The Grape Kitchen’s lunchtime desk tastings help you insight into the wines we are stocking, whilst helping me get tipsy in the afternoon. This edition explores a wonderfully accessible Australian Merlot and a fantastic natural wine from Regnie in Beaujolais. Enjoy!
WATCH
WINES
RAWSON’S RETREAT MERLOT
Rawson’s Retreat Merlot is made by the iconic Penfolds winery. The name is a tribute to Christopher Rawson, the Founder of Penfold’s. It cites the family cottage that he built in 1845, one year after first planting vines in his property in Magill.
This Merlot is wonderful. It’s full of red berry aromas, soft tannin and juicy acidity. Really easy to drink but got a lot of character to it. A portion of the wine spent time in oak, which rounds out the mouthfeel and gives it a subtle oaky character (shock).
At 14% alcohol, Rawson’s Retreat Merlot manages to remain balanced and very drinkable. The alcohol, soft tannin and nice acidity would make this a good pairing partner for a simple penne Pomodoro. Add some meat in if you want, but make sure you add a bit of the wine to the sauce!
VIN SAUVAGE Á POIL – REGNIE A.O.P.
Vin Sauvage a Poil is a wonderful natural wine from Regnie AOP, Beaujolais. It’s made by Chateau de la Terriere, a great winery.
It is made Gamay grapes, harvested from old vines that date back to 1911, spanning two hectares. You can really taste the concentration and quality in this natural wine. There is a lot of elegance to it, and it shows how wonderful Beaujolais wine, and the Gamay grape can be.
After harvest, the grapes are fermented using whole-bunch vinification techniques – a traditional practice in Beaujolais. This brings out the light red berry fruit flavours it is famous for. This cuvée was made naturally, with no added sulphites. This is important, in order to keep the authenticity of this terroir.
Vin Sauvage a Poil is a fruity, pure and mineral packed wine with violet floral notes, a hint of dark berry fruits (blackberries, redcurrants) and a black pepper finish. The tannins are soft but present. They integrate very well in the mouth with balance and let the fruit-forward nature of this wine shine, keeping it fresh and moreish.
All in all, this natural wine from Regnie is a wonderful wine and extremely well-made. We would recommend a simple dish of roasted root vegetables and chestnuts to pair with it.
That was our quick guide to the featured wines in our lunchtime desk tastings. We hope you enjoyed watching and reading!
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