Re: Autumn 2016 | Page 47

WINNING REVIEWED BY WES GAME FRANCE Domaine Gadais – Muscadet. AUSTRIA Danaris – Gruner Veltliner £8 Majestic/Laithwaites/Marks and Spencer £8 Majestic & Sunday Times Wine Club This wine is a little different and comes from the Loire Valley. The Muscadet grape (also call Melon de Bourgogne and Melon Blanc) has a more subtle flavour compared to New World Sauvignon Blancs. Recently a friend you doesn’t like white wine actually drank a glass! This Muscadet is “sur Lie” which means the wine has spent more time in contact with the lees (sediment at the bottom of the tank once fermentation is completed). This adds additional flavours e.g. grapefruit, melon and sometimes yeast. This wine also has a small amount of natural fizz, which gives a different perspective on the wine. Be adventurous and try it. Austrian wine is not just becoming known in Europe but also worldwide. Its signature grape variety, Gruner Veltliner, gives a very elegant and crisp wine. With green apples and soft fruit aroma, this slight off-dry wine is best drunk young as it has not been aged in oak. With more pear flavours than citrus it also has a slight mineral taste. Overall a pleasant surprise and different to other mainstream whites. FRANCE Tuffeau – Chenin Blanc FRANCE Chateau Malescasse – Cabernet Sauvignon £9-10 Laithwaites. £12 Laithwaites A medium bodied white from the Loire region of Saumur which is renowned for Chenin Blanc. Loire is France’s longest river and has a huge range of vineyards, grape varieties and wine regions. The cooler climate here gives this pale gold coloured wine some gentle zing. Citrus flavours are dominant but also peach and melon add complexity. It’s still light and crisp with the stoney/mineral impression. Very easy to drink and another classis Loire Valle wine. Another great Bordeaux classic from the HautMedoc Region. This vineyard lies between the famous Margaux and Pauillac regions on the Left Bank of Bordeaux. Whilst dark red in colour it’s not a blockbuster of a wine. It’s a little more elegant and smooth with plenty of blackcurrant and dark fruit flavours. There’s certainly some vanilla and light oak flavours as you would expect but there is also some peppery damson aromas. Very smooth with plenty of flavours lingering on your taste buds. A great wine from a great region. 45