Beaune 1er Cru les Marconnets - Maison Remoissenet 2009

Expect to see more good reports on this Beaune house over coming years. It changed hands in 2005, and since, a key character from Louis Jadot (Bernard Repolt) has joined the team. 2009 was a pretty good year in the region. Fruit all round is fairly concentrated and deeply coloured, and it's expected to cellar well in the short-medium term (acid is in the main a little low, so although tannins are good, long-term cellaring might not pay off so well)

This partiular one is from Les Marconnets, a sub-region of Beaune, just out of town, and carrying Premier Cru status.

Riorret Pinot Noir (Merricks Grove) 2009

Sorry Dubai drinkers - I'm swilling this in Oz, and you'll probably never see it. But it's just so good, I have to tell you anyway. And, I'm going to go on a bit. Maybe it will seal your faith in De Bortoli - the tall poppy label hiding behind this boutique little number. They've always been able to work a little magic with Pinot Noir - whether you're looking at what they do with Phi, the Yarra Valley Reserve range and even good old Gulf Station and Windy Peak (these are available in the UAE). I'd happily raise a flag to them and state they are the most consistent producers of Pinot Noir in Australia at a wide range of price points.

Now. The wine. I'm still sipping it as I write, although I'm sure it will not last long. Considering I'm at my computer and enjoying it so much, I've done a little Google search. I'm not the only one who's loved this - not surprising. What IS surprising is that the reviews I have read do not seem to reflect the wine I've currently got in my glass. Well not entirely. But is this a reflection on the reviewer, the timing, the bottling or the grape?

Cossetti Barbera d'Asti La Vigna Vecchia

I played wine options with my husband on this wine. He first picked it as New World (as against old), and then as Spanish (rather than French or Italian). He finally got the grape variety (I offered him a choice of Barbera, Sangiovese and Merlot). He was way off on vintage. But he's a fairly good wine taster - why? It's because this wine tastes much younger, more vibrant and more fruit driven than many would expect. It's almost a little like a serious Beaujolais - all dark cherries and spice with nuances of raspberry and vanilla on the finish. Body is medium, tannins are light and acid is fairly soft. There's a little earthy hint to the middle palate, but nothing like the rusticity you might expect to find in an old vine Italian wine from a time-tested region. Quite clean actually, and dangerously quaffable - especially in this climate.

Drink now or for 3 years
80AED = tax
15/20

Jacobs Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

My favourite tasting from the range. Shows intense regional and varietal character - it's just a bundle of blackcurrant, eucalypt and mineral salts from that super Coonawarra soil. Quite ripe and forward with excellent body, slightly grippy tannins and some lovely complexity with delicate oak treatment and savoury leaf notes.


Drink now or for 5 years
70AED + tax
15/20