Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Colchagua Valley)

Tasted 22/10/11 at with the Tews in Clapham. 14%, about £12 UK retail. I have tasted several recent vintages of this and the '07 seems to be the pinnacle. Deep purple colour and it has the classic New World Cab Sauv nose of green bell peppers. Beautiful cassis notes rise in the glass and the palate is a sophisticated melange of dark fruits, mocha, pimento and liquorice. A lovely wine, ready to drink. A world away from an Chilean '£4.99 glugger'! 17.5 / 20. From 2012

Casa Lapostelle Cuvee Alexandre Merlot 2007(Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua)

Tasted 22/10/11 at with the Tews in Clapham. 14.5%, about £15 UK retail. This is a lovely wine, now coming into its stride. This is actually a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Carmenere from 60 year old vines. Deep purple colour, the nose is full of cassis and plums and other dark fruits. The palate is slightly spicy, with cherries and dark chocolate. Rich, silky tannins and a long finish. Chilean wine making at it best. Ridiculous value for money. 17.5 / 20, from 2012.

Chateau Latour 1978 Grand Cru Classe

Tasted 22/10/2011 with the Tews in Clapham. 12.5%. We felt privileged to be able to taste a mature First Growth. The wine was a medium brown colour as befitted its age. Cork and wine level both good. Upon opening and decanting, the aroma filled the room - comments variously were figs, dark fruits and smoked ham. The palate was dry. The tannins were still there but the fruit was in abundance too. In the mouth, there's the great sense of terroir that you'd expect from this classic wine - intense and austere as you could hope for from Pauillac, with a very long finish. 19/20. Drink now.

Picpoul de Pinet 2010 (Languedoc)

Tasted 16/10/11 with Sara, Beata and Jean Marc. 12.5% ABV, about £8 Tesco Finest. This wine won a couple of awards recently including Decanter Gold Medal in their regional competition, which prompted me to buy it. This is a great little wine, clean, fresh citrus nose and nice acidity on the palate, balanced by the unusual but pleasant Picpoul fruit - sort of apples and gooseberries. Drink now. 16/20

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG 'La Ciarliana' 2006

Tasted 16/10/11 with Sara, Beata and Jean Marc. Lovely! I tasted this a year ago:
and it has imporved greatly. Really drinking beautifully now, from 2012, 17.5 / 20

Santa Julia Malbec 2010 (Mendoza)

Tasted 14/10/11. 13.5% ABV. ca. £6.99 Waitrose. Bodega Santa Rita. A new wine to me and new to Waitrose. Very much an entry level Malbec but pleasant enough. Plums and coffee on the nose, with a palate that has notes of pimento and dark fruits. A shortish finish but quite well structured with soft tannins. At the price I am not complaining too much - this could cost you £20 in an Argentinian steakhouse! Drink now. 14/20
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Maray by Tabali Carmenere 2009 (Limari)

Tasted 12/10/11. 14% ABV, c. £6.99 (Majestic). Vina Tabali. Maray is a new brand to me and quite new to Majestic but Tabali have a solid pedigree.
This is very much an entry level wine. Purple colour, some coffee and caramel on the nose. A rather generic carmenere palate, rather short finish. A superior barbecue wine! Drink now, 13/20

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Tabali Encantado Late Harvest Muscat 2007 (Limari)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
12.5% ABV, about £8 UK retail (50cl).
Mid-golden colour. Honeyed nose. Some of us detected botrytis 'marmalade' notes but other disagreed. Quite rich on the palate, with some floral notes. Sweet but not cloyingly so. Drink now, 16/20
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Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec 2007 (Mendoza)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
14% ABV, about £12 UK retail.
This is the third or fourth vintage of this wine from Concha y Toro's Argentinian operation that I have tasted. Mid-purple, clear and youthful in appearance. The nose is gamey and has hints of white pepper. There's a full hit of American oak on the palate but then the wine feels a little closed. Not as approachable yet as earlier vintages at this stage. Needs longer, 1-2. Well made. From 2012, 17/20
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Fabre Montmayou 2007 (Patagonia)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
14.5% ABV, about £10 UK retail (e.g. Waitrose).
Deep purple colour. Spicy dark fruits and coffee on the nose. The palate is classic Malbec: powerful damsons and prunes. Firm tannins. Needs longer but a truly outstanding wine. Fabre's credentials show through. From 2012, 18/20
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Clos de las Seite 2008 (Mendoza)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
14% ABV, about £11 UK retail (various offers push it sub-£10 at the moment). The classic blend that has prevailed - Malbec with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Deep purple colour. Coffee, pimento and blackcurrants on the nose. The tannins are silky and there's lot of elegant dark fruit on the palate. Very well made and a bargain. From 2011, 16.5/20

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Catena Chardonnay 2010 (Mendoza)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
13.5% ABV, about £9 UK retail. Light golden colour, toasty oak on the nose but not too oaky: the mango fruit (!) on the palate comes through well. Good length and some structure. Needs 1-2 years. 16/20

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Cono Sur Vision Gewurtraminer 2009 (Casablanca)

Tasted 8/10/11 with Clem, Ian and Sara on our 'South American tasting night'.
13% ABV, about £9 UK retail. Widely available. Light golden colour, nose is more citrus and tropical fruits rather than classic Gewurtz. Palate not as satisfying as the nose, a little short on the finish. Some pleasant zesty notes on the palate: pleasant enough but perhaps not in the same league as the CS Vision Riesling. Drink now, 15.5/20
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Tassinaia Castello del Terriccio 2006

Tasted 6/10/11 at Chelsea and Fulham Wine Society. £21.95 Lea and Sandeman. A Supertuscan blend. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese (the cepage lists Petit Verdot and Syrah too). Dark purple colour, classic 'cured ham' nose with cassis. The palate is big with coffee and dark fruits. A superbly crafted blend: this is a most enjoyable wine. Lovely now but will improve. Good value. From 2011, 17/20

CHIANTI CLASSICO Riserva Bugialla Poggerino 2006

Tasted 6/10/11 at Chelsea and Fulham Wine Society. £23.95 Lea and Sandeman. A single vineyard wine, well worth the money. Dark purple colour, youthful appearance. Great aromas of cherries and quite floral. Full bodies and very well structured. A little closed still - it needs longer from this fine year. From 2012, 16.5/20

Brunello di Montalcino 2006 Fuligni

Tasted 6/10/11 at Chelsea and Fulham Wine Society. £34.95 Lea and Sandeman. A superb wine. Mid ruby colour, sweet blueberries on the nose. A big wine with a long life but smooth and velvety tannins, gorgeous dark, complex dark fruits and even a little butterscotch on the palate, with a long finish. A tad closed at the moment but then it's a juvenile. From 2015, 18/20

Clocktower Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough

Tasted 29/09/11. 14% ABV, £12.49 Marks and Spencer (Wither Hills). Bright ruby red, clear with a fine nose of cured ham and raspberries. This is a premium pinot noir. well done, Wither Hills - no varietal glugger here - elegant, ripe berries fruit and a long finish. From 2012, 16.5 / 20.