There has been a lot of talk about wine talk recently. Among wine writers, that is. From what I can gather, they are arguing that one wine drinker’s blackberries are another wine drinker’s raspberries. Should we really be so aroma and flavour-descriptive when tasting wine is so subjective? Well, when I'm buying something that I haven’t tried before – and won’t try until I get home – I want some sort of description to help me. Which made me think...Recent wine descriptions here on these pages include a dancefloor-hogger (an Argentinian Malbec), Joan from Mad Men (a Viognier, I think) and Clooney, bottled (a modern-style Rioja). If you'd prefer talk of length and finish, just let me know.
Current white in the fridge: Cape Peak Chardonnay 2010, £4/bottle, currently 50% off, Tesco Wine Club
Lovely as the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from last week was, I wanted something a bit more, well, Autumnal. This is a really simple wine but I love it: good quality, ripe and round with tropical fruit flavours and an almost creamy character. I think this is what makes it feel more suitable to the chill in the air we've got now. It is made from grapes grown in the Western Cape region in South Africa, ones that hung on vines earlier this year. A fridge door classic.
Current red on the side: Chateau La Raze Beauvallet 2006, £8/bottle, currently 50% off, Tesco Wine Club
Lumme, this is a cracker. I feel vaguely guilty when I write about a Bordeaux red because it reminds me how rarely I seem to buy it nowadays. I used to love Bordeaux wines. Then they got expensive; the quality was variable, unreliable even. This one, a Cru Bourgeois from the Medoc, has always been a banker. Years ago, it was the first smart Claret (the Veh British name for red wines from this region) to be sold with a screwcap but - sadly - it seems to have reverted to cork. Dark blackberry fruits with a postscript of vanilla and spice. Made with a classic Claret cocktail of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc also putting in a show.
Derrieres aloft xLabels: 2006, 2010, cabernet sauvignon, Chardonnay, France, Merlot, red wine, South Africa, Tesco, white wine