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Taking a quick glance at the whites we loved over 2007, the resounding theme is one of fresh acidity. I’ve just returned from a trip to Berlin, judging some beautiful wines – many from Germany – and almost all bracingly fresh with acidity.
When we tried Chilean Sauvignon we loved Montes Limited Selection 2006, which was £7.99 from Majestic. It smelt sweetly fruity, with some snapped elder twigs and cat. It was zingily acidic, almost to the point of sharpness, but the ripeness of the fruit balanced with this nicely. Our favourite Loire Chenin was Jacques’ Blend, Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France 2005, which was a mere £3.99 from Sainsbury’s. It smelt of pineapple and was just off dry – the dryness indicator on the back label showed 2. It had zingy, delicious acidity with a clean, tangy finish on which Alex picked up a hint of honey.
We had a nice surprise when tasting Australian Chardonnays because they had less oily oak and more acidity. Our favourite wine was Little Yering 2004, which was £6.99 from the Co-op. The smell was clean and green, fresh and pleasant. In the mouth it was similar, with a hint of oak, but nothing clumsy. It was thirst-quenching and we thought it would be great at lunchtime.
We tasted eight Australian Rieslings and two vintages of Leasingham’s Magnus led the field. This is no surprise, as it always has a beautiful, fresh acidic taste, is absolutely bone dry and makes a great aperitif.
Our favourite Australian wine under a fiver was made from what was called “a carefully crafted blend of classic Australian varieties”. Had I read the back label of this wine in the store, I would have quickly put it back on the shelf. Especially since the wine is £3.29. At this price, and taking off the cost of bottle, closure, label, transport from Australia, insurance, taxes and other incidentals, there is nothing crafted about this wine. It’s an industrial product – but a good one. Badgers Creek is non vintage and is available from Aldi. It has a lemon smell with a hint of vanilla. The wine sat well in the mouth. It was balanced and clean. It had some weight, but not too much.
As we’re always looking for Sancerre look-alikes we tried alternative French Sauvignon. Domaine de L’Engarran 2005, which is £6.99 from Oddbins, didn’t have a very encouraging smell initially, but the wet wool soon lifted leaving something rather beautifully perfumed. The taste was fresh, almost tart, but there was also some chalky, creamy flavour. This wine is a Vin de Pays d’Oc and the alcohol did seem a little warmer than others, from further north, but it wasn’t over the top.
If you like your Sauvignon from considerably further south, Saint Clare Estate Marlborough Sauvignon was clearly, almost deafeningly, a New Zealand Sauvignon. It had an attractive cat and elder smell and was very perfumed in the mouth and fruitily fresh and clean.
I’m only sad that there aren’t more dry German Rieslings available over here. If you spot one, and it’s nearer to £10 than £5, I would heartily recommend giving it a try. If you like the Australian version, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.