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Winedirect 2009 Nonet

It is always a delight to taste through some wines chosen by somebody else, such as this selection of samples sent to me by Andrew Birtley of online wine merchant Winedirect. It is a chance to review wines that I might not otherwise have the opportunity to try, and what is more a chance to taste in the comfort of my own office rather than a crowded tasting room. Such conditions probably more closely resemble how these wines will ultimately be consumed, so perhaps it makes my notes just that little more valid?

This was a very broad range of wines, nine wines from eight different countries, with one or two infrequently seen pairings, such as Pinot Gris from New Zealand or Australian rosé. A number were very good, although the stand-out wine in this bunch - by a clear margin - was the 2007 Achaval Ferrer Malbec. Delicious, sweetly ripe and yet savoury at the same time, this is a wine that shows just what Malbec is capable of - and at a good price too. Speaking of prices, the 2004 Ondarre Rioja Reserva also performed very well for the money.

Before we reach my notes on this nonet of wines, however, there is a need for disclosure here; Winedirect is currently a Winedoctor sponsor. For that reason I should make clear the fact that any sale of these wines, or indeed any other wines from Winedirect, brings no financial benefit to me or this site. A purchase supports an independent retailer who in turn supports this site with regular sponsorship, but this is the only business connection between Winedoctor and Winedirect. There is certainly no commission involved on sales. Nevertheless if you think this sponsorship may influence my opinion of the wines, please bear it in mind when reading my notes.

I have included Winedirect prices (some reduced at the time of writing) alongside my notes below, although as usual in order to provide full transparency I have also included links through to Wine-Searcher. (11/8/09)

Winedirect 2009 - Tasting Notes

Tasted in August 2009. Click for stockists.

Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve 2007: A white Côtes du Rhône from the Perrin family, best known for the wines of their flagship domaine, Beaucastel. The other Perrin wines such as this one here and the Vieille Ferme range can give pleasure and value too, though. This vintage is also developing a very good reputation. The wine has a pale hue in the glass. The nose is light and fresh, with pear and gentle stone fruit, hints of thyme and wet stones. Fresh, crisp, fruit with a slight but appealing bitter twist on the palate, and a sappy, barley-talcy texture. Really nice, good and fresh drinking. Drink now. 15.5/20 (£9.95)

Prophet's Rock Pinot Gris (Central Otago, NZ) 2008: A very pale, cool-climate hue in the glass. An enticing character on the nose, fresh and slightly bitter and appealing, with elements of peach skin and citrus fruits. A little bacon too. Dry but with some flesh on entry, clean, fruit-laden, not showing any oak. Quite soft and creamy but with nice substance, and some decent concentration. Slightly peppery acidity, but quite gentle and withdrawn, so it is the slightly gritty flesh that dominates. A soft, fading finish. Very nicely made, good food wine but also sufficiently well composed to sip on its own. There is more to Pinot Gris than Pinot Grigio, and more to New Zealand than Sauvignon Blanc, for sure. 16+/20 (£14.95)

Charles Melton Rose of Virginia (Barossa Valley, Australia) 2008: Bottled under Stelvin screwcap. A very deep colour for a rosé, a rich but transparent cherry red. The nose carries some rich, concentrated and candied fruits, reminiscent of sweet cherry confectionery, with a fresh black pepper edge. The palate has a decent freshness, although it is thinly draped over a polished, glossy texture that suggests high alcohol - although the label reveals it to be just 13%. There is more candied, boiled-sweet fruit character here too. There is freshness though - a good, firm acidity that keeps it lively despite its overt ripeness. The composition is a little coarse in the finish. It isn't really my style of rosé, although I suspect it would work well lubricating a barbecue on a hot summer's day. 14/20 (£13.95)

Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Reserva 2004: A deep and rich hue here, an opaque core, and a dusty cherry-red rim. It looks quite youthful still, despite its five years. The nose kicks off with some exuberant fruits, with a layer of smoky oak edged with an attractive meaty element, then followed by elements of leather, tar, rosehips, cherries and tobacco. On the palate it is slightly fat and creamy but well underpinned by slightly charcoaly oak tannins. This is a well polished wine which has, apart from the grit of the tannins underneath, a quite seamless character, with delightful flavours of dark, intense, bitter raspberries and coffee grounds. A very appealing wine, and certainly this is very good value at this price. 16.5+/20 (£8.95)

Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel (Sonoma County, USA) 2007: Bottled under Stelvin screwcap. A very bright and vibrant wine here, dark at the core but with a cherry red rim. The nose is, as you might expect for a young Zinfandel, loaded with fruit, with notes of blueberry and blackberry spiced with leather, tar and even a trace of smoky, paprika-laced tomato. A nice fleshy presence on entry, and then through the midpalate it is plump, polished and rounded, with some spicy grip. The acidity is rather muted which would be a problem for some, but the wine has some grippy structure. A good, fun, summer wine which could follow the Charles Melton wine on barbecue day! 15.5/20 (£16.95 for the 2006 vintage which is currently listed)

Achaval Ferrer Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) 2007: The colour here is promising, a dark yet vibrant hue, ripe-raspberry red and nearing opaque. It starts off with rich fruit on the nose and an immediately apparent savoury, meaty element, and this continues as the wine opens up over the first hour. The fruit moves through a ripe raspberry and crunchy berry spectrum, before settling on a rich, slightly roasted damson character, nuanced with notes of coffee, leather, white chocolate and even a hint of star anise. Rich and yet savoury on the palate, creamy with fruit but also poised, fresh and slightly crunchy, with cranberry elements coming in here too, the palate is just as delicious as the nose suggests. This is remarkable, a tour de force of New World winemaking, The finish is crunchy, firm, gently smoky and certainly savoury. Remarkably good wine which offers extremely good value; convinced of its quality I popped some into a decanter for an hour or two - it just showed better and better. Great wine. 17+/20 (£13.50)

Viña von Siebenthal Parcela #7 (Aconcagua, Chile) 2005: The label here is a wine geek's delight; this is hand picked, organically farmed and unfiltered, with a total of 65,368 bottles produced. It is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Unusually, the back label declares aromas of "cooked fruits...nectarines and peaches", possibly the most unusual aroma profile for a Bordeaux blend I have ever seen claimed. As for the wine, it has a clear and bright hue in the glass, although not particularly intense. The nose is certainly unusual, as it harks back to the classic Chilean aromatic profile of 5 or 10 years ago - this is loaded with green pepper, alongside an overt and sweet, smoky blackcurrant character. There is just the faintest hint of rubber too. The palate is therefore fairly predictable - there is a slightly oily feel to the texture, and it has a burnt, stretched out feel. Underneath it all a tingling grip and a soft, rounded finish, and all the time that chargrilled green pepper character. This is to me a disappointment. 13/20 (£10.95)

Webersburg Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch, South Africa) 2000: From a Bordeaux blend to pure Cabernet here, and one with a little bit of bottle age too. Indeed, there is some maturity apparent here on inspection, the bright colours of youth fading to a more muted and dusty hue. The nose has a similarly maturing style, with some meaty, dusty Cabernet elements, and a slightly sweet, chewy edge to the fruit. It has a nice presence on the palate, a middle-weight style and a gently polished texture and a good, ripe, slightly plump mouthfeel. It is all backed up by a dry edge to the tannins culminating in a dry, charcoaly finish. This has a very nice composition with a little length. There is still potential here, too. Good. 15.5+/20 (£9.95 reduced from £15.95)