Taste the Difference Gruner Veltliner 2011

After last week's great red and unexpected food pairing (see my Pasico Old Vine review), I decided to stay with Sainsbury's and for £8, delved into their 'Taste The Difference' range. My choice is the Austrian Gruner Veltliner.  

Because the decision making process I go through on a bottle of wine is a pleasurable agony, I generally avoid branding which takes the risk out of this process.  In the case of Sainsbury's, it is the iconic purple band of the 'Taste the Difference' range which is emblazoned on the products that Sainsbury's want you to know they've gone the extra mile on.

I appreciate however, that others do not care to spend the same amount of time agonising over what bottles to buy and would rather be in and out of the shop before the parking attendant has realised there isn't a parking ticket in the car, or the kids have worked out how to release the handbrake.  The purple band therefore becomes a beacon of what should be on the whole, a safe but enjoyable purchase.  Considering the hurried purchaser, I bought this bottle.

Gruner Veltliner is the synonymous grape variety associated with Austria and makes up almost half of their plantings.  Like most varieties, it is also grown in other countries, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and some other choice 'New Worlds'.  The past couple of decades have seen a real push in the quality and publicity of this grape with some varietals proving their worth by going head to head with comparable Chardonnays and Chenin Blancs, often coming out on top.   

On the nose, this wine faintly retains the characteristic aroma of white pepper with floral undertones.  Taking my time, I could also detect an earthen quality, possibly clay.  The taste is crisp and immediately acidic, bringing grapefruit to the first attack.  What follows is dry with reminiscences of apple and celery.  The aftertaste is short and leaves an acidic note on the tongue.  

A great alternative to try for those of you that love tangy, crisp dry wines.  And are in a hurry!

La Croix Gratiot Roussanne 2011

I don't mind admitting that the French section of wine shops intimidate me a little.  It isn't necessarily the wine itself but rather what is written on the label.  The quality classification system used in France seems an insurmountable and confusing muddle of information that provides no real information or clue as to the quality of the liquid inside.  

I suspect this may be true of more than just me (or at least I hope so) and this may be why people pass on French wine in favour of recognisable and 'safe' wine.  After all, most people now know an Aussie Shiraz or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a fairly safe bet.  Who wants to risk a tenner on a French bottle, only for it to taste like terps?

If you do feel like taking a chance or are in need of direction, I would heartily recommend the Roussanne and Marsanne grape variety as a great starting place.  Featuring heavily in the Northern Rhone region in France, these two grape varieties are often blended together to produce full bodied, great tasting dry whites that have a pleasant floral aroma and slightly more advanced structure.  Marsanne/Roussanne blends are available in most wine outlets and even the conservatively priced bottles give you a half decent drink and a welcome rest from the usual suspects.

The word Roussanne is rooted from the French word for red or russet, which is the colour the skin turns when ripe.  This grape is known to be difficult to produce large yields but despite this, also comes as a varietal wine (we have already covered this word in a previous blog) for which the subject of this review is a good example.  Made by La Croix Gratiot and purchased from a well sourced and friendly wine shop in Didsbury called Reserve Wines, this bottle was in the £9.99 region at time of purchase.

On the nose the Rousanne is clean throughout, providing an initial and distinct scent of warm stone, partnered with floral tones and honeysuckle.  On the palate the wine has a smooth and almost oily texture, accompanied by a faintly nutty taste.  Acid is ever present but any potency is disguised by honey and sharp citrus, giving it a dry yet smooth overall taste.  The oily, nutty texture is the last taste to leave but remains balanced right to the last, making this a very enjoyable drop.  I can imagine that older examples of this wine would taste great, having had chance to develop and add further complexity to their flavour.

'La Rioja' Torrontes Chardonnay Argentina 2011

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?