Save over 5% on a 12 bottle case featuring one of each of the following bottles tasted and mentioned by Olly Smith in his wine newsletter, Hot Bottle (Monday 27th July 2020). Olly’s notes follow. Whites 2019 La Fruitière Vignes Blanches, Val de Loire IGP, Famille Lieubeau – £10.50 Blended from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and […]
Grown on the lower hills above Kurtatsch. They write: ‘Lagrein is Alto Adige’s oldest grape variety. It flourishes best in the deep, warm soils in Bolzano (the suburb of Gries) and the South Tyrolean Lowlands (Kurtatsch) that are made up of clay and sand as well as gravelly deposits from rivers and streams that break […]
Clayey vineyard in Glen, in the commune of Montan. Sunny days and cool nights. No information given on the winemaking. Light cherry red. Subtle red fruit on the nose with a very slight rubbery note that I think is just a touch of youthful reduction that will disappear with aeration. Juicy, fresh and lively on […]
The name Caliz apparently derives from the Latin terms calix (calyx) und calx (limestone). Caliz grows exclusively on light gravelly soil with a high share of limestone at 250–500 m. The yield is reduced to 65 hl per hectare (modest for the region). Fermented in tank and aged on lees in large oak. Inviting, rather […]
Some viognier is heady and creamy in style; this one is more of an aperitif, more refreshingly green and clean, though still with a honeysuckle scent. I found it needed decanting to open it out: just pour it vigorously into a jug and give it a good swirl around your glass. in , 17th July […]
Although this does have the comforting richness so typical of Saint Emilion it’s more towards the perfumed than the dense, spicy, tannic spicy fruitcake end of the scale. I loved it. in , 11th July 2020
In Piedmont, where this is from, dolcetto loses out because everyone wants to talk about nebbiolo. A criminal shame when a wine is as attractive as this one: deep purple, a silky tease of dark cherries and violets. in , 11th July 2020
Haynes, Hanson & Clark says this red bordeaux has been flying out of its stockroom and it’s easy to see why. Made in an excellent vintage from mostly (80%) merlot, it’s juicy and moreish while retaining a sense of place. in , 11th July 2020
Romania is a secretly good source of everyday drinking (as opposed to sublimely hedonistic) pinot noir and this one shows why: it sings of summer with scents of red berries and cherry blossom, with a gentle rosewoody spice in the background. in , 11th July 2020
From one of the Sancerre satellites in the Loire, this white is a very classy sauvignon blanc that is thick with flavours of grass and nettles with an elderflower lift. So good at the end of a hot day. in , 11th July 2020