Torrontés? Oh yes!

Just before the big Christmas shutdown, I scrambled hastily into my local Majestic Wine shop in Milton Keynes, armed with a five bottle-strong list of wines to see me through the final days of 2014. I like the ethos of Majestic: a strong and diverse selection of high-quality offerings, with perpetual good offers and a minimum six bottle purchase. This mindset is unaffected by the festive season, and among my choices was an excellent bottle of Gérard Bertrand Viognier Réserve Spéciale 2013 priced at £7.49, which went down very well with my girlfriend's family on Boxing Day. However, the star purchase was my lucky dip sixth bottle: the alluringly-packaged Viñalba Selección Torrontés 2014.

In his informative video blog on the 2012 vintage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDLuTQbkKoc), Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com likens the fragrant Argentine grape to Muscat and Gewürztraminer, and says that the 2012 Viñalba wine strikes a good balance between the highly-perfumed varieties and the more fruit-driven styles. He notes the hint of lychee, fresh pear and nectarine on the nose, and the "tangerine/mandarin orange blast" on the palate.

For me, the delicate aromatics of the 2012 vintage are consistent in the 2014 offering, with a slight florality and melon, kiwi and citrus fruits on the nose. These tropical fruits are reflected on the palate, with a suggestion of spearmint in the finish. I would certainly agree with Cannavan's assessment of this Torrontés as an excellent food wine (think lightly spiced Thai dishes) but equally I would be more than happy to quaff this beautifully classical and elegant number on a warm Summer's day. A winner from Viñalba and a winner from Majestic. Torrontés? Oh yes!