WINNING
REVIEWED BY WES GAME
FRANCE
Reserve Des Capouliers – Chateauneuf du Pape
FRANCE
Chateau Massac Seguineau, Margaux
£20 Majestic
£15 Majestic
Chateauneuf Du Pape is a wine region in the
Southern Rhone area of France. Quality and
styles can vary as up to 13 different grape
varieties can be blended to make their wines.
This wine uses the 3 main traditional grape
varieties, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
with a little Cinsault. Grenache needs hot dry
summers in order to ripen and this helps to
give a rich medium/full bodied wine. Plenty of
powerful black fruit flavours with some spice and
liquorice. Best to decant an hour beforehand
to get the best aromas. A great example of a
quality Chateauneuf du Pape. Even better when
on offer at £15.
Margaux is one of the top 4 regions within the
Haut-Medoc area of Bordeaux (the largest wine
region in France) and its wines are held in high
regard. As with most Bordeaux wines, this
wine is made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot adds richness
and body with plum flavours. The Cabernet
Sauvignon gives tannin and blackcurrant
flavours. The Cabernet Franc gives a deepcoloured wine and complex spicy flavours. This
has resulted in a well-crafted wine that takes well
to being aged in oak and will keep for 5 or more
years now it has been bottled. Great flavours
that linger in the mouth. A must have with a roast
dinner! You won’t see many bottles of Margaux
for £15 so stock up now.
SOUTH AFRICA
Clearsprings, Sauvignon Blanc
USA
The Inaugural R Collection, Zinfandel
£7 Sainsbury’s
£10 Laithwaites
South African wines have continued to improve
over the last 20 years and whilst I’m not a big
fan of some supermarket wines, I think this
is a great example. 90% of South African
wines come from the Western Cape, where
the Mediterranean-like climate is kept from
overheating with breezes from the Atlantic and
the Antarctic. Clearsprings is very similar to a
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This wine was
fermented in stainless steel tanks at 15 degrees
Celsius, which gives it a really crisp, clean
feel in the mouth. The flavours are citrus and
gooseberry as you would expect. Not as sharp
and austere as similar priced Sauvignon Blancs.
A great value wine. Yes, I would buy it again,
especially with summer coming…hopefully!
Zinfandel is genetically equivalent to Italy’s
Primitivo, and can produce some full-on red
wines. Produced in the Napa Valley, one of
the most sought after and expensive vineyard
areas in California, this medium-bodied red
has a lovely red crimson colour. Full of red fruit
flavours, cherry and ripe plum seem to dominate.
There are some lovely cinnamon and pepper
aromas also. It seems different with every
mouthful, which makes it more enjoyable for me.
It will also keep for a couple of years, so buy a
few when it is in stock and see if you can resist.
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