Grenache should be all about sun-kissed drinkability, which is exactly what you get in the bottle here. It’s quite pale in colour (as Grenache can be), with notes of Asian spices, red fruits and deftly handled oak. Savoury, peppery and deceptively forward, this is a wine that develops with time in the glass.
January Sample Tasting
12 January 20132011 Yalumba Running with Bulls Tempranillo, Barossa Valley, South Australia
( £10.99, 13.5%, Auswinesonline.co.uk, Direct Wines, Noel Young Wines, The Oxford Wine Company )Tempranillo ought to be more widely planted than it is in Australia, given its adaptability. Think Somontano and Toro in terms of the diversity of Spanish climates it works well in. This is a very decent, wine bar style red that wouldn’t look out of place in Pamplona, the city to which its name alludes. Brambly and supple, with gentle oak and sweet red fruits.
2010 Mazzei, Fonterutoli, Chianti Classico, Tuscany
( £16.75, 13.5%, Great Western Wine )When it’s good – and 2010 is a very classy vintage in Tuscany – Chianti Classico can still deliver a lot of flavour and complexity for less than £20. That’s certainly the case here, because I can’t remember a better basic wine from this estate. Its texture is almost Pinot Noir-like, but with a nip of tannin to add some extra backbone. On the palate, it’s silky and sweet with subtle oak and notes of dried tea, raspberry and wild strawberry. Essence of Sangiovese.
2010 Montes Alpha, Merlot, Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley
( £12.99, 14.5%, Majestic )Montes is a winery that has mastered the art of delivering flavour and some complexity at affordable prices, as typified by this ripe, deeply-coloured Merlot from the Colchagua Valley. This has some classic Chilean mint, with attractive plum and black cherry flavours, mid-weight tannins and sweet, assertive oak.
2011 Les Jamelles, Réserve Mourvèdre, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc-Roussillon
( £6.99, 14%, The Co-operative )Mourvèdre rarely gets solo billing in the south of France, even in Bandol, its home from home, so it’s good to see this on a supermarket shelf. It’s minty and rich, with sweet bramble and blackberry fruit and the tannins for which the grape is famous.
2011 The Co-operative Chablis, Chablis, Burgundy
( £9.99, 12.5%, The Co-operative )2011 was a slightly tricky vintage in Chablis, so hats off to the Co-op for finding a wine that delivers under £10. It’s a fairly soft, forward style, but there’s enough steeliness to stop it cloying. It’s fresh and appealing with no oak and supple pear and spice on the palate.
2004 Cune Imperial Reserva, Rioja
( £14.99, 13.5%, The Co-operative )This was a Christmas deal at The Co-op, so the price may have crept back up again in 2013, but this is still one hell of a wine: a Reserva Rioja from a top producer in a legendary vintage. It’s just starting to show its class, so don’t be afraid to tuck it away for a few years. Savoury and sweet with good structure and spice and finely judged oak.
2011 La Casa de Sitios de Bodega, Sauvignon Blanc, Rueda
( £6.49, 13%, The Co-operative )Spain is often overlooked when people are looking for new sources of Sauvignon Blanc, but the cool (comparatively speakig) region of Rueda has been making some very drinkable examples since the 1980s. This good value quaffer is a case in point: stony and fresh with notes of beeswax, honey and gooseberry.
2012 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £12.50, 13.5%, The Wine Society )The guys behind this outstanding Marlborough operation stopped emphasising their historic link with Cloudy Bay some time ago, and you can see why. These days Dog Point is cheaper and invariably better than the wine that inspired it. Where many local Sauvignons are one dimensional, this one has layers and nuances, with notes of struck match and minerals, some pink grapefruit and beautiful line and length.
2010 Greywacke Chardonnay, Marlborough
( £25.99, 14.5%, Swig )When he was at Cloudy Bay (and that was for over 20 years) Kevin Judd was better known for his Sauvignon Blancs thatn his Chardonnays, but the latter were sometimes even more exciting. This superb effort from the top notch 2010 vintages deserves a place among the country’s best interpretations of the grape. It’s smoky and toasty, with flavours of citrus and hazelnuts and a long, minerally finish that wouldn’t look out of place in Puligny-Montrachet.
2012 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £14.95, 13%, The Wine Society )The fourth release from Kevin Judd’s Marlborough winery is an example of what great winemakers can achieve in tricky vintages. It’s a more restrained style than in the past, owing to a cooler season, but it’s still a lovely wine: fresh, focused and long with attractive gooseberry, pear and orange peel complexity.
2012 Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
( £7.25, 13%, The Wine Society )This is a little sweet and commercial, but it’s a lot less so than many Kiwi Sauvignons at the price. It’s bright and well crafted with classic goosberry fool and tropical fruit exuberance and mouthwatering acidity.