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. 

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The Diamond Rutherglen Tawny

Wine: The Diamond Rutherglen Tawny
Winemaker: Jen Pfeiffer
Vintage: N/V
Varietal: Shiraz and friends... 
Price: £17.99

This is absolutely stunning and one of the best New World fortified wines I've ever had. It's great on it's own, slightly chilled, but it's fantastic with rich blue cheese and its mind blowingly good with rhubarb crumble and vanilla custard!

A pungent and heavily oxidative nose of raisin, caramel and hazelnut, with some subtle perfumed background notes:strawberry, red cherry. I could swirl and sniff this for eternity, it's so welcoming and thought provoking; everything about it transports me to being curled up on the sofa in front of the fire on a desperately cold, wintry evening. In the mouth it's all about rum and raisin ice cream, with prune, dates and caramel all playing a supportive roles.

Soft, supple and syrupy, this is the nectar of the gods I tell thee! It's masculine and intense, yet has an elegant femininity. Persistent and lengthy, so so good! Truly memorable.

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Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel 2014

Wine: Sonoma County Zinfandel
Winemaker: Seghesio
Vintage: 2014
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Price: £21.99

It's pretty damn hard to find a decent quality Californian Zinfandel in the UK that isn't mind blowingly expensive; in most cases it's a hell of a lot easier to plump for a Southern Italian Primitivo instead, it's also usually easier to find a quality example and normally at around two thirds of the cost.

At first this exhibited a certain ruggedness and displayed rather dank aromas, not what I was expecting, but it settled in time and I'm pleased to report it is a thoroughly lovely wine. Not typical of the usual jammy, rich and intensely extracted flavours that this variety is known for, but instead more refined, elegant and dare I say it, more complex.

Baked plums and black cherry on the nose and palate, with subtle aniseed and liquorice employing a wonderful savoury element, adding balance and taming the sweet red fruits beautifully. A silky smooth texture, with oily dense legs, quite the sight when consumed in decent stemware. The tannins at first are little overwhelming, but a good (3hr+) decant will soften them amply; the acidity is linear, but sufficient enough to temper the sweetness, the flavour and aroma intensity pronounced and the finish exquisitely lengthy.

A great wine from a family producer boasting five generations of quality wine production. This would be great with a damn good cheeseburger or rib of beef!

Viva Seghesio!

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Christian Patat Appassimento 2015

Wine: Appassimento
Winemaker: Christian Patat
Varieties: Merlot, Primitivo & Negroamaro (Undisclosed %) 
Vintage: 2015
Price: £13.99

I'd like to personally thank the extremely talented Christian Patat, for gifting us a little piece of Southern Italy at a fraction of the cost this kind of wine usually sets the consumer back. It's super silky, opulent, elegant and moreishly drinkable!

The aromas upon opening this were astounding: powerful baked dark fruits, think plums and dark berries with liquorice, pipe tobacco and a wispy background note of vanilla. In the mouth it's pure silk, rich, syrupy, intense dark fruits, subtle raisin and powerful vanilla imparted by the wonderful, albeit substantial oak integration.

Full bodied, medium acidity and an everlasting finish. There is literally no wine this situation doesn't suit, it is the epitome of a crowd pleaser. Pair with strong cheeses or pizza. Serve at 18-20'c and enjoy!

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