Calusari Pinot Noir 2011 from Romania £6.95
A modern wine from an old world country, Phillip Cox bought land after the fall of the regime and then set about ensuring the deeds to the land were bonafide before planting vines 12 years ago, under the Calusari heading for the Cramele Recas winery in Western Romania. The winery itself uses Stainless steel, and cold soak before fermentation to help extract as much flavour and colour from the grapes ( also may help the longevity of the wine as well as improve the structure ). It produces a classic style of Pinot with no oak ageing used, this is a clean fresh Pinot at a great price.
The pale ruby core with some purple tints indicated that this was a young wine, the fresh red fruits on the nose have a slightly baked - ripe quality and some florality. On tasting it the red fruits are the dominant factor in the wine, the texture has a silkiness to it and the acidity keeps it fresh. The alcohol at 13.5% seems well integrated and
helps bolster the body of this wine, but at the end of the longish sweet finish one is left feeling that the wine lacks what it takes to make a lasting impression, at the price though - a bargain, great for a party....... and drinking at home in the summer! I would try it slightly chilled with a cold chicken salad or fish - great little wine.
Indomita Duette Pinot Noir 2010 Chilean £10.00
This Pinot Noir follows many others grown in the Casablanca Valley north of Santiago, but this one won an award at the Decanter WWA. The lovely pale ruby wine with wide rim, has a cherry, strawberry and earthy aromas with a touch of spicey smokey oak, complimented by herbal, vegetal notes. On tasting it the high, 14% alcohol is well integrated and adds broadness to the body and enables the texture to have a silkiness that a lesser wine may not have. The acidity keeps the sweet red fruits ( cherry and strawberry) fresh and the tannins are soft and ripe. The finish is a little short but pleasant. The wine has good structure from the added 12 months maturity in used French oak barrels and vibrancy which combines the ripe fruits with the elegantly used oak. A good wine at the price ( but so are many of the Chilean Casablanca Valley Pinots and some at a better price ). Enjoy!
Esk Valley Pinot Noir 2010 Marlborough New Zealand £14.49
This is a Pinot Noir from the Wairau and Awatere Valleys in Marlborough ( The Hawkes bay - Esk Valley Estate winery.) and has good quality fruit in it, this adds to its structure and finish. The fresh ripe fruity aromas are like concentrated raspberries with a touch of smokey spice, the nose is intensely perfumed. On the mouth one is rewarded with balanced fruits which include cherries and soft red fruits complimented by spices and a certain vegetal quality. The well structured fruit driven wine has soft, ripe tannins and a silky texture, both of these supported by the 14% alcohol. This is a well made wine with supple oak ageing, hand picked followed by a cold soak before fermentation. The wine has won a Gold Medal in the IWSC, for me the end palate failed to build on the imposing sweet fruit start.
Palisser Martinborough New Zealand Pinot Noir 2009 £15.59
This wine is from Martinborough (south end of North Island) - across the bay from Marlborough, this bay has its own microclimate and produces a riper fruit, fuller bodied wines result.
This wine although only 1 year older than its Marlborough cousins, has a slight garnet tint at the rim of the ruby core and also has a greater depth of colour. The uplifting red and black fruit aromas (especially black cherries) have a rounded quality and a restrained floral edge, they promise of what is to come. On tasting it the fruits give much and are kept fresh by the quite high acidity, the body in balanced and the tannins are structural but soft and tasty! The gentle subtle spices are due to the 12 months in used french barriques and adds greatly to the overall character of the wine.There is a streak of minerality that runs through the wine which adds pedigree to it as does the vegetal quality obvious on the palate, the only aspect of the wine that I feel is not in balance is the alcohol, it stands at 14.5% but does not feel well integrated, it has an over warm finish which with the fresh acidity seems out of kilter. This is not indicative of this wine as we have tasted this before with no issues..... so maybe this was a hot year? The winemaker Allan Johnson does aim for a "ripe, full and rich" Pinot Noir and maybe this is where the higher alcohol than expected comes from.
Three Choirs England Pinot Noir 2009 £21
Ruby core with darker tints, this wines subtle aromas are of sweet red fruits over-ridden by medicinal elastoplaster and a streak on minerality, not altogether pleasant. On tasting it the red fruits are echoed, the acidity is quite high and the alcohol low resulting in a light bodied wine with a slightly acidic feel. The tannins are soft and silky and the length is short with an acidic,licquorice finish..... again this wine leaves one feeling that at these prices you would want so much more, yes it does have some structure and mineratliy showing it has pedigree..... but.....
Gsellmann and Hans Austria Pinot Noir 2009 £17.99
This is an Austrian wine, and one made naturally south of Vienna in Burgenland near the Hungarian border by the family of Gsellmann and Hans. The 20 year old vines are on south facing slopes and picked early after a warm autumn to retain the acidity, then is subject to cold soak before fermentation then maturation in used french oak barriques.
The wine is pale ruby with a wide rim, indicating lack of age, restrained aromas of red and black fruits with a slight medicinal slant rule this wine. On the mouth the fruit element is echeod and balanced by the nervy acidity, but has a slightly baked quality, in addition there are medium supple tannins with flavours of cigar box spices all supported by good strutural minerality, which is layered with fruits. This is not a punchy wine, but one that has sweet fruity spices and a good finish.
Volnay Domaine Michel Lafarge 2003 £29.99
2003 was a very very hot year in mainland Europe and Volnay in Burgundy was no exception, temperatures of 49+ were recorded and people in Paris collapsed and died with the heat - and the wines to a certain extent bear witness to this. Pick time was critical, getting the grapes to be physiologically ripe, retain acidity and have good balance was difficult and many wines resultingly had quality issues and generally they were earlier drinking wines - not for the keeping! Many winemakers had to acidify this year - Frédéric Lafarge says he did not - that the wine will always find the right level. Biodynamic production is at the core of their principles, maybe this made the difference.
A garnet core indicates the age of this wine, repressed aromas of licquorice, spices, red fruits and a sweet smokiness are followed by silky texture on the mouth, cigar box spiciness and low level dulling black and red fruits. Tannins which are ripe and silky underpinned good acidity and well integrated alcohol shows how this wine must have been before the fruit life dulled, still a lovely wine - but was it even lovelier? It is well structured, has minerality that hints at its heritage and well integrated oak spice flavours due to typically aging for 15 to 20 months in used oak barrels, but there is still the issue of what might have been!
Volnay Domaine Michel Lafarge 2004
As the 2003 did not have the life we thought it should have done - a bottle of the 2004 was opened to compare with it. The garnet ruby core gave way to cigar box aromas and sweet red more obvious fruits, on the mouth the silky texture, silky berry fruits were supported by the acidity which underwrites its longevity, this wine still has spring in its step! Medium body was enrobed by the balanced and well integrated alcohol, the ripe natural tannins add to the whole wine - joining up the dots. There were sensible firm, structural tannins from the supple fruit extraction and the sweet oak well integrated, minerality played it part in this wines character and points to the quality of the terroir. This wine is at an enjoyable stage of its maturity - drink in the next few years.
Morey St Denis 1er cru La Riotte Domaine Perrot-Minot 2003 £57.25
This winemaker Christoff Perrot-Minot makes Red Burgundy in a modern style, riper grapes, higher degree of extraction, all in all what has been termed as a New World style! The vinyard, La Riotte in the Cote de Nuits, Morey St Denis appellation a 1.3+ acre site, is top quality, it is Premier Cru, near the top of its tree, and is next to Clos la Roche. Natural viticulture is practiced wherever possible and some of the vines are over 100 years old, hence the quality of the wines produced. Careful selection in the vineyard, destemming, cold soak for 1 week and natural yeasts, then gentle pumping over rather than pigeage followed by settling for 48 hours after fermentation has finished, further 12-15 months maturation in oak barrels (40% new oak for Premier Cru's).
The wine is immediately seen to be different to all the other Pinot Noirs that have been sampled here, it is much darker, has a deeper ruby core with black tints, and a garnet edge to the rim. Aromas of dark fruits ( cherry, blackberry and Kirsch ) and spice, vanilla, minerality all layered to form this complex carcophany of aromas which are both elegant and abundant. On tasting it, one finds that all that was expected from the first sniff, is paid in abundance on the mouth, the succulent dark fruits are supported by the medium well integrated alcohol and kept fresh and underpinned by the acidity which has, and will continue to ensure this wines longevity. The texture is silky and rich, the tannins are ripe being polished by age, the black fruit and licquorice, sweet spices continue right through the long layered finish - this is a wonderfully structured, complex wine - Buy, Buy, Buy.
helps bolster the body of this wine, but at the end of the longish sweet finish one is left feeling that the wine lacks what it takes to make a lasting impression, at the price though - a bargain, great for a party....... and drinking at home in the summer! I would try it slightly chilled with a cold chicken salad or fish - great little wine.
Indomita Duette Pinot Noir 2010 Chilean £10.00
This Pinot Noir follows many others grown in the Casablanca Valley north of Santiago, but this one won an award at the Decanter WWA. The lovely pale ruby wine with wide rim, has a cherry, strawberry and earthy aromas with a touch of spicey smokey oak, complimented by herbal, vegetal notes. On tasting it the high, 14% alcohol is well integrated and adds broadness to the body and enables the texture to have a silkiness that a lesser wine may not have. The acidity keeps the sweet red fruits ( cherry and strawberry) fresh and the tannins are soft and ripe. The finish is a little short but pleasant. The wine has good structure from the added 12 months maturity in used French oak barrels and vibrancy which combines the ripe fruits with the elegantly used oak. A good wine at the price ( but so are many of the Chilean Casablanca Valley Pinots and some at a better price ). Enjoy!Esk Valley Pinot Noir 2010 Marlborough New Zealand £14.49
Palisser Martinborough New Zealand Pinot Noir 2009 £15.59
This wine is from Martinborough (south end of North Island) - across the bay from Marlborough, this bay has its own microclimate and produces a riper fruit, fuller bodied wines result.
Three Choirs England Pinot Noir 2009 £21Ruby core with darker tints, this wines subtle aromas are of sweet red fruits over-ridden by medicinal elastoplaster and a streak on minerality, not altogether pleasant. On tasting it the red fruits are echoed, the acidity is quite high and the alcohol low resulting in a light bodied wine with a slightly acidic feel. The tannins are soft and silky and the length is short with an acidic,licquorice finish..... again this wine leaves one feeling that at these prices you would want so much more, yes it does have some structure and mineratliy showing it has pedigree..... but.....
Gsellmann and Hans Austria Pinot Noir 2009 £17.99
This is an Austrian wine, and one made naturally south of Vienna in Burgenland near the Hungarian border by the family of Gsellmann and Hans. The 20 year old vines are on south facing slopes and picked early after a warm autumn to retain the acidity, then is subject to cold soak before fermentation then maturation in used french oak barriques.
The wine is pale ruby with a wide rim, indicating lack of age, restrained aromas of red and black fruits with a slight medicinal slant rule this wine. On the mouth the fruit element is echeod and balanced by the nervy acidity, but has a slightly baked quality, in addition there are medium supple tannins with flavours of cigar box spices all supported by good strutural minerality, which is layered with fruits. This is not a punchy wine, but one that has sweet fruity spices and a good finish.
Volnay Domaine Michel Lafarge 2003 £29.99
2003 was a very very hot year in mainland Europe and Volnay in Burgundy was no exception, temperatures of 49+ were recorded and people in Paris collapsed and died with the heat - and the wines to a certain extent bear witness to this. Pick time was critical, getting the grapes to be physiologically ripe, retain acidity and have good balance was difficult and many wines resultingly had quality issues and generally they were earlier drinking wines - not for the keeping! Many winemakers had to acidify this year - Frédéric Lafarge says he did not - that the wine will always find the right level. Biodynamic production is at the core of their principles, maybe this made the difference.
A garnet core indicates the age of this wine, repressed aromas of licquorice, spices, red fruits and a sweet smokiness are followed by silky texture on the mouth, cigar box spiciness and low level dulling black and red fruits. Tannins which are ripe and silky underpinned good acidity and well integrated alcohol shows how this wine must have been before the fruit life dulled, still a lovely wine - but was it even lovelier? It is well structured, has minerality that hints at its heritage and well integrated oak spice flavours due to typically aging for 15 to 20 months in used oak barrels, but there is still the issue of what might have been!
Volnay Domaine Michel Lafarge 2004
As the 2003 did not have the life we thought it should have done - a bottle of the 2004 was opened to compare with it. The garnet ruby core gave way to cigar box aromas and sweet red more obvious fruits, on the mouth the silky texture, silky berry fruits were supported by the acidity which underwrites its longevity, this wine still has spring in its step! Medium body was enrobed by the balanced and well integrated alcohol, the ripe natural tannins add to the whole wine - joining up the dots. There were sensible firm, structural tannins from the supple fruit extraction and the sweet oak well integrated, minerality played it part in this wines character and points to the quality of the terroir. This wine is at an enjoyable stage of its maturity - drink in the next few years.
Morey St Denis 1er cru La Riotte Domaine Perrot-Minot 2003 £57.25
This winemaker Christoff Perrot-Minot makes Red Burgundy in a modern style, riper grapes, higher degree of extraction, all in all what has been termed as a New World style! The vinyard, La Riotte in the Cote de Nuits, Morey St Denis appellation a 1.3+ acre site, is top quality, it is Premier Cru, near the top of its tree, and is next to Clos la Roche. Natural viticulture is practiced wherever possible and some of the vines are over 100 years old, hence the quality of the wines produced. Careful selection in the vineyard, destemming, cold soak for 1 week and natural yeasts, then gentle pumping over rather than pigeage followed by settling for 48 hours after fermentation has finished, further 12-15 months maturation in oak barrels (40% new oak for Premier Cru's).The wine is immediately seen to be different to all the other Pinot Noirs that have been sampled here, it is much darker, has a deeper ruby core with black tints, and a garnet edge to the rim. Aromas of dark fruits ( cherry, blackberry and Kirsch ) and spice, vanilla, minerality all layered to form this complex carcophany of aromas which are both elegant and abundant. On tasting it, one finds that all that was expected from the first sniff, is paid in abundance on the mouth, the succulent dark fruits are supported by the medium well integrated alcohol and kept fresh and underpinned by the acidity which has, and will continue to ensure this wines longevity. The texture is silky and rich, the tannins are ripe being polished by age, the black fruit and licquorice, sweet spices continue right through the long layered finish - this is a wonderfully structured, complex wine - Buy, Buy, Buy.
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