AsiaLIFE

One of the most prestigious names in all the Rhone Valley, Chapoutier has expanding its operations to take in vineyards in Roussillon and even Australia. The Bila Haut Estate in Roussillon has three grape varieties – Grenache and Carignan, known for their ripe fruity characteristics; and Syrah, known for its finesse, structure and spicy finish.

This full-bodied wine combines the terroir, generosity and warmth of the Roussillon region with the skill of winemaker Michel Chapoutier. The aromas are complex, offering up five spice, coffee grinds and ground pepper. On the palate the wine is full-bodied yet elegant, with the rich flavour of black cherries balanced by mocha, spice and tobacco leaves. A wonderfully affordable wine, it has been produced by one of France’s very best winemakers at the top of his game. Serve with something, or someone, wild.

A Tuscan Estate with big ambitions and the ability to achieve their aims, perhaps Villa Trasqua’s greatest coup has been to harness the services of the legendary Tuscan winemaker and viticulturist Stefano Chioccioli. One of the most revered and regarded winemakers in the region, he was the first Italian winemaker to receive the prestigious 100 out of 100 point ranking for an Italian wine by wine critic Robert Parker.

The Chianti Reserve (made form 100 percent Sangiovese) is matured in oak for a full-year longer than the standard (also very good) offering. Deep ruby in colour, the wine is infused with aromas of aniseed, violets, spiced fruits and charry oak. The palate shows a medium-bodied wine with the intense flavours of red fruits and mixed peel, given further complexity by hints of semi-dried tomato, aniseed and oak spice. Its lively acidity gives the wine structure, demanding it be matched with rich, hardy Italian food.

Spanish wines are undergoing a global resurgence in popularity at the moment. New vineyard management and winemaking techniques are producing some excellent wines. There is no bigger name in Spanish wine than Torres, the family has been involved in the Spanish wine industry for over three centuries.

The Torres Coronas is made with the traditional Spanish red variety of Tempranillo, (known locally in Catalunya as ‘hare’s eye’) and given a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a deep, opaque red colour with aromas of wild strawberry, blackberry, oak spice and truffles. On the palate the wine is full-bodied with powerful flavours of wild berries and oak spice, and complex hints of raw meat, iron filings and gunsmoke. The tannins are ripe and persistent, the finish savoury and long. Match with fermented, spiced meats, continental sausages, rack of lamb, or a choice steak.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the best wines from the Rhone Valley, where as an industry veteran once quipped to me, "You get the bouquet of a Burgundy and the body of a Bordeaux at around a tenth of the price of either." The Via Antiqua – the old Roman route to northern Gaul – once wound its way through the ancient vineyards of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Near its history-strewn path lay what are now the vineyards of Ch‚teau Mont-Redon. The first mention of this vineyard appears in 1334.

The wine is a typically complex regional blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarese. The aromas offer cherries and red berries. On the palate, are sour cherries and other red fruits, sweet spices and a hint of black coffee. Full of flavour and very balanced – not tiring or over the top as some other wines from this region – this is a wine to sit back and really enjoy, just a lovely drink on its own or to match with beef or game.