A traditional method sparkling wine made from 100% Chardonnay. A fine stream of bubbles in the glass with persistent mousse. Lifted notes of fresh apple, citrus and brioche before a generous, creamy mouthfeel with good structure, grapefruit and lemon hints, through a textured close.
Floral and tropical notes on top before a layered and generous off-dry palate of lychee, guava and citrus hints with a lingering end.
World-renowned consultant and Pomerol vintner Michel Rolland put his mark on this full-bodied, Merlot-dominant blend. Beautiful floral and black plum aromas. Complex, seductive flavours of ripe black fruits, dark chocolate and savoury spice. Great texture and balance. Long, complex finish. Poised for game stew.
Very deep garnet with fine suspended particles. Complex, port-like nose: Thompson raisins, dates, brandied cherries. A bit hot from the high alcohol typical for Amarones, with highish acidity and still-noticeable tannins, but surprisingly fresh and fruity, tasting of mashed ripe red berries with a bit of bitter almond on a long finish. Classic with rich osso bucco and herbed polenta. Best now.
Pale silvery yellow. Typical and vigorous nose of apple, banana, peach and spice. Granny Smith apple on the palate, lots of fruit extract balanced by nice acidity. In a different class from the average wine-lake Soave.
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.
This highly stylistic sparkler, which spends two years on its lees, is lean and precise with a saline nose of sea breeze, toasted vanilla, brioche and fresh cut citrus. It’s bracingly dry on the palate, layered and textured, with energy and verve that serve the sharp citrus and green apple notes well. Can only imagine how this would pair with fresh island crab.