Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2020 brings you many tasty bottles of wine to enjoy. On that note I decided to select my very favourite wines from the last 6 months, to help start your year off with a bang.
First Wine: Bubbles always creates a happy mood, and nothing says a celebration, like Champagne. It is a new year after all.
Pol Roger Brut NV
Country: France
Region: Champagne
Varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier
Taste: Powerful and attractive nose, the palate is crisp yet balanced by a creamy rich texture.
Best with: An aperitif with canapes or fish/seafood
Style: Crisp, dry white wine with bubbles
Second Wine:
Domaine de Sainte Cecile Viognier 2018
Country: France
Region: Pays D’Oc, South of France
Variety: Viognier (Vee-on-yah), hard to pronounce but give it a whirl.
Taste: A classic example of a Viognier, canned apricot aromas and flavours with a rich, full bodied palate and oily texture. The acid is soft, but the rich palate is balanced by the very long, warm finish. I love this style of wine.
Serve with: Any pork dish on the BBQ.
Style: A rich, ripe, full bodied white wine, unoaked that has soft acid yet is balanced by the long, intense finish. This speaks of grapes grown in a warm climate, but still is deliciously drinkable. I love this variety.
Serving Temp: 8-10 degree, this is a rich, full bodied wine, hence serving slightly cooler will personify the fruit as warmer serving temperatures will personify the alcohol.
Third Wine
Belcolle Barbera D'Alba 2016
Country: Italy
Region: Piedmont, gorgeous region, a must visit when travelling to Italy
Variety: Barbera
Taste: Lots of bright, juicy fruit; boysenberries with hints of soy sauce. Soft tannins but finishes strongly with refreshing acidity.
Best with: Pork and duck or serve with cheese at the end of the meal
Style: Brightly crimson coloured wine with a structure similar to an intense Pinot Noir.
Fourth Wine:
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 for another 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.
Fifth Wine:
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.
Sixth Wine: A surprise option to serve with meat or dessert
Folle Primitivo di Manduria Luccarelli Old vines 2011
Country: Italy
Region: Manduria, Puglia, (in the heel of the boot), Southern Italy
Variety: Primitivo also called Zinfandel in the USA.
Taste: Delicious aromas of roasted chocolate and coffee, tar and toffee with refreshing liquorice tones and tastes like a dark, bitter chocolate cake with raspberries. Stunning.
Serve with: Serve with roasted meats topped with cranberries or even try it with a rich, dark chocolate cake coated with fresh raspberries. Be daring.
Style: From a hot climate but only as the Italian’s can do, that of producing a full-bodied wine with amazing freshness. I do struggle with the heavy weight bottle; not environmentally friendly but the wine is excellent.
Serving Temp: 13-14 Degree, it will rapidly warm up in the glass on a warm summer’s night. Remember cooler serving temperatures personify fruit aromas and flavours rather than the alcohol.