De Bortoli Black Noble NV Riverina Australia

De Bortoli Black Noble is a Non-vintage wine from Riverina in New South Wales in Australia, it is a lovely deep brown colour that is reminiscent of syrup of figs ( nicely), it has aromas of honey, prunes and some tea and spice mixed in - and I can't wait to try it. On the palate it is rich, silky, lusciously sweet, prunes and figs, espresso coffee, toffee and marmalde all come to mind, layered and complex, but kept fresh by the acidity which balances those sweet notes. The finish is very long and tangy and dry at the end. This wine has made from the Semillon grape which has seen Botrytis Cinera and fermentation has been stopped early by fortifying it, the Solera sytem of maturation is used, 8 years being the average time. 30% new oak is used in the maturation the rest going into barrels previously used for Noble One's maturation. This wine is redolent of Madeira and would suit similar foods, some puddings, but paired with cheese it could be a marriage made in heaven. Yummy - the main word that comes to mind!

It is available at £15.95 from Four Walls Wine Company for a half bottle, but it is rich, luscious, unctious...... lovely to come home to in the fridge after a hard day.
Score : 93

Botrytis Cinerea is a fungus that can infect grapes in the correct conditions, good rot is called Noble rot - the desired one ( the bad one - grey rot results in wiping out the harvest), there are areas in the world that this can happen naturally and one of these is the area around Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux left bank.The aszu wines of Tokaji wines are also produced having been affected by Botrytis Cinerea. It needs a temperate climate and ideally early morning mists ( off cool water) and sun later in the day so the grapes are kept dry in those autumn afternoons. Not all grapes will be affected, and some may take longer to mature which is why several pickings - called Tries- are needed to get all the grapes at thier ideal condition.
The fungus affects the skins and feeds off sugars in the grape itself, but also uses about 50% of its water contained in the grape, so overall the grapes sugar concentration increases! Additionally acids are also consumed ( 5/6ths of the Tartaric acid in the grape is consumed). By products that are produced include glycerine ( the chemical which makes the wine feel viscous), acetic acidand a selection of enzymes. Phenolics of from the skins are also consumed so reducing the tannic structure.
Due to the reduction in water content of the grape the juice produced from Noble Rot infected grapes is low - often in the range of 15 hl/ha.

De Bortoli - how they started.
De Bortoli Wines is a third generation family wine company established by Vittorio and Giuseppina De Bortoli in 1928. The couple emigrated to Australia from Northern Italy, from mountain villages at the foothills of the Italian Alps, near the historic town of Asolo.

Their son, Deen De Bortoli, (b 1936 – d 2003) expanded and consolidated the business created by his parents. Deen's children continue De Bortoli's winemaking including icon dessert wine Noble One and the Yarra Valley wines.

Umamu Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Margaret River Australia

2007 Umamu is a blend which contains 33% Semillon  while Sauvignon Blanc is the remainder 67%.  

The wine itself, Umamu Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007, has lime and tropical fruits on the nose, all fresh and zippy, it also has a grassy note which also dulls some of the tropical notes. On the mouth, a slight tickle on the tongue ( due to carbon dioxide at bottling to maintain the wines freshness), this disappears quickly to reveal lemon pith, grass and zesty lime, great pure fruit! Spice also plays a part in this wine adding a warmth to the mix and rounds out the flavours while ensuring a silky texture. The acidity is tangy and vibrant, the alcohol  unobtrusively supportive of the structure. There is a cheesey edge here which suggests some lees contact which adds complexity and enhances the overall  wine. The length is long and has a lemon freshness to it.A fresh wine with lots of fruit character, zesty acidity and silky texture - what more could you ask?
A wine that would go well with food such as white fish and chicken and maybe shell fish.
Score : 84
It is available at a cost of £17.99 from Wines Unfurled.


It comes from 20 hectares of vineyards planted in 1978, 10 km from Western Australia's 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 Gladstone 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.

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.

Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon 2006, Barossa Valley, Australia

Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon 2006 comes from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. It is pale straw in colour with a slight green tinge at the rim, which normally indicates a young wine  - I had not expected that of a wine of this age. On the nose there concentrated aromas of cheesey lemon ( some thought lemon-grass) with a touch of apricot and a lime edge, finely tuned and intertwined. There is also a hint of wet straw - definitely not unpleasant!

On tasting it the lemon continues but with added grapefruit pith, green apple and underpinned by the firm zesty acidity. The texture is silky and mouth coating, this is a lovely wine and one to be savoured - foods to have with it, include chicken and fish dishes and many vegetarian foods - great !
The name of the wine 'Margaret Lehmann' is after a great woman behind the great man: wife, business partner, and champion of Peter Lehmann Wines and the Barossa. In the early 1990's Peter Lehmann  and Andrew Wigan, the wine maker, made monumental changes to the way Semillon was being made, opting out of oak ageing but adopting early picking to increase its ageability.
2006 was a very good vintage, this wine was picked slightly early to prevent going to full maturity ( so keeping the flavours produced fine tuned and fresh with low alcohol 11.5% ). 

The result is this lovely wine, it was sealed under screwcap, so allowing it to develop for many years to come. Traditionally released as a five year old wine when ready to drink, but will mature for a few years to come.

The grapes in the main come from about 185 local independent growers, Peter Lehmann Wines has its own vineyards, which only produce about 2% of its requirements.

This wine is available from Cheers Wine Merchants at a cost of  £13.99.
Score : 87

 

The Barossa Valley

The Barossa Valley has a great winemaking and grape growing heritage dating back to 1842 with a German influence who first settled here from Silesia and is home to some of the oldest vines in the world. In some families, there have been six generations of grape growers and winemakers. German culinary traditions and Lutheranism are still important aspects of the local culture; Barossa Valley even has its own German dialect, "Barossa Deutsch." Johann Gramp is said to have planted one of the first vineyards in the area, near Jacob's Creek. The Aldenhoven brothers and Joseph Gilbert are also thought to be some of the first growers in the Barossa Valley. Around the same time, Dr. Christopher Penfold moved to the valley, bringing with him some vine cuttings from France. He planted them near his new house and became a grower as well as a physician. Several other vineyards were established in those early years, including Joseph Seppelt's Seppeltsfield and Auguste Fiedler's vineyard, now part of the Château Tanunda estate.

The Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region. The climate is ideal for full bodied red wines, fortified wines and robust white wines and is said to be Mediterranean, but some of the higher areas can bedescribed as Continental. Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region.

The Barossa region produces a great variety of wine, with the main styles being Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. One important fact is that the Barossa Valley is Phyllowera free due to strict quarantine rules and working with local residents and visitors, South Australia even has an official board dedicated to these tasks, the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia, which works with growers and winemakers to prevent infestations and promote use of phylloxera- and nematode-resistant rootstocks. The first vines planted were of course Phylloxera free.

 

McWilliams Elizabeth Semillon 2005 Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia

McWilliams Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2005 comes from the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia and has been cellar aged before release.
A lemon coloured wine with rounded citric aromas including tangerine and lime, there is also a touch of apricot and spiceiness. On the palate there is a slight prickle on the tongue but the overpowering initial feeling is of freshness, green apple, grapefruit pith and a slight hint of greenness from a pea shoot nuance, this is a fresh, zesty wine which despite 7 years age - is youthful, clean and ready to age for some time to come.
Overall the wine is fresh, clean and full of fruit as it opens in the mouth but also has an extra complexity, the texture alone is waxy and delicious, at 7 years old - it tastes youthful and has much time and pleasure to give! Enjoy - available from Sainsburys under their 'Taste the Difference' own label range at an amazingly low cost of £9.99 and also from Majestic at £9.99 if you buy 2.

How the wine was made :-All grapes for this wine were handpicked. They were de-stemmed at the winery, crushed, the must chilled and the juice drained. After 48 hours to allow settling, the clear juice was racked off and warmed to allow fermention - which was slow and cool to help retain the exceptional fruit flavour of this vintage.
The Wine maker is Phil Ryan - we thankyou Phil!

The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest producing wine region, with vines first planted in the 1820’s and is approximately two hours drive north of Sydney and to the northwest of Newcastle. It is based on the catchment of the Hunter Valley River & includes the Upper & Lower Hunter areas.

The Hunter Valley is warm / hot. However, temperature, within broad limits, has nothing to do with quality, but affects only the style. In addition to hot days, the Hunter Valley has relatively warm nights when the physiological processes that ripen fruit can continue. The days are also quite humid, reducing moisture stress and allowing the leaves to keep their pores open longer during hot weather. This allows photosynthesis and growth to continue when, in drier air, it would not. The Lower Hunter Valley around Pokolbin is a little wetter than Broke Fordwich and the Upper Hunter Valley but is closer to the coast and benefits more from cooling sea breezes.

Soils : There are three main soil types in the Hunter Valley. The first is the red clay loam that appears on the hilltops and slopes. Red soils are well-drained and provide a good medium for vines; these are where the best Shiraz is grown. On some slopes you’ll also find chocolate brown podsols which are also good for red wines. You’ll find the third major soil type on the flats along the creek beds where grey sandy loams overlie white or yellow clays. Casuarinas are a good indicator for these soils and this is where whites grow best - mostly Semillon and Chardonnay.  In the Upper Hunter Valley, these soils tend to be a little deeper and grade into black loams. 

Hunter Valley Semillon: Is considered to be a world benchmark wine, it is the stellar white variety in the region. Semillon is at its delicate best when picked early to make a wine of ten to 11.5% alcohol and almost invariably has ripe flavours at low sugar concentrations. This is the style of wine that best responds to bottle age, during which it develops outstanding lemon curd and toasty complexity and becomes barely recognisable from its demure beginning. Most companies release their Semillons when only a few months old when they are crisp and lively with a light body and fresh, lemony and grassy fruit. A few keep some wines for bottle-maturation and release after five years or more when they have deepened in colour, become rounder and softer in the mouth and developed the most brilliantly complex flavours of vanilla and buttered toast.

Brokenwood Semillon 2011 Hunter Valley Australia

Brokenwood Semillon 2011 is from the cool Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. It is a straw coloured with green tints - zesty, some would say pungent wine with grassy, lemon crisp aromas and a florality that I had not expected but did like.
On the palate there is an initial slight spritz which teases the tongue, not unpleasant but disguises the forthcoming pleasure. The grassy, zesty lemon and citric peel continue on the palate with a clean freshing, nervy acidity, it is clear cut and fruity, the finish is long with a lemon curd twist. The silky, waxy texture which develops in the mouth further increases the pleasure of this wine - a well structured, finely tuned wine with generous acidic backbone, satisfying finish and the fine boned etheral texture keeps it charming for longer ( on palate and memory). Great with food, but equally yummy without!
Score : 85 and available form Slurp at a cost of £12.50.

The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest producing wine region, with vines first planted in the 1820’s and is approximately two hours drive north of Sydney and to the northwest of Newcastle. It is based on the catchment of the Hunter Valley River & includes the Upper & Lower Hunter areas.

The Hunter Valley is warm / hot. However, temperature, within broad limits, has nothing to do with quality, but affects only the style. In addition to hot days, the Hunter Valley has relatively warm nights when the physiological processes that ripen fruit can continue. The days are also quite humid, reducing moisture stress and allowing the leaves to keep their pores open longer during hot weather. This allows photosynthesis and growth to continue when, in drier air, it would not. The Lower Hunter Valley around Pokolbin is a little wetter than Broke Fordwich and the Upper Hunter Valley but is closer to the coast and benefits more from cooling sea breezes.

Soils : There are three main soil types in the Hunter Valley. The first is the red clay loam that appears on the hilltops and slopes. Red soils are well-drained and provide a good medium for vines; these are where the best Shiraz is grown. On some slopes you’ll also find chocolate brown podsols which are also good for red wines. You’ll find the third major soil type on the flats along the creek beds where grey sandy loams overlie white or yellow clays. Casuarinas are a good indicator for these soils and this is where whites grow best - mostly Semillon and Chardonnay.  In the Upper Hunter Valley, these soils tend to be a little deeper and grade into black loams. 

From A+ Australia about Hunter Valley Semillon: Is considered to be a world benchmark wine, it is the stellar white variety in the region. Semillon is at its delicate best when picked early to make a wine of ten to 11.5% alcohol and almost invariably has ripe flavours at low sugar concentrations. This is the style of wine that best responds to bottle age, during which it develops outstanding lemon curd and toasty complexity and becomes barely recognisable from its demure beginning. Most companies release their Semillons when only a few months old when they are crisp and lively with a light body and fresh, lemony and grassy fruit. A few keep some wines for bottle-maturation and release after five years or more when they have deepened in colour, become rounder and softer in the mouth and developed the most brilliantly complex flavours of vanilla and buttered toast.

Chateau Doisy Däene 2ème GCC 2005

Chateau Doisy Däene 2ème GCC 2005 is one of those special wines that Bordeaux make so well, Sauternes, a sweetie which has been 'infected or affected' by Botrytis Cinera a 'good fungus'. The grapes are Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, and they have been harvested late in several 'tries' to make sure that only the best/infected grapes are used, so increasing the concentration within the wine!
The colour is deep gold with slow fat legs! On the nose - my first note is 'yummy'! honeyed, floral, tropical fruits incl mango and pineapple and there is a touch of gingery spice.
On the mouth - lusciously sweet, silky mouth texture and masses of concentrated tropical fruits - pineapple, mango, lychee, honeyed and rich with a savoury and pithy are also words that fit in with its character. The length - long and honeyed with those tropical fruits through to the end!
This is a classified growth - so quality was expected, but at the price of £17+ from Waitrose , seems a snip to me!
Score : 95

Botrytis Cinerea is a fungus that can infect grapes in the correct conditions, good rot is called Noble rot - the desired one ( the bad one - grey rot results in wiping out the harvest), there are areas in the world that this can happen naturally and one of these is the area around Sauternes and Barsac in Bordeaux left bank.The aszu wines of Tokaji wines are also produced having been affected by Botrytis Cinerea. It needs a temperate climate and ideally early morning mists ( off cool water) and sun later in the day so the grapes are kept dry in those autumn afternoons. Not all grapes will be affected, and some may take longer to mature which is why several pickings - called Tries- are needed to get all the grapes at thier ideal condition.
The fungus affects the skins and feeds off sugars in the grape itself, but also uses about 50% of its water contained in the grape, so overall the grapes sugar concentration increases! Additionally acids are also consumed ( 5/6ths of the Tartaric acid in the grape is consumed). By products that are produced include glycerine ( the chemical which makes the wine feel viscous), acetic acidand a selection of enzymes. Phenolics of from the skins are also consumed so reducing the tannic structure.
Due to the reduction in water content of the grape the juice produced from Noble Rot infected grapes is low - often in the range of 15 hl/ha.

Dourthe La Grande Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Bordeaux

Bordeaux white wines are generally blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, this Dourthe La Grande Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is the former only and is supplied by Waitrose at a cost of £7.99.
It is bright and clear as expected with a pale lemon green colour. On the nose a mix of tropical fruits, nettle, grass and honeysuckle with a citric grapefruit hint. This smells 'New World' - full on and fruity, and when you taste it - the confusion would stop, it tastes French, the grassiness takes over, the acidity is crisp with quite low alcohol ( 12.5%, would have felt higher if the wine was from newer world clime).The length remains dry throughout and the pithiness excels in the finish! A fresh, zesty, uncomplicated wine - ready for drinking now, and drink it soon to trap all those fruity flavours in!
Score : 85

Mendel Semillon 2010 from the Uco Valley, Argentina

Mendel Semillon 2010 from the Altamira in the Uco Valley, Argentina is a wine made from the Semillon grape and supplied by the Wine Society at £9.75. The Semillon grape is normally associated primarily with Bordeaux Whites in France, it is often paired with Sauvignon Blanc which provides extra acidity to keep it fresh, it now has also found a quality home in Australia ( Hunter Valley and Margaret River). This particular grape comes from the Uco Valley at a height of 3600 feet  which is just south of Mendoza, and the vines are on average 60 years old.
The wine had a slightly green tinge indicating a young wine in some cases, aromas of white flowers, apricots and peapods were obvious on the nose, once in the mouth the silky texture and fresh fruit were a delight, lemons, limes with a pithy edge, a touch of green apple and a great fresh citric, a light wine with zippy attack and lovely mouth feel - a great wine to enjoy on its own or with a meal. There was a little oak apparent on the palate in the way of a nuttiness, and on investigation it is found that 15% was aged for 8 months in new American oak barrels, this aids its food pairing possibilities. Review by Jancis Robinson.
Score : 82

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Margaret River Australia

Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc 2011 is  from Margaret River in Australia has a similar climate and to a certain extent soil distribution to Bordeaux, and like Bordeaux this wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon ( low percentage). The grapes are harvested at night to preserve the fruity acidity and this comes through in the wine.  It is very pale with slight green tinge, has floral aromas along with tropical fruits – tinned guava as well as greengager and streaked with minerality, this is a New World Sauvignon Blanc done in a French way.

The acidity is is the right place, zingy and fresh and the alcohol is well integrated and supports the wine helping to give a silky mouth feel which also enhanced by the oiliness of  Semillon. The length is good and has a citric finish after a tropical fruit start. Oak has been used in its maturation but does not overpower the fresh fruit driven flavours, not does the 4 month maturation on its lees.

At a price of £13 this is a nice Sauvignon Blanc,there are some on the market better value, it has a similar profile to the fresh and fruity Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand but with a French twist, and these are often at this price bracket or less though this is more elegant and care has been taken in its making.

Chateau de la Chartreuse Sauternes 2006

Chateau de la Chartreuse Sauternes 2006
A really lovely sweetie from Bordeaux, made from the grapes sauvignon blanc, semillon and muscadelle, typical for this type of wine from the sauternes area on the left bank in Bordeaux, affected by noble rot or Botrytis Cinera, which gives it a characteristic aroma and taste of honey, oranges, apples, pears and a little butteriness. Golden in colour due to its oak maturation and thick and syrupy, it has plenty of acidity to make this luscious wine very drinkable - not sickly or too sweet, great with blue cheese, foie gras and even as an aperitif, for me - the wine that says christmas pudding to me!

A half bottle of this will set you back £15, but with the grapes low yield and the wonder of wether it will be affected by the botrytis fungi at all, the time in oak, the intensity of human picking time ( this needs to be hand picked with a number of times called 'tries' through the vineyard each time only taking the affected berries.....) one wonders why it does not cost more.
I love to sit after a long hard day with a small glass of fridge cool Sauternes before I start the evening meal, somehow the world seems a better place!

Sirius Bordeaux Blanc 2010

Sirius Bordeaux Blanc 2010

Sirius Wine was the first wine made by one of the big French Wine merchants / negociants Maison Sichel, and they started back in 1985 in the commune Canton de Saint Macaire. What they wanted to do was to make a wine from a lesser area in the way that the top wine makers do, so showing that although terroir plays its part.... so does the wine making! Making a wine surpass its origin in effect.

 First produced in 1985, careful selection after machine harvesting,skin maceration of the sauvignon blanc, barrel fermented with lees stirring 2-3 times per week, and barrel maturation for 2-3 months in the same way that the grand cru classe's of Graves and Pessac-Leognan, so placing it in a top quality category.

The Sirius brand is a flagship of Maison Sichel and is considered a niche wine with only 200 000 bottles of the white wine made and 500 000 of the red. 19ha of vines ( semillon and sauvignon blanc ) which are 30 years old are planted in clay/limestone soils on the banks of the Garonne River.

The blend is 50:50 Semillon : Sauvignon Blanc,  is very pale with a slight greenness to the rim, the legs are slow and thick as would be expected from the semillon content. Aromas of green apples, citric overtones and a hint of pear and white blossom. On the mouth a silky mouth feel but clean and dry, once more citric and crisp apple abound with fresh acidity and a creamyness due to the lees stirring, well balanced alcohol and a clean citric finish, again a lovely wine at the price of about £9.95. Summer time in a glass or great as an aperitif all year round.