Top 7 Autumn Warmers
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2020
Gimblett Gravels is a little 800-hectare pocket of magic in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
A few degrees warmer, on average, than the rest of the bay. This is due to partial shelter from coastal breezes and unique gravelly pebbles that retain heat, like a thermal blanket, allowing vines to extend their growth cycle. The soils are poor and infertile meaning the vines must focus efforts into grape growth rather than vegetation, resulting in highly concentrated fruit.
Syrah has become synonymous with the region and Trinitv Hill produce this benchmark expression. Gorgeously pronounced aromatics, ripe blueberries, black plum, violets and a delicately green, savoury lift. Artfully structured on the palate, dense fruit throughout, grippy, black tea tannins and a cool spine of acid. Chocolate and black pepper expand on the mid palate and oversee a long finish.
Fontodi are one of the shining jewels in Tuscany’s well-polished crown, their top wine, Flaccianello Della Pieve, consistently retails for well over £100. But we always say, judge a producer on their entry level offering, it should be a taste of what you can expect further up the range and this wine does exactly that, and so much more.
A little darker than typical sour cherry Sangiovese fruit, this feels ripe and seductive. Luscious black cherries, spiced plum and dried tomato leaf wrap tightly around a spine of sweet cedar. Layers of flavour unravel on the palate, a persistence of plush, spicy fruit expands around an assured acidity and an intense but polished tannic profile. It finishes long... very long, A grippy cocoa texture oversees a graceful fade of the ever-present fruit. All the attributes for a long life but delightful now. Dare we say this wine is the benchmark for modern Chianti Classico.
Niepoort "Vertente" Douro 2020
A classic Douro red from one of the region’s best players.
A blend leading with Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Ripe, fleshy black fruits on the nose, black plums, blackberry and black cherry with vanilla, sweet spices and chocolate. The palate is liquid silk, the same dark fruit shines with a comforting plushness, ample acidity assures balance and vibrancy, the tannins are present but so smooth and pillowy. A warm hug of a wine, just delicious.
Nicosia "Monte San Nicolo" Etna Rosso 2019
100% Nerello Mascalese from the slopes of Mount Etna.
Some wines from Etna can be slightly austere and quite savoury, a style that we love for its purity and transparency. However, sometimes it’s nice to just have a good flood of generosity in the glass, and that’s the style that inspires this wine.
Bright red berry fruits are forthcoming on the nose with ground spices and dried earth. The palate is juicy, vibrant and energetic with an elegantly assured structure.
Mullineux Old Vines White 2022
Autumn isn’t just the season of red wines, there are many whites that have the body, texture and intensity to warm the soul, and this is one of them.
The Mullineux family are South African royalty, and this wine shows exactly why. A majority blend of old vine Chenin Blanc (73%) with the remainder made up of Viognier, Sémillon, Clairette, Grenache and Verdelho. Despite the extensive blend, the wine is transparent and assured. A sophisticated nose shows a rich fruit profile with soft white peaches, nectarine and honeyed pears. Waxiness from the Chenin, wild bush herbs and delicate blossoms weave their way around the intense fruit. The palate is just outstanding... concentrated, complex and generous. Ripe stone fruits, creaminess, a perfectly judged acidity, texture from the oak and a mineral driven finish. Truly brilliant.
Justino’s Sercial 10 yr Madeira
Justino’s is one of the oldest producers in Madeira, a historic wine region that produces a unique style of fortified wine. The maturation process is what lends a unique typicity to Madeira as it aims to replicate the hot, oxidative conditions that the wine was subject to during sea shipping 17th and 18th centuries.
This wine is a Sercial which is the variety used in dry and extra dry styles of Madeira, perfect for drinking as an aperitif because of its less prominent sweetness. The nose is so complex and endearing with blanched almonds, citrus peel, salt and honeysuckle. A wonderful backbone of acidity leaps and lashes through the full palate making for a delightful freshness, balanced artfully with the subtle sweetness.
Luis XIV Vermut Rojo (Red Vermouth)
Hailing from Alicante, this vermut is made with the Spanish varieties of Viura and Monastrell that are aged in old 19th century oak barrels. The marked aromatic and flavour compounds of this vermut come from the addition of botanicals like wormwood, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and orange peel.
A lovely complexity and subtle sweetness make it ideal for drinking on its own over ice with a slice of orange peel, just like the locals do. But of course, it certainly makes the cut as far as a Negroni is concerned.