David Dudley-Jones started his wine business a decade ago, specialising in ‘traditional’ wines, which for the large part means European examples from classic regions, but by no means confined to the great growths of Bordeaux or Burgundy. The full list can be downloaded from DJFW’s simple web site at www.djfw.co, though purchases can only be made by telephone or via the web site’s contact form. It is nice to look at small, quality importers and retailers now and again, and this sample of three wines shows that David chooses some delightful wines, and that prices are very competitive. David also sells to the trade, but prices shown below include VAT for private customers, and he offers a further 10% discount on unmixed cases of these wines. This was a really nice showing of three excellent, well-priced wines that are not generally available through other retailers, and an example of why the independent wine trade is so important for discerning, quality-led wine drinkers in the UK.
the wines
Pflüger, Riesling Trocken 2013, Germany
A Riesling Trocken, meaning ‘dry’ in German, this wine comes from the Pfalz, a more southerly German wine region where grapes have a little extra ripening power. It is very fresh, at the moment with a tiny spritz of Carbon dioxide on the tongue, but that is just its youth – this is a dry, still table wine. The 11.5% alcohol makes it very easy to drink, opening with aromas of fresh sliced apple and pear, a hint of citrus zest and of almond blossom – very spring like. On the palate it is just delicious. A fine core of acidity gives that crisp orchard fruit balance again of tartness and sweetness, with a lovely saline note adding a savoury aspect on the finish. 88/100. £9.75, Dudley Jones Fine Wine. (See my video review of this wine).
Musso, Langhe Nebbiolo 2011, Italy
I know to my cost that this 14.5% abv Nebbiolo from Piedmont is dangerously drinkable! I had intended to have one glass of this after a week’s holiday in Spain drinking mostly rather heavier Rioja and Ribera del Duero reds, and the exuberant crunch and vitality of this youthful Nebbiolo was utterly disarming well into a third! A beautifully cherry-ripe, spicy nose leads on to a palate that is vinous and edged with bittersweet liquorice and clove to abundant black fruit. It’s full but not at all heavy, and has good balance. 89-90/100. £14.00, Dudley Jones Fine Wine.
Rizzi, Barbaresco Cru ‘Rizzi’ 2007, Italy
Along with Barolo, Barbaresco is the other ‘great’ Nebbiolo wine of Piedmont. This example is a blend from several vineyard plots in the Rizzi estate, which at 90 acres is one of the largest in Barbaresco. Fermented in stainless steel, it spends 12-15 months in 500-litre oak barrels before a final 12 months in concrete and steel tanks before bottling. There’s a nicely pale, garnet colour, and quite lifted aromatics suggesting flowers, fresh green seeds and spices, and an elegant cherry fruit. It’s not a lightweight wine with 14% alcohol, but the palate does not betray that too much. There is a little vanilla note, also a certain gravelly solidity, and whilst it may not be the most softly seductive of Nebbiolos, it has lovely character and balance. 90-91/100. £27.50, Dudley Jones Fine Wine.