| October's wine recommendations from our experts.... |
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Pico Madama 2004 Price: €15 Stockist www.casadelaermita.com Wines from the stony, sun-blessed valleys of Jumilla began to attract the attention of serious wine buffs about five years ago. It was then that it dawned on them that the dry landscape of Jumilla held a deep and precious wine secret. For centuries local growers had cultivated the Monastrell grape variety and seen much of their harvest snapped up by big wineries in north Spain and even southwestern France. The Monastrell packed fabulous colour, gorgeous fruit and firm body; the one thing it lacked was true star quality. It was then that local growers started experimenting with imported grapes to blend in and give their wines the polish required. Among the more successful combinations has been this 50-50 blend with Petit Verdot of Bordeaux fame. In claret, Petit Verdot adds considerable sophistication. Here, winemaker Marcial Martinez carefully combines Monastrell grapes, grown on vines planted in 1929-30, with recently planted Petit Verdot. Wines from each are made separately and each is individually aged for 13 months in oak. After oak ageing he proceeds to the final blend. The end result is a deeply coloured wine, with a huge bouquet full of ripe summer fruits and an unmistakable hint of Gallic sophistication. This is a full, rich wine, packing 14% alcohol, so it is ideal for dinner parties with important roast or stewed dishes. Even well-seasoned barbecues come off fantastically accompanied by the tremendous levels of fruit available here.
Budget with Liz Sauges Waitrose Solera Jerezana Fino del Puerto Price £7.49 Stockists: Waitrose The list of awards won by this sherry could fill this column – but it deserves them all. The latest is the title of “Best Supermarket Sherry” in the 2008 New Wave Spanish Awards, where it faced very considerable competition. Pour a glass, lay out a plate of salted almonds, plump olives and good Serrano ham, and you understand why it is so popular with wine critics. A lovely fresh, savoury, yeasty nose leads on to crisp, bone-dry flavours with a nutty edge which takes on a delicious smokiness alongside cured meats. Let the wine linger in your mouth and the taste spectrum widens, lasting long after the liquid has glided down your throat, cool and refreshing. Try it with main courses, too: chicken in a creamy sauce is one which works well. Such complexity and pleasure at this price is why a well-made fino – this one comes from the highly-respected house of Lustau – is remarkable value, given the long and detailed attention it needs before the finished wine emerges, butterfly-like, from its solera chrysalis. |
Pricey with John Radford