Conte di Campiano Negroamaro Appassimento 2015

Wine: Negroamaro Appassimento 2015
Winemaker: Conte di Campiano
Vintage: 2015
Variety: 100% Negroamaro
Price: £14.99

A really affordable Negroamaro based Appassimento! Great extraction of flavour without being too sweet and syrupy, as is often the case with this late harvest method of ripening. 

An intoxicating nose packed with powerful bramble fruit, wood spice and sweet pipe tobacco. Very fragant and subtly perfumed. The palate displays the same bramble fruit initially, yielding to robust, earthy flavours, before black cherry and plum take centre stage, finishing with a hint of cinnamon.

Full bodied and dry, with a moderate acidity and intensity; velvety mouthfeel, finely integrated tannins and a persistent finish.

Buy now from Virgin Wines

Charles Melton Nine Popes 2010

Wine: Nine Popes
Winemaker: Charles Melton
Vintage: 2010
Varietal: Shiraz 60% Grenache 30% Mouvedre 10% 
Price: £29.99

An absolute stonker from the marvellous Mr. Melton. This Barossan beauty is a wine to be savoured, it's truly world class!

The nose is alive with black cherry, damson, chocolate, vanilla and a raw earthy note rounding off the bouquet beautifully and on the palate it's more of the same, with dark berries chucked into the mix, as well as liquorice, cloves and spices. Incredibly powerful and intense, with a masculinity to rival any big red out there; think Chateauneuf-de-Pape on steroids, but with a warmer climate influence, making it immediately more approachable.

Full bodied, bone dry, deep crimson in colour, medium plus acidity, medium plus intensity and a gloriously silky finish. Pair with fillet of beef or game pie and make sure you give this wine plenty of time to breathe.

BUY NOW: From Waitrose

Two Hands Angel's Share Shiraz 2014

Wine: Angel's Share
Winemaker: Two Hands  
Vintage: 2014
Varietal: 100% Shiraz  
Price: £19.99

Specially selected parcels from across the vales of Mclaren and Barossa, make this South Australian Shiraz one of the best value for money wines around, consistently over the last decade or so.

It's full of baked berries, vanilla and chocolate on the nose with just the feintest background note of sweet pipe tobacco. The flavour extraction is just so ripe and intense, making the palate incredibly endearing: blueberries, baked plum, mocha, subtle lavender and a dry spicy finish.

Full bodied, masculine and intense, packed with flavour, bound together with a prominent acidity, wildly intense and with more character than you can shake a stick at. Complex, diverse and just about bloody perfect!

Serve at 18-20'c, open an hour before serving and pair with any red meat for a sumptuous pairing.

BUY NOW: Click Here

Tenuta Chiccheri 2012

Wine: Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore
Winemaker: Tenuta Chiccheri
Varieties: Corvina, Rondinella & Croatina (Undisclosed %) 
Vintage: 2012
Price: £13.99

This wine is special, I could tell as soon as I opened it. The bitter bouquet is marvellously magical and I just couldn't get enough of it. Black cherry, dried red fruit, liquorice and leather, all playing pivotal roles in what is a throughly encapsulating array of aromas. Intoxicating even, superbly sublime and the start of a mini wine journey that had me well and truly immersed in its story.

In the mouth it was more of the same: black and red fruit mingle effortlessly, while a pronounced acidity and silky smooth tannins dance around one another allowing the beautifully extracted fruit flavours a solid stage for them to shine from. Where the sweetness fades, the savoury elements come to the fore: aniseed, subtle liquorice and creamy sweet vanilla laden oak.

Elegant, characterful, complex and best of all, inexpensive considering the quality this offers. Enjoy on its own, on your own, in a dark room somewhere, where nobody will find you.

BUY NOW: http://www.oddbins.com/tenuta-chiccheri-valpolicella

Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine: Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Slingshot
Vintage: 2014
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: £22

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A deep blackberry, blackcurrant, raspberry and licorice bomb on the nose, we’re talking black cracked pepper and rich black fruits flowing from the glass. This is one of the most representative ‘Californian Cabernet Sauvignon” noses I have come across in the UK, so my intrigue levels are already peaking. Upon taste there’s that wonderful sweet glaze that covers the palate, backed by an incredible acidity and tannin base.

We’re talking raspberry compote, cedar wood, vanilla bean and an incredibly fresh backbone of ripe meadow fruits picked straight from the forest. The tannins come into play right at the finish a slight coating that gives a smooth finesse to this magnificent wine. As far as I’m concerned this is one of the top affordable Californian wines in the UK and needs to be explored.

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The Diamond Rutherglen Tawny

Wine: The Diamond Rutherglen Tawny
Winemaker: Jen Pfeiffer
Vintage: N/V
Varietal: Shiraz and friends... 
Price: £17.99

This is absolutely stunning and one of the best New World fortified wines I've ever had. It's great on it's own, slightly chilled, but it's fantastic with rich blue cheese and its mind blowingly good with rhubarb crumble and vanilla custard!

A pungent and heavily oxidative nose of raisin, caramel and hazelnut, with some subtle perfumed background notes:strawberry, red cherry. I could swirl and sniff this for eternity, it's so welcoming and thought provoking; everything about it transports me to being curled up on the sofa in front of the fire on a desperately cold, wintry evening. In the mouth it's all about rum and raisin ice cream, with prune, dates and caramel all playing a supportive roles.

Soft, supple and syrupy, this is the nectar of the gods I tell thee! It's masculine and intense, yet has an elegant femininity. Persistent and lengthy, so so good! Truly memorable.

Buy now from Naked Wines

Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel 2014

Wine: Sonoma County Zinfandel
Winemaker: Seghesio
Vintage: 2014
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Price: £21.99

It's pretty damn hard to find a decent quality Californian Zinfandel in the UK that isn't mind blowingly expensive; in most cases it's a hell of a lot easier to plump for a Southern Italian Primitivo instead, it's also usually easier to find a quality example and normally at around two thirds of the cost.

At first this exhibited a certain ruggedness and displayed rather dank aromas, not what I was expecting, but it settled in time and I'm pleased to report it is a thoroughly lovely wine. Not typical of the usual jammy, rich and intensely extracted flavours that this variety is known for, but instead more refined, elegant and dare I say it, more complex.

Baked plums and black cherry on the nose and palate, with subtle aniseed and liquorice employing a wonderful savoury element, adding balance and taming the sweet red fruits beautifully. A silky smooth texture, with oily dense legs, quite the sight when consumed in decent stemware. The tannins at first are little overwhelming, but a good (3hr+) decant will soften them amply; the acidity is linear, but sufficient enough to temper the sweetness, the flavour and aroma intensity pronounced and the finish exquisitely lengthy.

A great wine from a family producer boasting five generations of quality wine production. This would be great with a damn good cheeseburger or rib of beef!

Viva Seghesio!

Buy now from Virgin WInes

Top 5 Vegan Wines In The UK (& Where To Get Them!)

As veganism is gaining in popularity minute by minute, for ALL the right reasons, we thought we'd do our best to help bring the wine loving vegan community up to speed with some of the greatest vegan wines available for purchase in the UK!

 

RAVENSWOOD LODI ZINFANDEL

Wine: Lodi Zinfandel
Winemaker: Ravenswood
Vintage: 2014
Variety: Zinfandel
Price: £11.99
Perfect Pairing: Vegetable Hotpot Click Here For Recipe

This full bodied beast from Lodi performs to an exceptionally high standard year on year and 2014 is every bit as good as previous years. Absolutely packed with blueberry, baked plum, mocha and vanilla, with a dry spicy finish. As mentioned this is a big 'ole wine so a good bit of breathing time really helps release everything it has to offer. A great wine to pair with a warming winter vegetable hotpot and plantain dumplings after a hard days work as the cold nights begin to draw in.

Buy now from Majestic 

 

FAUSTINO 1 GRAN RESERVA RIOJA

Wine: Faustino 1 Gran Reserva
Winemaker: Faustino
Vintage: 2004
Variety: Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo
Price: £14.00
Perfect Pairing: Moroccan lentil and butternut squash bake Click here for recipe

Everything about this wine typifies Rioja, the nose and palate are packed full of perfumed red fruit, liquorice, cured meat and leather. The mouthfeel is velvety and this wine really is a class act. For this price you're getting a wine that's over a decade old that has spent a minimum two years in oak and three years in the bottle prior to release, such is the strict ageing rules for Rioja. A great showpiece for a dinner party and lends itself beautifully to Moroccan lentil and butternut squash bake.

Buy now from Tesco: 

LA GIOIOSA PROSECCO SUPERIORE

Wine: Prosecco Superiore
Winemaker: La Gioiosa
Vintage: NV
Variety: Glera
Price: £13.49
Perfect Pairing: Sweet potato and black bean chilli Click here for recipe

A fantastic alternative to higher priced Champagnes, which is an absolute must over the Christmas period as supermarkets gear up to take advantage of unsuspecting customers by aggressively marketing lesser known brands in a bid to take advantage of the infamous North Eastern region of France. Granny Smith apple, tinned peaches and subtly toasted almonds. Vibrant, refreshing and very characterful, perfect as an aperitif and even better with sweet potato and black bean chilli.

Buy now from Waitrose:

DEFINITION CHABLIS

Wine: Definition Chablis
Winemaker: Majestic Wines Defintion Range
Vintage: 2015
Variety: Chardonnay
Price: £14.99
Perfect Pairing: Zucchini fritters and spiced hummus Click here for recipe

A wonderful example of a well made Chardonnay, absolutely perfect to pair with zucchini fritters and spiced hummus. White flowers, lemon and lime with a nice slightly nutty finish. Bone dry, with a pronounced intensity and persistent finish. This wine stands out, where often the quality associated with the region precedes the drink in front of you. Long live affordable quality Chablis.

Buy now from Majestic

NATALE VERGA PRIMITIVO

Wine: Primitivo
Winemaker: Natale Verga
Vintage: 2015
Variety: Primitivo
Price: £7.99
Perfect Pairing: Falafel and artichoke pizza Click here for recipe

There's a lot to be said for Puglian Primitivo, sadly lesser known than Zinfandel, even though they're genetically identical, but there's a trend sweeping across the UK right now where Primitivo is well and truly making a statement. Rich and powerful, packed with inky dark fruits, milk chocolate and dried spices. A real mouthful and incredibly moreish. For the money it doesn't get much better. Try it with falafel and artichoke pizza, it's simply sublime!

Buy now from Majestic

HIP Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Winemaker: House of Independent Producers
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2014
Price: £18

House of Independent Producers are pushing some fantastic wines as of late, this one in particular coming from the Sagemoore Farms Vineyards in Hedges Family Estate. A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

A dusty cocoa powder escapes from the glass, emitting dry earthiness intermixed with sweet vanilla oak and a rich plum crumble, coated in brown sugar. Floral violets and an elegant toastiness flow on the nose as you can really get a sense of the rich dark black fruits swimming around inside the glass. 

Upon initial taste you you're presented with a lovely refreshing balance of acidity, tannin and complexity. There's a dark licorice and very dark 95% chocolate that sits on the palate. You can also pick up a plethora of rich dark stewed plums and a good kick of oak. 

Refined, elegant and the perfect compliment to a rich winter stew with pork, lamb or beef. Would go wonderfully with a rich gravy and beef Sunday joint also. A good expression of Washington's Colubmia Valley AVA which is all too often forgotten in comparison to it's Sonoma/Napa cousins down south. 

Buy From Roberson Wines

Christian Patat Appassimento 2015

Wine: Appassimento
Winemaker: Christian Patat
Varieties: Merlot, Primitivo & Negroamaro (Undisclosed %) 
Vintage: 2015
Price: £13.99

I'd like to personally thank the extremely talented Christian Patat, for gifting us a little piece of Southern Italy at a fraction of the cost this kind of wine usually sets the consumer back. It's super silky, opulent, elegant and moreishly drinkable!

The aromas upon opening this were astounding: powerful baked dark fruits, think plums and dark berries with liquorice, pipe tobacco and a wispy background note of vanilla. In the mouth it's pure silk, rich, syrupy, intense dark fruits, subtle raisin and powerful vanilla imparted by the wonderful, albeit substantial oak integration.

Full bodied, medium acidity and an everlasting finish. There is literally no wine this situation doesn't suit, it is the epitome of a crowd pleaser. Pair with strong cheeses or pizza. Serve at 18-20'c and enjoy!

Buy Now: From Naked Wines

Chateau Musar Red 2009

Wine: Musar Red
Winemaker: Chateau Musar
Vintage: 2009
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan & Cinsault. Approx 1/3rd each. 
Price: £22.00

As with the previous two vintages (07&08) this is immediately approachable, not something one can often say about latest release wines from Musar.

Plenty of barnyard funk on the nose, or brett (brettanomyces) as it is more commonly referred too, something that IS common in Musar reds. Blackcurrant, blackberry, leather, vanilla and pipe tobacco all playing a part, in what is a rich and diverse bouquet. Very elegant and incredibly alluring: In the mouth, Cabernet dominates at first with tarte dark fruit and menthol quite striking, then the fiery spice and sweet red fruit of the Carignan and Cinsault take over. Plenty of liquorice, clove and vanilla. A real crowd pleasing palate!

Medium to full bodied, a linear acidity, supremely refined and silky tannins, moderate intensity and a finish fit for a king (and Queen!) A truly great vintage, but possibly not with quite the same longevity in terms of ageing some other vintages can boast. A good decant is necessary, serve at 18-19'c.

Buy now from the Wine Society

Remelluri Reserva Rioja 2009

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Wine: Reserva Rioja
Winemaker: Remelluri
Vintage: 2009
Varieties : Garnacha, Graciano, Tempranillo (Undisclosed %) 
Price: £19.99

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Tasting Notes

Having been wowed by the 2008 and then finding out rather disappointingly that I was unable to obtain another a bottle, I plumped for the 2009 and it usurped the 2008 in every single way, which was a huge and unexpected bonus!

Provocative scents of raspberry, plum, leather, dried spice, fresh tobacco and vanilla fill in the room. This wine is perfect upon opening and there is no need for decanting; the palate offers up dried red fruit at first, yielding to darker rich fruits, before the savoury elements take over: earthy, herby and bitter dark chocolate toward the finish.

Medium bodied, medium plus acidity, medium plus intensity and polished ripe tannins. This wine has it all, and best of all it's under £20, the best price point of all. Get it while it lasts folks!

Buy Now From The Good Wine Shop

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Nyetimber Classic Cuvee

Wine: Classic Cuvee
Winemaker: Nyetimber
Vintage: NV
Varietal: Pinot Noir/Chardonnay (undisclosed %) 
Price: £32.99
Click Here To Buy

With English sparkling wine becoming increasingly more fashionable by the day and rivalling our French cousins across the pond in Champagne for quality, this classic cuvee blend from Nyetimber is a stand out performer in what has become and is continuing to grow into a fiercely competitive market in the UK.

Citrus and white stone fruit on the nose, with just a feint hint of green fruit and some wonderful bready notes. The palate is crisp and vibrant, whilst remaining elegant and has a restrained style that oozes class. Packed with lemon, fresh apricot and nectarine, all bound together with a refreshingly rasping acidity; the finish is long lasting and complex, with some lovely toast, a seaside salinity and lovely nutty flavours.

Elegant, characterful and perfectly poised. A wonderfully fine mousse, amazing, a truly joyful experience!

Tres Picos Garnacha 2014

Wine: Tres Picos
Winemaker: Bodegas Borsao  
Vintage: 2014
Varietal: 100% Garnacha
Price: £14.99

Yet another great vintage of this wonderful wine from the geniuses at Borsao!

I opened this as I cooked a bolognese to accompany it and despite the pungency of garlic wafting around the kitchen, the bouquet was vibrant and still easily identifiable, with strong notes of black fruit, a distinctive smokiness and wonderfully powerful vanilla. The flavours in the mouth are as pronounced as the notes on the nose, tarte black fruit dominating early doors, but yields quickly to softer sweeter red cherry and plum. The finish is full of herbs and spices and distinctively flinty.

Full bodied, deepest darkest ruby in colour, a pronounced acidity, silky smooth tannins, bone dry and a very lengthy finish.

Trimbach Alsace Riesling 2009

Wine: Alsace Riesling
Winemaker: Trimbach
Vintage: 2009
Varietal: 100% Riesling  
Price: £17.99

This was my first Alsace Riesling and one that really blew me away! I couldn't have wished for a better introduction into a future world that I'm sure going to over indulge in.

The bouquet is vibrant, energetic, and particularly expressive and captivating. Oodles of sharp tropical notes of grapefruit and baked pineapple, with some lovely, elegant floral notes. The palate is diverse and proud, brimming with character and complexity: loads of citrus notes, unripe green fruit and moving onto some bready almost starchy flavours toward the finish, which adds depth of flavour as well as something unusual in a usually very lean, overly acidic varietal.

Crisp, bone dry and full of zingy acidity, medium bodied, subtle silky tannins (very appealing to me, to find this to be the case in a white wine), a moderate intensity and fabulous farewell of finish.

Partner this with Chinese or spicy Thai cuisine and you'll be thanking me into the next week.

Marjan Simcic Salko Reserve

Wine: Salko Reserve
Winemaker: Marjan Simcic
Vintage: 2012
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Price: £25.99

This Slovenian Pinot well and truly won me over and anybody that knows me, and specifically my general dislike for this varietal, will know just what a statement that is! No Burgundian, Kiwi or Aussie Pinot to date, has had the same profound effect this wonderful wine has!

This isn't your archetypal expression of this grape, it's powerful and brooding, full of intense dark fruits, dashes of white pepper and soft, supple, savoury flavours. The mid palate is alive with violets and lavender, as well as a distinctive flinty finish.

Medium bodied, with a robust acidity, silky smooth mouthfeel, fine, well integrated tannins and full of character and complexity. A perfect wine for food, try mildly seasoned poultry, especially duck, or slow cooked shoulder of lamb. You won't be disappointed!

Mirabeau: Pure Côtes de Provence Rosé 2015

Wine: 'Pure' Rose 2015
Winemaker: Mirabeau
Vintage: 2015
Varieties: 60% Grenache 40% Syrah
Price: £12.99

Lychee, vanilla, ripening strawberries and a fresh sea breeze in the nose. More of those stable tropical notes you expect on a good Provence rosé. Fresh Granny Smith apples with a little freshly cut grass also noticeable. Extremely refreshing. The palate gives you a mellow and relaxed flow - apricot and nectarine with a sweet ting upon the finish.