The Naked Sommelier

Neethlingshof 'The Caracal' 2010, Stellenbosch, South Africa The New World generally does Old World, but bigger; Marlborough Sauvignon can be like Touraine on steroids, Australian Shiraz like the Rhône with a turbocharger. That's not to say they lack finesse, but big fruit is the rule rather than the exception. South Africa has the climate to be big, if they want to be, but frequently producers want a more European character to their wines. The result can be wines which sit as a halfway house between the power of the New World and the elegance of the Old, with, with accessibility in youth. 'The Caracal' is a blend in the style of classic left bank Bordeaux, comprising Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. The 2010 has had some time in oak barrels to mature, and is already very drinkable. The fruit is still youthful, blackcurrant and damson, with plenty of oaky aromas and plenty going on when you swirl it around. It's well balanced, medium bodied, and the tannins are already soft and ripe, but still firm. There's structure here to age over the next 4-5 years, but this is drinking well now. Good partner for roast beef, or a rack of lamb. Or if you're me, a book on Sherry. Naturally. This sleek beast can be found at your local majestic wine for £11.98 on their very special 25% offer on South Africa (until Monday 23rd September). Money well spent.

Castello d’Alba Touriga Nacional 2009, Duoro, Portugal Usually, when I see unoaked on the label of a red wine, I run faster than The Doctor. A spell in oak softens the tannins of red wine, and also provides limited interaction with oxygen, which contrary to every other point in the wine’s development, is important for long-term ageing. In this case, however, the point is not to create a wine that can develop, but for a youthful, fresh style that exhibits pure varietal fruit; easy drinking pleasure, in other words. That it delivers, in spades. This isn’t a complex wine, by any means, but it’s certainly soft and fruity, with enough going on for it not to be boring. Deep ruby red; red fruits on the nose, a bit of crushed herb - I got a bit of bergamot; medium bodied; soft, light tannins; length was medium, with attractive red fruit and a touch of anise. All in all, quite a pleasant drop, and the kind you could quite happily drink on it’s own, or it would be a good shout with pizza. This drop came from The Wine Society, who I would heartily recommend to anyone interested in wine.

An absolute gem I picked up from Majestic Wine. Olivier Humbrecht is part of a family who have been making wine since 1658. They are fully biodynamic, and ferment the wines at slightly warmer temperatures to capture the full varietal character. Taste Italian Pinot Grigio next to this and you will be stunned to discover they are the same grape. This is ripe, full bodied and bursting with aroma and flavour. Nectarine, stone fruits, mandarin and quince, rich viscous texture and a great feel in the mouth with a good whack of alcohol to carry all the flavours. This goes for about £12.99 at Majestic, but it's easily worth £20 a bottle if not more. I paired it with Tuna steak with a corriander seed and cumin rub; it had enough fruit and weight to tame the spice while carry the meaty fish. Zind Humbrecht make a superb Gewurtztraminer for about the same price, which is the perfect match for aromatically spiced Thai curries, but I reckon this has the character to make it too.