This month’s selection is about comparing wines in pairs. A fun and educational experience comparing countries, regions, varieties and bottle age. Perfect for any dinner party, generating conversation and debate in a playful manner, or try these wines at home to learn more about the wonderful, wideworld of wine.
Taste wine 1 and 2 together; same variety from 2 countries...
Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2017
Country: USA
Region: California
Variety: Chardonnay
Taste: Aromas of pears, peaches and hints of sweetcorn, round juicy fruit on the palate with soft acid. Toasty vanilla tones as a result of barrel fermentation, with lingering buttery and creamy flavours.
Serve with: Perfect with canapes
Style: An easy drinking, barrel fermented white wine with moderate alcohol levels, offering good value for money. View here.
Wrights Estate Reserve Organic Chardonnay 2016
Country: NZ
Region: Gisborne
Variety: Chardonnay
Taste: Aromas of toast and grapefruit, rich and round palate with a good acid backbone, giving freshness and drinkability.
Serve with: Delicious with roasted chicken dishes.
Style: A richer, more full-bodied chardonnay than the Kendall Jackson. Again, barrel fermented but tastes more concentrated. A little more expensive but well worth the extra few dollars. Excellent value. Really interesting to taste different price points, comparing value versus quality.
Taste wines 3 and 4, same region but different varieties...
Belcolle Barbera D’Asti Superiore Nuwanda 2016
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmonte
Varieties: Barbera, a variety that is intended for drinking on release and over the next 2-3 years.
Taste: Bright blueberry fruit aromas with a juicy palate, soft tannins and salivating acidity giving drinkability.
Serve with: Cured meats with creamy pasta dishes.
Style: This variety is about juicy fresh fruit with soft tannins but firm acidity. Intended to drink relatively young as it’s all about the fresh fruit aromas and flavours. View here.
Rivetto Langhe Nebbiolo 2013
Country: Italy
Region: Langhe, Piedmonte
Variety: Nebbiolo, a variety in my opinion that is the king of red grapes. This variety makes long living wines, however Nebbiolo grown in the region of Langhe offers slightly earlier drinking. Can drink now or age foranother 5 years or more.
Taste: Lovely cherry stone colour with slight brick orange tones. Gorgeous perfumed lifted floral aromas with a palate not for the faint hearted. It looks light but it is far from on it on the palate. A long linear palate with salivating tannins and acid, that needs several sips, but with perseverance one will quickly fall in love with this style. The overall package is delicious, like sucking cherry stones.
Serve with: Any pork dish.
Style: A structural red wine where the firm tannins and acidity gives drinkability and makes a fabulous food match. Great to drink a wine with a little bottle age compared to a recently bottled wine; for example, compare the Barbera 2016 with the Nebbiolo 2013. View here.
Taste wines 5 and 6, Same producer, different sub-regions, different varietal blends...
Banfi Aska Bolgheri DOC 2013
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany, Bolgheri, situated on the coast of Tuscany and is renown for Super Tuscan wines; high quality red wines made from international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Variety: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Taste: Lifted bramble, plum fruit with blackberry flavours, generous fruit with silky smooth tannins. Good length and energy.
Serve with: Red meat
Style: A medium to full bodied red wine, made in a ripe style that offers very good drinking. View here.
Banfi Cum Summus Toscana IGT, 2011
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany, Montalcino, situated in the south of Tuscany which is a warm, dry region.
Variety: Sangiovese (local variety), Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Taste: Gorgeous dark chocolate, cedar, tobacco and smoky aromas, deep concentrated fruit on the palate with salivating tannins and acidity.
Serve with: Beef and venison.
Style: A big, rich full-bodied red wine which is stylish with an excellent balance. Amazing drinking and worth every cent. I loved it. View here.
We've enlisted the help of Lynnette Hudson, an experienced winemaker and wine advisor, to pull together a Reserve Selection of wines.
Lynnette has worked in numerous wineries across the world, and is not only experienced in making wine, but knows a thing or two about how it tastes.
