Fancy trying a bottle of something new but not sure what to pick? That’s why we’re here. Drop in to see us and we’ll happily provide some grape related inspiration.
We regularly select some wines that we think are interesting and let you know why. You’ll see these wines in our shop with a ‘Vino Gusto recommends’ sticker on. Take away a copy of our tasting notes or have a read of them here…
Azevedo, Loureiro/Alvarinho, Vinho Verde, Portugal, 2019, 11.5%
In a pre-Covid past, the team travelled to London for our importer’s bi-annual portfolio tasting on the lookout for new, interesting wines for our pub wine list. The brief is always the same – find the wines that over-deliver within their price point, jump out of the glass and are unmistakably delicious. Out of the hundreds of wines tasted, this wine received our highest score of the day across all three criteria.
The wine from the heart of Vinho Verde boasting aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine and freshly cut apple. It is wonderfully refreshing, with crisp acidity and a long mouth-watering finish.
Dorset Crémant, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir/Pinot Meunier, Bride Valley, Dorset, England, NV, 11.5%
Steven Spurrier is one of the world’s leading authorities on wine. He is a celebrated critic, retailer, teacher and consultant – as well as the visionary behind the legendary Judgement of Paris wine tasting, which practically kickstarted the American wine trade. Now, inspired by the chalky, south-facing slopes of his wife Bella’s Dorset sheep farm, Steven joins the English sparkling wine revolution.
This wine has a fresh light-yellow colour. The Crémant has a much less aggressive fizz than a Champagne. Because of this, the wine gently slides onto the palate which creates a fantastic creamy mouthfeel which is then backed by hints of white flowers and fresh summer fruits.
Wild Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Greywacke, Marlborough, NZ, 2017, 14%
This is Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, but not as you know it…
With Marlborough now the world leaders in production of fresh, aromatic Sauvignon, you might expect the style to be unchangeable. Kevin Judd (formerly head winemaker and founder of Cloudy Bay) turns the regions stylistic expectations upside down with this clever bottling. Fermenting the wine in oak and using wild yeast during the process adds a richness to the wine and increases the ‘textural’ interest to produce a thought-provoking wine.
The wine is reminiscent of white Burgundy on the palate, but boasts New World fruits more commonly associated with wine from this region. Think grapefruit, peaches and nectarines but with the added ‘spice interest’ from the old oak ageing.
Casablanca Pinot Noir, Montes, Casablanca, Chile, 2017, 13%
This wine has been on our list for a few years at The One Bull and for good reason. In the excitement of setting up our wine shop and adding an extra 100 product lines, it’s easy to forget about old favourites. With that in mind, I took a bottle home over the weekend to taste for ‘educational purposes’. I was once again blown away by the quality of this wine. It’s so expressive and the utterly impressive quality that it delivers at its price point must make it one of the best value wines in our shop. It’s a great example of a huge producer being able to offer excellent wines at a great price.
The wine comes from the cool climate region of Casablanca in Chile. The coolness translates to an elegant wine with aromas of strawberries, cherries and floral notes, accompanied by lightly toasted hazelnut and vanilla notes from the French oak barrel ageing.
