Don Vincenzo Eghemon Passimiento 2015

Wine:  Eghemon Passimiento
Winemaker: Maurizio Biscardo
Vintage: 2015
Varieties: Nero d'Avola
Price: £15.99
Buy Now: Virgin Wines

An absolutely stand out wine at this price point. Really very impressive indeed. 

Huge, powerful aromas of inky dark fruits: blackcurrant and damson, supported by fresh vanilla bean and an alluring wood spice. In the mouth sweet blackcurrant, black cherry and a velvety, milk chocolate laden finish. 

Full bodied, with a linear acidity, moderate intensity, beautiful depth of flavour and wonderfully integrated tannins. A decent length finish, that offers a slightly bitter note all the way to the next sip, very reminiscent of an Amarone.

Enjoy with a goats cheese and black olive pizza! 

Chateau Musar Red 2004

Wine:  Musar Red
Winemaker: Chateau Musar
Vintage: 2004
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan & Cinsault
Price: £27
Buy Now: Roberson Wine

As with many other 04's I've enjoyed, this example had the same youthful nose, not something one can often associate with Musar; very Bordeaux in style: blackcurrant and blackberry, with earthy notes and a subtle hint of leather. In the mouth: sweet raspberry, sour chalky cranberry, developing into sweet blackcurrant and bitter blackberry, rounded off with a heavily spiced finish.

A full bodied wine, with a healthy, but linear acidity, moderate intensity and fine silky tannins. All in all lacking the intensity of other 04's I've enjoyed, but bottle and vintage variation is common in Musar and for me, one of the many reasons I adore the uniqueness of the geniuses from Lebanon.

This wine is developing nicely and should evolve to it's peak sometime between 2020-2024. Will accompany fillet of beef or roasted shoulder of lamb beautifully and should be served around 18'c and decanted a couple of hours prior to consumption.

Enjoy!

The Black Pig Clare Valley Shiraz 2016

Wine:  The Black Pig Prize Shiraz
Winemaker: Fuse
Vintage: 2016
Variety: Shiraz
Price: £19.99
Buy Now: Virgin Wines

A big bulky Shiraz, with a powerful bouquet and wonderfully extracted flavours of inky dark fruits, vanilla, liquorice and leather. 

Incredibly intense, with grippy, almost wild tannins, a bit of a mouthful for sure and a lengthy decant is most definitely required. A good food pairing also works well, with steak and ale pie working wonderfully for me personally.

All in all, a good wine, in fact a very good wine, but currently a bit boisterous and needs some care and attention. For sure will be much more approachable in three to five years.

Decero Malbec Remolinos Vineyard 2012

Wine:  Remolinos Vineyard Malbec
Winemaker: Decero
Vintage: 2012
Variety: Malbec
Price: £13.50
Buy Now: Wine Direct

I'm not a big drinker of Malbec, nor am I particular fan of the variety, but when a good example smacks you round the chops, you stand up and take notice and that's exactly what happened with this incredible offering I stumbled upon by way of a mis-order courtesy of Amazon. Native to Agrelo, Mendoza, home to some of the most sought after Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in Argentina, the Remolinos vineyard from which this incredible wine hails from, is between 3400-3600ft, sits at the base of the Andes and enjoys incredibly warm, sunny days and cold nights; resulting in a slow, yet full maturation of the grapes, which means we all get an absolute treat of a wine!

Medium to full bodied, with a zippy acidity and packed with damson and violets. A vivacious and flavoursome red, with layer upon layer and bags of character. This is an absolute barnstormer of a wine and Wine Direct have the latest go to vintages from Decero ready for you to whip of their virtual shelves. I've had many of the best examples of Mendozan Malbec and despite coming across this under rather fortuitous circumstances, I'm well aware just how good a wine this is and how it's punching well above it's weight in terms of it's price point.

Affordable Wines To Get You Through January

With the euphoria of the plethora of above average wines undoubtedly consumed by us all over the festive period, now a mere distant memory and the come down of the New Year and the bump back to reality well and truly present, we at Sypped thought we'd bring you a handy list of our top five affordable wines to help restore some equilibrium to proceedings and help you fend off the wolves from the door, with some tip-top inexpensive recommendations that taste the part, but don't break the bank.

Pedroncelli Friends Red, Sonoma County 2015

Wine:  Friends Red
Winemaker: Pedroncelli
Vintage: 2015
Variety: Merlot
Price: £9.50
Buy Now: Wine Society

This fantastic Cali Merlot from Wine Society will definitely help ease those January blues, with it's gorgeous silky palate and seemingly never ending finish. Full of boozy dark fruit and a moreish vanillin thread make this more than a match for any adoring fans of the more fuller bodied red wine. It's brilliant as a stand alone wine or perfect to marry with slow cooked rib of beef or pork loin and at less than ten quid a bottle, what's not to love!

Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2016/17

Wine:  Sauvignon Blanc
Winemaker: Mud House
Vintage: 2016/17
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Price: £9.49
Buy Now: Majestic

One of my 'go to' Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, a real stand out performer in what is an emerging market absolutely saturated with average and below average examples. Hugely pungent tropical flavours and aromas will engulf your senses, with a zingy citrus kick that keeps everything in check and adds fine balance and depth of flavour. Made for Thai and Cantonese cuisine, my personal choices would be salt and chilli squid with pad thai noodles, heavy on the peanuts. Available at Majestic for a little over £8 a bottle, you won't find many better at this price point.

Terre Di Faiano Organic Primitivo

Wine:  Primitivo
Winemaker: Terre Di Faiano
Vintage: 2016
Variety: Primitivo (Zinfandel)
Price: £9.99
Buy Now: Waitrose

If you like warm, rich, sun drenched reds, it doesn't come much better than this. Apparently the only organic Primitivo made using entirely the Appassimento method, whereby the winemaker will excessively dry the grapes, naturally, extracting full flavour and producing a wine fuller of flavour and sweeter than usual. The oak influence in this tempers the sweetness beautifully adding some wonderful toasty notes. Waitrose have pulled off a blinder putting this on their shelves!

Stumble Vineyards Cinsault Rosé 2016

Wine:  Rose
Winemaker: Stumbles Vineyards
Vintage: 2016
Variety: Cinsault
Price: £8.99
Buy Now: Laithwaites

It's not often that I doff my cap to a rosé, the last one was a fantastic example from Provence and that was nearly a year ago and whilst this Western Cape Rosé bares very little resemblance to it's French counterpart, I'm as equally enamoured, with it's vibrant palate filled with luscious strawberry and raspberry notes and a stunning floral elegance that brings everything together perfectly. You could do worse than popping down to your local Laithwaites or getting online to snap up a few of these beauties.

Simpsons of Servian Blanc de Blancs 2016

Wine:  Blanc de Blancs
Winemaker: Domaine Sainte Rose
Vintage: 2016
Variety: Chardonnay
Price: £18.99
Buy Now: Naked Wines

I know Charles and Ruth, the owners of Domaine Sainte Rose, very well, I've been drinking their wines for a good few years now and rarely have I been unimpressed with anything in their range and this unique BdB made in the Languedoc, which is an unusual pairing to say the least, is no exception, in fact it's exceptional! The Chardonnay coming through in this crisp, buttery, bubbly, beauty really had me going and I'm positive it'll do the same for you too! C+R recommend oysters or sushi to pair with this, I wasn't quite up for oysters, but can verify that this belter is best friends to Californian lobster rolls! Naked Wines are pitching this at £18.99 or £12.49 if you subscribe to become an 'angel' if I'm honest £18.99 is a damn good price, £12.49 is a steal!

Lyme Bay Chardonnay 2015

There is very little not to absolutely love about this beautifully crafted, exquisite Chardonnay from the geniuses at Lyme Bay; I've been fortunate enough to try a broad range of their wines and I'm pleased to say that this is right up there with the best and well and truly lives up to the hype surrounding Lyme Bay and it's wines; It's a class act and as far as still English wines go, this is about as good as it gets.

Included in the mix is a dash of Bacchus, which despite a veritable cameo role with regards to it's percentage in the overall blend, plays a pivotal role in helping round the character of this sumptuous wine, adding a feisty acidic backbone, which acts as a steadfast platform for the beautiful tropical and citrus flavours of fresh apricot, pineapple and lemon zest to shine through, whilst also adding much needed balance to offset the buttery nature of the Chardonnay and bready notes from the lees ageing. 

On the leaner side of medium bodied, dry in style, with a distinctive minerality and subtle salinity, not dissimilar, stylistically to a Premier Cru Chablis, with layers of complexity and a luscious mouthfeel, that exude elegance and mimic the archetypal characteristics of the Burgundian queen, without having to wait the best part of a decade for it to reach it's apogee. The flavour and aroma intensity are utterly captivating, leaving one salivating at the prospect of yet another sip of this wondrously, heavenly nectar; the finish is a little abrupt, but in all fairness that fits with the clarity, dynamism and precision of the wine and if I'm honest, being the pedant that I am, I'm probably picking holes in what is a metaphorical cashmere sweater!

BUY NOW FROM LYME BAY

Chateau du Seuil Cerons 2014

After enjoying the highly acclaimed Domaine du Grange Neuve Monbazillac earlier in the evening, we decided to continue the trend of sweet French white wines and open this gorgeous Graves to pair with our dessert, steamed sticky toffee pudding and custard.

The most striking facet of this wine is the powerful and gripping aromas and flavours of apricot, both conserve and fresh. The bouquet is uplifting, yet refined and somewhat complex, despite the early onslaught of apricot, there is also elderflower and a lemony kick.  On the palate, apricot conserve is prominent, dominating throughout the palate to the finish, which is honey clad and lengthy.

You could argue this was a little over-sweet and as such, I would suggest pairing with a dessert as opposed to an aperitif or with a cheeseboard. Best served heavily chilled.

BUY NOW FROM VIRGIN WINES

Domaine De Grange Neuve Monbazillac 2011

It's been a long while since I enjoyed a sweet white wine as much as this; with it's wispy tones of toffee, sweet butterscotch and burnt marmalade, it's hard to not to be utterly enamoured with this absolute beauty from the Dordogne! We enjoyed it as an aperitif and then with some soft blue cheese, quite the pairing, if I do say so myself!

Evocative honeyed aromas flood the senses initially, yielding to some alluring citrus, with a subtle grassy background note and a mild nuttiness. In the mouth, toffee, butterscotch and marmalade mingle effortlessly, creating wine harmony and a glazing mouthfeel, that begs you to take another sip. This wine has bags of character, a linear acidity and a grippy intensity, keeping all the flavours in check wonderfully and making for supremely easy drinking; no mean feat for a sweet wine, where the majority of affordable examples end up being overly sweet and cloying and ultimately one dimensional.

Serve well chilled, around 6'c and allow to warm in the glass and enjoy!

BUY NOW FROM VIRGIN WINES

Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve 2013

Wine:  Cabernet Franc Reserve
Winemaker: Barboursville
Vintage: 2013
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Price: £30
Buy Now: From GP Brands

Virginian Wine is certainly not something we come across often in the UK, in fact very few people even know that Virginia produces wine - but they should. It may not have the gleaming trophy name of Sonoma and Napa, but the various wine regions throughout Virginia are producing some outstanding wines, take this beauty for example. 

The nose is flooding and oozing with dark berry brambles. There’s blackcurrant, dark cherry and ripe black plum bound together with a sweet freshness on the nose, a little fresh grass and a slight toffee. Top marks for expressing some key characteristics on the smell which continue to evolve as the wine opens up. 

Upon taste you’re presented with a plethora of fresh meadow berries, ripe for picking with a lovely finesse. Dark brambles, black cherry and a fresh blackberry licorice hit the mid-palate with slight tannins reaching the back of the tongue. There’s a little cedar oak element that works well alongside the freshness to cover the entirety of the palate. The tannins kick in briefly at the very end, a slight coating on the tongue as the finale of the experience. 

In summary, there’s a lot to be said for Virginian wines and more effort should be made to locate and explore them. Make it your mission in 2017 to try something you’d never otherwise have thought to experience. 

Peter Franus The Father Blend 2014

Wine:  The Father Blend
Winemaker: Peter Franus
Vintage: 2014
Variety: Syrah / Shiraz Blend
Price: £22.99
Buy Now: From Virgin Wines

An abundance of dark ripe cherries, plum and brambles hits you on the nose, brought together with a dash of dried raisins and prunes. There's a slight dusting of dark cocoa powder with a little damp earthiness to finish off the nose. 

On the palate, an exuberant burst of black brambles and licorice, fresh yet sophisticated with a touch of tannins that roll off the tongue. More of that dark cocoa powder comes to play with a small amount of white pepper spice. The spice gradually fades into a fresh and inviting finish as the tannins begin to disappear and a burst of lively fresh fruits linger. 

La Tour Blanche 1er Cru Classe Sauternes 2007

Wine:  1er Cru Classe Sauternes
Winemaker: La Tour Blanche
Vintage: 2007
Variety: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle
Price: £30

A beautiful golden hue shines through the glass, glimmering in the light with shimmers as it catches the sun. The colour is a tribute to this incredible region that I've been fortunate enough to spend a good amount of time in this year, visiting some incredible producers, La Tour Blanche being one of them. 

The nose gives you immediate notes of fresh straw and hay with a vibrant honey oozing from the glass. Light notes of honeydew melon and pineapple draw from the background before being countered out by a sweet lychee and raisin finish that lingers.

On the palate you are immediately greeted with that fresh agave honey, appeasingly fresh as it hits the front and middle of the tongue. Light tropical notes come to light on the mid-palate as that musky sweet apricot glaze we have come to associate with Sauternes so well makes its presence known. This is a delightful example of one of the most quality winemaking regions in the world that deserves the reputation it has gained. A stunning wine that has so much to offer and should be enjoyed at all times of the year, not just Christmas. 

and uplifting nose, oozing with glazed honey, 

Cordorníu Ars Collecta 456

Wine:  Ars Collecta 456
Winemaker: Cordorníu
Tirage Date: May 2008 (Aged for 90 months)
Variety: Pinot Noir (45%), Chardonay (45%), Xarel·lo (10%)
Price: Around £150 in select restaurants only

Only the best years see's this limited production wine produced and to that point there are only 800 bottles in existence each year. Left to age for over 90 months, this really is a one of a kind Cava. The magic is drawn from 3 different vineyards spread throughout the whole of Spain, offering different climates, terroirs and unique local elements to each vine and grape that ends up in the bottle. But where does the name come from? 456, in this case is the number of times the vines are harvested to ensure unparalleled quality in each and every bottle. 

There's an incredibly sweet yeasty aroma on the nose, like a fresh brioche from the bakery. A bouquet of stone fruits oozes from the bottle; nectarines, apricots and peaches with a light and breezy floral finish.

As expected, the palate is simply divine. Exuberant with yeasty undertones, lovely floral notes and even a little redcurrant and gooseberry. Absolutely ripe with flavors, apple, pear, nectarine, apricot all combined with a marvelous minerality and freshness. The finish is long, robust and carries a beautiful balance of acidity and sweetness. A spectacular Cava that is in incredibly limited production from the 12th oldest family company on the planet, dating back to the 1500's.

Laventura Rioja Tinto 2014

Wine:  Laventura Rioja Tinto
Winemaker: Laventura
Vintage: 2014
Variety: Tempranillo 85% | Garnacha 10% | Mazuelo 5%
Price: £25.99
Perfect Pairing:  Spicy Chorizo Dishes

On the nose there’s a robust perfume of violets and sour cherries, held together by dry damp earth and a slight marzipan. This is a very elegant wine based on the nose, which would support the fact it comes from vines that have aged for over 100 years. As it opens up the sour cherries soften into more rounded black and red cherry flavors and even a little wet gravel on the nose. 

Upon your first taste a rich and spicy pepper coats your tongue, this is a fiery Rioja and it takes no time in justifying its presence. on the front of the palate, delicate cherries and red currants fade into a bittersweet dark chocolate on either side of the tongue, that black pepper spice still lingering. This is the perfect wine to compliment spicy red meat dishes or anything that has chorizo as a component. It is robust, powerful and from the moment it hits your palate makes its presence will and truly known. 

Buy Now From Red Squirrel

Spotlight: Jenkyn's Place Blanc de Noir 2010

Wine:  Blanc De Noir
Winemaker: Jenkyn's Place
Vintage: 2010
Variety: 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Pinot Meunier, Disgorged Feb 2015
Price: £25.99
 

In my opinion this is arguably one of the best Blanc de Noir's in England from a delightful family winery in North Downs, Hampshire. The Father and Daughter duo have been creating some exceptional wines since 2004, with the Blanc de Noir gaining a solid reputation for itself. 

The nose gives an exuberant burst of fresh citrus and lemon peel with freshly sliced apples and a distinct sweet toasted macadamia nut. Oozing with a spectrum of notes, you find yourself getting lost in wonder and awe taking each one in as the wine opens up. 

On the palate there's a crisp and clean medium body that takes over the mouthfeel. A delightful combination of more of that fresh red and green apples, extremely well balanced citrus and a little pear. The delicate fizz enables you to truly enjoy the palate as a little hazelnut and macadamia come into play before a long, vibrant and refreshing honey crisp apple lengthens the finish. 

This is without question an outstanding wine and a true pioneer and emblem of why 'English Sparkling Wines' are gaining such a solid reputation globally. One to stock up on. 

Buy Now From Hawkins Bros

Château Suduiraut Sauternes 1er Cru Classé 2008

Wine: Sauternes 1er Cru Classé
Winemaker: Château Suduiraut
Vintage: 2008
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Price: £40
Buy From: The Good Wine Shop

A golden hue shimmers through the glass, glistening against the sunlight, pure gold, pure temptation. 

Deep caramel and toffee notes trickle up your nose in a complete euphoria as if Christmas day and your birthday just arrived simultaneously in one combined moment. You think you're already in heaven then the taste hits - fresh honey dripping from the pot, honeysuckle and brown sugar swirled in rich caramel, love and wonder.

This is without question a stunning Sauternes and in my opinion one of the best available. An outright keeper and great vintage to set down. 

De Morgenzon Maestro 2014

Wine: De Morgenzon Maestro 2014
Winemaker: Carl vanderMerwe
Vintage: 2014
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot
Price: £17.50
Buy From: The Oxford Wine Company

A deep ruby hue masks the glass with a rich complexity, this wine looks like it means serious business. The nose is swimming with cracked black pepper, a hit of campfire smoke and some serious spice. Deep thick brambles erupt from the glass as if a thick jam is cooking up. 

The palate gives you a refreshing burst of meadow brambles at the forefront, which slowly emit into beautifully structured smooth tannins, a slight hit of acidity to balance things out with more of that radiant freshness shining through. Blueberries, black brambles and a little dusting of extremely dark chocolate cocoa with the tiniest hint of vanilla. The finish is well rounded, the tannins stick around just long enough to make their presence known. Look forward to trying the 2013!

Finca Allende Rioja 2009

Wine: Finca Allende Rioja 2009
Winemaker: Miguel Angel De Gregorio
Vintage: 2009
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Price: £20.99

This is exceptional! 

Lashings of black fruit: black cherry and blackberry powerfully aromatic, with herbs, liquorice, pencil lead and cured meats rounding off an encapsulating nose. 

The same black fruit is intense and concentrated in the mouth; with savoury elements adding deep and complex tertiary flavours. The palate is abound with a host of subtle nuances.  

Medium bodied, with a pronounced aroma and flavour intensity, polished tannins, a linear acidity and an everlasting finish. Simply sublime and the perfect partner in crime to a special treat of Wagyu rib of beef and triple cooked chips.

Buy now from Virgin Wines

Weingut Kochan Riesling Eiswein 2012

Wine: Riesling Eiswein 2012
Winemaker: Weingut Kochan
Vintage: 2012
Variety: 100% Riesling
Price: £25.99 **

Quite the dessert wine. Intense, elegant, perfectly balanced and packing a memorable punch! Ideal with vanilla and white chocolate cheesecake or a host of soft rich cheeses.

A sweet and powerful bouquet of baked apples, pears, white stone fruit, almonds and a beautiful honeyed aroma. The palate is intensely sweet, but not sickly or overwhelming: tinned peaches and poached pears dominate, with a nice lemony kick rounding things off. The acidity is pronounced and it needs to be to keep the flavours in check and pacify the sweetness. 

Full bodied, weighty, rich and unctuous, golden yellow in colour, intense and with a lengthy finish. All round a fantastic wine, perfectly balanced, possessing great finesse and character. One to savour.

Buy now from Virgin Wines

** (37.5c bottle)

Conte di Campiano Negroamaro Appassimento 2015

Wine: Negroamaro Appassimento 2015
Winemaker: Conte di Campiano
Vintage: 2015
Variety: 100% Negroamaro
Price: £14.99

A really affordable Negroamaro based Appassimento! Great extraction of flavour without being too sweet and syrupy, as is often the case with this late harvest method of ripening. 

An intoxicating nose packed with powerful bramble fruit, wood spice and sweet pipe tobacco. Very fragant and subtly perfumed. The palate displays the same bramble fruit initially, yielding to robust, earthy flavours, before black cherry and plum take centre stage, finishing with a hint of cinnamon.

Full bodied and dry, with a moderate acidity and intensity; velvety mouthfeel, finely integrated tannins and a persistent finish.

Buy now from Virgin Wines

Two Hands Angel's Share Shiraz 2014

Wine: Angel's Share
Winemaker: Two Hands  
Vintage: 2014
Varietal: 100% Shiraz  
Price: £19.99

Specially selected parcels from across the vales of Mclaren and Barossa, make this South Australian Shiraz one of the best value for money wines around, consistently over the last decade or so.

It's full of baked berries, vanilla and chocolate on the nose with just the feintest background note of sweet pipe tobacco. The flavour extraction is just so ripe and intense, making the palate incredibly endearing: blueberries, baked plum, mocha, subtle lavender and a dry spicy finish.

Full bodied, masculine and intense, packed with flavour, bound together with a prominent acidity, wildly intense and with more character than you can shake a stick at. Complex, diverse and just about bloody perfect!

Serve at 18-20'c, open an hour before serving and pair with any red meat for a sumptuous pairing.

BUY NOW: Click Here