Very pale garnet and hints of brick red. Forward or just a little developed? Strange toffee oak secents on top of the wine. Very fruity, with fresh acidity, but just a little confected, with strawbery coulis fruit. Forward, ripe, very 2009.
Country: France
2011 Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé, Côtes de Provence
( £9.99, 12.5%, Majestic )We may still be waiting for summer here in rain-sodden Blighty, but why not pretend you’re on the Côte d’Azur with a bottle of this slinky, floral, pale pink blend of Syrah and Grenache. It’s delicate and very subtle with notes of rosehip and raspberry, bright, sappy acidity and a refreshing finish. Great as an aperitif, even better with salad, fish or chicken dishes. Essence of southern France.
Alsace and the meaning of tradition
by Tim Atkin
The wine world thrives on novelty: new vintages, new flavours, new producers. In some ways, this is both understandable and necessary. Creating a bit of sizzle around a category that,...
Should Bordeaux en primeur take a holiday?
by Tim Atkin
Nothing divides opinions quite like Bordeaux en primeur. If you’ve spent the last few weeks in the Australian outback, without access to a mobile phone or the internet, you might...
Redefining fine wine
by Tim Atkin
The wine world is often celebrated for its breadth and diversity – all those grape varieties, countries, regions and sub-regions – but there are times when it feels like a...
2010 Tesco Finest Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc
( £7.29, 12.5%, Tesco )On offer from April 2nd to the 30th (the price comes down to a very attractive £5.79), this is a textbook example of the Languedoc’s best seafood white. Citrus and white pepper on the nose, with a hint of white peach, this is zesty, medium-bodied and unoaked, with a fresh, tangy finish. Try it with a plate of oysters or mussels.
2010 Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages, Domaine de la Meynarde
( £7.99, 13.5%, Marks & Spencer )I hope you’ll forgive me for choosing another 2010 Rhône red as my wine of the week, but they are just so delicious. This unoaked blend of mostly Grenache with 25% Syrah, 10% Carignan amd 10% Mourvèdre is quintessential stuff: ripe, but still refreshing with sweet plums and red fruits on the palate backed up by clove and pepper spice. I could drink a bottle of this in one sitting, especially with a good stew or barbecued ribs.
2010 Rhônes: still time to flash the plastic
by Tim Atkin
“They are both for sale.” The response of the Bordeaux château owner to my question about the relative merits of the 2009 and 2010 vintages was delivered with tongue lodged...
Robert Parker, Nigel Tufnel and the 2009 Bordeaux
by Tim Atkin
There’s a famous moment in This is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner’s spoof “rockumentary” about an ageing English heavy metal band, when the lead guitarist, Nigel Tufnel, is showing off his...
My Dream Cellar
by Tim Atkin
Imagine, just for one minute, that you were richer than Bill Gates: more loaded than a Hollywood film star, Warren Buffett and a Russian oligarch put together. Which wines would...
Burgundy 2010: the year of the sorting table
by Tim Atkin
Vosne-Romanée. © Tim Atkin MW Burgundy week has become such an established feature of the annual tasting circuit – half of London’s livery halls, art galleries and old court rooms...
Me, Kurt Vonnegut and wine
by Tim Atkin
One of my favourite cuttings, passed on to me by my father more than a decade ago, first appeared in an unlikely place: Inc. Technology magazine. It’s an interview with...