Pruney, dry, raisiny red with baked tannins and dry, chewy tannins. A wine that lacks freshness and vivacity.
Score Range: 0-80
2008 Celler Brugarol, Bell-Lloc, Empordà, Empordà
( €16, 13.5% )A blend of Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Samsó, this has a strange, pine resin-like nose reminiscent of Retsina. The palate is a little earthy, with some baked, drying tannins and fading fruit.
2009 Maset Plana, A21, Empordà, Empordà
( €8, 14% )A rather old-fashioned blend of Merlot, Grenache and Cariñena that has seen better days. The tannins are drying out the fruit here, leaving a pruney, leathery residue on the palate.
2009 Ponsot, Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy
( ££££, 13.5%, Fine + Rare )Deep ruby with purple notes. Evidence of over-ripeness on the nose and palate, with some volatility, oxidation and extraction. Pruney and tannic, this is the sort of wine that gives Clos de Vougeot a bad name as a Grand Cru.
2011 Phaedra Xynomavro Rosé, Macedonia
( £9.99, 12.5%, Waitrose )The best red grapes, Greece’s Xynomavro among them, invariably produce the best rosé wines. Good on Waitrose for listing a Greek example with ambition and personality: raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, a touch of sweetness and a nip of tannin on the finish.
2011 Neudorf Moutere Riesling, Nelson
( £17, 9% )The Riesling from this brilliant Nelson winery is often overlooked, such is the quality of its Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, but this medium dry style is a delight, all lime peel and stone fruit, with a steely backbone of acidity that wouldn’t look out of place in the Rheingau.
2010 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay, Nelson
( £35 (approximately), 13.5%, Local stockists from the vineyard )Neudorf’s status as one of the very best Chardonnay producers in New Zealand is only enhanced by this delicious new release: nutty, savoury, bready notes with well integrated oak, citrus acidity and nuanced lemon, vanilla and peach flavours. The wine has the concentration and structure to age further in bottle.