PIONERO CARMENÈRE RESERVA

£8 lavino.co.uk

Very powerful nose! Herbs, graphite, oak, figs? Blackberry perhaps? Smells heady, like it's very alcoholic but only 13.5% Incredible depth and power. Feels very savoury (is that the oak?), fruit not obvious to me. 

From the producer:

VINEYARDThe grapes come from the Romeral Vineyard in the Maipo Valley and were picked in late April and early May. A large proportion of the soils are alluvial with the presence of gravel and a significant clay content. The vines are vertically positioned and double guyot pruned. Harvest took place in mid-April.
WINERYThe grapes were crushed and immediately fermented at up to 28C with 12 days on skins. Twenty percent of the wine was aged in fifth-use oak barrels (French and American) for six months before blending and bottling.

Seems odd that this grape has been mistaken for Merlot for so long? Can they really be that similar in their characteristics? A pure Merlot should be next. 

Zweigelt

Leafy, dry, vegetal, a lot like cab franc. Acidic finish, sour cherry very satisfying and refreshing.

£29 at the table in The Reliance. 

Gamay

Two gamays, similar price but wildly different levels of quality. The Deboeuf was really thin, even for a gamay. No nose to speak of, very high acidity.

The village is a also in fact a Deboeuf under the Chateau des Vierries label. Couldn't be more different. Some pencil lead like nose with ripe (baked?) raspberry. High acidity but in a balanced way that seemed really refreshing to me. £10.50 LaVino. 

Loghi Rosso IGT Toscana 2016

Given the eye watering price that Tuscan's seem to start at. I think this represents a 'lower end' wine but still ~ £15 (Martinez Wines).




Made near Montalcino, about 20km south of Sienna. 70% Sangiovese and 30% Merlot. 



It is very dry. The tannins feel rustic. There is some forest floor, clay, cedar (the Merlot?). The fruit is restrained, slightly sour-cherry edge which I guess comes from the sangiovese? It went very well with braised brisket.

My experience of Italian reds remains negligible but I'd say it conforms to the rest of the examples within that (very limited) sample: dry, satisfying, slightly tart and expensive! These wines must be a nightmare to mass-market.