Warming winter wines

As the temperatures start to drop and we turn to comforting food, here are a selection of wines that are the perfect companions to cosy winter nights at home.

Doctors Flat Pinot Noir, 2012, New Zealand, £38
An extraordinary elixir! Hailing from a small organic vineyard in Central Otago, this artisan berry-soaked wine laced with a touch of spice is refined yet has a certain spark that enthrals the senses. 

Uvaggio Primitivo, 2011, Lodi, California, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £14.95
Made from the primitive grape, this is a captivating wine that tantalises the palate with flavours of damsons and blackberries spiced with a touch of oregano and a hint of oak. 

De Martino Gallardia Muscat, 2013, Chile, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £12.50
A grape-soaked wine, light in alcohol (11.5 %), that makes a great table wine which will  slip down so easily. Think raisins drenched in alcohol.   

Desierto 25 Malbec,2012, Bodega del Desierto, Patagonia, Argentina, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £12.50
Full of charm and flavour, this medium-bodied number has just the right amount of acidity. This is a truly delicious wine that is wickedly enticing. 

Foxwood Vineyards Shiraz, 2011, South Africa, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £16.95
Oozing black cherries, this wine makes a statement. Refreshing and elegant, it is a real pleasure to sip and savour.

Berry Bros. & Rudd Own Selection Margaux, 2011, Brane Cantenac, Bordeaux Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £19.95
If Berry Bros. has put its name on the label you know that the wine has to be exceptional, after all it has its reputation to maintain. Mesmerising blackcurrant flavours tempered with a smattering of oak assault the taste buds. Lingers long on the palate.

By Daralyn Danns

 

Enjoy rosé

Summer would not be summer without drinking a glass of chilled rosé, though there is no reason not to drink it anytime of year. Here are three good ones to tantalise the taste buds.

Zambartas, Rosé, 2013, Akamas Laona, Cyprus, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com)  £14.35

Made from 85 per cent lefkada, a local grape variety that is dark in colour with a potent berry flavour and 15 per cent cabernet franc to take off any hard edges. 

This is a crisp cherry-soaked wine with zippy hints of pomegranate that is a delight to drink.

Domaine du Gros'Noré, 2014, Bandol Rosé, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com)  £18.95 A classic salmon-hued Bandol Rosé with a strawberry-tinged palate and a smattering of herbs and spice. With a crunch of refreshing acidity, this is a captivating wine. Rosato, Colli della Toscana Centrale, 2013, Villa Calcinaia, Greve,  Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £12.95 A heady mix of red fruits and Tuscan sun that fuels memories of summer holidays in Italy. A well-balanced wine that slips down a treat. It is not too high in alcohol (13 per cent ) so perfect for Sunday lunch. By Daralyn Danns

The joys of drinking Chablis Premier Cru

Sipping a delightful crisp Chablis Premier Cru the other night I was reminded why this is one of my favourite white wines.   

Chablis is a town north of Burgundy, one of  France’s northerly  wine producing regions, so growing grapes here can be difficult .That means you have to pick your wines carefully. 

Made from the chardonnay grape, there are four different levels of this wine starting with Petit Chablis, Chablis followed by Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. In my opinion the latter two are definitely worth spending that little bit extra on. These wines are completely different in style and taste from chardonnays. Here are three Chablis Premier Crus that I have recently enjoyed.

Chablis, Vosgros, Premier Cru, 2012,  Didier et Pascal Picq, Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £22
A zippy well-balanced wine soaked with flavours of green apples tempered by  a minerally accent and crème fraîche tangs. Exactly what you expect a textbook Chablis Premier Cru to be. This is wonderful wine.  

Chablis, Vaillons, Premier Cru, 2012 Domaine Gérard Duplessis  Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) £22.50
A classically-styled Chablis that impresses from the first sip. Citrus-drenched with a smattering of nuttiness, this is a fantastic wine that is a pleasure to drink.  

Esprit de Chablis Chablis Premier Cru, Waitrose, £18.99
Crunchy apples with a smattering of lemon and orange, this zappy wine, made especially for Waitrose, has superb depth and flavour. A real treat especially with seared scallops.

By Daralyn Danns

Wines evocative of Umbria

Sipping a delicious red the other night from Umbria, in central Italy, brought back memories of a most enjoyable trip to Italy’s “green heart”. Discovering pretty hilltop towns steeped in history such as Assisi and Narni was an enriching experience. 

When you think of wines from this area, the name that automatically springs to mind is Orvieto, a town renowned for its white wines. However, Umbria is now claiming its position on the map for its reds.  

If you are the type that likes their wines robust and complex seek out ones made from the sagrantino grape found around Montefalco. Facing extinction in the 1960s, thanks to investment, this grape which is naturally loaded with tannins has had something of a renaissance. More winemakers are springing up since the area was awarded DOCG status (the highest classification for Italian wines in 1992), 

Discovering pretty hilltop towns steeped in history

I went for a tasting at Cantina Goretti – this family-owned winery is a must if you are near Perguia. Although there was a mix of whites and reds to tempt the palate, the star of the show had to be the Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG. Made from only sagrantino grapes, it explodes with flavours of blackberries, plums and raspberries. This should please even those with incredibly sophisticated palettes.

The other grape that has sparked interest in recent years is sangiovese. Once associated with cheap Italian reds, this main grape of central Italian reds produces wines that go down a treat. It is quite a difficult grape to get right. Often it is blended with cabernet sauvignon which gives the wine a certain richness. Sometimes merlot is added to the mix to take  the edge of the acidity.

At the Valle di Assisi, a delightful hotel just outside Assisi, I savoured Recanto  Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009, Vendemmia which came from its own vineyard. 

If you are not off to Umbria soon, you can sample its wines in the UK. Here are a couple which I can recommend.

Sagrantino di Montefalco, 2010, Milziade Antano, Umbria, Berry Bros. & Rudd, (bbr.com,) £35

This superb wine packs a powerful punch yet it is silky smooth on the palette. Described by Berry Bros. Italian wine expert, David Berry Green, as the essence of Umbrian sagrantino,  this  spicy number unravels lip-smacking plummy tangs. With one sip you will appreciate the calibre.

Montefalco Rosso, 2010, Fattoria di Antano, Umbria, Berry Bros. & Rudd, (bbr.com,) £19.95

Laced with raspberries, this is a zingy wine with hardly any noticeable tannins. This impressive creation that is redolent of Umbria will seduce you from the first taste.

By Daralyn Danns

For further information about tours and tastings in Umbria visit www.vinigoretti.com

For further information about Valle di Assisi, visit http://www.vallediassisi.com/en