Price: £7.99
From: M&S
Country: Austria
Region: Kamptal-Donau
ABV: 12%
This week I searched the shelves of M&S. Keen to avoid the usual suspects I made it my mission to find the cheapest bottles that contained the least known or less common grape varieties. The choice became difficult in the end but having bought and sampled several bottles, I reached the decision these two were more than good enough to make the cut and get the Everyman treatment.
This Gruner Veltliner comes from the Rabl Winery which is located in what is arguably the best Gruner Veltliner producing region of Austria. Having over 180 years experience of wine making, I was intrigued to see what the Rabl Winery could produce at this very affordable price. The result is a very pleasing example of a mid-range 'gru-vee' which is mixed with the simple purpose of being inoffensive, enjoyable and affordable.
On the nose the label describes apple and elderflower and I couldn't agree more! Both of the above came in equal generous measures.
The background contains minerality which reminds me of chalk but is mixed with a hint of white pepper. Overall though, it is simple, clean and crisp. The
taste sees dry citrus fruit on the first attack with softer apple, peach and grapefruit coming through straight after. As with the smell, elderflower is also present and provides a very slight hint towards sweetness, and combines well with the faint white pepper that can be detected at the periphery. Crisp, unoaked and medium-bodied, this wine is very easy to drink. The range of subtle flavours keeps the mouth entertained so the brain can get on with other tasks. The clarity and simplicity of this wine also makes it ideal to share with friends when you want something that is pleasing to all but you don't want to be jumping about, demanding everyone's attention.
Price: £6.99
From: M&S
Country: Italy
Region: Puglia
ABV: 13.5%
Negroamaro is almost exclusively grown in Puglia, down in the heel of Italy. It is well suited to the hot climate and tends to thrive in water starved conditions. Resistant to disease, this is a favourite of growers in the region as it grows well and produces high yields of thick skinned grapes with up to 350 individual grapes per bunch!
Powerful and versatile, this grape has followers who will compare the virtues of this grape to the popularity of Primitivo, however, in all honesty, I would put this grape in a class of it's own. This wine is a fine example of what this grape can produce but I warn you that it may not be to everyone's liking.
When opened and decanted for a couple of hours, this wine produces dark, earthy notes which have a trace of an almost metallic smell to it. Having asked around a bit, I am told this is described as Iodine. The scent certainly has gravitas but isn't readily released. Despite not being fully oaked, there are great wooden perfumes of all spice, star anise and nutmeg and the last thing to be detected is fruit, which manifests itself primarily as dark cherry. The taste is formed around a robust and almost coarse structure with a full bodied feel. Rather than being focused on developing the fruit, this wine maintains a different discipline which plays on spiced flavours, such as cloves, black pepper and nutmeg. This being said, however, dark and bitter cherry can be felt towards the back and last well into the aftertaste. Acidity is high and the tannins are surprisingly tame, although they are ever present.
Having been informed this grape can open out and develop further, I decanted for 24 more hours which brought morello cherry more readily to the nose and an added layer of red fruits to the taste, although this was not overstated. The balance of wood spices and bitter cherry were more integrated although this might have been achievable when I opened the bottle the previous day, had it have been a more ambient temperature.
This is an interesting alternative to fruit driven reds which dominate the shelves and opens up a whole new world of food pairing possibilities. I am thinking regional pasta dishes, curry and burger but also have a hankering to try this slightly chilled with duck.
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