RAISE A GLASS WITH JANE CLARE
I hope everyone had a smashing Easter, now let’s start down the road of discovering some new wines for spring. Bring on those warmer days!
My first is a red with green credentials. Fresco di Masi is a new line of organic wines from renowned Valpolicella and Amarone Italian producer, Masi Agricola.
The red blend
has the Valpolicella grape, corvina, at its heart. Merlot brings soft plummy fruit.
The wine – with its sister white Fresco di Masi Bianco Verona IGT (garganega, pinot grigio and chardonnay (same RRP, Moreton and Goldenacre) – is crafted from organic grapes.
The bottles are also 30% lighter than traditional ones, reducing carbon emissions from both making and transporting them.
So far so good on the credentials. The red is pale ruby, translucent and delicate, with crunchy crisp flavours of cherry, redcurrant, pomegranate and black fruits. Be warned, it is so drinkable and lovely.
Next, a South African white, in the form of a vibrant, fresh, chenin blanc.
has ripe stone fruits and apples, all squished, squashed and bruised.
Some of the wine was fermented in barrels, and all of it was aged on its lees for seven months. That selection of techie happenings leads the wine to have a soft mouthfeel, with a hint of vanilla and some complexity.
Now to a chardonnay from Australia and its south west coast: Margaret River.
I’m loving the wines from this region, which bring a maritime influence to the grapes. This week I’m highlighting
The wine has a crisp nature, elegant, good acidity, with green apple notes and stone fruit, with a lick of vanilla from oak.
And finally to a pinot noir.
is proud of its roots, the label being an image of the Romanian flag. The wine itself teases with cherry, strawberry and a tickle of spice.
■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.