On Thursday the 17^th of May I attended the Big Alsace Tasting in Dublin, part of the first edition of the Alsace Wine Week. About 25 Alsace producers were represented at the tasting held in the cellars of the Ely Bar & Grill in the CHQ building. This was an excellent opportunity to taste a wide range of Alsace wines, all of which are available to the Irish public either through direct retail or from restaurant wine lists.

I managed to sample most of the wines on offer and I have to conclude that the average quality of Alsace wines remains very high. The warm 2015 vintage shone very brightly in examples where the richness had been balanced by good acidity. The more even 2016 vintage showed well across most wines. At all price points quality can be found, from a simple Edelzwicker blend to a famous Grand Cru. My one gripe is that many entrance level wines lack personality. These basic cuvees are not faulty or poor in quality, but although technically well-made they are quite frankly a bit boring. I know that Alsace is absolutely not unique in this, but there really should be more interesting entry level wines made. However, there were enough examples on display that proved basic cuvees can be individual and exciting. For example Melanie Pfister’s Cuvee 8 (from Pembrokewines) is a beautiful assemblage of the four noble grape varieties (Muscat, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris) that is both fresh and rich: a versatile food wine. Domaine Meyer-Fonné from Katzenthal also hit the mark with their Gentil (available from Le Caveau and Baggot Street Wines) that is Muscat based instead of the more usual Sylvaner grape. The choice for Muscat, which makes up about 60% of the blend, results in a fragrant, medium bodied and velvety wine, that would be a great accompaniment to Asian dishes. My absolute favourite basic cuvee was however Domaine Paul Ginglinger’s 2016 Clevner (available from Grape Circus at Sheridans Cheesemongers). This blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois punched far above its weight with a lovely fruity intensity and strong minerality coming through on the impressively long finish. Full credits to Michel Ginglinger’s winemaking skills here, aided by the sheer quality of their vineyards. Most of the fruit that goes into the Clevner is sourced from parcels in and around Eguisheim’s two Grand Crus and many high quality Lieu-dits. The quality of the terroir really shines through in this delicious wine.

In the more expensive price bracket (>£15/€18) some real gems were on display. Bruno Sorg’s Riesling Pfersigberg 2014 (from Frenchwines.ie) was one example; wet stones and citrus on the nose, good acidic backbone, and a nice long grapefruity finish. Domaine Marcel Deiss showed off two stunning wines with their 2003 Altenberg de Bergheim and 2003 Schoenenbourg (both from Frenchwines.ie). Both these wine are blends, as the philosophy of this domaine is such that only multiple grape varieties can fully express terroir in a wine. The wines had been decanted which really made them shine. If I had to pick a favourite it would have to be the Altenberg; still quite young appearance after 15 years in bottle, complex nose, rich ripe orchard fruits, and a finish that kept on going. A real treat was the most famous (and expensive) dry white wine in Alsace, the Riesling Clos St. Hune from Maison Trimbach (available from C&C Gleeson, Berry Bros. & Rudd). The 2011 edition is still a baby, with tremendous minerality, focus, and rapier like acidity. I would love to try this again in 10 years’ time.

My favourite wine of the day was the 2015 Muscat Grand Cru Saering from Domaine Dirler-Cadé (from Frenchwines.ie, The Wine Society). It had a most inviting classic Muscat nose of rose petals and freshly crushed grapes. On the palate it delivered with lacy acidity, soft peachy fruit, all wrapped around a surprising but welcome seam of minerality. This is a very impressive wine and one of the best examples of dry Muscat I have ever tasted.

The organisers told me that the plan is to make this an annual event. I am already looking forward to the next instalment. My hope for the next edition is a stronger turnout from Bas-Rhin. Domaines Pfister and Kumpf & Meyer were the only ones flying the flag for this part of the region. I wish the Irish public can get an opportunity to sample more of the excellent wines from Bas-Rhin next year. In addition I hope to see more of the highly individual and great value wines made from Lieu-dit vineyards by the Alsace cooperatives. For example Cave de Hunawihr make a beautiful Riesling Muehlforst. Come on, bring it along to show it off!

Lidl has become quite a reliable place for Alsace wines. Invariably Alsace wines feature in their seasonal wine sales. I am particularly impressed with their ‘Vieille Vignes’ range from the Bennwihr Cooperative and J.P. Muller’s (sous marque from Arthur Metz in Marlenheim) Riesling Grand Cru wines. The 2017 autumn and Christmas sales had some nice examples again and I list here a few of my favourites. These wines are still available in most Lidl shops in Northern Ireland at the time of writing.

Bennwihr Cooperative Pinot Gris Grand Cru Marckrein 2016 (£10.49)

Nice to see another Alsace Grand Cru at a UK supermarket. This is definitely not off dry, but more towards a medium sweet style. Honeysuckle and some tropical fruits on the nose, flavours of ripe orchard fruits and a very long finish with some welcome acidity. I think this will get more balanced with another 3-4 years of bottle age. What to eat with this? I had this with a creamy blue veined cheese which worked well. It might be a bit too sweet for Asian dishes. It would be perfect with foie gras. And fruity deserts would probably work well too. I guess you just have to get yourself a bottle and experiment.

 

Jean Cornelius Gewurztraminer 2016 (£6.99)

Gewurztraminer is a ‘marmite’ type grape; you either love it or hate it. It is really aromatic grape with scents of roses, Turkish delight, and tropical fruits like pineapple. This is a very typical example. I found it a bit lean on the mid-palate, but I like my Gewurztraminer either dry or big and bold. This will appeal to the Gewurztraminer novice, as it is quite a gentle introduction to this grape. This will be a good accompaniment with all sorts of Asian dishes. I think its tropical fruit flavours work really well with dishes with coconut.

Bennwihr Cooperative Pinot Blanc Vieille Vignes 2016 (£5.99)

Very drinkable stuff, this old vines range from the Bennwihr Cooperative. Their Sylvaner is always a delight, the Gewurztraminer is pleasantly dry, and this Pinot Blanc has a lovely softness to it, without being flabby. Ripe fruits and good balancing acidity make this a very versatile wine, with food or on its own. This would be very nice on a Saturday evening with a plate of charcuterie. This is tremendous value at £5.99.

Sure, the weekend is a prime time to pop open a special bottle of wine. But the middle of the week is a time where you need that bottle of wine to get you through to the weekend. Maybe a more mundane tipple, but one that goes well with simple home cooked food.

This Wednesday we had Thai green curry with chicken and vegetables. Thai cuisine to me means heat, acidity, fragrance, and saltiness. Spice and acid need a sweet-ish wine. Really dry or oaky wines just don’t work here. The tannins found in red wines also clash with the heat. This asks for a white wine with some residual sugar.

I opened a Martin Schaetzel Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg 2012 with this and that was a good match. Most Alsace Pinot Gris has the off-dry, fruity and spicy character that accompanies Thai green curries very well. But a German Riesling Kabinett or Spätlese would equally work well, as does Gewurztraminer even though that pairs even better with Thai red curries with duck.

I picked up the Martin Schaetzel Pinot Gris Grand Cru Eichberg 2012  at a stock clearance for the ridiculous price of £6 per bottle, but it would normally be a bit on the expensive side for a Wednesday Wine. Alsace Pinot Gris is not that easy to source in Northern Ireland but The Light House in Whiteabbey does Cave de Turckheim Reserve Pinot Gris 2015 (£12.99) and KWM Wines & Spirits in Kilkeel stocks Pinot Gris Sables et Galets 2014 from the same producer for £13.45. Another suggestion is the reliable Dr Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (£13.00, Sainsbury’s). But feel free to experiment and try a bottle from your own wine rack, as long as it isn’t red, oaky, or very dry.

The style of Rolly Gassmann’s wines is one of richness or even opulence. This delicious Riesling from a lieu-dit on alkaline Muschelkalk soils (clay-silt on fossil-rich limestone marl-limestone) between the Alsace villages of Rorschwihr and Rodern is no exception. It is actually very close to a Vendange Tardive (late harvest) style, or Spätlese if it was produced across the border in Germany. Lovely candied citrus (lime and grapefruit) scents, with the faintest hint of petrol so typical of mature Riesling. There is even a whiff on honey, suggesting some of the grapes might have been affected with noble rot (botrytis). The taste is big, rich, and honeyed, with flavours of lemon curd and ripe stonefuits. But the sweetness is well balanced with ample acidity, and the length is very long. This wine really benefitted from on hour or so of breathing. Next time I will decant this. Even though this is nine years old it is still very fresh and lively. I don’t think it will improve much, but it will certainly last for another five years at this peak, before it will slowly decline when the acidity slowly decreases.

I had this with a glazed ham and roasted root vegetables. This was an excellent combination. But it would also work well with Goan fish curries or Turbot in creamy sauces. It is just lovely by itself too.

Harvey Nichols (www.harveynichols.com) and Berry Bros. & Rudd (www.bbr.com) currently sell the 2010 vintage. Unfortunately the 2009 is not for sale in the UK any longer. But I can assure you, the 2010 is excellent too and I will post a tasting note of that vintage soon.

This Alsace Riesling comes from a plot of 70 year old Riesling vines situated midslope on the east side of Grand Cru Sommerberg right behind the village of Niedermorschwihr in Alsace, France. The soil here is granite mixed with some sandstone. This plot called Dudenstein is characterised by a warm microclimate which often gives “D” an off-dry character. Not so in 2008. Residual sugar levels are 6 gr./L., with total acidity of 9.8 gr./L., and 14.2 % alcohol. This means the 2008 is a fully dry wine.

And what a wine this is. It is approaching 10 years of age, and is certainly drinking well now. But I expect it has at least another 10-15 years life left in it. Light gold in colour, with a nose of lemon and a hint of petrol so typical of mature Riesling. In the mouth the party really starts. Very complex and refined, with citrus, ripe red apple, and even some peach. It is very concentrated, and around mid-palate an amazing acidity starts to build. It combines with a very noticeable minerality/salinity, and cumulates in a very long and dry finish that is characterised by beautiful red grapefruit flavours.

I honestly don’t think Riesling gets much better than this. I feel privileged and lucky to have 12 (now 11) bottles in my cellar. I will post on the development of this wine here on this blog over the next years.

Is Albert Boxler my favourite Riesling producer in Alsace? Maybe, but then it makes me think of Zind-Humbrecht’s Grand Cru Rangen, or Rolly Gassmann’s SGN’s. All different, all great.

ASDA Ca’ Mandato Pinot Grigio Trentino 2016 (£7.48)

Pinot Grigio the way it should be. This is none of the weak insipid unripe stuff that unfortunately fills most our supermarket shelves. In the mountainous regions of Trentino and Alto Adige in northern Italy winemakers know how to produce good quality Pinot Grigio. This has a floral and white peach nose, medium body, and lovely stone fruit and ripe red apple on the palate. Finish is dry and fairly long. This is really nice stuff and good value for money. Paired with tagliatelle with cream, mushrooms, and panfried chicken, which was a very nice combination.

ASDA Wine Atlas Grillo 2016 (£5.68)

ASDA’s Wine Atlas range offer tremendous value. These are often sourced from cooperatives operating in lesser known areas producing wines from relatively obscure grape varieties. Grillo is such an example. This hybrid between Catarratto and Moscato di Alessandria hails from Sicily and has only since the 1990’s been vinified as a dry single varietal wine. Historically Grillo was a mainly used for the production of the fortified sweet Marsala.

I am not going to claim this is tremendously complex wine, but that cannot be expected at around £5. What you do get is wine with a slightly grapey and lemony aroma, with bold and refreshing citrus flavours. Perfect wine for summer drinking paired with fish tacos or fish from the bbq.

Trivento Malbec Riserva 2016 (£6.00, normally £7.98. Also at TESCO for £6.50, normally £8.00)

This bordelaise grape has really found its niche in Argentina. This is a very typical example; damson on the nose, plum and sour black cherry flavours, soft round tannins. These wines just need one thing: a big slab of beef. I paired this with fillet steak diane, which worked very well. But it would work with any grilled steak, and even with strong tasting sauces such as chimichurri. Good value too.

Casa Luis Gran Reserva 2012 (£6.98)

Forrest fruit and forest floor/mushroom nose, lovely chewy tannins, cherry and blackcurrant flavour. This unoaked Garnacha/Tempranillo blend is really rather nice and good value too. As this has good fruit I would pair this with spicy pork stews with lots of chorizo in it.

ASDA extra special Gavi 2016 (£6.98)

Wow, this is a really good Gavi. Lemon, pear, and almond are all there. It is quite a full wine for a Gavi, light to medium bodied, but still very refreshing.  Impressively long dry finish with intense grapefruit flavours. I had this on its own, and it works very well as a summer wine for outdoor dining. But it would pair very well with many fish and seafood dishes, such as lemon risotto with scallops.

Is there any grape that Sorg doesn’t do well? If there is I haven’t come across it. Sorg excels with his generic Muscat and Muscat Grand Cru Pfersigberg, his Riesling GC Florimont is lacy and refined, Gewurztraminer GC Eichberg powerful but well balanced, generic Pinot Blanc refreshing and superb value, and his Pinot Gris GC Pfersigberg fits very well in this star studded line-up. Lovely nose of peach, spice, and honey, flavours of charentais melon and chalk, leading to a long, quite dry mineral finish. This is so well balanced, and anyone who thinks Alsace Pinot Gris is a big blousy wine I suggest to try this superbly balanced wine. I paired this with spicy roast Chinese pork with noodles, and an Ammylou Harris album. Both were great combinations.

Why do bodies promoting German and Alsace wines feel the need to reassure their potential customers that ‘most of their wines are nowadays dry’ or statements of a similar nature? I know that labelling still confuses some consumers to a degree that they inadvertently buy off-dry wines instead of dry ones. I also know the flood of Liebfraumilch that reached the UK in the 1970’s and 1980’s did little for the reputation of either off-dry wines or German wines (and wines in similar shaped bottles) in general. And although I am a big fan of the dry Grosses Gewachse (German equivalent of Grand Cru) I don’t mind a little bit of sweetness in my wine, as long as it there naturally and nicely balanced with acidity.

Sweetness, or the perception of sweetness on the palate, is all to do with the balance between sugar and acid in a wine. Up to 10 grams of sugar per litre in a wine can be completely camouflaged by acidity. Such a wine will taste, despite the sugar, completely dry. The sugar might manifest itself through a certain roundness and body in the wine, but not through perception of sweetness on the palate.

All wine starts its life as a sweet liquid, as without sugar the yeast would not have anything to eat. During fermentation the yeast will consume the sugar and convert it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. If after the fermentation any sugar is left it is called residual sugar and if it isn’t obscured by acidity the wine will taste sweet. Now it is quite easy to make sweet wine by interfering during the fermentation. Chilling the fermenting wine or adding high strength alcohol to it (as done in fortified wines like Port) will instantly stop the yeast from working and leave the wine with residual sugar.

Sweet wine is created in a natural way when fermentation stops before all the sugar is used up because the alcoholic strength of the wine becomes too high for the yeast to survive (around 16-18%) Or sometimes the yeast will just spontaneously stop fermenting. This is more likely to occur when the yeast is from a strain naturally occurring in the cellar and not one of the very reliably fermenting commercially available strains, as natural yeast are much more fickle. When fermentation stops prematurely it is possible to get it restarted, but usually comes at the price of changes in taste. It is also possible to encourage fermentation that is threatening to get stuck by yeasting or warming in order to get a dry finish. Even after a wine gets stuck in fermentation and finishes with 10+ grams of residual sugar blending with lots that did finish dry can still produce a dry end product. My colleague Lars Carlberg has written a whole post on these issues in German Riesling on his website and he goes into much more detail than I can here: http://www.larscarlberg.com/whats-the-matter-with-grosses-gewachs/. I believe it is generally better to let nature take her natural course; if a wine stops fermenting before it is dry it will just have to be an off-dry wine. It will be a much more balanced wine and also a true reflection of the vintage and terroir. Such wines can be absolutely delicious and I have often converted dry-wine fanatics to off-dry ones. The often heard expression at such events is: “I don’t like sweet wines, but this is really nice!” It is all about balance.

Some examples:

Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 2009 (£39.00 at Crump, Richmond & Shaw Fine Wines; £36.99 at James Nicholson Wines).

Lovely nose of stonefruit, apple, lime, and chalk. Rich palate with apricots, pear, red apple, and mnerals. This is a powerful and rich wine. The 16 grams per litre of residual sugar are well balanced by the 4.2 grams of total acidity. This still needs time to integrate fully, but it is already very appealing to drink now. It has at least another 10 years of life left in it. A shame that was my last bottle.

Pinot Gris Clos Saint Urbain Grand Cru Rangen de Thann 2009 (£34.50 at James Nicholson Wines)

Pinot Gris is a grape that does not hold its acidity as well as Riesling does in the later stages of the ripening process. It also accumulates sugar much quicker during that time. It is a real task to vinify this dry, and certainly not all sites and vintage are ideal for producing dry Pinot Gris. This wine comes from the volcanic Grand Cru Rangen. It is a huge wine, with 27 grams per litre residual sugar, with 2.9 grams of total acidity. This pushes it almost outside the off-dry and into the sweet category. Yet the intense minerality, smoke, flint, and spice makes it taste drier than it actually is. Also after eight years in bottle some of the sugars have been nicely integrated. Yet this still will go on for at least 15+ years. I had this with a Mexican style spicy tuna wrap – don’t ask why- which was rather nice.

So go on and try an off-dry wine. You might be surprised.

For many people the experience with Greek wine begins and ends with that bottle of retsina that tasted so good at that little taverna on Paros, but when tried again at home finished up mostly in the sink. This is a real shame as Greece has some really exciting wines to offer, at still very reasonable prices, that you just have to try for yourself.

Greek wines have made a big leap in quality in the last 10 years. In my opinion this is mainly due to Greek producers embracing the native varietals in favour of classic French grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. Greece has a great many indigenous varietals, some of which have only recently brought back from the brink of extinction. These are superbly adapted to the Greek terroir and climate, and give many Greek wines a unique sense of place. This is something I really value as the world already produces more than enough boring Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon that could come from anywhere.

The bad news is that it is still difficult to find these interesting Greek wines on restaurant wine lists, supermarkets and anything but the largest independent wine retailers in the UK and Ireland. This is however slowly changing, and retailers like M&S now stock some very nice Greek wine, albeit mostly in their large flagship stores and online webshop.

Below I will list some of my favourite Greek grape varietals, and where to get your hand on the wines made with these.

Assyrtiko

This white grape originating from the volcanic island of Santorini is a real favourite of mine. It gives dry, pure, intense, refreshing wines, with a pleasing minerality from the volcanic soils in which roots have to go down as deep as 20 meters to find water and nutrients. Because of the very windy and dry conditions wines are trained to resemble woven nests with the fruit on the inside to offer protection against dehydration and wind damage.  Some of these basket vines are extremely old, between 400 and 500 years. The old vine age together with the harsh and marginal growing conditions results in very low yields, but also very concentrated flavours in the wines.

If you like Alvarinho/Albarino, or mineral Riesling you might want to give Assyrtiko a try. You can opt for the entry level Atlantis made by Estate Argyros, a refreshing wine with lovely citrus fruit and some minerality made with 90% Assyrtiko with 5% of both Athiri and Aidani (£12.00, M&S). Very good pure Assyrtiko is made by Domaine Hadzidakis. The Hadzidakis Santorini (£13.50, The Wine Society) is definitely a step up from Atlantis with great structure, pure fruit, and a strong mineral, almost saline backbone.  Both wines are a great accompaniment to fish and shellfish dishes.

Xinomavro

This red grape from the northern parts of Greece (Macedonia) is a real gem that deserves to be much better known and appreciated. It is high in acid and tannins (the astringent organic components that make you mouth feel dry when tasting red wine) and therefore often is in need of some taming by ageing the wine in oak casks or bottle. Young Xinomavro has appealing strawberry and plum aromas that are very characteristic for this grape varietal. With age these change into tomato and olives.

Xinomavro is not unlike Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, and if you appreciate those classic grapes Xinomavro is definitely one you want to try. Pairing of Xinomavro depends a bit on age and the use of oak ageing, but I think you can’t go wrong pairing an oaked version with Greek style lamb stews, and unoaked ones with grilled lamb with Greek herbs and feta cheese. M&S do a very good basic Xinomavro from domaine Thymiopoulis in Naoussa for £11.00.

Malagousia

Malagousia was almost extinct and lost to the wine world forever if it wasn’t for professor Logothetis who re-discovered the grape in central Greece, and winemaker Evangelos Gerovassiliou who realised its potential and started to vinify the grape as a single varietal wine. This white grape is almost the opposite from the Assyrtiko discussed earlier. Malagousia is not at all drought resistant, produces medium to full bodied wines, low in acidity, with a strong aromatic profile reminiscent Muscat or Viognier. Harvested at the correct level of ripeness the wines display ripe peaches and apricots on the nose, with hints of herbs, while still retaining a balanced full and zesty flavour. It also has a great affinity with wood, making it possible to age these wines in oak. Perhaps these wines have the best ageing potential of any Greek white wine. Malagousia is very food friendly and can stand up to traditionally wine-unfriendly foods like artichokes and tomatoes. I suggest serving it with Greek vegetable dishes like Spanakopita (spinach pie), Gigantes Plaki (giant butter bean stew), or oven grilled Mediterranean vegetables with dill.

M&S do a very acceptable Malagousia from domaine Thymiopoulis for £10.00, but justincases.co.uk do more ambitious wines such as Alpha Estate Alpha Malagouzia at £13.50, or Gerovassiliou Malagousia for £15.95.

The wines from Lidl have improved tremendously over the last few years. They do some really interesting wines at very good prices. About three times a year (Easter, June, and November) Lidl adds a range of premium wines to their usual range. It is particularly in these premium ranges that some real gems can be found. The only issue I have with it is that some wines sell out very quickly, and sometimes certain wines don’t even make it all shops. As a new range of premium wines has just hit Lidl Northern Ireland this week I review my top 5 here. Get them while you can.

Bestheim Cooperative Pinot Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2015 £5.99

This lovely little number is brought to you by the Bestheim Cooperative in Alsace, France, nowadays part of the Kientzheim-Kaysersberg Cooperative.  This company has supplied Lidl with a very nice Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes and a seductive off-dry Pinot Gris Lieu-dit Patergarten in the recent past. This Pinot Blanc is made from old vines (Vieilles Vignes), which in theory should be less vigorous compared to younger vines and produce more concentrated wine.  It has apple, citrus, and some faint hints stonefruit on the nose. Quite generous and verging on medium bodied, tastes of pears and citrus, but still finishing dry. This is a very versatile wine that should go well with charcuterie, quiches, and chicken dishes, but is also delicious on its own. Good value too.

Jean Cornelius Pinot Gris 2015 £6.99

This Pinot Gris is made by domaine Henri Erhart in Ammerschwihr, Alsace, France, as Jean Cornelius is a subsidiary brand of Henri Erhart. It is slightly dull on the nose with some hints of flowers and tropical fruits, but when drinking this turns out to be textbook Alsace Pinot Gris with notes of apricots and a little bit of spice and smokiness. This is very elegant and almost understated, yet round, soft, and medium to full bodied, with a touch of residual sugar. Pinot Gris goes well with smoked fish and especially with spicy food. I would drink this with smoked mackerel or eel, or with spicy Thai fish cakes.

Adrien Maréchal  Reuilly 2015 £9.99

This very well made Loire Sauvignon Blanc would be my top pick from this tasting. If you are a fan of Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé than this wine from a nearby, less famous (and thus cheaper), appellation is something for you. It is made with fully ripe fruit and as a result has enticing aromas of ripe gooseberries, apricots, and some typical cat pee (pipi-de-chat) notes as well. On the palate it is rich and fruity, with some creaminess from spending time on the dead yeast cells after fermentation (called sur lie, or ageing on the lees). Impressive length suggests again that this is a good quality wine. Drink sitting outside with crusty French bread and a Loire goats cheese like Crottin de Chavignol. Good with light fish dishes too.

J.P. Muller Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg 2014 £10.99

I love the fact that at Lidl you can find, on and off, Alsace Grand Cru wines, something not found in any other UK supermarket chain. I already had a Riesling Grand Cru Ollwiller and Altenberg de Wolxheim from Lidl in the recent past, and this Engelberg doesn’t disappoint, even though my favourite of this triple line-up would still be the Altenberg de Wolxheim.  Engelberg’s marly soils are reflected in the mineral taste, with a long chalky and slightly salty finish. There is some juicy apple and citrus too, but it is all a bit restrained. I think this wine is still a bit closed (not ready) and should improve with a few years of ageing. At least that is what my bottles are doing right now. Drink with sushi, Alsace onion tarte, or Asian seafood dishes.

Casa Ermelinda Freitas Vinha do Rosario Branco 2016 £5.49

Lovely for summer drinking, this fresh white from the Setubal peninsula south of Lisbon, Portugal. Made with  Fernoa Pires grapes, with a small quantity of Muscat de Alexandria. It is lovely and fragrant, with crisp acidity and flavours of lemon and some tropical fruits. You just want to keep drinking this, and you do can do this as the wine has a modest 10.5% alcohol. Drink with grilled sardines or grilled squid or octopus.