Journey's End Sir Lowry Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

From - Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape - Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol - 14%
Available from - Waitrose,
Price - £14.99

Appearance - dark ruby-garnet, medium+ intensity, clear

Nose - Clean; medium intensity; developing; plums, dried fruit, cinnamon, vanilla

Palate - dry; medium+ alcohol; medium acidity; medium+ body; medium tannin; medium intensity; medium+ length; plums, cloves, tobacco, vanilla.

Balance - 7  Length - 8  Intensity - 6.5  Complexity - 8

I got this on recommendation from a real expert, and it does not disappoint.  Cabernet Sauvignon from the new world is known for being softer and richer than their friends in Bordeaux, and indeed the tannin present here is not particularly mouth-drying.  This looks great in the glass, is a real mouthful (that is, it has plenty of body) and the time in oak was well spent, giving it the complexity that I have described.  I have a bottle in my 'time machine' (a box that I have just put away for at least two years) and I am expecting a good reward from this for my patience.  It is quite splendid now, however.

If you are wondering, I don't have a bias for South African wine, but I may be developing one, at least a bit!

Mas Amiel Maury 2011

From - Rousillon, France
Grape - Grenache
Alcohol - 16%
Available from - bancroftwines.com, theperfectcellar.com
Price - £21.99

Appearance - Clear; medium+ intensity, tawny

Nose - Clean, medium- intensity; developing;  Bramble, nutmeg, pepper.  Very pleasant nose.

Palate - medium sweetness; medium+ acid; medium- tannin; medium+ alcohol; medium+ intensity;  full body.  Blackberry, cassis, candy, coffee, cloves, raisins.

Balance - 6.5  Length - 7 Intensity - 7.5 Complexity - 9

We attended a tasting at Arlington's in Ipswich last evening, presented by Neil McAndrew of Bancroft Wines.  It was great as usual, and this wine was particularly enjoyable.  Although a dessert wine, it was not very sweet, I have captured it as medium sweetness, and it had a thrilling combination of flavours as each mouthful passed slowly by.  It was the most expensive of the evening but you could tell it was a very well made wine.  It was served lightly chilled which was very agreeable.

We were informed that this wine is made in the same way as Port, in that spirit is pitched into the wine when it reaches the right level of residual sugar, the spirit then raising the alcohol level.

My next favourite from the evening, if you're asking, was Bourgogne Blanc Vielle Vignes, from Christophe Cordier, France.  A very dry white Burgundy with apples, mineral and smoke, and plenty of body.  It would be a good food wine.  Cool bottle and label, too.

Domaine des Homs Viognier 2013

From Pays d'Oc, France
Grape - Viognier
Alcohol - 13.5%
Available from - languedocwineshop.com; de Druiventros, Wassenaar NL
Price 10-14 euro

Appearance - Clean; medium- intensity; lemon

Nose - Clean; medium+ intensity; developing; floral, apple, stone fruit; nettle.

Palate - Dry; medium+ body; medium acid; medium+ alcohol; medium+ length; apple, floral, smoke

Balance - 7.5  Length - 8  Intensity -7  Complexity - 6.5

Viognier is well known for its aromatics and often features in blends with other grapes to add aroma.  Very enjoyable although the alcohol felt a bit to the fore.  This would be great for an aperitif, and it has more body than I expected, and great length.

George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2014

From - Beaujolais, France

Grape - Gamay

Alcohol - 12%

Available from - Waitrose

Price - £7.99

Appearance - Clear; medium intensity; ruby

Nose - Clean; medium- intensity; cherries, redcurrants, a touch floral

Palate - Dry; medium acid; medium alcohol; low tannin; medium length; medium body; sour red fruit, slightly earthy.

Balance - 8  Length - 5.5  Intensity - 5.5 Complexity - 5

Beaujolais Nouveau is a 'harvest to table' wine that is produced quickly to a good standard, but must be drunk promptly, as the vibrant fruit will simply fade and it will go off before very long.  Around this time of year, every year, this wine drops on a specific date which is rather hyped, but the buzz encourages people to drink a drop of wine, so I'm all for it.

Georges DuBoeuf's Beaujolais Nouveau has won a rather prestigious gong, it seems.  Namely, the Lyon-Beaujolais Gold Medal.  BN is generally light and fruity, but this seems to have something just a touch extra. It is going down really quickly!  

Waitrose Partnership Solera Jerezana Palo Cortado

From - Jerez, Spain
Grape - Palomino
Alcohol - 19% abv
From - Waitrose
Price - £9.75

Appearance - Clear, medium intensity, amber

Nose - Clean; intentionally oxidised; developed; nuts and grapes

Palate - dry; medium+ acid; high alcohol; full bodied; medium intensity; medium+ length, at least; nuts (hazelnuts, almond), blackstrap molasses.

Balance - 5 Length - 8 Intensity - 6 Complexity - 7

This is a really good, grown-up bottle of sherry at a great price. It was the perfect match for the cashew nut paella that I prepared for dinner (or tea, for Northern readers!).  In fact, what else could we have had with it?  Having considered what a big element of the flavour reminded me of, I came very much to the conclusion that it was blackstrap molasses, although this wine is not at all what you would call sweet.

The solera system is where sherry producers blend younger wines over time, usually annually, to their product, thus producing a final wine that is hopefully consistent.  Sherry's distinct flavour is caused by deliberate oxidisation, that is that it is allowed to 'go off'.  This makes sherry the delight it is, but would be grim with many other wines.  If you have a wine that has been exposed to air for so long, you might notice that the smell becomes similar to sherry.

Southern Right Pinotage 2012

From - Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Walker Bay, South Africa
Grape - Pinotage
Alcohol - 14% abv
Available from - Waitrose, strictlywine.co.uk
Price - £13.99

Appearance - Clear, medium+ intensity, ruby-red

Nose - Clean, medium intensity, developing, red cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, herbs.

Palate - dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, medium+ alcohol, medium+ body, medium+ length, berries, cherries, a touch of coffee on the aftertaste, with other oak elements.

Balance - 8.5  Length - 8  Intensity - 8 Complexity - 8

A real treat.  The balance may go even higher with bottle ageing as the alcohol is just a touch high in the mix in my opinion, notwithstanding a lovely bottle of wine, I can imagine this with 'gravy dinners' as they are called in this house. Loads of length, which makes it great value. The tannin levels seem to be significant but the ripe fruit means that they aren't  mouth drying.  This is easily worth the price tag, and the bottle will be gone by the time the football finishes this evening, for sure! I enjoyed the Barbaresco, this is better!

The Pinotage grape is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault.

Interestingly, this wine is named after Southern Right whales, who are neighbours to the vineyard.  You can see one in the picture below, and I understand that some of the takings from the wine goes towards their conservation.

Künstler Hockheime Holle Riesling Kabinett 2013

From - Rheingau, Germany
Grape - Riesling
Alcohol - 12%
Available from - waitrosecellar.com, Ocado (2012 vintage)
Price - £16.99

Appearance - Clear; medium- intensity; lemon

Nose - Clean; medium- intensity; developing; apple, peach, mineral.

Palate - Off-dry; medium+ acidity; medium alcohol, medium+ body; medium intensity; apple, mineral, citrus. medium length.

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

A grape that my partner is becoming very fond of.  It may now be her favourite.  This is a really nice example (as you would expect at this price) that has a touch of sweetness but plenty of acid.  It was gone in a few minutes.

Araldica Corsini Barbaresco 2011

From - Piemonte, Italy
Grape - Nebbiolo
Alcohol - 14%
From - Waitrose, Taylor's Fine Wine
Price - £12.99

Appearance - Clear; pale; ruby; clear at rim.  Thick 'legs'

Nose - Clean; medium+ intensity; developing; floral, cherries; chocolate, vanilla

Palate - Dry; medium acidity; medium tannin; medium+ alcohol; medium body; medium intensity; medium+ length; Very red cherry, berries, cloves, chocolate, a touch of musk.

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

It's a hit.

I was seduced into buying this one by the promise of coffee and chocolate flavours.  Although I could discern the chocolate, I couldn't get the coffee.  A fellow member of this household, interestingly, could discern the coffee but not the chocolate. Hopefully the coffee will come through with glass number 2.  It is surprisingly light and really agreeable, and with enough oak complexity, and plenty of length.  Being Italian, it undoubtedly designed to drink with food, so I'm getting the passata out as I type.  At 14% it would be very easy to get drunk quickly on this!

Here are some Nebbiolo grapes to get you in the mood.