This must be one of the finest budget friendly Hungarian Kékfrankos (a.k.a. Blaufrankisch) wines ever made. Continue reading
Not just another Barossa Shiraz – Greenock Creek Casey’s Block 2014
An estate surrounded by some controversy perhaps. Because of high alcohol wines. And because Parker loved them back then. But they are one of my all-time favorite Australian producers: the wines made here are different. They have a distinct, traditionalist feel to them I tend to find only in France and Italy.
Richard Rottiers Moulin-á-Vent Foudres 2016, Beaujolais, France
If you read that Moulin-a-Vent makes the darkest and most structured wines of all the Beaujolais Crus, here’s a wine to prove the point. This is completely different from Gamay made elsewhere.
The Colonial Estate Explorateur Shiraz 2016, Barossa Valley, Australia
An Australian classic with a French accent: Shiraz made with equipment brought from St. Emilion. Well, mainly – the winery homepage tells us that for this particular wine, around one third is vinified the local way. Continue reading
Cheap and cheerful – Frittmann Cabernet Franc 2017, Kunság, Hungary
Unusually well made low budget Hungarian red. It comes from Kunság, which is part of the Alföld (Great Hungarian Plain), where the bulk of the cheap wines of the country is made. But here quality comes to mind, not quantity. Continue reading
Just a bit different – Bodegas El Grano Carmenere, Chile, Vallée de Curico
Such a nice wine. Unmistakably Chilean, but tastes unforced – a nod to the Old World. Continue reading
Stranger – an unusual Pinot Noir from Villány
There is not much Pinot Noir in Villány (the Hungarian Barossa Valley, home to the country’s most famous, ripest, biggest reds, made from Bordeaux varietals), but then Rácz Miklós Tamás is neither an ordinary local producer. A young gun, one of the most talented if you ask me. This wine sees no oak at all. Purity is the word here. Spicy, rather than fruity, though you get some strawberry and hibiscus aromas – it’s definitely in the red spectrum. Medium bodied, tight, almost Nebbiolo-like. Lots of personality here, so different from it’s local peers. Needs some time, though, it’s a bit unresolved now. 87 points, good value at 10 Euros, retailer are Borfalu Bortéka and Zwack.
Two Languedoc reds from Borie de Maurel
Mourvedre is one of my favorite grapes, and I have fond memories of the wine Borie de Maurel made from it in 2010. That was one of the best examples I tried outside Bandol. Current vintage seems to be the 2015, which I was able to order from an online shop (which delivers to Hungary, but many merchants in France do these days), and I just added one of their less expensive cuvées as well. Continue reading
Yalumba The Virgilius 2015, Eden Valley, Australia
Tasted blind, you probably wouldn’t pick this as a New World wine. Reminiscent to a Condrieu, the main feature here is elegance and proper varietal character. Crisp, perfectly clear, yet feels unforced and natural. Tangerine and ginger on the nose and palate, it’s maybe less aromatic than the French siblings. Moderate acidity and a slightly oily texture, just how it should be – not ruined by added acid. It has class, drinks well – I just hoped a bit more complexity from this famous wine.
Rotem & Mounir Saouma Inopia 2015, Cotes du Rhone Villages
The promise of something different from the Southern Rhone. No, not another low sulphur wine; that’s not even different anymore (but rather fashionable). Here we have a wine made with ancient methods, by a producer with a Burgundy background.