Wine Review: Monte da Peceguina 2008
Posted: 10 September '09 by Niall
Wine Review: Monte da Peceguina 2008
Another Portuguese wine – but this time it’s a hearty, full-bodied power-house of a red.. Monte da Peceguina, 2008.
The Details
- The Wine: Monte da Peceguina 2008
- Producer: Malhadinha Nova
- Region: Alentejo
- Grape: Aragones, Alicante, Cabernet
- Alcohol: 14%
- Cost: £14.50
Tasting Notes
The Monte da Peceguina is a brooding crimson red in colour, with powerful aromas of dried herbs and jammy, dark fruit.
On the palate the wine has robust flavours of dark chocolate, coffee, winter berries and notes of sweet vanilla oak and cinamon spice. This is complemented by smooth tannins which gives a velvet-y finish, but with a notable alcoholic warmth.
Food Pairing
This is a bit of a heavy-weight, and needs flavoursome dishes to stand up to those strong flavours of dark chocolate and fruit. I think game or beef would go well with the Monte da Peceguina.
Our Verdict
A delicious, robust red. A word of warning though.. that high alcohol content will get you in the end!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Categories: Red Wine > Wine Reviews
No Comments - Click to Add Yours
Wine Review: Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico 2006
Posted: 20 August '09 by Niall
Wine Review: Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico 2006
Needing a mid-week pick-me-up, Kelly and I indulged in a bottle of chianti – here’s the review..
The Details
- Wine: Chianti Classico 2006
- Producer: Rocca delle Macie
- Region: Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
- Grape: A blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Merlot
- Alcohol: 12.5%
- Cost: £11.99
Tasting Notes
The colour is a bright ruby-red, and the aromas are of deep berry-fruits, spice and oak. The flavour is full-bodied and well-balanced, with firm tannins – with more deep berry and spice to match the bouquet.
The wine does benefit from being left to breathe, and from being slightly warmer than room temperature to release all of those aromas and deepen the flavour.
Food Pairing
Chianti really does go well with most meats (especially beef and chicken) and is a must for any pasta dish.
Other Information
You’ll notice a small rooster on the label on the neck of the bottle – to have this label, and to be called “Chianti”, the wine has to follow rules about the amount of each grape used in the wine, how long it is matured, and the percentage of alcohol. So look out for the rooster when you’re buying chianti in the future!
About Chianti
Chianti is a wine-growing area within Italy that produces some fantastic red wines. Most Chianti is based on the Sangiovese grape, and while some producers used to add white grapes to the blend, this has been prohibited since 2006.
There are seven regions within the Chianti area – Chianti Rufina, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, and Colli Senesi. There is a great deal of difference in style of Chianti between these regions, and even within a region Chianti can vary greatly with different vineyards producing distinct wines.
The best Chianti wines come from the Chianti Classico region. Chianti Classico is also a “designated area” within the Italian wine-controlling body, the DOCG – which means that in addition to the requirements to be designated as a Chianti, wines from the Chianti Classico region must also have a slightly higher alcohol content and come from vines with a lower yield, giving the wine a fuller, stronger body.
There is a higher grade of Chianti Classico – Chianti Classico Riserva. Riserva wines must be aged more than 27 months, with at least 3 months of this being in the bottle before release, and are often the best of the Chianti variety.
Our Verdict
I prefer full-bodied reds, so this ticked the box for me – a tasty chianti, full of flavour.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Categories: Red Wine > Wine Reviews
No Comments - Click to Add Yours
Wine Review: Torres San Valentin Garnacha 2007
Posted: 17 August '09 by Niall
Red wine review
Last weekend we tried a new Spanish Red (well, new to us) – San Valentin from the Torres vineyards in Catalunya, Spain. It will stand out on the shelf from the rest of the Torres range – it comes complete with a little cherub hanging from the foil!
The Details
- Wine: Torres San Valentin Garnacha 2007
- Producer: Torres
- Region: Catalunya, Spain
- Grape: Garnacha Tinta
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Cost: £5.49
Tasting Notes
Despite being a young wine, the colour was a deep, dark cherry, and what aroma there is has a toasty-oak and pleasant jammy fruity-ness to it.
The wine was smooth on the palate and quite full-flavoured, with definite sweet kirsch and blackberry/blackcurrant fruit – the very soft tannins produce a pleasant finish. A delicious wine that I think would suit almost anyone that enjoys red wine.
Food Pairing
This is a full-bodied, young wine which, if taken with food, deserves a robust flavour to compliment – BBQs, grilled or roasted meat, or red sauces. It should be said that the wine is just as good by itself.
Our Verdict
Not a complex wine, but definitely pleasant and enjoyable – a crowd pleaser, and one we’d buy again.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Categories: Red Wine > Wine Reviews
