New Years Eve and Brands.

Before Christmas when I went to collect (travelling by rail as our car was stuck) my snowbound mother I was greeted with a glass of Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2008, Chile, on offer until 5th January at £5 in Londis. Concha y Toro make good wines across the board and this red reminded me of what a great job they do. This medium bodied wine has lovely dark fruit and coffee flavours with a warm and soft, rounded finish.
Sticking to the brand theme, I was a huge admirer of the now retired Philip Laffer at Jacob’s Creek – Bernard Hickin the very accomplished, unassuming and influential successor, who has been with the South Australian producer for over three decades, has taken over from the inimitable Laffer. The other day, as part of a market research project by the DoILikeIt Wine Research Company, I was given a range of sparkling wines to taste blind and judge based on: not purchasing, sharing with friends, having at a dinner party and stating the price you would pay. My top rated sparkler was Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir NV, Australia, which I judged at a price higher than the £9.49 price tag. This dry, creamy, serious Chardonnay/Pinot Noir sparkler has always punched above most other new world sparklers. Stockists: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Londis.
The HQ of the Torres wine business is in Penedes in Spain and Miguel Torres, the craftsman behind the wines, rightly achieved The IWC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. Miguel Torres has overseen a wine business that makes excellent entry wines such as Vina Esmeralda and Coronas, with serious, whites and reds for the longevity stakes such as Fransola and Mas la Plana. Time and time again I return to Vina Sol 2009, Spain, £6.49, for my dry, easy drinking, refreshing, full of citrus flavour, European white. Stockists: Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and other major retailers.
These are all good party wines for seeing in 2010.
Looking ahead I will be at Kempton on January 15th 2011 for the rescheduled King George at Kempton Park. The brilliant champion Kauto Star will win for a record fifth time.