zweigeld 2018. 12.5%, £11 (wholesale only). 8.5/10

Artisan Wines – Burgenland. Zweigelt Reserve 2017. 13.5%, £19.50. 9/10

Stift Klosterneuburg, niederosterreich (lower austria) – Blaufrankisch 2020. 13%, £11-14. 8.5/10

In general the Reds were preferred to the Whites, which is perhaps a little surprising., but those who know Austrian Wine know that the Reds can be very good indeed.

May 2022. Brazilian Wines by Nick Corfe of GoBrazil WInes

This is the 2^nd time we’ve had Nick Corfe – he’s the only company in the UK that specialises in Brazil wines. They aren’t the cheapest for various reasons, but they are very definitely getting the quality. A good evening.

https://www.gobrazilwines.com/

Whites

• Don Guerino sinais, serra gaucha, Rio grande do sul - italico riesling 2021. 12.5%, £13

8/10. Full bodied yet refreshing. To be drunk young. The grape is the Welsch Riesling, not the true Riesling.

• Don Guerino sinais, serra gaucha, Rio grande do sul - moscatto giallo 2021. 12.5%, £13

9/10. Moscatto Giallo is the so called Yellow Muscat and fairly rare. Tastes of grapes!, and honeysuckle etc.

• Campos de cima tres bocas blanco, campanha gaucha, rio grande do sul. - arinto/alvarinho/voignier 2021 12.5%, £16

7/10. This is sort of a vinho verde with a splash of viognier. Personally I didn’t think this works particularly well. You may like it.

• Guaspari vale de pedra blanco. serra de mantiquiera, sao paulo - sauv blanc/chard/voignier 2017. 13%, £23

7/10. This is a high altitude wine – all the vinyards are >1000m altitude. Again, for me, suffers from the same problem as the previous – Viognier can be very powerful, and can overwhelm the other grapes.

Reds

• Pizzato fausto, serra gaucha, rio grande do sul - merlot 2016, 13%, £14

8/10. Smooth, Full bodied, Well balanced – note 2016, so 6 yrs old.

• Don Guerino 'vintage', serra gaucha, rio grande do sul, - malbec 2019, 13.5%, £16

6/10 (personal view). Some of us encountered an odd background taste of burnt rubber (?), but plenty did like it, tasting caramel instead. Quite light for a malbec.

• Don Guerino el gaucho, serra gaucha, rio grande do sul - tannat 2020, 14%, £16

9.5/10. A Very dark, solid, full bodied wine. Still young for a tannat, so should improve for 10 years yet.

• Campos de cima assinatura, campanha gaucha, rio grande do sul - shiraz/tempranillo/tannat 2018. 14%, £24

9/10. Only 2000 bottles of this in existence. Another good solid, hefty wine. Nicely mature, and deceptively light given the grapes.

April 2022. AGM and Quality Wines

 

April – the AGM. As it’s been 3 years since the last AGM – for obvious reasons, Phil the chairman decided to push the boat out on the wine. One little benefit to us from all the chaos in the last 2 years is that the tastings we’ve had have all been in house, so no speaker fees, which left us with a bit a spare money. And of course, it has to be spent on wine doesn’t it?

An excellent selection, all in the £20 - £30 range, somewhat more than most of us would spend usually (if ever!) All wines are either from Majestic (M) or Waitrose (W). Note that at this price, the Waitrose wines might be on-line only

1. Nicolas Feuillatte selection Brut Champagne – France. 12%, £27. M

8/10. This is one of the highest selling champagnes in France, and the only coop in Champagne. A very well balanced, toasty/biscuity champagne

2. Rabl Schenkenbichl Riesling reserve 2018 – Austria. 13% £21. W

8/10. Some riesling petrol notes which you either like or don’t. Clean finish, reminiscent of a good viognier.

3. Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2021 – NZ. £13.5% £25. M

9.5/10. This wine screamed “quality”. You can taste where the money goes. A clean fresh, tasty great example of a NZ SB. Made by the same people who make Cloudy Bay.

4. Stags Leap Hands of Time Chardonnay 2019 – California. 14.5% £25. M

6/10. A cooler style of Chardonnay, with some oak. But it seemed to be in some odd halfway house between no oak and lots of oak. There was a powerful flavour of something like vanilla. Not convinced.

5. Craggy Range Te Muna road Pinot Noir 2018 – NZ. 13.5% £23. W

9/10. Cool climate PN. An excellent example. Smooth, fresh, full of flavour

6. Terre de Barlolo 2016 – Italy. 14% £20. W

9/10 Lighter than might be expected, quite still with tannins. Excellent

7. Reserve de Diacres Chateauneuf de Pape 2020 – France. 15% £25. M

9/10. Quite light for a CdP, but well balanced, dense, heady, spicy..

8. Scala Dei Priorat 2016 – Spain. 15% £20. W

9.5/10. A monastic wine since the 12^th C.

March 2022 - Jen Connan. Wines from Bordeaux.

 

Wines of Bordeaux, presented by JEN CONNAN of Hertfordshire wine school

An excellent presentation by Jen – she’s very definitely worth having as a speaker/presenter.

Étoile de Timberlay Crémant de Bordeaux Blanc Brut NV (available from M&S) 

A sparkling wine made using the traditional method, with flavours of red apples and brioche, and floral notes. It's a blend of 62% Merlot, 33% Semillon with a dash of Cabernet Franc.12%, £9.50

Château Saint-Jean-des-Graves 2019 (available from Waitrose)

A fresh and aromatic Bordeaux white wine with notes of citrus, greengage, peach and white blossom. It's a 50/50 blend of Sauvignon and Sémillon. It undergos lees stirring to add body and complexity 12.5%, £9.99

Château Bel Air Perponcher Réserve, Bordeaux Rosé 2020 (available from The Wine Society)

Château Bel-Air is located in the Entre-Deux-Mers region where the Despagne family have cultivated their vineyards organically since 2008. Produced mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It has notes of strawberries, raspberries & roses. 12.5%, £9.95

Château Méaume Bordeaux Supérieur 2018 (available from Majestic)

Château Méaume is located approximately 15kms north of Pommerol. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon with 2 years in oak. It has notes of plums, blueberries, blackcurrants, black cherries, tobacco, cedar and leather.14.5%, £9.99

Château Arnauton Fronsac 2014 (available from Majestic)

Fronsac is situated in Bordeaux’s Right Bank. It’s predominantly made from Merlot, with Cabernet France and Malbec. It has notes of plums, blackberries, blackcurrants, vanilla and cedar. 14%, £14.99

Château Lagrave Le Second Saint-Émilion 2018 (available from Waitrose)

The estate's second label. A blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. 50% matured in oak. 50% matured in stainless steel. It has notes of plums, kirsch, cigar box and chocolate.13%, £14.99

The Society’s Exhibition Haut-Medoc 2014 (available from The Wine Society)

Made for the Society by Chateau Beaumont. Located on the Left Bank between Margaux and Saint-Julian. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with just under 10% Petit Verdot. It has notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, vanilla, cedar and leather.13.5%, £14.95

Definition Sauternes 2013 (75cl) (available from Majestic)

Made for Majestic by the 1855 classified 2nd growth, Château Filhot. A blend of 60% Semillon 36% Sauvignon Blanc and 4% Muscadelle. It sspends 2 years in 30% new oak before bottling. It has pronounced notes of citrus and stone fruits and honey.13%, £19.99

The wines were all classic Bordeaux examples, with few surprises. The best was probably the Château Méaume at a very good price. But to be honest, it does feel like Bordeaux wines have stood still, while the rest of the world has moved on.

February 2022. A Mixed case for the Curious.

 

A Mixed Case for the Curious, Presented by our very own Keith & Sandy, Derek & Avril.

Sandy and Avril have between them tasted >300 grape varieties, and although none of these are obscure, they are perhaps a little off the beaten track.

• Cremant de Bourgogne. Louis Bouillot – Brut NV. Pinot Noir/Gamay/Chardonnay. Sainsbury’s £14
• Dry Furmint 2019. Furmint. Hungary, Tokaj Borvidek. Sainsbury’s
• Marquis de Pennautier 2019. Chardonnay/Viognier. France, Languedoc/Roussilon. Majestic £9.99
• Bodegas del Sur, Vinyard Select 2020, Alberino. Uruguay, Maldonado. EW Wines, Cornwall. £12
• The Original Orange wine 2021. Gros Manseng. France, Gascony. Morrisons. £10 was £7
• Beaujolais Quincie. Stephane Aviron. Gamay. France. The Wine Society. £8.50
• Chronic Cellars. Purple Paradise. Zinfandel 75% + 3 others. Pasa Robles 2019. California. Majestic. £14.99
• Don David El Esteco 2019. Tannat. Argentina, Salta. The Great Wine Company, Bath. £11.95.

Of the Wines, the Furmint and the Gros Manseng were perhaps the least well liked; the Furmint does have quite an unusual nose. The Gros Manseng is made using the traditional Georgian Qveri system.

Otherwise, all good. The best VFM would be the Wine Society beaujolais, very definitely a steal at £8.50, while the Zinfandel at £15 would be somewhat expensive – good, but pricy.