Right – so January is almost definitely/maybe here. No more hiding behind the skirts of twelfth night or pretending it’s not really the 2017 now. Hopefully people have had better thoughts about their New Year resolutions and followed Wilde’s famous saying “Nisi tentationi resistere.” Or would have done, if he was a flash cove who’d translate something into latin for the fun of it; not naming anyone around here.
So – four wines designed to make one break one's resolutions:
Cloud Factory Pinot Noir £5/glass, £12.99/bottle
A nice easy way to wind back into the year. Something this simple doesn’t really count, does it? Of course not. A light, cherry-red Pinot with crushed strawberries basically poured into a glass. Actually it’s 100% grape juice, but you’d never know!
Vina Chela - £4/glass, £9.99/bottle
The archetypical mid-noughties-reach-for-bottle-of-choice, this delicious fresh Malbec is bursting with chocolatey blackcurranty goodness. This isn’t a complicated wine, slipping down nicely on top of a Tuesday night dinner or sipped in front of the telly.
Pegasus Bay Pinot - £9/glass, £29.99/bottle
One of my all-time favourite pinots. Elegant, full-bodied and in total balance, Pegasus Bay is a superb glass of wine. Raspberry, black cherry, plum, chocolate and spice bbq meaty hints, grilled mushrooms. This, if any are, is a Winter Pinot – that greater-spotted cousin of the commonly seen Autumn Pinot, commonly seen nesting alongside Portobello mushrooms and a pork loin dish…..
Rolly-Gassmann Riesling – £8/glass, £24.99/bottle
As Neal Martin, of the Wine Advocate, has just done explaining to us why German Riesling is possibly seeing one of it’s best years ever, I thought I would throw this bad boy into the blend to remind everyone exactly how good it can be. And the answer is very, very good. Rolly-Gassmann is one of the venerable producers of the region and the reason for their longevity is clear in the quality of the wine – poised and elegant, with notes of lime and peach blossom backed up by a clear acidity balancing out a delicious honey. Delicious!
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