(2024) This Chilean wine is an unusual blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc, the light peach/orange colour and hint of red berries coming from Pinot Noir. Aromatically, small redcurrant and cranberry notes join racier lemon withba touch of orange peel. The palate is fairly straightforward with citrus juiciness and a dry finish.
(2024) A crowd-pleasing, easy-drinking and thoroughly pleasant blend of 90% merlot and 10% semillon. 12g/l dosage gives an edge of sweetness, though the acid balance is good. Toasty, creamy and peachy, the generous mousse and fresh apple zip works well.
(2023) It's over a decade since I last visited Mud House on a trip to New Zealand, at that time an ambitious and impressive operation that already made wines in Marlborough, Waipara and Central Otago. In 2021 I was surprised to receive a sample of a Sauvignon Blanc from Mud House Chile, the company having branched out to South America. Now in 2023, they've come back to Sauvignon Blanc's homeland of France, though not the Loire Valley, but the Languedoc. You may, if you wish, line-up wines from the three countries to compare and contrast. For me, this French version is a hit: it successfully marries New World exuberance with a bit of Old World savoury restraint. It has prerequisite passion fruit and gooseberry, but a dry, grapefruit and lemon palate with decent length too. £8.00 at time of writing in Morrisons. Watch the video for more information.
(2023) Though I applaud the charitable aspect of this wine - the sale of one bottle provides one meal for a person in need in the Western Cape community - I'm afraid I preferred the Cabernet-Merlot partner, also in Morrisons at £9.00. There's nothing much wrong with this, but it feels both thin and a bit cloying, with some residual sugar being used to hide the rather shrill fruit and acidity. Not my cup of tea.
(2023) Fruit comes from the Western Cape's expansive Coastal region, and spent over a year in American and French oak. Journey's End will provide one meal for someone in need in their local community, for each bottle purchased. Brambles, plum and gentle spice on the nose, a little suggestion of bubblegum perhaps. In the mouth it is juicy and fruity, a hint of sappiness is refreshing, the oak not apparent as it finishes with some sweetness from residual sugar, but balanced acidity and a modest tannic grip.
(2023) I often find the sweet spot for me with age statement Tawny Ports is 20-Year-Old, but Taylor's wines are lovely across the spectrum including this 10-Year-Old. Light ruby/tawny colour. Spicy, with lots of walnutty and caramel notes, exotic spices and tobacco. Fruit comes to the fore on palate, red berries perhaps, but the mellow barrel-aged warmth re-emerges into a long finish with a little bolstering tannin and good acidity. What a delight this would be with a baked fig pudding or chunk of mature cheddar.
(2023) This is nicely vibrant and tropical-fruited Sauvignon Blanc, with grapes sourced from cooler climate vineyards in Elgin, Walker Bay, Darling, and Stellenbosch, as well as selected parcels from the Breedekloof region. Perhaps it's that blending of soils and climates that gives the wine both body and ripeness, and plenty of keen acidity. It sees no oak, but is aged on the lees for a few months, which undoubtedly adds an edge of richness to the texture, the succulent mango and lychee exotic fruit flowing into limey acidity at the finish. Nicely done. On offer in Sainsbury's at £7 at time of review. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.
(2023) The Dynamite red is 100% Shiraz grapes, mainly from vineyards in Swartland, Perdeberg, Wellington, and Paarl. From soils predominantly made of decomposed shale and granite, the fruit of the cooler 2021 vintage was harvested two weeks later than average and a portion of the wine was aged in 225-litre barriques, French and American oak, for 12 months. It's a meaty and yet juicy Shiraz, with bags of plummy flavour and a spice kick of tannin, and probably a good contender for summer barbecues.
(2022) From 25-year-old vines on clay and limestone soils, this is a powerful rendition of Sancerre at 14% abv. That fat and generosity is apparent, the nose full of a confit lemon fruitiness, hints of peach and a leafy green herb aspect, but it has definition too. The palate has so much ripeness that it tastes a little sweet, and that butts agains the acidity somewhat. There's no faulting the plump and approachable charm of the wine, but not sure it is my favourite Sancerre style.
(2022) The giant French company behind this product (which I believe is made in Spain) failed to have 'Nosecco' accepted as a brand name, but the intention is surely obvious. It's an alcohol free fizz, or as the label so appealingly puts it, an 'aerated flavoured drink based on de-alcoholised wine'. I have no idea what grapes are used, but that really is unimportant in a product like this, a neutral base sparged with CO2 and flavoured with who knows what. It smells floral and herbal, reminding me of other alcohol free wines flavoured with elderflower and green tea for example, and the considerable sweetness - which I think might be as high as 50g/l of residual sugar - offset by decent levels of acidity to leave it refreshing enough. So why is a serious wine site recommending this? Well it's the start of 'Sober October' for some people looking to have a month without alcohol, and as long as you don't take it - or yourself - too seriously, it does its job well enough at a giveaway price - as low as £2.50 occasionally. Very widely available. Watch the video for more information.
