We are all looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend and some brighter weather. As well as enjoying wines at home, with the reopening of hospitality, this is also a great chance to celebrate the wonderful diversity of wines at your favourite pub, bar, hotel or restaurant. Read on for The Wine Tipster’s 8 recent favourite wines as shared across his Twitter and Instagram accounts over the past few months. Don’t forget to follow for live tips and recommendations!

Simpsons Wine Estate Chardonnay 2020 from Barham, Canterbury, Kent is a lovely Chardonnay stylishly crafted by Ruth and Charles Simpson. English wine is booming at the moment, and this impressive bottle is no exception. Available from Waitrose (£14.99).

Albariño Madurado 2019 Rias Baixas from Viña Lareira, Spain is packed with intense fruit flavours. The smooth texture and balance make it a wonderful drinking experience, and its attractive dry finish result in a great Albariño to shout about! Available from Waitrose (£11.99)

Having celebrated International Sauvignon Blanc Day this May, Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Awatere Valley, Marlborough is a must try. This is the perfect Sauvignon Blanc to pair with food such as sea bass or even fish and chips as the crisp acidity, freshness and beautiful fruit flavours make it a classic for The Wine Tipster. Available from Waitrose (£11.59).

One of The Wine Tipster’s favourite grape varieties is Mourvèdre, especially from the Bandol appellation. A firm favourite of The Wine Tipster is this Bandol 2015 Dedicace Henri Fabre, made from 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache. This wine ages beautifully, yet is so impressive now and benefits from being decanted. Available from The Oxford Wine Company (£22.95)

A great value red The Wine Tipster has enjoyed recently is the Altano Douro 2019 Organic from the Douro, made by the Symingtons. Organic wine is an important advance in the industry which has great results with this full-bodied and versatile bottle. Available from Waitrose (£10.99).

The team at Chapel Down make exceptional English wine, and the Bacchus 2019, Kent is a great choice. It has wonderful fruit aromas of green apples and grapefruit, with satisfying citrus and tropical tasting notes. Another great bottle for fish dishes, this really is England’s Sauvignon Blanc! Available from Waitrose (£11.19).

A tried and tested favourite rosé of The Wine Tipster’s is the Côtes de Provence Château Léoube ‘Love by Léoube’ Organic Rosé 2019. With a beautiful delicacy that is classic of the dry Provence rosé style, this is a classy organic bottle from Daylesford (£15.99).

Finally, the crisp white Burgundy Mâcon-Azé 2019 from Louis Jadot has a flinty finish that is perfect for roast chicken. Available from Waitrose (£12.99).

Share your recent favourites with The Wine Tipster on Social Media, and let him know how you’ve been celebrating International Wine Day! Cheers!

Tweets by TheWineTipster

At South Bank Tower on April 10^th, The Wine Tipster had the privilege of attending the international launch of Veuve Clicquot’s Extra Brut Extra Old. This new low-dosage double-aged Cuvée is blended exclusively from the Maison’s famed collection of reserve wines, and was unveiled in a spectacular evening of fine food and company.

The infamous Cellar Master, Dominique Demarville, has selected wines he deems to be most representative of the Veuve Clicquot style to create Extra Brut Extra Old – the first release being an assemblage of 47% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay and 26% Meunier from the 1988, 1996, 2006, 2008 and 2010 vintages.

“Veuve Clicquot’s reserve wines selection has long been at the heart of the House’s identity,” comments President Jean-Marc Gallot. “Extra Brut Extra Old is an exploration of these, born from Demarville’s desire to isolate the very essence of Yellow Label.  By delving into Veuve Clicquot’s abundant heritage, and assembling six years of its finest reserve wines spanning over three decades, he has singled out the properties that make Yellow Label unique, and arrived at Extra Brut Extra Old: a wine unparalleled in purity of taste, intensity and silkiness.”

This exciting new Champagne was perfectly matched with a stunning menu curated by Lee Westcott, Executive Chef at Typing Room, and served to the banquet of 80 guests on Monday. Each course was expertly paired with the Extra Brut Extra Old, Vintage Rosé 2008 or Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec, giving guests a full Veuve Clicquot experience. The Wine Tipster was particularly intrigued with Demarville’s choice to decant the Demi-Sec – an interesting but enjoyable way to taste this wine. A surprising and original pairing was the Beetroot, Jerusalem Artichoke, Hazelnut and Blackcurrant with the Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old, which was also a beautiful match with Scallop, Fennel, Smoked Lardo and Apple.

Overall, the evening was a huge success, with informative and engaging talks from Demarville, who The Wine Tipster greatly admires and has the upmost respect for this wonderful Chef de Cave.

 

Veuve Clicquot Extra Brut Extra Old NV is now available to the UK On and Off-Trades via Moët Hennessy UK, with an RRP of £69.00 – tel: 020 7808 4390.

The Wine Tipster was in action at the Ideal Home Christmas Show recently presenting the wines of Jackson Estate from Marlborough, New Zealand. He enjoyed taking to the stage again in the Food & Drink theatre.
The Jackson family arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and in 1855 Adam Jackson bought the first blocks of land in the heart of the Marlborough region, along what was to become known as Jacksons Road. John Stichbury is the fifth generation of the Jackson Family to farm the land. In 1987 John and Jo planted the first vines and the first wines were released in 1991 under the Jackson Estate label. Jackson Estate believes in a few very simple principles – the best modern winemaking techniques; a respect for vineyard sites; and unerring pursuit of varietal integrity; and through this a strong, identifiable and much admired style.

Four wines were tasted; Named after owner and Founder John Stichbury, Jackson Estate ‘Stich’ Sauvignon Blanc 2015 is distinctly aromatic and intensely flavoured finishing with refreshingly crisp acidity. It has won many awards and received critical acclaim. This would be a perfect accompaniment to fish and chips. It is also a special wine for The Wine Tipster as it was the first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc he bought in Waitrose so he will always have a soft spot for it.
RRP £13.29 – available from Waitrose, Majestic, Ocado & Tesco.com. Many seasonal offers available.

The Grey Ghost is the giant gum tree planted in 1867 by John’s great grandmother, Alice and today graces all Jackson Estate wine labels. Jackson Estate ‘Grey Ghost’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 shows fresh bright notes of elderflower blossom on the nose with white peach and citrus supported by a beautiful underlying rich farmhouse cheese character. This is an outstanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which is wonderful blend of barrel fermented juice and stainless steel juice, with lees ageing to add further texture and complexity. A top wine for pairing with chicken in a creamy sauce or full flavoured fish dishes including mackerel, monkfish and trout.
RRP £18.00 – available from Majestic, TheDrinkShop.com & Tesco.com. Many seasonal offers available.

Don’t forget about Chardonnay! The Jackson Estate ‘Shelter Belt’ Chardonnay 2013 shows fresh citrus and honeysuckle flavours which follow through to the palate and are enriched with hints of warm biscuity lees. An unctuous texture and fine acidity lead to a long lingering finish. ‘Shelter Belt’ has some barrel and stainless steel fermentation, with nine months ageing in oak and is a lovely of intense Chardonnay fruit and subtle oak. This wine would lend itself well to white meat dishes and lovely fish like turbot.
RRP £17.00 – available from Ocado & TheDrinkShop.com. Many seasonal offers available

If you’re looking for a perfect pairing for your Christmas turkey, then Jackson Estate ‘Vintage Widow’ Pinot Noir 2013 would be ideal. It is named in recognition of the partners and families of those who are overlooked during vintage. This wine will benefit from a couple of hours in a Decanter and is a wonderfully versatile wine for food pairing as game, roasted turkey, lamb, mushroom risotto and vegetarian tarts like stilton and celery all work.
RRP £19.49 – available from Majestic Wine & Ocado. Many seasonal offers available

Or you could splash out on their stunning Jackson Estate Gum Emperor Pinot Noir 2011, a single vineyard Pinot Noir named after the Gum Emperor Moth Opodiphthera Eucalypti that makes it home on the edge of the vineyards. Dark brooding aromatics are lifted by higher notes of violets, blackcurrants and spice. Flavours of black plums, licorice and earthy forest floor tones combine to form a truly complex wine. Big full-flavoured dishes like game, beef and a mushroom tart are all fab pairings
RRP £26.99 The Drink Shop.com, Rollings Wine Merchants (Harpenden), Christopher Piper Wines & Cheers Wine Merchants.

The winery continues to combine its advanced winemaking techniques with an old world approach. A new Pinot Noir winery is being built at the moment and is due to open next year. They are rightly proud of their winery, as such, welcome visitors by appointment to their home in Marlborough – Jackson Estate .

It was also a pleasure to catch up with charismatic winemaker, Matt Patterson-Green who has been creating these stunning wines for over a decade and to present them to the enthusiastic audience.

Thank you to all the lovely people who came to the Tatton Park Foodies Festival and to the Drinks Theatre. One of the sessions I presented was Errazuriz: Premium Chile and here are the list of wines again with stockists:

Errazuriz Estate Series Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Aconcagua, £9.99. Stockists: Budgens, Majestic, Waitrose.

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2011, Valle de Casablanca, £13.99. Stockists: Co-op, Majestic.

Errazuriz Estate Series Merlot 2012, Valle de Curicó, £9.99. Stockists: Booths, www.rhythmandbooze.co.uk, Majestic.

Errazuriz Max Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Aconcagua Valley, £13.99. Stockists: Budgens, Tesco, Waitrose.

Great to see everyone enjoying these quality wines in the session and great to see the lady who didn’t like Chardonnay loving the Wild Ferment Chardonnay! Good to see people being honest too.

 

Each year we leave our drinks shopping later and later so here are my Ten to Follow win bets for Christmas and the New Year.

Champagne Fever is top of many tipsters lists for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March and this horse’s name sums up the Yuletide period for fizz sales so here is my combination exacta with the Tote (first three in any order) for bubbles: Pommery Brut Royal NV £29.99, down from £38.99, Sainsbury’s  is dry, delicious and creamy, whilst the award winning Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV has made its mark as a consistently high quality performer, Majestic £42.00 buy two bottles save 1/3 to £27.98.  If you are looking for a well-bred, Group 1 quality champagne  from a great vintage year then Dom Pérignon 2004 Gift Box, £120.00- £135.00 Majestic, Selfridges has class and elegance in abundance with a memorable finish.

There have been some famous New Zealand racehorses including Playschool, ridden by Paul Nicholls,  then jockey and now seven times champion jumps trainer, who won the Hennessy and Welsh Grand National in 1987. It was around that time that many people were discovering that a chilled  New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was the wine for them and the fan club has only carried on increasing over the years so if you are a member or haven’t yet  signed up the try this delicious, zingy, fresh, peppery, spicy, Peter Yealands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 £10.85, Co-op with your smoked salmon  – some NZ Sauvignon Blanc is just too full on for this kind of matching – but this is spot on.  You may also want to snap up the  ante-post 11/4 on the Nicholls’ trained Big Buck’s for the World Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.

From the list of runners with drink related names at The 2013 Cheltenham Festival I tried to include Vino Griego (successfully backed at 25-1 to win at their January meeting)  in my group for this year’s Cheltenham Festival Racecourse Radio piece, however I was given a yellow card for this one as Vino Griego didn’t quite match up to Champagne Fever, John’s Spirit and The Liquidator! (hugely impressive on his last run). Despite my reprimand, I’m a big fan of Vino Griego and I’ll be backing him for his next run, which will hopefully be the Argento Chase. In vino terms, Oldenburg Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2012,  Stellenbosch, South Africa, £16.99 – £17.95, Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.sawinesonline.co.uk is a classy, premium, subtlety-oaked and complex white which is ideal with fish dishes in a creamy sauce. Alternatively if you are having the full roast turkey with all the trimmings then mark your card with Château Cissac 2009 Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux, France, £17.95. Stockists: Tanners www.tanners-wines.co.uk, The Sampler. 2009 is one of the great well-bred Bordeaux vintages with winners at all grades and this intensely fruity, well structured red will most definitely bring some Christmas cheer.

As a punter I’m always on the look out for a bit of value and with Yuletide it is no different with Torres Vina Sol 2012, Catalunya, Spain, £6.69, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, down to £5 in Asda and Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011,  Viña  Concha y Toro, Valle Central, Chile £7.99-£5.99, Sainsbury’s, a couple of runners I would definitely back. These are perfect wines to enjoy whilst taking in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 28th December.

We invariably don’t spend enough time on the cheese course or the wines to match, however make it different this year. Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2007, Alsace, France, £33.00, The Wine Society, vintagemarque.com is a brilliant, top class, off dry wine with complex flavours of citrus, honey and pear, with a truly memorable finish. This is a great match with blue cheese and worth every penny of your pre-Christmas winnings. Alternatively, your tipple might be port, so check out Sandeman’s Late-Bottled Vintage Port 2008, £15.99, Waitrose, which is definitely well-handicapped.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster presented a Champagne Masterclass at the Aston Wine Club for the first time last night and we all had a marvellous evening.

Our Champagne journey included Bruno Paillard’s high class Premiere Cuvée NV, £49.99, Selfridges; Pommery’s Brut Royal NV, which was delicious and creamy £39.95, Harrods, www.vrankenpommery.co.uk and the delicate, Canard-Duchéne Cuvée Léonie Rosé NV, £32.00, The Wine Library, Richard Granger Fine Wines.

In terms of vintage, Autréau’s impressive, well-priced, full flavoured Autréau Cuvée Prestige Les Perles de la Dhuy Grand Cru Millésime 2005, £35.99, www.simplywinesdirect.com is why you need to have vintage champagne on your Christmas list.

Of course you should have a prestige cuvée available too and Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque 2004, £120.00-£130.00, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, is a stunning champagne from a beautiful vintage.

Very pleased to see members of the Thame Players Theatre last night and looking forward to our gig on March 21st 2014.

Big thanks to Aston Wine Club and look forward to seeing you on 21st November 2014!

 

 

You may have just waved goodbye to the relatives and not had a chance to consider your New Year’s Eve vino so here are a few time saving selections from The Wine Tipster. If champagne is your fizz of a choice then Harvey Nichols have a few bottles left of the stunning Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Millesime 1998 at a great price of £52.50. Of course you might be throwing a party and looking for ground pleasing bubbles for under a tenner then The Wine Tipster would rather go with the dry, applely, characterful Prestige Cava Brut NV, Penedes, Spain, £8.99, M&S, than a prosecco at the same price. For pink fans, the Moscato Rosé 2012, Bosman Family Vineyards, Wellington, South Africa, £8.99, M&S, is creamy, with ripe strawberry fruit, only 8% abv and a fun wine to kick off New Year’s Eve.

To keep your party rockin’ it is worth having a couple of crisp, fruity whites at home like Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mâcon Villages 2011, Burgundy, France, £6.99 or Domaine Félines Jourdan Rousanne Chardonnay 2011, Côteaux de Bessilles, France, £7.99 or £7.59 when purchasing any 12 mixed bottles, The Oxford Wine Company.  Alternatively, if you want a more aromatic style then go for the peachy, lychee, spicy McManis Viognier Family Vineyards 2010/2011, California, USA, £10.99, Waitrose, Majestic £10.99 down to £8.79 if you buy 2 bottles of still Californian wines under £20.

Of course a still rosé must be on hand and the Zalze Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz Rosé 2012, Coastal Region, South Africa, £7.99, Waitrose, has just the right easy drinking, fruity, crowd pleasing style , whilst for the tinto fans, these have been some of the most consistently enjoyable reds of the year for The Wine Tipster starting with the Portal da Águia 2009, Tejo, Portugal, £8.00, Oddbins, from Rioja the medium bodied Campo Viejo Tempranillo 2010, Rioja, Spain, £8.29, – look out for offers – Tesco, Asda, Ocado, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the excellent, well priced Negroamaro 2011, Puglia, Italy, £6.49, M&S

As the party organiser you need to think of some lower alcohol wines like the Dr. L Riesling 2010 Loosen Brothers, Mosel, Germany, abv 8.5%, £7,99, Majestic  or Tesco Finest Vinho Verde 2011, Portugal, abv 11.5%, down from £7.29 to £5.00 until 1/1/13.

Have a great time and here’s to a fruitful and fabulous 2013. Cheers!

 

The Wine Tipster presented at the UK launch of Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque Florale Edition at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Bar last week.

Created by renowned floral Japanese artist, Makoto Azuma, Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque Florale Edition is the first Limited Edition of Perrier-Jouët’s Prestige Cuvee Belle Epoque, a reverential homage to Emile Galle’s 1902 Art Nouveau design.

The Belle Epoque vintage featured with Azuma’s elegant design is the beautiful, floral and expressive 2004, which is wonderful to enjoy now, yet has years of pleasure ahead.

If you would like to taste the Belle Epoque 2004, then try the specially created four course Florale Menu at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Bar. For £85 for two, you can enjoy a glass of Belle Epoque 2004 each, with this carefully chosen menu to match with this fabulous champagne:

Chive and pansy dressed crab croustade

Hibiscus marinated salmon

Poilane melba, viola, almond and truffle crumble

Tea and lavender smoked duck breast

The Florale Menu is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Bar until 16th December at £85 for two. Before you sit down for post shopping relaxation you can purchase Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque Florale Edition, available exclusively at Harvey Nichols for £195.

 

 

The Appellation d’ Origine Contrôleé  (AOC) of Viré – Clessé is located in the northern part of the Mâconnais sub region, north of the town of  Mâcon in Burgundy.  Most of you are probably more familiar with Mâcon-Lugny or Mâcon-Charny, yet taste Albert  Bichot’s  Viré-Clessé 2010, Maison Albert Bichot, £13.65 or £12.97 when purchasing any 12 mixed bottles from The Oxford Wine Company or £13.65 from Cafe de la Post. This stunning white Burgundy made from 100% Chardonnay has everything with ripe citrus fruit, buttery richness, minerality, a pinch of crisp acidity and the lasting elegance of lemony and subtle tropical fruit on the finish.  The Wine Tipster will be having Bichot’s Viré-Clessé 2010 with our smoked salmon this Christmas. Enjoy!

Last night The Wine Tipster was at The Alderley Edge Hotel for The Champagne Academy Northern Dinner. As The Champagne Ambassador for G.H. Mumm I was there to present the G.H. Mumm Vintage 2004, with the Wild Mushroom and Chicken Bon Bon, Foie Gras Purée and Girolles starter (pictured left). This was one of the best matches I have tasted with the G.H. Mumm Vintage 2004, with this blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay having the right intensity and depth to work perfectly with this delicious starter, whilst expressing all the character of this excellent wine.
Later in the evening, the Aerated “Cheese Fondue”, Beetroot Textures, Sour Dough Tuille was beautifully balanced and the light Yoghurt “Panna Cotta” with Marinated Blackberries, Hibiscus and Crumble Biscuit and Hazelnut Powder was delicate and delicious. (pictured below)
The Alderley Edge Hotel did a brilliant job last night and I’m looking forward to being back there for The Alderley Edge Hotel/Cheshire Life Champagne Oscars Award Dinner on December 6th.

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