The christmas press party at Moody’s Investors Service was held last night in the upper walkways of Tower Bridge, high above the Thames. PR guy Daniel told InterWined that the place gave the ratings agency a good deal on the evening’s rental, £15,000 for three hours.
You think the Tower could serve decent food for that […]

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It’s a Chianti! It’s a Sangiovese!
No, it’s a Super Super Tuscan!
A super Tuscan is any wine from around Tuscany Italy that “breaks” the rules.
In this case, the 2000 Le Fioraie “Piemaggio”, has some Cabernet Sauvignon (wah?) and Merlot (gasp!) blended into the mix. Not being 100 percent Sangiovese grape means it can’t call itself a […]

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Both from Sainsbury’s:

2000 Castillo de Caltrava Reserva has all the look of a Rioja Tempranillo; In fact, it is a Tempranillo, but that is where the similarity ends, except for the fine gold wire ‘basket’ the bottle is wrapped in. Centrally located and mountainous, La Mancha is known for some great wines, as is Rioja. The Calatrava was slashed by £3, if memory holds, from £8 to £5. The initial taste was one of disappointment. However, after recalibrating for decision-bias, the study continued more upbeat.

The wine is very ripe with a perfumed (like sandalwood) and sweet nose. Light and airy on the tongue, unlike the high expressions found in many of Spain’s major wine regions these days. No this is classy for a fiver, once on it airs. Short finish and unbelievably harmonious, except for a bit of burn, predictable since it is only a Reserva and not a ‘Gran(d) Reserva’ which would denoted up to a year longer in oak, depending on the region – in La Mancha, 12 months in oak, 24 in bottle for Resverva, 24 months in oak and 36 months in bottle for Gran(d) Reserva (these are minimums here). Maybe not worth £8, but great at five: 8.5.

South Africa’s First Cape 2005 Shiraz Cabernet blend was also on sale for a few pounds off, bring it to £5 or £6 per bottle as well. Like the Caltrava, it seemed new to the shelves, and stood out only because of the red tag marking it reduced. (But, isn’t that the point?) Lovely colour and a lot like Pinotage. But this is way tart, way tart. Also smells like wet, black pepper, with a red meat kind of slappiness to it (getting hungry here). Seems to be quite a lot going on in there and will most likely taste better tomorrow: 8.3.

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The 2005 Four Crossing Australian Chardonnay is zippy and full of bursting citrus. The throat burn suggests a price tag around the £5 mark but still very versatile with food. Half a bottle used for a superior turkey stock on the BIG day. Gets extra points for coming from a family that never touches the stuff: 8.5 points.

* New Year’s Eve: 2000 Heidsick Monopole Silver Label Champagne. Nutty, biscotti trim. Fresh orange scent. Small, lovely bubbles. A real value at £20 per bottle at Oddbins: 8.8.

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