What I love most about writing these reviews (apart from the joy I know it gives you to read them), is that I push myself into trying different wines that I otherwise might not normally go for. This inevitably leads to self-discoveries of two different varieties.
Firstly, you have the negative discovery. Simply put, this is a wine you don't like. Be it the grape, the acidity, the taste, the company or a combination of factors. It doesn't matter what it is, you just know that you don't like it. Each negative discovery however, provides you with another valuable nugget of knowledge about your own preferences and rather than adding to your list, it simplifies matters a little by removing an option instead. Whilst this is useful info, it still leaves you with one further question. What to do with a three quarter full bottle of plonk you don't like. (Yes I know OK, you just drink it anyway)
The second type of discovery is my favourite. Positive discovery. This week's wine falls perfectly into that category. This bottle came from the high street champions of fairtrade, the Co-Op at a very affordable price in the region of £6. The wine is from the confusingly named 'La Rioja Valley' in Argentina but is made from an undisclosed mixture of Torrontes and Chardonnay grape, with not a Tempranillo grape in sight!
As we know from my previous reviews, young Chardonnay can be sharp, flint like and refreshingly crisp. In stark contrast however, the Torrontes is aromatic, floral and fruity. They also share similar traits. Both are dry, medium to high in acidity and perform well while young. These common characteristics create a very good base upon which to build a great tasting wine.
In this one, the Torrontes provides much of the sweet and aromatic senses on the nose. You don't have to try hard at all to get clean and pronounced rose, honey and grapefruit, although the latter could be coming from the Chardonnay. Taking my time, I felt I could also pick up on softer citrus flavours, maybe orange as well as a faintness of ground white pepper.
Chardonnay grabs your attention by stomping its foot in your mouth with a powerful, crisp and dry minerality. This is quickly followed with fruit, although most sweetness is left behind in the nose and so delivers only the slightly tart zing of grapefruit with maybe the tiniest hint of peach or lychee to prevent any one-eyed wincing. The acidity lingers after swallowing but doesn't outstay its welcome, leaving the sensation of enjoyable refreshment. I would compare this to a Gewurztraminer from Chilean wine producer, Yali (which you can get it at Majestic Wine for about £7/£8) which also delivered a sweet and floral nose and was dryer than expected upon tasting.
Positive discoveries also leave you with one further question. Will anyone notice if I try to get more in my glass than theirs?
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