RAISE A GLASS
I BEGAN this week’s missive randomly staring at wine labels and thinking, ‘oooh they’re pretty’, I’ll talk about labels this week. Then I’ve realised (as I’ve gone along) that other themes have taken over. I’m like a novel; just when you think you’re safe with the storyline, a couple of sub-plots put you off-kilter.
Wine labels have to be clever things. Just think of a shop and the rows upon rows of wine; each one of them shouting at us “over here!” – no – “over here”!!
It’s a competitive space, a wine shelf. We’ve all bought a wine because of the way it looks and marketing plays a huge, huge part in wine sales. Then there’s that #doh moment when the wine tastes horrid and you wish you hadn’t bothered. Can you avoid that? No, not really, often you have to take your chances. If you enjoy discovering new wines, then keep ahead reading wine reviews, Googling in wine aisles; or remembering recommendations from pals. The wine Wildflower Pinot Grigio (£6.50, Spar, 12% abv) was the first that drew my eye this week, with a green thistlelike flower gracing the label. The wine is a pale lemon colour and aromas include a dash of grapefruit, lemon and a whisper of honeysuckle. On the palate it is slightly creamy and the citrus notes reveal themselves again.
The wine is created by Romanian producer Cramele Recas which is the country’s biggest exporter of wine. I’ve also tried its Noneus (£5.99, Aldi 12% abv) which is a blend of shiraz and native Romanian grape fetească neagră. The blend with shiraz creates a wine with a smoky, spicy nose, dappled with damsons and black fruit, and to taste there’s a good dash of pepper and fruit, together with integrated tannins.
That Aldi link takes me to my first sub-plot and Leaf Plucker Sauvignon Blanc 2018 (£6.99, Aldi, 13% abv) and I just love the wine label. The wine is so-called because a herd of sheep escaped into the vineyard and instead of damaging the vines and grapes, the sheep plucked off the leaves, saving the vineyard workers the job. The label shows these cheeky little sheep; but what about the South African wine itself? It is zesty with lemon and lime with hints of tropical fruit. The flavours tingle in the mouth and a small amount of oak aging and lees stirring has added texture and bite.
Sauvignon blanc is the link to another sub-plot and this time I’m looking at a label with a distinct Thirties theme. The grapes for La Belle Angele Sauvignon Blanc (£8.99 or £7.49 in a buy-six deal in Majestic, 11.5 % abv) are grown on limestone and the wine is aged on its lees for about a month. It has notes of gooseberry and tropical fruit. I prefer its sister wine, La Belle Angele Rose 2017 (the same price, 12.5% abv) which has summertime notes of raspberries and strawberries and cream. Pour in a glass and it is very garden-friendly. Marie-Angélique Satre was a beauty at the turn of the century, and impressionist artist Paul Gauguin painted her portrait and called it La Belle Angele. Hence the label theme.
Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.