Re: Summer 2016 | Page 43

WINNING REVIEWED BY WES GAME ENGLAND Albourne Estate, Bacchus FRANCE Louis Moreau, Petit Chablis, Chardonnay £13 AlbourneEstates.co.uk £11 Waitrose/Majestic I’m a great fan of English sparkling wine, but not of still wine….or am I? This wine won “Overall Winner UK Wine of the Year 2015”. I had heard of Bacchus as the Greek god of wine, but not as a grape variety. If I had blind tasted this, I would have said it was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and crisp with plenty of grapefruit and a little gooseberry, it has great acidity and a long length of flavour. I then read the label to find it describes itself as similar in style to a New World Sauvignon Blanc and is produced overlooking the South Downs near Brighton. Well I never! You’ll have to wait until 2015’s is released this summer to get some. You won’t regret it. Louis Moreau founded the vineyard in 1814 and now has its 6th generation family member running the estate. Chablis produce the best white wines of Burgundy, which is why some prices reflect this. Chardonnay is one of the most versatile grape varieties and depending on how the wine is made, and if it is oaked, can have a huge impact on the flavour of the wine. This example is light and crisp with plenty of green apples, grass and citrus aromas. There is a flinty mineral impression also as this wine is unoaked. Chill for a day and share a bottle, if you can, whilst enjoying the summer sun (I’m writing this in hope!). SPAIN La Cantera Reserva, Tempranillo & Garnacha FRANCE Les Charmes De Bastor Lamontagne – Sauternes, Semillon £8 Laithwaites £11 half bottle, Laithwaites I have to declare my personal interest in this wine as it has been one of my favourites for the past few years, and not just because it’s great value! Made by Javier Domeque in the Carinena region of Spain, it is often overlooked by its famous neighbour Rioja. Made from Garnacha and Tempranillo (the grape of Rioja), this wine is medium bodied and easy to drink with or without food. Whilst it has been in oak barrels for 14 months, it only has subtle vanilla and oak flavours. Cherry red in colour with red fruit flavours, this wine is more complex than you would think for the price. The wine is stored in the bottle for several years before being released to drink so it is velvety smooth. I have no idea how it can be sold for under £10. Sauternes is famous in Bordeaux for its sweet dessert wines and this one is no exception. The Semillon grape is very thin skinned and is susceptible to botrytis/noble rot. Grown near the Garonne River, the cool misty condition cause the grapes to rot in the autumn. This produces a low yield of grapes with high intensity of flavours and sweetness but balanced with high acidity. This gives plenty of apricot and toffee aromas together with the expected marmalade flavours and perhaps a hint of candy floss. Enjoy with a creamy summer dessert. 41