Tasty autumn treats for everyone to try!
A great intro into French Chardonnay...
Philippe Bouchard Chardonnay 2017
Country: France
Region: Burgundy, the home of Chardonnay
Varieties: Chardonnay
Taste: Aromas of grapefruit, hazelnuts with biscuity notes. A more restrained palate than NZ Chardonnays with green melon and stone fruit flavours, a linear and long palate structure with a creamy texture and refreshing lemon zest acidity.
Best with: Canapés, seafood dishes and vegetarian entrees.
Style: Half way between NZ and France, restrained style but with more peachy flavours than most French Chardonnays.
Serving Temp: 8-10 degrees, a fridge typically cools to around 4 degrees which is too cool for white wine as it reduces aroma and flavour. Take the bottle out of the fridge and let it warm up for 30 minutes or so.
Another French Chard but from the south this time...
Chateau Saint-Roch Limoux 2017
Country: France
Region: Limoux, South of France
Variety: Chardonnay
Taste: A riper expression, aromas of peach skin, pineapple and mango with alluring notes of dried straw. This wine has good concentration on the palate with toasted almond and hazelnut flavours, soft acidity with a long warm finish.
Serve with: Roasted white meats.
Style: This region is famous for sandstone soils and is close to the Pyrenees, higher altitude resulting in a fruiter style than the first Chardonnay. The rules in this region stipulate 15% of Mauzac (a local white grape) which gives a nice bitter almond finish to the wine.
Serving Temp: 8-10 degrees
Everyday drinking Bordeaux that’s complex and succulent...
Chateau Le Barry St Emilion 2014
Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Variety: Merlot dominant
Taste: Perfumed aromas of cigar box, cedar, brown spices and blackcurrants. Showing some positive bottle development, very savoury and complex, offering great drinking and showing true Merlot plump fruit with moderate tannins and acid.
Serve with: Roasted red meats.
Style: A complex, savoury wine showing some bottle age and perfect drinking now. Showing all the hallmarks of Merlot, more juicy and plump.
Serving Temp: 16-17 degrees will allow this wine to shine.
2010 vintage, how often do you get to drink a wine that’s 10 years old?!
Bouquet des Garriques Le Clos du Caillou Cote du Rhone 2010
Country: France
Region: Southern Rhone Valley
Variety: Grenache
Taste: Sweet lifted aromas of baked strawberries and forest floor, generous rounded fruit initially with baked fruit flavours, figs, mocha and coffee grinds. Soft tannins and acid with a lovely bitter chocolate finish.
Best with: Slow roasted beef cheeks
Style: A big, ripe style that has loads of complexity and great bottle development, perfect drinking now.
Serving Temp: 12-13 degrees, the wine will quickly warm up in these hot temperatures.
Phew, an Italian wine!
Astrid & Therese Primitivo Puglia
Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
Variety: Primitivo (Zinfandel in the USA)
Taste: Baked figs and raisin with dark chocolate and hints of wild forest berry aromas and flavours. A luscious entry to the palate with mouthcoating tannins giving structure and drinkability and a zesty acid line giving freshness.
Serve with: All red meats on the BBQ.
Style: This is a ripe, full bodied wine but thanks to the native grape varieties of Italy which are typically higher in acid and tannin, the resulting wines have freshness and drinkability.
Serving Temp: 12-13 degrees
Same variety as the last wine, grown in a different country; same, same but different...
Artezin Old Vine Zinfandel, Mendocino County
Country: America
Region: Mendocino County, California
Variety: Zinfandel (Primitivo in Italy)
Taste: Similar baked fruits aroma as the last wine with dark chocolate, cinnamon and sandalwood with raspberry coulis notes. Generous upfront fruit with black forest gateau flavours and a bitter almond finish giving balance and drive.
Serve with: Red meats on the BBQ.
Style: A rich, ripe style of wine, made using Old World grapes but in a New World country. Taste the last two wines together and see the difference, fascinating.
Serving Temp: 12 degrees
