Wine with Andy Cronshaw
SOME autumnal wines here and a couple of Champagnes which impressed me for Global Champagne Day which is being celebrated today.
L’AVENIR ESTATE HORIZON CHENIN BLANC 2020 (£10, Wine&Something)
Here’s a wine to truly warm the cockles of the heart - it’s £10 but you can gift this to someone for free with any orders at the retailer over £75. It’s made in Sellenbosch at the L’Avenir estate which has collaborated since 2004 with the Stellenbosch NGO, Pebbles Project. The project provides onsite housing for their workers, day care and after school facilities for all the children on the farm, as well as children from neighbouring properties. All the children learn about the wine-making process through the project.
It’s an elegant Chenin with some vanilla and pineapple on the nose, apple acidity on the palate and plenty of freshness.
ZUCCARDI VALLES BONARDA, 2019 UCO VALLEY, MENDOZA (£14.25, Justincases, Vivino, Christopher Keiller Fine Wine Specialists)
This wine is a pointed reminder of wine’s relationship to history and the land where it is made. Bonarda, a grape used to blend with Nebbiolo in Italy, finds its ultimate expression in the elevated vineyards of Uco Valley in Argentina. Here it’s a delicate variety that needs careful treatment and no oak to shine. This bottle is the very epitome of an autumnal wine with floral aromas, late summer fruit such as raspberries, and a layer of dark cherries giving depth. A beauty with roasted veggies.
RAMóN BILBAO CRIANZA 2018 (Right, £9, Tesco)
Just on the shelves is this very affordable Rioja. It’s a modern, traditional example of Rioja, if you will, that balances fresh, lithe fruit against the power of American oak - the traditional wood used to mature Rioja. This will match robust midweek meals such as pasta or scrub up very adequately for a Sunday roast matching pork and lamb with equal aplomb.
ADNAMS CHAMPAGNE, ROSé (Right, £26.99, Adnams.co.uk) Adnams’ own label Champagnes are actually made by the H Blin estate in the Marne Valley. As such, the producer’s wines make use of the extensive cropping of the Pinot Meunier found there.
The NV Brut is also very good but I was particularly taken by this rosé where the luscious summer fruit – peach and strawberries – carries a biscuity edge while a mineral intensity runs through to a fresh finish. High quality for the money and something that works perfectly for autumnal dishes or even spicy food.
WAITROSE NO.1 BRUT SPECIAL RESERVE VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE 2012 (£35, Waitrose)
My wife received this bottle as a gift for her 50th birthday and I was only too happy to give my opinion. No wonder Waitrose keeps winning awards for the quality of its selection. This is made in collaboration with Castelnau and is dominated by Pinor Noir. It packs in plenty of complexity and finesse, with nutty praline and brioche notes on the nose while the palate is biscuity and creamy in equal measure eventually heading to a long, lip-smacking finish. A wine truly worthy of a special occasion.