RAISE A GLASS
I JUMP through scientific hoops to decide what to share with you in this world of words sitting below the lovely recipes above me. Hello? Come back, I’m here, you can think about cooking later.
This week the science was easy; I looked at my notes and saw three Australian shiraz wines jump out like it was planned. Andrew Peace Shiraz (£5.29, the Co-op,14% abv): This has a sneaky bit of tempranillo in the blend which is at the heart of wines from Rioja, so it might give you a heads-up about this black fruit-cherry-pepper compote created by one of the largest family owned wineries in Australia. I went back to this a day after opening and poured into a really big swirly glass and by then it had opened up to deliver a decent fruity number on the nose; it’s a little bit see-through, not as deep and burly as my third wine. I’d like more fruit flavours in the mouth but for just over a fiver on a Tuesday night (which it is, as I write) then what’s not to like.
Grant Burge Benchmark Shiraz 2014 (£7.25, winesociety.com, 14.5% abv): Well it kind of says it on the vin – the winemakers are wanting to set the benchmark for good Aussie wines. Like most red wines, this has gone through another fermentation after the alcoholic fermentation, called the malolactic fermentation. It can drive you to drink understanding it, but just know that it means the wine is softer and creamier as a result. There’s a nose of cherries and spice with a sneak of vanilla weaving in and out; in the mouth the spice takes over from the fruit flavours and if you like your reds to give you a spicy wake-up call then consider the job done. Lot 17 Wrattonbully Shiraz 2015 (£9.99, Aldi,14.5% abv): This is deep and brooding like a prince from a Game of Thrones kingdom; there isn’t a dragon in sight but it does let out a roar. It’s a friendly dragon though and the prince is one you’d want to cuddle all night. Oh dear I think I’m losing it! The nose on this deep-coloured wine from Aldi’s consistently good Lot range is full of lush forest fruits and fresh squeezes of blackcurrant juice with a shake of spice; the dark fruit flavour sparks and dapples with spice. I’d like the fruit flavours to last a bit longer and be as moreish as the aromas but I’m being picky. I was very, very happy with this dark prince from Oz.
THIS month Majestic has launched a range of wines, Majestic Loves, which I’m told has won a seal of approval with the Great British public.
More than 1,000 blind tasting reviews of supermarket wines below £6 were collected and over 65% of people preferred the new Majestic Loves wines. I’ve tried a couple. The Romanian Majestic Loves Pinot Prigio 2016, left, and the Italian red Majestic Loves Montepulciano d’Abrazzo 2015, right, are easydrinking fruitful wines. If you’re planning a party or a barbecue then they’d keep your guests happy. Both are £5.99 in a buy six deal – or £6.99 each – and come in at 12% abv. You can email me at jane@ onefootinthegrapes.co.uk