WanderCurtis Wine

Wine tastings, corporate events, reviews and recommendations

Category Archives: wine of the month


by Leave a comment

Kumeu River Estate chardonnay 2006

If you love chardonnay, this one takes some beating. It has that perfectly harmonious balance of a class wine. It is instantly gratifying, just delicious. Heaps of buttery, luscious, crisp feelings and a hint of minerality.

I could drink this till the cows come home but managed to save some for Suzi. Well done Kiran for sourcing this. It was available at The Wine Society, and is now available at Berry Brothers for £20.00/bottle and Bennetts wines for £17.00.

Great value for a wine that will stand up to a top Pulingy/Chassagne Montrachet. This will be on our next blind tasting evening.

Farr Vintners are selling this for £130 a case in bond, so about £14.28 a bottle, which is great value. The only problem is the £500 minimum order through Farrs – anyone want to club together?


by Leave a comment

Magic Muga

Muga 2005 is a beautiful rioja, oak-aged and full of chocolate, coffee and rich wooded interaction with mulberry and plum fruit. It went well with a rare fillet steak with my son Ben. Available from Majestic for £11.00 per bottle  – a real steal for this price.


by Leave a comment

Chateau Rouget 2001 Pomerol

chateau-rouget-pomerol-2001Tasted this at the first WanderCurtis board meeting on Sunday 11 October 2009.
Complex and smokey nose with classic spice and fruity cassis. Delicious! Baked tarts, more spice and long tasty finish.

The 2008 is, or was, en primeur for about £240 in bond, and is therefore a fantastic value Pomerol. Sadly I didn’t taste this one at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) tastings in April, but in general the right bank wines were very good.
(Justerini & Brooks are still selling @ £220 a case in bond – anyone want to split one? Kiran)

The 2001 has plenty of life left and is now £35 per bottle at The Wine Society. Sadly, I only bought a few bottles a couple years ago at £26!


by Leave a comment

Domaine Francois Chidaine Touraine ‘Pineau d’Aunis’ 2006

This 2006 Touraine Loire valley red was quite a treat. Very perfumed, fuller bodied than a pinot noir and with a hint of northern France farmyard. The grape is a relative of pinot noir (and also called locally chenin noir) and is local to the Loire.

Francois Chidane is a great talent. I will source some of this and have mailed Sinead Mallozzi, CEO of Sketch, to get the details of his supplier.


by Leave a comment

McRea Wood shiraz

This is an absolute corker. Should have been on the single malt in Ballater, Royal Deeside, Scottish Highlands, but whisked away by this brilliant full bodied shiraz by Jim Barry, Clare Valley, Australia.

Tried at the Green Inn with Aberdeen Angus steak and panfried foie gras. Just fantastic with bags of fruit, mulberries, blackberries, liquorice, sweet vanillins, soft tannins.

Found it on www.drinksdirect.com on special for £18.98. If you get two, usually £25.00 per bottle. Highly commended!