My thirst for grenache (be it varietal or blended) returned. I’m just more careful when ordering, I check the alcohol level even before the price… I look for an ABV of 14% or preferably less. That Cochon Volant was a nice discovery last time, and here is another lovely Languedoc red that fits the bill, Cent pour Cent by Domaine du Peyra. Continue reading
Quite a reliable wine, the 2023 vintage of Tesco’s Campo de Borja Garnacha is just as solid as the 2021 was. A good quaffer if you are looking for something cheap.
From the three Cotes du Rhone wines reviewed below, two have an ABV of 15% – hardly a surprise yet I’m still not prepared for it. As the years pass, I tolerate high alcohol less and less, and I crave balance more and more. Check out that Yannick Alléno & Michel Chapoutier bottling, it gets things right – still ripe at 14% yet not heavy or clumsy!
A frequent topic about Southern Rhone reds is ageability. I’m with those who say do not age them. At all. There are exceptions, of course, but the majority is at their best when released. Ripe, round and seductive, they don’t need years to soften; they only lose freshness. Continue reading
Cheap Spanish wine is getting nicer these days. It’s less common now to bump into fake ones tasting like oak chips or sweet and ripe New World wannabes. Less is often more when it comes to wine and it seems that even big volume brands recognise this, luckily. A case in point could be the Barcelino 2020 – I expected an overdone red but it’s rather pure. Continue reading
I had a bad experience with the 2017 of Auchans Plan de Dieu, but this 2021 is quite the opposite. Rock solid for the price. Continue reading