Wines in the Press: Spirit of the summer

Anthony Rose, The Independent, Saturday 9 August 2008

Anthony Rose has just returned from a trip to the "enchanted valley" - south-west France's Lot region, where he reports that the quality of the Malbec has improved considerably since his last trip ten years ago.

His top picks from the region include the 2006 Le Malbec du Clos (£6.99, Waitrose) with its "mouthful of succulent mulberry fruitiness" and the 2005 Chateau Lagrezette Cru D'Exception (£14.99, Laithwaites) - a "modern take on Cahors with its smoky, oak aromas and rich, sour-cherry and damson fruitiness."

Victoria Moore, The Guardian, Saturday 9 August 2008

Victoria Moore is impressed by the "new wave" of Australian wine makers.

"‘Subtle' and ‘refined' aren't the first words that come to mind when Australian wine is mentioned," she writes. However, Aussie wine makers are "evolving in the direction of less oak and more restraint, a trend that echoes the current fascination with the elegance of wines from cooler climate areas such as Tasmania."

Her top picks this week include the 2006 Pirie South Riesling (£9.39, Noel Young Wines), from that very region.

Jonathan Ray, The Telegraph, Saturday 9 August 2008

The credit crunch might be in full swing, but so too is investment in wine, says Jonathan Ray.

Tax-free and almost recession proof, all you need is a bit of patience and some decent storage space and away you go.

"If I'm in funds, I always try to tuck a case or two away each year, even from a vintage such as 2007. Really bad vintages are a thing of the past," he points out.

Jane MacQuitty, The Times, Saturday 9 August 2008

Jane Macquitty is on the hunt for the perfect summer red, one that should be chilled right down and that works well with the "spicy, garlicky hot-weather salads and charcuterie and burnt, barbecued fare most of us eat now."

Step forward the "crunchy yet light, rapidly maturing, redcurrant and raspberry-styled fruit of the distinctly herby cabernet franc grape," she says. Top picks include the 2006 Saumur Rouge, Les Nivières (Waitrose, £5.99.)

Tim Atkin MW, The Observer, Sunday 10 August 2008

Tim Atkin MW has been busy sampling a selection of wines from the south of France to get himself in the mood for his forthcoming holiday in Provence.

The "ripe, perfumed and intense" Grenache-based 2006 Château des Hautes Ribes, Vacqueyras (£9.45, Armit, 020 7908 0600) and the "rich, spicy, full-bodied, palate-warming 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape, André Brunel (£19.99, Majestic) have both been helping him get into the holiday spirit.

 Jamie Goode, The Sunday Express, Sunday 10 August 2008

Jamie Goode gives his guide to the best of summer wine this week - whether that be a fashionable rose, a light white, an ever-popular fizzy or even a carefully chilled red.

He's picked out five of the best in each category (and thrown in a non-alcoholic section too for good measure). Top picks include the 2008 Fish Hoek Pinotage Rose (£6.19, Tesco) and the 2007 Torres Vina Sol (£5.72, Asda).

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