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Autumn 2000 Wines at Scatchard's

A selection of wines available from a local merchant in Autumn 2000. (10/9/00)

Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted in September 2000. Click to locate stockists.

Champagne

Nicolas Feuillate Cuvée Palmes D'Or (Champagne) 1992: Fairly pale gold wine. Nose gives off nice biscuity notes, a gentle yeastiness and some citrus fruits. A gentle foaming mousse on the palate, more yeasty than the nose would suggest. Appealing biscuity & nutty notes, more obvious on the endpalate. Clean acidity to balance out the upfront flavours. Very good.

White Wines

Berberana Pardina Blanco (Spain) 1998: A pale wine, with an attractive, fresh grassy nose. Light and fresh on the palate, with some white fruit. It has sufficient acidity. Pretty simple, but correctly priced at under £4. Fair.

Duc de Foix Blanc Seco (Penedès, Spain) 1998: Very pale lemon colour. Quite an attractive nose, with grassy and white citrus fruit notes, which fattens out to develop some buttery notes. A crisp palate, with some estery notes and good lemon-drop acidity. Also lacks interest. Poor.

Valserrano Blanco (Rioja, Spain) 1997: Attractive nose of white fruit with buttery, sensibly applied French oak. On the palate, however, fairly neutral fruit with continued oak. Drinkable. Fair.

Stonehedge Chardonnay (California) 1998: Lots of spicy, vanillin oak on the nose, with no fruit. The palate has more spicy oak, with a hollow midpalate and a strange, almost unctuous consistency on the endpalate. Also lacks fruit. Poor.

Santa Julia Chardonnay (Argentina) 1997: Fairly pale colour. The nose has citrus lemon hints intermingled with some tropical fruits. No overpowering oak, which makes for a nice change. The palate has similarly attractive fruit, and good acidity. Pleasant drinking. Good.

Rouvinais Vins Fendent de Sierre (Switzerland) 1998: Fendent (or Fendant) is a Swiss synonym for Chasselas, the most common white grape grown in Switzerland. A fairly pale hue. An attractive floral and citrus fruit nose suggests that this may be a fresh, easy-drinking tipple. The palate has citrus fruit, but lacks acidity, and seems dull and flabby, particularly on the endpalate. Fair.

Red Wines

Berberana Tempranillo Tinto (Spain) 1998: Pleasant dark red hue. Nose of good red and black fruit, although this is dominated by obvious spicy and vanillin American oak. Good Tempranillo fruit on the palate, however, with strawberry and blackberry flavours. Soft tannin and acidity. Pleasant but unexciting. Fair.

Marques de Monistrol Reserva Privada (Penedès, Spain) 1994: A moderately coloured appearance, ruby red with a hint of mahogany. On the nose there is vanillin, spicy, American oak, with little fruit. The predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon is evident on the palate, over the Tempranillo, but both are dominated by the oak. Attractive liquorice notes, but quite a light body. Pleasant but very international in style. Fair.

Valserrano Reserva (Rioja, Spain) 1994: An obvious élevation in American wood, with a nose that reeks of spicy, vanilla oak. A little thin on the palate, although with some pleasant fruit facing up to the oak. Correct acidity, very soft tannins. Reasonable, but overpriced at more than £12. Fair.

Stonehedge Merlot (California) 1997: Spicy fruitcake nose sings Merlot. On the palate, a light body with very soft tannins and low acidity. Little fruit, some spice. Poor.

Viniterra Malbec (Argentina) 1997: Pleasant purple hue. The nose has red and black fruits with some toasty, slightly spicy French oak. The palate has an attractive weight, and good acidity, with more fruit and nicely applied oak. Good.

Rouvinais Vins Dole de Sierre (Switzerland) 1998: This is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, which isn't surprising because on tasting I thought it resembled a poor excuse for Cru Beaujolais. An attractive, liquorice nose. On the palate light-medium bodied, Gamay fruit, better acidity but again fairly dull. Fair.