Puccini Toscana 2008

This Super-Tuscan ( I feel in the loosest sense of the word ) from Piccini is a rounded cherry and plum mix, with a good lick of Oakey vanilla. Rich and silky, and it went soooooo well with our roast beef and Yorkshire pud, something we have not had for 5 years+. Bonus - alcohol was only 13%, so no aftereffects!
Score 84 and only about a fiver from Tesco's. I bought 6, so more for a rainy day...... Or should I say days as we have had a few in the last year.

Seigneurs D'Aiguilhe 2006 Comtes von Neipperg from the Cotes de Castillon in Bordeaux, France.

A gentle enveloping Bordeaux red! Silky, oak, firm but not overpowering and the plummy fruits with spice - charming, not too heavy but enough to work with food..... Turkey and ham pie with Kohlrabi and mushroom mixed in, this is a combination made in heaven. The wine has enough acidity to cut through the fatty (but yummy) pastry and balances with the strong meaty flavours. I must remember this next year when 'turkey time' returns!
Score 89 and a price of £7.11 on a special from Waitrose.

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River Australia

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from the gravelly slopes of their Stevens Valley vineyard in Margaret River, Western Australia. This Bordeaux blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot has spent 24 months in oak,  50% new, 50% in 1yr old barrels.

 

This deep ruby wine with a mere hint of garnet has fresh elegant aromas of blackberry cassis, sweet spices, cedar which all follow through to the palate, here there are additional savoury notes all kept fresh by the edgy acidity which also helps to balance the alcohol ( 14%) which feels well integrated. The tannins are fine and silky with a good structure and a savouriness and agin well integrated. Great length with cassis all the way through. This is a well made beautifully matured wine with lots of character and interest and tasted balanced and left me wanting more after each mouthful - the sign of a good wine in my book.
This is a wine that will improve in bottle for 3-5 years and would be lovely with a hearty meal! It is available from Justerini & Brooks at a cost of £29.17 .
Score : 90



Margaret River

Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing, to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

McHenry Hohnen Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Margaret River

McHenry Hohnen Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Margaret River

This vintage - the 2011 has produced a lovely pale lemon wine with grassy aromas which also include, lime, lemon pith and a medicinal nuance These follow through to the flavour palate. Great acidity keeps the fruit fresh and zingy, with a pithy citric character and a pea-pod aftertatse, good length and  a spicy, pithy finish. The alcohol on this wine ( 12.5%) is enrobing and does not over-ride the fresh clean fruits. Clean, fresh and summery - all words that work for this wine, great with food, but also great without!

Score : 86




David Hohnen of  McHenry Hohnen ( who studied winemaking in the States, at UC Davis, California)  produces this mix of  60% Semillon and 40% Sauvignon Blanc in Margaret River, Western Australia. He must be one of the best known winemakers of Australia and New Zealand, ( Cape Mentelle in the 1970's / Cloudy Bay in the 1980's  fame ). He was his usual relaxed, informal self when he presented his wines at Australia House to a group of wine journalists and enthusiasts.
Luis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH) took a share in the buiness in the 1990's which he continued to manage it until 2003 when he retired to concentrate on his own interests. In 2006, David and his brother-in-law, Murray McHenry, launched McHenry Hohnen Wines, and was joined by his daughter Freya as the winemaker though she has since left to start a family. McHenry Hohnen has four vineyards and grows eighteen varieties reflecting Margaret River's heritage, being mostly Bordeaux varieties like Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. "I'm from Margaret River, and I want to tell the story of Margaret River through the wines," he says



Margaret River is Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines. The region is a vibrant and popular wine destination for visitors from around the world.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino 2004 Argentina

Founded in 1975, Bodega y Cavas de Weinert is located in Lujan de Cuyo in Argentina. Bernardo C. Weinert, founder and owner was born in a small German colony in southern Brazil and made his money in the international transport business based in South America. 

Cavas de Weinert Gran Vino 2004 is a wine that is a blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon ( a twist on a Bordeaux blend, where Malbec if present is always the minority component) and is only released by Weinert when it is ready for drinking, and this 2004 is the current release.
This wine has aromas and flavours of dark cherry, blackberry/cassis, dried fruits, spice, tobacco and some vegetal tertiary notes, mint also plays its part. This wine is obvious as of New World origin, the tannins are ripe and savoury, silky and sleek in texture with sweet fruits hanging on every grain.
This wine is supplied by The Wine Society at a cost of £11.90, a lovely wine at the money!
Score : 89