Here's a strange combination, an Austrian GV (Weingut Jurtschitsch Gruner Veltliner Ried Schenkenbichl) and roast pork. Quite surprisingly it was a pretty good match, the wine went very well with the fattiness as the acidity still had the punch to cut through.
Found a bottle amongst my wines and decided to give it a go, had thoughts that it would be flabby and without any flavour. However I was pleasantly surprised, the wine still had loads of life left, still nice and full bodied with a decent amount of fruit and still surprisingly crispy at the end. Altogether a nice find, pity it was the last bottle.
Not the usual thing to have Amarone after but having had some Chinese at the local restaurant the Amarone was duly tasted by myself and a few friends.
Not the usual dark and deep Amarone but with a vibrant red colour and a nose so full of dark fruits it almost overflowed. The palate was smooth with again a very vibrant red fruits range and the slight bitter trait of this wine followed suit. Good length and structure. You wouldn't believe that it has a whopping 15% content but it is so well integrated that the wine is very satisfying.
Very good example of Amarone, look out for it on our list soon.
Following on in the Italian theme as I seem to be drinking much more Italian wines (which isn't a bad thing as I'm a big fan of Italian wines), this Valpolicella is bright, youthful and very fruity. Lots of berries and cherries on the nose with not much tannin. Slight sourness and a nice medium finish. Altogether a very pleasant wine to drink on its own but it should also do well with light dishes as long as they are not to overpowering.
Now these wines are just a ticket if you are considering trying any wines from the USA.
Chappellet Chardonnay - Typical Chardonnay nose with a defined oaky toast but the oak is so well intergrated into the wine that it is almost unrecognisable. Round, rich but well crafted with a long aftertaste. Would go well with pasta in creamy wine sauce, has to be tried.
Lachini Pinot Noir 'S' - Ripe black cherries and a touch of toasted oak on the nose. Deep saturated ruby colour with layers of blackberries, dark cherries and bramble berries. The wine finishes very lively with jammy and spicy. Lovely wine, still a bit young and it opened a lot more the next day.
Now I'm off to watch the London Marathon.
