The optimist's downfall

Optimism is a good and frequently necessary thing. I should know - just ask any other Manchester United fan in light of our current predicament. In the wine world, too, optimism is something of a driving force. Optimism is what made the early pioneers of New World wine take cuttings from Europe and see them thrive in previously unexplored environments (although it is arguably also responsible for experimentation in South Africa and the resulting godawful Pinotage grape). Optimism is what has ensured the success of many retailers and producers, small and large, since the global financial crisis of 2008. And when the mercury is hovering just above freezing as the delicate new shoots begin appearing on vines in the springtime, optimism is what reassures the best winemakers that they will still produce an outstanding end product. So, on the whole, optimism is a good thing.

However, even I thought I was overegging the optimism when I recently bought a bottle of the attractively-packaged Montagny 1er Cru 'Les Millières' 2010 (priced at £9.74 at Majestic) and wrote in my cellar notes: 'Do not touch until 2018'. How could I resist? A classical white Burgundy from a very good Côte Chalonnaise vintage, properly corked and at under a tenner? As sure as United will finish outside the top four this season, this wine would certainly be drunk before my suggested date.

That's not to say I approached the wine too early, however; I normally find a drinking window of between 3-10 years after the vintage for good white Burgundy is a solid rule of thumb. The tasting notes also suggested the wine was perfectly drinkable: Majestic's own description reads thus:

"A delicious, fresh Chardonnay which has been fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks to preserve the pure peach, pear and acacia aromas. Soft and rich on the palate."

The Telegraph's wine correspondent Susy Atkins also noted the wine's freshness, adding "well balanced, still tasting youthful, [and] lightly buttered" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/11147329/Wine-Review-Wines-to-serve-with-squid.html).

Personally, as a red wine drinker, it's often a pleasant surprise when whites announce themselves boldly in terms of weight and texture, and this example from the Vignerons de Buxy certainly fulfils that criterion. The wine is alluringly pale gold in hue with a translucent rim, and a soft bouquet of apricots and peaches, intertwined with a suggestion of minerality. The mouth is filled with more fleshy fruits (nectarines and pears) with the slight savouriness of green bell pepper and a not unpleasant lactic quality, whether butter or more animalistic. The wine is impeccably structured, with the acidity well-integrated with the clean, focused fruits, and is pleasurably medium/full on the tongue. In terms of a food match, white fish and seafood are the suggestions that most often crop up with a cool-climate Chardonnay such as this; however I cannot think of a more divine match than a white meat-based roast dinner. I slurped away happily on this wine with my Sunday lunch: the Montagny has enough texture and savouriness to match roast chicken, the lactic element and good acidity were perfect with roast potatoes, and the lively fruit notes really helped to accentuate the freshness of assorted veg.

This Montagny, then, represents a brilliant example of a well-priced classical European Chardonnay, which will reward those who hold onto it as well as the impatient drinkers like myself who approach it early in its life. Next time I arrive back from Majestic with a bottle in hand, I shall cellar it immediately and furiously underline the 2018 cellar note (for wouldn't this be an absolute pleasure with cold cuts of ham on a warm summer's day?). I think it would also be a perfect bottle with which to toast United's rampant dominance and eventual Premier League-winning season in May 2018. Although perhaps that's a tad too optimistic.

Rockin' Roussillon

First off, apologies for the lack of blogging recently - I was fortunate enough to take a Valentine's getaway break with my better half and have therefore spent some welcome time away from the draws of modern technology. We spent a lovely relaxing long weekend in the charming village of Seahouses in Northumberland, which is perfect for anyone wishing to escape the city walls in search of rural living, sea air and the odd seal or two! (www.seahouses.org) Coincidentally, on the big night itself we shared a cracking bottle of Veuve Monsigny Brut NV (£9.99, Aldi) which more than lived up to its critical hype; although her disbelieving remarks ("You've not actually bought proper Champagne, have you"?) should give you some idea as to how much of a tightwad I normally am. Nevertheless, it was a well-balanced wine with good structure and a creamy mousse, and an utter pleasure to drink on the most romantic of dates in the calendar.

But I digress. As we move away from the season of fizz and rosé, it is time to consider some solid options for the rapidly-approaching springtime. It's at this time of year where I like to start drinking red wines that put me in mind of warmer days to come - think brambly Garnachas, smooth Tempranillos and volcanic Nero d'Avolas. One of my favourite wine regions to visit for summery reds is Roussillon in Southern France. Often lumped together (unfairly, in my view) with its northern sibling Languedoc, Roussillon is really more Catalan than French in terms of its origins, food and culture, and the Grenache-based regional blends reflect the area's unique nature. With over 22,000 hectares of land given over to viticulture in Roussillon, with Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre being the star grapes, France's Catalan region really is the place to go for good-value, hearty summer reds.

Without question, the wine that I've selected to review today certainly ticks all the right boxes. Priced at £6.66 at Majestic, the Château de Triniac Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2011 is both a fantastic value bottle, as well as a slightly different alternative to the region's usual offerings. Côtes du Roussillon Villages is Roussillon's northernmost appellation, and slightly more selective than the larger Côtes du Roussillon, with a permitted blend of maximum 60% Carignan, a minimum of 30% Syrah/Mourvèdre, as well as Grenache. The Château de Triniac in fact originates from Latour de France: only one of four villages permitted to add their name onto the CdRV appellation. The village is recognised as being the origin of higher quality wines from the region, with the vines which grow along the valley slopes of the Agly River benefitting from heat-retaining granite soils and an average of 325 days of sunshine per year.

With 2011 generally accepted as being a good vintage for Roussillon reds, the wine had a lot to live up to. Certainly the critics seemed to love it, with Ned Halley scoring the wine top marks in his 2014 edition of 'The Best Wines in the Supermarkets'. Describing Château de Triniac as "theatrically rich and opulent", Halley went on to comment on its "gorgeous limpid spicy-garrigue black fruits and surpassing sleekness". Although I can't quite agree with his remarks on opulence (I found myself yearning for more texture), I can confidently attest to the wine's sleekness: you'd never guess it at 14.5% alcohol. The Independent's critic Terry Kirby was also taken by the wine, calling it a "spicy and satisfying" red which "punches way above its price range" (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/wines-of-the-week-marques-de-casa-concha-cabernet-sauvignon-2010-verdicchio-dei-castelli-di-jesi-classico-2012-chteau-de-triniac-cotes-du-roussillon-villages-2011-8646591.html).

Certainly, I found the wine to be an excellent example of what Roussillon can really produce. Dark clarety-red in colour and with a nose of red berries, new leather and a slight sweetness, the wine went down very easily with no alcohol burn or unwelcome tannic bite. The red fruits on the nose are consistent with the palate, where they are joined by a sprinkling of black pepper and an alluring creamy note on the finish. Although I found slight fault with the linear texture and short finish, I was nevertheless impressed by the wine's poise and elegance, and could think of no better word than 'breezy' to describe the sensation of drinking a quality wine with grapes grown at an altitude of 300m. Make no mistake: this is not your average rustic Roussillon red, but a wine of serious charm and aspiration. For my money, the wine would pair best with roast venison or game, but I couldn't blame you for sipping it on its own outside in your back garden, watching the fading sun and dreaming of warmer days to come. So here's to a cracker from French Catalonia: salut!

Valentine's wines!

Happy Valentine's everyone! The most polarising of celebration days is fast approaching once again, so do take this as your reminder to stock up on roses, chocolates and whatever array of erotic lingerie for your other half you so desire. Whether you get on board fully with the day or not, the 14th of February is always a great excuse for wine lovers to stock up on an alluring little number or two, or perhaps to splash out on a special bottle for the occasion. So here are some of my Valentine's picks to help make the night memorable.

Sparkling

Of course, the most obvious wine style to opt for at this time of year is sparkling, and more specifically Champagne. For me, there's nothing quite like the real thing on a special occasion, although a fantastic budget option would be Tesco's Cava Brut NV (£5). Made by Catalan giant Cordoníu for the UK retailer, this bona fide sparkler boasts fresh orchard flavours on the nose and on the palate, complemented with good acidity and a lovely creamy finish. A fraction of the price of other sparklers, let alone Champagne, Tesco's house Cava has received praise across the board, with the Telegraph's wine correspondent Susy Atkins commenting that it "beats the socks off many fancier high street cavas".

If, however, you do fancy the real deal, then look no further than Veuve Monsigny Brut NV, produced by Reuil-based vintners Philizot et Fils and sold in the UK by the German retailer Aldi. Currently offered at an astonishing £9.99, this wine was rated Highly Recommended by Decanter magazine in January 2015 in a panel tasting of own-label Champagnes, seeing off competition from more prestigious retailers costing three times as much. Of Aldi's Champagne, tasters Michael Edwards, Antony Moss MW and Angela Mount - who gave it a score of 90 - said:

"Smooth, creamy stone-fruit character with a certain vinosity. Bold and fruity with vibrant, yet well-integrated acid. Good structure and weight with a refreshing lift and balance on the finish".

I have a bottle held back for this Valentine's Day, and my mouth is positively watering at the prospect of tasting it. Aside from anything else, this really does go to prove that it is eminently possible for wine lovers to buy fantastic wines without needing to take out a second mortgage.

Rosé

A cliché perhaps, but for poetry's sake, you might wish to opt for a bottle of the pink stuff to see in this Valentine's Day. Often panned by some in the wine trade, there is no doubt that rosé wine is an increasingly popular choice for many consumers, with 1 in every 8 bottles of table wine sold in the UK being of the pink variety (Ned Halley, The Best Wines in the Supermarkets 2015, p. 12). Speaking on a personal level, at this time of year when it seems apt to go for rosé over white, the best examples come from the south of France, and specifically the Côtes de Provence appellation. If elegant, restrained, perfumed rosés are your thing, then you could do a lot worse than the Co-op's Coeur de Cardeline Provence 2013, Lidl's Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Nuit de Provence 2013 or Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Côtes de Provence 2013. However, if you want to broaden your horizons, one of my favourite rosés is the perennial Tesco Finest Nero d'Avola Rosé. The current 2013 vintage is on sale at £5.79, which makes it a slightly better value alternative to the Riviera rosés. Strikingly salmon-pink with a sweet cider applely nose, the wine is light-bodied and refreshing, with a reasonably sharp citrussy tang and one of the longest finishes on a rosé I've ever tasted. Serve this with some breadcrumbed white fish or a simple salad, and your other half will never know that you parted with fewer than six of your pounds for such a superb bottle of pink!

Red

If, on the other hand, your Valentine's meal calls for something fuller, then a bottle of red should be your stopping point. Forcefully tannic New World Cabernets might be the first choice with a nice piece of rare sirloin, but for my money Old World reds offer the perfect amount of poise and sophistication for a night of romance. Classic Bordeaux blends would be great, as would seductive Burgundies from the Pinot Noir grape. If you have cash to spare, splash out on a bottle of Premier Cru Bourgogne, like the Lucien Jacob Beaune 1er Cru Les Toussaints 2004 - which I would probably consider the best wine I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. Alternatively, you could visit another one of Europe's fine wine regions, Rioja, for a bottle of Asda's Extra Special Marques del Norte Rioja Reserva 2009.

With one year spent in the barrel and another two in the bottle before release, this Reserva from Asda is brilliantly pitched between fruit and oak: offering the balance of ripe red fruits and warming vanilla that buyers of Rioja wines love. The 2008 vintage was highly sought-after, scoring 90 points in Decanter magazine's September 2013 panel tasting. Ned Halley in The Best Wines noted the wine's "sweet, plump, silky fruit", and Martin Smith in the Star commented on the "big juicy flavours, rounded vanilla from the oak and sweet, strawberry spice" (http://www.thestar.co.uk/what-s-on/out-about/food-drink/top-tipple-extra-special-marques-del-norte-rioja-reserva-2008-5-from-7-48-until-april-24-asda-1-5566878). The 2009 vintage (a full £2.50 cheaper at £5.75) also fared well with the critics: Susy Atkins in the Telegraph describing the wine as "a great-value reserva from a fine vintage year in Rioja" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinkadvice/11361111/Why-Ill-be-drinking-red-wine-not-whisky-with-my-haggis.html). Like Atkins, I too thought that the wine offered great value, and I'd happily buy it at a higher price point. For me, the attractively aromatic nose of strawberry bonbons and vanilla would be perfect for Valentine's Day, followed up by a serious Rioja full of grip, texture and dark fruits. I would advise a couple more years in the bottle before the wine really opens up and expresses itself fully, however it's perfectly drinkable now and very difficult to resist doing so!

So whether you're a fan of the day or not, I hope I've given you some useful suggestions of very good wines to help celebrate this Valentine's Day. If you've got any brilliant bottles or preferred styles for February 14th, please feel free to share in the comment section below. Happy Valentine's everyone!

Winter warmers

Those of you, like myself, with some sort of asthma were probably able to foretell the impending freezing temperatures to which we have been subjected in recent weeks. The increasing tightening of lungs and bronchial tubing and the sudden inability to walk 50 yards without gasping for air like it's going out of style are just a couple of the omens that indicate to the weak-chested among us that Jack Frost is well on his way. Cold temperatures do funny things to others as well: in my household particularly, the weather forecasts appear on screen with such regularity that I become on first name terms with multiple presenters, and spades and bags of salt start mysteriously appearing on the driveway. And that's not to mention the sheer dread that appears on my mum's face with the mere utterance of the word 'snow' (although it is very useful to know one of her potential weaknesses in the event that she is exposed to nuclear radiation and becomes a bloodthirsty despot). But that aside, for all the traffic reports and gritter lorries in the world, sometimes it's just best to stay wrapped up indoors and cosy up with a nice glass or two by the fire. And this week, I've selected a couple of bottles that should do just the trick- a comforting red from Languedoc and a zippy Galician white.

Although we think of the south of France as a sun-drenched utopia of warm temperatures and beautiful weather, its wines often have a canny knack of matching quite well to warming casseroles and stews, which makes them perfect fare for the British winter. The first wine I have chosen is from a small Languedoc appellation called Saint-Chinian (a "hidden gem of the South" according to 'The Wine Pocket Bible'): Tesco Finest Saint-Chinian 2013. Currently on offer at £5.99, this rustic red united the critics: for Victoria Moore in the Telegraph, the wine represented "a very cosy red, mellow and brambly" (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/11121403/Perfect-autumn-wines-for-cosy-nights-in.html); while Jane MacQuitty in the Times wrote of a "cracking, stomach lining spicy winter wine brimming with rich, herby, dusky earthy fruit". Olly Smith echoed the comments on fruit and herbaceousness in the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-2814460/OLLY-SMITH-Nights-drawing-weather-turning-frosty-uncork-central-heating-soul.html) whereas Ned Halley noted the wine's gentle oak treatment and adherence to Saint-Chinian terroir (http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Wine-St-Chinian-s-robust-reds-finally-arrived/story-23252163-detail/story.html).

Like the critics above, I was also taken in by the wine's charms. The inky purple hue and typical nose of liquorous blackcurrant and hedgerow fruits betray the wine's southern French origins, yet the wine is somewhat restrained in style and not as rustic as some. On the palate are mature blackcurrant and blackberry fruits coupled with a medium body and a smooth mouthfeel (although some might find it to be a little lacking in tannic backbone). On the whole, Tesco and its producer Skalli have done a good job at creating an elegant Grenache-Syrah blend in what was a difficult vintage in the Midi, and one which will satisfy those looking for a hearty winter red. Tesco advises that the wine might be cellared for up to three years, and it would certainly be interesting to see how the wine develops in time for winter 2016.

The second wine I have chosen is another corker from Tesco, this time their Finest Pazo Das Donas Godello 2012, also currently at £5.99. Admittedly, a Spanish white might not be top of your list for a comforting winter tipple, but this example is fresh, vibrant and zingy, and will do wonders for reawakening your slumbering tastebuds. In his informative piece on the vintage (http://winereviewsbyivorfan.com/2014/07/27/finest-pazo-das-donas-godello-2012/), wine blogger Dave Cronin talks about the grape's capacity to produce wines of intense flavour and aroma, specifically finding "ripe peaches, lemons, spiced apples" in Tesco's offering. Cronin also advises that the wine not be drunk overly-chilled as a lower temperature masks much of the wine's aromatics and flavour, something which I would second after tasting.

As something of a novice to Spain's indigenous white varieties, I must say that I found the wine to be an intriguing and uplifting experience. The delicate pale gold hue beguiles the intense, zippy nose of green apples and gooseberry, which leads into a medium-bodied refreshing wine. The fruits are pitched at the sharp, tart end of the spectrum (think Granny Smiths) coupled with a bit of delicate white hibiscus and an attractive saline quality. For a food match, anything caught from Spain's north Atlantic coast would be delightful, although I can help thinking that a roasted joint of gammon would also work a treat. In short, whether you plump for a reassuring red or a winning white to chase away your winter woes, you won't go far wrong with either of these great value warmers. Cheers!