Author Archives: Jack Shamash

A Pair of Classy wines from Chile

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I know it sounds a bit pretentious, but I was having a few friends for dinner, so I got two bottles of wine – one from 2012 and one from 2013 – for a side-by-side tasting. I generally enjoy Chilean wines so I bought the two vintages of Marques de Casa Concha.

Chile used to specialise in quite good pinot noir – a bit heavier than your average Burgundy but a nice thing to have with a steak. Now the Chileans are doing some quite classy things.

These are lovely wines. They are grown on high slopes so they have a bit of complexity. The 2012 is 98 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon with 2 per cent syrah. The 2013 also has some Cabernet Franc and some petit verdot. In other words, the grapes used for making the wines are practically the same. More interestingly, the 2013 vintage was made using much bigger casks. This means that there is less oxidisation and more fruit flavour in the wine.

Of course, it is a matter of taste. I personally preferred the 2013. It was full of flavours of blueberry and blackberry and had a wonderful richness and a long finish. It was something to savour. The 2012 was also a good wine, but had less of a flourish. I suspect this might endear it to wine experts, who admire simplicity.

They are both extremely good wines, and at £12 a good thing for a dinner party. Great with steak or a traditional beef stew, or just as something lovely to sip in front of the fire with good friends. The 2012, which has a slightly lighter taste, would go well with hearty lamb dishes. Available from Sainsburys

More ideas and reviews of food and wine are available on Jack’s website

Just desserts! Two top quality wines for Christmas

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As Christmas approaches, it’s nice to round off a good meal with a glass of something sweet. Traditionally you’d expect to have a glass of Port or a dessert wine such as Tokay (Hungarian) or Sauternes (French) – preferably in front of a fire.

However there are some great varieties from Australia and New Zealand. De Bortoli in South Australia has produced ‘Old Boys 21’, which is described as ‘barrel aged tawny’. To all intents and purposes this is a sort of Port, although for legal reasons the word ‘Port’ does not appear anywhere on the bottle.

Tawny port is aged in small casks. So it tends to oxidise more than the ruby port. This gives it a flavour of dried fruit – figs, raisins and lots of spice. It’s an ideal accompaniment for apple or pear tart or caramel. Old Boys 21 has these characteristics. It positively bursts with flavour. I really enjoyed it, although I’m a bit of a traditionalist and would probably want to buy a genuine bottle of Port, simply because it has a bit of a cachet and everyone will know what to expect.

Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is from the wine growing area of Marlborough in New Zealand. The word ‘noble’ suggests that it has been allowed to stay on the vine until affected by fungal ‘noble rot’ which results in a sweeter more intense wine. This is lovely: full of flavours of tropical fruit – lychees and passion fruit. It’s a bit syrupy, so you wouldn’t want to drink more than a couple of glasses, but it’s just the thing for a small drink after dinner. Alternately, keep a bottle out at Christmas and give a glass with a biscuit or a slice of cake. It’s a treat and reasonably priced.

De Bortoli Old Boys 21, 50cl, Oddbins £22

The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2014, 37.5cl, Waitrose or Majestic £12.99

More thoughts on food and wine are available on Jack’s food blog

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A Signature change for Grants Whisky

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Grants Signature - with the blue label - with the original

Grants Signature – with the blue label – with the original

Grants – the whisky people – have just produced a new line of whisky. Grants Signature whisky comes with a distinctive blue label. But more importantly, it has a pleasantly biscuity and caramel taste.

Grants is a blended whisky rather than a single malt – so none of those flavours of peat and heather that whiskey lovers like to go on about. But it is a very good blended whisky – crisp, clean and has none of that burnt after-taste that you often get with cheap drinks.

As a seasonal drink, Grants Signature makes a pleasant change from the original (with the red label). Oh, and it’s a great mixer. When there’s a touch of frost in the air, there’s nothing nicer than a good whisky with a splash of ginger wine on top – preferably consumed in front of an open fire. Grants Signature is ideally suited for this treatment.

Grants signature is £19 for 75cl at most supermarkets.

 

see also – new wines for Christmas from Winerack and Bargain Booze

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Two excitingly different wines

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It’s always nice to find something a bit different on the wine racks. A couple of better quality wines are worth checking out at Tesco. These are not bargain basement prices, but they won’t break the bank. And the quality shows through.

The Grafigna Centenario Malbec 2013 is a really good Argentinian red wine. It has warm flavours of berry and spice and a lovely, long finish. Just the thing to savour in front of the fire. Goes well with a good steak or a robust lamb stew. And good value at £9.99.

The Brancott Estate Terroir Series Sauvignon blanc is a excellent white from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. This is good to drink with pork or with Christmas turkey or even pheasant. It has the right flavours of grapefruit, gooseberry and fennel. It has a touch of lightness, which goes well with the slightly heavier white meats. And it’s a nice thing to bring out if you’re having a couple of friends over for a drink. Again this is well priced at £12.49.

A great New Zealand sauvignon blanc

A great New Zealand sauvignon blanc

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