The Wine Club - Essential White Case

Essential White Case - July 2009

2 bottles of each of the following wines:

2006 White Riesling Steinhaus Hiedler, Austria (White)
Riesling, 14% alc.
I absolutely loved this wine when I first tried it. I think it has some of the characteristics of a German Riesling but with a softer more approachable edge. So although the acidity is marked, it is not as prominent as it might be on a Teutonic equivalent. Salads are often hard dishes to match to wines- the combination of lots of different ingredients can cause problems- but I think this would be great with a warm salad that involved scallops with the creaminess of the shellfish echoed in the creamy weight of the wine. Perfect for summer drinking and a very reasonable price for the quality on show here.
(Katie Cooper - Wine Club Manager)

2007 White Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine, Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Burgundy (White)
Chardonnay, 13% alc.
There is a real sense of energy to the nose of this wine. Ripe fruit flavours prevail, which include baked apple and orange blossom, complemented by excellent acidity.

2007 White Gavi di Gavi, Bric Sassi, Roberto Sarotto, Piedmont, Italy (White)
Cortese, 12.5% alc.
This single-vineyard, unoaked Cortese echoes the lofty, light white tufa, lime-rich soils with perfumed, floral white peach aromas, while the palate is both fresh and invigorating, as well as weighty and luscious, generously flavoured with honeydew, citrus-stony notes. A more imaginative aperitif to Sauvignon Blanc and great with any pre-dinner nibble. Drinking till end 2009.
(David Berry Green - BBR Buyer)

2007 Menetou-Salon, Collection A Gaston, Louis de Valière, Joseph Mellot, Loire (White)
Sauvignon Blanc, 12.5% alc.
As you might expect from this sunny region just to the west of Sancerre, the nose is delightfully lemon fresh with gentle, creamy aromatics. The overriding sensation on the palate is one of citron presse, of pure freshly squeezed lemon with fruity acidity and understated elegance. Delicious anytime, notably with sea fish.
(David Berry Green, BBR Buyer)

2007 Isabel Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand (White)
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, 12.7% alc.
Pinot Gris, like Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Noir before it, is rapidly becoming a Kiwi must-taste. None more so than Isabel Estate's Marlborough version, refined yet moreish with comice pear and honeydew flavours, and balanced with 6 grams of residual sugar. Drinking now till 2009; perfect with chicken dishes.
(David Berry Green - BBR Buyer)

2006 Verdejo, Tres Olmos Bodegas Garciarevalo, Rueda, Spain (White)
Verdejo, 13% alc.
The combination of zingy acidity and a full body make Tres Olmos Bodegas Garciarevalo an interesting wine to sample. This is the perfect option for a lazy al fresco lunch with friends and would be equally good as an aperitif all year round. Dry with a crisp acidity but relatively full-bodied, the palate reflects the honeysuckle and blossom character of the nose although those flavours are subtle and in balance. A lovely lemony character balances the riper apricot fruit lending different dimensions to this appealing wine.
(Katie Cooper - Wine Club Manager)