Moramari 2009 Fiano from Sicily: £4 on promo at Asda supermarkets a couple of weeks ago (and arguably worth paying more for if no longer on offer, about 6 quid I think?). I can't get enough of white wines like this, and Sicily is good at them made from several exciting indigenous varieties like this one, Fiano. I like that combo of oily and ripe-fruit flavour/texture with seductive nutty and zesty edges. Just has so much more character than many New World whites (except Rieslings perhaps) and omnipresent Chardy blends you see around.
Not sure who the producer is - the MGM/Mondo del Vino group perhaps? - but the brand is part of this UK importing dynamic duo's portfolio: Off Piste Wines.
More tasty Sicilian white wines can be found in my "island of mystery" feature on the WineWriting.com
Italy archive page.
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Coastal Region in South Africa (14.5%): it's been a while since I had a slurp of a wine from this range created by Marc Kent's Boekenhoutskloof winery, and I wasn't disappointed. If Cab Sauv ever tasted like blackcurrants, or cassis as I sometimes say (not to be pretentious but to evoke a riper sweeter sort of blackcurrant flavour), then this one does. In a tasty, surprisingly savoury even, and yet certainly tangy way; it's quite concentrated, powerful and solid too with nice dry tannins in the background, but always wrapped in attractive berry and plum fruit with light liquorice and spice hints perhaps. I think it was on offer at Sainbury's for a fiver but usually about £7?
On a pre-festive hunt around the deepest crevices of my parents' drinks' cupboard, I was pleased to find a neglected bottle of 2003 Late Bottled Vintage Port (bottled in 2008 in fact) made by Dow's, part of the mighty Symington family group. So, a tad uber-traditional perhaps, out came the cork and on came the cheeses on Christmas Day. This 03 LBV is looking good, starting to show some enticing maturing savoury / dried fruit edges; yet still pretty solid, peppery and powerful on the palate (its 20% alc. has blended in nicely actually) vs rich, sweet and tasty finish. Went best with an aged cheddar or Ossau Iraty even (French Basque ewes' milk cheese), and less well with Stilton as I've always found - sweet and/or fortified white wines usually work better with Britain's most famous blue cheese and allegedly a good match for red Port.
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Header image: Château de Flandry, Limoux, Languedoc. Background: Vineyard near Terrats in Les Aspres, Roussillon.
