January's Recommendations
We rate our wines out of a 100-points scale.
Our reviews and recommendations are completely independent and we do not have any commercial affiliation with the importers and/or retailers listed.
Please note that prices are correct at the time of our tastings/reviews but are subject to change without us being notified.
Sparkling
Adnams English Sparkling Classic Cuvée NV - 90 pts
England, Sparkling Brut White, 12% ABV, cork
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, fish & chips.
A classic non-vintage blend of the champagne grapes, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this is a deliciously bright and refreshingly tangy English fizz. Full of the flavours of orchard fruits and underpinned by light biscuity notes à la champagne to add that extra touch of lees-derived class and texture now showcasing English sparkling wine excellence.
£22.99 available from Adnams
Wine of the Month!!
Raventós i Blanc De La Finca Brut 2015 - 94 pts
Conca del Riu Anoia, Catalonia, Spain, Sparkling Brut White, 12% ABV, natural cork
50% Xarel·lo, 31% Macabeu and 19 % Parellada.
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, seafood platter, grilled white fish, vegetable quiche.
A sparkling with outstanding structure and grip built upon elegant broad-shouldered minerality. An intense citrus edge, combined with ripe hints of orchard fruit, travels from nose to palate where a savoury salinity confirms this is as an excellent pour either on its own or with food. A sublime expression of the Cava varieties and a drinkable explanation of why Pepe Raventós decided to leave the Cava DO.
£22 available from Berry Bros. & Rudd
Fio (Kettern + Niepoort) ‘Piu Piu’ Pét-Nat NV - 94 pts
Mosel, Germany, Sparkling Medium-dry White, 12% ABV, natural cork
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Aperitif, winter salads, mushroom risotto, citrusy desserts.
A very elegant pétillant naturelle with no signs of unwarranted “funkiness”. Clean, juicy and with great varietal character it is a real pleasure to drink. Residual sugar (13.3 gr) and acidity both extremely well integrated and supported by gentle minerality. The soft pétillance and the vibrant aromas of lemon, yellow apple and ripe pear will make it go down fast.
£24-£26 available from multiple stockists (Theatre of Wine, Bottle Apostle, Butlers Wine Cellars, Drinkmonger)
Dry White
Calmel & Joseph Les Cris Saint Chinian Blanc 2017 - 89 pts
Languedoc, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork
Grenache Blanc, Roussanne.
Pairs nicely with: Baked hake, grilled halibut.
Attractively aromatic and fresh, this southern French blend has an appealing opulence and purity of stone fruit flavours with no obtrusive oak. Balancing dry streak of refreshing acidity that cuts through the fruit opulence, leaving the palate refreshed and satisfied.
£13.99 available from Waitrose Cellar
Wine of the Month!!
Voyager Margaret River 2016 - 93 pts
Margaret River, Western Australia, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap
100% Chardonnay
Pairs nicely with: Salmon fishcakes, pan-fried sea bass.
Seductive aromatics mingling fruit purity with the savoury, nutty elements of barrel-fermentation. Peachy opulence on the mid-palate shot through with further complexing nutty notes and balanced by a mouthwatering citrusy acidity in a highly accomplished and engaging Chardonnay.
£24.95 available from Divine Fine Wines
Value choice of the Month
Alheit Limited Release Chenin Blanc 2018 - 91 pts
South Africa, Dry White, 13% ABV, screwcap.
100% Chenin Blanc.
Pairs nicely with: Spaghetti alle vongole, scallop risotto, grilled sardines.
From Chris and Suzanne Alheit, whose Cartology white blend is one of the Cape’s great dry whites, this is also impressive: a florally fragrant, fresh Chenin with underlying smoky and almondy notes in an orchard fruit flavoured, opulent wine with a superb counterpoint of mineral dryness on the finish.
£19.99 (mix six price £14.99) available from Majestic
Agnès Paquet Auxey Duresses 2017 - 91 pts
Burgundy, France, Dry White, 13% ABV, cork.
100% Chardonnay.
Pairs nicely with: Sole meunière, dressed crab.
While impatiently waiting for your en primeur white Burgundy to arrive, you could do a lot worse than delve into this fine example of Chardonnay from the intuitive Agnès Paquet, which is lightly smoky and nutty from oak and intensely flavoured with a stylish concentrated richness that’s elegantly balanced on the finish.
£25 available from Stone, Vine & Sun
Fio (Kettern + Niepoort) ‘Fio Fio’ Mosel Riesling 2013 - 94 pts
Mosel, Germany, Dry White, 10.5% ABV, natural cork
100% Riesling
Pairs nicely with: Creamy pasta dishes, Sole meunière, thai curry.
A very nutty and poised, quasi-Burgundian, nose with elegant toast, almond and apple peel aromas. Fine minerality combined with a gentle creaminess, explained by the fact that this wine is vinified and aged in foudres and aged on its lees. The palate is structured and complex with great integration of vibrant fruit and smoky flavours. Long, lean, mineral finish.
£58-£60 available from multiple stockists (Theatre of Wine, Bottle Apostle, Butlers Wine Cellars, Drinkmonger)
Value choice of the Month
Prince Ştirbey Tămâioasă Românească Sec 2018 - 90 pts
Drăgășani, Romania, Dry White, 12.5% ABV, natural cork
100% Tămâioasă Românească (a local clone of Muscat)
Pairs nicely with: Mezze, pasta with herbs & almond pesto, peruvian fish ceviche.
For little more than a tenner you’ll get this highly enjoyable wine that also makes for a great conversation starter. Prince Ştirbey is one of the wineries in Romania with longer tradition and both its aristocratic owners and German-born head winemaker have a relentless commitment to quality and to local varieties. They were also the first to challenge the local tradition of only making sweet wines from Tămâioasă Românească. This aromatic dry white shines with its rich fruit aromas but has an intriguing structure provided by the 24 hours of skin-maceration prior to fermentation.
£11.50 available from The Wine Society
Cramele Recas Wine Atlas Fetească Regală 2018 - 88 pts
Bannat, Romania, Dry White, 12% ABV, screwcap
100% Fetească Regală
Pairs nicely with: Caprese salad, herb omelette.
This Romanian white, part of Asda’s Wine Atlas line-up, is an absolute steal, delivering much more than its price might modestly promise. The mineral, restrained nose gives way to a pretty off-dry palate of nectarine, pear, lemon zest with medium, but vibrant, acidity. Short, but pleasant, lean finish.
£5.25 available from Asda
Dry Red
Domaine de Montcalmès Terrasses du Larzac 2016 - 91 pts
Languedoc, France, Dry Red, 14.5% ABV, cork
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache
Pairs nicely with: Chicken and ham pie, duck breast.
The fact that this southern French red blend from the talented Frédéric Pourtalié is made from four fifths low-yielding Syrah and Mourvèdre goes part way to explaining its concentration and flavour. The location is also a clue to an expressive cherry-rich wine suffused with local garrigue herb and balanced by judicious use of older oak barrels for texture and fine, youthfully fresh acidity.
£29.75 available from Yapp
Elephant Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah 2016 - 90 pts
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, Dry Red, 13.5% ABV, screwcap
100% Syrah
Pairs nicely with: Grilled lamb chops, new season’s game: roast pheasant, partridge breasts.
In short order, Elephant Hill has come to embody the virtues of southern hemisphere, cool climate Syrah, showing here the bright pepper and spice aromatic notes we’ve come to associate with Crozes-Hermitage. There’s a tarry fragrance continuing to underpin the juicy opulence of barrique-derived, fine-textured, black peppery fruit.
£21.95 available from Corney & Barrow
Mendel Unus 2016 - 91 pts
Mendonza, Argentina, Dry Red, 14.5% ABV, cork
Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Pairs nicely with: Coq au vin, roast beef.
Roberto de la Mota is one of Argentina’s star winemakers and at his boutique Luján de Cuyo winery he has produced a richly concentrated and full-bodied, opulently dark-fruited Malbec. Although still flexing its youthfully adolescent muscle it shows a textured quality supported by a balancing freshness from a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot that makes it a good bet in the deep mid-winter with richly flavoured meat and chicken dishes.
£25 available from The Wine Society
Château Musar Levantine 2017 - 89 pts
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Dry Red, 14% ABV, natural cork
Cinsault, Grenache.
Pairs nicely with: Deluxe hamburger, pork belly.
Gone with the old-style baked Château Musar and in with the bright, fresh, red berry and cherry fruity Musar from Gaston Hochar and Tarek Sakr. Bright fruit flavours and freshness are enhanced by fermentation and storage in concrete rather than oak; all of which underlines this wine’s medium-bodied youthful vigour, gentle grip, and juicy fresh acidity.
£16.50 available from Marks & Spencer
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon, Côte du Py 2017 - 91 pts
Beaujoulais, France, Dry Red, 13% ABV, cork
100% Gamay
Pairs nicely with: Salt beef, charcuterie, roast tarragon chicken.
From high on the hill in the tenderloin of the Morgon cru, this cru Beaujolais from one of its greatest exponents. Jean-Marc Burgaud, is fragrantly floral and spicy. A concentrated dark cherry fruit middle is framed by youthful tannins and a firm acid spine whose structure has seriousness written all over it; so much so that we would urge you to try a bottle now and squirrel a few away for delayed gratification.
£18.95 available from Berry Bros. & Rudd
Prince Ştirbey Novac Sec 2018 - 91 pts
Drăgășani, Romania, Dry Red, 13% ABV, natural cork
100% Novac (a cross of local Negru Vârtos and Saperavi)
Pairs nicely with: Deviled eggs, roast chicken, niçoise.
After you’ve tried their dry Tămâioasă Românească (above) you’ll hopefully be intrigued about other wines from the Ştirbey stable. Their Novac is another great-value pour offering concentrated and complex aromas while retaining restraint and elegance. 12 months ageing on Romanian oak barrels bring it a smokey touch that doesn’t obscure the dark fruit and meaty character of Novac. Nice acidity on the finish.
£13.95 available from The Wine Society
Bruno Rocca Barbera d’Asti 2017 - 94 pts
Piedmont, Italy, Dry Red, 15% ABV, natural cork
100% Barbera
Pairs nicely with: Entrecôte, moussaka, truffled pasta
An intense yet elegant pour with deep black fruit and dried red berries aromas lined by a meaty edge. It lingers on the palate with surprising elegance and zing, supported by subtle tannins, still very young but that will certainly smoothen with time. A wine with great ageing potential. The whooping 15% alcohol is beautifully (and dangerously!) well integrated.
£22.25 available from Exel Wines
Sweet & Fortified
La Guita Manzanilla En Rama NV - 93 pts
Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Jerez, Spain, Fortified, dry, 15% ABV, corkstopper
100% Palomino.
Pairs nicely with: Boquerones, salted nuts, gently cured cheeses, tempura.
‘En Rama’ means that this Manzanilla hasn’t been filtered prior to bottling which allows for the traditional aromas of Manzanilla (green apple, apple blossom, chamomile, olive brine, hazelnuts) to be much more intense and clear-edged. La Guita’s has all this intensity combined with extreme subtlety and elegance. Delightful, long finish with a herbal lining.
£9.00 (37.5 cl) from The Fine Wine Co.