Uncorked: Under this heading, we collect various wines that we have tasted, and liked, recently. It can be wines that we have had during dinner at home, at wine tastings, press lunches, visits to vineyards, or other occasions.
We describe the wines just with a few short sentences, tasting notes that we hope will give you a short but accurate impression of what we thought of the wine, without delving into finer points tasting notes.
Some inspiration for more wine discoveries! As well as a perspective on what to expect from older wines.
This month:
Natural wines, the retsina grape from Greece, skin macerated from Slovenia, superb dry Jurançon wines, gamay from the very unusual Côte Roannaise, Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the warm and sunny 2009. Many unusual grapes this month, romorantin, camaralet, lauzet, negrette or folle noire as it is also called.
Want more inspiration? Read more about what we have tasted, often unusual and always interesting in all Uncorked back issues. Click the link to read more!
White wines
Mylonas 2015, Savatiano, Attica, Greece
Flavourful wine with character. Floral and citrus aromas, crispy and refreshing. Savatiano is a widely planted grape in Greece, not least in the Attica region near Athens. The grape is also used for retsina. Interesting and enjoyable.
~ 12 euro
Domaine Cauhapé Geyser 2017, Jurançon Sec, Southwest (Sud-Ouest)
Full-bodied wine, aromas of hazelnuts and with a fresh acidity. Exciting wine from the French Southwest. The grapes are gros and petit manseng, courbu as well as the more unusual camaralet and lauzet.
~ 17 euro
Cour-Cheverny 2018, Benoit Daridan, Loire Valley
From the very unusual grape romorantin, unique for the Cour-Cheverny appellation. Quite powerful with texture, mouthfeel and pleasant honey notes.
~ 14 euro
Malvazija 2017, Slovenska Istra, Korenika & Moskon, Slovenia
Skin macerated wine from Slovenia. Very dark in coulor, big body and slightly oxidised in taste. Very dry. Superb if you like this style (I do). The acidity is quite high. Altogether a complex wine. Biodynamic estate, Demeter certified.
~ 12 euro
Melonix, Domaine Jo Landron, Vin de France (Muscadet)
An unusually flavourful from the Muscadet-grape melon de bourgogne with 12 months ageing on the lees, sur lie. Easy going and easy drinking with only 12% alcohol.
~ 12 euro
Pinot Gris 2017, Carrick Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand
Quite discreet on the nose but with a good body and pleasant citrus and peach aromas in the taste. Good overall impression. Pinot gris is gaining ground in Central Otago, the pinot noir region of New Zealand.
~ 16 euro
Many white wines go excellently with cheese, in fact, sometimes even better than the classic choice of red. Even with a blue cheese. Try it!
Depuis le temps, Guilhem Barre 2019, Vin de France
Organic grower Guilhem Barre from the Languedoc has made a viognier and chardonnay blend that is unpretentious and pleasantly full-bodied and floral.
~ 10 euro
Touraine Sauvignon 2019, François Chidaine, Loire Valley
Excellent sauvignon blanc, not typical and not so aromatic. It is quite full-bodied, with a lot of citrus and some complexity. Chidaine is one of the great producers of chenin blanc in the Loire.
~ 10 euro
Domaine Bellegarde Pierre Blanche 2018, Jurançon Sec, Southwest (Sud-Ouest)
Excellent wine, full-bodied, with honey notes, citrus and pear. A fresh and high acidy. The only grape here is petit manseng from the estate’s most sunny slopes. The wine was fermented with the natural yeast in oak barrels. ~ 14 euro
Red wines
C comme Ça 2017, Vin de France, Frederic Palacios
A vin de france from Languedoc with 100% carignan from 100-year-old vines. Structured, full-bodied, lovely, dark fruit. Very drinkable and very reasonably priced.
~ 13 euro
Abstèmes s’abstenir, vin de france, Cosse & Maisonneuve 2014
Natural wine, a bit cloudy with fruity flavours and raspberries in a juicy style. Easy to drink and refreshing. The wine maker couple Cosse and Maisonneuve also make excellent Cahors wines.
~ 15 euro
Viña Maquis Lien 2015, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Classic style, structured with balanced oak and excellent fruit. High quality wine from the sunny Colchagua Valley in Chile. The grapes are carmenère, cabernet franc and syrah.
~ 35 USD
Domaine Richaud Les Buisserons 2018, côtes du rhône
Pleasant and balanced with dense structure, dark fruit and fresh acidity from Marcel Richaud, a quality pioneer in the southern Rhône valley. The grapes are grenache, syrah and carignan.
~ 12 euro
Domaine des Pothiers Gamay 2019, côte roannaise
An easy drinking and refreshing gamay with some structure. Biodynamic estate, certified Biodyvin. The Côte Roannaise is a small AOP of just over 200 hectares at the source of the Loire River, southwest of Lyon.
~ 11 euro
Touraine 2019, Francois Chidaine, Loire Valley
Elegant wine, light in style with fine fruit. The grapes are côt (malbec), cabernet franc and pineau d’aunis. Cabernet franc is most noticeable. Definitely affordable.
~ 8.80 euro
Los Cardones Tigerstone Malbec 2016, Salta, Argentina
100% malbec in a classic Argentinean, dense style, powerful but well-balanced. From high altitude Salta in northern Argentina.
~ 11 euro
La Folle Noire d’Ambat 2018, Le Roc, Fronton, South West (Sud-Ouest)
Folle noire is another name for négrette, the local grape in the appellation Fronton. Here it gives a full-bodied wine with a lovely and juicy fruit. Spicy aromas, good structure and a balanced finish. It shows again that the South West of France makes some superb and very affordable wines.
~ 8.40 euro
Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” 2009, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe 2009
A prestige Châteauneuf-du-Pape with some mature flavours but still quite young with tannins and structure. You feel a bit the alcohol which lowers the overall impression. But still a very good with exotic spices, cedar wood aromas and ripe fruit.
(From the cellar of Restaurant La Tour d’Argent.)
An excellent wine to celebrate a birthday.
Want more inspiration? Read more about what we have tasted, often unusual and always interesting in all Uncorked back issues. Click the link to read more!
