WanderCurtis Wine

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Category Archives: wine of the month


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Vulcanico Falanghina 2022, Paternoster.

I must admit to not being very familiar with this grape variety until my Diploma studies and so I was happy to find this example in a wine shop at the airport in Verona to pick up and try.

The Campagnia region is better known for the Falanghina grape variety, grown on the slopes of Vesuvious near Naples. However this example is from Basilicata slightly further south which also has volcanic soils and a bit of elevation.  Falanghina is disease resistant and so was traditionally used to reliably produce everyday drinking wines but wine makers are increasingly producing more interesting wines from lower yielding plots.

The colour is rich lemon and with some coaxing there are floral notes of honeysuckle, some citrus, orchard fruit, a touch of nectarine and some dried herbs.  Its dry with a full body as you would expect from southern Italy but there a good amount of acidity keeping it fresh which is also a common characteristic of indigenous Italian white varieties. Finally there is pleasing note of olive brine on the finish that lingers pleasantly.  The wine is not overly complex but has great balance both structurally and between fruity and savoury flavours making it work well with food.


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Barbaresco Produttori del Barbaresco 2019

This very longstanding co-op in Piemonte produces a range of excellent wines. Along with the many single vineyard offerings this wine is a blend across the winegrowers’ parcels and consistently provides great value for money. Look at the price here in the village of Barbaresco in Euros for the 2018 vintage, even landed in the UK its a smart buy.

Released in the spring of the third year after harvest this characteristically pale wine already shows some bricking on the rim. There is rose and strawberry , wet stone some cake spice and a touch of dried cherry and earth on the nose. Everything is in balance and although the acidity, tannin and alcohol of this Nebbiolo is characteristically high it feels light and supple in the mouth.  The finish is persistent ending on a nice stoney dried cherry note.  Superb!

2019 was a more classic vintage not as feted as the excellent 2016 but fresher than 2018. See our article on the annual Barbaresco Tavola.


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2024 Cali Cru Central Coast Chardonnay 2020, London Cru

This wine is not made in Fulham by Alex Hurley but in the sunshine state in collaboration with wine maker Graham Tatomer. 

Known for his light touch and sourced from cool climate parts of the state the wine still bursts out of the glass with ripe grapefruit and apple and quickly reveals tropical notes of pineapple and mango. There is cream and toast and a whiff of smoke from the use of new oak but it is kept nicely in check.

Although full in body, the rich fruitiness is balanced by crisp and fresh acidity and the alcohol remains medium with a long uplifting finish.

In summary crisp and fresh and yet still ripe and sunny at the same time, great value and just delicious!


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La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 2004

The 10% Graciano in this wine (the rest Tempranillo) adds a perfumed lift to the beautiful aromas and extra freshness on the palate. Although low yielding, late ripening and prone to mildew interest in the grape and plantings have recovered in Rioja and there are some exceptional single varietal bottlings (see our note on Contino).

La Rioja Alta always far exceed the minimum aging requirements set by the DOCA (the highest of the protected origin denominations) in this case after fermentation the wine was matured in old American oak barrels for 5 years and then a further 2 years in bottle before release.

The traditional classification system has come under the criticism that simply aging a wine for successively longer periods, from Crianza to Reserva and finally Gran Reserva, does not necessarily mean that you are getting a higher quality of wine.  Also, there an increasing number of Chateau style wineries focusing on wines from a single place, vineyard or grape rather than the traditional approach of blending and barrel aging.  This approach is certainly producing some great wines for instance the single vineyard and varietal wines of Contino.

However, the Gran Reserva 904 exemplifies the beauty of the traditional approach.  10 years ago, upon release this wine was already drinking wonderfully with a rich array of primary fruit, secondary barrel flavours and complex tertiary notes from long aging. Today the wine has developed further into something extraordinary.

The nose is a heady concoction of plum, raspberry, cinnamon, and smoke along with dried fruits, leather armchair and moist earth. The tell for me on this wine are the characteristic notes of balsamic vinegar and coconut. On the palate fresh, a mid-weight agile body, fine grained tannins that dust your cheeks and underwrite the still intense fruit. The wine is complex and giving with a superb long finish of dried fruits and wet leaves.

Long may Rioja produce amazing traditional wines like this!

For more information see our visit to the winery.


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The McRae Wood 2015 Jim Barry, Clare Valley.

This little brother to the iconic Armagh shiraz that Jim Barry produces holds its own. At almost 10 years old the deep garnet colour shows little sign of evolution.

The nose is pronounced in intensity with waves of violets, ripe red and black fruit, liquorice, dried herbs and a pleasant medicinal note. There are new oak lashings of smoke, chocolate and vanilla and some signs of evolution such as prunes, tobacco and dried meat.

It’s undeniably a big wine of the old school variety but very well balanced, freshness prevents the alcohol and body from weighing it down and everything hangs off firm but ripe tannins. The finish is long and layered.

Great to drink now but will continue to slowly evolve for another decade.


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Rotondo Aglianico del Vulture 2012

From the Basilicata region in the south of Italy just where the ankle would be of whoever is wearing the uncomfortably high healed boot.

It is warm and mediterranean here but the slopes of Monte Vulture provide some cooling altitude to slow the growing season down allowing flavour to develop in the grapes. These mineral rich soils of volcanic ash and limestone over clay drain well but retain moisture which is also needed  for the grapes to grow in the warm climate.  

Aglianico is the other key ingredient here known as the Nebbiolo of the south.  This grape variety thrives in these harsh volcanic soils, ripening very late and retaining high levels of acidity. This along with a powerful tannic structure and concentrated fruit can create wines with great aging potential.

This wine by Paternoster which is 100% Aglianico has a deep colour displaying its bottle age. Out of the glass jump black berries, black cherries and herbal notes of dried thyme and liquorice. It’s seen some newish oak evident from the touch of vanilla, coffee and smoke and there are lovely mature aromas of prune, prosciutto and tobacco.

In the mouth it is definitely full bodied but has great balance, the abundant tannins are firm but ripe and fine grained. It remains fresh through the long finish and there is not a hint of heat. In fact, 14% seems pretty restrained in these times when a lot of pinot noirs are coming in at 14.5%.

Look at for this grape variety from Vulture DOC and the more premium Superiore DOCG version.  It is also the major component of wines from Taurasi in Campagnia where it is generally softened with a little Piedirosso in the blend.


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Ca’ del Bosco Cuvée Prestige, Franciacorta, Lombardy

Franciacorta is Italy’s answer to Champagne, traditional method, bottle-aged sparkling wines that aim for finesse rather than flamboyance. Ca’ del Bosco is one of the region’s most respected producers, and their Cuvée Prestige offers a polished, fruit-driven expression of the style, built on freshness and backed up with complexity.

Image by Ca del Bosco

In the glass, it’s a pale lemon with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose opens with gentle white blossom and ripe citrus, lemon and peach give way to subtle tropical hints of melon. There’s a creamy, baked element too, with aromas of pastry, bread and a dusting of vanilla, leading into a faint thread of honey and dried apricot that adds some welcome depth.

On the palate, the wine is dry with medium-plus acidity and a round, almost silky texture. Flavours mirror the nose, ripe orchard fruit, delicate citrus, and that creamy brioche core, supported by a soft mousse and a gently warming finish. The complexity is there, albeit restrained, and while the finish doesn’t quite linger long enough for top-tier status, this is a really very good wine.

It’s a shame that we don’t see that much Franciacorta in the UK. Look out for these elegant, well-balanced wines often with extended lees aging for those lovely brioche notes when you are in Italy. I particularly like the Saten style which is a Blanc de Blanc with lower dosage.


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Stanton & Killeen Classic Rutherglen Muscat 12YO, Victoria

Rutherglen Muscat is one of the wine world’s most distinctive and underrated treasures, and Stanton & Killeen’s Classic 12-Year-Old is a fine example of the style at its most expressive and poised.

This wine is made from a unique local mutation of Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge, commonly referred to as Rutherglen Brown Muscat. Harvested in passes over several months to give a mix of fresher and shrivelled and sugar-laden berries, the grapes are crushed and start fermentation on the skins. Once enough flavour has been extracted it is fortified with grape spirit, halting the process and preserving intense natural sweetness. From there, the wine enters a slow, warm maturation process, typically in old oak barrels housed in tin sheds exposed to Victoria’s sweltering summers and cool winters. Over many years, this environment promotes oxidation and concentration, developing the deep, caramelised, nutty and savoury complexity for which the style is known. Each component is carefully blended from solera-like systems to achieve harmony and depth in the final multi vintage wine.

Image by Stanton & Killeen

In the glass this wine is deep brown, almost mahogany, with a faint greenish glint at the rim, a quiet visual reminder that, despite its richness, this is technically a white wine. The nose has dried rose petals and potpourri, cooked apple, and layers of warming spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, even a touch of savoury soy. From there it deepens into a swirl of sticky dates, fig, raisin and brown sugar, underpinned by a rich seam of chocolate, caramel, and toffee.

On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and unmistakably sweet, though a brisk, well-judged acidity keeps everything in check. It’s intensely flavoured, concentrated and unctuous — a wine that seems to coat the tongue but finishes clean and long, echoing its medley of dried fruits, spices and oxidative notes. The alcohol is moderate by fortified standards, and neatly integrated.

This is an extraordinary wine not just for its complexity and texture, but for the way its elements are held in such fine balance. It’s layered, richly flavoured and confidently made, delivering depth without heaviness, and showcasing the unique aged style that Rutherglen delivers.


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Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut NV, Marlborough, New Zealand

Cloudy Bay is best known for putting Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the map, but their traditional method sparkling wine, Pelorus Brut NV, quietly makes a case for itself with understated depth and impressive finesse.

Image by Cloudy Bay

In the glass, it’s a pale lemon hue with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose is bright and expressive, offering ripe orchard fruit, crisp apple and pear, alongside notes of preserved lemon and peach. There’s a gently smoky undertone that adds interest, and a familiar seam of biscuity, yeasty complexity that marks time spent on lees. Hints of roasted almond and honey round out the profile, lending the wine a mellow, almost autumnal edge.

On the palate, the wine is dry, with high acidity that gives a clean, defined structure. The flavours mirror the nose: juicy apple and citrus up front, followed by pastry, toast, and a subtle suggestion of honey and smoke. The mousse is creamy, well-integrated, and adds a tactile richness to the mid-palate. The finish is extended and precise, if not quite expansive.

This is a very high quality sparkling wine and in blind tastings I’ve confidently had it down as a Champagne. It offers clear varietal and stylistic character, a fine balance between fruit and structure, and a satisfying degree of complexity Pelorus consistently delivers more you’d expect as this price point.


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Palo Cortado Viejo C.P , Valdespino

This rich amber colour sherry starts off its life under flor and then the wine maker selects certain barrels increases the fortification to kill the yeast and moves them to a separate solera to oxidatively mature the wine.  There are no fixed rules for the production of Palo Cortado but they generally combine subtle yeast derriven notes with nutty notes.  

This wine has bruised ripe apple a touch of melon, bread dough, dried apricots, raisins, orange peel then hazel nuts and almonds. The finish of the wine is long with orange peel and raisin flavours lingering beyond the alcohol. Delicious!

WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting style:

Palate:

  • Dry
  • Medium acidity
  • High  alcohol (20%)
  • Medium (+) body
  • Pronounced flavour intensity.
  • Flavour characteristics: Bruised ripe apple, sour bread dough, acetaldehyde, apricot, raisins, orange peel, hazel nuts, almonds. Complex.
  • Long finish.

Quality: Balance  – 1, Length – 1  Intensity – 1 , Complexity – 1  = 4.0 The wine is outstanding.