Cuvee Balthazar Syrah 2007 Vin de Pay d'Oc

Tasted 28/05/2011 with Beata, Jean-Marc, et al. 13.5% ABV, about £10 UK retail (e.g. Waitrose). 

Winemaker Pierrick Harang’s take on the new style ‘Super Vin De Pay’, this is a world away from cheap, barely adequate D’Oc wines of yesterday. Well worth the money, this is a super-charged syrah, lovely dark fruits nose, spicy and fruity with a great finish. Well worth the money. From 2011, 17/20

Barossa Shiraz Reserve 2007

Tasted 21/05/2011 with Alex, Jane and Sara. 14.5% ABV, about £9 UK retail from Waitrose.The '08 is available now - this was my last bottle of the '08. See:
http://garyswinetasting.blogspot.com/2010/12/barossa-shiraz-reserve-2007.html
Lovely, a point now... 18 / 20, great value for money

La Casita Sauvignon Blanc Reserva Coquimbo Valley, 2009

Tasted 18/05/2011. 13.5%. About £7 UK retail. A 'jobbing' Chilean varietal - some fresh acidity and minerality with a citrus fruits on the nose. A rather short finish, probably not worth more than £7. Drink now, 14/20

Cumot Nebbiolo d'Alba Bricco Maiolica DOC 2007

Tasted 19/05/2011 at the WHICH group. 14% ABV. Ca. £23 UK retail from Lea and Sandeman. A minor Barbaresco from Piedmont. Lovely wine, brick red with brown tinges, showing some age. Leathery notes, tar, liquorish and dark fruits on the nose. Great balance with lots of cherry and strawberry fruit and a long finish. A tad pricey but a really enjoyable wine. From 2011, 17.5 / 20

Errazuriz Estate Merlot, Aconagua Valley, 2009

Tasted 19/05/2011. Tasted previously in  http://garyswinetasting.blogspot.com/2010/11/errazuriz-estate-merlot-aconagua-valley.html
Re-visiting this after a year, I feel an extra year has added to the wine. The tannins have softened a little, drink now. Quite spicy on the finish/ 15.5 / 20

Douro DOC 2008

Tasted 10/05/11, 13.5% ABV. £6.99 (currently £4.99). Tesco Finest label is a Falua wine by Antonina Barbosa. A pleasant enough wine, if unremarkable. Light ruby colour, good toasty oak and blackcurrants on the nose. Soft tannins and red fruits on the palate. A rather short finish. Not bad - good value for money at the current price. Drink now, 14.5 / 20
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Twitter: @garywinetasting
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Post Scriptum de Chryseia DOC 2008 (Douro)

Tasted 04/05/11 at Central London Wine Society. 13.5% ABV, about £20 UK retail. The second level 'boutique wine' from the Prats and Symington collaboration, a fine table wine from port country. This is selected parcels of touriga nacional grapes. Deep purple colour, very youthful. Cedar wood, dark fruits and figs on the nose. Elegant with great tannins, needs a lot longer.From 2013, 17/20

Planalto Reserva 2009 (Douro)

Tasted 04/05/11 at Central London Wine Society. 12.5% ABV, about £8 UK retail (e.g. Majestic). An unremarkable from the Sogrape group. Light golden colour, off-dry, zesty nose and slightly smoky and resinous on the palate. Rather short finish. From 2011, 14/20

Rayuela Merlot, 2010 Central Valley

Tasted 06/05/11 at home with Sara. 14% ABV, about £7.50 at Majestic (currently on offer at £5.99 if you buy two or more). A great little, fruit forward Chilean wine. Nice, every day drinking, pleasant varietal Merlot character. Youthful (2010!) deep violet colour with cherry and mixed spice on the nose, vanilla and chocolate notes in the mouth with nice plummy fruit. Soft tannins - drink young. Another demonstration of how excellent entry level Chilean wines can be - this is the entry level wine of the Viu Manent winery - new to me and exclusively imported by Majestic. (Rayuela means 'hopscotch' in Chilean Spanish vernacular, apparently). They do reserva wines under the Viu Manent label. From 2011, 15.5 / 20

Santa Rita Late Harvest Moscatel, 2008 (Limari)

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 12% ABV, about £11 UK retail (50cl). Santa Rita is an off-shoot of the Concha Y Toro group. Though this is 'late harvest', it's certainly botrytised too. This is hand picked grapes. . A lovely wine, well balanced. Lovely nose of 'Oxford marmalade', a nice sweetness with refreshing acidity. The nose has rose petal and and lemon too, the palate quite rich. Great value for money. From 2011, 17 / 20.

Anakena Single Vineyard Late Harvest 2009, Rapel Valley

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 13% ABV, £9 UK retail (50cl). A Viognier and Muscat blend. Intense yellow colour, pear and apricots on the nose, dry apricots on the palate. Not too sweet: balanced by good acidity. From 2011, 16 / 20

Zohar Torrontes 2009 (Mendoza)

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 13.5% ABV, about £10.99 UK retail. A premium wine from Susana Balbo. The wine has a light golden colour and is youthful and accessible. Nice tropical fruits on the nose and elegant, complex notes of citrus and zesty fruit in the mouth. There's also peach and violets on the nose. A top-drawer Torrontes. From 2011, 16 / 20.

Vinalba Malbec Reserva, 2009 (Mendoza)

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 15% ABV (!), £10.99 (Majestic). A middle level wine from the
Herve J Fabre stable, a notch up from their entry level Malbec. Deep purple colour, ripe black fruits and smoke on the nose, beautiful blackcurrants and plums on the palate. Nice integrated toasty oak flavours. Quite elegant and rounded for such a young wine. You could keep it - but I wouldn't: drink now. From 2011, 16.5 / 20

Novas Winemaker's Selection Syrah 2007 Casablanca Valley

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 14.5% ABV, about £12.50 UK retail (e.g. Majestic). This is the third bottle I have tasted recently and am still convinced it is a bargain.I quote what I blogged previously:
http://garyswinetasting.blogspot.com/2010/11/novas-winemakers-selection-syrah-2007.html
'This is a wonderful cool climate syrah and a fine example of what Chile can do at its best. A winery with a stellar reputation has produced this gorgeous and incredibly drinkable wine (despite the 14.5% ABV). The nose is full of notes of chocolate and toffee, with some tar and caramelised sugar thrown in. Long and full on the palate, this is an elegant and very well made wine. Refined and fruity but not too dry'.
Definitely needs longer - there is more to come from this one....From 2012, 17.5  / 20

Maycas del Limari Chardonnay, 2007

Tasted 01.05.11 with Clem, Ian and Tom. 14% ABV, about £9 UK retail. Disappointing and not worth the money. I am a big fan of the red wines from Maycas but this chardonnay fails to deliver. Rather non-descript on the nose - a hint of vanilla - but thin and green in the mouth for a 4 year old+ wine. We suspect it's a bought-in blend of young vines with a possibly poorer vintage. Rather acid without balancing fruitiness. Drink now 14 / 20

Casa Lapostelle Pinot Noir Cuvee Alexandre 2008, Atalayas Vineyard (Casablanca Valley)

Tasted 30.04.11 with Chris, Fran, Rosalind and some of the Wednesday Wine Group. 14.5%, about £20 UK retail. Casa Lapostelle at its best - youthful, bright purple colour. Powerful crushed fruits and strawberries on the nose, in the mouth it's full and powerful, with a hint of spice, lovely vanilla masking some of the fruit still. This is a limited production from selected blocks. This one will age - keep for another 3 to 5 years. Very good value for money. From 2015, 17.5/20

Kalk and Schiefer Nittnaus Blaufrankisch, Burgenland, 2007

Tasted 28/04/11 at Shampers with the WHICH group. 13% ABV, £15 bin-end from Lea and Sandeman. The winemakers Hans and Anita Nittnaus have a fine reputation and this is a surprisingly good wine from Austria. The Blaufrankisch grape is native to Hungary and is extensively grown in Austria's finest region, Burgenland. This example was young and would have probably benefited from more age. Bright purple in colour, this wine had raspberries and white pepper on the nose. It is said that the palate tastes of beetroot: certainly there was an earthiness the complemented the oak well. Quite zesty with a hint of blueberries on the finish. From 2012, 16/20

Vina Mayu Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Elqui Valley)

Tasted 19.04.11 with Jane, Alex and Sara. 13.5% ABV, about £9 UK retail. Another single-estate wine from the Mayu stable. The cool northerly Elqui Valley is producing some lovely wines and Mayu always seem to hit the spot, especially at the reserva level. This wine is pale straw coloured with damp grass, asparagus and mineral notes on the nose. The palate is pleasingly acid with green apples and a hint of mint. A nice wine: Chile yet again is able to do with Sauvignon Blanc what the Old World often struggles to do: produce an above average wine at a fair price. Drink now, 16/20

Cono Sur Reserva Rielsing 2008, Bio Bio Valley

Tasted 17.04.11  with Sara, Howard and Astrid. 13.5%, about £9 UK retail. Demonstration again of the value of paying a £1 or two more to trade-up to 'reserva' level - this is more than a notch or two higher above the entry level Cono Sur. The reserva is made with selected bunches from a single vineyard. 3 months in stainless steel, no oak.
Bio Bio is the great news for cool climate varietals and is producing lovely wines. This wine is a pale straw colour, with the classic petrolly nose, hints of apricots and apples; crisp citrus notes and fresh acidity on the palate. A well made wine, very good value for money. Drink now, 16/20

Crios Malbec 2009 Mendoza

Tasted 16.04.11 with Beata, Jean-Marc and Sara. 13.5% ABV, about £9 UK retail (Majestic). A second wine of Pedro and Susana Balbo (Crios is a word for 'offspring' in Spanish). Excellent, every day Malbec. Lovely deep purple colour, ripe red fruits and coffee on the nose, fruit-forward and accessible but some elegance and depth too. Very good value for money. From 2011, 16/20.

Chateau La Fleur Morange 'Mathilde' 2008 AC Saint-Emilion

Tasted 10.04.11 with Jean-Marc, Beata, Sara, Tom, et al. 13.5%. This is a top-drawer 'garage wine' from a small producer that consistently attracts 92+ Parker Points. We drank this very young - it needs at least another five years from this great vintage. Jean-Francois Julien (overseen by Roussillon winemaker Claude Gros) has produced a fine Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend (70:30) with mainly new oak. Still closed on the nose, with some hidden raspberry fruit but great length and elegance. Re-visit in 5 years! From 2015, 18.5/20

Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes AC 1er Cru Classe 2004

Tasted 12.04.11 with Sara, Hilary and Max. 14% ABV. 37.5cl, (£50 UK retail?). Unfortunately, this wine was not as it should have been. Though this 'super 2nd premier cru' was still quite young, and certainly would not have shown its best yet, there was a problem. There was a slight hint of corkiness, the nose was rather poor, with possible oxidation. The palate was rather thin and disappointing. What a shame. (From 2014). faulty bottle

Matetic Corralillo Winemaker's Blend, 2007 (San Antonio)

Tasted 14.04.11, 14.5%. About £16 UK retail (e.g. Majestic). A curious blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir from the fine Matetic estate.This is a blend that more-or-less works. The wine is rich and elegant but with a strong smack of alcohol. Deep purple colour, bell peppers and damsons on the nose. Dense, tannic and full of dark fruits. Hints of spice and coffee. Good to drink now but you wonder if it will improve. Perhaps not: though it is a winemaker's blend, it may be very young vines. Not in the same league as their Syrah but a nice wine, nonetheless. From 2011, 16.5/20

Zeyssolff Reserve Particuliere Gewurztraminer AOC Alsace, 2009

Tasted 12.04.11, 13% ABV, n/a UK (private import only). Ca. €12. Medium golden colour, beautiful full, slightly honeyed nose with apricots. Long and complex. Excellent balance medium sweet, with citrusy notes with a dry finish. More spicy than the '07. Lovely to drink now. Not quite in the same league as the stellar '07's but a fine wine indeed. From 2011, 17.5 / 20

Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2008, Casablanca Valley

Tasted 12/04/11. 14% ABV, ca. £13 UK retail (e.g. Majestic). This is my fourth and final bottle I have enjoyed in the last 6 months. Toffee apple and toasty oak on the nose. Nice deep golden colour. Rich and buttery on the palate. Beautiful balance with nice acid attack. Fantastic vfm. 17 / 20. From 2011
Now I will move on the the '09's.....

Le Macchiole Bolgheri Rosso DOC 2008

Tasted 2/4/2011, 14% ABV. £16.95 Lea and Sandeman. Lovely 'minor Supertuscan' from a well regarded producer of the 'new Tuscany'. Merlot-Cabernet Franc-Sangiovese-Syrah blend makes for an interesting 'winemakers lot' product. Oaky blacks fruits on the nose; dry, ripe cherries and plums on the palate, good sense of terroir. Very distinctive, good vintage, needs longer, from 2012. 17/20

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Twitter: @garywinetasting
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Trivento Amado Sur 2010 Torrontes (Mendoza)

Tasted 2/4/11, 13% ABV. ca. £8 UK retail. This is a blend of 75% Torrentes and Voignier and Chardonnay from the big Argentinian winery (owned by Chile's Concho Y Toro). The wine has a light golden colour and is youthful and accessible. Nice tropical fruits on the nose and a rather sweetish palate, this is a wine for early drinking for sure. 14/20, drink now.

Errázuriz Estate Shiraz 2009 (Aconagua)

Tasted 25/03/11, 13.5%. Widely available, about £9 UK retail. With Chilean wines, it's always good to pay a pound or two more above entry level to buy a reserva level. Errázuriz pitch themselves a tad higher than Cono Sur, etc and their 'entry levels' start at about £9! Whilst I greatly respect their higher level and single estate wines, I have found their blends at the lower price point to be a bit disappointing. However, this Shiraz blend is pleasing. Bright purple colour, white pepper and brambles on the nose. Fruit forward for sure, but there's a great mouthful of dark fruits and coffee. Good value for money, drink now. 15.5 / 20

Gouguenheim Valle Escondido 2009 (Mendoza)

Tasted 24/03/11 with Sara, Tom and Alex. 13.5% ABV. £9 UK Majestic. The relatively new Bodegas Gouuenheim is producing some interesting wines and this one has just become available in Majestic. This is a good middle-level, early drinking Argentinian malbec. Lovely inky purple in the glass, still a little closed on the nose - plums and some dark fruits and a hint of spice and violets. Rich and fruity in the mouth, there's some nice silky tannins with probably just the right amount of oak. From 2011, 16 / 20

Vina Valdivieso Reserva Pinot Noir 2009 (Casablanca Valley)

Tasted 12/03/11 with Sara and Lydia. 14.5% ABV, about £9.50 UK retail (e.g. Waitrose). One of the 'Waitrose in Partnership' wines with the stellar Valdivieso winery. A great demonstration of what Chile can do really well. Potent stuff at 14.5% and a world away from your delicate, aged Burgundy: a different expression of Pinot Noir certainly, but one that still has structure and complexity, a sense of terroir and an ability to age, no doubt. This is young and I'd keep it  year or two but it's wonderful now. Dark cherry red in the glass, rich and complex, lovely red fruits in the nose. In the mouth, there is a complex interaction of cherries, dried fruits and even a hint of spice. Long finish. Lovely! From 2011, 16.5 / 20