Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Awatere Valley Riesling 2010

Apologies to my readers (if I have any left) for the long absence . Personal circumstances have necessitated it. I've moved my family twice in the last year and we've ended up in a lovely house with no good wine shops around. Also, I don't need to tell anybody about the expense involved with buying and renovating a house, and buying good wine just couldn't be justified.

However I'm trying to get back off the wagon so to speak, and this is a good one to start with. I've always been a fan of New Zealand Riesling and when we did a recent Sainsbury's online order I saw this on offer.

I wouldn't say it's a classic but it's certainly enjoyable. It's a young wine (2010) so it doesn't have any of those secondary flavours that we Riesling geeks love. It's very fresh and has plenty of acidity, almost too much, but also some pleasant honey character. I would like to see what it would be like after a couple of years of bottle age when the acidity is tamed and some secondary flavour sets in. Maybe one for the cellar?

At £9 it may seem steep, but I got it on offer for a couple of pounds less (can't remember the price exactly). If it evolves well it's a bargain.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Awatere Valley Riesling 2010

Marlborough, New Zealand

Sainsbury's

£8.99

3/5

Spy Valley Gewurztraminer 2009

Being a huge fan of Spy Valley's Riesling, I thought I would try out their Gewurztraminer. I can't say Gewurz is my favourite wine - I find it can be hit and miss. Despite the cliché about it matching well with Asian food, in reality I've found it's not that easy to match because it's so characterful.

For example, this particular wine clashed with my food tonight (Ken Hom's chicken with black bean sauce). Something in the food gave the wine a bitter finish - perhaps it was the black beans themselves. Sipping it now on its own, I'm appreciating it much more.

It's quite heavy on the roses, especially on the palate. However it also has a good, crisp acidity and just the right amount of body - the balance is spot on, and the roses linger on the palate for ages.

A bit pricey at £12.49 from Majestic, but we all know that's not the real price. £9.99 when you buy 2 bottles.

Spy Valley

Gewurztraminer 2009

Marlborough, New Zealand

Majestic

£12.49 (£9.99 when you buy 2)

3.5/5

Koopmanskloof Percheron Sauvignon Blanc 2010

A South African Sauvignon Blanc today, and a Fairtrade one at that.

I didn't particularly like it. Its main flavour signatures seemed to be pear and wood smoke, neither of which I really like in my wine. The two flavours dominated and then tapered off to a rough finish.

Fairtrade or not, you can do better than this for South African Sauvignon Blanc, especially at this price.

Koopmanskloof

'Percheron' Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Virgin Wines

£9.99

2/5

Rijk's 'Touch of Oak' Chenin Blanc 2009

This is the South African Chenin Blanc that I've been looking for. After incessant moaning about its shortcomings, I've finally found one worth raving about.

It's lively, zesty and has good depth of fruit, unlike the others I've tried that are just zesty if you're lucky. All sorts of winemaking jumping through hoops was done here - with great results. Combinations of oak and stainless steel fermentation (90% new oak, 60% with natural yeast), French and Hungarian oak, etc. The end result is a combination of citrusy zest and waxy body, with good fruit too. Impressive.

Rijk's Private Cellar

'Touch of Oak' Chenin Blanc 2009

Coastal Region, South Africa

Virgin Wines

£15.99

4/5

Gerhard & Sieglinde Klein Riesling Trocken 2009

An oddity today, at least for my household: a trocken (dry) German Riesling from Naked Wines.

I've been wanting to try a dry German Riesling for ages, as it isn't so common in the UK. Apparently it is the Riesling of choice in Germany, and most exports are of the sweeter variety. I'm familiar with dry Riesling from Alsace and Australia, but I've never had a German one.

We were having gammon for Sunday lunch, so the Klein Riesling seemed an appropriate match. And it was indeed a good match, as noted by myself when shovelling a forkfull of hot pork fat into my mouth followed by a swig of the wine. The dryness kind of threw me at first, as the nose had the typical, well, German character and you could almost smell the sweetness, only to have a sip and discover mouth puckering acidity and almost sourness instead. With the food it all comes together though, and I just wish it was more widely available here in the UK.

Weingut Gerhard & Sieglinde Klein

Riesling Trocken 2009

Pflaz, Germany

Naked Wines

£9.99

3/5

Stratus White 2005

Another Canadian wine here (I brought this and the Peller sparkling to a tasting yesterday, and I know these aren't readily available in the UK but I like to keep a record of Canadian wines for myself).

This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chadonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Semillon and Viognier. Sounds a bit ambitious doesn't it?

When I opened the bottle, I noticed the colour was alarmingly yellow, and it had strong aromas of oxidation about it. I was afraid it was over the hill. However, once I tasted it I realized my fears were unfounded.

This is a stunningly complex wine. As it unravelled in the glass, it changed. Each time I took a sniff, it had a different aroma signature. First it was aromatic (perhaps due to the Alsatian varieties), next it was citrusy (Viognier), and finally it settled on a nutty, caramel, and vanilla theme (bottle aged Chardonnay). I was struggling to come up with a food match, but eventually I settled on an orange marmalade duck liver paté, which really brought out the citrus notes.

Our only sticking point at the tasting was we thought it was maybe slightly (only slightly) past its best. Although it was mega-complex and had wonderful characters of bottle age, we were wondering if it could have been a bit fresher. This could just be personal preference though, for example the oxidized nose could put some people off (although it did seem to disappear with time).

Stratus

White 2005 VQA

Niagra, Ontario, Canada

$45 CDN

4/5

Arabella Chenin Blanc 2010

Another wine from my Naked Wines taster pack today.

I consider myself a white wine person - that is, if I had to choose between red or white to drink for the rest of my life, I'd choose white. It offers more styles, is more flexible with food, and is more refreshing. I appreciate most of these styles, but one that I am struggling with is South African Chenin Blanc.

I haven't had one that I have really liked. Is it that I just don't get it? I love Loire Valley (France) Chenin Blanc - it can be complex, honeyed, crisp, bubbly, off-dry, sweet...pretty much whatever you want. This stuff however just seems to be mostly flat and neutral with a bit of rotten apple aftertaste. It induced full-body shudders from Miriam (she can be fussy though), and I only could really drink it after I had chilled it down to near-freezing temperatures. Is it the new Pinot Grigio perhaps?

Anyway, I could be harsher but I'm starting to think I just don't like this style.

Arabella

Chenin Blanc 2010

Robertson Valley, Western Cape, South Africa

Naked Wines

£7.99

2/5

The Naked Grape Riesling 2009

This Riesling is from the Pfalz region of Germany, and is made be none other than Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen fame. It's an entry-level wine, and it seemed a perfect contender as an everyday table wine that I could pair with my home-made Chinese dishes.

The benchmark for this level of Riesling is the Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling, which is a brilliant bargain. How would this stand up to it?

I know it's not a contest, but at this price point competition is fierce, for me anyway. The clear winner is still Dr. L.

This was OK, but I felt it lacked the purity of the Mosel-made Dr. L. The Naked Grape had some residual flavours that made it a bit unappealing, like some grapey flavours and 'cheap' notes on the finish. From the first sip I knew it wasn't going to be a favourite.

It's not bad though, and if you can't get hold of Dr. L then by all means this is a good entry-level introduction to quality German Riesling. It's just really hard to beat Dr. L, which is also actually cheaper at £6.99 (at Sainsbury's).

The Naked Grape

Riesling 2009

Pfalz, Germany

Waitrose

£7.49

2.5/5

Zonnebloem Chardonnay 2009

I wanted a decent, affordable Chardonnay and couldn't be bothered going into the supermarket. On my high street when I get out of the tube Oddbins is closest. In truth, I don't shop there much - they can't really compete with Waitrose (about 2 minutes further up the street) in terms of price, but they do offer an alternative selection. The manager there knows me, and I feel bad not going in more often.

Either way, I wasn't coming out empty-handed. There haven't been too many South African Chardonnays I haven't liked (possibly none). I don't drink them very often, but I usually go away impressed. This was £7.49, and the manager even gave it his seal of approval.

I liked it. It wasn't overly powerful or anything, but it had that meaty Chardonnay character with a touch of oak, and also the requisite tropical fruit flavours - a combination that makes it worthwhile in my opinion, especially at this price.

Zonnebloem

Chardonnay 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Oddbins

£7.49

3/5

Bassermann-Jordan Pfalz Riesling 2009

I went to Waitrose the other day to buy a good Riesling. I had the Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten in mind, but its price had crept up to £13.50. Next to it on the shelf was this one from Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan, at just under £10. It wasn't really the price that made me choose it - I have had the Dr. Loosen before and I know it is good. I just felt like trying something new.

This was really good actually. It is from the Rheinland-Pfalz state in Germany which has a rich wine-growing history. Read all about it here. The wine has solid structure with its acidity, and it had a bit of weight behind it - really moreish. Random Aussie Bloke and I finished it off rather quickly, and it went surprisingly well with a ripe French Brie. I have always felt that white wines match so much better with cheese than red...

It was just under £10 in the shop (can't remember exactly - £9-something).

Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan

Riesling 2009

Deidesheim, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

Waitrose

3.5/5

Tesco Finest Steillage Riesling 2008

'Tesco Finest' wines are always worth a try. This one I haven't seen before, but it's something that would interest me. A Mosel Riesling for under £7.

It's slightly off-dry with subtle fruit and a short finish. Maybe a touch dilute - it's not great but not bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again.

Tesco Finest Steillage Riesling 2008

Mosel, Germany

Tesco

£6.29

2.5/5

Hungerford Hill Semillon 2008

Hunter Valley is the place for Semillon, and I've been trying them, slowly, over the past couple of years. They aren't always easy to find though, so when I saw this at Oddbins I bought some.

Low in alcohol (10%), it's quite tart and it's dry. I confess I'm not very knowledgeable about this style of wine - is this because the grapes don't get any riper? Standard citrus character, plus a sort of nutty flavour in the background. Interesting, but possibly just short of pleasant.

I think this is where bottle ageing comes in, which is traditional with Hunter Valley Semillon. I'm assuming this would improve with age, because now I'm not sure I would drink it again. Hard to give it a fair score, but the one I gave was based on it's current state.

I'm aware that I'm always drinking Hunter Valley Semillon too young, and one of these days I'll blog about an older one (I've got a Tyrell's Vat 1 2002 waiting, and I tucked away a 2005 Tim Adams a couple of years ago).

Hungerford Hill

Semillon 2008

Hunter Valley, Australia

Oddbins

~£10

2.5/5

Oddbins Discount Codes

Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling 2008

I wouldn't say this is my favourite Australian Riesling, but I think it expresses enough Riesling character and the price is reasonable enough to warrant some attention.

It's interesting to see what others thought of this wine. One customer on Majestic's website found it disappointing (although they gave it 3/5), and though it was expensive. On Peter Lehmann's website the average customer rating is 2/5, where 2 is 'OK' and 5 is 'excellent'.

I think I would just say this is a good 'everyday' Riesling when you can get it on offer. There is certainly nothing much wrong with it, except perhaps a slight lack of concentration. I've had far worse at this price point.

Peter Lehmann

Eden Valley Riesling 2008

Eden Valley, Australia

Majestic

£8.69 (£6.95 when you buy 2)

3/5

Pauletts Polish Hill River Riesling 2009

Tonight a Clare Valley Riesling was in order. I'm rarely disappointed by these, and this was no exception. My only regret is I haven't tried this wine after a few years in the cellar.

I prefer my Riesling with some bottle age, to enjoy those secondary characteristics, especially the petrol and honey characters. This wine was fresh, limey, bright, and acidic - good but it just seems it has more to offer.

I need to start putting some of these away instead of drinking them so young - aged examples aren't always easy to find.

Paulett Wines

Polish Hill River Riesling 2009

Clare Valley, Australia

Majestic

£10.99 (£8.79 when you buy 2)

3/5

Domaine de la Motte Chablis Cuveé Vieilles Vignes 2008

I was sent this wine in the post from Burgundy Wines (I think), as a result of not being able to honour an invitation to the 24th Annual Chablis Contest in London. In a remarkable coincidence, it happened to be the wine of a producer that I had recently discovered.

The producer is Domaine de la Motte, and I recently blogged about one of their Premier Cru wines.

This wine, the cuveé Vieilles Vignes, is not a Premier Cru but it is still a wine of quality. It has a rich, almost meaty nose, and a very fresh, crisp acidic palate. I think this may be one for the cellar.

I wouldn't say I'm a huge Chablis fan - I prefer oaked Chardonnay which isn't the norm in Chablis. If I want a crisp, refreshing white wine there are lots of other wines I'd go to first, but the wines of this producer impress me.

Domaine de la Motte

Chablis Cuveé Vieilles Vignes

AOC Chablis, Burgundy, France

3.5/5

Dona Paulina Chardonnay 2009

This is the last of my wines from the uh, budget-priced Dona Paulina range from the Wine Society. So far I haven't really enjoyed any of them, and this is no exception.

The problem with these cheaper wines is they don't have varietal character. This could have been anything. It wasn't offensive. It tasted like wine, but what kind of wine? Who knows? If someone handed me a glass of this in a pub I would have struggled - it could have been a Pinot Grigio, a Sauvignon Blanc, a blend, a Chardonnay, etc. It's just generic and boring.

Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it's not totally disgusting. For £2 more you can do much better.

Dona Paulina

Chardonnay 2009

Casablanca Valley, Chile

The Wine Society

£4.75

2/5

Chateau des Charmes Estate Bottled Riesling 2007

My sister was over to visit from Canada recently, and she brought me this Niagara-region Riesling. It's from the same producer that makes this red, which I thought was a bit weak. However, whites are more Ontario's strong point, so I was open-minded about this.

This was in fact a lovely wine. It has all the necessary ingredients - the citrus, the acid, even the kerosene notes that I love. It was a lighter style, but that's fine (more German than say, Clare Valley), the important thing being it has the required varietal character that makes us love this grape.

From what I can gather the price is between $12 and $13 CDN. Pretty darned reasonable if you ask me. A success.

Chateau des Charmes

Estate Bottled Riesling 2007

VQA, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

~$12-13

3.5/5

Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling 2005

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, but my entire immediate family from Canada is over visiting at the moment. We're currently renting a holiday home in Bournemouth, and have at least had 2 days of good weather, although that's come to an abrupt end.

I finally found a couple of decent wine shops. They are both independent sorts, and have a good range of wines. They are a bit overpriced, but that's no surprise considering the lack of competition.

The weather being warm I'm still drinking mostly whites, and was suffering from Riesling withdrawal. The Jacobs Creek Riesling I picked up from the local Tesco Express wasn't going to cut it. I saw this Wolf Blass wine at one of the previously mentioned shops, and decided to give it a try. It's made from fruit sourced from both the Clare and Eden valleys, and had some good bottle age. At £12.99 it seemed reasonable.

It's a nice wine - a predictable (in a good way) mix of lime and petrol flavours, with a good backbone of acidity. It also has a nice fatness to it. A result.

Wolf Blass

Gold Label Riesling 2005

Clare/Eden Valley, Australia

4/5

Felsner 'Moosburgerin' Gruner Veltliner 2009

I'm kind of losing patience with this variety. It tastes like pears, like a non-fizzy version of Prosecco. I'm not sure why it's so fashionable. Perhaps it can be viewed as neutral - it does resemble a well-made Pinot Grigio (not a bad thing).

I have to say I like that quote from the Psalms on their website...

Felsner

'Moosburgerin' Gruner Veltliner 2009

Niederosterreich, Austria

Waitrose

£7.49 (£9.99)

3/5

Domaine de la Motte Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy 2006

This wine has me interested in Chablis again. I tasted it at a tasting party we had with some friends, and one of the group had brought it back from France. The people who brought it kindly offered to buy some more if anyone was interested, so I took them up on it.

It's a Chablis from the Beauroy Premier Cru vineyard. It's oaked (unlike a lot of Chablis), which adds some welcome complexity. I prefer oaked Chardonnay, and previous attempts at Chablis were met with mostly indifference on my part.

Toasty vanilla oak, rich fruit, and good acidity sums it up. Chardonnay at its best.

Domaine de la Motte

Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy 2006

Burgundy, France

FromVinyardsDirect

£13.95

4/5