Blue of The Danube

A tasting of mainly Kekfrankos from mainly Danubian countries, organised by Wines of Hungary with masterclasses from Liz Gabay MW

The so-called Blue Danube isn't actually blue; in reality it's a kind of grayish colour.

Blaufraenkisch and I go back many years, but like a mismatched couple in a RomCom, we've never quite hit it off properly.

There have been moments, of course, when we've looked into each others eyes and seen something meaningful, but that initial spark of attraction never really fanned into a flames of desire.

Central Europe was where I first learned to love wine - living and working in Vienna, first came taut, peppery Wachau whites, followed by the wines of Hungary and Romania. Slovakia, just up the road for a day's shopping trip, was a source of good beers but not a wine destination. Not then at least.

So what's changed - is it Blaufraenkisch or me?

As ever, it's probably a bit of both.

Her name means Blue Frankish, for which the Hungarian cognate is Kekfrankos (CAKE-frankosh) and the Slovak Modra Frankovka; unlike Pinot Gris vs Grigio, choice of language does not denote any stylistic connotation. The key influence on Blaufraenkisch's personality is temperature - in milder climates she is pale, delicately cherry fruited and Burgundian; more warmth brings out darker berry fruit, deeper colours and a minty Bordelais character.

So far, so versatile.

This tasting by Wines of Hungary, with several guest appearances, demonstrated the breadth of Kekfrankos ; red, rosé, still, sparkling, varietal, blended, oaked, stainless steel, young, aged, moderate climate and warm climate

All the wines here were at least well-made and thoroughly enjoyable with no technical faults. They were deft, harmonious and balanced with fresh acidity and fine tannins.

Some were paler and more elegant, others deeper and fuller. Many were Good and several were Very Good to Very Good Indeed.

Should you check out Central European Blaufraenkisch / Kekfrankos / Modra Frankovka? On the basis of this tasting, absolutely yes.

Domaine Michel Girard Sancerre Rosé

From the ice-age to the dole-age
There is but one concern
I have just discovered:
Some girls are bigger than others
Some girls are bigger than others
Some girls' mothers are bigger than other girls' mothers

- Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (The Smiths, 1986)

Some rosés are bigger than others.

Until recently, I would not have expected a Sancerre to be pink - it is much more famous for its flinty-gunsmoke Sauvignon.

But, it seems, pink Sancerre is becoming A Thing; and despite its northerly provenance, this is a substantial pink, full and supple.

Rosé expert Liz Gabay MW suggests this Sancerre rosé would historically have been aged for longer before release. It has the underpinnings and general stuffing to suggest it will keep for a couple more years but with pretty fruit and delicate florality, it does not feel like a full-on vin de garde.

In any case, it is drinking very nicely now but certainly won't harm from being cellared for a while. If you eat and drink seasonally, this is a good, substantial, late-autumnal rosé.

However, in the days of central heating and air-freighted food supply chains, you can enjoy it with appropriate food at pretty much any time of the year - try it with smoked salmon and scrambled egg bagels on Christmas day.

Domaine Michel Girard Sancerre Rosé (£13.99, Virgin Wines) floral and musky-spicy; soft red berries and orchard fruits with warming white pepper. Harmonious, pure and precise. Textured, full and supple with freshness, saline minerality and good underpinnings. Very adept, assured and understated.

Good.

Match with fuller autumnal foods such as squash risotto or prawn coconut curry.

Riesling Vielles Vignes 2015 - Paul Schneider

A complex and adept Alsace Riesling from Paul Schneider

A family holiday to the Black Forest via Alsace a couple of years ago saw a return visit to Paul Schneider in the pretty village of Eguisheim.

visit.alsace describes Eguisheim thus: surrounded by vineyards, nestling in a fold of green hills, Eguisheim is a medieval village whose narrow, concentric streets highlight the architectural merits of its half-timbered houses, lovingly decorated with flowers.

The wines are no less lovely.

Paul Schneider Riesling Vielles Vignes 2015 (€9) with a bit of age now, the nose is evolving nicely; diesel, florality, honeysuckle and expressive vanilla spice; on the palate, citrus, beeswax, ginger and ripe yellow stone fruit; full, fresh and supple.

Will age further.

Good.

Match with seafood, smoked salmon or Thai coconut curries.

Solpiantez Spumante Brut Rosé Millesimato 2017 - Virgin Wines

A crisp, minerally pink fizz from Italy

It may be a while before we use the garden furniture again, but that's no excuse not to keep drinking pink fizz. Early autumn is still a great time for rosé, plus it makes a great aperitif or starter wine. Then, then there's Valentine's in February and before you know it, it will be late spring and we will be ready for something lighter and fresher again.

This Italian pink fizz from Virgin wines is beautifully packaged - as you might expect from Italy; pleasantly muscular and well-defined, it is made from local hero Garganega with a dash of Sangiovese.

Solpiantez Spumante Brut Rosé Millesimato 2017 (£9.99, Virgin Wines) delicate red-berry fruits, watermelon, citrus freshness and sea-shell minerality; very textured and linear with a precise, muscular core. Fine mousse and no rough edges.

Good and Good Value.

Serve as a crisp aperitif or match with shellfish.

Co-op Irresistible Pinotage

A good value saffer from The Co-op

A cross between the cool-climate Pinot Noir and sun-worshipping Cinsault, Pinotage is arguably South Africa's signature red grape; it was developed in South Africa and is not widely grown anywhere else. It is not considered a classic variety and tends to be something of an everyday wine rather than a top cuvee.

So, this £7 Pinotage from Cape Point Vineyards sits right in the sweet spot; it has plenty of fruit, is well-made and has as much complexity and elegance as you will find at this price point.

Co-op Irresistible Pinotage (£7, The Co-op) toasty-oaky, with sweet, ripe, juicy black fruits, fynbos (aka garrigue or scrubland herbiness) and spice; vibrant freshness and fine tannins.

Thoroughly enjoyable with no rough edges.

Perfect for International Pinotage Day on 12 October; match with darker game, such as barbecued venison burgers.

Domaine Bisconte

A classy, if slightly jammy, Big Red from Roussillon

I've been drinking a lot of Laithwaites' reds recently - not entirely through choice, I must add.

They score highly for Look-At-Me expressiveness, but less so for elegance, tending to be somewhat chewy and overextracted.

This Domaine Bisconte is very much in the Laithwaites style of Big Red; high in alcohol with baked, jammy fruit but what sets it apart from the others is a degree of finesse, freshness and balance which so many of the others lack.

For my palate, it's something of a curate's egg; it's technically very well made and the tannins are faultless. I'm just not keen on the baked, jammy character, but if you drink a lot of Parker-esque California or Barossa, it may even seem quite restrained.

Domaine Bisconte 2017 (£13.99, Laithwaites) ripe, baked dark-berry fruits with damson and plum, slightly jammy and overcooked ; garrigue herbs, oaky spice and a balanced freshness that just about holds it in check; complex with very fine tannins.

Thoroughly pleasant.

Will age.

Match with roast red meat, especially garlic-and-rosemary leg of lamb.

Classic Christmas Wines From France

Three French wines for Christmas

I recently - only half-jokingly - suggested to Fiona Beckett that just four different wines is not enough for a moderately expansive meal and found that I would need over half-a-dozen.

In practice, multi-wine meals are complicated to organise, quite a special occasion and mostly shared with fellow wine enthusiasts.

For a set-piece such as Christmas with a general audience, three wines can be perfectly fine; an aperitif, starter and main.

At Christmas, I tend to keep the food simple and the wines classic - it is not a time to start being adventurous.

Aperitif

Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut NV (Ocado, £11.95) Sémillon / Cabernet Franc blend, delicate florality, crisp, crunchy orchard fruits with fresh citrus, a touch of brioche, fine mousse and an elegant minerality. Very adept.

Thoroughly enjoyable and Good Value.

Serve as an aperitif or match with light seafood starters, such as prawn vol-au-vent.

Starter

Calvet Réserve Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux (Waitrose £9.39) expressive, aromatic and fresh with lemongrass, citrus, white stone fruits, white pepper, pithy lime zest, grapefruit and flinty, saline minerality; supple and textured, concentrated and long.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Match with a plate of antipasti, monkfish in a herb broth, Roulé or white meat, such as roast chicken.

Main

Abbotts & Delaunay Mourvèdre 2017, Languedoc (Majestic £8.99) deep and intense with dark fruits, violets, black olives, dark-green herbs and spice; textured, concentrated and inky with a muscular core; supple and fresh with perfectly ripe, very fine tannins.

Drinking nicely now and will improve further with age.

Good.

A versatile red, match with roast chicken, Christmas turkey or red-meat dishes from burgers to roast lamb.