Surely people are as fed up as I am that every time you turn on the radio, television or even the computer you're bombarded with health tips, diet regimes and exercise suggestions...Tempting as it is for me to think though that everyone in the world but me is being 'good' at this time year, I can't help but imagine that most of us are merely trying to perhaps be a bit more 'sensible'...
Tempting too is to think that in the furore of the January sales everyone is looking for a bargain, but to have put out a cheaper case deal this time would inevitably mean sacrificing quality and in these cheerless times that would be just mean and make us feel even more miserable (I have to drink this stuff too remember)...
So, please find below a delicious set of 6 pairs of wine, 3 white and 3 red, whose quality I can absolutely vouch for. Almost all new wines to the Wine Shop Leek but from producers with whom I have worked in the past over the years and am incredibly happy to do so again.
Lapostolle Casa Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Casa Lapostolle are the blue bloods of the Chilean wine world, their ownership boasting impressive French connections, directly through the Marnier family (of Grand Marnier fame) and indirectly through Champagne Roederer. The wines, unsuprisingly, marry the natural generous style for which Chile is so famous, with an elegance and subtlety thanks to Bordeaux wine-making guru Michel Rolland. The addition of Carmenere, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc to the bed-rock of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and six months in French oak make this wonderfully complex and food friendly.
Niel Joubert Cinsault Pinotage 2010
A seasonal listing for us in our Christmas gift packs, we've received such good feedback for this humble yet full bodied and lively South African wine that we thought we'd make it a more regular feature of our offering. With flavours of blackberry and cassis and hints of spice it's deep dark red in colour with rich smoky fruit flavours and just a little oak.
Finca la Colonia Malbec 2010
Made by Bodega Norton, which was founded in 1895 in Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes by an English engineer, Edmund J P Norton, who had been working on the Buenos Aires to Mendoza railway line. Recognising the potential of the area he planted vineyards at altitudes ranging between 850 and 1100m above sea level with vines imported from France. 100% unoaked, this is a fresh aromatic expression of the grape, made using only natural yeast and bottled early. Sweet, spicy aromas lead to a ripe red fruit-dominated palate.
Foxwood Viognier 2009
Viognier has finally started to get the recognition it deserves and is the perfect grape for a softer, rounder white without the oak influence so often associated with Chardonnay. This French example is made by an Aussie winemaker in the Languedoc region using a combination of both traditional and innovative techniques and delivers just the right balance of rich ripe aromatics and refreshing acidity.
Villa Antinori Bianco 2009
The label on this well-known white has changed little since the 1930s, not long for a family that has made wine for 26 generations! It's an accomplished dry Italian white that's floral and aromatic yet soft and fresh in the mouth, made by the Antinori family who have been making wine for over six centuries! A blend of 70% Trebbiano and Malvasia and 30% Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio the grapes come from central Tuscany, including the Monteloro estate which is particularly suited to aromatic varieties.
Niel Joubert Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Surrounded by hundreds of indigenous species of fauna and flora, 60km from Cape Town, the family-owned winery of Klein Simonsvlei is situated on the slopes of a spectacular ridge known as Ribbokskop, overlooking the Paarl Valley in the heart of the Cape winelands. The nose has a combination of grass and gooseberry aromas, and it's fruity on the palate with a clean, crisp finish.
Wines retail from £5.99- £11.49.
That's 6 pairs of wines for just £80.
To order yours simply drop us a note at info@wineandwhisky.com or call us at the shop on 01538 382408. We deliver free of charge locally.
Leonie
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