Reviews
Reviews of wines I have tried
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Marques de Los Rios Rioja Gran Reserva
I picked this up on a whim mainly because it was on offer and I’m glad I did. Initially, I was slightly concerned because the cashier hit the bottle extremely hard to remove the security tag, seriously damaging the foil. However, my worries went away once I tasted it. This 2014 Rioja, with an ABV…
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Ramón Bilbao Rosé 2023
Ramón Bilbao, well-known for its presence in both Rioja and Rueda, produces this Ramón Bilbao Rosé 2023. This wine is made with the aim of reviving a classic Rioja Alta wine tradition. Winemaker Rodolfo Bastida has focused on Rioja rosados, specifically ‘clarete’, a style that has been a staple in the restaurants around his hometown…
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El Duque De Miralta Rioja Reserva
This 2019 Rioja Reserva is made by winemaker César Fernández at El Coto. The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from the three prestigious areas of Rioja, Alavesia, Alta and Oriental, ensuring a rich and diverse flavour profile. The wine is aged for 24 months in American oak barrels, which imparts a distinct and inviting aroma of…
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Millefiori Appasimento Veneto
From the Veneto region, renowned for its Amarone and Valpolicella wines, the Millefiori Appassimento Veneto is a different blend of Corvina and Merlot grapes. These grapes are selected from low-yielding vineyards in Northern Italy. 60% of the harvest undergoes the traditional appassimento method, where the grapes are dried in well-ventilated lofts. This technique, commonly associated…
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Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Reds
Mouton Cadet owes its reputation to the passion and enthusiasm of the Rothschild family. They have cultivated a legacy of winemaking over three generations. This review is a side-by-side tasting of two Mouton Cadet wines: the Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021 and the Mouton Cadet Cuvée Heritage 2019. The Mouton Cadet Classic Rouge 2021, made…
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Kew Gardens Crémant de Loire Rosé Brut
This wine, created in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, features a beautifully designed label that captures the essence of nature. The nude cork adds a rustic charm, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal. On pouring, the wine reveals a strong mousse and an attractive blush colour. The bottle label promises berry fruit and citrus…
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Wine Atlas Île-de-Beauté Rosé
The Wine Atlas Île-de-Beauté Rosé, 2023 vintage, comes from Corsica and is produced by Vignerons D’Aghione. It features a blend of Niellucciu, Sciacarellu (20%), Syrah (10%) and Grenache (50%), with a 4-month maturation period and an 11% ABV. The wine is a IWC Bronze Medal Winner 2024 and is a new wine in the Asda…
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Wyfold Vineyard Brut 2017
Wyfold Vineyard Brut 2017 is a small release from a small site in Oxfordshire. Coming from Barbara Laithwaite CBE’s cherished two hectares of vineyards on the Chiltern Hills, this English Sparkling reflects her award-winning legacy. With accolades including a recent Gold at WineGB, a Silver Decanter Medal, and Bronze awards from both the International Wine…
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Las dos Caras Ribera Del Duero
Las dos Caras Ribera Del Duero, a Tempranillo grape wine, is produced by Bodegas Muriel. This medium to full-bodied wine has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 14%. Despite being a white-label product, it is likely Valdecuriel by Bodegas Muriel. Upon pouring, the wine reveals a deep ruby red colour that you can’t see through,…
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Bartolomeo Lorenzi Rosso Veronese 2021
From the prestigious Amarone specialist cooperative, Cantina di Negrar, celebrated as Italy’s 2019 Winery of the Year, comes the Bartolomeo Lorenzi Rosso Veronese 2021. Made by winemaker Daniele Accordini, this wine elegantly merges grapes from Valpolicella’s Classico region with air-dried Corvina, a hallmark of top-tier Amarone. While the light aroma isn’t the main focal point,…
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A Mano New Vintages
I first came across A Mano wines at the Liberty Wines trade and press tasting in January 2024. A Mano wines are produced by winemaker Mark Shannon, originally from California and marketing expert Elvezia Sbalchiero. These wines are made from old grape vines, aged between 70 and 100 years, in Puglia. The grapes are hand-harvested…
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Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc, the wine that ignited the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc revolution, continues to shine brightly in its latest vintage. This iconic wine, which stole the show at the Sunday Times Wine Club Vintage Festival in 1986, is now meticulously crafted under the expertise of viticulturalist Jane Hunter, OBE, and Companion of the NZ Order…
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Embrace the Summer With Rosé Wines
Rosé wine is enjoying a surge in popularity in the UK, according to CGA’s Wine Insight report. The data indicates that a third of consumers in Britain’s hospitality venues now typically opt for rosé, with 21% of them drinking it more frequently than the previous year. This growing enthusiasm has led to a significant 7.4%…
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Domaine de Mourchon Loubié Cotes du Rhone Villages Rosé
Domaine de Mourchon, managed by British-born Walter McKinlay alongside talented winemaker Sebastien Magnouac, produces this 2023 vintage, rosé with 13% ABV. The Domaine’s uses low-yield Grenache grapes, ensuring a superior flavour profile. This wine is a pale salmon colour, very dry, but nevertheless well balanced by its aromatic, round and fruity character. On the nose,…
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Cabalié
If you spend any time on Instagram browsing wine-related posts, in the UK, you’ll almost certainly come across this wine, often advertised by Laithwaites with an enticing offer to lure you into making your first purchase. But is it any good? This Languedoc-Roussillon red has a respectable 4.1 rating on Vivino and ranks #2 in…
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Duca di Castelmonte Zibibbo
I discovered this wine at the Lidl Italian and Iberian Wine Tours tasting and subsequently purchased for deeper exploration. Zibibbo, better known globally as Muscat of Alexandria is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines in existence, a heritage that lends an intriguing depth to this wine produced by Carlo Pellegrino in Sicily. Initially, my…
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Morrisons Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
My wife recently pointed out an article in the Metro that praised Morrisons Villa Verde Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2022 wine as providing the quality of a wine that could be double or even two and a half times its modest price of £6. This piqued my curiosity, particularly because I’ve repurchased a different, slightly pricier, £7.75,…
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Wine on a P&O Cruise
I recently embarked on a short P&O cruise, primarily for a holiday rather than to scrutinise their wine offerings. However, I couldn’t help but take a few notes. The quality of wine on cruises can be unpredictable, with underqualified staff and seriously overpriced bottles due to the captive audience. However, P&O stands out from the…
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Co-op Irresistible Provence Rosé
Produced by Les Maîtres Vignerons de Vidauban wine cooperative in the Côtes de Provence, this winery has been crafting wines for over a century. The 2022 vintage has 13% alcohol by volume and is vegan-friendly. This wine is distinguished by its delicate pale pink colour. The aroma is of small red fruits complemented by subtle…
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JPR Alicante Bouschet
If you come across this particular Portuguese wine at the Coop, its modest label and unfamiliar name might not immediately catch your eye. Alicante Bouschet is a varietal developed in the late 19th century by vine breeder Henri Bouschet. Henri crossed one of his father’s hybrids with the Grenache (or Garnacha) grape, resulting in an…
