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I recently tasted the wines of John Gordons, an independent wine merchant in St George’s Place, Cheltenham. The great thing about independents is that they are able to source their wines personally, from smaller wineries that produce interesting wines in far too small quantities to be of interest to the big boys. So you find odd wines that you’d never see in a supermarket because some focus group or other has told them that their target customer isn’t likely to buy a wine called Irouleguy. Prices quoted are exclusive of VAT, but there’s 10% off these prices during February and March.
Perhaps the most interesting white was Soave Superiore Tamellini 2005 at £7.20 because Soave is usually outstandingly neutral. I arrived shortly after a friend who gave me a nudge and said “Go and try the Soave” – not a sentence I often hear. It was lightly perfumed, which I didn’t expect, and in the mouth it was astonishingly good. It was rich, ripe and fat with a touch of oak, which gave texture. It was very good indeed and a fair price.
The Picpoul de Pinet, Ch de la Mirande 2005 is a snip at £5.20 for those of us who like something savoury and a little weird. The smell was very inviting and the taste was tangy, long and dry. If you’re happiest with Australian Chardonnay, this wine isn’t for you. Along the same lines was Irouleguy Xuri Dansa 2005, which is £8.80 and is a very, very tasty wine – full and textured. Oaky, but not abrasive. Perhaps my favourite of the French wines from the South West, though, was La Vigne de ‘Oubli 2004, at £7.80, which had a stunning smell. Yes, there was oak on the nose, but it was much more interesting than just oak. It was crying out to be drunk out of large wine glasses over a slow meal. It was just off-dry, without being at all sweet and was savoury and long in the mouth.
If you like your whites a bit more mainstream, Petit Bourgeois 2005, which is made by Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Sancerre from Sauvignon Blanc is a great buy at £6.34. It has a touch of cat and snapped elder twigs on the nose and fresh zingy acidity in the mouth. The flavour goes on and on and beats actual Sancerre hands down on value for money.
What really gets me excited is wine that offers a lot of different smells that you might think would clash, but which actually do something marvellous to your senses. Madrigale Terre di Chieti 2005, which is a mere £3.78, offers fabulous violet aromas with something almost dirtily farmyardy. The taste lasts well with delicious acidity. The Barolo Classico 2001 is also delicious, with herbal, floral, baked and oaky smells, good acidity and a long oaky finish, but £22 is just too much to spend. For those of you with deeper pockets, it is a lovely wine.
Lastly, because it’s such an interesting idea, Framingham New Zealand Montepulciano 2003, at £11.25, is a lovely mouthful. If you have friends who are wine enthusiasts and you don’t know what to serve when they come round, this will really excite them. It is beautifully fragrant with new oak and is young, fresh and savoury in the mouth. John Gordons are open 10-5 during the week and Saturday mornings. Alternatively, you can contact them at other times on 01242 245985. The website is www.johngordons.co.uk