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Château des Jacques 2005 Moulin à Vent AOC (France)
This château is Maison Louis Jadot’s pride and joy along with its five separate plots covering 36 hectares. Moulin à Vent is one of Beaujolais’ ten crus, and being located close to Burgundy has a favourable influence on it making the wines a touch sturdier. The vines grow in rich granite and manganese soils, which apparently give it those typical iris aromas. For this 100% Gamay you can add floral spicy raspberry aromas that linger on the palate along with a long spicy finish. It’s silky, intense and full-bodied yet fine and intricate at the same time. A real winner that you can drink now, or keep for another five years.
Best with: sizzling free-range pork, Lyon cured sausage with pistachios or guinea fowl.
price: 20.00€
independent wine shops
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Château Unang La Source 2007 Côtes du Ventoux AOC (France)
This wine’s a real winner. The Syrah grows in clay soils on south-facing slopes. As this variety makes up 65% of it, it gives it tremendous peppery notes. You’ll pick up the 30% of Grenache in its spicy aromas and flavours and the 5% Carignan adds to its structure and nice length. Low yields and ripe-picked grapes give cassis flavours. Well-handled oak treatment confers a lightly oaky mouth-feel and adds to its balance. Well done James and Joanna King, the British couple who’ve owned the property since 2001 and are making a wine in their own image, subtle and thrilling.
Best with: lamb stir-fry, stuffed vegetables.
price: 9.50€
www.chateauunang.com
McKinley vintners 14 kennington road London SE1 7BL
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MARGAUX, 2003 Château Dufort-Vivens
This second growth (Grand Cru Classé) AOC Margaux belongs to Gonzague Lurton, who oversees the property with great precision. Its infertile soil has been planted with the Médoc’s three chief grape varieties. Seventy-five percent of the vineyard is covered with Cabernet Sauvignon, producing the wine’s silky tannins, 20% is planted with Merlot offering good roundness, and 5% with Cabernet Franc ensuring structure and ageing potential. The harvest is hand-picked and carefully sorted and then each parcel is vinfied separately. The wines are matured in barrels, including new oak. This Margaux, boasting a deep red colour, is very aromatic, exhaling liquorice and discreet toasty notes. Red berry flavours and tannins express good balance on the palate, with a lengthy finish. This young wine is very concentrated, as it reflects the characteristics of the 2003 vintage, it is therefore ready to drink now. Food pairing: tournedos, roast venison, t-bone steak.
price: 30.00€
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Rivesaltes, La Perle Pourpre, Domaine Piquemal, 2006 (France)
The colour is a deep red. The small is instantly appetising, with enticing aromas that are full of black cherry and cassis-like fruit. Incredibly succulent on the palate, one almost has the impression of biting into chewy and juicy fruit. Soft tannins give this sufficient firmness on the palate, causing the flavours to linger. This is beautifully balanced between its sweetness and the freshness of its fruit flavours. One could be in the vinyard chewing on ripe and fresh grapes, but this has greater complexity. A snip at this price!
Drink with: chocolate or red fruit-based desserts, or on its own, for the sheer, instant pleasure it provides.
price: 9.50€
from the producer (Tél. 33 (0)4 68 64 09 14)
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La Chapelle de Sainte-Roseline 2004, Côtes de Provence (France)
This ia a very upmarket cuvée from this fine Provencal estate. Juicy and harmonious, with aromas that speak of the sun and that are underscored by a hint of liquorice, this is also very well blanced. The grapes used in its blend (syrah, cabernet sauvignon, mourvèdre), have been painstakingly cared for, doubly sorted and fermented with care. Maturation has taken place partly in new oak barrels and partly in larger wooden containers. This has enhanced the aromas without them being dominated by wood. Hand-crafted, so necessarily a bit costly.
Drink with: Preserved duck or goose, duck breast, game, tournedos Rossini.
price: 39.00€
from producer (Tél. 33(0) 4 94 99 50 30)
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes, 2005 (France)
Strong aromas remind one of wild herbs, prunes and liquorice. The flavours are concentrated but finely-honed. One can feel the sun here, and yet this stays in perfect balance for its style, softly powerful. A very fine châteauneuf at an acceptable price for this level of quality.
Drink with: Roasted meats, game, goose ou turkey.
price: 18.80€
from the producer (Tél. 33 (0)4 90 39 32 32)
www.everywine.co.uk
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Château Richelieu 2004, Fronsac (France)
This is nice and ripe in its fruit flavours, which are of the black fruit type. Merlot dominates the blends of Fronsac wines, and is clearly the main component here. The tannins show well but are not overtly agressive, and the balance is good. One could drink it now or keep it for a while. Very good value for money.
Drink with: roasted or, grilled red meat, meat dishes in sauce
price: 15.00€
from the producer (Tél. 33 (0) 5 57 51 13 94)
www.genesiswines.com
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