The other New World wine from the Cabernet Franc blind tasting, and the other outstanding one. All the tasters loved it.
Exciting Chilean red wine: Garage Wine Co. Las Higueras Cabernet Franc Lot #82 2016
The winner of a recent Cabernet Franc blind tasting, on which event I presented mostly Loire wines to my friends. The French performance was a disaster, featuring mostly poorly made wines (Brett, Brett, Brett). The Garage Wine Co. Las Higueras Lot #82 2016 not only won the show, but it’s easily the best and most exciting Chilean red wine I tasted in recent years.
The traditional face of Southern Rhone reds: Gigondas La Cave Vacqueyras Beaumirail 2016
Do you like cooperative wines? For me, Gigondas La Cave is just as attractive as producer as many family wineries. Their wines have a personality that I really like and the quality is very reliable.
Pure deliciousness – Pierre-Marie Chermette Griottes Beaujolais Primeur 2019
Not sure why it’s not called Nouveau, as it’s released in proper Nouveau-time. Probably to distinguish it from the commercial style. And it is rather a Cru Beaujolais indeed, as far as quality goes. Continue reading
Great value sweet Muscat – Feind Sárga 2017, Lake Balaton
Late harvest sweet whites may not be popular at the moment, but they deserve more recognition. It’s a category that Hungary can make make really well. Continue reading
Something special – Greenock Creek Apricot Block Shiraz 2014, Barossa Valley
Unmistakeably Greenock Creek – it’s so different to all Aussie reds I know. To me, the style is even more unique than Wendouree’s.
The new old South African red – False Bay Revenant 2017
A curious blend: Cabernet and Cinsault. I follow the South African Winemag so I know this is a historical combination of the two grapes (mentioned here for example: Why Cinsault is becoming a thing (again) ), and I like the idea.Muscadet with age – Jo Landron le Fief du Breil 2013
My wine collection is humble, with less than 200 bottles in my two wine fridges perhaps. The wines I tend to forget about are mostly the whites, there are quite some already which I planned to open years ago. If the majority hold as well as this Muscadet, then I should not worry.
Three vintages of a rare wine: Szentesi Csóka 2013, 2015 and 2017
Csókaszőlő or simply Csóka is an almost extinct old Hungarian variety, which was probably the dominant red grape here 500 years ago or so. For the XXth century, not much of it remained, but thanks to József Szentesi’s mission of saving the old varieties, it is now coming back slowly.
Hungarian Syrah with a nod to Northern Rhone – Losonci 2018 from Mátra
I’m a long time proponent of Syrah in Hungary. I believe it’s more suitable for our climate than other French varieties. Syrah could produce some of the country’s best red wines and it could also make captivating everyday wines -Cabernet and Merlot fail on that, among others.