Nobilo Orca Bay Rose, 2006 New Zealand

This is an ontrade exclusive offering from the third largest NZ wine producer so it is only available in pubs and restaurants. It is a little different to other roses from that corner of the globe being a blend of 50% Malbec, 25% Pinotage, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, all grown around the Hawkes Bay region.

The nose offers plenty of red fruits with a little hint of nettles which probably comes from the Cab Franc. The palate follows the nose with hints of red currents, and hedge berries, medium acidity, quite a full body, and a medium length finish. In a world full of overly sweet, or just plain boring rose this one stands out as a great food wine, or just enjoy it in a bucket of ice lying around in the sun.

Starvedog Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Adelaide Hills, Australia

I have never really been a fan of Australian Sauvignon Blanc, being a converted New Zealand Sauvignon drinker, but this little number from Constellation is a real gem.

This wine is the colour of watered down lemon juice and the nose has crisp clean aromas of crushed lemon leaves,with a hint of green apples.

The palate has plenty of acidity which is a bit rare for an inexpensive Australian Sauvignon, which can often be a bit flabby due to excess heat. But not this one, benefiting from plenty of altitude, it has flavours of passionfruit, guava, and lime and a nice dry lingering finish. A great wine but one not many people are familiar with, even I had never heard of it until I scored a bottle at work the other day.

This was the 2005 vintage and I was sceptical as I thought it could be a bit past it but it is drinking great so get some if you can.

Zontes Footsteps Viognier £7.99

Zontes Footsteps Viognier from Langhorne Creek in Australia is pale lemon-green in colour with a medium intensity floral and waxy aroma. The palate is well weighted with flavours of lemons, limes, and unripe nectarines. This wine has good acidity and a zesty long finish. Winner of a 2007 Decanter Award.

Denbies Rose Hill 2005, England £7.99

A blend of Pinot Noir and Dornfelder, Rose Hill has strong flavours and aromas of strawberry, although the wine is spoilt by smelling like the inside of a winery with that smell of fermenting fruit always present. Off dry palate, medium body, short finish, this is one wine that it is ok to miss.

Denbies Coopers Brook 2004, England £7.99

This blend of Chardonnay and Reichensteiner is lacking in both flavour and quality. It has gental oak with a dry palate but lacks the body, flavour development and finish of chardonnay. You would think it was a cheap Australian Chardonnay if you encountered this wine in a blind tasting.

Burgan's Albarino 2006 Rias Baixas, Spain

Pale lemon in colour, with an intense perfumed, tropical aromas of pineapple, green apple and basil. The palate is full of nectarines and lemon, with high acidity, light body and a medium finish. Not the best Albarino on the market but an exceptable example.

Denbies Juniper Hill 2006, England £7.99

This aromatic wine is made of a blend of Schonburger and Bacchus, both German cross breeds. Juniper Hill is almost completely colour-less with intense aromas of lemon and passionfruit with a botanical bunch of flowers as it opens up in the glass. The palate is medium dry with exotic friuts and lemon flavours and a zingy acidic finish. This wine is like nothing I have ever tried before and a lot of people wont enjoy it, but I think it is great as an aperitif or with a salad.

Domaine Trapet Pere & Fils, Marsannay AOC 2001, Gevrey-Chambertin Cote d'Or,2001, Burgundy, France

Intense dirty ruby red colour with a small amount of sediment. A Beautiful medium intensity aromas of manure, freshly dug vegetables, wet leather and subtle strawberry. Extremely soft light tannins with good acidity, and flavours of stewed strawberries, raspberry, and smoke, with a soft silky long finish. This is a dusty bottle that has been cellared for about 4 years. I think it was a bottle that my brother left me when he moved back to Australia so to buy this now would cost about £90. But everything about this wine shows why Burgundy is still king of Pinot Noir.

Rating: 9/10

Santa Julia Viognier, Mendoza, Argentina

Clear pale lemon in colour with a very slight aroma of lemon and limes. Medium intensity tropical fruits, medium acidity, medium bodied and with a short finish. Not a great example of new world viognier, but ok for only £5.99.

The White Viognier, 2006 Burton Vineyards, High Eden, Australia £8.49

Lemon straw colour with a medium intensity aromas of toasted oak, vanilla and lemon. The palate has intense apricot nector, lemon, and green grass. Full bodied with high acidity and a long lingering floral finish. A great high altitude Viognier made by on of the most inspirational winemakers in Australia.

The Black Shiraz, Berton Vineyards, High eden, Australia 2006 £8.49

The Black Shiraz certainly lives up to its name with an inky black colour that is opaque and shows long legs due to the high alcohol content and body.
Abundant intense aromas of black cherries, dark chocolate, liquorice, white pepper and freshly sawn pine combine to give a sweet refreshing nose.
The palate shows flavours of plums, black cherries, figs and a slight hint of smoke and spice, combined with medium body and fairly high acidity to give a nice enjoyable finish that leaves your taste buds waiting for that next sip.

Vistamar Sepia Pinot Noir, 2006, Casablanca Valley, Chile £5.99

Vibrant ruby red colour with aromas of smoke, chocolate and wild flowers. The palate has intense strawberry flavours with a medium length smokey finish. The high acidity and light bodied nature of this wine make it extremely easy to drink and at this price I dare anyone to find a better value Pinot Noir from anywhere in the world.
Rating: 8/10

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 2005, Central Coast, California, Usa £6.99

Tawny red in colour with a pale rim. This wine exhibits aromas of cigar box, cloves and black cherries with a palate of under-ripe plums. This wine has high acidity and a short finish, but has no tannin which makes me think that it was produced using Carbonic Maceration. (This is the process of placing whole bunches of grapes in a vat under a blanket of carbon dioxide. The fermentation begins and in the absence of yeast the grapes own enzymes cause the fermentation, the result is good colour extraction from the skins, but no tannin, and a soft fruity palate.)
Rating: 5/10

Lycee Viticole Beaune Premiere Cru, Cote d'Or 2002, Burgundy, France £18.95

This wine is at the other end of the burgundy spectrum, being made from Premiere Cru grapes at the wine school in Beaune. This is actually one of the wines I sell in my current job and have customers selling this wine for about £120 a bottle in restaurants in Knightsbridge, London. This is the kind of Burgundy that can age for a considerable length of time and will continue to develop smooth round flavours.

Rich ruby red colours with aromas of subtle ripe raspberry. The palate exhibits typical Cru Burgundy flavours of strawberry and cherry and a smokey herbaceous finish that goes on forever. The high levels of acidity and soft round tannins make this a wine that brings out the wow factor in any drinker and at this price will never disappoint.
Rating: 9/10

Blason de Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Cote Chalonnaise 2006, Burgundy, France £7.99

Deep dark ruby colour with subtle aromas of smoke and wet leaves. This wine displays aromas of orange blossom which is not an aroma traditionally found in red wine but it is definitely present.

The palate is slightly disappointing with a small amount of red fruits, medium tannins, medium body and a short finish. This is not a great example of a cheap Burgundy but I purchased it from a supermarket so did not expect a great deal.
Rating: 5/10

Weingut Dahmen Riesling 2005, Mosel, Saar, Germany

Clear pale lemon with a watery rim, and slight petulance. Clean light floral aroma with hints or honey dew. Medium-dry palate with slight flavours of Lemon and Honeycomb, with a short finish.
Score: 4/10

Knappstein Hand Picked Riesling, 2006 Clare Valley, Australia

Clear pale lemon in colour with a developing aroma of petrol and cedar. Dry with loads of acidity and a medium bodied lemony finish. A well balanced fruity style Riesling.
Score: 6/10

Fairleigh Estate Single Vineyard Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand

Clear pale lemon colour with a clean light aroma of petrol, toasted almonds and ripe pineapple. The palate is dry with loads of zesty acidity and flavours of lemon and lime with a medium finish. Could age for a few years and develop into a real treat.
Score: 6/10