WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut Cava Método Tradicional N/V, Penedès, Spain $13 | 88/100 UPC: 008411277400417 Light straw colour, fresh, citrus earthy nose with flecks of red fruits. The entry is bright and fresh with a persistent mousse more citrus, green apple skin with a very dry nutty aftertaste. A full flavoured Cava that has a refreshing character that screams, “serve me with food.”
Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Valle de Casablanca, Region de Aconcagua, Chile $13.49 | 88/100 UPC: 083085611293 This has always been one of the best, simple Veramonte labels. For the price, this wine is delicious and should be the perfect advertisement for Casablanca Sauvignon fruit. The style is refreshing with juicy green apple/grapefruit flavours with a hint of ripe guava and mango and a lively mineral streak in the finish. A fresh versatile chicken/seafood white. Excellent value.
Torres Sangre de Toro Garnacha 2015, Penedès, Catalunya (Catalonia Cataluña), Spain $13.00 | 87/100 UPC: 008410113003294 This is one of the best Torres Corona I can remember. Juicy round slippery fruity with a twist of dried herbs, it’s hard to stop drinking it. Wild blackberries, plums and toasted coffee beans savoury with a pinch of licorice all conspire to make this a delicious drinking red, especially for the price. A simple, charming luncheon red perfect for grilled chicken or pork chops. Back up the truck.
Kono Pinot Noir 2016, South Island, New Zealand $14.99 | 87/100 UPC: 9421003134034 Unpretentious, simple, round and soft: these are good things to find in an inexpensive Pinot Noir. The nose is cool with bright, black cherry fruit flecked with cinnamon. The attack is juicy with spicy, plummy fruit that slips down effortlessly. It’s all batch fermented in small open-top vessels after a five-day cold-soak, then pressed into French oak barriques. Two thirds of the fruit come out of the Awatere Valley a Marlborough Valley sub-region; the other third is grown among the Moutere Hills area of Nelson. Perfect with a mushroom pizza or pasta dish. Excellent value.
Graffigna Malbec 2015, San Juan, Argentina $12.49 | 89/100 UPC: 852832105527 Graffigna has produced wines from higher altitude Andean vineyards since 1870. Savoury and earthy, with graphite, plums, black cherries, raspberries mark the palate with soft but grippy tannins and a streak of acidity keeps it all fresh. This one is a winner. Lamb or pork chops would be a fine match.