Wales On Sunday

on the grapevine

SAM WYLIE-HARRIS SAYS... WHY WAIT TO ENJOY A GOOD WINE

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ONE of the biggest wine crimes we’re all guilty of is ‘saving a bottle for best’. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a brilliant Bordeaux from a knock-out vintage that’s not ready yet, it might be time to look at those ‘best’ bottles on the wine rack.

Chances are, if you hold on to them too long, they’ll be past their drinking window anyway, so in honour of Open That Bottle Night (the last Saturday of February – this year it’s the 27th), we’ve rounded up some top drops to have on standby...

CEO Godello Monterrei 2019, Galicia, Spain (£8.49, Lidl): Fresh and juicy with a peachy character, citrusy acidity, emerging saline note and lovely silky texture, you can really see the appeal of godello – Galicia’s lesser known white grape, and great alternativ­e to albarino. Ripe with ample stone fruit aromas, it’s a delicious go-to with seafood.

Black Flag Chardonnay 2018, South Australia (£11.99, Virgin Wines): If you’re a New World chardonnay fan, you’ll be impressed with this ripe, generous style that reaches out with its layers of tropical fruits and gentle touch of butterscot­ch, framed by toasty vanilla oak. Seductive and flush with flavour.

Adnams English Bacchus 2018, England (£13.99, Adnams): A stunning example of home-grown grapes, the German white variety named after the god of wine, bacchus is England’s answer to sauvignon blanc – and will convince anyone that our still whites can be just as good as our sparkling. Beautifull­y aromatic with floral and passion fruit aromas, forward tropical fruits enlivened by herbal accents and balancing acidity.

Yealands Sauvignon Blanc Rose 2019, Marlboroug­h, New Zealand (currently £7.49 – was £9.99), Waitrose: This pukka pink also has a splash of merlot, which lends the wine a subtle blackcurra­nt note – but citrusy and gooseberry aromas are still in the driving seat, with a juicy palate of mouth-watering fruit, ending with a crisp, minerally finish.

Kompsos Liatiko, Karavitaki­s 2019, Greece (£9.95, The Wine Society): A little cracker from Crete, the nose is suggestive of spiced cherry, redcurrant­s, brambly berries and herbal notes. Kompsos means elegant in Greek, and this pale ruby red lives up to its name. Made in a modern style from liatiko, a local variety, despite the light colour this wine has intensity, with ripe cherry, raspberry, more creamy red fruit, warm spice and a soft, silky finish.

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