Fine wine event - May 2015

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to try a wide variety of very good wines from across the globe on a daily basis. The thing I love most, however, are the occasions where I'm able to taste those great wines which make up the modern oenophile's zeitgeist. Yesterday evening was one such occasion, and I've compiled some tasting notes of my top five wines of the evening. If you're feeling flush and fancy a treat, you could do far worse than snapping up one of these excellent wines.

1) Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marlborough

A big name, yes, but don't let that put you off: this is a properly good New Zealand Sauvignon of real depth and finesse. A delicate, almost transparent appearance betrays the expressive tropical fruit notes on the nose, complete with a secondary stony/flinty character too. The palate is medium-bodied and plush, with more passion fruit and guava characteristics, and rounded off with a lovely taut mineral finish.

2) Olivier Leflaive St Aubin 1er Cru 2011, Le Charmois

If you like your Montrachet but haven't recently won the lottery, a great value alternative is St Aubin. From one of the biggest négociants in Burgundy, this Olivier Leflaive Charmois is a fantastic example of the diversity of Chardonnay in the region's numerous crus. Shy on the nose with notes of toasted fruit and roasted apricot, this wine drinks exceptionally well, with stone fruits and hints of vanilla on the soft, generous palate.

3) Lime Rock Kota Pinot Noir 2010, Hawke's Bay

As New Zealand's prominence in the fine wine world grows, so too does the number of superb offerings from this fantastic wine-growing nation. Situated in the North Island, this Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir from Lime Rock is just one example of why the country's reputation is thoroughly deserved. The wine offers aromas of sweet spice and tea leaf along with a slightly raisined character, and follows through with an abundance of redcurrants on the palate. Top stuff.

4) Le Volte dell'Ornellaia 2011, Tuscany

Ornellaia is a relatively young wine producer which is best known for its Super Tuscan wines, the eponymous 'Ornellaia' and their excellent second wine 'Le Serre Nuove'. Their entry-level 'Le Volte' wine is also one that commands great respect, despite it being made in a more approachable, early-drinking style. Merlot-dominated with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in for good measure, Le Volte is immediately recognisable as Italian with its intense plummy, raisiny, grapeskin aromas. The palate is well-balanced and supple, with fine-grained tannins and an intense richness of flavour. Grab a hunk of Parmesan and enjoy!

5) Château Montviel 2004, Pomerol

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Everyone loves a great claret don't they? A fully mature example of a 2004 Pomerol, with an incredibly complex nose of red fruits, creamy oak, dried herbs and cigar box. The palate is equally expressive, with additional flavours of liquorice, cedar and nutskin. Made from 30 year old vines, this is a superbly balanced Bordeaux which you could happily spend an entire evening mulling over. A fabulous, fabulous wine.

Musings on Malbec

First off, apologies to regular readers for the hiatus in posting - I've recently started a new job and am currently a slave to coffee and my bed in my limited spare time! Fear not, however: I thoroughly intend to rectify this distressing lack of blogging with lots of interesting reads in the near future, including tasting notes from an exclusive wine event I shall be attending at the weekend. In the meantime, I thought I'd post a small piece on Malbec: a wine which, for reasons known to higher forces in the universe other than myself, has cropped up a lot recently in my drinking patterns.

If, like me, you're a fan of fuller bodied reds with prominent tannins and concentrated flavours, then Malbec wines should definitely be at the top of your drinking list. Originally grown widely throughout France (where it still features today as part of the 'Bordeaux Six') Malbec is now more commonly associated with Argentina, where the grape has found what seems to be its natural home. As a thick-skinned grape requiring time to ripen, the warmer growing conditions of Argentina are very much suited to Malbec, enabling Argentine producers to make deep, dense varietal wines of great power and aging potential. Below, I have listed three of my current favourite Malbec wines, all of which are drinking well now. If you're not yet accustomed to the grape, there's never been a better time to explore its virtues!


Alamos Malbec 2014, Mendoza

A relatively young example of Malbec with plenty of fragrant blackcurrant and black cherry notes on the nose. On the palate are more dark fruits, coupled with a smooth mouthfeel, well-integrated tannins and a good finish. Perfectly sippable on its own, or try with tomato-based dishes.

Graffigna Centenario Malbec 2012, San Juan

A beautiful deep ruby coloured wine, with a medium nose of blackberries, black fruits, wood, leather and spice. The palate is focused on slightly sweeter, rounder fruits (blueberries, blackcurrant yoghurt) as well as fragrant black pepper and an earthy, bark-like character. Excellent precision and concentration of fruits, with enough depth of flavour to mask the rather high alcohol level.

Viñalba Malbec-Touriga Nacional 2013, Mendoza

A different take on the usual style, this Viñalba wine is in fact a blend of Malbec and Touriga Nacional, the grape better known for the part it plays in Port wines. The Touriga element is immediately evident on the nose: aromas of concentrated black fruits mingle happily with sweet spice and backnotes of violet. On the palate are beautiful raisined fruits along with smooth tannins. In three words: plush, plummy, perfection! Try alongside hard cheeses or red meats.