Review: Chateau Ollieux Romanis 2006 Cuvée Aristide

Posted on May 31, 2012 by

This Chateau Ollieux Romanis 2006 Cuvée Aristide is somewhat illusive – it’s pretty hard to find in the UK – but if you can track it down it’s well worth it. It’s from the Corbieres sub-region of Corbieres Boutenac which was only gained its ‘cru’ status less than 10 years ago. The star here is one of my favourite grapes – Carignan. Ollieux Romanis have some really gnarly old vines producing intensely concentrated fruit which makes up 50% of the blend, the remainder being 25% each of Grenache and Mourvedre. At this point I’m salivating and can’t resist cracking it open.

Ollieux Romanis AristidePour it and… wow! Intense purple colour. Tempting. Stick your nose in and you get a big hit of ripe black fruit and a nice savoury earthiness. Give it a bit of time to open up and you’ll find hints of cocoa, tobacco and a slight gameyness. Possibly the tiniest hint of oak but nothing overpowering. In the mouth it is full bodied with fine tannins that have had time to mellow out. Really rather scrumptious.

Good food wine, but also great paired with a warm summer’s evening getting you in the mood for holidaying, or reminiscing about holidays past.

It’s not widely available in the UK, but as an alternative I’d recommend checking out one of Ollieux Romanis other Corbieres Boutenac cuvées, Atal Sia, available from Joseph Barnes Wines.

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Review: Sedlescombe 2010 rosé

Posted on May 27, 2012 by

I had been waiting a long time for an opportunity to open this Sedlescombe rosé and as some warmer weather has now finally arrived, a Friday evening picnic in the park seemed like the perfect opportunity. As I have blogged about previously, Sedlescombe in East Sussex is one of my favourite English vineyards. They have farmed Organically for 30 years and a couple of years ago they made the transition to Biodynamics. I’ve heard a lot of people say that England’s climate neccesitates the use of chemical sprays but Sedlescombe goes to show that with care and dedication it is possible to make great wine without resorting to chemicals.

Sedlescombe RoseThis 2010 rosé is produced from Biodynamically grown Regent grapes but as a small amount of sugar in the form of grape juice was added for balance at bottling it cannot be certified as Biodynamic. As you can see, we enjoyed it al fresco and it was a perfect match with a summery picnic. Fresh, crisp and fun. Plenty of summer fruit including a big hit of strawberry and a hint of crisp green apples. A slightly honeyish note too.

English wine week is coming up from 2nd-10th June and if you’re looking for something to pair with a picnic, summer salad or lighter fare from a BBQ give it a try. Available online, direct from the cellar door and from a handful of independent wine shops (contact Sedlescombe for more details).

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London Wine Bars: Green and Blue

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Green & Blue was the main reason I was so excited about moving back to East Dulwich. If you have not visited it yet, I command you to rectify this heinous crime against wine immediately.

After many years working as a sommelier and wine buyer, Kate Thal pursued her dream of opening a wine bar and shop specialising in wines from small producers, produced sustainably and with minimal intervention. All this before the vast majority of people had even heard of ‘natural’ wine. As is often the way with these things, her intial plans to have a chain of 5 sites within 5 years didn’t quite pan out but the original Green & Blue has thrived and has become an East Dulwich institution.

So what’s different about the wines that Green & Blue? Well for a start they are all from smaller producers who focus on growing exceptional quality fruit (predominantly using organic or biodynamic viticulture) and use minimal interventions in the winery, many being ‘natural’ wines. You only have to taste (or even just look at) the wines to appreciate the difference. At a recent evening at Green & Blue, Kate took a (self-admittedly) cheap shot to demonstrate the difference between what they offer and supermarket wines by pitting Moët up against Larmandier-Bernier Terre de Vertus 1er Cru Champagne. Larmandier-Bernier farm biodynamically and this Champagne has zero dosage. It has a razor sharp zippyness, with stone fruit, slight toastyness and a minerally edge. Compare that with the Moët which in comparison tastes sugary and muted. Round one to Green & Blue.

And don’t get me started on the Sebastien Riffault Akemine Sancerre. Wow. If you think you know Sancerre think again. This will knock your socks off.

Sebastien Riffault Akemine Sancerre

They also stock the outstanding Clos Fantine Faugeres which I reviewed last year and several wines from one of my favourite Languedoc producers, Les Clos Perdus including this Prioundo which was the highlight of last Friday night. Intense fruit and spice with a surprising finesse.

Clos Perdus Prioundo

They haven’t played it safe on their house wine list either. If you order a glass of their house Prosecco the first thing you will notice is that it is distinctly cloudy. Absolutely delicious though.

Prosecco

Hmm I should probably stop writing now, I’m getting thirsty…

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Chateau de Pennautier, Cabardès 2010

Posted on March 11, 2012 by

Chateau de PennautierCabardès is half way between Bordeaux and the Mediterranean and you can really taste it in this one from Chateau de Pennautier. Cabardès is the only appellation to allow blending of the Bordeaux varities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec with two of the staples from the Langedoc-Rousillon; Grenache and Syrah. You can definitely taste its Bordeaux roots but it’s… Sunnier. More rustic too. There’s blackcurrant and raspberry on the nose but there’s also a pleasing earthy, almost gravelly side to it. In the mouth it’s quite savoury with a nice peppery spicyness. There’s enough tannins to give it structure and aging potential without being overpowering. Cracking with with hearty meaty dishes and casseroles. On offer in Majestic at the moment at £7.99.

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Review: Saint Michel 2010 Gaillac Perlé Blanc

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

If you enjoyed the Saint Michel Gaillac Rouge that I reviewed recently you might like to check out this Saint Michel 2010 Gaillac Perlé Blanc too. Perlé is the term given to young white wines containing small bubbles so I was initially slightly disappointed that the bubbles in my bottle were tiny. Very tiny. You might even say non-existent. Anyway, that aside, I really enjoyed it. As with the Rouge, it’s made from some pretty unusual local varieties – Loin de l’oeil, Mauzac and Muscadelle and it comes in an unusual, but nonetheless quite attractive bottle.

Saint Michel Gaillac Blanc

In the glass it’s a kind of honeyed straw colour and on the nose there’s green apples, pears and citrus. A bit grassy, and certainly some floral notes. In the mouth there’s balanced acidity and a really nice roundness – probably due to lees contact. As spring approaches this will definitely be one that I stock up on for those sunny midweek evenings. I reckon it would be great with seafood or just on its own shared with good company. Sadly I drank it all and forgot to take a picture of it so you’ll have to make do with Majestic’s one off their website. Oh and did I mention it’s only £6.99 when you buy two bottles? Bargain.

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Review: La Grille Pinot Noir 2009

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

If you are a fan of French Pinot Noir but can’t afford to drink Burgundy every day this Pinot Noir from Loire based wine brokers La Grille could be just the ticket. Owners Charles and Philippa Sydney work with winemakers around the Loire valley and this one is produced by Sylvain Miniot in Saint Pourcain, although as it contains no Gamay it doesn’t tick the boxes for Saint Pourcain Appellation status and has to be labelled as Vin de France. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that means it is in any way sub-standard though. It’s a great example of cool climate Pinot Noir, and actually quite reminiscent of one of my favourite English wines, Sharpham Pinot Noir 2009.

La GrilleIn the glass it is a gorgeous, pale ruby colour and when you stick your nose in you get intense redcurrant and a bit of raspberry too, along with a slight peppery spiciness too. In the mouth the fruit and spice persist but there’s also a very slight savoury greenness to it too. Delicate and delicious!

It’s on offer in Majestic at £6.49 each when you by two or more which is an absolute bargain.

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Review: Lidio Carraro Agnus Merlot 2008

Posted on February 18, 2012 by

A long overdue review this one – it’s been a long time since my last post and I actually picked this Lidio Carraro Agnus Merlot at the Wine Show last year so it’s about time I wrote about it! You don’t see much Brazilian wine in the UK so when I saw the Go Brazil Wines stand at the Wine Show I was excited to taste some of their wines. For me, this Agnus Merlot was the highlight. It is produced by Lidio Carraro, a family of winemakers going back five generations, under their SulBrasil brand of premium wines. It’s fair to say my knowledge of Brazilian wine regions is pretty limited, but Wikipedia informs me that the Encruzilhada do Sul region where the grapes for this wine were grown is in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sol – at precisely 30′ south. Should be good for growing grapes then.

Agnus MerlotIn the glass it’s a strikingly intense ruby colour. Enticing. When you stick your nose in the glass you are bombarded by sweet red fruit aromas, especially raspberry, but there’s a slight hint of darker fruit too that I couldn’t put my finger on. Slight herby notes too and possibly a bit of tobacco. On the palette its rich and rounded with a bit of grip from the tannins and a nice lingering finish. A slight earthy quality too. Lidio Carraro pride themselves on using minimal intervention and there are no signs of any oak having been used and there is plenty of sediment in the bottle indicating they haven’t filtered or fined it too much. I paid £10 for it at the Wine Show which is great value.

If you haven’t tried Brazilian wine before I think this is a great place to start. Go Brazil Wines have a list of stockists on their website so go check it out!

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