Top Selection Portfolio Tasting

A portfolio tasting of Top Selection's wines

Top Selection is not a great name for a wine merchant; it has something of a budget supermarket's premium own brand about it. Which is a pity because the wines themselves are superb.

From traditional classics, to emerging regions and some really off-piste wines, if you are prepared to start buying in low double-digits and move up from there, there is a huge breadth to explore.

I liked every wine I tried and scored all of them at least a Good, so here are my highlights:

- more Hungarian dry Furmint, especially Szepsy, and Heimann's red Kekfrankos

- Styrian Sauvignon from Tement; it is lovely to see these wines back in the UK, steely, precise and mineral, they are some of my favourite Sauvignons

- elegant Swiss wines; they're not cheap, they're not good value but they are unique, pure and sometimes so silent that it takes time to hear them

- Nathan Kendall New York whites; fresh and distinctive

- Anton Bauer Austrian Gruener, a long-time favourite, plus his Blaufraenkisch and superb sweet wines from Burgenland's Kracher

- Moroccan wines from Meknes; a first for me

- aged Italian wines are really quite amazing; Campaperi, Ca' la Bionda, Terenzi

- really outstanding Cahors wines from Lagrezette; at £80 the Paragon is pricy but still exceptional value for the quality

- Yves Cuilleron Condrieu; not cheap but lovely

- 100yo solera sherries from Bodegas Yuste

- Canadian aged ice cider is a thing; Leduc -Piedemonte 2011

- Frederiksdal Kirsebaervin's Danish cherry wine; complex and savoury from long fermentations

- German Riesling beer; a "personal project" blend of 1/3rd Riesling with 2/3rds beer to give fruit-pickers something refreshing after a long day in the vineyard

Daniel Lambert Portfolio Tasting

By Benjamin Marshall - Dictionary of National Biography. Original is now owned by Leicestershire Museums and Art Galleries., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10847154

If, like me, Adrian Mole and Richard III, you have a connection to Leicester, you can't help knowing that Daniel Lambert was once Britain's fattest man.

He claimed neither to have eaten nor drunk to excess and to have been reasonably active, but with no other medical symptoms, history's verdict is that this was probably a fib and he was just a lazy porker.

Still, he clearly enjoyed the good life and was even something of a celebrity, charging people to experience his enormous bulk "in the flesh", so to speak.

This, however, is not the Daniel Lambert you are looking for. Unrelated to my childhood local hero, award-winning Daniel Lambert Wines was established around 30 years ago just off the M4 in south Wales.

A simple test of a wine merchant is to pick a few wines at random; if they are all good, then you've probably found a reliable one.

There was nothing I didn't like at this tasting; all the wines were at least Good, many much better than that.

De Saint-Gall my new favourite Champagne house - excellent NV and an astonishing Grand Cru 2004

Montgomery well-made red and white wines from Wales

Domaine Philippe Raimbault elegant and concentrated Loires; Pouilly Fume and Sancerre

Cave OEdoria supple and elegant Beaujolais

Burgundy lots of lovely, elegant reds at varying price points from Domaine de la Galopiere, Domaine Lamy Pillot, Domaine Jean Fery, Fournier ets Fils, Domaine Marchand Grillot

Bordeaux amazing mature Pessac-Leognan from Couhins-Lurton (white, 2015) and La Louviere (red, 2010), plus a superb 2015 Sauternes from Filhot.

Calmel & Joseph the Languedoc Malbec that first turned me on to Daniel Lambert

Cotes du Rhone supple, inky, spicy Rhones from Pasquiers, Les Hauts de Mercurol and Fourmone

Rioja youthful, fresh Rioja with some age from Pascual Larrieta

Canada fresh and elegant cool-climate wines from Westcott

Dom Brial possibly the highlight of the tasting, a collection of superb Rivesaltes including a Rancio Sec 2000, sweet Ambre 2010 and a series of wines from the last century that, like Mick Jagger, just seemed to get better with age: 1999, 1979 and - my favourite - 1969.

Wine in Context - How To Win Without Pitching

On the role of context in wine tasting and scoring

Training as an accountant several decades ago, I learnt that debits are debits and credits are credits; there's no discussion or debate, them's the rules.

The higher-level elements of business strategy call for more imagination, creativity and flair, but historic bookkeeping has to be built on solid foundations in order to bear the weight of assumptions about the future.

The same applies to advertising, the sector I worked in for many years until recently - there are provable, testable scientific bases to the way people react to advertising and to what works and what does not.

I have always, therefore, tended to feel that any discipline that seeks to be taken seriously, such wine-scoring, should equally be based on solid principles; in my world, scoring a wine (should you choose to score it) needs to be based on an objective assessment of its qualities, not merely a subjective opinion.

Yes, there may be bottle variation, wine evolution over time, and sometimes just the emotions of the moment (according to Robert Parker), yet I fundamentally believed that wine scoring, when done properly, is objective.

Then two things happened.

First I read Richard Hemming's account of scoring one particular wine at a measly 14.5, one of the lowest possible scores, and another one at 17.5.

The trouble was - he points out - it was the same wine.

Second, I took along a Chianti and Canadian Riesling to a tasting with friends and found that the Chianti (which I had previously tasted and rated well) became an unassuming wallflower and faded into the background when lined up against better, older or just more interesting wines.

Then, even more unexpectedly, the Riesling, which I had marked down as an aperitif / starter wine, showed brilliantly when tasted out-of-order as an end-of-tasting palate refresher.

As a side-note, I think the Riesling had the advantage of being big enough to cope with coming after the reds; a fresh, lean, mineral Pays d'Oc Chardonnay (think entry-level aperitif-style Chablis) hit a bum note when introduced in the middle of the tasting.

By an appropriate coincidence, the Riesling had been a gift from one of the best business speakers and advisors I know, Blair Enns.

One of Blair's speaking topics is how to Win Without Pitching; in simple terms, the more you do something unique that no-one else quite does, the more business customers will actively seek you out, rather than you having to go out and pitch for it.

Conversely, if you just do everything the same as everyone else to about the same level of competence, you will find it hard to stand out in the scrum.

So, my Dievole Chianti Classico 2015 (which I had previously rated as Good) did not stand up to a comparison with its peer group, whereas the Orofino Riesling 2014 shone when tasted against some very different wines.

For those interested in tasting notes (if not scores):

Orofino Riesling, 2014, Similkameen Valley, Canada classic Riesling dieselly-limey nose; expressive, rich, vibrant and supple with crystalline lemon-lime and pear flavours; mineral finish.

Dievole Chianti Classico 2015 (my original tasting note) very fresh, cherry fruited and floral with spice; structured, mineral and concentrated with fine tannins and a firm, muscular core. Fine and precise.

Somm Guys (Have All The Luck)

Two wines sourced by Oscar Malek

What do somms drink? No, it's not the opening line to a joke; earlier this year, I helped sommelier and wine director Oscar Malek dispose inter alia of the last of his wine collection before a jaunt abroad.

It was a mixed bag of odds and sods - a fascinating dive, then, into someone else's tastes and preferences, all the better for coming from a top-notch source.

There were timeless classics, whether achingly trendy or horrendously unfashionable, and a couple of off-piste unicorn wines.

Two recent bottles:

Blandy's 20 year-old Terrantez, Madeira fragrant with a sherry-esque tang; complex bitter roasted spices and cigar-box aromas perfectly balanced with an unctuous fresh-sweetness. Long and substantial.

Very Good.

Match with a plate of roasted almonds and olives on a hot evening in the garden.

Inniskillin Vidal Icewine 2013, Canada deliciously sweet overripe roasted peaches in butter with complex beeswax and roasted sweet spices. Fresh, concentrated, intense and long.

Very Good.

Match with some full-flavoured cheeses.

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Two Special-Day Wines
Afternoon tea with the MW Students

Two Special-Day Wines

Two wines from Jura's Rolet and Niagara's Pillitteri

A special day calls for special wines.

Somebody recently asked me about my favourite wine - it's impossible to answer, of course, for anyone who loves the sheer variety, but as a concession I explained that wines defined by their production method would be a favourite category.

And so we have two of these.

Rolet Pere et Fils Vin Jaune 1998 tangy and slightly floral with savoury roasted flavours of nuts, spices and apple. Fresh and long.

Very Good.

Pillitteri Estates Kerner Icewine 2012 beeswax and orange blossom, ripe roasted peaches. Fresh, intense and concentrated.

Very Good.

Not only are both defined by how they are made, they are also non-standard bottle sizes - the vin jaune comes in a 62cl clavelin (albeit standard for vin jaune); the ice wine comes a 20cl bottle.

The Pillitteri website notes: our first attempt at making an Icewine from Kerner, which is the offspring of Riesling and Trollinger. Our Kerner grapes were harvested on December 29th at around -10°C to give us maximum concentration.

Both wines were sourced by Wine Director Oscar Malek.

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Liberty Wines Autumn Portfolio Tasting

An email dropped into my in-box last week inviting me to Liberty Wines' Autumn Portfolio Tasting - the following day.

However, as luck would have it, the venue was just five minutes' walk from my office so I was able to pop there in my lunchtime.

With a very limited amount of time there, I picked what I thought would prove to be the most interesting wines to try, so what follows is based on my highly idiosyncratic, spur of the moment choices.

It is worth noting that the wines were generally arranged by style / grape variety rather than country, reflecting the trend of most wine lists these days.

Unless otherwise indicated, retail prices for these wines were generally in the £7 - £15 range that is the heartland of good independent wine merchants.

Italian Varietals

I started with some Italian whites - a lovely Verdicchio was my wine of the month recently, but this Terre di Valbona from Cantine Belisario was sadly not in the same league; lemony and rounded it was well-made and pleasant, but not complex and lacked the toastiness that I associate with good examples.

Much more appealing was a Pecorino IGT Terre di Chieti from Gran Sasso; it had some toastiness on the nose, ripe peach and pear fruit on the palate and a pleasing fullness without being sweet. The finish is long and savoury.

Next came a Pieropan Soave with a minerally nose of white peach, focused acidity on the palate and a minerally finish. It was very elegant but perhaps suffered by comparison in coming after the riper, fuller Pecorino.

Grüner Veltliner

I then got the somewhat unusual chance to benchmark Grüner Veltliners from Austria and New Zealand.

The Loimer "Lois" 2010 from Kamptal showed varietal celery and white pepper with mouthfilling ripe peach and pear and a minerally finish, with none of the leanness that is characteristic of 2010 Wachau whites after a very cool vintage.

The Yealands Estate Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2011was more aromatic on the nose with herbaceous and flinty notes and felt leaner on the palate and finish.

Both were impressive and equally good technically, but I found myself slightly preferring the Austrian wine for its fuller mouthfeel.

Riesling

I got to repeat this comparison with two Rieslings from the same producers - with the same result.

The Loimer "Lenz" was had a flintsmoke nose and structured, crisp acidity with cox's apples, pears and limes. The palate is mouthfilling with good minerality on the finish.

The Yealands Estate Marlborough 2011 was very pale, almost colourless in the glass with a greenish tinge and again had a herbaceous nose (is there something generally in the air in Marlborough that causes this?). As with the GV, it was lean but rounded with a minerally finish.

Again, I found myself preferring the Austrian example, but I do think the young, current-vintage Yealands wines have the potential to fill out with some more bottle age and a bit of time in the decanter and maybe also need some food to show their best.

As a control, I tried a multi-awarded Australian Riesling from Dandelion Vineyards.

I feel I have yet to fall in love with Australian Rieslings and, medals notwithstanding, this was not the wine to convert me.

With a typical petrolly nose, it was crisp and limey, but fuller than the two previous wines. However, it also felt less interesting and complex, even if technically well-made.

Hungary

Spotting a Hungarian dry, oaked furmint, I couldn't pass up the chance to try something a bit unusual.

This Dobogo Furmint is aged for a year in three-year old Hungarian oak and is a deep golden colour in the glass. It has an almondy, oaky nose, whilst the palate is full yet crisp with a buttery feel.

At around a tenner, I could definitely recommend it if you like the style, but its retail price is £16.99 and I fear it is not quite special enough at this price point.

Pinot Noir

Moving on to the reds, I spotted a Canadian Pinot Noir, "Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard" - at £26.99 it is priced at the level of a good red Burgundy.

On the plus side, it showed plenty of interesting varietal aromas of mushrooms, truffles and forest floor with a smooth texture and a touch of grip on the finish.

However, I found it rather too pale and lightweight, with a simple, strawberry-ish palate and a slightly odd aroma of dried flowers.

If you are an affluent appreciator of Canadian Pinot or even just very open-minded, it's probably fine - but I couldn't recommend it as an introduction to Pinot Noir.

Zweigelt, St Laurent and Blaufrankisch

There were actually more grape varieties than wines here - just two red Austrian wines from Burgenland's Heinrich.

The "Red" (a mix of all three) had simple cherry fruit and was well-made with a pleasing finish. A pepperiness develops on the palate and it is a classic "food red" rather than a quaffer.

The Burgenland Zweigelt was darker in the glass with a more intense and complex nose. It had a fuller palate and more textural complexity.

At £17.99, it is only a few pounds more expensive than the "Red" and definitely worth the extra.

It also has a Decanter Trophy.

Monstrell & Tempranillo

The Monastrell from Spain's Bodegas Castano had a tarry nose, dark bramble fruit, plums and prunes on the palate and and soft yet mouthfilling texture.

Castano is based in the lesser-known region of Yecla at an altitude of around 600m above sea level, giving the wines greater extraction and texture.

Merlot & Carménère

The 2009 Carménère Seleccion from Vina Chocalan had coffee and tar on the nose whilst the palate showed dark berry fruit and more tarriness. The texture is smooth but grippy, increasingly so on the finish, so decanting or cellaring is recommended.

Portugal

Although there was not a specific Portugal category, I tried a number of wines from this country and it makes sense to put them all together.

The 2008 Petit Verdot from Azamor, with 15% Syrah added, was a lovely wine with dark berry fruit and lovely oak on the nose.

On the palate, there is black cherry fruit, a custard cream smoothness and some spice on the finish, whilst the texture is inky and muscular.

It costs £17.99 which is fair given the quality.

The Quinta Do Infanto Douro 2008 Red is a few pounds cheaper and has a Gold Medal from Brussells, but to me was much less interesting - it felt thinner, with simpler cherry fruit, less complex and a grippier finish.

Finally, a 2008 Douro Red Reserva from Quinta Da Romaneira; dark purple in the glass, it has an intense nose of elderberries and ink. The palate shows more dark berry fruit, elderberries and blueberries.

It has a lovely texture, dense and inky yet soft, with dark spices on the finish which is grippy yet balanced and rounded.

It is a really lovely wine and has an IWC Gold to boot.

Sadly, it costs £49.99 and whilst it may just about be worth the price, it's a lot of money to spend on a single bottle.

Languedoc

The 2009 Chateau Saint-Roch Chimeres Cotes du Roussillon Villages had a Decanter Gold, but I found it rather middling and straightforward - juicy with some sweet fruit.

Syrah / Shiraz & Blends

Increasingly, I am finding myself appreciating Rhone Syrah which can rival similarly-priced Bordeaux for texture and fruit even if the wines are very different in style.

The 2007 Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes Hermitage Rouge Domaine de Thalabert has a complex, intense nose of prunes, oak and pencil shavings.

On the palate, there is bramble fruit, vanilla and spice and the finish shows a lovely mixture of fruit and grip.

The texture is soft with a grip that is gentle yet firm, poised and commanding - rather like a masseuse, I imagine.

A really lovely wine, but again not exactly everyday drinking at £28.99.

My final two wines were both benchmark comparisons of this one:

A similarly-priced (£38.99) Charles Melton Grains of Paradise Shiraz from Australia had dark fruit, sweet eucalyptus and blackcurrant on the nose.

The palate reeks intensely of blackcurrant with prunes and raisins and a dense, inky texture.

Of the two, however, I found the less expensive, more classic French wine to be the more interesting.

The Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage. "La Petite Chapelle" 2007 was a step-up in terms of price at £63.99, but also a noticeable step-up in terms of quality from the already very good Thalabert, with greater finesse, complexity and definition.

You are either very lucky or very discerning if you can decide to pick one bottle of the Petite Chapelle over two of the Thalabert, but if it's your birthday and your rich uncle is feeling expansive, there's no contest.

Recommended wine - white

I loved the Austrian GV and Riesling from Loimer and they are definitely worth buying.

However, my non-Austrian recommendations is Gran Sasso Pecorino IGT Terre (£11.99) for its ripe fullness, complexity and balance.

Available through Slurp.co.uk and http://www.reservewines.co.uk/


Recommended wine - red

There were some stunning reds above £20, but at a rather more affordable, if still special-occasion, price point, I recommend the Azamor Petit Verdot (£17.99) for its lovely oaking, wonderful texture and dark sensual fruit.

Links

Liberty Wines - http://www.libertywine.co.uk/index.aspx /