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Not sure about the rest of you, but I've been freezing to death over the last few days. London can be utterly horrific with its weather. Something big and red will warm me up again you say? What to drink...
In 1995 David Powell crushed three tonnes of grapes and fermented them into wine in a shed on his 12-hectare Marananga property (which continues to be home to the winery). The winery was named "Torbreck" after the forest in Scotland where Powell had worked as a lumberjack following his University studies. The first wine made under the Torbreck label was the 1995 RunRig, with the wine released in 1997.[4] A favorable review of the 1996 RunRig in the June, 1999 issue of The Wine Advocate created intense consumer interest in the international wine collector community, resulting in this and subsequent releases being highly allocated.
Torbreck Barossa Valley "GSM" 2013 @ £15.95 - Buy it here!
Garnet robe with flicks of pruple, a gorgeous high-toned aroma of five spice, créme de cassis, black cherries with a background of roasted earth, leather and herbs. A perfect match with hearty meats and stews, game and hard cheeses.
This is going to be my saviour I think. Come and grab a couple before I put the whole lot down.
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It would seem that the British public love a Riesling! After our post on the fantastic Thomas Goss we had unprecedented amounts of queries and orders! So let's continue the trend with this...
The Hugel company was founded in Riquewihr in 1639 by Hans Ulrich Hugel, who was a Swiss national who left his home country during the Thirty Years' War. It has remained in the hands of the Hugel family since then.
In the second half of the 20th century, Jean Hugel played a leading role in Hugel & Fils. Together, he and Hugel & Fils pioneered the reintroduction of late harvest wines in Alsace. The 1984 wine regulations setting down the requirements for Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles wines is usually referred to as "Hugel's Law". Wines in this style were also produced by Hugel before these designations had been invented, and some earlier versions were marketed using designations from the German wine classification, such as Beerenauslese.
Hugel & Fils Estate Riesling 2012 @ £23.95 - Buy it here!
Youthful, bright, graceful colour with springlike silvery pale green hints. Lively, fresh, open, nicely aromatic bouquet of fruit : white peach, lemongrass, grapefruit, ginger and flowers : almond blossom, primrose and fresh moss, with a touch of muscatel. On the palate this is a lively and refreshing Riesling, finely tuned, with a well balanced, slightly supple, soft aftertaste. Agreeably expressive fruit character, crisp and clean.
Doesn't it sound just wonderful? A couple of bottles of this are available and are most definitely worth a look! Cheers!
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Hello again! After an absolutely freezing weekend here in London it's nice to see some sun! I could go for a nice glass of something or other... a Riesling, perhaps?
One of the original McLaren Vale pioneers, Thomas Goss (1810-1890), his wife Mary Ann (1813-1891) and their children arrived in South Australia from Devonshire in 1849. After success in the Victorian gold fields he established an iconic farming property, Ingleburne, now home to some of the McLaren Vale region's leading vineyards.
In 2010, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth, it was decided to release a range of affordable McLaren Vale red wines and Adelaide Hills white wines under the Thomas Goss label. These wines are a tribute to the persistence of Thomas Goss and his family's long contribution to our beloved region.
Thomas Goss Adelaide Hills Riesling 2013 @ £12.95 - Buy it here!
"Light yellow. Spicy pear and green apple scents show very good clarity and a zesty mineral topnote. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering lively citrus and orchard fruit flavors with a touch of honeysuckle. Closes dry and long, with excellent clarity and building spiciness."
-Josh Raynolds 90/100 Points
A few more cases arrived this morning for those of you who always grab a couple. For everyone else: you gotta come and try it!
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Adding to our showcase of beautiful fine wines we have the Croix de Labrie 2000. From Saint-Emilion and granted Grand Cru status, you know there's a story to this one...
The plots are located on Badon (near Pavie), St. Sulpice (beside the first parcel of Valandraud) and Saint Christophe des Bardes (dating from 1687). The terroir of Badon is composed of sand and clay with a basement limestone which allows fantastic soil drainage and brings excellent finesse. The St. Sulpice compound is loaded with clays which add increased depth and density. And finally Saint Christophe des Bardes sits on clay-limestone soil bringing complexity and density. The vines are more than 98% Merlot which are backed up by a few rows of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon in St Sulpice.
Chateau Croix de Labrie 2000 Double Magnum @ £468
"A tiny production St.-Emilion, the 2000 Croix de Labrie offers a big, thick mouthful of wine, loads of flavor, and a distinctive, modern style emphasizing melted chocolate, graphite, coffee bean, creme de cassis, and jammy black currants. While not terribly subtle, it is loaded with flavor."
-- Robert Parker 93/100 points.
A few of these knocking about but they only made 9000 bottles in the first place so don't expect it to be here forever! Cheers!
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It's that time again. This time I'm thinking California. Such a beautiful place that produces some unbelievable wines. The Kendall-Jackson family are our focus today...
When Jess Jackson produced his first Chardonnay in 1982, his goal was simply to create a wine that people of all levels of expertise could enjoy. Three decades later, the family owned and operated Kendall-Jackson is one of the most trusted and celebrated wineries in the world. For the last 21 consecutive years, the winery’s Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay has been the #1 selling Chardonnay in America.
Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2015 @ £14.95 - Buy it here!
Beautifully integrated tropical flavours such as pineapple, mango, and papaya with citrus notes that explode in your mouth. These flavours delicately intertwine with aromas of vanilla and honey to create depth and balance throughout. A hint of toasted oak rounds out the long, lingering finish.
Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Pinot Noir 2014 @ £17.95 - Buy it here!
This dark garnet Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir delivers bright cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit with elegant earthy notes infused with cola and mild spice accents. Oak aging adds a hint of vanilla and a soft, toasty finish.
Both are available to taste before you buy so you have nothing to worry about! Cheers!
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Another treat for you! Usually we feature our normal wines but sometimes we need something from the other end of the scale. Troplong Mondot is here, and it is a thing of true beauty.
Originally part of the De Sèze estate in the 18th century, the vineyard situated on the crest of Mondot included what is today Pavie. By the mid-19th century, the Mondot family had acquired a great portion of the land, and in 1936 it came into the ownership of Alexandre Valette. Historically not a widely known winery, it has had success in recent years, considered by many to some extent attributable to the château's collaboration with Michel Rolland. Between 1993 and 1994 the wines at Troplong-Mondot were made by 2012 Food and Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year Aaron Pott.
Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe 1989 @ £219.95
If ever a wine should be garlanded with a tag that says "Don't Go Near For Ten Years" then this is it. The nose takes an hour to reluctantly open after decanting with black cherries, cassis, a touch of black coffee (none of the ginger elements of last time.) The palate is full-bodied, extremely tannic and surly, though smooth in texture. Black chrries, cassis and iodine: this is going to turn into one decadent wine but my God, just give it 5-6 hours decanting or leave it in your cellar for a few years. Drink 2015-2030+. (Tasted 2008)
There are very very limited numbers of these so if it sounds like a piece of you then you know who to see!
