30 Evan Street,

Stonehaven,

Aberdeenshire,

AB39 2ET

 

Tel : 01569 760060

Wine Tasting Notes

Domaine de la Presidente Cairanne

What a refreshing approach! - despite The normal French belief in Terroir 1st, grapes 2nd here is a wine that is not afraid to tell you what you probably want to know – what grapes are in it. This is from the  Central Rhone Valley where the blend must contain at least 40% Grenache but I believe there is much more here as is more often the case in wines from Southern Rhone (about 60%?) and as the label states, the rest is made up from Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan.

Les Chatelaines Cotes du Duras Sauvignon Blanc

The Cotes De Duras is a small Appellation in the Dordogne region that lies to the East of Bordeaux that produces a little amount of red wine, some sweet whites and as here, some excellent Sauvignon Blanc’s. Generally when we think of Sauvignon Blanc and France the well respected Regions of Pouilly Fume and Sancerre from the Loire valley spring to mind, but if you look a little deeper you can find wines such as this with complexity and depth available at a fraction of the price of a comparably flavoured wine from a more established area.

Pelin Chardonnay Brut Blanc de Blancs

 

Another Chardonnay, yes! What most people fail to realize is the part this noble grape plays in most sparkling wines, notably Champagne. Champagne is a blend of up to 3 grapes, two of them red; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and the white Chardonnay. The grapes are crushed, not pressed as to only extract juice not colour before fermentation. Champagne can be a blend of all 3 of theses grapes, made from only the red grapes (a Blanc de Noir) or just the white Chardonnay as we have here (a Blanc de Blanc).

 

Country of origin:  France

Nose: Lemony and subtle.

Taste: Gentle, soft and supple.  The fruit flavours follow the nose and the bubbles are cleansing on the palate.

Finish: Light and easy drinking, ending as softly as it begun.

Overall: Such an easy drinking wine. Great all rounder, good as an aperitif.

Domaine Juliette Avril Châteauneuf-Du-Pape

 

Châteauneuf du Pape is a mixture of up to 13 different grape varieties blended in differing proportions from house to house in the Rhone Valley, prized the world over for its dizzying array of complex flavours and aroma’s. Usually it is best to avoid any example of this regions wares if found below £20 as they will be pale and thin when compared with another just a few pound more as the wine maker may have cut a few corners to keep his costs down, but here I believe I have found an exception to this rule.

 

Country of origin: France

Region: Rhone

Nose: Strawberries with balsamic vinegar and the strong scent of fresh ground black pepper.

Taste: Incredibly complex. Starts light, with even a floral hint, before quickly moving to altogether darker, meaty flavours.

Finish:More pepper comes to the front and it leaves a long, savoury coating.

Overall:   No wine priced around £20 can ever be called a true bargain but many more expensive wines fail to deliver as much as this one.

Zorzettig Pinot Grigio

 

Just as Chardonnay had become a byword for poorly made, clumsy, woody wine Pinot Grigio is now asked for in bars and restaurants around the world without much anticipation of anything interesting at all. The best you normally get is something inoffensive.

A classic example of what happens when major brands and marketers get their teeth into something; style over substance!

 

Country of origin: Italy

Region: Colli Orientali del Friuli

Nose: Clean and grassy, honeydew melon.

Taste: Bright and summery fruits. Honeyed tones give way to a soft nuttiness.

Finish: Dry, but not too much.

Overall:  I bet this wine will surprise you - Pinot Grigio should (as this proves) taste of something!!

Navajas Rosado Rioja 2005

 

Rioja – in my opinion it is the most overrated wine region in the world with most of its examples being too woody and flat, too expensive or unable to get the correct balance between body and fruit. I put more research into this area of my wine range than any other.  That said, like any “rule of thumb” there are exceptions;

I managed to unearth a few bottles with real quality and grace in reds, white and this exceptional Rosado (rose).

 

Country of origin:  Spain

Region:   Rioja

Nose: Fresh, clean and lively fruits.

Taste: Soft and gentle fruits that are balanced wash your palate with a gentle vanilla oak edge.

Finish:  Delicate and aromatic.

Overall:   A full flavoured rose with no sharp edges

J F Protheau Montagny

 

“So what grape variety is this?” you ask.

“It doesn’t matter” says the grower – “but the terroir does”! he continues.

And here begins the difficult journey into the French and their wines.

They know that this wine is made with Chardonnay, but this is a mere foot note as the flavours contained within are as much to do with the land, soil,  field position, sun (and angle of the sun as the growing season changes), etc, etc. The flavours inside are because of this, the Terroir. With no literal English equivalent it is a difficult concept to explain…

 

Country of origin: France

Region:   Burgundy

Nose:      Apples and Vanilla.

Taste:      Delicate and light but not insubstantial.

Finish:    Clean and mellow. Toasty oak resonance.

Overall:   Great Burgundy from a great wine maker.