Purplish. Clean nose of cherry and other red fruits, spices and fruit stones. Medium body, supple, almost silky texture; it gets tighter and has more intensity near the finish of good length. Nice acidity too. Ready to drink.
I eat a lot of beef. Rare, tender, blood-dripping and it always has a bit of searing from high heat on the BBQ. So I look for wines that pair with that style of cooking. Syrah from the Rhône Valley is always a fantastic match and this one, from the still-affordable St-Joseph appellation in the Rhône Valley, works brilliantly with steak. The savoury fruit ranges from field raspberry to blackberry and currants and is backed up by all those lovely earthy Syrah notes of tar, liquorice, violets and pepper spice. Wonderful stuff.
Very pale. Light nose of citrus, sharp minerality (shells), lanolin. Vivid acidity, very light body, refreshing mouthfeel, simple flavour and a clean finish. Drink now.
A well-priced white Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Deep straw colour with a spicy, toasty nose of apples; full on the palate, well-balanced and forward with just enough oak to give it a round mid-palate.
Pale yellow. Discreet, minerally nose, lightly oaked with hints of citrus and ripe white fruits. Fatty mouthfeel, almost creamy in texture with good volume and roundness. There is a nice balance between the acidity and the oak and a good lengthy finish.
Quintessential Pouilly-Fumé. Light straw colour with a nose of elderberries and freshly cut grass; full-bodied and crisply dry with gooseberry and lemon flavours. Mouth-filling and elegant.
Straw yellow. Distinctive nose of citrus, conifer, petrol, sweet apple. Sharp acidity, light body, nice round middle palate and a soft finish of very good length. It drinks nicely now but it will hold 5 years or more in the cellar.