Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2009

After being a bit disappointed with the last South African Chenin Blanc I tried, I was on the lookout for more, hoping to find something that would excite me. Chenin Blanc is after all one of South Africa's signature varieties.

I dropped into Thorold Wines on Sunday, and saw this wine from Raats. I had never heard of it, and had no idea what to expect.

To be honest my experience wasn't that much different from the Ken Forrester wine. I didn't think this had a lot of varietal character, things like apple and honey like I notice in Loire Valley wines. These seem to be sort of neutral, crisp whites that are initially pleasing and refreshing but don't really seem to offer much else.

The Raats website contains some impressive accolades for this wine. Maybe I'm somehow missing the point?

Raats

Original Chenin Blanc 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Thorold Wines

£8.80

2.5/5

Chateau de la Selve Palissaire 2005

This is a blend of 55% Merlot, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from Ardeche in south-central France - Couteaux de l'Ardeche to be exact.

I don't think I've ever had a wine from this region before - it's directly north-west of the southern Rhone appellations of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Lirac, etc. The use of Bordeaux grapes along with the more traditional Rhone varieties is interesting - and it produces a delicious wine.

It's initially soft on the palate, but after a deliciously fruity mouthful it's evident that it also has some good tannic structure. This is a really good wine - I guess you could say it's like a cross between a Rhone and a Bordeaux. It has the fruity ripeness of southern Rhone along with the cherry structure of a Bordeaux. Really good stuff.

Chateau de la Selve

Palissaire 2005

Couteaux de l'Ardeche, Ardeche, France

Thorold Wines

£9.99

4/5

Chateau de Roques Puysseguin-St. Emilion 2005

I picked up this right-bank Bordeaux from Thorold Wines, a local shop which was fortunate enough to feature in this month's (April 2010) Decanter magazine. The subject is a feature on independent wine shops and their place in the community following the collapse of First Quench (Threshers/Wine Rack).

I was looking for a Bordeaux, and Daniel Thorold, the proprietor, actually recommended some 2004s, but I stubbornly choose this 2005 on the basis of the vintage. I think I should have listened to him, because I found this a bit lean and austere, which I wasn't really expecting. In truth I think that's what the shop owner was trying to tell me. It had a tarry nose and good grip, but I think it would have been nicer with Sunday lunch, rather than homemade burgers.

Chateau de Roques

Puysseguin-Saint Emilion 2005

Thorold Wines

£12.95

3/5

David Franz 'Old Redemption' Tawny Port

I don't think I'm supposed to call this port, it being Australian and all, and I respect (and agree with) the rules. Port is from Portugal, and this is fortified wine. I'd also be happy with 'tawny'.

I think this is a wonderful wine. I picked it up for about £16. It's just as good as any 'proper' tawny port I've tried (admittedly not many). It's perhaps not as sweet as this one, but just as complex.

This is the first Australian fortified wine I've tried. Differences between Port and the Aussie version can include grape variety, ripeness levels at harvest time, and the fortifying spirit used. I couldn't find much information at all about this wine unfortunately, and would love to hear from anyone who can supply information regarding all these details. The main difference I noticed was in the nose - this had an fruity, alcoholic, spirity note to it. Perhaps it is the same thing that Jancis Robinson called 'commercial rum essence' in this informative article.

The producer is also of note - David Franz is the son of famed Barossa Valley winemaker Peter Lehmann. Look on their website for a biography. Sadly this wine isn't included in the history, but I imagine the base wine for this has been around longer than David's winery has...

David Franz

'Old Redemption' Tawny Port

Barossa Valley, Australia

Thorold Wines

~£16

4/5

Michel Torino 'Don David' Tannat Reserve 2007

I was walking down a local street a few days ago and noticed a new wine shop had sprung up. It turned out it had only opened about an hour before I noticed it, and the proprietor was none other than Daniel Thorold, who used to co-run The Grape Shop near Clapham Junction. The Grape Shop closed down because of a prohibitive rent increase, so Daniel decided to set up shop in Balham with Thorold Wines.

Daniel decided to organize the wines on his shelves by price instead of region, which is unusual, but the shop is small enough that it's no problem to find what you're looking for. The selection ranges from £5 to over £50.

This Tannat from Argentine producer Michel Torino stood out right away for me. I've heard good things about Michel Torino, and I like grapes like Tannat that have unique character to them. I decided to give it a try (as did the customer before me).

I decanted the wine on the advice of Mr. Thorold, I think for about 2 hours. It was quite good - the most noticeable flavour signature was chocolate, and it had good depth of flavour and nice long finish. Although it was quite powerful and New World in style, it was also quite elegant. Most enjoyable.

Michel Torino

'Don David' Tannat Reserve 2007

Cafayate Valley, Catamarca, Argentina

Thorold Wines

£10.85

3.5/5