Okay… well it will be no surprise to most people that I failed in 2020 to uphold my end of the deal in writing a blog post for every month of the year. However at least the ones that I did write were relatively interesting (even if I do say so myself!). So, the plan now is to basically do it all over again, although this time I’m not going to promise anything as that didn’t turn out so well last time around.
I am not going to discuss the happenings of Brexit and Covid, because let’s be honest, I think we hear so much about it from all other forms of news articles and social media that I do not want to depress you further. My role whenever I think about writing these blogs is to make you smile and give you a little wine for thought (yes, the catchphrase is back!).
I thought I would also say a big thank you to everyone who did read the blog posts that I wrote, even if there were only 7, because I really appreciate the support that you all gave me. If this is the first one that you are reading, then I warmly welcome you to the world of Red Bottle! I hope you find them interesting and I will do my best to make sure I write 12 this year.
So as the title suggests I am going to showcase some of our cheaper end wines today as we can all appreciate that Christmas is a rather spendy time of year. So to kickstart the year, we will be having a white, a rose and a red (I really believe that you can drink rose all year round!).
First up is:
Saget la Perriere La Petit Perriere Sauvignon Blanc 2019
A very gracious and inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. Easy-drinking and light, this wine extremely smooth and you have the option to drink it as an aperitif (whilst you are cooking for example) and then with your meal also. An all-round crowd pleaser that is brimming with exotic and stone fruits, a good body and a light finish. Definitely stick it in your basket 😉. Our second contestant is just south of our first, please welcome…
Domaine La Fourmone Le Burlet Rose
As I have mentioned in my previous blogs, I keep changing my mind between this rose and one other as to which one is to be crowned as my favourite. So we are going to start with this one for the year and then by about halfway through I’ll probably change my mind again. It really is a fantastic wine; I have never been disappointed by it and the Domaine consistently year on year keep churning out a fantastic rose. On the forefront we have old English sweets with strawberries then we move through the gears with balance and body to a cool, aromatic finish. Perfect for light dishes and to drink by itself. Finally our last contestant is from just down the road…:
La Bastide Saint Dominique Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge 2019
I really love all wines that this Domaine produces; I have never had a bad vintage from them. Cotes-du-Rhone has always been a very easy wine to drink, whether coming from the north or south Rhone regions - this one hails from the south and the Domaine sits just outside of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This probably explains why it is of such good quality as the terroir will be particularly excellent. Currently it is an extremely dark ruby colour with shovel loads of red and black fruits coming to the fore. The tannins are already integrating nicely and the finish is good length. This will only get better with age but is great for drinking now on those cold nights!
Harry Vernau