You know as I was writing the title to this month’s blog (which I am so sorry is later than usual) Ella Fitzgerald started singing in my head. Unfortunately, living is not quite so easy at the moment, but I do personally feel that we are getting towards a better stage in the world rather than a worse stage. However, I guess only time will tell…
Now this blog is not supposed to depress you so let us change the subject quickly shall we? What is it this month then hmm? Am I going to dazzle you with some of my favourite wines? Well yes probably… Are they going to be unbelievably expensive and not something that you are going to want to buy? Well I hope not. Perhaps they will be great value for money for the wines and vintages that they are? Ideally yes. Wait wait one more question!! Go on then… Will they be perfect for the beginning of summer? That’s the plan 😉.
Now I do hope that all of your questions have been answered above, nevertheless if they have not then let me give you some helpful advice. If you continue to read this blog you will be introduced to 3 beautiful, gorgeous and tempting options. They all hail from exotic and far away places (let’s be honest everything feels far away at the moment). They all have very specific ideas about them and do not shy away from the camera. I would like to point out that two of the wines in this blog are actually featured on the April addition as well. So you can see how highly I rate them! Without hesitation please let me introduce our first guest:
Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Explosive and fresh to start off the season! Tropical notes run through this great wine from the first sip all the way to the final finish. A wine that is very pleasant to drink as an aperitif as it is very bold and can quite easily stand alone or alongside some very summery starters. I am a fan of putting Pitta Bread on the BBQ and serving a few dips (guacamole, hummus, Tzatziki etc) with it as a starter during summer, it means that ideally no one has to go in the kitchen and everyone can be outside enjoying the weather. Pair this wine with that starter and you’re going to be on the stairway to heaven (for fans of Zeppelin). At only £13.99 I am hoping that this wine has answered all of the questions posed above, but alas you will just have to buy it yourself and see. Next up I give you:
Villa Safranier Lulle Rose 2018
This Rosé is awesome. If I could just leave that as the tasting note then I really would but I feel you deserve an explanation. This is undoubtedly becoming my favourite rosé, which is a shame because I feel like I’m cheating on my current rosé with a brighter, fruitier model. Anyway, as I am sure any wine aficionado will know, Provence is the one of the greatest regions in the world for Rosé wine and this wine in particular does not disappoint. It has a lovely red fruits aroma on the nose which is then followed up in the mouth with a burst of citrus and a refreshing zing (yes that is a word used to describe wine). I would suggest that this rosé really can go with anything. For example, on its own again as an aperitif if the white does not suit your palate. However, I would say that this wine really can see you all the way through your lunch or dinner, it is very flexible and is a great crowd pleaser. At £10.99 a bottle it is also a steal! You won’t be disappointed I promise. Lastly we have:
Domaine La Fourmone Vacqueyras Les Ceps d’Or 2015
As red wines go, Vacqueyras is not extremely well-known; I know have said that before in my blogs, but it really is true. It is not yet accepted as a great village by the general public, but I am really hoping that this wine will change your mind. I really love this wine not because it is bold and powerful (which is it) but more because of its subtlety of flavours such as liquorice and spices. It is very difficult to have subtle aromas and tastes when you have such a fruit forward and powerful wine but Domaine La Fourmone have done it extremely well with this. Not a year goes by that I don’t want to buy a case of this and generally I do. The 2015 vintage is also something I wanted to mention as it is a really great year for Southern Rhone. So not only is this wine generally great, it also comes from a fantastic vintage as well.
As always I hope this has been slightly entertaining and useful for your interest in wines to develop further. Hopefully it will give you some wine for thought.
Harry Vernau