Super Syrah

A couple of great Syrah/Shiraz that I’ve enjoyed lately, they both show the elegance that this versatile grape is capable of.

G6 Bethany 2006 Barossa Shiraz £14.50 Lancelot Wines, East Molesey

I bought this expecting the the big block-buster shiraz one might expect from the Barossa, it was to go with some spicy BBQ food, however it was better than that! Certainly the nose lived up to expectation; intense red fruit with plenty of red and brambly fruit, spicy cinnamon, pepper and vanilla with a hint of cocoa. The colour is more subtle, paler than many of it neighbours and the favour is gentle and elegant, smooth, deep with pronounced red cherries with a touch of pepper.

Paul Jaboulet Aine, St Joseph “Le Grand Pompee” 2007 (half), £9.25 for the 2009 Wine Society

I was luckily enough to win this bottle and thought it would be wonderful with some grilled lamb, I wasn’t wrong. The colour was mid plum, with a hint of brick at the edges indicating some bottle age. The wine smelled divine, sweet red and bramble fruit with liquorice and old leather chairs, soft but restrained. It tasted wonderful, smooth but with balanced, firm tannins, a delicate mouthful of bitter strawberries, dry but with luscious fruit, a very classy wine.

Great Big Brand Aussie

It was trophy day at the International Wine Challenge this week and also a chance for the trade and consumers to try 130 of the 400+ gold medal winning wines. I was pouring some top grade Aussie wines from Wolf Blass. The brand is very familiar for its reliable, large chain red and yellow generic Aussie classics but offers some premium blends that are worth seeking out. Up from the red and yellow label, the firm offers a silver, gold, grey, black and its top platinum labels. No doubt someone at brand development was recruited from Mastercard!

Here are my thoughts on the IWC winning wines;

Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills 2008 (£15)

Adelaide Hills is one of the cooler Australian wine regions and the grapes are sourced from across the area. Pale straw in colour with a rich, clean nose, no mistaking this as an Aussie chardonnay. The flavour is led with a strong citrus flavour with a little pineapple behind. A very refreshing flavour and a well balanced wine.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills 2010 (£15)

A better vintage from, the 2010 was still coming together, but was clearly richer on the nose and palate. The citrus notes where still abundant with a rounder, buttery back bone. Not finished and will be a much nicer wine in two years time than the 2008 is right now.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling, Eden Valley and Clare Valley 2010 (£15)

Great value from Australia’s top Reisling growing areas, at 400m+ both these regions are cool and this give this wine is crisp, limey acidity. With Clare known for its minerality and Eden for a more floral style, this wine brings both together, there is a hint of the petrol notes that will develop over time. A beautifully clean and refreshing wine that I would match with grilled sardines.

Wolf Blass Platinum Label Shiraz, Barossa 2006 (£75)

A block-busting Shiraz from the best area in Australia, this is as close as Wolf Blass does to a single estate, 80% from one lot, which can vary each year. The wine is still very young, dense and deep purple in colour it boasts and intense nose of leather, dark fruits, ground coffee and liquorish. The flavour is intense and still closed, if you are going to drink it now decant hours before drinking. Despite its youth, its is still yielding oral pressure and will develop for another 10-15 years at least. 

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Mas Belles Eaux Vin de Pays de Caux Rosé 2010 (£7.95,fromvineyardsdirect.com; 12.5% abv), an elegant blend of syrah and mourvèdre from an estate just north of Pézenas . At that price it is at least £2 less than a comparable Provençal rosé would be.

Neutral, minerally whites such as the flexible Austrian grüner veltliner really useful. Waitrose has a good offer on the Domäne Wachau Terraces Grüner Veltliner 2010(12% abv), which from next Wednesday will be reduced from £8.49 to £6.36 (though you may well find the 2009, which is also fine).

Australian chardonnay with some bottle age, such as the sumptuously creamy Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2008, from Margaret River (14.5% abv), currently £23 from the Wine Society, it's perfect for scallops, salmon, roast chicken or veal, so covers a fair number of menu options.

Reds that you can chill and drink with fish are also handy, for instance a beaujolais, Loire red or a pinot noir. The luscious Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2009 from Chile (£9.59 if you buy two or more at Majestic; 14.5% abv) should keep everyone happy. It's really impressive for a big brand.

Honest Aussie Chardonnay

Snapper Cove SE Australia 2010 £5. Just a quaffing wine the the Mrs bought; acids are limey, tropical fruit, obvious but acceptable oak.
good value