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Looking back on the year, I seem to have spent a lot of time, both for you lot, and for my own interest, tasting Pinot Noir. This is a grape that I have only just started to understand and now, unfortunately for Nat West, it has become one of my favourites.
The most expensive, outside France, is probably from California. Avante Garde, which is made by Domaine Carneros is available at Asda for £13.99. It smelt very attractively of saddles and, David thought, cooked cherries. It was less sweet than the others and had enough body to balance its 13.5% alcohol. David said it was “altogether a nicer product”.
When we tasted Pinot from New Zealand sadly our favourite wine was the most expensive. Wither Hills 2004 is £14.99 from Waitrose and it smelt of heaven. It was herby – perhaps sage – and also spicy. It smelt of well rotted compost, earth and, later, of coffee. It had quite sweet fruit in the mouth and wasn’t earth-shatteringly long, but finished with delicious acid.
During the year I came across quite a few Chilean Pinots and been very impressed. Marks & Spencer do two and sadly the more expensive is better. Secano Estate, which is from Leyda, which is a very cool area, particularly suitable for Pinot, is £6.99. This is very cheap in Pinot land. It is beautifully perfumed with violets and cherry lip sweets. I think the aroma of violets is quite common on this grape when it’s grown in Chile. This one had an intense flavour, with some smoke on the finish.
When we tasted Rioja Reserva, Asda’s own Conde de Araoz 2001 at £7.98 was the runaway winner. It was so obviously better than the others and the cheapest, albeit by 1p. To me it smelt of very gingery parkin, but others found coffee and violets. It was smooth and velvety, savoury and delicious in the mouth. Ali said it was round, full-bodied and rich with a long finish.
The best Chilean Carmenere, in our opinion, was Casillero del Diablo 2004, which is widely available, but we got ours from Sainsbury’s for £5.49. It’s £4.63 at Majestic until 5th Feb, if you buy 2 bottles. The smell changed over the evening. Initially it was herbal and very deep. On further sniffs we came up with liquorice, green leaves, green peppers and then it smelt intensely of plain chocolate. It was very smooth and gentle in the mouth, without being spineless.
Our favourite Spanish Garnacha (aka Grenache in France) was Torres Gran Sangre de Toro Reserva 2001, which was the most expensive of the evening, at £6.99, from Waitrose. It had an attractive oak and blackcurrant smell and good balance in the mouth with ripe fruit and some oak. It finished with black pepper.
Our favourite Western Australian Cabernet was Marks & Spencer’s Margaret River Cabernet/Shiraz 2004, which is only £7.99. The smell was absolutely typical – green peppers, but also something headily herbal. We all gave it our top marks for nose. In the mouth it was dry, with a green pepper taste. It was astonishingly tasty, without being too sweet and fruity. It lasted and lasted. This is a really super wine and worth lugging back with your clothes shopping.
We were very impressed during the summer with Beaujolais, which might be because conditions were perfect. On a cold, stormy, winter’s night, we may have enjoyed them less. Our favourite was Marks & Spencer’s 2005, which is made by Paul Sapin and costs £4.99. It smelt, typically, of raspberry jam and the taste was smooth, dry and seamless – very pleasant indeed.
I was inundated by Australian Shiraz samples and so split the tasting into wines under and over £7. Our favourite wine over £7 was Geoff Merrill, McLaren Vale Reserve Shiraz 2000, which is £12.99 in Tesco’s Fine Wine Selection. We thought it smelt of stargazer lilies and since I had some in the kitchen we were able to confirm that it did. There was also a whiff of incense and fresh herbs. The wine had good structure. The tannin was evident but it had so much padding in the form of sweet fruit and richness that it didn’t seem excessive. For me, it was just a touch sweet, but I was in the minority.
Our favourite wine under £7 wasn’t the best Shiraz I’ve ever tasted and I wouldn’t go crazy about it, but I did go out the next day and buy quite a few bottles because it’s better than expected and was reduced by £1.50. Sadly, the offer will be over by the time you read this, but keep an eye on www.QuaffersOffers.co.uk because good offers are worth snapping up. Palandri Pinnacle Shiraz has good presentation, being slick, shiny and black and is normally £5.99 from Waitrose and Somerfield. The smell makes you sit up and take notice because along with the usual baked dark fruits, is something fresher and greener, like green peppers, and also fresh new oak. The taste has some coffee on it and is also herbal. It has great body, sweet fruit, but a dry finish.
Sadly, our favourite organic red wine was the most expensive. M Chapoutier’s Rasteau 2004 is £8.49 from Oddbins. Chapoutier is a leading light in organics. You’ll recognise the labels because they have brail titles. The smell was attractively smoky with some sweet cherries. The taste was of sweet raspberries and frangipane.
During the Christmas tasting we had a few winners. Aldi’s La Closerie de Malescasse 2003 is £8.99 and is a very impressive wine. It smells of blackcurrant syrup, oak and herbs and has beautiful balance in the mouth. It finishes with herbs and liquorice. Chateau Caronne Ste Gemme 2001 is £10.99 from Majestic or £8.99 if you buy 2 or more, up to 5th Feb. It smells of prunes in red wine and is also deliciously oaky on the nose. It’s rich and fruity in the mouth but quite dry for drinking alone.
Our favourite Cabernet was the Co-op’s Coonawarra Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, which is £9.99. At the time it was reduced to £5.99 and I filled the remaining space under my stairs with it. The smell is spicy and herbal – very definitely Cabernet. It’s pretty dry in the mouth for an Australian wine but has a Ribena and plain chocolate after taste. Please let me know via the Forum if there are any wines you’d like me to try this year. Would be happy for you to come and taste with us, if you're near to Gloucestershire.