Virgin Wines - Tasting Notes

By John Swindells 22 Apr 2006 | Comment
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  Araldica d'Aria Gavi 2004
(Italy)
  Style: Fragrant but Dry Whites
  The low-down: Our WOW Wine of the Year 2005! The Italian equivalent of Chablis is the delicious but eye-wateringly expensive Gavi de Gavi. The good news is that we have found a wine made in the same style, from the same grape (Cortese) and in the same region, but without the ruinously expensive Gavi de Gavi label. A sip of this is like biting into a perfectly ripe pear - delicate, crisp fruit that leaves your mouth feeling like fairies have done a spring clean.
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  Araldica d'Aria Barbera d'Asti 2003
(Italy)
  Style: Lunchtime Reds
  The low-down: All winemakers dream of making a wine that is the best it can be, without compromise. Claudio was in a better position than most, because he has a state of the art winery and the pick of the grapes in his region. After 4 years, countless blends that were good but not good enough, and endless reworking we finally had the result. A Gold Medal winning dinner party classic.
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  De Martino Legado Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2005
(Chile)
  Style: Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc Style
  The low-down: This winemaker was Chile's winemaker of the year 2004 and is shortlisted for the 2005 award. He knows his onions (and grapes). Quality-wise, this Sauvignon is at a level which you can only find at the serious estate end of France or Australia. Combined with a weak dollar that becomes unbeatable value. Rich with Sauvignon fruit.
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  Three Gables Shiraz 03/04
(South Africa)
  Style: Full and Fruity Reds
  The low-down: If you are of the mind that the Aussie shiraz you have been so faithful to over the years ain't quite what it used to be, welcome to the young South African pretender that'll plug the gap with ease. South Africa is jumping at the moment and shiraz is leading the charge. This one is a delicious bramble fruit number, bought exclusively, where we managed to get the heads-up on the opposition. Great as a relaxing evening bottle.
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  Miller's Grove Private Reserve Chardonnay 03/04
(Australia)
  Style: Oaky Aussie Chardonnay Style
  The low-down: A little special, but still affordable, that's the winning combination here that brings you the 'ooh-la-la' of a private French reserve without the 'sacrebleu' of the French price. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact this wine has nothing to do with France? The Aussies do it again with gusto, so you can enjoy this refreshing white with your creamy chicken sauce,.
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  Chateau Macquin St Georges St Emilion 2002
(France)
  Style: Classic Reds
  The low-down: A divine dinner wine, this is one of the very few that is classic AND delicious AND affordable. Why? Because it's from St. Georges St. Emilion. St. Emilion is one of the greatest names in Bordeaux, famous for producing some of the most classy, expensive and delicious wines in the world. St. Georges shares many of theses qualities except one - price. The benefits of being off the beaten track.
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  Churchaven Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2004
(South Africa)
  Style: Fragrant but Dry Whites
  The low-down: Creamy, tropical, delicious top-drawer South African Chenin and made by guys at the vanguard of winemaking in the Cape, this wine is a good example of what can be done when carte blanche is given and fresh-minds are given the job of taking Cape wine forward a step. For you it means a fantastic alternative to Australian Chardonnay, with twice the verve at the same price.
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  Chateau Franc Cardinal Bordeaux 00/01
(France)
  Style: Classic Reds
  The low-down: Made from vineyards located in Bordeaux's smallest appellation (Cotes de Francs), this Claret is big on taste and low on price. So if you've been meaning to treat yourself to a drop of Claret for some time, but always get put off by the price, this affordable, dense purple wine will charm your socks off.
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  Marktree Soldier's Block Chardonnay 2004
(Australia)
  Style: Clean and Crisp Whites
  The low-down: Family winemakers David and Wizz O'Dea are the perfect counterpoint to the sea of bland wines made to supermarket recipies. Made in their Windowrie Estate in New South Wales and specifically, the vineyard known as Soldier's Block, this is real Aussie flavour. Their grapes used to go into one of Australia's premium 'brands' - by buying it direct you are saving £2 or £3 a bottle. 100% pure Windowrie Chardonnay so ripe it tastes of citrus, melon and apple. Perfect with roast chicken.
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  Dorrien Barossa Shiraz 2001
(Australia)
  Style: Huge Reds
  The low-down: The Dorrien estate has some serious bling. Winning over 176 medals since 1988, it's a wonder they have any room to make wine with all the space they need to house their shiny awards. So you won't be surprised when we tell you that the Dorrien Barossa Shiraz is an intense spicy beast that can lock horns with the best of them, giving game and kangaroo steaks a great peppery taste on the palate.
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  Lisonja Verdejo Viura 2004
(Spain)
  Style: Fragrant but Dry Whites
  The low-down: The days when you could accuse Spanish white wines of being a little uninspiring are long gone. This bargain could make a case for the Spanish to accuse the rest of the wine world of being complacent. Made from two of the leading Spanish white grapes (verdejo and viura) this is like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on acid. Interesting and tasty with a zing of lime thrown in.
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  Three Gables Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2004
(South Africa)
  Style: Full and Fruity Reds
  The low-down: The big brother of this wine beat Chateau Lafite in the Aspen wine tasting - a bit like finding that Ferrari have launched a £10K runaround. This is the perfect dinner party wine - it looks good, tastes great and will make your cooking look even better than it is.
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  Vita Chardonnay Pinot Grigio del Veneto 2004
(Italy)
  Style: Clean and Crisp Whites
  The low-down: What could be better than a crisp unoaked chardonnay or a refreshing pinot grigio? A combination of the two of course! Delivering tangy apple fruit and revitalising zest by the bucket load and priced to make your mouth water, there's no finer refreshing drop than this Italian number. A great bottle for those carefree moments or maybe with a little lunchtime salad.
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  Colibri Merlot 03/04
(Argentina)
  Style: Full and Fruity Reds
  The low-down: If we told you we'd like to hook you up with a voluptuous Argentinean, would you be interested? 300 days of sunshine a year give these grapes oodles of fruit. And the weak dollar means that it is super competitive on price.
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  Moulin de Daudet Colombard Chardonnay 2004
(France)
  Style: Clean and Crisp Whites
  The low-down: Rather than be tied to any particular French region like a sleepy string-tethered goat, we combed France's many vin de pay regions to find the perfect blend of colombard and chardonnay for this wine. The weather was top notch in 2003, so this wine has a rich and bountiful fruit flavour that has more in common with those renegade Aussie wines than traditional French ones. A ripper with fresh fish, grilled chicken and, for the brave, l'escargot.
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  Las Ramas Campo de Borja Oaked Red 2003
(Spain)
  Style: Full and Fruity Reds
  The low-down: We usually like to be modest about our talents, but this time, you'll have to forgive us if we seem a little pleased with ourselves. Try this wine and you'll understand why, in fact, you may want to keep this one to yourself. We've found an awesome Spanish red that's soft, smooth, fruity AND oaked, best of all, we're selling it this cheaply to get you to try the Las Ramas range. For great value Spanish reds that snap at the heels of the mighty Rioja, look no further.
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  Volcanic Hills Kiralyleanyka 03/04
(Hungary)
  Style: Clean and Crisp Whites
  The low-down: You're probably used to us taking your tastebuds off the beaten track in search of a great wine, but we've really gone and done it this time. (But don't worry, you'll love it or your money back.) This unpronounceable, but highly drinkable, soft, zesty dry white wine from the banks of the Danube has all the hallmarks of a great muscat, but you'd rarely find one of those this good for the price. Great with creamy dishes and salads, this one's a real fruit-salady mouthful.
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  Cavatina Rosso Piceno 2003
(Italy)
  Style: Lunchtime Reds
  The low-down: If you long for the good old days of winemaking, are sick to the back teeth of everyone making easy-going wine for the masses and fancy a bit of genuine culture in your glass, then this is for you. A traditional blend of montepulciano and sangiovese, the deep damson fragrance and rustic tastes of this classic wont be to everyone's tastes, but if you want plenty of bite for your buck and a great all-round Italian food wine, this will do the trick.
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  Tierra Alma White NV
(Spain)
  Style: Fragrant but Dry Whites
  The low-down: Everyone makes mistakes and this is one of ours. So we have reduced it to £1.99 a bottle to get rid of the stuff. Perfect for school fetes and in-laws. Obviously at this price, no vouchers can be used and only 3 bottles per case. And if you don't like it, don't say we did not tell you!
  Your rating:
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  Oakland Ridge Red NV
(USA)
  Style: Soft and Juicy Reds
  The low-down: With the once mighty US dollar now cowering in the corner like a puny poodle, we've put our British Bulldog pounds to good use and picked up this great wine bargain Stateside. This is a light, soft and juicy red with a decidedly jammy taste. An easy drinker, it goes well with all kinds of food and makes an ideal party wine - it's such good value that you wont mind too much if someone finishes it off before you get to the bottom of your first glass.
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