Our first Blind Tasting.... was it good or bad?!

So it finally happened, we received our wine sample from Russell, and this time, for the first time, it was a blind tasting.... we all screamed!  Nooooo.... we're good but we're not that good!

And he proved us correct, that is, we're good, but not that good!!  It always helps when you see the label and you know what grape variety it is, which country it comes from and any other detail you can find when you search the wine online for tasting notes and background information.  And that all adds to our opinion of the wine in what we're tasting, smelling, and our conclusion of it.  In other words, we all have a slightly biased or preconceived opinion before we've actually tasted the wine for ourselves.  Its true.

So its a great exercise to taste the wine blind.  Now, that doesn't mean that you blindfold yourself and scrabble around the table trying to find the glass you've just poured your wine into before said blindfolding! (although I have to admit that actually sounds like fun, maybe more of a party piece than a serious wine tasting though!, and high risk of wine being spilt before you've actually managed to taste it!, although I'm sure there are a few folks out there who have actually tried this... and perhaps succeeded, good on you!)

I now have the tricky task of documenting the blind tasting notes, so, here we go......

This one's from myself (Susan, Commercial Executive) - after 20 years in the wine trade, I really should have had a better result than this....!!

On first taste, I thought this one was a bit of an oddball.  Had to smell and taste it a few times to decipher what I was actually smelling and tasting. 

The wine is light, with aromas of raspberries and vanilla on the nose.  On the taste, its light bodied, dry, subtle hint of vanilla leading into sour (but pleasant) cherries on the aftertaste. 

Nice easy drinking style and very enjoyable. 

What is it?  My stab at this one is, it has the weight of a Pinot Noir but not the jammy fruit of a hot climate.  It is  young. 

Where?  Bourgogne Pinot Noir

From Keron, our Retail Manager.  Keron comes from a Trade background in spirits, mainly Malt Whisky and has a great knowledge and palate for Malt Whisky, and she's currently studying for her WSET Intermediate qualification on wine.

Great idea by the way. For the first time I am able to put my novice wine tasting skills to practice. So totally unaided here goes.

Nose and appearance – ruby in colour, light fruity aromas akin to red berry fruit, no obvious oakyness and colour indicates a young wine.

Taste – medium tannins, low acidity, light bodied and quick dry finish. I’m thinking red cherries/red currants slight hint of cranberries.

Conclusion – very good. Drinkable on a summer’s day or with food.

What is it? - I’m thinking Pinot Noir or Gamay

Where? – a bit fuzzy here but I’m going to go with Burgundy, US or Chile – if you were to push me – Burgundy/Beaujolais

Food accompaniment – Bolognese, chilli con carne, crispy duck pancake rolls with hoisin

Price - £14.00

From Jon, our newest recruit, and who is a member of our Orders Team, a great excuse for having to "know" all about wine... Jon is new to the wine trade (although not wine drinking!) and is having a bit of fun getting to know some of the wines we have here in our warehouse.

So I tried the wine last night and my first observation was that a significantly larger sample size was required! (good comment Jon, we all totally agree... Russell take heed!)

I’m not very good at this but – it smelled to me like cherries/blackberries. There was an earthy/smoky kind of taste to it and a bit of a dry bite that made me want to smack my lips (not literally, that would hurt!)

What is it?  I think it is a Shiraz Cabernet mainly because it reminded me of one’s I've had in the past.

Thought this was very good.

Good stab Jon, you got the fruit bang on, and the smokiness from the oak ageing.... or at least, the same opinion as myself and Keron ... and that's not to say we're right at this stage!


From Clive, our Systems Guru, and it looks like he's going to go to the top of the class....

Deep Red in colour with a small hint of brown on the rim, coats the glass well.

On the nose, blackcurrant and damson with a hint of vanilla. Nose not very pronounced - have to work quite hard to get the aromas.

Quite a big mouth feel, but unable to pick up the fruit flavours that I smelt on the nose. Strong savoury taste with quite pronounced tannins.

Not really sure about this wine, and Russell I think it was a particularly tough one to choose for a first blind tasting. I'm going to guess at a Bordeaux blend, but maybe one that's not quite ready for drinking yet, or needs a lot longer than I gave it to breath.

With that caveat I'd suggest not really a wine for drinking on its own, but would may be go well with strongly flavoured or spicy red meat dishes, might work particularly well with char-grilled steak.

So, the moment of truth, here is Russell's, our General Manager, critique on our critique....

Not bad generally. Off the mark with the identity but really that has little to do with anything! 

Red fruits - Not a million miles off their notes, they start going into the darker fruits though which would be there but I would agree that overall there was something a little brighter about this wine. Body nope apparently it is full (I would disagree and bung it in the middle).

There is oak in it but only 10% new oak and then 70% old oak and 20% Steel so you would not expect massive oak flavours to be coming through. Young? Not sure on that front, it is an odd one. It is starting to get into it's developed/developing phase with 4 years age on it, but I found it was still very fresh fruit forward just the tannins were starting to mellow out rather than any obvious ageing signs. At this age I would expect more of the Vanilla, cedar and oak to be coming through and then after the red fruits to be going more baked and less fresh.

Probably the big off put is that it is an Haut Medoc but with a Merlot dominance and really very little traditional Bordeaux about it. If you told me it was a Bordeaux I would pin it as a modern Cotes de Bourg or something like that (certainly nothing to do with Rothschild). Merlot dominated Bordeaux always tends toward the fruitier style, but at this age I was expecting more astringency.

Price? Right ball park

Summary:

Grape Variety:  Never in a million years did we think it was a Merlot (apart from Clive!)

Body:  Seemingly it's full bodied, we all said light to medium (apart from Clive!)

Country:  On the whole, we got it right - France

Region:  We went for Burgundy, but it's a Bordeaux (Clive again, got it right)

Fruit:  In the main, we all got this right with the red fruits.

Oak:  Yep, we got this right.

The Actual Wine itself:

Chateau Peyre-Lebade Cabernet-Merlot France 2010 - 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

from the Haut Medoc area of Bordeaux, France.

Til the next one, we can't wait....great way to taste wine, build the senses and have a bit of fun with the guessing game.

Steenberg Merlot 2010

I'm approaching the stage in my personal wine education where I'm going to start blind tasting. I think I can say with complete confidence that I would have got this wine 100% wrong in a blind tasting. I don't know what Steenberg's secret is, but they've managed to make the gentle and unassuming Merlot grape produce a more Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz like wine - big full bodied and absolutely delicious.

The wine is dark red with just a hint of a tawny rim and it coats the glass nicely hinting at a high alcohol content (14%). The nose brings an initial waft of savouriness followed quickly by deep and juicy red fruits with just a subtle hint of vanilla.

I couldn't wait to taste the wine and it lived up to its promise with a lovely mouth filling flavour a perfect melange of the savouriness and the fruits that I picked up on the nose, a nice almost chewy complexity and just the tiniest hit of tannins on the finish. Due to a miscalculation on Russell's part I got a full 75cl bottle to taste, but this wine was so good that the entire bottle only lasted a little longer than the "one gulp" 12.5cl samples we normally get to taste.  A new personal favourite.

Clive Holroyd
Database Manager

"At last a white wine that needs some air"

Mission Estate Reserve Chardonnay - I have, of late gotten into quite a comfortable place with modern Chardonnay regarding them all as really quite similar unoaked whites that could quite easily be mistaken for many other whites that we all know and don't loathe owing to not having a recent past obsession with heavy oaking.  So I have to say I opened up the Mission Estate Reserve Chardonnay expecting more of that same familiarity.  I, had not in fact, noticed that this was the Reserve wine which undergoes barrel fermentation and so I got a whopping surprise when hints of barrel (notice I am being careful not to say oak here!), jumped out of the glass and onto both my palate and into my aroma sensors. 

First impression straight out of the bottle ???????  It made me really sad this was the first Chardonnay I have had recently that was not an instant appeal.  So I tried it again and no magic had yet happened.  So I sat down and popped the glass on the table and instead enjoyed a little catch up TV leaving the glass alone for a good 20 minutes not to purposefully aerate it but in fact it was just not what I had in my head so my brain was just readjusting what it was hoping for with what it was getting.  Part way through an episode of my favourite show Gold Rush (sad I know but I just love it), the adverts were fast forwarding so I picked up the glass by habit had a quick sniff, a sip and a wine snobs gargle.  It took a moment to register but the first reaction now was just wow, what a wine.  The hints of toasty vanilla were still there but much more mellow and subdued, they had faded to the background and integrated into the wine as a whole.  That left the tropical fruits to come out and shine and boy did they, bags and bags of banana, mango, passion fruits and too many more flavours to name them all just raced around the mouth.  By this point the wine was not fridge temperature so no doubt this also helped the fruit flavours to develop.  After that glass I wanted to make sure so I poured another glass with the same result of the wine balancing out and integrating itself perfectly over the space of 10 or 20 minutes.

So there you have it, and it is a lesson I should really know by now.  If at first sip a wine does not seem right then give it a chance.  There have been many times, more commonly with a red I will admit, that first sample was really off-putting and it had been written off.  Stubbornness had then brought me back to the glass only to find a completely different wine.  Now I would not say that you need to go out and invest in a wine aerator or decanter specifically for white wine.  It is much less common and so the justification is not there, instead I wanted to suggest a few easier and cheaper options.  Firstly use your biggest glass, not a normal small white wine glass.  You do get some wider bowled wine glasses often called Chardonnay/Montrachet glasses, these are as the name suggests for more oaky styles of Chardonnay that require a little air.  Play with the wine, swirl it in your glass and take your time.  Have you ever had a mint tea in Morocco??  If so you will have seen them pouring the tea from the pot at full arm stretch into the cup, this works well with wines that need a little air but it does take a bit of patience and probably a cloth at the ready!  If none of these work or require too much restraint, then just pour yourself a glass for now and a glass for later straight away.  By the time you finish glass one then glass 2 will be ready and waiting at its’ best!

Russell Wallace

General Manager

3 Recommendations from Russell

With Mothers day upon us I thought I would treat my mum to a little bit of a wine tasting with dinner on Sunday. She is vegetarian so we had a nice baked gratin barley dish with some lovely creamy mushrooms and some baked spud, squash and spicy beetroot. I thought it would be nice to open up a few totally different types of wines, see what went well with the food (loads of different flavours and textures going on there) and what generally was enjoyed without prior knowledge of what was what.

So we had the Doolhof 2009 Chardonnay, the Mission Estate Riesling and the Mercedes Eguren Sauvignon Blanc.

First up the Chardonnay, this is always my favourite: presenting unoaked Chardonnay to virtually anyone is always a guaranteed success in terms of it being both enjoyed and surprisingly so. The fruits tended towards the exotic and were alive and still quite full. I would imagine a younger version will be even more intense, but for this purpose the softer fruits and the mild acidity alongside some more robust alcohol and body did well for the creamy angle of dinner. (The current vintage of this Chardonnay is 2011).

Next up was the Riesling. Now I can see this wine really taking off if we could all (and I include myself in this) remove the negative musty, old, German connotations that we have surrounding this grape. It is a superb, often dry, flavour packing love machine of a grape and does extremely well out in New Zealand. There are Citrus and peach flavours here in abundance but it is that extra aromatic loveliness that just makes this a stand out. Now, many people refer to Riesling as having a characteristic "petrol" flavour, yes I know what you are thinking, something like "well stuff that I don’t fancy drinking my car!" In reality, in modern Rieslings, especially quality examples from the new world, this character is quite mild I promise. If you concentrate you can sometimes detect the faintest hint of it. More important in this wine is the relatively warm Hawkes Bay climate this wine comes from. For Riesling this is a master stroke as it keeps the acidity in check and the alcohol somehow still stays nice and modest at 11.5%. Can you tell this was my wine of the night, and in fact a god send for the spice within the black pepper lacing much of the dish and the spicy beetroot?

Last up was a Sauvignon Blanc, I sort of picked this one to be a bit mean if I am honest! It is a Castilla Sauvignon and it has had a year or so in the bottle so some of its’ intensity has mellowed out and there is nothing Marlborough-esque left here. In fact the reaction when guessing was "well it is not a Sauvignon Blanc" (at this point I restrained my balls of laughter at the statement coming from some of the world’s most experienced Sauvignon fans). What we have left with this Sauvignon is a delightfully soft and mellow white. An excellent sunshine, lunchtime and enjoy it on its’ own kind of white. If you know and enjoy a typical and modern White Rioja, then this is for you. White Rioja, in the modern unoaked and as delicate as a game of Jenga that has been going for half an hour, is what the Spanish love with lunch or a party evening "on the tiles." Uncomplicated and soft but full of quality and absolutely pleasant. So perfect as a third and final wine that we all enjoyed after eating.


Russell Wallace, General Manager

3 New Recommendations

SAWL0009B11X  Doolhof Wine Estate Signatures Unwooded Chardonnay 2011

I was fortunate enough to taste the 2009 vintage of this wine at the weekend but was feeling slightly daunted by opening the bottle as I imagined it might be a bit stewed with it being a slightly older vintage!  No way.... this was lovely and really enjoyed it.  Good acidity and the fruit was still vibrant and tasting well.   Typical green apples showing through with a tropical edge.  Not too dry making this an easy drinking white.  I’m looking forward to tasting the 2011 now as I’m sure it won’t disappoint.  If you’ve gone ABC (Anything But Chardonnay), this one will change your opinion, promise!

  

SASW0016B13X  Delaire Graff Chenin Blanc 2013

I love Chenin Blanc, one of my favourite varieties when I’m choosing wine from the new world, crisp, clean and citrusy, and there are a few in our portfolio which I’d class as my favourites.  Tasting this one was a bit of treat as its from one of our newer producers in our portfolio which I’m not so familiar with.  So, it was opened with gusto on Saturday night (although, I have to point out that any wine opened in my house on a Saturday night ... or I guess any night of the week..... is opened with gusto!!).  This Chenin Blanc is quite different from my usual quaffing Chenin, in that it is more upmarket, although I would point out its not massively upmarket in price.  It has all the attributes of a typical Chenin:  good acidity, citrusy, but added to that are honeyed tones which add weight to this normally fairly light style of grape variety.  A great wine for accompanying food and a great contender to fight off these big Australian Chardonnay’s.  Highly recommended to try if you prefer a white with a bit of muscle.

FRSO0510B12X  Chateau Maris Minervois Organic 2012

It’s ages since I’ve tasted Minervois, one of the old style wines, possibly slightly forgotten with the huge platform of wine we are now privy to in the UK.  The South of France is one of those areas which has a bit of everything when it comes to grape varieties and keeping track of them is no mean feat.  I made it one of my missions when I was studying wine to hone in on the South of France and try to decipher every single grape variety they grew there – I think I might have shelved that project and moved onto something slightly less time consuming!, but at the same time, I’ve kept my enthusiasm going for this area as there are some really great wines that, if you are a wine lover, don’t steer away from them, get stuck in and try them!

 This Minervois is really smooth with dark jammy fruit, surprisingly velvety and definitely elegant.  It has a little edge of spiciness on the finish and is perfect for drinking on its own as well as with food.  I was really impressed with this one, quite often Minervois, from past experience, can be middle of the road, lacking in character but this was superb in quality, taste and finish.  I’ll definitely be ordering this one again and its a snip at the price for this standard.

Susan Ross, Sales & Marketing

Aussie Wines that taste as good as they look!

I'm not sure if i'm alone here but I find that when it comes to the wines of our Aussie cousins I need to tread a little carefully.  I know that some of the best wines in the world that originate here, but for the more affordable wines I just find that there is often a couple of issues.  Foremost amongst which is wines that look great or sound totally wacky with comedy names.  I'll be honest I like this about the Aussies, being able to instantly pick out a well-designed bottle on the shelf and perhaps even then have a quiet chuckle when I read the name appeals to the silly side of me.  The problem is just when the actual wine does not live up to the hype the disappointment is even greater, so really they have to over deliver.  When re-discovering some of our newest Australian additions I happened across a whole sphere of fabulous wines at a good price that offer something strangely refined in a country where it seems that muscle and intensity is everything, when it comes to Shiraz at least!

Vinaceous Divine Light Sauvignon Blanc 2013.

Standing at 12.5% ABV and coming out of the Margaret River, where I have actually just visited, I was pleased to find a Sauvignon from here that did not insist upon blending with Semillon!  A healthy natural acidity within the grapes coupled with minimal skin contact during fermentation makes for a really delicate and fresh style of Sauvignon.  The nose is quite mild but the flavours of pineapple and mango just build and build where the citrus freshness comes through.  It is the sourcing of fruits from different sub-regions of Margaret River that offer different qualities to the wine and offer the end complexity.  We agree with James Haliday who gave this 94/100 points
£13.24 per bottle or £153.22 per case of 12

Riposte Stiletto Pinot Gris 2013.

With a little further Alcohol at 13% the small amount of residual sugar within the wine serves to enhance the natural flavours and balance the wine overall.  This Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris sees a very small amount of time in French Oak combined with Malolactic fermentation all give this wine a very smooth creamy texture that compliments and enhances the tropical & stone fruit smoothie flavours.  It comes as no surprise that wine maker Tim Knappstein is something of a pioneer and hugely regarded figure in Australia who has won a string of awards for all his wines including this Pinot Gris.  I have to say this style has really won me over to the case of Pinot Gris.
£15.11 per bottle or £174.92 per case of 12

 Rob Dolan True Colours Chardonnay 2012.

ABC (Anything But Chardonnay)?  Let us change your mind please!  Normally that means breaking out the unoaked Chardonnay, well Rob Dolan has created possibly the best introduction to Chardonnay and in particular Chardonnay with delicate integrated oak.  For those of you still reading, I am not a massive fan of heavily oaked wines, but the key words here are delicate and integrated, the oak just feels like it belongs alongside the warming tropical fruits and balanced acidity.  Rob Dolan, Yarra Valley in Victoria and voted newcomer of the year, this ex Aussie rules star has a surprising ability to show off some finesse!
£167.27 per case of 12

Route du Van Dolcetto-Shiraz 2012

79% Dolcetto and just 21% Shiraz but does the Shiraz make the Dolcetto or does the Dolcetto make the Shiraz?  Frankly with a wine this good I just don't care about those kind of technicalities, I just want to savour it and enjoy it.  This was most probably everyone's highlight of the night.  Whilst the combination is unusual it makes total sense when you try it, the softer, earthy characters of the Dolcetto are magnified by a spicy shiraz incorporating parma violet and rich plum jam.  Unoaked, just like the Italians, this is a scarily drinkable wine with silky fine grained tannin.  Honestly if you aren't sold by now then there's no hope!
£11.68 per bottle or £135.10 per case of 12

 Riposte Cutlass Shiraz 2012

Another almighty showing by Tim Knappstein in the Adelaide Hills.  At 14% ABV you might be expecting the usual monster Shiraz, alas if that is what you love, The Riposte Cutlass Shiraz has just a little more refinement to it, in part owing to the position up in the Adelaide Hills.  If, however, you are left needing to instantly brush your teeth and have a long lie down after the average Aussie Shiraz then this small batch (genuinely) hand crafted option will be just the ticket for you.  There is plenty of body and flavours of menthol and white pepper but it is just sublimely smooth and balanced.  "It's Shiraz Tim, but not as we know it!"
£17.40 per bottle or £201.46 per case of 12

 Vinaceous Raconteur Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

For the final wine of the evening we head back to Margaret River and for one of the regions specialities, Cabernet Sauvignon.  I am stuffed if I know why but Cabernet from most parts of the world just fail to excite me, neither wonderful or awful, Australia is one of the few places I see real potential in the varietal as a standalone grape.  Vinaceos do it exceptionally well, 100% Willyabrup old vine fruit, the nose just leaps out at you with lemongrass and all sorts of sweet spices alongside fresh fruits and herbal notes.  What's nice to see here is a decent amount of acidity keeping the whole wine refreshing and balance the 14% ABV.
£14.21 per bottle or £164.54 per case of 12

There you have it a line-up of 6 totally different wine styles, offering something from the more refined side of Australia, oh and have you noticed?  Not a mention of the Barossa once!

Tried and Tested - This Week's Staff Recommendations

           

Richmond Plains Nelson Blanc de Noir (White Pinot Noir)

Richmond Plains winery is owned by Lars Jensen and his wife Samantha. Lars has been committed to enjoying and making great wines ever since he 'stole' a sip from his parent's glass as a child. His enthusiasm remains unabated 'every bottle, every vintage and every variety is a new discovery… making me eager for more'. The couple believe that Nelson offers the perfect location for producing fantastic wines, being 'blessed with the longest number of sunshine hours in New Zealand…combined with free-draining soils of ancient river beds…perfect for producing vibrant fruit driven white wines and well-structured elegant red wines.'

Torrede Ona Reserva 2008, La Rioja Alta

Following a visit to Spain, Leandro Vázquez decided to flee the American frenzy of big business and delve into the ancient tradition of vine-growing and so with good taste and great care, the Torre de Oña SA winery was born. After pouring a great deal of emotion and enthusiasm in to creating the winery Leandro Vázquez decided to leave the business. This situation coincided with the desire of La Rioja Alta to complement its traditional style with a new wine, totally independent and different from the Haro sanctuary. Some changes were made after the purchase was completed in January 1995, to focus more on improving and enhancing what was already there rather than on changing the château philosophy or the modern and powerful wine initially produced by Barón de Oña.

Vina Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta

La Rioja Alta is widely recognised to be one of the finest wineries in the Rioja region. The estate has a history dating back over 100 years with the accumulated experience and knowledge being passed down through the generations and translated into the wines of the estate. The heartlands of La Rioja Alta are in the finest sites of the Rioja Alta region, with a further four wineries located in Spain's most renown DOs. The Haro Estate of La Rioja Alta produces three Reservas and two Gran Reservas, as well as the unique Marques de Haro wine that is the passion of the winemaker, Julio Sáenz.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

Richmond Plains Blanc De Noir – This was a seriously intensely flavoured white full of red fruit flavours and strawberry fizz.  My first thought was that this would work well slightly warmer than normal but served Ice cold was just irresistible so I am afraid I never got to try this out.  Flavours in general felt a little off dry but the reality was that the mouthfeel was bone dry.  I loved the every so slight hint of pink within the colour it makes it really appealing in the glass.  An excellent wine that delivered well above expectations and hugely recommended as about as good as a white wine gets!! Score: 19/20

Torre de Ona Reserva – A lighter Rioja than expected with really smooth rounded and balanced flavours.  All too often in a Reserva or Gran Reserva the American oak can dominate resulting in too much oak flavour and an earthy Mushroom flavour that I do not care for.  Here though the oak was mellow and the fruit flavours genuinely bright and refreshing, whilst it worked great with my Lentil Daal this is a refreshing enough red to enjoy on it’s own. Score: 16/20

Vina Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta – This Vina Arana still showed an incredible smoothness and balance of flavour just like the Ona Reserva.  You can see the extra bottle age in the browning rim and more translucent colour which I just love in a wine.  The tannins were a little more pronounced and the flavour just seemed never to end.  Flavours were darker and a little more plumy but with a really fresh almost mineral quality that meant there was not harsh aftertaste. Still incredible smoothness and balance of flavours light but long lasting tannin the flavour keeps going too. Flavours are dark and plummy with a real fresh minerality. Love the colours of all three! Score: 17/20

Keron Magee, Shop Manager

Richmond Plains Blanc De Noir - Wow!  Never had a blanc pinot noir before and so had no idea what to expect. Hesitated with the musty dull fruit aromas but in the flavour was revealed a stunning, slightly acidic basket of fresh soft flesh fruits. Very refreshing and quick finish. I loved this wine on its own and yet it was versatile to complement peppered mackerel and indeed the delicate flesh of scallops. Score: 18/20

Torre de Ona Reserva 2008  - For riojas these lacked a bit of oomph for me.  That could be down to ageing but the expectation of pepperiness that you would expect from Temperanillos did not seem to come to the front.  Don't get me wrong, it was pleasant enough leaving a pleasant oaky flavour that did justice to my Chicken tikka pizza and my friend's black pudding and goats cheese salad.  Score: 12/20

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Richmond Plains Blanc De Noir - I very much enjoy Pinot Noir, however it was a new experience for me to try a white Pinot Noir - and boy, did I enjoy it! It was completely different to what I'd imagined. On the nose, I was hit with a very intense blackcurrant aroma. I wasn't disappointed by the taste either as I found more blackcurrant flavours. It was just lovely, and very moreish - and I'll certainly be buying more of it! Score: 18/20

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Richmond Plains Blanc De Noir - The wine is a pale gold in colour with a hint of peach. It's aroma is quite sharp and tangy with underlying notes of pear, pineapple and tropical fruit. There's an initial hit of tannins when you taste the wine but this quickly subsides to sharp citrus fruits with maybe a little apricot in the background. The wines has a nice clean finish with no after-taste. Pleasant enough, but didn't really excite me. Score: 10/20

Torre de Ona Reserva 2008 - Deep tawny red in colour with an aroma of soft red fruits (mulberry/redcurrant) and a hint of caramel. When tasted, the tannins were a little too prominent; the wines feels big in the mouth but with a slight bitterness. I could just about taste the fruit flavours but they were very much to the background. A little disappointing. Score: 12/20

Vina Arana Reserva, La Rioja Alta - Very deep red in colour with a tawny rim, this wine has a savoury biscuity aroma with soft hints of perfume. This wine is very full in the mouth with an initial savouriness and sharp red fruits, which soften as the wine opens out. There is a pleasant savoury aftertaste. Very nice indeed. Score: 16/20

Chateau Arnauton Grand Sol France 2004 - Deep red in colour with a tawny rim. On the nose, powerful deep and juicy red and black fruits. In the mouth, a big fruity burst with a lovely smokey aftertaste. Nice and full in the mouth with beautifully integrated tannins. Very very very very nice. Score: 20/20

Susan Ross, Logistics Manager

Chateau Arnauton Grand Sol France 2004 - Steak for dinner on Sunday so cracked this one open.  I’m not a huge follower of Bordeaux, never really have been despite being surrounded by it in our warehouse(!), its just not something I would choose to drink, however, I was keen to give this one a go as its from a great vintage and in the whole context of Bordeaux, inexpensive.  I wasn’t disappointed.  Great nose of deep berry fruits and a hint of spice, just crying out to be tasted (and drunk!).  Pretty big on the palate, deep dark fruit and great tannins.  A fab food wine for rich red meat and a real steal at the price. Perfect for a Sunday roast and impressing friends!

Tried and Tested - This Week's Staff Recommendations

The wines Exel Staff have been tasting this week are:

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2013

Seresin Rachel Pinot Noir New Zealand 2010

Lager De Cervera Albarino Spain 2012

Seresin – Michael Seresin first found his desire to foray into the wine industry, away from his roots as an international film maker, following a trip to his second home in Tuscany. In the early 1990’s he seriously considered setting up in Italy but a visit to the Marlborough Sounds in the South Island of his native New Zealand soon put a stop to that! His first vineyard was in the Wairau valley at what is now the “home Vineyard” of Seresin, but the estate spans three different regions within Marlborough allowing a good degree of unique complexity to enter Michaels wines. Add to that the commitment to a natural approach to farming with minimal intervention, biodynamic and organic practices as well as the use of wild yeasts all make these more than just another Kiwi plonk!

Lager de Cervera Albarino – The Rias Baixas Vineyards of popular Rioja maker, La Rioja Alta are the largest of all in this Albarino heartland but don’t take this to mean they are a gargantuan factory. In fact the winery is quite small and intimate. The size of the vineyard is down to the family secret for making the best Albarino, simply great quality grapes and little else more complicated than that!  Vineyards in this part of the world are beautiful nestled in and protected by old oak and eucalyptus trees. Rias Baixas geographically is in the Northernmost part of Spain just above Portugal where the river Mino flows into the sea.  Facing the sun directly and protected from the morning mists the harvests in this district come in rather early. This wine feels alive, full of minerality while citrus and tropical notes intertwine excellently making this a wine that would suit a multitude of people. The fuller flavour will make this quite versatile with food whilst the crisp minerality makes it wonderful enjoyed alongside a serving of good company!! 

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc - Pale straw coloured and not very leggy. Pineapple on the nose, apple and pineapple in the mouth. Very nice. Score: 15/20

Seresin Rachael Pinot Noir - I've never been a fan of Pinot Noir as those I have tried in the past (long before I joined Exel Wines!) have been a little one-dimensional and a bit too sharp for my tastes. This was very different, a wine with some depth and complexity but still a hint of those sharp red fruits. One of my tasting partners commented that it smelt like a Christmas cake, nice full taste in the mouth but no bitterness from the tannins. Very nice indeed. Score: 18/20

Lager De Cevera Albarino - Pale coloured and not particularly leggy in the glass, Elderflower and quite sharp citrus aromas on the nose. Creamy in the mouth with just a hint of citrus and a nice clean finish. Not bad at all. Score: 15/20

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc - Colour: Golden. Aroma: What struck me immediately was the sherbet nose I got from this wine, full of blackcurrant and lemon aromas which I found very appealing. Flavour: Citrus with the blackcurrant sweetness carrying through in the taste. To be honest, as the colder winter nights draw ever closer, I'm moving back in to warming red wines again but I do have to say this wine was a big hit with me, very nice. Score: 18/20

Lager de Cervera Albarino - Unfortunately, this wine did not leave the same impression on me as the Seresin Sauvignon Blanc had - I think it was just too dry for my palate. Colour: Pale Yellow with a green tinge. Aroma: Citrus, I got mainly grapefruit aromas from this wine, and little else I'm afraid. Flavour: As I said, I found this one just too dry for me and I'd even goes as far as say a little astringent. However, if you like your whites dry then this is definitely the one for you. Score: 10/20

Seresin Rachael Pinot Noir - Colour: Tawny red with a very pale pinky brown rim. Aroma: An fruity mix of damson, plum and cherry aromas. Flavour: Soft, but with a robust backbone. Flavours of bitter cherries hit the mouth straight away, with what I can only describe as a slight herbal note on the finish. I think I would prefer to drink this wine with food and could see it being an excellent accompaniment to game, especially pheasant and duck. Score: 16/20

Keron Magee, Shop Manager

Seresin Sauvignon Blanc - what a cracker. On first nose you realise immediately that the flavour is going to be big.  So it is but in a gentlemanly manner. Bags of "oranges and lemons" with a lovely soft buttery mouthfeel presumably as a result of resting on lees. Returning back to it later, it lost nothing of its impact. Definitely in my top ten. Score: 16/20

Lager De Cervera Albarino - My first taste of Albarino. Needed a bit more concentration, as at first nose, there is not a lot going on. This is reflected in the dry short taste of "crisp apple". It was the perfect accompaniment to my "pick and mix" platter of olives, chicken pate, fruit chutney and oatcakes. Score: 14/20 

Seresin Rachael Pinot Noir - A mouthful of plums, damsons and dark berries overlaid with oaky notes.  A surprisingly short and soft finish that went down well with my slow-cooker beef casserole. Score: 14/20

Tried and Tested - This Week's Staff Recommendations

Established in 1860 the Tahbilk vineyard is not only a family owned winery, but one of Australia’s most breathtaking and historic. Situated in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria, one of the nation's premium viticultural areas, the property comprises some 1,214 hectares of rich river flats. Purchased by the Purbrick family is 1925, Tahbilk is now home to 5 generations of Purbricks.

Some 200 hectares of the property is under vine with varietals including the rare French Rhone Valley whites of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne; and the Rhone reds - Shiraz, Grenache & Mourvedre. Also planted are the traditional varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc & Verdelho and new age rising stars Tempranillo and Savignin. Some of the Shiraz vines even date back to the vineyards pre-pheloxera roots. Of the vineyards 100,000 bottle production only about 1 tenth of this escapes Australia, usually a sign of a truly great vineyard (the locals try to keep it to themselves)!

The wines Exel staff have been tasting are: 

• Tahbilk 2011 Marsanne
• Tahbilk 2007 Vintage Release Marsanne (I love being able to try two similar, but fundamentally different wines side-by-side.)
• Tahbilk 2010 Shiraz

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Tahbilk Marsanne 2011 - One of my favourite French wine regions has long been Cotes du Rhone, so what a joy it was to discover an Australian winery that produces wine that is so similar to that from the Southern Rhone region. I've always claimed (only slightly tongue in cheek) to be a red wine drinker who only drinks white when there is no alternative, so joy upon joy to discover a new white grape and one I liked so much that I'd actually part with my hard earned cash for a bottle. 

This wine has a very fresh and crisp floral bouquet with hints of celery and honey. It is as light and crisp to drink as the aroma promised, with sherbet and citrus favours. Its very clean in the mouth with no after-taste.

A lovely light white that would go well with lightly spiced Oriental food. Score: 14/20

Tahbilk Marsanne Museum 2007- Ooooh. This is lovely. Honey, nectar and pear drops on the nose; sharp, crisp and dry in the mouth with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. 

A white with enough presence and complexity to stand up to all but the strongest flavours. I suspect this would go brilliantly with Roast Chicken and Yorkshire Pudding, and would also make a nice accompaniment to the Christmas turkey. Score: 18/20

Tahbilk Shiraz 2010 - If I hadn't seen the label I would have expected this to advertise itself as a Syrah rather than a Shiraz because it's right up there with my favourite French reds. There's Brandy, Christmas Spices and dried fruit on the nose, almost a Christmas cake in a glass. Pomegranate and blackberry mingle with the spices in the mouth and the tannins are beautifully balanced giving a delicious full body, but no unpleasant after-taste. I was a bit too eager to try the wine after opening so it felt a little tight, but I made myself leave some to breath and it opened out beautifully. Another addition to my list of favourites. Score: 18/20

Keron Magee, Shop Manager

Marsanne 2011 - Delightfully quaffable wine that entices you in with its plum and apricot aromas. On savouring, I was quite surprised by its dry and short finish. Very nice to drink with nibbles on a lovely summer day. Score: 14/20

Marsanne Museum 2007 - What a difference, although it's not strictly 100% Marsanne and with the extra time resting, this one exhibits a different aroma experience of cherry sweetness coupled with a nutty (brazils/hazelnuts) complexity. Would recommend this with a meal rather than on its own perhaps spicy meats ie. chorizo, duck or even a firm blue cheese. Score: 15/20

Shiraz 2010 - I let this one breathe for 15 mins as I was not keen on the initial taste when I opened it - like you say not a thumping Shiraz. On the nose I was able to recognise chocolate and blackcurrants.  A really long finish down the throat that lasted for some time afterwards. Tasting it the influence of oaky notes was obvious and deep currant/plum flavours too. I would recommend with strong meat ie. venison and maybe Roquefort cheese.  I love a good shiraz but found this to be a little lacking. Score: 13/20

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Marsanne 2011 - On opening this wine the sweet aromas of passionfruit certainly hit me. This followed through on the palate where the passionfruit flavours continued. I felt the wine itself was pretty dry - not at all what I'd expected. Nevertheless, a nice white to enjoy during a hot summer. Score: 14/20

Marsanne Museum 2007 - Again, I picked up on the sweet aromas of this wine straight away, but there is a softness of peach on the palate which I think may be down to the slight acidity of this wine, adding to it's complexity. Again a dry white, but one which I think would be at its best enjoyed with food. Score: 15/20

Shiraz 2010 - Colour: Garnet red with a clear rim. Aromas of forest and hedgerow fruits with a slight hint of tobacco. I found this Shiraz heavy going with its dry, spicy rioja style (perhaps because I've been drinking lighter reds over the last couple of months). Maybe as we move in to the winter months I will find my appetite for these heavier styles that stick to your tongue again, but I'm not ready just yet to face the winter months. Score: 14/20 

Tried and Tested - This Week's Staff Recommendations

Tenuta Musella

Musella - The splendid seventeenth century villa of Tenuta Musella is set within the beautiful, green hills of San Martino Buon Albergo close to Verona in one of the most picturesque vineyard regions in the Veneto. The vineyards cover three different hillside locations on south and west facing slopes which offer a remarkable differentiation of soil types; the Monte del Drago, Perlar and Palazzina hills.

The vineyards are planted with a mixture of indigenous and international varieties including, Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Barbera, Croatina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Garganega. The estate produces an excellent white and rosé as well as a range of classic reds including a magnificent Ripasso and Amarone della Valpolicella. 

Wines were first made at Tenuta Musella by Cesare Trezza di Musella in the nineteenth century and the family continues to produce wines using traditional methods with a focus on expressing pure, natural fruit combined with the complexity from great terroir. In line with this philosophy, the estate is currently converting to biodynamic viticulture. The wines are very elegant and full of character, a very considerable step up from most Valpolicella, delivering incredible value for such exceptional quality.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

Valpolicella Superiore – Personally I love a Ripasso but for many the lighter flavours just work best in this basic model.  At £12.32 there is not a massive price difference to trade up to the Ripasso either.

Valpolicella Ripasso – The high cost and low yield of the Amarone essentially gives way to the Valpolicella Ripasso. Ripasso is not really a directly translatable term, but largely means revised or refreshed.  This points towards the use of the grape “must” or skins left over from the Amarone production in this wine.  They are mixed in during the wine-making process to impart a lot of the flavour of an Amarone into this wine.  As there is no drying process there is no loss of juice from which to make wine so the cost is significantly cheaper at £15.96.  It is common to expect the price to be about half and it is a wine I often call the smart man's Amarone.  The flavours if made well can be remarkably similar.  To put it another way, if you are paying the bill pick the Ripasso, if your boss or your friend is, pick the Amarone.

Amarone – This is the big boy, high ABV at 16%.  Amarone is made in a very unique way. Once harvested the grapes are first dried in the sun for several months this dehydrates the grapes and concentrates the flavours, sugars and general goodness!  It also means that there is less juice to extract and make the wine from hence the relatively high price tag of £30.11, which to be honest is quite good value for a quality example!

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Tenuta Musella Valpolicella Superiore 2011 - As soon as I opened the bottle loads of berry aromas filled the air. This wine is garnet in colour with a brown rim. Heavier on the palate than I imagined it would be, however after a few sips it becomes less heavy. I picked up lots of spice flavours in this wine along with the berries and oak, though with light tannins it doesn't last as long on the palate as I had thought it would. I would accompany this with a medium rare rump steak - no need for anything fancy with this wine. Score 15/20

Tenuta Musella Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2010 - Ruby red in colour this time with brownish-pink rim. Again, lots of berry aromas in this wine. On the palate the berry flavours are more intense and it is not as spicy as the last one - I would say that this one had better structure and a nicer berry flavours - the spice notes did not overpower the fruit as I felt they did in the Valpolicella. Score 17/20

Tenuta Musella Amarone 2008 - What can I say? Yumm! This was full of rich ripe berry aromas. Purple-red in colour with a brown-garnet rim. This wine went down a treat, smooth and rich on the palate - just beautiful. Definitely my favourite of the three I tasted. Again, no need for complicated food with this gorgeous wine - just a simply cooked medium rare steak and I'd be a very happy lady! Score 20/20

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Musella Valpolicella Superiore 2011 - This wine was hits the nose first with bright clean red fruit aromas. There is a slightly sweet taste to the wine, reminded me a little of ribena and a very clean finish with no after-taste. I found this a very drinkable uncomplicated red - what I think of as a good quaffing wine. Score 15/20

Musella Valpolicella Ripasso 2010 - Clean and bright red fruit aromas with a slight hit of alcohol suggesting a fuller bodied wine. The taste still has the red fruits but with a little less sweetness and more of a savoury smokiness. This wine has a very pleasant savoury after-taste. A very enjoyable medium bodied red that I would have happily carried on drinking if Russell wasn't so stingy with the tasting samples. Score 17/20

Musella Amarone 2009 - This is a completely different beast to the other two wines; it's a very deep red with tawny hints and prominent aromas of sherry. Very dry and astringent in the mouth with prune and raisin flavours. Reminded me of Madeira. Although not to my personal taste, if you like dry Sherry or Madeira this will appeal to you. Score 16/20

Tried and Tasted - this week's Staff Recommendations

Tiefenbrunner

This week, staff have been tasting three wines from the Tiefenbrunner Range.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

Mouthful wines from a mouthful of a vineyard! So at first glance at the name you would be forgiven for presuming this would be German or Austria wine we are discussing and out of fear or whatever else given them a wide berth. Well we implore you not to, instead ignore the vineyard/family name and think of these as just divine wines from the northernmost parts of Italy and we can continue. It is at this point that I need to tell you a little more about the Alto Adige homeland of these wines, bordering Austria & Switzerland and the Germanic influence of this Autonomous region. If we are honest though Wikipedia is likely to say it much more accurately and professionally than I so over to them! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trentino-Alto_Adige

In the family since the 1675 and named after the Castle Turmhof, it was only in the 1960’s that the current generation set the direction for the vineyard by bottling the estates wines for consumption off the premises. The dedication here is to maintaining and indeed showing off the relationship between varietal and the land resulting in fresh and voluptuous wines just full of character. I started off with the Pinot Grigio. It is a variety I enjoy, but I have to be honest in saying that I have had my opinion tainted by the bulk produced House wine and supermarket trash that has sullied this varieties reputation. In this example we see a delightfully simple refined wine, that would be a great pairing with simple fair, seafood salads perhaps. Quite a floral little number and not a hint of the over acidic qualities I associate with the lesser examples of this variety. Score 16/20

Then we move on to the Pinot Bianco. It is not a varietal I would pick off the shelves with great regularity, and again there is no real reason why I should not, other than fear of the unknown. Which is stupid as discoveries of the great unknown are, to me, some of the greatest blessings. I enjoyed trying the two white Pinot side by side (and indeed next up is a Pinot Nero), there was a similar fresh and voluptuous characteristic just with a more pronounced flavour in the Pinot Bianco. This is where we definitely step more firmly into food friendly wine territory, my thoughts being a rich lobster dish or maybe even a bouillabaisse type dish! The floral notes gave way in this case to a more crisp apple with just a gentle touch of the tropics about it. Score 17/20

Then it was on to the Pinot Nero with nero being the same in Italian as noir is in French so to simplify things, and that is my basic desire in wine, in essence we are talking Pinot Noir and if you didn’t already guess that the divine light characteristic colour should hint at it straight away. The actual wine was a real mouthful. This is not a delicate sip it by itself sort of wine, it really needs a nice game dish to enjoy it with. So try a bottle with friends, but I do not see this as a wine to enjoy a few bottles of on the sofa on its own. A new discovery for me and yet another wine that really can rival some of the worlds best Pinot Noir! Score 18/20

Leanne Brodie, Data Administration Assistant

Pinot Bianco - Really, really enjoyed this wine. Fresh tasting, nice and light and very refreshing! Tastes really fruity, would say the flavours are very tropical like. Ideal for summer drinking at a BBQ or with a nice crisp salad. I will definitely be having a bottle or two of this one. Score 20/20

Pinot Nero - Again a lovely wine which I also enjoyed. This one again has a summer feel with lovely smells of summer berries. Lovely and smooth with flavours of strawberries. Easy drinking! I had this one with a chicken pasta dish and it seemed to work well. Score 20/20

Pinot Grigio - Didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the Pinot Bianco, but was still delicious. Slightly heavier maybe. Strong aromas of citrus fruit. Nice and smooth to drink. I found this to have quite a zesty taste to it. Score 17/20

Ally Moir, Exel Wines Shop

Pinot Bianco - Lots of fruit on the nose and mouth, lovely taste of ripe pears, not much on follow through though. Best served well chilled. Great for a sunny afternoon though perhaps a little bit on the expensive side. Score 15.5/20

Pinot Grigio - Not quite so fruity as the Bianco – in fact a little bit creamy with hints of vanilla. Again a bit light on finish and equally as good on a sunny day, also slightly on the expensive side. Score 15/20

Pinot Nero -  I’m a big fan of Pinot Noir and was therefore looking forward to this - it didn’t disappoint. Initially there’s a taste of strawberries and what to me was like white pepper – I loved it (my wife didn’t). From here things got even better as I matched it with a creamy blue cheese – the effect was excellent all of the flavours enhanced and morphed in to an overall depth of fruit cream and just enough light tannin to make you want more. Score 18/20

Tried and Tasted - this week's Staff Recommendations

This week, the Exel Wines team have been tasting:
Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012
and
Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 

Russell Wallace, General Manager

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 -  I often find Chenin Blanc can be one of those hit or miss wines with a big gap between the good and the downright awful and mostly nothing in between. So I was pleasantly surprised by the elegance of Mulderbosch’s efforts. An elegant and refined wine is not usually the terms that would spring to mind for a Chenin, but they do here. The citrus fruits and acidity were all pleasingly delicate, that is not to say that there is a lack of flavour going on here just that it all is balanced and allows the minerality, more commonly found in a kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, to come through. Score: 16.5/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - Red Blends just are not really my bag baby! Once again though the wonderful Mulderbosch, turns that on it’s head with this Bordeaux Blend on steroids. I was expecting a huge hit given the actually grapes and the diversity of grapes in play here.  Then with a closer look at the percentages part of this wines delicate nature was explained. Cabernet Franc is, unusually, the dominant grape lending the cedar notes and the graphite type minerality that let this sip down smoothly. The Merlot backs up this more gentile nature meanwhile the Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot all, for want of a better description, remind you who is boss! Just enough of these varietals punch full on characteristics come through to please the lover of big and bold wines, not too much to put off the lovers of fresh and fruity wines. Score: 18/20

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - This wine is a pale straw gold in colour; when I initially swirled the glass I thought it had no legs, but on closer inspection realised it had coated the glass almost perfectly, suggesting an alcohol content not to be sniffed at. Sniff it I did however and a lovely aroma of light and crunchy citrus fruits (mainly gooseberry and pineapple) assailed my nose; with just a hint of sherbet. Anticipation was high for the first mouthful and I was not disappointed, there is an initial sharp and tangy hit from the citrus that quickly opens out to rich floral and fruity flavours with just a hint of creaminess. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but this is a lovely clean and fresh and full bodied wine that I really enjoyed. Score: 16/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 -This is a wine that I knew I was going to enjoy from the moment I poured it. It's a rich tawny red in colour and quite leggy in the glass suggesting a full body. The aroma produces the classic South African herbal notes; I got dill and a creamy buttery parsnip with underlying deep red/black fruits. The wine is very full when tasted, initially its the savoury butter flavours that hit you but then the deep fruits come through. You can taste the tannins but they quickly subside and leave no unpleasant after-taste.  A great wine. Score: 17/20

Mark Powrie, Orders Administrator

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - I found this a very interesting white. The aromas coming from this wine were very subtle to start with. Once the wine had the opportunity to sit in the glass, I could then smell the fruit quite strongly. First sip, the wood came straight through and then the fruits and the flavours followed. I found this wine to have a long length and it would be a suitable white to enjoy on its own or with a starter. Score: 13/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - This was a surprise. Having chicken for my dinner, I thought that this wine would drown the flavours. Opening the bottle, I could smell dark fruits and spice. After a wee while in the glass, first sip was a surprise. The wine had a dark colour and I was expecting a big punchy flavour, but the flavours were subtle. No too overpowering, just enough to enjoy the wine. There was a little kick as the wine was going down, but this could have been the spicy flavours. I have to say, it went very well with the chicken and I would be inclined to have this wine with a lighter meat rather than gamey meats. Score 16/20

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - Golden in colour, I found this wine quite sweet initially with a slight fizz. It had a nice oaky roundness to it though. I cannot say that I picked up a great deal on the nose (maybe I had over-chilled it), but the palate was soft with floral notes which then led to flavours of catalope melon. I did not have this wine with food, but I could imagine it would go quite well with a coconut-based thai dish or roast chicken. Score: 16/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - The colour reminded me a little of Ribena! This wine had aromas of plump black fruit with hints of cassis and vanilla. The palate was big (almost pinotage-like) with lots of blackcherry flavours along with underlying spice notes, but with a cabernet smoothness to it. I would imagine this wine would be a good accompaniment to a hearty stew or ox liver and onions. Score: 14/20