La Rosa Bianca - Amaretti From Sardinia

A Sardinian take on amaretti from La Rosa Bianca

This year's annual Real Italian Food and Wine included a section of producers from Sardinia. I had earlier attended a masterclass on the wines of this Mediterranean island and was keen to try out some local foods.

As well as the salamis, cheeses and a semolina-based flatbread (rather like a Sardinian poppadom), there were amaretti from La Rosa Bianca.

Traditionally, amaretti are light Italian biscuits, crisp on the outside and slightly chewy inside, made from almonds and amaretto liqueur, as well as egg white and sugar.

La Rosa Bianca amaretti are slightly different, replacing the liqueur with apricot kernels and adding honey.

The result is softly chewy, more cake than a biscuit, and highly aromatic, with the sweet, nutty marzipan-almond flavour leading to the fresher, more savoury apricot kernel.

Not too sweet, it will match perfectly with a morning espresso or an after-dinner dessert wine, such as a sweet moscato.

Sardinia Hidden Gems Masterclass

A tasting of wines from Sardinia with Peter McCombie MW

200km off the Italian coast and previously ruled by the Spanish and the Savoyards, Sardinia is something of a hidden gem itself; it is one of those places of which the only thing I know about it is that everyone who goes says it is lovely.

I came away from this Masterclass with some appreciation of the complexity and largely non-Italian heritage of the island, but not yet a fully-formed sense of what Sardinia stands for - if anything.

That may be expecting too much - viticulture has not been as important in Sardinia as in Italy proper and the requirement of the wines has historically been no more than the ability to beef up blends from cooler climates.

If Sardinia does not yet have a strong oenological identity, it is definitely moving towards something more defined.

The grapes for many of these wines were mostly non-Italian, sometimes Spanish albeit by another name - Cannonau is Garnacha, for example - increasing the sense of unfamiliarity. A number of the wines, especially the reds, improved with extended aeration on a subsequent tasting, with the tannins softening and the aromas opening up.

The whites

Cantina di Mogoro Il Nuraghe Anastasia 2016 fragrant and floral with white pepper aromatics; good fruit and rounded with a supple texture. 

Tenute Soletta Kyanos Bianco 2015 herbaceous and lemony-herbal, with some fresh Riesling character; fresh and mineral with a honeyed, leesy richness. 

Tenute Olbios 'Lupus in Fabula' 2016 Riesling-esque with yellow stone fruit and minerality; rich-yet-dry.

Tenute Gregu Selenu 2016 expressive honeysuckle with some late-harvest character; ripe stone fruits, rich full and substantial

The reds
Carlo Pili Monica di Sardegna Ipno 2016 fresh, light, and fruity with cherries and berries

Cantina Mulleri "Cenere" 2016 bubblegum and red fruits; fresh, berryish and juicy with substantial old-vine underpinnings. A quaffer - but with class.

Cantina Nuraghe Crabioni Sussinku 2016 tar, spice, pepperiness and bramble with undergrowth; fresh, substantial and oaky with a firm texture.

Tenute L'Ariosa 'Pedrastella' 2014 floral, but still rather closed up; red fruits with sweet vanilla and freshness. Long with a good structure. Rioja-esque.

Cantina Meana Parèda 2015 smokiness, some jamminess yet fresh and firm with good backbone and structure; long and grippy.

Agricola Soi "Lun" 2014 quasi aged-character nose with sweet spice, balsamic and florality; caramelised fruits but with freshness, length and a supple texture.

Cantine di Orgosolo Neale 2015 fragrant with juicy red berry and cherry fruits, fresh and juicy, with fine tannins. Beaujolais-esque.

Tenute Rossini "Rosso Rossini" 2015 meaty and leathery with black fruits and fresh, slightly chunky tannins. Long and firm. Nebbiolo-esque.

Two Yealands Whites

Two single vineyard whites from New Zealand's Yealands

After making a short video on the topic of Yealands, inspired by five of their wines, Yealands sent me a few more bottles to try.

From the entry-level to the very top, all the wines are characterised by a freshness, purity and balance that makes them sophisticated and adept, yet all-too-easy to enjoy.

Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Gris 2016 aromatic and complex nose with ripe tropical fruits, sweet spices and a rich fatness. Waxy and full, yet fresh and mineral.

Good.

Match the richness with Alsatian food, such as tarte flambée or paté.

Yealands Estate Single Vineyard P.G.R 2016 a blend of Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling; dieselly nose, white stone fruits and ripe pineapple; sweet spices and limey freshness. Well made and easy-drinking.

Match the zippy freshness with soused fish or caesar salad.

Ribera Del Duero Tasting

Ribera Del Duero Trade Tasting in London

I have long known of Ribera Del Duero as a new Classic region, but have actually tasted few of the wines - nothwithstanding one very special evening with the outstanding Vega Sicilia.

The 100+ wines at this trade tasting were enough to give a sense of what Ribera Del Duero is all about and why it is held in such esteem - the raw materials here were quite amazing; freshness, intensity and concentration.

The difference between the most compelling wines and those that merely had potential was down to winemaking skill. The impression was of a prodigiously talented youth who has not quite got to grips with her natural ability; there was on occasion a rawness to the talent that needs time, experience and maturity to find its place.

Here are the wines I enjoyed best:

Bodegas Resalte de Penafiel, Resalte Crianza 2012 (£21.99 Champagne & Chateaux) spicy, meaty, vegetal with dark fruits. Concentrated with fine, firm tannins. Elegant, fresh and still young.

Very Good.

Lopez Cristobal, Reserva 2012 (Raeburn Fine Wines) dark fruits, meaty and vegetal. Long, fresh and firm with fine tannins. Well-structured and still young.

Very Good.

Aster Crianza 2013 (Armit) vegetal, fresh and juicy. Very harmonious.

Very Good.

Bodegas Cair 2011 (Alliance Wine, £44.50) fresh, berry fruited and spicy; vibrant, concentrated and harmonious. Juicy, long and supple.

Very Good.

Bodegas Fuentenarro, Reserva 2011 (£23.99, Les Caves de Pyrene) complex, farmyardy and mature with fresh berry fruit; vibrant, supple, concentrated and very harmonious.

Very Good.

Bodegas Fuentenarro, Gran Reserva 2010 (£34.50, Les Caves de Pyrene) fresh, red berry fruit and spices. Supple, harmonious and balanced with excellent old vine underpinnings.

Very Good.

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Not the main event, but there were also some interesting rosés.

Cillar de Silos, Rosado de Silos 2016 (£14.25, FMV) crisp, fresh and linear; aromatic and spicy with good old vine underpinnings.

Good.

Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, Rosado 2016 (Loeb) supple, with delicate red fruits.

Dominio del Aguila, Picaro del Aguila Clarete 2015 (£26, Indigo Wines) more complex and rounded with old vine concentration.

Good.

Pays d'Oc Collection 2017

Three wines from the Pays d'Oc Collection 2017

I have long been a fan of the ripe-yet-serious wines of Languedoc - a broad, diverse region, it has multiple variations and nuances. But the key thing you need to know is the wines are, generally, substantial, well-crafted and complex.

Here are three lovely wines from the 2017 Collection; an alluring warm-climate Chardonnay, a substantial and convincing varietal Petit Verdot and a gently-made red blend.

Calmel & Joseph Villa Blanche Chardonnay 2016 ripe tropical fruits and toasty-oaky nose; pure, substantial and leesy with well-balanced freshness and a mineral backbone. Fault-free with no rough edges.

Good.

Match with meaty fish and roast white meat.

Domaine De Valensac "Entre Nous selon Valensac" 2015 liquorice and dark berries with spice and mocha. Substantial, supple with juicy fruits, freshness and very fine tannins. Very long and mineral.

Needs aeration and will improve with age.

Very Good.

Match with darker game, such as venison or duck.

Domaine du Grand Chemin "Clos Rogé" 2014 S/CS/PV blend; dark berries and bramble fruits with spice, cocoa and a leathery gaminess; light-ish, juicy and supple with fine tannins.

Good.

Match with lighter game, such as guinea fowl or tuna.

Three Bordeaux Wines

Three Bordeaux from 2015's good vintage - available nationally from Waitrose, M&S and Laithwaites

After some difficult vintages, Bordeaux has been on a roll recently with good years in 2014, 15 and 16; some chateaux say that each year has been better than the one before.

These three wines from 2015 - all at different price points - are generally well made and very pleasant.

The freshness of the first two makes them rather more typically Burgundian than Bordelais; you might almost think they had come from a cooler year. The last delivers more substance, but trades this for the deftness and elegance of the others.

Les Chartrons, 2014, Bordeaux (£7.99 Waitrose) Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc; light, fresh and well-made with  a good backbone of acidity and gentle, fine tannins. Elegant with delicate red and blueberry fruit with some peppery spice. Improves with air as the fruit emerges.

Light enough to match with salmon, fresh enough for hard cheese or keep it traditional with roast meat.

Grand Plessis Grand Réserve, 2015, Médoc (£10.00, M&S) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Carmenère; expressively toasty-oaky nose with juicy red and black fruits, liquorice, a firm grip and plenty of spice. Good backbone of acidity and fine tannins.

Match with butcher's sausages or roast red meat.

Vieux Château Guibeau, 2015, Puisseguin Saint Émilion (Laithwaites £14.99) Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon; typical Bordeaux cassis and pencil shaving aromas with tobacco leaf and tar; substantial and supple with cooked bramble fruit, violets, mint and spicy vanilla. Grippy and slightly alcoholic.

Match the ripe fruit and firm tannins with garlic-and-rosemary roast lamb.

Wines for Curry Week

Two wines for Curry Week - Cune and Robert Oatley

October 9th - 15th is Curry Week - if you didn't already know. According to research, the most popular curry is a korma, traditionally a sweetish, slightly bland coconut-based dish.

Indian curries are not always a natural match for wine, being rather heavy and rich and needing a pint (or two) of beer; if, however, you like the more delicate and nuanced flavours of a Thai coconut curry, here are two that will match.

Cune Barrel Fermented Blanco 2016 (£10.15, Waitrose, The Co-op) orchard fuits and pineapple, with oaky, leesy minerality and good underpinnings. Clean, pure and harmonious.

Good.

Robert Oatley Signature Riesling 2015 (£13.15, Cambridge Wine Merchants and other independents) classic flintsmoke-dieselly nose with ripe, zippy lemon-lime, pineapple and a fresh, pebbly mineral backbone.

Good.