Clear, opaque garnet. Good intensity nose of oak, black cherry and raisin. The maturity of the nose is defied by the freshness of the fruit on the palate. More like an Aussie fruit bomb than a Bordeaux, with high alcohol and still-rough tannins. Delicious but could be better integrated and more complex. Probably at its best now.
Panagapka’s Pinots are never ready to drink on release, but being a startup virtual winery, he has to get these wines to market to pay the bills. The wine shows best after several hours of decanting, or better yet, a couple years of cellaring. The first aromas are of earth, sweet oak, warm cherries and forest floor. But as it opens up, it shows more ripe red fruits and less organic notes. It has a silky feel on the palate, with red fruits folding into cedar and spice. Not an overdone Pinot, but rather one that straddles the line between masculine and feminine.
Clear brass-yellow colour proclaims maturity, but the aroma is of a perfectly ripe McIntosh wearing banana cologne. Medium bodied with a pleasant lemony acidity, it’s a tropical fruit salad in your mouth. Perfectly mature now, it will drink well to 2016, maybe longer. Outstanding with a delicate fish.
Bright, pale straw colour; minerally, white peach and lemon zest nose; medium-bodied, dry, round on the palate with peach and lemon flavours augmented by a floral note. Beautifully balanced and lingering. Delicious. Drink now through 2020.
Limoux is the birthplace of sparkling wine, some 150-plus years before Dom Pérignon even touched a grape in the Champagne region. Made in the traditional method, this blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Noir and Mauzac possesses pinpoint bubbles and a personality of apple, citrus, pear, white peach, wax, anise and yeast. Long finish. Superb value, and one that easily shames many Champagnes at double or triple the price.
Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from DO La Mancha fill out this smooth, full blend, redolent with sun-baked black fruits, liquorice, pipe tobacco and sweet spice, and built on 6 months in American and French oak. Tannins are supple, dusky and downy textured through the pencil-laden, drying finish. Some interesting detailing here, and worth adding into your mid-week rotation, especially with grilled sausages.
Ruby-purple. Fresh nose of ripe red fruits (raspberry), pepper and oak notes. Nice volume in the mouth, refreshing fruity taste, almost tender tannins. Turns a bit firm in the moderately long finish. Drink within a year with charcuterie.