Battle of the Sauvignon Blancs!

I have always had a soft spot for New Zealand and its wine, and it was a vinous experience way back in the 1990s that proved to be my epiphany – getting me interested in wine in general and New Zealand wines in particular.  A love affair that remains to this day. I tried a wine that was so different from anything I had tasted before – it quite literally grabbed me by the throat with its pungent intensity. …

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Wine Reviews: Clare Valley Rieslings

Last weekend I had a bit of an urge for Riesling and opted for two very different expressions of the grape. I’ve waxed lyrical in the past about my love for Riesling and its inherent versatility (see my Spotlight Riesling post) and I think the two wines reviewed below perfectly demonstrate it. I took two wines – they were both 100% Riesling, they both came from the same country (Australia) and the same region (South Australia), zone (Mount Lofty Ranges)…

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Review of Lyme Bay Pinot Noir 2016 and much more…

Having spent many a summer holiday in my youth down in Lyme Regis and only fleetingly being aware of Lyme Bay Winery predominantly as producers of fruit wines and ciders, imagine my surprise and delight at the recent Wines of Great Britain Trade and Press Tasting to discover this winery offers so much more... A range of sparkling wines: from the finely nuanced Pinot Noir dominant Classic Cuveé 2013 - which was fresh and citrussy with lovely honeyed brioche…

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Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 Doctor’s Creek 2011

Rummaging around my wine collection I came across this bottle I had forgotten I had.  Given it was from 2011 and bearing in mind Southern Hemisphere wines have vintage dates 6 months older than those from the Northern Hemisphere I thought we’d better open it.  That’s not to say NZ Pinot can't be kept for a few years…it most certainly can...but given it was edging 7 years now what better excuse to crack it open?! Saint Clair is a…

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Tupungato Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

I’ve always looked to M&S as a good port of call for High Street wine buys and after recently meeting Emma Dawson MW wine buyer at M&S I have explored their range further. My buy of the week is Tupungato Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 which also happens to be currently on offer with a 25% discount...a bargain £7.12. Tupungato is a northern sub region within the Uco Valley (south of Mendoza), the vineyards are high altitudes with have a…

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