A&R Boy Meets Girl Gewurztramer 2013

From - Victoria, Australia
Grape - Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris
Price - (latest vintage not currently available)
Alcohol - 12.5% ABV
From - Naked Wines

Appearance - Clear; medium- intensity; lemon-gold

Nose - Clean; medium intensity; developing; exotic fruit and floral

Palate - Dry; medium + acidity; medium alcohol; medium body; medium intensity; medium+ length; pears and apples, papaya, a touch of savoury spice.

Balance - 7  Length - 7  Intensity - 6 Complexity - 6.5

This was a gift from a very kind lady.  It is very fruity and tasty, and would make a great aperitif and a useful accompaniment to a creamy curry (such as Thai).  Very nice indeed.  The same blend as Hunky Dory The Tangle reviewed previously, which possibly just edges it between the two but they are both good.

Here are some Gewurztraminer grapes on the vine

Chateau de Fesles Chenin Sec 2011

From - Loire, France
Grape - Chenin Blanc
Alcohol - 13.5%
Price - £13.99
Available - waitrosecellar.com; Ocado

Appearance - Clear, medium intensity, golden

Nose - Clean; medium intensity; developing; floral, pear, honey

Palate - Dry; medium+ acidity; medium+ alcohol; medium+ body; medium intensity; pears, limes, smoke, savoury spice.

Balance - 7.5 Length - 7  Intensity -7  Complexity - 7

An acidic white with silky mouth-feel, and a good length.  This would be a good aperitif and worked well with the Thai curry we had.  Pleasant enough, although I am not sure it'd be one I'll be looking out for, in the future.  High acid should make it last well and I think that it would improve with age.

Salwey Oberrotweiler Kasleberg Spatburgunder 2011

From - Baden, Germany
Grape - Pinot Noir
Alcohol - 13%
Price - £14
From - Laithwaite's

Appearance - Clear; medium- appearance; ruby

Nose - Clean; medium intensity; developed; red fruit, decomposing leaves

Palate - Dry; medium+ acidity, medium- tannin; medium alcohol; medium body; medium+ intensity; cherries, redcurrant, leather, decomposing leaves, earth, other vegetal.

Balance - 7; Length - 8 Intensity - 7.5  Complexity - 9

I was lucky enough to try this wine at a Laithwaite's tasting in Ipswich earlier this year.  In the midst of many good wines, this stuck out as a really exceptional one and the pick of the bunch.  I headed home with a bottle, with the intention of opening it on successful completion of my Wine Specialist course.  Having heard of my success on Monday, the bottle was promptly opened.  I did wonder whether it would live up to my recollection, and my goodness it did. 

Most of you will be familiar with Pinot Noir, and I've reviewed a few.  I am a big fan.  Generally PN is drunk young, as the fruitiness will fade over time.  However, I had heard tell of the delicious, strange complexity that careful ageing can give to a very good PN, and this provided me with such an experience.  You have your lovely red fruit coming through loud and clear, but it is accompanied by a very distinct vegetal taste which includes that aroma of rotting leaves that you may get on a country walk this time of year.  That may sound weird, and it probably is, but I cannot begin to tell you just how delicious it is.  I am not given to hyperbole, but I genuinely cannot imagine a more satisfying bottle of wine.  Not to my palate, anyway.

The aspects of the palate are not particularly balanced, as you will see, but the balance of fruit and vegetal/animal flavours is great.  I think I would drink this vintage now, as time would fade the fruit and bring the vegetal more to the fore, which I do not think would be an improvement on now.  I have scored the complexity high because of the strange and wonderful combination of flavours that have occurred due to high quality fruit and careful ageing.

Dourthe St Emiilon Montagne St Emillon 2012

From - Bordeaux, France
Grape - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Price - £11.79
Alcohol - 13%
Available - Waitrose; Ocado

Appearance - Clear; medium intensity; ruby-garnet

Nose - Clean; medium intensity; developed; fruits of the forest, sweet spice.

Palate - Dry; medium+ acidity; medium tannin; medium to medium+ alcohol; medium body; medium intensity; medium length;  black cherry, blueberry.

Balance - 8 Length - 6  Intensity - 6 Complexity - 6

This is a pleasant, fairly smooth Bordeaux blend.  It is a good bottle, but I don't rate it quite as highly as the Douro and Les Dauphins recently reviewed.  It will be a good match for meat, so those of a carnivorous persuasion can certainly bring your Dourthe to the slaughter!

St Emilion vineyard shown in the picture below.

Petaluma Shiraz 2010

From - Adelaide Hills, Australia
Grape - Shiraz
Alcohol - 14%
Available from - Majestic
Price - £18

Appearance - Clear; medium+ intensity; garnet

Nose - Clean; medium+ intensity; developing; ripe red fruit, cinnamon.

Palate - Dry; medium acidity; medium+ tannin; medium+ alcohol; medium+ body; medium+ intensity; medium+ length; as per nose, plus anise and cloves.

Balance - 8.5 Length - 7.5  Intensity - 7  Complexity - 7.5

This is a delicious, smooth Shiraz.  The fruit tastes beautifully ripe, and the oak influence adds complexity in a fairly subtle way.  The ripeness means that the tannins are very smooth.  The alcohol taste on the palate is just a touch more to the fore than I prefer, although it is very warming on a cool evening.  I have a second bottle, and I am looking forward to seeing how this develops, if I can have the patience and self control to leave it in the rack.