Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2008

As I’m off to New Zealand in January I’m trying to get up to speed with what’s going on over there so I leapt at the opportunity to attend a vertical from one of Marlborough’s leading producers Dog Point.

It was particularly fascinating in the case of their Sauvignon Blanc, a wine you don’t necessarily expect to age but there wasn’t a single wine in the flight - from 2004 to 2014 which tasted tired.

The winery is run by James Healy and Ivan Sutherland who used to be the winemaker and viticulturalist respectively at Cloudy Bay. All of their fruit is estate-grown and mostly comes from from low yielding vines which date back to the 70s and 80s. The grapes are all hand harvested.

My favourite was the 2008 - a good vintage - which was full of luscious golden gooseberry fruit - so rich but still amazingly fresh.

It made me think it would be worth laying down some of the more recent releases - I particularly liked the 2013 vintage which is a bargainous £13.50 a bottle if you buy it from the Wine Society (when I last looked at Majestic it was £17 a bottle if you bought two and that was on ‘promotion&rsquo but the 2010, if you can lay your hands on any, is also fantastic.

For possible matches check out this post on food pairings with Sauvignon Blanc.

I plan to write up some more thoughts on the tasting if and when I have time (ha!). The Section 94 oak-aged sauvignons and pinots were fantastic too but there’s already a danger of this slot becoming pinot of the week ….

Compass Box Whisky: The Lost Blend

I’ve long been an admirer of Compass Box whisky who were one of the first blenders to create and package sophisticated modern ‘artisan’ whiskies as they like to describe them.

This is one of their latest expressions which pays homage to one of their early releases Eleuthera which they no longer make. The name refers to a short story by the American writer O. Henry about two guys who try to recreate a blend of spirits with supernatural properties - which seems particularly appropriate for Hallowe’en night.

It’s a blend of two Highland single malts Clynelish and Allt-a-Bhainne and Caol Ila from Islay - and manages to be both scented and floral and peaty. At the risk of stereotyping I’d say it was a very feminine whisky. At any rate I love it.

Apart from sipping it on its own it would be great with smoked salmon or maybe a crumbly cheese like Caerphilly. Not cheap, I’m afraid at £77.54 (Master of Malt) and £78.95 at The Whisky Exchange but a terrific present for any whisky-lover.

* One of the ingenious touches is that there are three different labels which I suppose encourages collectors to buy all three. Clever.

Simmonet Febvre Irancy 2012

I’ve lost track of the number of times my wine of the week has been a pinot noir but hell, I’ve been in Burgundy this week so what else could I recommend?

Actually I could have suggested a Chablis given that’s the part of burgundy I’ve been exploring but I would have found it impossible to single out just one wine.

This Irancy however is made by a Chablis producer Simmonet-Febvre so there is a Chablis connection. It’s a really delicious bright crunchy red from a lesser known appellation - more full-bodied and fruity than most inexpensive burgundy though without, I suspect, quite the ageing potential. Like a cross between a cru Beaujolais and a light Loire red. The extra oomph and colour comes, I would guess, from the added 5% César.

It costs £14 from Marks & Spencer and should be in store next week. I’d definitely look out for it and take advantage of any of those 25% off deals M & S might be offering. Looking ahead to Christmas (gulp!) it would be the perfect wine for the turkey leftovers or a turkey sandwich but in the meantime with charcuturie, simple grills or chilled with seared tuna. It’s one of those happy wines that really brings a smile to your face.

Incidentally Irancy is one of the prettiest villages in Burgundy. If you’re visiting Chablis take a detour south-west and see it nestled (can’t believe I’m using that word) in the middle of the surrounding slopes.

Domaine Marie 2013 Faugères - the perfect autumn red

I’ve a soft spot for the Faugères wine region which is just up the road from our house in the Languedoc. It’s a beautiful wild hilly area on the foothills of the coastal range which produces some lovely warm spicy reds.

This is a good example at an unsually keen price - normally £8.49 but on offer at Waitrose at £6.79 until October 28th. For those who like to know these things it’s a blend of Carignan (35%), Grenache (35%) Syrah (25%) and Mourvèdre but because it’s made from old vines it’s got real intensity and character despite the fact that it’s unoaked. (Often an advantage as it keeps the cost down)

It would be great with autumn food - everything from sausage and mash to a Sunday roast or - thinking ahead a couple of weeks - a bonfire night bash. A really good buy.