Bisol Prosecco

Bisol Prosecco

Few do Prosecco as well as Bisol and I had the honour, thanks to the good people at Bibendum Wines, of being invited to the Bisol sponsored wine tasting event at La Dolce Vita show in London's Earl Court - a trade show for all things Italian including food, wine, travel, fashion and real estate.

Not only did I get to try some excellent Italian wines from all over the country but, for the first time ever, I had my trusty Sony Handycam with me to produce the first Wine90 Vlog. I've been threatening this for 18 months now and so finally Wine90 will be including regular reviews of events, restaurants and Italian wines in movie form!

As readers may or may not know, I am one of the partners at The Cellar Door and will begin to add video reviews for all our wines (www.thecellardoor.it) as well as a little feature I'm calling "Foreign Fridays" to compare what other wines around the world are daring to compete with Italy's finest. N.B. These may or may not air on Fridays.

So here it is, the superbly edited and masterfully arranged first edition of the Wine90 Vlog, all about Bisol Prosecco. Now be warned, this is an off-dry six minutes of full on prosecco talk but at least you get to see the pretty face of the winesleuth.co.uk and get to hear my own, half tiddled thoughts on life, love and prosecco. Well, really, only prosecco. Run VT.

Bisol are one of the top producers of Prosecco, producing a large range of wines from single vineyard "cru" labels which regularly scoop the best Italian sparkling range with Decanter and Gambero Rosso to cheaper but still very high quality blends from multiple vineyards. In terms of quality, the Cartizze offering from Bisol ranks up there with the best from Ruggeri and Nino Franco. We tried four wines from their range and the reviews are below.

Bisol Jieo Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Spumante Dry - BUY - £9.50

Prosecco, Pinot Bianco and Verdiso. Light straw yellow in the glass with fine, light bubbles. On the nose there are notes of gooseberry, apple and pear. On the palate the wine is light and refreshing, good mild acidity with notes of pears continuing through to the finish. 88 Points

Bisol Jieo Cuvee Rose Brut - PASS - £9.50

Merlot and Pinot Noir. A beautiful salmon pink that is dead on the nose. Unable to attain any fruit whatsoever or aromas of anything at all. The wine had a good mouth-feel and fine, tiny bubbles but lacking completely in taste or smell. This could have been anything, Rose tango perhaps? Inoffensive as there was nothing to the senses! Can't score this wine.

Bisol "Crede" Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Spumante Dry 2007 - BUY - £10

85% Prosecco, 10% Pinot Bianc & 5% Verdiso. A far weightier wine than the Jieo but identical in colour. Aromatically more open with fresh and clear tropical fruits, ripe pear and apples that continue through the palate, higher acidity and more refreshing. Worth the extra £3. 90 Points

Bisol Cartizze Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore Spumante Bisol 2007 - BUY- £18.50

100% Prosecco. The weightiest of the three whites with the most interesting nose with apples, pears and a distinct peach note too. On the palate the wine is heavier but fuller in flavour with the most obvious difference between the Crede and the Cartizze being the longer and fresher finish to this, the Cartizze. 93 Points

Prosecco really doesn't need Paris Hilton to lay around in a gold bikini to sell this wine. If you aren't drinking prosecco yet and are still handing over high notes for bad champagne then just try either the Crede or Cartizze and if you aren't completely satisfied, I'm sure Bisol will give you your money back*

Where can I buy this wine? (Crede)

Americans - Liquor Outlet - $16.75

Europeans - Karandarshop.com - €8.50

Brits - Bibendum - £10

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Favourite sparkling wine? Best value sparkling wine? Do you like my blue shoes?

* Bisol wont give you your money back.

Château Léoville Poyferré

Château Léoville Poyferré

The wines of Château Léoville Poyferré hold such a place in my wine heart that I can't quite believe its taken two years for me to feature the estate. Château Léoville Poyferré count among my Top 10 favourite non Italian producers for creating approachable, sensual, fruit forward Bordeaux at a fair price, especially considering the name and classification. Possibly down to the high percentage of Merlot in the Poyferre compared to the Las Cases and Barton, the Poyferre, in my experience, drinks well from under the gun and, except in key vintages, the prices are very attractive.

Twas not always the case. Regarded as the third Leoville of the "super seconds" the reputation of Léoville Poyferré languished well behind Las Cases and Barton for much of the 60', 70's and to a less obvious degree the 80's too. Great strides have been made at the estate over the past 20 years and while the trend is actually to reduce the Merlot and style Poyferre in the image of the other Leoville properties no one can argue with the quality and value coming from Poyferre as it stands today. The recent increases in new oak and later harvests have added weight to Poyferre allowing them to stand amongst the very best from St Julien.


I'll go Poyferre in almost any situation calling for Bordeaux and have consistently enjoyed the vintages of the last 10 years, especially the 00', '03 and '04, with '04 one of the best value Bordeaux wines in that £30 price range and '03 hard to come by thanks to 98 Parker points.

Château Léoville Poyferré is a second growth St Julien property producing three wines, the grand vin, "Chateau Leoville Poyferre", the second wine "Chateau Moulin Riche" and the third label "Pavillon de Connectable". A historically significant producer, there has been wine production here since 1638, Poyferre was the largest vineyard in the Medoc at the time of the French Revolution, qualified as a 2nd growth in the 1855 classifications and in 1920 was bought by the Cuvelier family who still own the property today.

The grand vin is currently a 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc blend. The grapes at Poyferre are hand picked and sorted. The lush, opulent style of the wine is helped along by 50% malolactic fermentation in barrel with 75% new oak for 18-20 months. The Moulin Riche, Poyferres second label is also a savvy purchase, less expensive than the grand vin the Moulin Riche is partly rejected grand vin and partly wine coming from a second, separate property. At half the price this wine can be hit and miss but in certain key vintages can provide real value for money. Look out for the '00 and '05.

Léoville Poyferré 2004 - BUY - €40
Lovely deep red in the glass. My bottle came out of the fridge in a tiny restaurant in the Marias so the nose was almost impossible to decipher. Some definite vanilla, cherry and a hint of smoke on the nose. Super mouth feel, really firm and fruity, great tannins, rounded and opulent. 92 Points

Léoville Poyferré 2003 - BUY - €90
Blazing hot '03 created one of the best Poyferre wines of all time. A deep ruby red, full bodied and thick. On the nose the wine is a mesmerizing blend of sweet cassis, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, pencil notes and minerals. Luscious mouth feel, a dense wine that treads that line between strength and finesse, superb balance, strong, firm tannins and a long fruity finish. 94 Points

Léoville Poyferré 2001 - PASS - €40
Dark ruby red with a less Poyferre than usual nose, more obvious oak this time but a smoke/graphite note too. Great on the palate mid-full bodied with low acidity and firm tannins. Really obvious dark cherries on the palate and a nice length to the finish. 90 Points

Léoville Poyferré 1996 - BUY - €60
Ruby red, a touch brown towards the edge. A fine nose, graphite, tobacco, smoke and black currents come together to create a fabulous profile of this wine on the nose which flows into the palate. A full bodied wine, the structure here strikes you first, soft tannins, full bodied, complex with lasting cherry notes. Strong lengthy finish to an opulent and smooth wine. 94 Points

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Which Leoville is your favourite and why?

La Giustiniana Gavi di Gavi Montessora

La Giustiniana Gavi di Gavi Montessora

La Giustiniana's Gavi di Gavi Montessora is hands down one of the best value white wines from the Piedmont. La Guistiniana are one of the few producers in the area whose chief aim is to realise the potential of that little known grape, Cortese (the grape that goes into Gavi). These are also my personal favourite producers of Gavi and the Montessora my favourite Gavi wines around.

La Giustiniana's philosophy is that wine making starts in the vineyards and there are no pesticides or chemicals allowed within their 110 hectares. Combine this with low yields and exacting vineyard care and you are left with one of the best made Gavi di Gavi wines around.

This is the first time I've spoken about Gavi or Cortese on the blog and sharing their region with Barolo, Barberesco and Barbera these wines are often overlooked, as are all Piedmont whites. Gavi comes from the Alto Monferrato with Acqui, Ovada and Gavi the most famous production areas. Made solely from the Cortese grape, these wines have crisp flavours and are usually medium in body with good acidity.

Gavi wines inparticular run the gamut of quality and it's imperative to know your producers. There's a lot of poorly made, insipid Gavi flowing around especially in the bars and restaurants on the west coast as the wine is an obvious accompaniment to seafood.

Gavi has gone through many changes since being awarded DOCG status and thus been en vogue and out of it several times in the last 50 years. At the moment, the fashion is for unoaked Gavi following the belief that oaked Gavi is strikingly similar to any new world oaked Chardonnay and we all know how far that has fallen from grace. So, perhaps due to the real best expression of Cortese in Gavi or perhaps with a nod to the success of Pinot Grigio the very best Gavi you'll find is unoaked, fragrant and delicate.

There are really seven producers of Gavi di Gavi whose name you can remember and be assured of quality. Here are your seven, in no particular order and with random currencies attached (I spoil you). Remember these names, basically they are all going to run £10-£15.

Morgassi Superiore - Gavi di Gavi - £10

La Scolca - Gavi di Gavi - $13

Villa Sparina - Gavi di Gavi - €13

Castellari Bergaglio - Rovereto - £12

La Guistiniana - Montessora - €12

Gian Piero Broglia - Villa Broglia - £9

Nicola Bergaglio - Gavi di Gavi La Minaia - £10

As good value as these wines are, and they really are as these producers vie for the best Gavi year on year, in my mind it is the Montessora that gives the most pleasure and is the star turn at the La Guistiniana vineyard. It's not often that you can try the very best wine from arguably the very best producer of an AOC/DOCG/DO whatever for under £10. This wine is the creme de la creme of the creme de la creme and I'm happy to be paying these prices any day for a wine with such low yields (40hl/ha for the Montessora) and quality wine making, go find it!

La Giustiniana Gavi di Gavi Montessora 2007 - BUY - €12

A straw yellow with green hues the wine is aromatic after a good spin cycle. On the nose the wine is delicate and has a distinct mineral quality with notes of apple, peaches and apricot. Mid bodied on the palate, soft and luscious but with a striking bitter finish, bitter good, not bitter bad. Refreshing with great acidity, clearly a wine for food. Good structure and more persistent than standard bottling. 88 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Americans - Readers Wine - $13 - (Cant find the Montessora this is La Giustiniana's standard Gavi)

Europeans - Trimani - €12

Brits - Nickolls and Perks - £14

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I'm guessing no one here has tried a Gavi wine outside of my geeky twitter contingent *waves at Geeky twitter contingent* I love you bestest If you have, or have anything to say about anything wine related I'm always delighted to hear your ramblings. Post away.

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl was the wine chosen by Twitter poll last night over the Portuguese Dao (which I also opened but was far far less impressed with) for my Saturday night spent all by my lonesome with only the "blllurp" from the tweetdeck for company. *sob*

It was little wonder the Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl blew away the Portugese Dao as, at six times the price and from one of the most prominent producers in Alsace, had the little Dao come anywhere close I'd be jumping up and down and alerting you to a QPR doozy. Sadly not.

Today's blog entry is simply a sum up of the wines I haven't yet posted, a Super Sunday round up if you will. To stay in the Italian vein perhaps the best value of all was from Lagrein. Another dreaded Lagrein. Those familiar with this blog will know I am forever trying to find a place in my heart for Lagrein and end up panning it. Not this time, £10 from Virgin wines and Bobs your uncle. Not our Bob. Just the proverbial Bob.

However it was the Gewurztraminer that stole the show and is my wine of the week. This is a wine for a special occasion by one of the very best producers in Alsace, some might argue the best Gewurztraminer in the region too and would go great with a variety of styles of food. As Alsatian Gewurztraminer is high in acidity compared to other Gewurztraminers from other areas you would do well to pair this with moderately spicy Indian, Chinese or Thai food. Any of these will go much better than the sunflower seeds I nibbled on during my tasting.

Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2005 - BUY - €50

A dark golden yellow with green tinges. On the nose you could be tricked for thinking the wine was a young Sauternes. Aromatically intense with notes of lychee, apple, spices and cream. On the palate the wine is wonderfully smooth and elegant, concentrated and exciting. Great structure with a creamy sweetness. Thick and mouth coating, perfectly balanced, good acidity and a long finish. 94 Points

Quinta de Cabriz Dao 2005 - PASS - €8 (Portugal)

A dark deep ruby red to the rim, super nose of plums, dark fruit, coffee, raisins, blackcurrent and noted oak, spicy like a xmas pud. On the palate the wine is too acid, mid bodied and very extracted with the finish turning soft. Started well, faded too quickly. A real borderline BUY or PASS, get someone else to buy it for you. 84 Points

Castelfeder Lagrein 2006 - BUY - €12 (Italy)

Dark ruby red in the glass with a sweaty sock component on the nose, a beefy, savoury wine on the nose but turning to good fruit on the palate. Mid bodied, high acidity, high tannins but soft and rounded, plenty of dark fruits with a gorgeous dark chocolate note on the finish. Robust and varietally true, a good introduction to Lagrein. 87 Points

Domaine Potel Savigny les Beaune Vieilles Vignes 2004 - PASS - €25 (Burgundy)

Light garnet red. A giving nose of glazed cherries as well as a meaty, leathery note. On the palate light to mid bodied with high acidity and firm tannins with a floral flavour profile. Good length on the finish but for €25 I can't recommend this wine. A wine for food. 86 Points

Frogs Leap Zinfandel 2005 - BUY - €25

Deep ruby red and all Zinfandel to the finish. Aromatically up for it, this wine is oozing vanilla, blackberries with a few wet rocks wrapped in smokey bacon. Full bodied on the palate with a concentrated blackberry and ripe back fruit flavour. Excellent balance and not over the top like so many Zins out there. Bio-dynamic producer. 90 Points

Where can I find this Wine?

Americans - Hart Davis Hart - $100

Europeans - The Wine Society - €50

Brits - The Wine Society - £44

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Tried any of these wines? What was your wine of the week?

Chenin Blanc Tasting

Chenin Blanc Tasting

What's wine90 doing a Chenin Blanc tasting for? Well, multiple reasons. Firstly, to support the good old peeps at Red Nose Day, secondly because my exp of Chenin Blanc as an Italian wino leaves a lot to be desired and thirdly, it was a Thursday. And?

Here I am, being very supportive of the Red Nose White but unfortunately the wine really was a one dimensional glugger but for £5 and a S.A Chenin Blanc was I really expecting something better? I think the face says it all. This wine actually outperformed the Pecan Stream Chenin Blanc, which at twice the price, was abysmal and one of the worst wines I've had this year.

So, lets talk about Chenin Blanc then.

Finding its best expression in the Loire valley, Chenin Blanc is a grape capable of making a variety of wines in many styles. A grape of high acidity you can find Chenin sparklers, dessert wines and regular still wines. Chenin is a tricky little guy to cultivate and begs for low yields. This is what it gets in the Loire valley with crop yields governed by AOC regulations to be no higher than 45hl/ha even in standard Anjou bottlings. So, perhaps it wasn't really surprising then, that of the 5 Chenin Blancs that made their way to the tasting panel... that's me and the wine sleuth... the Loire Chenins made a clean sweep.

Sadly, all the wines brought to the table were dry and not a thing from Vouvray or Coteaux du Layon but we did get to taste a Samur which just edged out the Anjou "Chateau de la Guimoniere" to be my favourite Chenin of the night.

As you can see, there wasn't only Chenin on the table so after the formalities of the Chenin evening (which took a lot out of me I can tell you) we moved onto to happier places, a nice 2004 Savigny les Beaune and a zappy little Zin, the Frogs Leap 2005.

*takes deep breath*..... AND TASTING NOTES TIME.

La Grille Classic Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2007 - BUY - £8 - 3rd place

A pale straw yellow with obvious green glints. On the nose the wine has a nut, apricot and green apple profile but it's on the palate where this wine really satisfies with razor sharp acidity, great balance and a long clean finish. Notes of peach on the palate. 87 Points

Saam Mountain Red Nose White Chenin Blanc 2008 - BUY - £5 - 4th place

Pale straw yellow in the glass, a dull faded, "dole" tropical fruit nose with pineapple and mango showing, good weight to the wine, a mid bodied effort. Ok acidity and vegetal on the finish but really not a bad effort for the money. One dimensional, a bit like an alcoholic Lilt but drinkable. 82 Points

Chateau de la Guimonière Chenin Blanc 2005 - BUY - £9 - 2nd place

Dark straw yellow with vibrant fresh tropical fruits on the nose. A creamy mid bodied wine with some noticable nutty notes on the palate, good acidity and structure with a lingering powerful finish. Top Chenin, 89 Points

Pecan Strean Chenin Blanc 2006 - PASS - £10 - 5th place

Golden straw yellow, not particularly aromatic but when it finally comes regular tropical notes ensue. Really lacking in fruit, mid bodied, off point, and unpleasantly green throughout. 77 Points

Les Andides Samur 2007 - BUY - £6 - 1st place

A mid straw yellow, this wine is bursting with fresh tropical aromas on the nose, even with hints of kiwi. Super tight and crisp acidity with a citrus palate, coating mouthfeel with an aspagus note on the end. 89 Points

Where can I buy these wines?

All available at Waitrose exlucing the Chateau de la Guimonière which is available at Winerack.

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Favourite Chenin regions? Favourite Chenin wine? Suprised at these results?

Artisan and Vine Battersea

Artisan and Vine Battersea

The Artisan and Vine wine bar in Battersea is a pleasant place to while away a Sunday evening. A sling shot from my London pad it's amazing I hadn't discovered the Artisan and Vine before. Not only are there 120+ high quality wines on the list, (several by the glass) but they're also big friends to English winegrowers stocking some very good fizz, whites and even passable reds. The best thing about the Artisan and Vine is that you aren't going to wake up the next morning with a tongue like a badgers wotnots or a thick head because the Artisan and Vine specialise in natural wines. Dropping all those sulphites and dodgy yeasts that go into so many wines not only means you can taste more without the hangover but these well made wines are also easy drinking with a great deal of smoothness.

Situated between Clapham and Wandsworth the bar wasn't exactly jumping on a chilly March evening, there's plenty of seating as well as passionate and knowledgeable staff. This is a brilliant place to come and try the best of natural wines in an informal environment. What you must not miss, especially if you're English, are the English wines. This weekend I spent some time in Brighton and noticed many of the bars were also stocking English whites and fizz. English wines are everywhere at the moment and us Brits should really be drinking the best of them.

The Artisan and Vine is also very fairly priced. You will not find your 300-500% mark up on wines here. A very modest mark up per bottle is added and if you decide you like a wine or want to try some of the other natural wines on offer you can buy bottles to take home some 30% cheaper than the prices on the wine list. I took full advantage of this purchasing a Frog Leaps Zinfandel. As if all this wasn't reason enough to take a trip to Battersea the food here is also first class providing great accompaniments to wine. Winner winner chicken dinner. Get yourself down there for a glass of top drawer natural Rioja, they even stock the Ostertag wine I reviewed last week. G'wan. Treat yourself.

SARAH NEWTON IN WINE DRINKING SHOCKER. READ ALL ABOUT IT. BELOW.

Oliveir Rivière Rayos Uva Rioja 2007 - BUY - €8 (Spanish)

A dark brooding purple in the glass. The nose is a delight. Whilst still being recognisable Tempranillo you are not bombarded with oak instead fresh aromas of dark fruits, chocolate and spices with the vanilla playing fourth fiddle. On the palate the wine is very tannic but not overly dry and chewy, favourable tannins create the structure within a raisined fruity and luscious mouth feel. When talking about the finish on these wines you are reminded that these are natural wines without the throat stripping finish, this wine had a mid length to the finish. 91 Points+

Biddenden Ortega 2006 - BUY - €8 (English)

A light straw colour the wine was offering some interesting mineral notes. On the palate the wine has very good acidity and a pleasant sweetness. Apple fruits but very basic, mid bodied, off dry. Not a complex or particularly interesting wine but really easy drinking and just tasty. Super aperitif wine. No world beater, it is what it is and I enjoyed it. 83 Points

Bookers Vineyard Blackbird Merlot 2006 - PASS - €13 (English)

Dark ruby red, a gorgeous colour followed by a pretty nose of cherry and plums. The promise is short lived as on the palate the wine is light bodied, insipid and lacking in fruit and overly acidic, unbalanced wine that started so well but tastes really quite average. 79 Points

AA Cos Rami Bianco 2006 - BUY - €11.50 (Italian)

Dark golden straw colour in the glass. A highly aromatic blend of 50/50 Inzolia and Grecanico with notes of creamy pineapple and melons. Great acidity on the palate the wine is so on point here that you would not be guessing such a warm terroir as Sicily. Gentle and rounded on the palate, mid bodied with a seductive finish. Well made. 89 Points

Joining me on my night at the Artisan and Vine was fellow wine blogger, The Wine Sleuth. I presume she will blog these up and have a completely different take on all these wines! We shall see. We also tried a Loire Chenin Blanc that threw me, Denise describing it as "voluptuous" with my take on the wine being "flabby". They sound very similar but our meanings were very different.

Where can I buy this wine? (The Rioja)

Americans - Goose Egg. Sorry.

Europeans - Wijnfolie - €8

Brits - Zelas - £14.99

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English Wines. Natural Wines. Your opinions?