Saturday 5 December 2009

Slotovino's Christmas reds

In reply to Jancis Robinson's reds in today's FT, we have scratched together the following with great difficulty from our blogs. So whereas Jancis has fielded 34 wines out of the many thousands she has tasted in the last year, we have the same number chosen from the comparatively tiny number we tasted in a period more than half as long again. We may still be ahead on the number of grape varieties but Jancis's list again shows no lack of variety or imagination. She is amazing:

Colares Chitas Reserva 2003 (Ramisco). Portugal. 11%

Fundacao Oriente (Ramisco) Colares, Portugal

Caves Primavera Barraida Tinto Special Selection 2003 (Baga and Touriga Nacional), Portugal

El Lagar Tinto Romé, Sierras de Malaga, Spain

Lalama Ribeira Sacra (Mencia, Brancellao, Garnacha), Spain

Arbois Poulsard Vieilles Vignes, Stephane Tissot Jura 2006 12.5% France

Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Noir, Les Princes Abbés, Alsace, France.

Le verre des poetes, Pineau d’Aunis, Domaine Montrieux, Naveil, Vendome, Loire, France.

Emmanuel Houillon Poulsard, Arbois Pupillon, Jura, France.

Domaine le Briseau ‘Les longues vignes’ Coteaux du Loir, France

Domaine de la Charriere Pineau d’Aunis, (Gigou) Loir, France.

Pineau d’Aunis ‘Les Mortiers’ Loir, France

Domaine Cousin Leduc Grolleau vieux vignes, 2006, Jura, France.

Michel Gahier Trousseau Grands Vergiers 2004, Anjou, Loire, France

Lou vin d’Aqui, Domaine de Toasc, Bellet, France

Gamaret Prestige Barrique Staatskellerei Zurich 2007 13% Switzerland

Cabernet Jura ‘Lunaris’, Staatskellerei Zurich. Switzerland.

Don David Malbec (Michel Torino), Salta, Argentina

Nieto Senetiner Bonarda, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza 2002. 13%, Argentina

Domaine Day Sangiovese, Mount Crawford, Barossa Valley, Australia

Primo Estate, 'Merlesco', Merlot, 13%, McLaren Vale, Australia

Tiberio Canaiolo Colli della Toscana Centrale, Italy

Musarango Malbeck, Veneto Orientale, Italy

Castello di Porcia Malbeck (Societa Agricola Principi di Porcia e Brugnera), Friuli, Italy

Santa Nè, Palari, Etna, Sicilia, Italy.

Pugnitello san Felice, 2004, Toscana, Italy

Pianetta di Cagnore Vernaccia Nera, Marche 2001.13.5% Italy

Bodegas Bouza Tannat, 14.5% Uruguay

Dal Pizzol Touriga Nacional, Brazil.

Terra Tangra Medos Mavrud/Merlot/Cabernet, Sakar, Bulgaria

Bovin Vranec, Macedonia

Domaine Mercouri, Refosco/Mavrodaphne, Peloponessos, Greece

Vitkin Carignan, Central Coastal Plain, Israel

Pellegrini Cabernet Franc, Long Island, New York, USA

Barboursville Cabernet Franc Reserve 2004, 13.5% Virginia. USA.

3 comments:

Michael Green said...

Superb! Any particular recommendations? Would love to hear.

Michael Green x

Anonymous said...

mmmmm any mulled? for my wife? I am no wine expert!

Robert Slotover said...

Dear Mr. Green,
If you are based in the UK, You can get some of these reds from London retailers such as Harvey Nicholls, Knightsbridge (Nieto Senetiner Bonarda), Zelas, Archway (the Emmanuel Houillon Poulsard, Arbois Pupillon, Jura, the Terra Tangra Medos Mavrud/Merlot/Cabernet from Sakar, Bulgaria and the Verre des Poetes Pineau d'Aunis, Domaine Montrieux, Loire), Green and Blue, Dulwich and Clapham (also the Verre des Poetes Pineau d'Aunis, Domaine Montrieux, Loire as well as the Domaine Cousin Leduc Grolleau vieux vignes Jura). In Buckinghamshire you have Bertrand and Nicholas who have the Verre des Poetes Pineau d'Aunis, Domaine Montrieux, Loire too, in Wiltshire, Bowes Wine have the Bouza Tannat from Uruguay as a bin end at a very reasonable £9 per bottle.
On the internet you can find for UK delivery the Don David Malbec at Noel Young Wines, Domaine le Briseau 'les longues vignes' Pineau d'Aunis at Everywine and the Domaine Mercouri Refosco/Mavrodaphne at Kickbar Wines. A bit more fiddling around on www.averywine.com may produce other stockists of further wines on our list. For the rest, sorry to say you will probably have to import them directly which we know can be an expensive business.