Three More Tanners' Wines

Three more wines from Tanners

Tanners is an impressive, established-but-contemporary independent wine merchant based in Shrewsbury; this is the second part of my review of six of their wines (the first is here).

Santorini Dry White, Hatzidakis 2013 (£13.20) mineral-yet-peachy Greek white.

Sandy yellow, orchard fruits on the rose; sweet, ripe cooked peaches, but dry, fresh and mineral. A touch of salinity; long, mineral finish. Good.

A versatile food wine, it has the body and acidity to stand up to a range of strongly-flavoured foods such as pasta, roast pork or salamis and hard cheese.

Tanners Douro Red 2012 (£8.20) Douro reds are like a toned-down port without the sweetness.

This blend of indigenous grapes is a vibrant ruby purple with aromas of dark fruits and oaky spice. Juicy black cherry, elderberry and blueberry fruit with mocha, tobacco, eucalyptus, vanilla and sweet spices.

Fine, well-integrated tannins, a touch of muscularity and a gentle firmness on the finish.

Good.

Match with duck, roast lamb with rosemary or wild salmon in a pesto-breadcrumb crust.

Renato Fenocchio Barbaresco 2010 (£28.95) a complex Italian Nebbiolo - this seductive-yet-ballsy grape is the Ladyboy of wines, according to The Winebird.

Pale red hue with brick red hints; complex dried red fruits and green herbs with cool mint, undergrowth, tar and roasted spices.

More dried berry fruits, bell pepper and herbs with undergrowth, freshness and muscularity. Long, savoury, harmonious and mellow. Firm, slightly drying tannins on the finish - drinking very nicely with food.

To my francophile palate, this combines the seductive red fruits and perfume of a Pinot with the muscularity and gaminess of an aged Medoc.

Match with slow-roasted rib of beef or pigeon stewed in red wine, shallots, mushrooms and rosemary.

Very Good.

Overall conclusions
I'm as impressed by these three as I was by the first - all good wines sensibly priced for the quality.

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Three Wines From Tanners