I picked this bottle up after seeing it mentioned by Tom Gilbey, who spoke highly of it and compared it to styles I’ve enjoyed before. That was enough to spark my interest, especially given how much I’ve liked wines like Viña Alberdi. What I got initially was exactly that. A pleasant nose, cherry pie and…
Tonight felt like one of those small but important moments in this whole wine journey. Not because the wine completely blew me away, but because it made me stop and rethink something I’d already scored. That’s when you know your palate is starting to sharpen. This was the Walt Pinot Noir 2023, picked up for…
I opened a bottle of E. Guigal Saint-Joseph the other night, one I’d been genuinely looking forward to. A proper Northern Rhône Syrah from the Saint-Joseph, and a chance to see what all the talk around peppery, savoury wines is really about. It went straight into the decanter. I had a burger planned for later…
Tonight’s bottle was a Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, and before I’d even poured a glass something strange happened. I cracked the screw cap and was met with a slight hiss, almost like opening a sparkling wine. A little puff escaped, almost like steam. Not something you expect from a red. Straight into the…
There are some wines you enjoy, and then there are wines that make you stop mid sip and think hang on a minute, this is something else. That was exactly my experience with Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2021. I went into this one fairly open minded, paired it with a proper meal, and what…
I’ve been looking for this bottle for a while, so there was no ceremony when I finally got my hands on it. It was open and in the decanter within minutes. Sometimes you just have to follow your instinct. This is a wine that had built a bit of anticipation for me, and it turned…
I picked this bottle up without expecting too much, if I’m honest. Beaujolais still carries that reputation in the back of your mind, a bit light, a bit simple, something you don’t really sit and think about too much. But this felt like the right time to actually give it a proper go and see…
I picked up a bottle of Mouton Cadet from Tesco for £8, 2023 vintage, and I’ll be honest, I was excited to open it. You see the word Mouton and your brain immediately jumps to Château Mouton Rothschild. First Growth, Pauillac, history, prestige. You expect something with presence. What I got instead was a very…
There’s something reassuring about picking up a bottle of Rioja Reserva. You sort of know where you’re going before you’ve even pulled the cork. And with Beronia 2020, that expectation is pretty much met but in a really tidy, well executed way. Straight away on the nose, this leans slightly savoury. Not in a heavy…
There are bottles that quietly expose a fairly sizeable hole in your wine knowledge. The Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino 2020 was very much that. I’d been looking forward to opening this. Brunello is one of those names that carries a bit of weight before you’ve even pulled the cork, and with my experience of Tuscan…