New Zealand white wines kick off a new mini-series of postings on WineWriting.com, with further ramblings to follow on red wines - mostly about Pinot Noir and Syrah with some Cabernet Merlots thrown in - and a touch of bubbly. The source of all these tasty wines sampled and regurgitated here was a recent New Zealand Wine tasting in Dublin. Photo: New Zealand Winegrowers Inc, Elephant Hill (Chardonnay).
"Order my book on the Roussillon wine region (colour paperback) DIRECT FROM ME SAVING £4/€4 (UK & EU only), or Kindle eBook on Amazon UK. Available in the USA from Barnes & Noble in hardcover, paperback or eBook; or Amazon.com. For other countries, tap here." Richard Mark James
08 April 2023
New Zealand: 16 Chardonnays & Pinot Gris/Grigios.
Labels:
Chardonnay,
New Zealand,
Pinot Grigio,
Pinot Gris
16 February 2023
Rioja: 5 to 10 year-old red wines.
As promised, the Rioja quest on WineWriting.com has turned increasingly geeky with this selection of 16 smoothing reds aged for 'five to ten years' (in cask and bottle).
The focus is the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 vintages: some of these wines are traditionally categorised as Reserva or Gran Reserva, while other winemakers featured here ignore these rules simply because equating a mandatory amount of barrel-ageing with quality is indeed a daft idea.
Labels:
Rioja Gran Reserva,
Rioja Reserva
20 January 2023
Rioja: reds less than 5 years old.
Part two of this WineWriting.com Rioja feature moves on to red wines - the first instalment highlighted 15 delicious white wines (all tasted in Dublin last month: click/tap to read more). As an appetising entrée, 15 varied red Riojas have been chosen here which are 'less than five years old', to coin a cunning theme that will be developed in two further posts ('5 to 10 years' and '10 to 20 years' old).
Labels:
Garnacha,
Graciano,
Rioja,
Tempranillo
29 December 2022
Rioja: 15 white wines.
The first of a few tasting reports gleaned from a right royal Rioja tasting in Dublin (by coincidence, Rioja resembles a word in Irish meaning majestic) focuses on white wines. Rioja Blanco was traditionally once as well known as the region's red wine, usually well-oaked in style, which over the years declined in fashion while reds became more and more in demand; but their white wines are definitely now making a welcome comeback.
19 October 2022
Malta & Gozo: food, wine and beer.
Not surprisingly perhaps, given their history and proximity to Sicily and southern Italy, Italian cuisine is commonplace in the Maltese islands in all its forms and price ranges. We discovered the particularly good family-run restaurant ('for three decades') Il Galeone in Sliema, a short ferry-ride across the water from Valletta (35 Tigne Seafront: galeonerestaurant.com).
13 October 2022
10 wines and a cider of the moment.
D'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne 2021 McLaren Vale, South Australia (14% abv): Asda £10 on offer, normally £13. Stylish and unusual full-bodied white, floral nutty and exotic with zesty yeast-lees and citrus tones; generously textured mouthfeel from a small portion of each variety being barrel fermented, otherwise not noticeable.
Labels:
Brut,
Cava,
Chardonnay,
cider,
Gaglioppo,
Garnacha,
Kékfrankos,
Malbec,
Marsanne,
Viognier
02 October 2022
A handful of unoaked white wines
A wide variety of five good-value unoaked white wines originally featured on WineWriting.com on Facebook (more photos there):
The Winery of Good Hope Chardonnay 2021, South Africa (12.5% abv). Flavoursome textbook unoaked Chardonnay from the western Cape: £8.50 The Wine Society.
Labels:
Assyrtiko,
Chardonnay,
Clairette,
Falanghina,
Riesling
06 September 2022
Roussillon: a dozen Vins Doux Naturels.
The fourth and final part of my summer Roussillon review features a (baker's) dozen Vins Doux Naturels (plural, VDN(s) for short), probably more naturally translated as (sweet) fortified wines, some of which are anchored in regional tradition while others are relatively 'modern'. Including whites - although their colour is often far from it for reasons explained below, a style called Ambré - and reds from Rivesaltes, as well as Maury and Banyuls, also white and red, of various types and ages.
Labels:
Ambré,
Banyuls,
Grenat,
Maury,
Rancio,
Rimage,
Rivesaltes,
Tuilé.,
vin doux naturel
21 August 2022
Roussillon: 36 whites and rosés worthy of your fridge (but not at the same time).
Hot on the heels of two pieces showcasing 40+ stonking reds from the North and the Centre & South of the Roussillon, it's time to switch the limelight onto some of the region's flavoursome white and rosé wines. There's a blurb about the wineries mentioned here in those two previous posts: tap the links to discover more including which outlets stock their wines. So this time then, less blah blah and more wine. Photo: old vines in Les Aspres zone.
01 August 2022
Roussillon - the south & centre: 16 reds to knock your socks off (part 2).
These plush reds represent more of my favourites from a recent Wines of Roussillon tasting in London (part 1: the north, is here). Featuring wines from 2019, 2020 and 2021 plus some more mature or rarer vintages produced by various wineries in the centre and south of the Roussillon, aka 'French Catalonia, wild wine country' as in the title of my book.
08 July 2022
Roussillon - the north: 27 reds to knock your socks off (part 1).
This spicy variety of reds features some of my top picks from a Wines of Roussillon tasting in London (in June), and other recommendations from recent wine shopping. These include reds from the 2019, 2020 and 2021 vintages, as well as a few older, more mature and sometimes special bottlings. They were made by different-sized wine producers across the northern Roussillon - Les Pyrénées Orientales is the département name - or 'French Catalonia' as I coined in the subtitle of my book on the region.
21 June 2022
June wines of the moment
A mixed baker's dozen (plus) of wines worth taking bad photos of...
M&S 'Found' Weißburgunder 2021, Pfalz Germany (12.5% abv): Or Pinot Blanc to use its more familiar French name (Pinot Bianco in Italy). This juicy zesty pear and nectarine tinged dry white is from talented winemaker Gerd Stepp, who's made other tasty 'modern' German wines for Marks including delicious Riesling and Pinot Noir. Resembles Alsace Pinot Blanc in style but with more flavour. £9.50
Labels:
Abruzzo,
Alentejo,
Alsace,
Antão Vaz.,
Basilicata,
Fiano,
Garnacha,
Gewurztraminer,
Greco,
Grenache,
Montepulciano,
Navarra,
Pays d'Oc,
Pfalz,
Pinot Blanc,
rosado,
Sicily,
South Australia,
Viognier,
Weißburgunder
27 May 2022
Irish craft beer: 'Belgian Style' Saison & Foxes Rock
The Crafty Brewing Co label is an 'exclusive' range brewed by the Rye River Brewing Company in Co. Kildare for Lidl Ireland. Their deliciously refreshing Belgian Style Saison (4.8% abv), whatever that means, is very aromatic and crisp while full-flavoured. The brewery's (edited) tasting note says it all (and much more...): 'Hazy and unfiltered with a stiff rocky foam that exudes an aroma of fruits, spice, bubblegum and herbs... (and) subtle notes of Sauvignon Blanc (it really does) from a late hop addition finishing dry.' Good with Thai green curry. €1.99 (500ml).
Labels:
craft beer,
IPA,
Red Ale.,
Saison
15 May 2022
More Chardonnay: France, Spain, Chile.
Following on from my '50 years of Chardonnay' in Australia feature, five other gratuitous Chardies enjoyed recently include:
Le Stopgap Chardonnay 2021 Vin de France, Jacques Depagneux (13% abv): 'Much of the blend comes from Limoux with a little from the central Languedoc and essential dash from the Mâconnais...'
Labels:
Cava,
Chardonnay,
Limarí,
Limestone Coast.,
Macon Villages,
Vin de France
12 May 2022
Australia: 50 years of Chardonnay.
Indeed, fifty years young. As Wine Australia put it in the intro to a recent celebratory tasting: "With the first varietally-labelled Chardonnay produced in Australia in 1972, now is the perfect time to revisit the story of Australia’s most iconic white wine. From the first vine cuttings in the 1830s to the big buttery wines of the 1990s, to today’s regionally distinct refined styles, Australian Chardonnay has come a long way."
(Tyrrell's, Leeuwin, Forest Hill, Penfolds, Moorooduc, Giant Steps, Shaw&Smith, Tolpuddle. And a wine geek warning!)
02 May 2022
Spain: Cava Cabré & Sabaté.
Cabré & Sabaté is yet another packaging guise created by bespoke-label Cava maestro Jaume Serra for Mercadona and other supermarkets in Spain; this impressive winery also produces very good fizz for several UK retailers (Asda, Aldi, Morrison's...).
28 April 2022
Grenache: white rosé and red.
Lo Cometa Garnatxa Blanca 2020 Terra Alta, Catalunya (organic, 13.5% abv): Which is Catalan for Grenache blanc, this unusual full-bodied dry white is more about flavour and texture than aroma. Subtle honeyed notes with yeast-lees, white peach and pears edged with aniseed and blanched nuts; quite powerful while juicy and concentrated with lingering mineral freshness. £7.25 The Wine Society (out of stock, wait for the 2021), €6-€7 Germany (Lidl has some 2019 left), Netherlands €9.
Labels:
Garnacha,
Garnatxa Blanca,
Grenache blanc,
Grenache noir
06 March 2022
Serious rosé
For those of us who enjoy (proper) dry rosé all year round, not just in summer (it's a good compromise for a white wine drinker and a red wine drinker sharing the same meal and bottle), it's no surprise that 'serious' rosé does exist. But some people in France and someone in Italy had the bright idea of creating the Rosés de Terroirs association as a collaborative marketing project to promote the regions and producers who are famous for making this type of full-on pink wine.
Labels:
Bandol,
Costières de Nîmes,
Côtes du Rhône,
Côtes du Roussillon,
Tavel
21 February 2022
Pays d'Oc, South of France part 4.
Poet Frédéric Mistral. |
16 February 2022
Four whites and a Pinot Noir
Santa Tresa Rina Ianca Grillo Viognier 2020 Sicilia (organic, 13.5% abv): Another delicious Grillo-based bottle from Sicily - click here and here for more of those - this time with 30% Viognier added, which ups the exotic apricot and peach flavours with full palate weight, yeast-lees edges and appealing amount of freshness. Wine Society £8.25.
Labels:
Alsace,
Grenache blanc,
Grenache gris,
Grillo,
Lugana,
Monterey.,
Pinot Noir,
Riesling,
Roussillon,
Sicily,
Turbiana,
Viognier
19 January 2022
A dozen more winter wines of the mo
Muga Reserva Rioja 2016 (14% abv) is a splendid oak-aged blend of 75% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo (= Carignan) and Graciano. Smoky spicy oak aromas in that traditional Rioja fashion but with lots of rich dark berry fruit and beginning to show enticing balsamic maturing notes, quite dense powerful and structured with concentrated savoury fruit, a little firmness still on the finish but with lovely silky tannins too. Good with lamb shank; should benefit from another few years' bottle age. Half-bottle £9.25 (image = the Wine Society).
Labels:
Cava,
Chardonnay,
Greco,
Grenache blanc,
Grillo,
Lisboa,
Macabeu,
Malbec,
Pinot Noir,
Riesling,
Rioja Reserva,
rosé,
Roussanne,
Roussillon
22 December 2021
Festive wines of the mo
Rancio Sec Arnaud de Villeneuve, Côtes Catalanes, France (16% abv) - This very dry rancio style is an old-as-time Catalan speciality - although made elsewhere in France and Spain (and Europe) in similarly tiny quantities - and is distinctly different from other traditional cask-aged bottlings from the Roussillon, which is well-known for its mostly red, fortified sweet wines. This tasty 'commercial' example is made by one of the region's biggest (if not the) co-operative wineries...
Labels:
Alsace,
Amontillado,
Chardonnay,
Côtes Catalanes,
Gewurztraminer,
Grillo,
Hemel-en-Aarde,
Leyda Valley,
Limarí,
Macon-Lugny,
Marsanne.,
Muscat,
organic,
Paarl,
Pinot Noir,
Rancio,
Roussanne,
Sherry,
Sicilia,
Viognier
08 December 2021
Cahors Malbec: Château de Gaudou lieu-dit range
Or lieux-dits in the plural, a common term in France for old place names found on a map or land registry, something like a historical townland or local name for say a particular site, hamlet, hill, field, valley or parish. Five Cahors wine estates, based in the Lot département in southwest France, are involved in an initiative called 'Generation Cahors Lieux Dits': Château Famaey, Château de Gaudou, Domaine d'Homs, Château Nozières and Château de Rouffiac. (This long feature carries a wine-geek warning!)
22 November 2021
Roussillon 'French Catalonia' wine book
NEW: I've republished a less-expensive colour paperback of my book on the Roussillon region:
In the UK or EU, you can order it direct from me and save £4/€4 (£20 or £24 including postage: Royal Mail Tracked 48 service or International Standard; or delivered by Amazon). Select UK or EU in the drop-down menu below and proceed to the checkout (in a new window) using your PayPal account or your debit/credit card: this website does not process or store your card or personal data.
Labels:
ebook,
Roussillon wine,
wine book
01 November 2021
The Wine Society: 3 whites, 3 rosés, 3 reds.
These nine varied wines are available from the Wine Society in the UK (and some of them from other wine stores and in other countries), which I became a member of recently, and represent my favourites from a first mixed case purchased (I picked each wine but you can order from several pre-selected options).
Labels:
Alentejo,
Aragonez,
Castelão,
Garnacha,
Grenache,
Grillo,
Moschofilero,
Navarra,
Peloponnese,
Roditis,
Roussillon,
Sardinia,
Sicily,
Syrah,
Vermentino
19 October 2021
Roussillon 2019 reds: La Préceptorie, Domaine Jones and Vignobles d'Agly.
From domainejones.com
The three 2019 vintage reds tasting-noted here come from a few different northern Roussillon vineyard locations. Full profiles of these wineries and notes on their other wines and previous vintages can be found in my book on the Roussillon. These tasty reds are all available from the Wine Society in the UK (among others, and in other countries), which I became a member of recently.
15 October 2021
Wines of the mo: Zweigelt, Chardonnay, Fiano & Grecanico, Pinot Noir, Riesling and more.
It's not just that desperate label which grabbed me about this Aussie white - hmm, where's that Chardy from then? Perhaps add a picture of Dame Edna sniffing it on the back-label to be sure. This tasty unoaked Chardonnay is one of Aldi's burgeoning Specially Selected range and is also great value for €7.99 at Aldi Ireland or £5.99 in the UK.
Labels:
Chardonnay,
Fiano,
Gewurztraminer,
Grecanico,
Pinot Noir,
Riesling,
Verdicchio,
Zweigelt
03 October 2021
Bubbly of the moment: Cava
Frankly, almost always more interesting than Prosecco (unless you pay for some of the top names), here are five Catalan fizz favourites enjoyed in recent times.
Vilarnau Rosé Brut Reserva (12% abv) - Toasty, red-fruity and full-flavoured, this delicious Cava Rosado is based on Garnacha (Grenache) and Pinot Noir. Tesco was 'clearing' it out for £8 (it's gone already)...
Labels:
Cava
17 September 2021
France, Roussillon: Domaine of the Bee
This is the first full update on Roussillon wine producers since I published my book on the region (did I mention it already?! Click there for details), focusing on new vintages and releases from wineries featured in the book, and potentially any new-to-me places that would then be slotted into the winery guide sections for a future edition. Domaine of the Bee was tentatively launched in 2004 (some old vines purchased) by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, wife Amanda and business partner Philippe Sacerdot.
Labels:
Carignan,
Cotes Catalanes,
English sparkling wine,
Grenache,
Maury sec,
Roussillon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
'RED'
'Red is for wine, blood, revolution, colour... Time-warped slices of mystery, history, fantasy, crime, art, cinema and love...' Buy the e-book or paperback novel on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. Click here to view the RED blog!
Send an email
Header image: Château de Flandry, Limoux, Languedoc. Background: Vineyard near Terrats in Les Aspres, Roussillon.