3/29/2024 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Horribly sweet with little balancing acidity. Not flawed just not very pleasant experience!

10/11/2023 - SimonHea wrote:

A nice enough wine but should be much more expressive for the price .
Mix of red & black plums & cherries, some smoke, hints of black tea, sage, thyme and a few dried leaves thrown in.
M+ angular acidity, medium slightly grippy tannins, med alcohol, med body, intensity and finish.
Would be a great buy for £14~£15 but overpriced at £20.

9/27/2023 - SimonHea wrote:

Good value for money. Definite Central Otago DNA with ripe berries, black tea and a touch of cinnamon. Not overly complex and the alcohol burns slightly but a nice midweek glass of wine. Would buy again on offer.

9/23/2023 - SimonHea wrote:

Clean, raspberry led with light plum and a touch of herbaceousness and medium (-) tannic grip.
Definately in the lunchtime claret camp.

6/14/2023 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Red fruit, cherry, strawberry & raspberry with rose & wine gums. Medium acidity but a little sweet for my taste despite chilling to 14c, negligible velvety tannin, the low (12%) alcohol is welcome as a summer wine. Quite fruity but with little length. Not really for me especially at £21

5/21/2023 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Probably the best Albariño I remember having. Same flavours as usual but with incredible concentration coupled with laser like acidity and having a very long finish. This would stand up to a whole lot of white foods and would take light sauces in its stride.

5/6/2023 - SimonHea wrote:

OKish; clean and with with all expected fruits in place but not as generous as previous vintages

3/10/2023 - SimonHea wrote:

I would have been annoyed if I had paid good money for this wine but, fortunately, I won it.
Very generic; medium acidity, dark berries, hints of prune & tobacco. Medium + ripe but slightly grippy tannins, medium alcohol, medium + body & intensity, medium finish. All in all quite forgettable.

11/23/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

This Lopez de Haro Gran Reserva Rosado 2009 is a lovely wonder!
From Garnacha & Viura, aged four years in, mostly first-use, Bordeaux barrels of Hungarian oak then a further 9 in bottle.

Medium copper which really glints in the glass.
Quite reticent on the nose and initially in the glass, despite having been decanted for two hours, but slowly opens up and really comes to life in the company of food, in this case slow roast pork.
Dried orange & grapefruit peel mixed with black tea and a little hardwood smoke.
Blackberry, barley, hay, forest flowers, dill and a mere hint of vanilla

Very high, but not unwelcome, acidity and perfectly suited to slightly fatty food.
Med (-) tannin which isn’t in the slightest ‘oaky’ but feels like it’s from the barrel rather than the grapes
Medium body, medium (+) intensity, with food, and a medium (+), fractionally salty finish.

The wine has a long, bright, future ahead and I’d love to see what evolves.

11/9/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

I understand some of the negative reviews but I like the explosive freshness of this, admittedly, far from normal Crozes, there’s something to it that makes me think of Intellego’s Swartland Syrah but better.
Deep, with a hint of blue, purple. High, bracing acidity, medium + firm, drying, tannins. Invisible, medium (13%) alcohol. Medium body, medium + intensity & slightly bitter, medium + finish.
Aromas and flavours of violet, rose, blackberry, blackcurrant, underripe strawberry, herbal steminess, black pepper, smoky black tea and graphite (like sucking on pencil lead).
Explosive & fresh in the mouth, so gluggable and I’m sure would totally nail a big plate of charcuterie.

10/13/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Deep straw colour with aromas and flavours of yellow apple, quince, meyer lemon, lime, almond, hay, a touch of dill and a very light caramel note. Alcohol is a friendly 12.5% and the whole is held in balance with high, linear, acidity.
I already adored Fitapreta’s Nua unoaked Touriga Nacional which also shows light touch 12.5% alcohol and this is a lovely addition. Perfect examples of expert winemaking allowing the grapes to shine through with the minimum of intervention.

10/4/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Not bad just not my cup of tea (or glass of wine!) just too sweet for my tastes.
Ripe, mainly red fruit; raspberry, strawberry, loganberry, dried cherry, black tea and a mere hint of ripe stems.
Medium acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, medium intensity and a medium, sweetish finish.
No doubt better with food.

9/25/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

My last bottle and surprised it’s taken me ‘till now to write about it!
Stunning QPR; medium garnet with a little orange on the rim. Pronounced aromas and flavours of dark fruits; cherry, plum, blackberry, blackcurrant, and just a touch of prune & liquorice. Earth, ready rubbed tobacco, leather, cedar, toast & smoke. The 15% alcohol is totally seamless and almost invisible, full and smooth in the mouth with a lick of almost lemony acidity on the long finish. Flippin’ gorgeous!

9/18/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Fairly simple but great for the money!
Quite lurid pink, even for a Tavel. Ripe strawberries, red cherries that come across a little like benylin and a touch of ripe peach. Full on in the mouth and a decent finish with a touch of acidity. Tavels can be a bit boozy but this is great at 13.5%, ideal with roast pork or a salad nicoise and I bet it would be good but light to medium spiced dishes.

9/4/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Very unbalanced with overt oak. Despite only 13.5% it’s very noticeable

8/26/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Obviously Sangiovese but very, albeit not over, ripe and lacking the acidity and definition I would hope for from a Chianti Classico. The tannins are also quite soft. It’s a perfectly nice Italian wine and if it was IGT Toscana I might score a little higher but a couple of points lost because the wine, to me, lacks a sense of place. Nice enough to drink but missing the acidity to work with tomato based Italian food.
Should hold for a few years but I wouldn’t expect an positive development.

8/21/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Intriguing!
Medium copper pink. M(-) aromas of barley sugar boiled sweets, rose? and white peach.
Dry, hi acidity, M(-] grippy tannins , medium (12%) alcohol, M(-) body
M(-) flavour intensity of tea, orange, white peach, rosehip with a slightly bitter M(-] lemony finish.
If I tried this blindfolded would I call it as rosé or white? No idea but if I called white it would be with some questions in my mind .
So important; don’t serve over chilled, 30-40 mins in the fridge is plenty, maybe 15-16c

8/20/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Meh, OK for the promo price of £9.
Pale ruby, light on the nose and not a huge amount in the mouth.
Initially quite stemmy then some strawberry, red cherry, tomato leaf & green herbs and a touch of black tea.
Quite thin & light with short intensity.
I’ll get through the other two bottles but certainly won’t buy again.

7/20/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Too full on for me; Pinot character certainly but zero subtlety

7/2/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Ripe red apple, Meyer lemon and hints of biscuit. Could be quite nice but the dosage is far too high for my taste, maybe 9~10g/l?

6/25/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Nothing special but perfectly acceptable benchmark Chablis, just don’t over chill, 12~14c is fine

6/18/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Strawberry dominant but too sweet for me. Perhaps 12g residual sugar?

6/17/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Perfect on a hot day or warm evening chilled to 10~12c. Produced in the Massif Central from grapes grown on volcanic soils it has a real refreshing crunch and sappiness. Quite deeply coloured, intensely fruity with red plum & cherries, strawberries, cranberries, graphite and, despite no oak, a slight sense of smoke, @13% abv it’s not too boozy.
This isn’t a wine for deep thought and certainly not for ageing but one for now, for pure fun and joie de vivre just lovely happy wine.

6/1/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Bought this off the back of a 17+ rating by Richard Hemming on JancisRobison.com but quite disappointed .
Drank cool as I drink all lighter reds
Medium ruby with a medium (-) nose of black plum & cherry and some black tea.
In the mouth slightly more pronounced @ medium but flavours similar and limited as the nose plus a little herbaceousness.
Medium acidity, medium (13.5%) alcohol, m (-) body, medium intensity and m-, slightly bitter finish.
Some other reviews suggest letting the wine warm up a little but I feel that defeats the object of Beaujolais

5/21/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Much darker than many a Fleurie.
Light bubble gum and cinnamon on the nose but also very floral; rose, peony and violet.
Bracing acidity, a little sour (in a good way), red cherry with a touch of black, raspberry, red and blackcurrants and some graphite (like sucking a pencil).
Invisible 13% alcohol, light body, little tannin to speak of but a hint of green, m- intensity and a m-, ever so slightly bitter, finish.
Drinking lightly chilled @ about 16c this is just a lovely light, refreshing, glass of wine

4/14/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Hen’s teeth! The deepest deep ruby it stains the glass like freshly squeezed elderberry juice!
Medium aromas of blueberry, plum, black cherry and strawberry with a little tobacco, pepper, lilac and candy.
In the mouth; dry (but still with that sense of candy), medium (-) acidity, Medium (-) ripe soft tannins, medium alcohol, M (-) body, medium intensity and finish.
A simple wine but completely inoffensive and a good quafer, just make sure you have a good stain removing toothpaste!

4/13/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

A blend of Monastrell (Mourvèdre) and Giro (I had to look it up too!) Drunk cellar temp at around 16c
Medium purple, m+ intensity on the nose and pronounced in the mouth.
Fantastically juicy, plums, mulberry, black cherry, roast strawberry, bramble, tobacco, leather, pepper, bay leaf, smoke and a touch of vanilla. Some meat, and slightly herbal.
Dry, medium acidity, medium firm but ripe tannins, medium alcohol, medium body and a m+ intensity & finish.
The wine is very good and I completely agree with Will Devize that this wine is crying out for a huge plate of charcuterie!

4/1/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Medium gold with M+ aromas and flavours of honeysuckle, yellow & red apple, ripe peach & nectarine, quince and lemon curd, also hints of orange, biscuit & lightly cooked toast.
Just dry, whilst Brut it’s at the higher end, maybe 10g/l, not unlike a still Montlouis.
Acidity is M+, medium (12.5%) alcohol, M+ body, intensity & finish.
An interesting wine probably best suited to food. Nice enough but not really suited to my taste as I tend to prefer my bubbles less sweet.

3/28/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Decanted for a couple of hours. Medium garnet with a little orange on the rim, huge plum, blackberry and black cherry with dill & sage, liquorice and anise. Smoke, cedar and touch of vanilla. Tannins are assertive but ripe, the acidity keeps everything alive and fresh and the finish lasts for ever. A truly stunning, glorious, wine.

3/3/2022 - SimonHea wrote:

Final bottle from six, sadly knackered

2/27/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Gorgeous in a kinda Chabliesque way.
Dry with high but not tart acidity. Green & yellow apples, lemon & lime, almost ripe peach, some almond, wet stone and maybe a touch of quince. Purely primary flavours but clean, crisp and concise; lovely.

2/16/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Very pleasantly surprised as I believed this was a missed bottle I should have drunk some years back.
Deep garnet, M+ intensity of black & red plum, black & red cherry, cooked blackcurrants, dried blackberry, roast strawberry, black tea, mushroom, slightly vegetal, cedar. Flavours follow through as per the nose.
Med acidity, med, slightly grippy, tannins, med alcohol, med body, med + intensity and finish.

1/24/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

What a pity, I’ve really enjoyed previous vintages but the ‘18 at 15.5% is excessive (and not a fine example of good viticulture).
Very ripe plum although not jammy but the concentration and alcohol warmth was just too much for me to find enjoyable.

1/19/2022 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Opened for cooking but drank the rest. I admit I have a dry palate and am a bit of an acid freak but found this horribly sweet to my taste for a Chianti.
Med ruby with m- a&f of red & black cherry and plum and little else. Dry, medium acid, med, soft, tannins, med alc, body. M(-) intensity & finish

1/1/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Simply speaking the best ESW I have tasted and I’m struggling to remember many Champagnes that could beat it.
Can’t be certain but I believe the base is 2014 with a large proportion of reserve wines and aged 46 months before disgorgement. The cepage changes slightly but is always very Chardonnay dominant with 7g/l dosage although it feels less.
Light golden in colour with apples, more red than green, some baked and bruised. White peach, lemon curd, mandarin and a little roasted orange peel, butter and parmesan all with a lovely persistent mousse.
Described as others as a wine with a real start, middle and end; pronounced acidity to start, mellowing to the fruit concentration then a lovely long lingering finish.

1/1/2022 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

50yo vines @ 45hl/ha, 62% Cab, 33% Merlot & 5% Petit Verdot aged 15 months in 50% new oak.
Medium garnet, M+ on the nose & palate, very smoke and blackcurrant fronted with, blackberries, black & red plums with some black cherry and a touch of roast strawberry, vanilla, a little mint, liquorice, dry leaves and pencil box. Some tertiary notes developing; dried blackberry, light farmyard, tobacco & cedar. Medium acidity, medium ripe tannins and a M+ finish. Decanted 30mins before drinking but starting to fade after a couple of hours. All in all very pleasant and great with the steak but the money could probably be spent better elsewhere.

12/21/2021 - SimonHea wrote:

I like this!
Not overly expressive on the nose but some cherries , cherry blossom, almond, peonies and a little pepper.
Much more in the mouth with almost ripe strawberries & raspberries, red cherries, rhubarb with hints of green and some cranberries mixed with a few ripe redcurrants and those peonies again. Dry, m+ acidity, firm, slightly green grippy tannins, m+ alcohol is seamless. Medium body, m+ intensity and finish.
Strangely this reminds me of a more forgiving version of a Gamay from the Côte Roannaise. Would be fabulous with charcuterie.

12/18/2021 - SimonHea wrote:

Sadly oxidised

12/12/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Drank this with some simple fried steak; a good match with the wine delivering just ripe red and black plums with some just ripe roast strawberries, slight balsamic notes and a touch of pencil & cigar box and vanilla hints but not a huge amount more. Just about enough fruit, acidity and tannins to hold for a few more years but not convinced how or if tertiaries will develop. All in all a perfectly decent wine but far from outstanding.

12/10/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Barossa Valley Shiraz is walloping, jammy and warming right? Not any more if this wine is anything to go by. This delicious wine has Barossa DNA balanced with great restraint. It’s still full bodied, there’s lovely plum fruit with smoke and light vanilla notes together with meat, pepper and silky smooth tannins but delivered with just 13% abv!
Deep Ruby with a hint of blue but not enough to be called purple. Dry with medium acidity, medium + ripe unctuous, silky tannins with the merest hint of grip.
Almost invisible medium alcohol, full body, pronounced intensity and a medium + finish.
Ripe black plum, damson, blackberry, blueberry
Soft vanilla with a little toast, meat, liquorice, bay, black pepper, violets and some tobacco.
A really lovely, very good, wine verging on outstanding which will reward moderate ageing with tertiary notes but, I feel, lacks sufficient acidity for the long haul.
In summary the wine delivers almost everything that ‘traditional’ Barossa Shiraz’ did but without any hint of jamminess or burn.

12/2/2021 - SimonHea wrote:

Made from Nebbiolo in the Barolo region, not much more to say really.
Pale garnet. Dry, high acidity, medium + grippy but ripe tannins, med alc, med body, med + intensity, med everything else.
Red & black cherry and plum with a hint of smoke but very little else.
An acceptable wine but a poor example of Barolo showing little typicity.

8/20/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Amazing crunch, tension and energy, all primary, no chance to develop, drink it young and fresh.
Cranberry, red & white currant, rhubarb, including some of the green bits, and raspberry.
Zinging acidity, medium, grippy and slightly green (but not unpleasant) tannins, lunchtime friendly 12.5% alcohol with a light body and medium slightly bitter finish.

7/28/2021 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Poor; too much alcohol, a bit of smoke overpowering the fruit

5/14/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Medium purple. Aromas jump out of the glass but no grotty maceration particularire or flash detente, neauveau, aromas or flavours, just pure fruit and a little cola; red & black cherry, roast strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, slightly herbal and a touch of rose petal also a sense of sucking pencil lead. Whilst light the tannins are grippy but ripe, good intensity and there’s a decent finish. A wine that is crying out for a plate of charcuterie. Really lovely, especially, for the money. Well dome Tim!

5/11/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Couldn’t decide whether to drink white or red tonight and this hit the spot served slightly chilled.
Strawberry, red cherry, cranberry, smoke, cola, earth and (like sucking on) pencil lead with a light bitterness on the finish and hardly any tannin.
Zingy, high but not super high acidity, so fruity and dare I say it gluggable.

4/17/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Gorgeous; crunchy summer pudding flavours. Fantastic, fat cutting, acidity, perfect with charcuterie & cold cuts.

4/7/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

Pale ruby, M+ nose with cherries, red plum & strawberry with light smoky wood notes & a herbal quality.
On the palate fresh red cherry, ripe strawberry & raspberry, smoked bacon, black pepper and again a light herbal quality despite 100% de-stemmed fermentation. The herbal quality, whilst not at all unpleasant, does diminish with decanting.
M (-) body, M+ acidity, M (-) background, smooth, tannins, M+ intensity & finish.
Good to drink now but will improve over the next 3-4 years

4/2/2021 - SimonHea wrote:

Sadly past it. Fruit in evidence but sadly lacking acidity and vibrancy

3/23/2021 - SimonHea Likes this wine:

This is delicious! Made by the Vajra family in Serralunga, a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Nascetta and Riesling,
Sauvignon Blanc driven nose with light passion fruit supported by green & yellow apple, pear, grapefruit, white peach & orange blossom.
Medium body with flavours as aromas but with light hints of mandarin and mango too.
Lovely mouth watering acidity and a medium finish.
Not complex but great fun!

3/5/2021 - SimonHea Does not like this wine:

Disappointed and quite redolent of the #002 Zweigelt being quite dominated by quite sweet malt vinegar aromas and flavours.
Off dry, M+ acidity, m+, soft tannins, med alcohol, M(-) body and medium finish
Trying to taste through the malt vinegar there’s a little red plum, strawberry and cherry.
If this is a long lost grape, don’t bother trying to bring it back unless you give it to someone who can vinify it with the care it needs.