This June 2015 edition of ‘Wines to Buy or Avoid’ comes packed with a wide selection of organic wines and something for a treat as well.
The theme for this edition is a ‘Week in Wine’, that means I selected some wines that are not going to break a bank (all weekday ones are under £10), most of them are organic and just one non organic wine is selected to contest for being a weekend wine. Let’s find out how these wines delivered on taste!
Pure 2013, Organic Cabernet Sauvignon is part of the ‘Pure’ family of wines which is currently winning some considerable shelf space at London’s independent wine merchants and bigger chains like Planet Organic, where this bottle was sourced.
This one will not disappoint – it shows really pure and straightforward flavours of black currant – both fruit and leaf, which is so typical for Cabernets. It’s savoury, fruity, not at all sweet; also not really round, but quite edgy. I quite like it – there is some forest fruit, just a little bit, but very astonishing work on Cab Sav!
28/35
Lobetia 2014, Organic Tempranillo from Dominio De Punctum located in the lands of la Tierra de Castilla, Spain.
It is very juicy and mellow, expressive of red fruits, strawberries in particular, which give way to more pronounced black cherries and some violets on the back.
This wine is a pleasant weekday wine, that would be good for lighter dinners al-fresco in the garden, with pasta dishes and/or picnic. It will not blow your mind, but as an organic and young wine , it doesn’t appear to express any off flavours, but just mellow with quite ample fruit. Sourced from Abel and Cole.
25/35
Theresa 2014 is made from Organic Temptanillo and Garnacha grapes, also in Tierra de Castilla, Spain.
The wine is very easy to drink with its red berry flavours. It is simple, but very light – there is a bit of oak, but hardly noticeable (I suspect some oak chips added to vats to minimise the production costs). A glass of this wine is OK to try, but definitely not more than that- it’s not impressive or exciting unfortunately. It was also sourced from Abel and Cole.
23/35
Navarrsotillo 2011, Organic Rioja Crianza, sourced also from Abel and Cole, is made from 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. The wine is also oak matured for 12 months, which makes it taste really woody with pronounced strawberry and vanilla flavours.
If organic wine can express these delicate, but pronounced flavours then I am totally convinced!
The aromas have some depth and width to it – the wine is round and not sharp at all. As you can see, flavours are typically Rioja with additional roundness and a lot of generous fruit. The latter plays a major part in this wine, overtaking the woodiness, which is also a good aspect, as woodiness and vanilla are just on the back. It is a bit sweeter, but still very pleasant as the acidity adds a special kick and refreshing quality. The wine is very pleasant, but again, it is not overly complex, I treat it as a good wine to complement a Spanish inspired dinner with friends, maybe on Thursday!
26/35
Domaine du Faucon Dore ‘La Souche’ 2013 is an organic and biodynamic wine from Cote du Rhone.
It sounds grand and exciting, this southern region is indeed one of my favourites for its deep and intensely flavoured red wines, which are able to surprise.
In this particular example, the surprise was not pleasant – the wine was very light, but also very thin, acidic and sharp. You can smell some strawberries, plums, forest fruit, and red currants, which altogether seems like a reasonable combination – fresh and light. The sharpness and acidic nature of the wine is not impressive, but if you pair a glass of this wine to a ham and cheese sandwich, the food will slightly round up the wine and it will be an acceptable picnic red.
I will not be buying another bottle of this organic wine though – as a matter of fact I have used the remainder of this bottle for cooking (it was a nice red wine and brackcurrant jus I made for venison!)
Sourced from Abel and Cole.
21/35
Next stop is my favourite Priorat. To have something different for the wine tasting (by the way, check out different tips for wine tasting in my beginner’s guide on how to start with wine tasting, check out the e-book!), this time I have decided to do a comparative tasting b y taking the same wine, but different vintages – 2009 and 2011. Let’s have a look at these organic Priorat wines!
1270 A VUIT FINA 2011 is made by Celler Hidalgo Albert in Priorat from Organic grapes.
It is high in alcohol with Priorat’s typical 14.5% abv.
When tasting Priorat, my mind screams ‘Yeah!’, but when I got to know this one is organic, it is just like potentially winning a jackpot. Well, let’s check how it tastes first, shall we?
Aromas are quite subtle, with a mix of berries, both red and black ones coming out, just a bit of oak, spices and just a tiny bit herbal (can’t just recognise what it is!). It is no wonder it is such a mix. The winemaker used Garnacha, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the blend. Surprisingly no Carinena, and also Cab Franc is quite new to the blend in Priorat region.
I must say that it is a very pleasant wine, fruity and woody, just about how I like it. Yet, there is this massive blend where a lot of expressive varieties come together in one – it is round and smooth, yet I would like some more character and expressiveness from this one. It is being just overly critical and I am definitely finishing this wine with friends (some good quality jamon on tomato bread and some mature cheddar on the side please!).
Sourced from Vinceremos, an independent organic wines specialist.
29/35
1270 A VUIT 2009, organic wine from Priorat DOQ, made by the same celler as above.
This wine is even more alcoholic at 15% abv.
In this case the winemaker used a bit more traditional blend (to Priorat region), consisting of 40% Garnacha, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Merlot and 10% Carinena. It has been matured for 14 months in oak barrels and then in bottles for another 18 months.
It is a massive blend as well, and to be honest, I (in theory) prefer more classic 2 grape blends like Garnacha-Carinena as it is easier to pick up flavours and see how they complement each other, yet this one is definitely a fruit explosion of strawberry, cherry, plums, and black currants with a good layer of spice – pepper and vanilla; some dried fruit makes it slightly sweet. It has smooth woodiness – vanilla makes it smooth, but you can taste some charred wood and cedar.
It is very pleasant. and knowing it’s organic I need to applaud the winemaker – the wine is powerful, but so round and juicy! Tannins are noticeable just a bit later- an interesting additional layer to the overall taste.
29/35
I am not going to make a choice whether one or another is better, simply because there are two different styles here: 2009 is more typical of Priorat’s power, fruit, oak and integrated tannins; 2011 is more of a modern Priorat with lighter and fresher fruit, careful vinification with less oak. If you are in the mood for a lighter and more delicate power then the younger one will suit you better, and vice versa.
I think it is time for a weekend wine in the review. I have sourced Imaginacio 2010, again from Priorat (was bought in Laithwaite’s Wine for just under £40).
This wine is not organic, but presents an opportunity to taste something unique and special. Let’s see.
The winemaker used new French oak barrels to mature the wine, so I am already expecting strong woody flavours and quite pungent spice and vanilla. The elegance comes from the fact that the grapes were grown on the hills, just north from Gratallops. The wine displays very good black currant, raspberry and vanilla fruit/spice combo, which then flows into a richer dark chocolate and liquorice notes in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is full and you taste this elegant charred wood and spice. Fruit is generous, yet not overly sweet and well integrated acidity and tannins make it rich, but also refreshing (I assume comes from slightly elevated hillsides).
The taste still lingers as it is long and I still trying to pick up additional flavours – pepper spice and leather. Amazing wine that I am gonna sip bit by bit this evening.
You can see now that there is a wide selection of everyday organic wines that you can buy to enjoy a healthier wine lifestyle, whilst treating yourself from now and then to an amazing flavour experience by paying just slightly more. For a full list of the Best Organic Wines, their ratings and where to buy visit my Top Organic Wines list. Cheers!